Reverb Magazine - Final issue 73 by Reverb Magazine

music, arts & culture monthly

central coast | hunter | north coast

FINAL #073 Sep ’12

Wheatus

The Dirtbags Return

Joe Bonamassa

Yellowcard

Mia Dyson

Driving towards daylight

Breathe in the southern air

Living in the moment

also: Dappled Cities + Julia Stone + King Cannons + Chairlift + Cake

1ST RELEASE SOLD OUT 2ND RELEASE NOW ON SALETIX !

John Butler Trio (NYE Midnight Set) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (uSA-nYE SEt) ThE BlAcK SEEdS (nZ) FriEndlY FireS dJ SEt (uK-nYE SEt)

KrafTY KutS vS A.SKillz (uK) ThE HErd (aus) KAKi KIng (uSA) BlOOd red ShOEs (uK) unknown Mortal Orchestra (uSA) Electric Wire hustle (NZ) King Tide (AuS) MAt. McHugH & ThE SEPErATiSTA SOuND SYSTEM (aus) 65DaYSofstAtic (uK) Deep Sea Arcade (AuS) gold fields (AuS) gossling (AuS) Will & The People (uK) chapelier fou (fr) The Medics (AuS) NorthEast Party house (AuS) hatfitz and cara (aus) Tuka (AuS) The cairos (AuS) The PreaTurEs (AuS) Battleships (AuS) lime cordiale (AuS) Daily Meds (AuS) JONES Jnr (AuS) Tigertown (AuS) MicroWave Jenny (AuS) also featuring â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The return of The Dub Shack Plus many more artists to be announced...

IS R B R-

B O T OC

– Y E YDN

-S R E OB

T C O 05

E T A ST

E L T S CA

EW N ER

TO C O 7

A P Q E– N A B

R T A E TH

C I V I –C

T VISI

NAM O B J W.

ALIA

TR /AUS

A.C ASS

R T A E TH

photo by ian laidlaw

No. 73

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

index

contents

News Katchafire Mia Dyson Dappled Cities Julia Stone King Cannons Chairlift Cake Yellowcard Fuck Buttons Joe Bonamassa Wheatus Retrospective – Reverb 2006-2012 Motoring – Renualt Megane RS265 Cartoon Horoscopes Album reviews Splendour review Live reviews Film reviews DVD reviews Gig guide Our farewell

8-13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 19 20 21 22-23 24-29 30 31 31 32-33 34-35 36-37 38 39 40-41 42-44

The Gossip

Credits

Contacts

Editor

Senior Writers

Writers

Kevin Bull

Peter Douglas

Helen Brown

Cormack O’Connor

Editorial

Gig guide

kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Nick Milligan

Kevin Bull

Amelia Parrott

gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Sub-Editor

Matt Petherbridge

Louisa Bulley

Kate Hamilton

Sallie Maree Pritchard

Josh Clements

Thomas Peasley

Sales, Newcastle & Central Coast

Production

Max Quinn

kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Mark Snelson

Sean Degan

Melissa Roach

cam@reverbstreetpress.com

Stephanie De Vries

Luke Saunders

Sales, North Coast

Postal address

Photographers

Cameron Edney

Chloe Webb

stephen@reverbstreetpress.com or 0458 559 938

PO Box 843, Woy Woy NSW 2256

Kevin Bull

Sean Frazer

Kristen Wright

Cartoonist

David Jackson

Paul Frost

Tony Jenkins

Mitchell Jones

Mark Henderson

Ashlee Kellehear

Charli Hutchison

HOROSCOPES

Ian Laidlaw

Stephanie Jenkins

Steve Burrito

Glen Pearson

Nick Mackay

Kristen Wright

Jamie Nelson

art director Cam Bennett

6 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Download Issue

Download cover

Dload BACKcover

news

Giveaways just email your postal address to editorial@reverbstreetpress.com.au. First come, first served

1 double pass

Win a double pass to this year’s Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley, December 29 — January 1. Includes full event access, early-bird camping and vehicle pass, T-shirt, CDs and drink vouchers, as well as a backstage tour.

2 double passes

5 copieS

3 copieS

Win one of two double passes to Festival of the Sun, Port Macquarie, between December 14-15

Five copies of Hamish and Andy’s Euro Gap Year on DVD

Five copies of Dark Shadows on DVD

Three copies of Animal Collective’s Centipede HZ on CD

Win one of two double passes to Fat As Butter, Newcastle, on Saturday September 22

Five copies of The Lady on DVD

Three copies of Something For Kate’s Leave Your Soul to Science on CD

Three copies of Ball Park Music’s Museum on CD

w h i l s t a l l c a r e i s ta k e n , s o m e g i v e away s m ay c h a n g e d u e t o c i r c u m s ta n c e s b e y o n d o u r c o n t r o l

S EP T

metallica

SOUNDWAVE BULGES

Soundwave continues to push the limits of the single day festival with an enormous line-up announcement. With three of the big four included, here’s the line-up — Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Linkin Park, Blink 182, A Perfect Circle, The Offspring, Paramore, Garbage, Tomahawk, Stone Sour Kyuss Lives, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, Billy Talent, Gallows, Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me The Horizon, Mindless Self Indulgence, Dragonforce, All Time Low, Flogging Molly, Ghost, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Motion City Soundtrack, Lawrence Arms, Kingdom Of Sorrow, Fozzy, Sleeping With Sirens , Cancer Bats, Madball, Vision of Disorder, Pierce the Veil, Periphery, Shai Halud, Of Mice & Men, Miss May I, Danko Jones, Woe Is Me, The Wonder Years, While She Sleeps, Such Gold, Lucero, Six Feet Under, Deaf Havanam, Red Fang, Chunk! No Captain Chunk!, Memphis May Fire!, The Amity Affliction, Sick Of It All, The Blackout, Fucked Up, This Is Hell, The Early November, Cerebral Ballzy, Polar Bear Club, Sylosis, Blood On The Dance Floor, The Dear Hunter, Confession. Soundwave happens at Olympic Park, Sydney, on Sunday February 24.

Grand Junction Hotel 88 Church Street, Maitland 02 4933 5242 / Facebook

Roesy

SEPT

FLOYD VINCENT

SEPT

THU

SUN

& THE CHILDBRIDES

The Joe Kings

SEPT

SAT

SAT 1ST VINYL NIGHT SUN 2ND ZOE K AND THE SHADOW K AT Z T H U 6T H N GA R I K I FR I 7 T H H I S M ER RY M EN S AT 8 T H R OYA L A R T I L L E R Y S U N 9 T H C A S S E A G E R F R I 14T H T B A S AT 15 T H V I N Y L N I G H T T H U 2 0 T H P E T E C O R N E L I U S F R I 21S T T H E W I D O W B I R D S SAT 22ND SUICIDE SWA NS + MOTOR & M ACE SUN 23RD JIMMY WILLING & THE REAL GONE HICCUPS THU 27TH JUNIOR BOWLES FRI 28TH THE RE-MAINS SUN 30TH MAX SAVAGE & THE FALSE IDOLS 8 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

john butler

PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL OFFERS LAY-BY purchase

With New Year still a few months away, the Peats Ridge Festival are offering the best way copy with the Festival hit to the hip pocket. Registrations for their lay-by option will be open until October 14, with payment split over four payments. Festival Director Matt Grant says “The lay-by option makes sure everyone who wants to come along to the Festival can. We don’t want people missing out because they can’t get all the money together at once, so we try and make it a bit easier for them.” The three day camping festival of music, art and sustainability is a family friendly affair that sees people of all ages join together to bring the New Year in, to the beautiful sounds and astounding sights of the Festival. Peats Ridge Festival happens in Glenworth Valley between December 29 and January 1. Peats Ridge Festival would like to wish a fond farewell and a huge thank you to everyone at Reverb. This magazine has been a lifeline to music lovers and aficionados in this beautiful part of the world and provided a fantastic service. Reverb, you will be sorely missed. Long live the memory of Reverb and we look forward to seeing all the readers at Peats Ridge at NYE in 2012.

Download Issue

blondie

HOMEBAKE GOES ATOMIC

With Sydney city’s historic Domain once again coming alive with the sound of music, film, laughs and more, Homebake returns in 2012 playing host to a virtual swag of national and internationally famous local superstars, once again presenting an eclectic and talented selection of the finest artists borne out of the southern hemisphere.This Global Edition will also signify the first time an International artist will perform. The announced line-up for Homebake 2012 is Blondie, Hilltop Hoods, Tim Minchin, Kimbra, Angus Stone, Julia Stone, Birds of Tokyo, Daniel Merriweather, San Sparro, The Saints, Something for Kate, Sonicanimation, Shapeshifter, Six60, Jinja Safari, The Bamboos, Tim Rogers, San Cisco, Emma Louise, Pond, Ball Park Music, Seekae, DZ Deathrays, Diafrix, Husky, Full Tote Odds. Homebake happens at the Domain, Sydney on Saturday December 8.

THIS IS NOT ART 2012

This is Not Art is one of Australia’s leading independent arts festivals. Held annually in Newcastle, Australia, the festival presents a diverse program of over 200 events, across four days. In 2012, This is Not Art (TINA) will be held September 27-30. TINA is a convergence of writers, performers, thinkers, independent and industry musicians, dancers, visual artists, thespians, arts workers, media makers, creative researchers, electronic artists, physical performers, dilettantes, and DIY culture makers in a showcase featuring over 400 local, national and international artists. In 2012 This is Not Art festival will present:The Crack Theatre Festival is a national festival and forum devoted to experimental and cross-disciplinary theatre and performance. Crack Theatre Festival presents a program of performances, gigs, panels, forums, workshops and interventions, profiling the diversity of contemporary Australian Theatre; Critical Animals musters together artists that seek out postgraduate research, practice-led development and/or quasi-intellectual conversation, to devour the critical contexts for the experimental and emerging arts and media practices in the This is Not Art program. The National Young Writers’ Festival is Australia’s premier event for emerging writers, publishers, performers and troublemakers.Far from the seas of white hair, book signings and celebrity author worship you might expect, the NYWF is a DIY, hands-on conversation between equals. It’s the four days of the year where you get to collaborate, share your ideas, passions and skills, showcase your work, and reinvigorate your practice at the nation’s most inspiring party. For full program details, head to thisisnotart.org.

news

TIRED MINDS RELEASE DEBUT

dawn heist

WHIPLASH festival adds THREE LOCAL SHOWS

With five massive shows, two sideshows, and 40 confirmed acts to pick from, the upcoming Whiplash Festival has turned into the metal lover’s wet dream. Even better, Newcastle and the central coast gets three of the shows, Gosford Youth Arts Warehouse (allages) on Thursday October 25 with Mnemic, Dawn Heist, Katabasis, The Helix Nebula, Kunvuk, The Arbitrary Method; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday October 26 with Mnemic, Dawn Heist, Requim of the Damned, Lynchmada, Devour the Martyr, Drop Bear, Blackout to Oblivion; Loft Youth Centre (all-ages), Newcastle, on Friday October 26 with Merauder, Taken By Force.

After recently touring the east coast with fellow Newcastle outfit Postal, Tired Minds have announced that they will be releasing their debut EP through Break Bend records on September 12. The EP was recorded with Mat Taylor at Scabbey Road Studios (Safe Hands, The Delta Lions) and mastered by the popular Alan Douches in the US. Tired Minds, with Safe Hands and Inhale the Sea in support, will launch the album at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday September 12. EP pre-orders, including a CD/shirt combo pack, are available via the band’s facebook page.

Newcastle Panthers FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28

TIX

THE AMITY AFFLICTION PRE-SALE $44 + BF, ALLAGES.

TIX

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29

FOTSUN Line-up ANNOUNCED

It’s easy to see how, over seven years, Festival of the Sun has cemented itself as one of the must attend music festival experiences on the calendar. It’s the sun, surf and enviable seaside location at Port Macquarie’s Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park. It’s the feel that only a 3000 capacity, intimate, single stage, boutique festival can offer. And yeah, it’s that outstanding BYO policy! Not to mention the 2012 line-up… Kimbra, Dead Letter Circus, Hermitude, The Datsuns, Busby Marou, Husky, DZ Deathrays, The Snowdroppers, The Cairos, Over-Reactor, Jackson Firebird, Nat Col & The Kings, Tin Sparrow, Dirty Little Rebels, The Mornings, Joe Robinson, Siskin River, The Widowbirds, Geoff Turnbull, Minnie Marks, Dirty Cash DJs plus one lucky Triple J Unearthed winner to be announced. Festival of the Sun happens at Port Macquarie’s Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, December 14–15.

kitty flanagan

KITTY FLANAGAN PLAYS THE LAYCOCK

Kitty Flanagan returns with her highly anticipated new show and this time she answers all the difficult questions. What’s wrong with teenagers? Why are babies so angry? What snack foods should be avoided when dating? Should cabaret be outlawed? When did rappers start hating on ladies? Is it okay to take hot beverages into the dunny can? Is dunny can an acceptable term for toilet? What makes ham so delicious? What religion is best for me? And of course, are all women who own cats mental? Kitty Flanagan performs at the Laycock Theatre, Gosford, on Saturday September 15.

MARTIKA

PRE-SALE $54 + BF, DOORS 8PM, OVER 18’S.

TIX

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18

LIVE X

Having taken out the hardcore/metal category at this year’s Music Oz Awards without setting foot on a stage. Maitland band Let the Number be X have turned the traditional ‘play live – write songs’ process on its head and spent the past 12 months recording their debut release. Before all that, these new songs need to get their debut live performance. That date... Friday September 21 at the Hunter Valley Brewery, Maitland.

URBAN GOLF IN COOKS HILL

PRE-SALE $44 + BF, DOORS 8PM, OVER 18’S.

Find us on Facebook

TIX

MONDAY DECEMBER 17

lanie lane

LANIE LANE ON HER OWN

Having just completed her second sold out national tour of Australian capital cities throughout May and early June, Lanie Lane is very excited to announce that she is heading out in solo mode to finally play shows in a bevy of regions she is yet to visit, in front of fine folks she is yet to meet, on the On My Own Track tour. To coincide with this brand new adventure, Lanie is releasing the title track from her debut album To The Horses as a brand new single. A beautifully evocative video shot by a friend on a ranch in Malibu, California, is imminent so keep your eye out. Lanie now invites all comers: young, old, hip, square and otherwise to join her as she and her trusty guitar Bo Didd roll into town for a fantastic night of rock and roll, balladry, rambling song introductions and unfiltered charm. Lanie Lane performs at Lizotte’s Lambton on Thursday September 6.

PARKWAY DRIVE ‘ATLAS’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR PRE-SALE $39 + BF, DOORS 7PM, ALL AGES.

NEW031

On Saturday September 8, the corner of Bull and Bruce Street, Cooks Hill, will be a golfing tournament with a difference. The tournament is World Urban Golf Day and is a game of golf that involves no rules, no dress codes, no course and is open to absolutely anyone. You may have already heard about or even played in World Urban Golf Day before, but for those of you who don’t know, the team at Urban Golf Australia in cooperation with partners all over the world have been getting together once a year to celebrate off course golfing while also raising money for charity. Now in its sixth year, World Urban Golf Day promises to be one of the biggest yet.

GOMEZ

Download Page

NEWCASTLE PANTHERS Tel 4926 6200 newcastle.panthers.com.au fb.com/panthersnewcastle

Download Issue

Download our FREE iPhone App reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 9

news

SMITHS AND SUNSHINE

sleepmakeswaves

SLEEPMAKESWAVES RETURNing TO DESTROY

With their July tour supporting Karnivool almost completely sold out, Sydney’s Sleepmakeswaves have announced a headlining tour of Australia for September. Taking in six states (including their first ever visit to Tasmania), the tour follows a busy 2012 that has seen the instrumental rockers tour the US, Europe and Australia extensively. The tour caps off an amazing year that has seen SMW perform at SXSW Festival in Texas, Belgium’s Dunk Festival, support Japan’s Boris and the aforementioned Karnivool, and, most recently, secure an American release for their album …And So We Destroyed Everything. Sleepmakeswaves perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday September 8.

10 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

tim hart

B&B TIM HART DOES SOLO

Boy & Bear’s Tim Hart will be stepping out on his own to bring life to his solo record Milling The Wind. Not shy of long hours on the road, Hart will be visiting each nook and cranny of Australia, replacing his drumsticks with a guitar as he takes in all capital cities and nine regional centres. Hart’s musical integrity and genuine talent for pensive lyrics will be a hushed and reverent affair in the snug settings of some of Australia’s finest acoustic venues. It’s within these intimate settings and behind a guitar that the earnest troubadour really feels at home. Milling The Wind is by no means a departure from Boy & Bear. “This was always in the pipeline,” Hart says, of his stepping out alone. “This was the right time, and there was a real openness to it within the band. The boys are excited.” Tim Hart performs at Lizotte’s Kincumber on Wednesday September 19, and Lizotte’s Lambton on Thursday September 20.

Download Page

Burgeoning buzz band The Smith Street Band has just released their second album Sunshine And Technology, and to celebrate its release, the band will tour extensively, playing headlining shows in capital cities Australia-wide. The much loved Melbourne band’s debut album, 2011’s No One Gets Lost Anymore, was the sound of a band that had found their feet. The band’s incessant gigging following their debut album’s release hints at The Smith Street Band’s desire to reach as many people as possible. The future is indeed radiant for The Smith Street Band as they take their music to unexplored destinations both literally and figuratively. Recorded by Sam Johnson at Melbourne’s Three Phase Studios and mixed by Matt Voigt (Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, The Nation Blue) at Sing Sing Studios, Sunshine And Technology’s lyrical and musical progressions suggest The Smith Street Band seems incapable of standing still, and perhaps, of growing up. Both endearing qualities for inspired punk-rock upstarts. The Smith Street Band perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday September 7.

Download Issue

pigeon

MIA DYSON’S IN THE MOMENT

With three years in the US under her belt, Dyson is returning to Australia with the most solid record of her career and a national tour. The album, The Moment, which was made possible via a successful fan funding campaign has already achieved high accolades while the album’s lead single ‘When the Moment Comes’ has surpassed expectations with both radio support and its selection as iTunes single of the week. The Moment is Dyson’s fourth album, with previous releases snatching ARIA Awards and cementing her place as one of Australia’s most exciting young artists. With a tumultuous few years establishing her career in the US, she’s overcome many obstacles to create what critics have called her most accomplished album yet. Mia Dyson performs at Lizotte’s Kincumber on Saturday October 6.

news

lagwagon clairy browne

CLAIRY BROWNE SHOWS TOUGH LOVE

mike mccarthy

mike McCARTHY TAKES THE LION’S SHARE

Due for release on October 17 is central coast local Mike McCarthy’s latest album, The Lion’s Share. Recorded between December 2010 and March 2012, The Lion’s Share shows McCarthy stripping things back lyrically but at the same time expanding his sense of adventure sonically. The refrain of the lead single ‘Sink Me Not’ echoes out, “Sink me not, the day’s not done” and on this evidence from McCarthy that statement is undoubtedly true. Seven albums in, he is creating his best work yet. Fans can download the single ‘Sink Me Not’ and a very special Jinja Safari remix of the track ‘In Ages’ from mikemccarthy.com.au. McCarthy will be touring nationally, performing at the Entrance Leagues Club on Friday September 28, and the Avoca Beach Theatre on Friday October 5.

Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes join forces with friends and collaborators Kira Puru and the Bruise for their Tough Love tour throughout September. The two bands will be touring together in a raucous busload of musicians and divas to break hearts in Sydney, Showcase at Big Sounds in Brisbane and play for the first time in Katoomba, Newcastle, Canberra and Castlemaine. Clairy has had her song ‘Love Letter’ featured in an overseas Heineken commercial. What a legend. Clairy Browne and Pira Puru perform at the Queens Wharf Brewery on Sunday September 9.

THE SWELLERS AT THE CAMBO

Blue-collar, punk rock has seen a rise to prominence in recent years and at the forefront is The Swellers, of Flint, Michigan. And now the quartet are set to return to Australia for the second time this October, co-inciding with the band’s tenth anniversary. Over the last decade, The Swellers have taken their hard-edged-yet-accessible style of punk to the world stage. The last four of these years have been spent touring non-stop with the likes of Less Than Jake, Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong and A Wilhelm Scream. This touring followed on the back of 2011’s album Good For Me, the third for the band. The diverse sounds on the album have seen them fitted to mixed bills all over the world, including a place on the Counter Revolution tour that saw the band head to Australia for the very first time. The Swellers perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday October 19.

Find us on Facebook

Lagwagon is gonna be touring Australia and New Zealand, getting ‘back on the wagon’ so to speak (heyo!), so don’t miss ’em when they hit your town. The first band ever signed to Fat Wreck Chords and the definitive act on the label, Lagwagon were pioneers in creating the now-famous ‘Fat Wreck sound’ with their speedy drums, guitar virtuosity and undeniable melodies. They’ve influenced hundreds of thousands of kids, been around the world more times than Ferdinand Magellan and twisted and redefined themselves over the course of a career that spans almost twenty-five years. With 141 songs being polished up and set loose on the world, expect some real dusties alongside all your favourites as they will only be playing the classics! Lagwagon perform at Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday November 30.

MOJO RELEASES DEBUT

Mojo Juju’s self-titled debut full release is released September 14, the result of her recent signing to ABC Music. Armed with a broken suitcase, a pair of alligator shoes and a beat up guitar, she takes her broken heart and battered dreams from juke joints to theatres and every bar in between that serves gin. Taking influence and inspiration from hot jazz and early blues, jive and Pachuco boogie, not to mention a heavy dose film noir and hard boiled fiction, bump & grind, truck stops and cheap motels, there is most definitely something dark, dirty and seductive lurking in these sounds.

MACHINATIONS RESURFACE

If mentioning the songs ‘Pressure Sway’, ‘No Say In It’, and ‘Pressure Sway’ has sent you searching through your vinyl collection for that Machinations record, it is good news for you. Over the past decade, The Machinations have only performed a handful of time, and with lead singer Fred Loneragan rehearsing in the Newcastle western suburbs, hopes have been high that the band might find itself in one of the local venues. Following a sneaking test run a few months back, The Machinations will be performing at the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Islington, on Saturday October 20.

LAGWAGON ROLLS IN TO NEWCASTLE

FALLING FOR CHARLIE MAYFAIR parkway drive

PARKWAY to TOUR ATLAS

Byron Bay’s Parkway Drive will embark on their most ambitious Australian tour this December to coincide with the release of their hugely anticipated fourth album, Atlas. Recorded in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Hatebreed, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, etc.), the soon-to-bereleased Atlas is yet another leap forward for the chart-topping Australian group, whose previous effort, 2010’s Deep Blue, took out the ARIA award for Best Hard Rock and Metal release. The new album’s heightened ambition has led to plans for a more elaborate live show. “Everything has been enhanced,” says Parkway vocalist Winston McCall. “For the past ten years we’ve played with a backdrop, and the whole experience has been us. We’re trying something this time, and hopefully it makes people feel something different as well. It’s definitely going to be entertaining. There won’t be any dead spots.” December’s Atlas Australian tour will boast an all-Australian line-up, with support coming from three exciting local acts, I Killed The Prom Queen, Northlane and Survival. “It’s the biggest tour we’ve ever done, and the fact that we’re keeping it all Australian means a lot to us and highlights how far the bands in this country have come,” says McCall. Parkway Drive preform at Newcastle Panthers on Monday December 17

Download Page

As the saying goes - good things come to those who wait. Charlie Mayfair may have taken a little extra time to hit the touring trail following the release of their Fall In Time EP, but after a sold-out Brisbane launch show, the band are now happy to announce they’ll be taking their newlyevolved sound to the live arena with their most commanding shows to date. Stepping out for the first time as a quartet, sans the male accompanying vocal of recently departed member Dave Di Marco, the shows will see Hannah Shepherd step into the role as the fiery front woman and solo lead vocalist for the group. The tour also follows the rousing success of the band’s most recent single ‘Waste Me’ — impeccably crafted and bolstered by a feverish delivery and one of the year’s most gloriously haunting videos — the track certainly shows Charlie Mayfair in a brand new light, paving the way to an exciting new stage. Charlie Mayfair perform at Queens Wharf Brewery, Newcastle, on Thursday September 20.

Download Issue

founds

FOUNDS FIND NEWCASTLE

Eclectic, intimate and hypnotic, Brisbane sextet Founds are proud to announce the release of their debut album, Hadean, on September 7 through Rare Finds. The highly anticipated full-length follows an unbeatable year in 2011, which saw the group perform at Big Day Out and Peats Ridge Festival as well as share stages with The Naked and Famous, Grouplove, Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Owl Eyes, Oh Mercy and Gosling. Excitement escalated when the band won Triple J Unearthed’s competition for Big Sound 2011, putting them firmly in the gaze of Australian music’s finest. It was there that they captured the heart of acclaimed producer, Mark Myers (The Middle East, Emma Louise), who would bunker down in the studio with the band to craft their debut. Evoking the raw energy of Mogwai, the hypnotic swirl of Björk, and the glistening grandeur of Sigur Ros, Founds nonetheless manage to instil a unique vision in their debut. Hadean represents a compelling intersection between indie-pop, post-rock, folk and psychedelia. Founds perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday October 12.

THE STILLSONS LOOKING FOR NO DISTRACTIONS

Melbourne band The Stillsons are making their way up the east coast for a third time this year to record their third album in Brisbane. Many in the industry have questioned the band’s decision not to record in their home town, the band’s answer is simple - no distractions. On the way north, The Stillsons perform at the Wickham Park Hotel, Islington, on Thursday September 27. Catch them heading home at the Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, on Sunday October 7.

COMING ON TO ROYSTON VASIE

Royston Vasie are getting set to release their anticipated debut album, Tanah Merah. The band are giving you a special taste of what’s to come with the highly contagious second single ‘Come on’, and an east coast tour with friends Immigrant Union. Returning from a successful single tour for ‘You Want It Now’, selling out iconic venues such as Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club and Sydney’s Oxford Arts Factory, plus a national tour with Ben Kweller, Manchester Orchestra and the Afghan Whigs, Royston Vasie are quickly adding to their reputation of being one of the most exciting live acts in the country. They have recently supported the likes of The Cruel Sea, The Vasco Era, Wolf & Cub and British India. The band will team up with alt-country supergroup Immigrant Union. Led by Brent DeBoer of The Dandy Warhols, Immigrant Union have been busy in the studio working on their second album in between hitting the road with Noel Gallagher and Dead Meadow.  Royston Vasie and Immigrant Union perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday October 5.

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 11

news

BENJALU TRAVEL THE COAST

ball park music

BALL PARK MUSIC ENTERS THE MUSEUM

With their brand spanking new second album slotted for release on October 5, Ball Park Music is proud to announce the Museum Tour, the band’s biggest and most ambitious tour to date. Of course, ambition is quickly becoming second nature for the Brisbane five-piece as they drop their second album in 12 months, a feat that would put any band’s hard-working ethic to the test. This ambition also translates accordingly to the stage, where Ball Park Music has quickly become one of the most-talked about emerging live acts in the country. Their last 180-degree tour in April/May was a surprise of early 2012, with the initial round of appearances quickly selling out and not only going into second shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide, but also a whopping four shows at Melbourne’s The Corner. From there, the band proved themselves as a highlight outfit across the country for Groovin the Moo and an outright stand-out on the main stage at Splendour in the Grass. Joining Ball Park Music on this adventure is Melbourne five-piece Loon Lake, a 2011 Triple J Next Crop act who have just come off a sold-out headline tour of their own, in support of their recent EP Thirty Three. Ball Park Music and Loon Lake perform at Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni, on Friday October 26.

HAVANA BROWN AT FANNY’S

DJ Havana Brown has firmly cemented herself as one of the most successful Australian DJ exports of the decade. Her impressive resume also lists support act for Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls and Rihanna, and a score of exclusive VIP parties and concerts. From the official Grammy’s After Party in LA alongside WILL.I.AM to Paris Hilton’s New Year’s Eve party and a performance at the Singaporean F1 Rocks with the likes of Beyoncé and the Black Eyed Peas, DJ Havana Brown certainly lives up to her title of Australia’s No.1 female DJ. When asked about her style of music on her new album and what Newcastle should be ex p e c t i ng f ro m he r sho w, Hava na responded: “There is pop on there, some club, some cheekiness, it’s fun and it makes you feel like dancing”. Between the gigs on her resume and with only bigger things to come, there’s no doubt the cheekiness in Havana Brown’s performance will be one to watch at Fanny’s nightclub, Newcastle, on Saturday September 8.

12 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

oh mercy

OH MERCY WORTH A MILLION

Oh Mercy has invited Brisbane’s four piece, Millions, to be their main support on the ‘Deep Heat’ National tour throughout September and October. With a big musical love fest brewing between Oh Mercy and Millions, Alexander Gow shares, “I’m really pleased to have Millions touring with us. I was lucky enough to see them play recently and was really impressed as I’m sure Oh Mercy audiences will be. They’re young, handsome and loud. Australian cities and ‘ r u r al ce n t re s ’ a re ab ou t t o co p i t sweet.” James Wright of Millions says, “We’re ridiculously psyched to tour with Oh Mercy. Their deep-space funk-jam side on display on Deep Heat is very much in tune with our influences and spaced-out sensibilities. And judging by the ‘Drums’ film clip, we’ll be dry-cleaning our gold lamé outfits in readiness… in addition to our underwear.” Oh Mercy and Millions perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Thursday September 27.

COOPERS JAMPACKED AT THE GREAT NORTHERN

It was with great pleasure that the announce that the Great Northern Hotel has teamed up with Coopers to present Coopers JamPacked to be held in the Tiki Bar each Sunday from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Coopers JamPacked will be a great opportunity to get your riffs and lyrics out of your bedroom and into the hearts and minds of your fellow friends and musicians. Each Sunday afternoon/evening, you and your band can roll into to the Tiki Bar and jump on stage for a 20 to 30 minute set to give us some of your best original material. The Great Northern Hotel will provide full PA, microphones, DIs, lighting and operator for the night but no backline. Each band is required to bring full gear with drum kits preassembled to allow for speedy changeovers. Please email bookings@spyvinyl.com to book your spot.

BRITISH INDIA RELEASE THE MINOTAUR

British India are hitting the road to mark the release of their new single, ‘I Can Make You Love Me’. The Tour will see the band cross our fair nation this spring. ‘I Can Make You Love Me’ has become a radio staple since release. Now, the band unveil the video, minotaur and all. British India perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday September 15.

Download Page

With support from the Contemporary Music Touring Program, Benjalu are set to clock up the miles (and waves) on an extensive national tour in support of their new EP, Way to the Coast. Fast becoming firm favourites on the live circuit, Benjalu have gained a reputation for their infectious melodies & dynamic energy on stage. Fusing together folk, blues/roots, reggae & rock, the past year has seen the Newcastle five-piece go down a treat at the Byron Bay Blues Festival, Peats Ridge, Festival of the Sun and Woodford Folk Festival. To coincide with their forthcoming national tour, the band will release their new EP on September 15. Benjalu perform at Lizotte’s, Lambton, on Thursday October 25; Sydney Blues and Roots Festival, Windsor, between October 26–28; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday November 24.

ELLIOT THE BULL EP TOUR

Every so often, one is lucky enough to stumble across a young band who hold the tools of greatness - harmonies, passion and songs that engage your mind and soul. This was the overwhelming sentiment from those who recently saw Elliot The Bull on their recent tour. After touring June/July on their ‘Paint the Sky’ single tour, the Central Coast four-piece are excited to announce a Spring EP tour – once again heading up and down the East Coast of Australia. The band’s selftitled debut EP was released earlier this year. Stemming from a melting pot of influences, the EP is a genre-defying blend of folk, indie-pop and rock – creating a true classic Australian sound that can only be described as theirs. No strangers to packing up the tour van and hitting the open road, Elliot the Bull have already toured numerous times around Australia, including a national support slot with US act Lydia, and this month the band have been invited to play a string of shows in China. Elliot The Bull perform at Lizotte’s, K incumber, on Sa t u rday Se p t e mb e r 1 a nd Fr i day September 21; Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Islington, on Friday October 26.

LONG WAY TO THE TOP 10TH ANNIVERSARY

It’s been a a decade since the recordbreaking Long Way to the Top rock music extravaganza blazed its way around Australia. Over two hundred thousand ecstatic Australian fans revelled in the opportunity to relive the music that defined their generations. In October, proving you can’t keep a good thing down, 17 legends of Australian rock will reunite for the A Long Way to the Top 10th Anniversary Concert. Where the 2002 tour included music released up to the 70s, the 10th anniversary show features bands that had massive hits in the 80s, notably Mi-Sex, Dragon and Noiseworks. This reunion tour will celebrate a major landmark in Australian live music and act as a performance legacy to one of its instigating producers, the late and great Billy Thorpe, who passed away in 2007. A Long Way to the Top 10th Anniversary Concert, staring Brian Cadd, Dragon, Marcia Hines, Col Joye, Masters Apprentices’ Jim Keays, Dinah Lee, Mi-Sex, Russell Morris, Ian Moss, Noiseworks, Doug Parkinson, Little Pattie, Glenn Shorrock, Spectrum, Lucky Starr, Chain’s Matt Taylor & Phil Manning, and John Paul Young, performs at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Tuesday October 9.

Download Issue

josh pyke

JOSH PYKE PERFORMS AT LIZOTTE’S

Josh Pyke is one of Australia’s premier singer/songwriters. Known for his ability to weave intelligent lyrics with warm melodies and quirky song structures, Pyke is a modern-day storyteller whose unique and evocative use of both words and music places him in a league of his own. Pyke’s breakthrough single was ‘Middle of the Hill’, a paean to suburban childhood that struck a chord and catapulted him into the limelight. After a year long sabbatical, Josh Pyke is back on the road in 2012 to celebrate the release of his eagerly awaited third album, Only Sparrows. Josh Pyke performs at Lizotte’s, Kincumber, on Thursday October 11, and Lizotte’s, Lambton, on Saturday October 20

MEDICS BUILD FOUNDATIONS

Music is at its best when it’s unpredictable. When it comes packed with surprises, the unexpected. Truly great music has always been about challenging convention, the ‘didn’t see that coming’ moment. It’s a tradition that’s at the heart of The Medics – as both people and as artists. It’s a sound that is all over the band’s stunning debut album Foundations as featured on Triple J and includes the singles ‘Griffin’, ‘Joseph’ and ‘Beggars’. The band’s story started in Cairns, far north Queensland and has seen their emergence as one of Australia’s most genuinely exciting new bands performing at Splendour in the Grass, Big Day Out, Laneway, Groovin’ the Moo, Woodford and The Dreaming Festivals. The Medics p e r fo r ms a t t he Cambridge Hotel , Newcastle, on Saturday September 29.

MORGAN EVANS RELEASES WHILE WE’RE YOUNG

Morgan Evans has just released While We’re Young, the follow up to his successful debut EP, Live Each Day, on Warner Music Australia. While We’re Young was recorded in Nashville, produced by ex-pat Jedd Hughes, an acclaimed singer/songwriter and guitarist. All five tracks on While We’re Young were written or co-written by Morgan. The title track is an energetic, guitar driven anthem co-written with Jedd and Sarah Buxton, who also co-wrote Keith Urban’s hit ‘Put You In A Song’. “I played Jedd and Sarah this chorus that I’d written a few months earlier and we all had a great vibe about it. We all related to it, so the verses came really naturally,” says Morgan. “We got so excited about the songs, that soon Jedd had pulled together some of my favourite musicians in the world and we were recording. Their talent and unique approach inspired me to work even harder to get the best out of my voice and my guitar playing. Working with those guys really was a dream come true.” Morgan Evans, supporting The McClymonts, performs at the Bateau Bay Hotel on Sunday September 9. Follow us on Twitter

news

URTHBOY PULLS UP HIS SOCKS

paul mcdermott

PAUL McDERMOTT PLAYS THE CIVIC

Paul McDermott, star of Good News Week, Strictly Dancing, Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF), Galas and Debates and the legendary comedy juggernaut the Doug Anthony Allstars (DAAS), is bringing his first ever solo shows to Brisbane, Newcastle and Canberra as part of a Spring offensive. ‘Paul Sings’ features a selection of McDermott’s original songs; from musical comedy trios DAAS and GUD through to those penned for TV shows Good News Week, Good News Weekend, GNW Night Lite, The Sideshow and MICF Debates and Galas, many of which were performed just once, only to be aired and forgotten … until now. Naughty, satirical, nihilistic and beautifully dark, with the occasional love song, ‘Paul Sings’ will be peppered with seriously funny stories about what art and life have wrought this artist, writer and comedian, including more than a few glimpses of sunshine. The serious side of Paul McDermott? Well, almost! Paul McDermott performs at the Newcastle Civic Theatre on Friday September 14.

‘Knee Length Socks’ is the infectious new single from Urthboy. The song sees him rewind the clock to the mid-nineties, when he was an underage hip hop-loving kid. His older brother was a budding Brit Pop DJ/ promoter at the time and snuck young Urthboy and friends into his club nights before doors. Urthboy found himself completely out of place, surrounded by Brit Pop teens dancing along to everything from Pulp to Supergrass, Oasis and Blur. It made for a hilarious scenario which is captured so effortlessly on this track. As awkward as it was, the affection Urthboy has for that era is clear, given his admission of the influence it had on his songwriting in years to come. Co-producers Hermitude and Countbounce paint the perfect backdrop with a nod to 90s boom-bap, utilising playful horns and piano, helping to bring the scenes to life. ‘Knee Length Socks’ is taken from Urthboy’s new album Smokey’s Haunt, out October 12 on Elefant Traks. Urthboy performs at Fat As Butter on Saturday September 22.

LIVE & LOCAL AT LIZOTTE’S

Lambton Lizotte’s: Wednesday September 26, Tim Hilberts, Amy Vee, Little King, Broadway Mile. Kincumber Lizotte’s: Wednesday September 5, Mick Sparrow, Max & Tom, Calling Mayday, Amy Vee; Wednesday September 12, Shawn Lidster, Tara Scalas, Jessica Lord & Lachlan Robert, Chattelz; Friday September 21, Elliott The Bull CD launch; Wednesday September 26, Daxton Monohan, Lewis and Jones, Duo Loco (Chris Isaac and Dan Granero), Keith Hall, Pat Dow and Spectacular Feets.

THE

BBeaumont eaumont sstt

iislington slington September 2nd

Dollarossa

September 5th

Jessica Cain, Adeline Pines (cheap drinks!) September 6th

Rubber Bullet

September 7th

Rivalries + more September 9th

Markettown, Stoneage Romeos, Wes September 12th

Crowned Kings, Mark My Words, The Takehold (cheap drinks!) September 14th

FUSaurus, Maids of Horror September 15th

Lovechild+More September 16th

Jessica Cain

September 19th

Hellnights (cheap drinks!) September 20th

Hellnights

September 21st

Obviously Your Superhero, The Virtue, We Built Atlantis September 22nd

How to Survive a Bullfight +More September 23rd

Wes

September 26th

Hellnights (cheap drinks!) September 27th

Djs

September 28th

Burning Church Forest, Luke Hoskins Inexperience September 29th

Soul Station (Ladies’ Night) September 30th

Nuclear Buddha, Stone Fox Monday night Tuesday night Wednesday night Thursday Karaoke Sunday

free pool pool comp 7:30 live music, cheap drinks $ 3 . 7 0 s c h o o n e r s o f c a r lt o n D r a u g h t, $ 4 s p i r i t s Newcastle’s best cover bands Friday & Saturday live music

mon-sat 9.30am to 3am sun 10.30am to midnight

Hamiltonstationhotel.com

t 4961 3852 t

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 13

k a t c h afi r e — m ia d y s o n

Keeping the home fires burning Katchafire, whose band name is an appropriation of The Wailers’ hugely influential 1973 record, Catch A Fire, have become one of the world’s most embraced proponents of reggae music. Natives of Hamilton, on the north island of New Zealand, the seven-piece group are returning to their Australian fans for a run of shows in August and September. Lead vocalist and guitarist Logan Bell explains to Nick Milligan why, after 15 years, the group want to infuse the traditionally Jamaican genre with more of their homegrown culture.

downs since you formed in 1997? I think it’s just gone from strength to strength. When we first started it was definitely a lot harder — it was hard to get onto commercial radio. But reggae is a huge world genre and I’m amazed that every part of the world we go to loves reggae, from Poland to Egypt to Dubai. These places all love a bit of reggae, good vibes — irie vibes!

‘Irie’ is your new single and I believe in Jamaican it means ‘excellent’. Why was it the best name for your Australian tour? For us, it’s about fun and getting back to see our loved ones and the friends we’ve met in Australia, and the friends we are going to make. That’s what we mean by the ‘Irie’ tour — it’s about good vibes.

Katchafire formed as a Bob Marley tribute act. How did you start writing original songs? [Original music] was an afterthought — definitely a natural evolution. Some of the guys were writing before the tribute band, but the tribute band brought us together and gave us a good grounding and schooling in roots reggae — the genre that we love. We got to play great songs every night from the greatest reggae artist that ever lived. A year into playing bars and nightclubs around our home city, we started writing our own music and going abroad a bit more.

Has the popularity of reggae remained strong around the world or has it had ups-and-

Is writing reggae songs a similar to process other genres of music? And is it true that

there are five songwriters in Katchafire? At the start there were two [songwriters] and now the rest of the band get in on the fun. [Writing reggae] is a similar process [to other genres]. Most of the writing is broken down to a guitar or a keyboard — for most melodies the weapon of choice is the guitar. A lot of the songs are written on the road, at gigs or downtime in airports, hotels. A lot of the ideas start on the road, then we take them into the studio and refine them a little bit more. We just let it happen naturally. Katchafire have started work on album number five. Do you have any clear ideas about how you want it to sound? The boys aren’t too much for sitting around and conceptualising, we’re more emotionally driven and feel our way a bit more. Because there are five songwriters we have a massive pool of creativity to choose from. That works in our favour. But because there are so many writers it’s hard to pull together an underlying theme, so we’ve started thinking a little bit about that. The thing we came up with, to have in the back of our minds when being

creative, is to think about who we are as a [New Zealand] people and how unique it is [compared] to the rest of the world. We see our home as a very special place, and our culture as well. It’s inspiration to draw from. So we want to bring that through in the music as well. I think that’s the reason why we want to bring our New Zealand-ness out more in the songwriting. In what ways does your Kiwi heritage already make you different to reggae bands from other corners of the globe? We are very unique [as a culture] and maybe our past albums haven’t showed that as much. But in terms of the sound we are definitely unique in the fact that we like to sing a lot and harmonise. We’re very heavy on three-part harmonies [and] singing good melodies. That’s one point of difference from other reggae territories. But we try to stay very pure to our roots — roots reggae. Katchafire perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Sunday, September 23.

Seize the day For her fourth studio album, MIA DYSON turned to those that have supported her from the very beginning — her fans. In just the first week of an eight-week online pledge campaign, Dyson reached her target goal, which has funded the production, promotion and touring costs for her newly released album, The Moment. MEL ROACH spoke to Dyson about the kindness of strangers. “I’ve been away from Australia for a while now and haven’t released an album in a few years so I didn’t really know if people were still listening, paying attention or even interested in hearing the next record. It was so overwhelming and it changed my whole attitude - knowing that I can make a career with just people wanting to listen to my music. I think we’ve created something beautiful and compelling and I’m so excited to share these new songs.” Dyson thanks changes in the music industry for increased freedom and independence for artists. As a young musician, she waited for a label to come along and grab her by the hand. But as time went by so did all the record deals. “When artists first start out, we have a fantasy of having someone discover us. It’s great now, knowing you can have a career without needing to have a label. You’re not needing to waste your energy on that because you are the label.” Dyson prefers to connect with her audience live. “It’s just so much more direct. I’ll meet people at

14 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

shows and get them to sign up to my mailing list and keep them involved.” With Dyson’s pledge campaign a definite success, her supporters are also rallying behind a not for profit organisation, My Sisters Inc, which provides incarcerated survivors of family violence with education, empowerment and support. Hearing the stories of inmates after performances in Melbourne’s women’s prisons, Dyson felt compelled to get involved. “I don’t actually have a personal connection with the charity but after hearing some of the stories these women had to tell, I really wanted to help.” Having left Australia, in 2009, to follow a lifelong dream to play music in the US, Dyson supported big names such as Stevie Nicks, Chris Isaak and Eric Clapton. After years of touring consistently and playing festivals across the US, she moved to LA to work with Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics. Personal self-discovery is a major theme in her latest album. “After the last record I kind of lost my motivation to write. I didn’t

Download Page

know how to make it work, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself but I didn’t want to come home until I had a record.” Taking time out for songwriting was the key. “Within this time away I’ve really grown up. I’m feeling energised and inspired,”

Download Issue

says Dyson. ‘When the Moment Comes’ is Dyson’s first single release from The Moment, but the last to be written for this record. “It was just one of those things where I wasn’t really sure where the song was headed and how I wanted it to be and it actually evolved in the studio and became the most acceptable track. I mean I had a heap of other songs in mind that I thought would be good as the first released single [and], in fact, I wasn’t even sure I liked it until we finished it, and then I was in love with it. It was fun to watch it evolve - to be a song that I wasn’t too sure about [and] then something I felt really good about.” Now that The Moment has come for Dyson, she will be heading home and touring her album nationally while continuing to write new material. Described as channelling one of the vocal greats Lucinda Williams, Dyson is feeling encouraged, supported and energised. “I feel like I’m at the very beginning, I’ve had such a long time off, trying to make my career work out in the States and meeting everyone here, I’m just so excited to be coming back.” Mia Dyson performs at Lizotte’s, Lambton, on Friday September 14, and Lizotte’s, Kincumber, on Saturday October 6.

da p p l e d ci t i e s

PRESENTED BY triple j DRUM MEDIA |

| SOUTHERN CROSS TEN TIME OFF | FOCUS

SUNDOWNER BREAKWALL TOURIST PARK PORT MACQUARIE – 14-15 DECEMBER 2012

Breathing in the Lake Air On the back of supporting indie rock legends Death Cab For Cutie, Sydney’s very own DAPPLED CITIES is back with an album that’s smaller and tighter than your space in a mosh pit. CORMACK O’CONNOR chatted to singer/guitarist DAVE RENNICK about indie kids, songwriting workshops and playing gigs in people’s garages. You guys have had a couple of name changes. How come? We haven’t had a name change for quite a while but I guess, like every teenage band starting out, we did change our name. Maybe we were unsure of ourselves. When you started you were under-age. What was that like in terms of getting gigs? We grew up in the suburbs so, as teenagers in a band, we played at our local youth centre and put on gigs in garages and stuff. It was the best part about being in a band. Can you tell me about Hugh Boyce (drums) leaving the band? He left after our second record and he had just done his dash, basically. It was all totally friendly. We’re very reasonable people. There are no egomaniacs in Dappled Cities (laughs). Zounds was pretty successful here in Australia. How did it go overseas? It went just as well in the USA, which was fun because we did a little tour there. We then took it to the UK where we lived for a few months. It didn’t take off there quite as much as we had hoped. But here’s to trying! Tell me about the new album Lake Air? I’ve been talking about it all day! (laughs). Zounds was a really big and extravagant record, so this time around we wanted something really small and tight. We didn’t want to get bogged down with layering - we just wanted a small record that could breathe. We spent the majority of our time between records discovering the nuances of songwriting — trying to crack what makes a good song without any production. We wanted something simple to get our message across. It’s just really modest and natural, without any effects, or as few as possible. Who recorded the album? Find us on Facebook

We worked with a new, very good friend of ours Jarrod Kritzstein who is a young dude from Los Angeles. Tim (Derricourt, guitar/vocals) and I met him when we were doing a songwriting workshop over there. That was a couple of years ago… We wanted someone really energetic doing the job, so he was our man. How was the songwriting thing in LA? It was good! It had varying degrees of success but basically Tim and I just got a hotel and had all of these appointments with other songwriters. It was good to just work on songwriting and it was something that we’d never done before. How do you think Lake Air will translate into live performance? Initially we had a bit of trouble playing these songs live because they are so tight and detailed. When you’re playing a song like that you can’t afford to muck around and make mistakes, quite frankly (laughs). In our previous, more expansive sound we were able to psych it out but now we have to rake it in and concentrate. Once you get into the groove, it’s all good though. Do you think the new material will appeal to more people? Well that’s the intention, isn’t it. We’re certainly not trying to appeal to less people than [with] our previous work (laughs). We write pop songs and we want more people on the bandwagon! How was supporting Death Cab For Cutie earlier this year? Amazing! They have the nicest fan base. The audience turned up early and smiling and happy and they really dug our set. It can be daunting being a support band sometimes but it wasn’t on that tour. Young indie kids are nice people - they’re interested in the world and they like to open their minds to something they haven’t heard before. That’s my view anyway!

TICKETS ON SALE SEPTEMBER 5 - 10:00AM I N C LU D E 2 N I G H T S F R E E C A M P I N G AC C O M M O DAT I O N PAC K AG E S A L S O AVA I L A B L E

Lake Air is out now through Inertia.

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 15

j u lia s t o n e — k in g cann o n s

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed… Trading in her bare feet for heels, Australia’s hippy sweetheart JULIA STONE has lost none of her earthy charm. She spoke to MEL ROACH about her upcoming solo tour and her desire to create something stylistically different from the music she makes with brother, Angus.

Julia Stone’s second solo album, By the Horns, was recorded in New York and is the end result of an experimental period for Stone, working in a new city, with new band members and new producers. “Some things are different yet some stay the same,” says Stone. “But it will be different in the quality of the way it plays out. Just being in a different city changes things… working with different personalities and in different studios. I know that I’m changing so my approach to my music changes.” Stone’s first solo album, The Memory Machine, snuck out under the radar while she was touring with Angus. At the time, Stone said her main focus was on Angus and Julia Stone and she didn’t want to wait until after the tour for its release. “It’s

something that happens, I guess, when you put out a record,” says Stone. “You start touring and then it’s two years down the track and you’re still playing the same material. We were touring for about a yearand-a-half and I had The Memory Machine on me the whole time. I was kind of thinking that maybe I’d wait until after the tour to release it, [and] play a few shows for it. But by [then] I knew I’d be over it and already have new material, new songs, and just want to do something new. It was nice to see it go under the radar, I just wanted to put it out there, you know.” After solidly touring Angus and Julia Stone for the last six years, both siblings have felt the desire to diversify. “I think Angus and I always wanted to do our own

thing. We’ve always loved making music together but we’ve always had our own side projects going at the same time. We both write a lot. In fact, we each write six songs, place [them] on an album [and] then follow it up with a tour. It was nice that we both felt the same way at the same time [about] separating to make our own records. We’ll see what happens.” On the road, Stone works in a little black book, often sketching rather than writing. “There’s a lot of in-between times, waiting at airports, waiting, waiting, waiting. That’s when I’d do a lot of sketching.” While working on a new record together, the Stones decided to call it quits to focus on their solo careers, leaving the unfinished work behind them, songs that will probably never be released, according to Stone. “I don’t know, maybe we’ll release a B-side or something. We’re just all about our solo stuff right now and by the time we’re ready to get into it together again, we’ll want new material. We like to work in the now.” Except when they have one foot in the

Congratulations on the debut album The Brightest Light. You must be proud of the final product. Yeah, man. We’re stoked to finally be in a position where we have an album and we can release it properly [laughs]. Onwards and upwards! Tell us how long you’ve been working behindthe-scenes putting the album together? When we said that we wanted to do the album, we wanted to go in with all new tunes. We didn’t want to re-record any of the dribs and drabs that were laying around from the King Cannons back catalogue. At the start of 2011, I sat at home and started writing songs [and] I think we had a surplus of 40 or 50 tunes by the time it came to doing the demos. We demoed half of them, found a producer, and worked out what songs we wanted to lay down. We went into the studio for the first time a little over 12 months ago and recorded 75 per cent of the tunes with Tom Larkin as our producer. That was a huge learning curve for all of us. That was the most amount of time any of us had spent in a studio. Is there anything you would have changed or wish you’d done differently? Not really. I think it is important for us as a band, and in general, just to feel like you’re moving forward and taking steps into the future. For me as a songwriter, that is important. I know when I first started writing these songs, I had no idea what we were going to make. I can only compare it to making a big carving - you have this massive rock in front of you and you just start chipping away at it, taking chunks out of it and eventually it becomes a beautiful

16 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

past. Both Stones have inherited an appreciation of the art of reinvention, covering songs by other artists. ‘’My dad was in a covers band,” says Stone. “And we grew up hearing and watching him jam and pump out songs that are amazing songs. I think some people have a really beautiful way of interpreting music in their own way. For me, personally, it’s a fun thing to do. You hear a song that’s been played 10, 20 different ways and each time it’s like a whole new song. It’s like a cup of tea and a jar of honey. Everyone that walks past and takes a photo will see it in completely different ways and each photograph will be different and tell a different story. We are all human and we are all unique and we all interpret things differently - I guess that’s what’s so amazing about art. We also all make mistakes. But in the end beauty and love are possible and we put this all out there in our art.” Julia Stone performs at Lizotte’s, Lambton, on Thursday September 13.

like your stereotypical trash bag rock ‘n’ roll band. We’re all mates and we all get along pretty well and have a laugh. Sure it can be a little bit tense when you’re spending a couple of weeks pissing in each other’s pockets, but I think we’re all big enough and ugly enough to know each other’s boundaries and to respect each other’s personal wishes.

Lock ‘n’ Loaded Six members, countless musical influences and one dream... world domination! CAMERON EDNEY caught up with King Cannons’ charismatic vocalist LUKE YEOWARD to discuss the band’s brilliant new album and upcoming tour.

sculpture. The album only really started to make sense once I could see all of the songs together. When you sat down to work on The Brightest Light, was it really important for you guys to keep it creative and diverse to stop you from being pigeonholed? Definitely. We don’t deliberately go out of our way to make sure that we’ve got the reggae box ticked or the country box or the rock ‘n’ roll box. I love so many different types of music, and so does everybody else

Download Page

in the band, that we just want to be as open as we can to try to incorporate all the love we have for that music in what we do. We are not reinventing a genre by any means, in some ways it is quite old fashioned, handcrafted soul music, that we record live in a studio with real guitars and real voices and a real drum kit, heaven forbid. You all live together — some would say that’s too much togetherness. How well do you all get along when you hit the road? [Laughs] We’re pretty good man, we’re not

Download Issue

As much as there is fun, it really is all hard work too isn’t it! For me as a singer, I take it seriously. I think everyone in the group takes their respective roles seriously. We owe that to the people that pay 15 or 20 bucks to come and see us play. I try to take care of my voice and my health. We don’t really play up and party too much unless we have a night off. I’ve given up smoking because it was affecting my voice and I had to learn how to sing again. We’re there to do a job... we’re not there to fuck around. We owe it to the people that enable us to do it, by paying to see us play, that we take care of ourselves and do a good job. What do you feel has been the single most important lesson you’ve learnt to date? I think you’ve got to care about yourself a lot because no one else in the music business will care about you, your career, your music or your wellbeing as much as you do! It’s up to every musician to be educated and make sure they’re responsible solely for their own well-being and their own career direction. You have to be proactive. If you can do that, then that’s half the battle won. Then you have to concentrate on making good music. King Cannons perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday September 8.

c h ai r lif t — ca k e

Strap Yourself In Having visited Australia back in February for the Laneway Festival, where they debuted their just-released Something, CHAIRLIFT make a sneak return for the upcoming Parklife festival. MAX QUINN spoke with CAROLINE POLACHEK about playing European festivals, architecture and music journalism. The last time we spoke you had just decided on the cover artwork for the album. Can I get a catch up on the last nine months in your life? It’s been crazy! But it’s also been well planned for. Our record came out in January. We started touring a little bit before that — we went out with James Blake, which was amazing. So we went from that tour straight to Australia, where we officially debuted our new record. That was for Laneway, which was incredible. We made friends with a lot of bands we’ll be friends with forever. Lots of crazy parties. From there we went straight into touring Europe and the US. Both tours were great. Now it’s festival season, and we’ve been playing in festivals all through Europe - Portugal, Spain, Russia and Italy. How did you find playing in all of these new places? It was amazing. Crowds in different cities behave so differently. People in Barcelona just go apeshit, whereas Italians talk through the whole thing. One of my favourite things was seeing all of this beautiful architecture. I’m absolutely fascinated by looking out the window in different places. Have you been surprised by how well the latest album has gone over? I’m surprised that even now people are still catching on to it. It’s been a steady and slow build for us. I’m excited for the second half of the year. I’m thoroughly proud of it as a record. Musically, it’s a little bit different to what I want to be doing now, but I’m still so pleased with it and how well it has been received. The record has also done quite well critically. To begin with, is that something you care about? I’m actually very sceptical about press and media in general. A lot of the reviews for our first album didn’t concentrate on the music at all — it seemed like people were only interested in the fact that we’d done an iPod commercial. So I’ve stopped trusting music journalism — present company excluded, of course — because the reaction from the press was so different to the reaction of fans. Fans react

Find us on Facebook

to songs that the press never so much as mentioned. I have a cynical view about why people are writing, and what matters to them in the first place. Some writers care more about social signifiers than they care about music. And that’s fine — certain kinds of journalism warrant that — but that’s not what I think about when I make a record.

Having their Cake… It has been 21 years since CAKE first baked their genre-bending recipe of funk, country, rock, hip-hop and mariachi music. Ahead of the Californian group’s return to Australia for the Harvest Festival, singer JOHN MCCREA explained to NICK MILLIGAN that Cake’s lack of widespread popularity has insulated them from oblivion. You’ve been touring your new record, Showroom of Compassion, since 2011. Have you noticed a fresh generation of fans in the crowd? I’m not sure why, but yes. It’s always been a mixture of ages, which I take pride in — in that our music is not so tribal and ageist.

There’s this great interview with Nick Offerman, one of the actors on the show Parks and Recreation, where he says that the only way you can be successful within creative industries is to ignore the damn industry completely. Is that something that you can relate to? I definitely buy into that. But you also see examples like Lady GaGa — I feel like she’s trying to ruthlessly harness the industry and put a bit in its mouth and whip its hind legs and use it to its full potential. Say what you will, but I think she’s kind of a badass. There wasn’t a niche carved out for house music on American radio prior to her first album. She did something fairly forward moving by harnessing the industry.

Because Cake’s sound was so unique, do you think it was ahead of its time? Is that why young people are also appreciating it? I don’t know if I take that complimentary view of it. I think in a self-hating culture, when things blow up and become too popular there’s this obligatory urge to dispose of it — to flush it down the toilet. To our knowledge, we never really exploded that hugely, so it wasn’t mandatory for us to be discarded. I think that’s why we’ve been allowed to live longer than most of the bands who started out around the same time as we did. [Other bands] became too big, and that makes people angry and they want to kill you. But there’s also a lot of music that lends itself to hormonal emotions and I think our music is outside of that.

Is that something that you welcome? I think I welcome it because I don’t see myself as a part of it. I’m off in my own little world — maybe, again, I’m being kind of cynical, but that’s not a game I’m that interested in playing. I guess I just sit back and watch that parade of characters coming and going from FM Radio purely for my own amusement. I don’t see that having any bearing on what I want to do.

Cake have been together for over two decades. When you formed in 1991 did you have desires on longevity? I really didn’t think about that... well, maybe I did. It’s hard to remember. I didn’t set out to become explosively successful. It was more about, “Can we have a job [where we] play music?”. We were selling our own records on our own record label, and earning enough money to eat food and pay rent. So it was very do-it-yourself in the beginning. We were so busy [then] that I never really had any grandiose thought about looking way into the future. I’m really glad that we’ve been able to exist this long. It’s definitely been no picnic, but I feel grateful at the same time. A lot of the bands that we started out with became really huge. We were this weird oddity and didn’t seem as important. Then three years later all those bands would be gone and a new set of bands would be a big deal. It’s a creepy feeling, but it’s a point of pride, too.

At all? Well, actually, once in a while I’ll have a moment where I really get into some of the sounds that are being used. My favourite things that I hear productionwise are actually hip-hop tracks. I think ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ is one of the most genius songs of the past decade because the production is SO empty. Those are the kind of songs that show me what I want to do. I’d love to do something that is that empty. Those are the most inspiring. Chairlift perform at the Parklife festival at Centennial Park, Sydney, on Sunday September 30.

Download Page

It seems Cake’s career has come full circle — you’re now an independent band again after having been with major labels. Do aspects of your career in 2012 feel familiar

Download Issue

to those early days? Yes, actually. It feels more comfortable than letting people make aesthetic decisions who don’t really understand your aesthetic. I don’t know if you remember the video for our song ‘Short Skirt/Long Jacket’, but we were trying to find a way to avoid making a video with five white guys lipsynching in an urban decay setting or having animators animate us. So we thought, “Let’s do it like an infomercial and go around with cameras on the street with headphones and have people give their honest opinion of what they think of the song”. I worked really hard editing this video. It was very difficult because we had the sound of the people criticising the song over the song itself. It had subtitles. It took a long time to edit it together and have it make sense. When I was finally finished I got a call from the record company [saying], “Oh, we love this video! It is so great. It is really going to work great for advertising... now go make a real video.” I just closed down. I didn’t answer my phone for a week. It was so frustrating. Then someone from MTV saw it and liked it. I got a call a week later from the record company and they said, “Oh, we love this video! MTV are going to play it.” The same people who told me to “go make a real video” were suddenly saying it was innovative. Do you feel you’ve been drawn to particular subjects in your lyrics since the band started or have you approached different subjects as you age? I’m still pretty negative in my assessment of human prospects. I tend to take a plaintive voice in my writing, in the tradition of the blues and country [music], to a certain degree — it’s not celebratory music by any means. There’s a certain amount of celebration in some of the rhythms of our music but lyrically and melodically it’s somewhat more pessimistic and sometimes mournful. Hopefully that creates a cognitive dissonance for people that can take them somewhere else. Cake perform at the Harvest Festival in Sydney, on Saturday, November 17, at Parramatta Park, Sydney. reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 17

Love Police presents

THE ROCK & ROLL SHOW OF 2012

with special guests Royal Headache

ON SALE NOW! Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au

18 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

y e ll o w ca r d

In From The South I’ve had a listen to the new record Southern Air. Would it be fair to say you guys have brought back that youthful Yellowcard sound? The album seems to recapture the hooks of Ocean Avenue. Yeah, it’s really amazing, it feels like it’s happening all over again for us. I think there is sort of a rejuvenated feeling and sound throughout the new record, spurred by taking a couple of years off and then coming back and having such an amazing year last year with our returning record, When You’re Done Thinking, Say Yes. We feel fresh. We knew what kind of record we wanted to write and we feel like we knew what kind of record the fans wanted to hear. We were trying to balance writing a record for them and, at the same time, writing the right record for us. We started tracking in January and were ready to record by March. So it roughly took about eight weeks to write and a further five weeks to record. I still can’t believe that we wrote the record in just eight weeks — it’s insane. We really dug deep and pulled it together. I believe these are the best songs that we’ve ever written. There are some guest vocals that appear on the record, in particular Alex from All

Find us on Facebook

Florida pop-punk band YELLOWCARD were everywhere in the early noughties when they burst onto the scene with their major-label platinum debut, Ocean Avenue. SEAN FRAZER caught up with vocalist RYAN KEY to talk about their latest record, Southern Air, and the highs and lows of the past decade. Time Low. I believe you guys have become quite close over the years? Yeah, it was really cool to record with him. We got the chance to tour with them last year and we are also label mates as both our bands are tied to Hopeless Records. But All Time Low were really important for Yellowcard last year — they helped us get our feet back on the ground and they really encouraged us along the way. So it was great when Alex came in to sing a couple of lines with us. Apart from his remarkable repertoire, what is it about Neal Avron that keeps you guys calling him back to produce your records? I think it’s the level of trust that we have in him. He has become a very important part of what we do. He’s going to tell me if I’m singing and playing guitar like an arsehole. He’s very honest and critical, in a good way, and he’s really good at making you feel like you’re doing a great job. We have a really great relationship with him and he’s

Download Page

a lot of fun to record with. What can you tell me about the track ‘Ten’? The lyrics appear to stem from a personal life experience? I obviously had to think about whether I was going to put that song on the record or not, because I knew that I was going to get asked about it [laughs]. It was a tough song to write — one that I’ve been trying to write for a long time. It is extremely personal, but I feel that there are a lot of people in the world that will be able to relate to that song. It’s really meant for the listener to interpret however they want to. A couple of years ago you boys took a break from the band. What was the reason for the hiatus? There were so many things happening at the time. Our relationships with each other were starting to [fray] and on top of that, all the people that we loved at [our former label],

Download Issue

Capitol Records, had either left or had been let go by the company. These were the people that helped us from the beginning, the people that were around when we released Ocean Avenue. We had just put out Paper Walls and we were so proud of that record — we thought that it was such a return to form for the band but… it kind of went nowhere for us which was really frustrating. It felt like everything was crashing down. We were just exhausted and all of the pressure had taken its toll. It was either take a break or end the band. In the long run, I’m glad that we decided to just take a break. What got you back together? It was just the timing — it felt right. There were a couple of offers from festivals around the world, I hate to say that it was financially motivating — that definitely wasn’t the reason. But knowing that there were still offers for the band, and an opportunity to make a living playing music, [made it] really worth giving the band a second shot. We didn’t end up playing those shows, but it was enough to get us back in the same room together. Yellowcard perform at Fat As Butter festival, Saturday September 22.

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 19

fuck buttons

The Sound of Fucking Britain’s favourite & unclassifiable electronic duo FUCK BUTTONS is heading down under to wow audiences at Harvest festival, alongside the likes of Beck and Sigur Ros. CORMACK O’CONNOR spoke to ANDREW HUNG and BENJAMIN JOHN POWER about Cinderella, noise complaints and the accumulation of instruments. Where did the name come from? I’ve always wondered. Power: The name was a bit of a joke when we first started out. Andy had sound-tracked a film that he’d made at university, and he played it to a friend of his who was working in the porn industry. His friend was making a porno that had a storyline loosely based on Cinderella and it didn’t have a name yet, so we suggested Fuck Buttons. When the film was never finished, we adopted the name for our music. You two met in art school. Where was your life heading in terms of career before Fuck Buttons? Hung: We both knew each other from our home town but we really didn’t start hanging out before university. We both had jobs before Fuck Buttons, though. Ben was an illustrator and I was doing video work. We decided to just concentrate on Fuck Buttons about four years ago. Will we ever see the original film made by Andy that you guys collaborated for? Hung: Maybe, I don’t know. I was watching it the other day. I haven’t really got an interest in releasing it. It’s just something nice for me. Bristol is famous for music and art. Was it hard trying to get a break? Power: I don’t think we were necessarily trying to get a break when we were in Bristol. We just enjoyed playing together and hanging out. We used to practise above the pub that Andy used to work in — making a lot of noise and getting a lot of complaints. We never wanted to take it on the road or anything when we were living in Bristol. You use a wide range of instruments. Take me through a few. Hung: The thing about our instruments is that they are constantly changing and accumulating and I’m of the philosophy that anything goes. We’re not really afraid — you can make music out of anything. So I think it’s funny to talk about stuff individually. How do you write music?

20 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Download Issue

Power: We see stuff in textures. We like to concentrate on something and then build everything else around it. The longer you leave a texture to repeat, [the more] you notice sounds inside of it. Most of our songs are quite long. But it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t write something shorter. Dynamic range is important to us. Street Horrrsing was produced by John Cummings (Mogwai). What was it like working with someone who has influenced you? Power: I think as far as influences go, it’s not something that we focus on while writing our music. We’re not trying to re-create a sound but rather build something from a detail that we like. Mogwai are a great band and I was really excited to work with John. How did you guys get picked up by Harvest Festival? Power: I’m not sure how we got picked up. We just got asked. We were in Australia a few years ago for Mt Buller and Cockatoo Island and stuff like that. Perhaps somebody from Harvest saw us at one of those. I think the last time we were in Australia was one of my favourite tours ever. We’d never been to Australia before and we just fell in love. The architecture, the wildlife and just the general pace of life [are] awesome. Who are you most excited about playing alongside at Harvest? Power: Liars, Beck Hung: Mike Patton… Power: There’s too many. It looks like a great line-up. How do you translate your sound into a live atmosphere? Hung: When we’re writing, we write in a live sense, anyway. One of us doesn’t come to practice with a riff or a sound or something. We both sit down together in a room and we just play. We’re not writing into Logic or anything like that. The way we write and the way we play live are one and the same, really. Fuck Buttons are playing Harvest Festival in Parramatta Park, Sydney, on Saturday November 17.

jinja rseafa v e rrbi

In The Driver’s Seat JOE BONAMASSA’s mission statement for his thirteenth studio record was simple — the blues and nothing but the blues. But the bona fide guitar god delivers his brand of the genre like no one else. Bonamassa spoke to NICK MILLIGAN.

ou have said in the past that you like to do a “keyword association” for every album and for Driving Towards the Daylight the keyword was “blues”. But you also said that it’s your definition of the blues. How would you describe that definition? I’m not sure if I approach it any differently to other blues artists. I have a liberal definition of what blues is. Some people think that if it’s not Robert Johnson and recorded in some kind of shack, on a direct to acetate recorder, 85 years ago, then don’t even bother calling it blues. That’s one way of looking at it. The way I look at it is that the early Led Zeppelin stuff was just as much the blues as was Robert Johnson, who I share a birthday with. The British guys took blues music, in the late 60s, and re-amped it and made into this classic rock, but very bluesy, style. All I’m doing is taking their playbook and changing it around for 2012. Every so often [blues] just gets updated. Technology is different, people are different and the geographics are different. Many Australians would be delighted to hear Jimmy Barnes perform on your new record. Did that come about through your producer Kevin Shirley, who had worked with Cold Chisel? That’s basically how it started. Kevin produced the new Cold Chisel record. With Jimmy and the whole Cold Chisel camp there’s… six degrees of separation. My

Find us on Facebook

keyboard player is good friends with Ian Moss who, when we were in Sydney, came out and sat in with the band. Jimmy and I got booked to do a duet on this Deep Purple tribute album to Machine Head. It has Carlos Santana and the cat from Papa Roach doing, arguably, not the greatest cover of ‘Smoke On The Water’. Doing that song is like doing ‘Stairway To Heaven’ — it’s very difficult. [Jimmy and I] got chosen to do ‘Lazy’, which was a real thrill because it’s one of my favourites off Machine Head. Jimmy’s voice is so wellsuited for that song. We just paid tribute. We didn’t try to beat the version or differentiate from it. We’re all fans of the band — the late, great Jon Lord especially. Jimmy was in Vegas to do that [tribute] session and we thought, “Why don’t we do ‘Too Much Ain’t Enough Love’ and make it bluesy?”.

always had this mentality that you have to create your own situation because you can’t sit by the phone waiting for someone to create one for you. The Black Country Communion thing came out of nowhere and I said, “Sure, let’s do it”. The [record] with Beth Hart was actually my idea. I happened to see Beth at a festival we shared a bill at, in Europe, and I thought, “Man, if we did an Ike and Tinastyle soul record, that would be fantastic”. Truth be told, I don’t like the pressure of having to front it all the time — I’m a solo artist by trade. But if I can create a situation where I’m just a guitar player amongst other great musicians, then what’s not to like? If I don’t have to don the suit and sunglasses and go out and play that guy on stage… If you saw me on the street, you wouldn’t recognise me. That guy on stage is a different persona.

Thirteen records in 12 years — and that’s only your solo albums and not your other projects. It makes you sound like a workaholic. Does it seem that way to you? I think other people consider me a workaholic. You know what I’m doing today? I’m cleaning the windows, because I’m off during the summer. I do 125 shows a year, maybe 140; then I make some kind of record every year; do some kind of collaboration; tour, whatever. The whole thing boils down to — I am a musician. I enjoy working. I recall a time when the phone didn’t ring — nobody gave a shit about what we were doing. I’ve

That begs the question then, Joe, have you considered playing in a band full time and stepping back from the spotlight? Democracy is a lovely thing, as long as one person is in charge. Quite frankly, I started my career in a band and Black Country is a band. But I like being a solo artist. A band is like steering this cruise ship around an F1 track. You cannot make vital decisions [easily]. Things come fast now — way faster than when I started 23 years ago. If I had a nickel for every email that says “urgent, ASAP, deadline” then I’d be a millionaire. You have to be on your toes. The solo

Download Page

Download Issue

project allows you to focus your mind and decide what you want to be when you grow up. The chorus for the title track of your new album, Driving Towards The Daylight, had been kicking around for eight years before you used it. Do you have a lot of unused pieces of songs floating around out there? Not really. I’m not a prolific writer. If I was a restauranteur I would run the freshest restaurant there is, because everything is made to order. I don’t have a freezer. When I need to make a record, I go, “OK, what are we going to say?”. Have you thought about what your next solo album will sound like? This will be the longest break between albums. I’m not swayed to record anything [solo] until January or February 2014. We just finished Black Country Communion 3. I’m not sure if there will be a [number] four — that’s not up to me. We’re going to do Joe B and Beth Hart part two, in January of next year. I have a pretty adventurous live thing that we’re doing next year in London. We’re going to try to do four shows — four separate bands, four separate sets and record it all. It’s pretty ambitious. Joe Bonamassa performs at the State Theatre, Sydney, on Friday October 5, and Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on Sunday October 7. Driving Towards The Daylight is out now.

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 21

LIVE AT THE STAG FROM 8.30PM

FRIDAYS

7/9 14/9 21/9 28/9

SUNDAYS RECORD HORNET UNKNOWN STATE KOTADAMA

SATURDAYS

1/9 8/9 15/9 22/9 29/9

PHONIC TRIO THE JUNGLE KINGS INCOGNITO BAND (TBA) RUBICON

187 MAITLAND ROAD, MAYFIELD PH 02 4968 1205 WWW.THESTAG.COM.AU 22 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

I’m such a big Wheatus fan. It’s nice to talk to you. It’s good to meet one of you — I don’t know how we go over in Australia. The single was so huge there — it went quadruple platinum in Australia. But then we never came back, primarily because it was so expensive to get there and there was also never really a demand. All of a sudden, recently we’ve started getting calls again. I never really got to know our Australian contingent. How did this new demand come about? Well, last year, right before we went to England to tour, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ broke back into the UK Top 40. From there it started to happen. We started getting more emails from Australia. I think because you share a few television shows and stuff like that, I think some of that sauce got on you. Originally, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ sold better in Australia than it did anywhere else in the world. So it was a surprise that things went quiet. But it’s getting more and more realistic now, so that’s really nice.

When the first single from a young band’s debut album becomes a worldwide smash and signature tune it can send them into a headspin. Add to that major label conflicts and lineup changes, and you have a recipe for a one-hit wonder. Twelve years after ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, and with WHEATUS returning to Australia for the Fat As Butter festival, MAX QUINN spoke with vocalist, songwriter and founding member BRENDAN B BROWN about the turbulent Sony years, the band’s resurgence, and selling albums online.

There’s a lot of conjecture on the internet about what happened to Wheatus after your first album that eventually led to you being dropped from Sony. Can you tell me what happened? We dove into making our second record at the end of 2001. We actually recorded the first parts of it in Australia in the Blue Mountains. We worked our arses off on that thing. When it was finished, the record label didn’t want to release it. It’s a common story. They weren’t going to release the record, or any singles, or make a video or anything like that, and they encouraged us to go back into the studio to record a third album before the second album ever saw the light of day. The only thing that happened to us at that point, that’s different to what happened to most bands, was that I said “no” to that. I said if they weren’t going to put my record out, I was going to go and get a day job. They were really upset when I said that — something to the tune of, “Well if you feel that way you can have your damn record and you can get the fuck out of here”. So we said “yes”. We didn’t like being signed to a major label — it was weird. They seemed like this

Download Issue

w h e at u s

people for disposable income, and nobody has that these days. We’re in a rise-of-monarchy kind of period over here where even the middle-income people aren’t doing that well. Asking them to spend a bunch of money on music is a little bit ludicrous on its face. People will pay what they can afford. If that’s nothing, so be it. You have to be prepared to be a working-class musician. That’s what we’re supposed to be. Celebrity and riches are the exception to the rule. Most musicians are neither famous nor rich. But that doesn’t mean they’re not good — that they don’t do what they do every night, night after night, with the same amount of love. I feel like you should expect that people will come back to you if you treat them fairly, and that’s what we’re starting to see both with album sales and with concert attendance. clumsy, gigantic bureaucracy that wasn’t particularly effective. They thought that we were excited to be signed to Sony, and initially we were. But when we found out what they were really like we got the hell out. We got out of that record deal in 2004. We immediately started recording album number three, and we put it out ourselves. Currently, the songs from that record are the ones that are more requested at our shows. The kids who shout out for that record tend to be the more die-hard fans. So that third record is the one that made it possible for us to have the sustainable fan base that we have today. We’ve been self-managed all through the decade. We’ve put out four records since then, including the second record [ingeniously titled Suck Fony] which we finally got the rights to,

Find us on Facebook

and our Pop, Songs and Death EPs. They’re all on Wheatus.com right now. I love the business model you’ve created for selling your records online. How does it work? It works like a charm. Once you’ve spent the money on making the record, it only costs $80 per month to have a website. Generally speaking, the idea is to have people donate a little bit more than that per month to listen to your music — you choose what you pay. For us it works. We figure it’s a fair trade. You don’t have to pay to hear our music. If you like it, maybe you’ll pay next time. One guy gave us $600 for the record. The point is that people can make their own decision. They’re not held hostage by retail enforcement. It’s not fair to do that with art. You’re asking

Download Page

Is there ever a part of you that wonders if things had gone a little differently, you could be sitting on another megahit right now? ‘Story of The Eggs’, from Pop, Songs and Death, is the best thing I’ve heard from you. That song has been going really well for us in concert. I wanted to make a song that told the story of Scott F Fitzgerald, who wrote The Great Gatsby. He moved from the country to the city to write his novels, and he thought it would be wonderful, and eventually the dark reality of being in the city came, and he had to deal with it. It’s a universal truth that holds to this day. In the present day, I say to people that you’re only a New Yorker once you’ve lived here long enough to decide that you can’t take it anymore, but then you stay anyway. Scott Fitzgerald’s second novel was

Download Issue

not well received. The Great Gatsby was this great classic that is still taught today, but his other works were generally panned. But there was this little bit of glory left for him in this essay that he wrote late in his career called ‘My Lost City’. And I think that piece of music tries to reflect that journey of naïve wonderment, to complex darkness, to salvageable glory. Sorry — what was the question? Could it be ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’? I think that these days, in order for us to have the kind of popularity and notoriety and success and celebrity that that would require, we would have had to have compromised so much that a song like ‘The Story of The Eggs’ would be impossible. Your record label would never let you do it. The hits you’re referring to — at least in the way that I think you’re reflecting on them — that stuff came from a golden age of rock. It’s over. People are not interested in that kind of stuff anymore. And when I say people, I’m not talking about the kind of person who listens to Radiohead at night before they fall asleep. I’m talking about the kind of person who doesn’t have time for music and only listens to it in the car, or on TV every once in a while. Back then, far more people were interested in complex, interesting music. Now it’s not the real thing. I don’t think we could have ever had a career where ‘The Story Of The Eggs’ could have been a radio song. We don’t live in that world anymore. We’ve been moving in one direction for a long time. Pun not intended. Wheatus perform at Fat As Butter festival, Saturday September 22.

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 23

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2006-2007

24 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

silverchair

Newcastle - the movie

FREE STUFF

STOMP! • Freak show: That One Guy

Add me

• Central Coast Supplement inside • Cultural

Chiefs 3 – d/pass • Ethnic Comedy Show 2 x d/pass • Secret Come Together Festival 2 x double weekend passes Festival 2 x d/pass • Eskimo Joe – d/pass • Double pass to Phobia at Civic Theatre • Transmission – three albums • Hiptones – three albums • Bob Evans – d/pass • The Black Seeds

Upgraded model

For well over a decade, there has been a local street press culture in Newcastle, one which focuses on the music scene we live amongst. Volume, Concrete Press and U-Turn were Reverb’s predecessors and, in fact, many of the names that appeared in Issue 1 of Reverb played major roles in these earlier publications. For the magazine’s founders, Greg Upton, Tommy Leung, Kieran Ferguson and Larissa Meilke, discussions began early 2006 following the closure of Upton’s previous publication Volume. It was a bold plan considering no other street press in Newcastle had lasted longer than two years. Spotpress printers came on board as publishers and Issue 1 of Reverb hit the streets in August that year. What distinguished Issue 1 from all the issues to follow was the original Reverb logo, which ran just once. The Herd were Reverb’s first cover artists, with a threepage spread as they planned for their Newcastle Panthers gig at the end of August. The first interview to appear in the magazine was with Newcastle’s The Seabellies — a fitting start to what would be a six-year story. The double gloss cover was already in place, and Reverb weighed in at a hefty 56 pages. With the logo changed for Issue 2, which was produced out of a second floor office at the top end of Hunter Street, Reverb settled in to establish itself as the source of local entertainment news. The core team was Meilke as editor, Ferguson as production manager and Leung looking after sales, with Upton moving on after the first issue. Bodyjar, The Living End, Cat Empire and Youth Group appeared on the following covers, with January 2007 marking the magazine’s first international cover artist, Muse, chatting with contributor Nick Milligan about their upcoming Big Day Out visit. Possibly the biggest move in Reverb’s plans was to look to the Central Coast for an increase in distribution. With a couple of months of preparation, the Coast supplement appeared in April 2007 and signified future publisher Kevin Bull’s first involvement with the paper. Over the next five months, the team behind Reverb were in for major upheaval. Contributor Nick Milligan took over the role of editor and the ownership changed hands, with Leung taking over from Spotpress as the magazine’s owner. But Leung only lasted a single issue before Bull, the writer of the Coast supplement, took over as publisher. “It all happened within two weeks,” explains Bull. “I was planning the Coast section for the July issue, and during one of the phone calls it was mentioned that there may not be one. I thought about it for a few days then called Tommy. We had a coffee on Beaumont Street, and by the end there was an offer in front of me. The deal, and I hope I am not talking out of order here, was to cover the upcoming invoices in the July issue, in return for the paper.” “It was, for me, one of those ‘what if’ moments. Here was a chance to be involved in something that I would truly love and, if things went well, maybe I could move out of the IT industry. If I didn’t take a shot at it, would I regret it for the rest of my life? I found the money, and bought Reverb just before July 2007 hit the street.” Over these first 12 issues, the original spread of 56 pages was reduced to 48 - the standard for the magazine’s duration. Special interviews during this period included The Shins, Gomez, Silverchair, Tori Amos, Queens of the Stone Age, Dinosaur Jr., Maximo Park, Royksopp, Machine Dead, Dragonforce, Kings of Leon, The National, Ziggy Marley, The Rapture and Ben Kweller.

newcastle & the central coast >> phone 4925 2040 >> myspace.com/reverbstreetpress

gig guide, 2006 Wednesday August 2 Hilltop Hoods, Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni Saturday August 5 Bertie Blackman, Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Thursday August 8 The Veronicas, Newcastle Entertainment Centre Thursday August 10 Something with Numbers, Lucky Country Hotel, Newcastle Friday August 11 Sleight of Hand, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday August 12 Radio Birdman, Newcastle Leagues Club Saturday August 12 Virus Crawl, Lucky Country Hotel, Newcastle Sunday August 13 The Big Empty, Like...Alaska, Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington Wednesday August 16 Castro, Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington Saturday August 26 Chaos69, Schlauncher, Dragstrippers, Lucky Country Hotel, Newcastle Wednesday August 30 Light Noise, Red Light Trolley, Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington Thursday August 31 Something for Kate, The Seabellies, Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni

Download Page

Download Issue

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2007-2008

free monthly >> last thursday of the month >> priceless >> k #016 November ‘07 >> arts & entertainment news >> priceless Newcastle Hunter Central Coast + Arts & Entertainment

Reverb’s second year began with our best cover to date, Issue 12 - July 2007, a stunning image of the Bangarra dance theatre company. The cover of August 2007 was probably even better when editor Nick Milligan scored an exclusive chat with Marilyn Manson as the artist prepared to perform at the Hordern Pavilion in October. The treatment done for the March 2008 Ian Brown cover produced an impressive image, and Cog on the May 2008 cover was a stunner — clean and sharp, and the only time we ever reduced the size of the Reverb logo. The whole paper was showing signs of the standard layout of the next two years. One of the benefits of all the long hours put into Reverb was the access to some pretty special people. Whether you had Marilyn Manson on the phone, watched a gig four metres away from your music idols, or heard new CDs months before their general release, Reverb gave its team members many unbelievable moments. As September 2007 headed into production, Milligan found himself at the bar of Sydney’s Park Hyatt Hotel having drinks with Matt Damon, after The Bourne Ultimatum hit the theatres in a massive way. Being able to put questions to Pete Townshend was another highlight for Milligan. Though this was done via email, it did not diminish the significance of having Townshend’s responses in the magazine. The interview was also printed in Rolling Stone, giving Milligan a nice addition to his CV. Suddenly having access to his idols was a major thrill for Bull, not via a phone line, but in the concert pit, with a camera. Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath) were playing at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on August 8, 2007, and Bull was in his first major arena pit in front of Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi. “Being in the pit was the biggest thrill,” said Bull. “I had done some live gig shooting in the 80s with my father’s film camera and loved it. To now be able to pick and choose which gigs I wanted to shoot was a dream come true. I’ve often said that I bought Reverb to get access to the pit, and there is a small element of truth in that.” During the next 12 months, Bull increased the coverage of live gigs in Newcastle and Sydney. Though he missed out on shooting the Big Day Out, trips to Sydney for Muse, Rage Against the Machine, Minus the Bear, Smashing Pumpkins, V Fest and The Mars Volta opened his eyes to life in the photo pit. Live images had also started to appear on the contents page, as well as two full-page posters of live Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine images. April 2008 also saw Reverb get actively involved in gig promotion, beginning with Helmet at the Cambridge Hotel. We put up posters in the middle of the night, held a BBQ for the band and crew during their sound check, and then went out drinking with the drummer. It was a thrill to be involved in bringing Helmet to Newcastle, and brought the second year in print to a close on a high.

Find us on Facebook

Also Inside: Band Of Horses Sarah Humphries Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew

UB40 - Royal Reggae Returns • THE PANICS Drop Their Guard • MACHINE HEAD & TRIVIUM Metal Mayhem • HOT HOT HEAT Back In Business

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 25

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2008-2009 The paper’s third year began with the search for a new office. The Hunter Street premises had served their purpose and Reverb ended up in a factory unit, in Clyde Street, Hamilton, sharing the mezzanine level with a rehearsal space and an indoor skate ramp. It only lasted 12 months but longtime Reverb staff, including Bull, remember their time at the warehouse with fondness. “I personally slept there for a week each month, during production. To be honest, there are times I remember walking out onto the skate ramp at 3am and thinking ‘what an amazing thing to be involved in’. I also thought, ‘you’re 45-years old and you are sleeping in a warehouse on an air mattress and doing all-nighters. You must be crazy’.” The warehouse had obvious benefits — 24-hour access, no noise issues after 6pm, a kitchen, bathroom and large open space, with a skate park out the back. What’s not to love. There were nights where the soundtrack was new local band Cerebral Contortion knocking themselves into shape; there were late night post-gig visits; and nights where the boys just got together to play some music, watch some TV and drink some beer. One of the best nights was the after-party of Reverb’s third birthday in July 2009. It was a great lineup with Leader Cheetah, The Seabellies, The Tunstalls, and Fear of Monsters filling the Cambridge Hotel. After the gig, the DJs came back to the warehouse and set up Reverb’s own nightclub until the early hours, with the Leader Cheetah boys dropping in before heading back to Sydney. Of that night, Bull remembers; “I opened my eye, the sun was just creeping through blinds, and there was house music throbbing through the warehouse. I rolled back over... it was the weekend so all was fine.” In early 2009, production manager Kieran Ferguson moved to Melbourne for work purposes, becoming Reverb’s first remote team member. At that time, the way the paper was produced made having Ferguson in Melbourne during production increasingly difficult. But replacing him with someone in Newcastle was a tough call. Ferguson was very much in the DNA of Newcastle street press, having been involved in U-Turn, Concrete Press and Volume prior to Reverb, and Newcastle is indebted to him. Issue 33 - April 2009, with Dylan Moran on the cover, was the first issue that newly-recruited designer Cam Bennett got his hands on. The look of Reverb was about to undergo a change that would carry it through to this final issue. Some lovely covers over the past year as well - Empire of the Sun in November 2008, the Dylan Moran stark stare from April 2009, and, two issues later, Manchester Orchestra. Interviews included Primal Scream, Death Cab for Cutie, Ziggy Marley, The Dandy Warhols, Frank Black, Public Enemy, The Black Keys, Nine Inch Nails, and Dinosaur Jr.

26 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Download Issue

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2009-2010 To celebrate three years in print, Reverb sold out the Cambridge Hotel on July 18 — a wonderful night that lived up to all expectations. Christmas, back to school and fourth birthday parties followed over the next 12 months. During 2009, Reverb was also losing its warehouse office in Hamilton. The solution was to do the production of each issue at production manager Cam Bennett’s place, and save the office expenses. For the first time, Reverb was without an official office space, and the ability to work remotely was being tested. It was during the second half of 2009 that the magazine first started looking at the North Coast for distribution and marketing. After a false start, due to the wrong person being involved, Reverb landed the right one. Having moved to Ballina a few years earlier, Stephen Bocking took on the challenge of establishing Reverb across the biggest percentage of our new distro - from the Central Coast up to the Queensland border. The March 2010 issue was the first with ‘North Coast’ on the cover. Similar to our approach with the Central Coast back in 2007, the North Coast was given the same pages each issue, with area specific news pieces, interviews and a gig guide. The decision to expand our distro north was one of the most satisfying projects the paper was ever involved in. To see complete strangers react positively to the paper was thrilling. Most of the success of the North Coast expansion was due to Steve Bocking. A multi-talented man with the gift of the gab, Bocking grew the North Coast into the most profitable revenue stream for the paper. As the middle of 2010 approached, plans to replicate the success of Reverb’s third birthday party were underway, with all eyes set on hosting a Splendour sideshow. Looking back on the night at the Cambridge Hotel, on July 25, the joy of having Alberta Cross perform at the Cambo could not outweigh the cost — enough to ensure that this would be Reverb’s final event. Noteable interviews during this 12 months were B52s, Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Joe Perry, Tim Minchin, Steve Vai, Rob Halford, The Decemberists, Midlake, James Mercer, Ian Gillan, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Vampire Weekend, and Band of Horses. Two interviews stood out over them all though — Ronnie James Dio and Bret Easton Ellis. In 2009, the band that played the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in 2007 and gave publisher, Kevin Bull his first real taste of big gig shooting, Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath), was releasing their The Devil You Know CD, and we spoke with Dio. At the time, it felt special to have this interview in print. With the man passing away within 12 months of our chat, the time Dio gave to us felt all the more precious. As we came to the middle of 2010, editor Nick Milligan put the feelers out for an interview with Bret Easton Ellis. Imperial Bedrooms was being released, and the chance for Milligan to speak with one of his idols was tempting. Quite possibly the biggest interview of Milligan’s career to this point, to have the interview within Reverb was a high point for the paper. The interview itself included a wonderful illustration by Cam Bennett over a double page spread.

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 27

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2010-2011 While fourth birthday hangovers were subsiding, Issue 50 was already underway. It was a very special time for all of Reverb, and one that gave everyone a great sense of achievement. It was also the final issue for long-standing editor, Nick Milligan, moving on after three years in the position. Milligan’s taste in music was such that if he mentioned a new artist, you went out and bought the album. He guided the direction of Reverb for half of its life, and played a major role in giving the paper its voice. By this time, Reverb covers had become a source of great pride, but the best came in December 2010 with the Tool cover. The interview was a last minute call-up, on the condition that a writer could be found to interview both Danny Carey and Adam Jones. Disappointed with the supplied images, a spur-of-the-moment decision was made to contact Alex Grey, the visionary artist responsible for much of the Tool imagery, who gave Reverb free use of any of his images, providing the magazine with a cover that would never be surpassed. That said, the dark and moody Pnau cover of July 2011 was a departure from the bright and punchy, and one that we questioned right up to sending to the printers. We should not have worried as it turned out stunning. Even the cover tag, “Pop is dead, long live Pnau” worked a treat, along with the near black-on-black of the Reverb logo. For Bull, the production of Reverb had settled into a smooth routine of working remotely from home for most of the month, with three days solid production at Bennett’s place. The initial concerns of producing the paper without an office had been unwarranted. The separate North Coast section disappeared in October 2010, and the gig guide found its natural place at the back of the magazine by the middle of 2011, opening up the centre spread of the magazine to some wonderful interview treatments. As Reverb headed into 2011, an unexpected phone call from the Newcastle Herald began a 12-month discussion between the two papers. The idea put forward by the Herald was quite sound, and would have been a benefit to both the Herald, Reverb and the Newcastle music scene. The subject of the Herald was the talking point during our visit to Bluesfest, and though we were able to get the deal 90 per cent locked in within the first few months, extended delays would become the norm. Early 2011 also saw the first real sign of advertising sales pulling back. Over the next 12 months, revenue retreated 25 per cent from the previous year. During this time, business expenses were stripped to a bare minimum in order to get through the downturn. But with the Herald deal in the works, big things seemed on the horizon.

28 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

PHOTOS © KEVIN BULL

BIG DAY OUT�Review

LUPE FIASCO

EDWARD SHARPE

BIG DAY OUT

IGGY POP

While Tool delivered their trademark hypnotic, progressive journey�—�complete with full light show, Sydney’s Big Day Out for 2011 really belonged to Rammstein. As a gigantic German ﬂag covered the stage and then fell to the ground, the lusty band from Berlin appeared. They stood around a gothic set that looked like something borrowed from Alien 3, wearing costumes that wouldn’t have looked out of place in David Lynch’s Dune. But musically, the power of their chugging German metal blasted out of the speakers in a wall that nearly knocked you over. There were elaborate pyrotechnics and ﬁreworks in practically every song. Singer Till Lindemann marched around the stage, his booming baritone voice rolling like thunder. During the ir performance of ‘Pussy’, he even jumped on a giant penispainted foam cannon and sprayed all over the audience. Before Rammstein, the main stage punters were treated to a high energy set from Iggy and The Stooges. Iggy twirled, spat, howled and waved to the audience with an

Sydney January 26

AIRBOURNE

expression of addled glee. He even got 20 kids on stage to party with him. The Stooges rocked out an encore of Raw Power’s ‘Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell’. Earlier in the afternoon, crowds were treated to more rock than you could shake a ﬁst at - Deftones, Dead Letter Circus and Birds Of Tokyo all delivered colossal sets. Lupe Fiasco was an undeniable highlight�—�his show had hands in the air as far as you could see. He didn’t leave out any of the crowd favourites, like ‘Superstar’ and ‘Kick, Push’, but also played a selection from his latest record, Lasers. It was impossible to remain still during his rocked up ﬁnale of ‘Daydreamin’’. The Big Day Out was brought to a close by Nick Cave and his band, Grinderman. While Cave is never reserved on stage, he’s even more wild and menacing in this side project for The Bad Seeds. He was manic in ‘Honey Bee (Let’s Fly To Mars)’ and devastating in ‘No Pussy Blues’, ‘Heathen Child’ and ‘Palaces Of Montezuma’. It was a memorable end to another very big day out.�~the Reverb team

GRINDERMAN

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Download Issue

R E V E R B M AG A Z I N E I SS U E # 0 5 5 � — � F E B R UA RY 2 01 1 ��45

REVERSE the YEARS OF REVERB

2011-2012

central coast|hunter|north coast

FREE #064 Nov ’11

music, arts & culture monthly

The SecreT wiTh having paTience

Find us on Facebook

howliNg BEllS Living it loud

tiM FiNN Mellowing gracefully

MutEMath Dealing with odd numbers

StRaight to You For the love of Nick Cave

pluS: Machine head + thE gEtawaY plaN + Wooden ShjipS + huSkY + SuMMer FeStival Guide

ron wood

my chemical romance

“ Keith and I were exponents of this art form [we] called ‘the ancient form of weaving’ ” Can you give us some background to Some Girls. What was happening in the band around the time? There were lots of developments happening during that time within the Stones; there was lots of experimenting. “More fast numbers!” — that was our catchphrase. “We can’t bore the people with mid-tempo or ballads, we want to kick a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll!”. Punk and disco were both exploding at the time the album was being recorded. Were you aware of them musically? Was that something the band wanted to tap into? We weren’t really aware at the time of punk or disco — we were trapped in the studio environment. And we were punk anyway, and writing about things that were happening at the time. Mick knew all about what was going on and he would cleverly write them into the words of the song at the time. The few times we did get to go out to clubs, there was this very disco-y thing in the air. [But] we regarded that disco beat as just... another variation of an African tribal beat. That’s how come we made songs like ‘Miss You’ — we thought “yeah, we can make songs with that beat!”. What was it like for you to start working with Keith as your new team mate in the Stones? How did the pair of you manage to slot together so well? Keith and I at the time did a lot of knuckling down — we really enjoyed playing together. We’d be playing all the time in the studio, even during the break we’d be playing. We’d carry our guitars around... back at the hotel, back in our rented apartments, wherever we were, we were playing. Keith and I were exponents of this art form [we] called ‘the ancient form of weaving’, which meant two nutcases talking to each other through their guitars, and we became quite

melodic with it, with songs like ‘Beast of Burden’ — that was a classic illustration of weaving. How did recording with the Stones differ from recording with the other bands you’ve been in? The Faces for instance, we’d go in and everyone would be jangling their car keys immediately in the studio, like “when are we going, can we go now?”. You know, there wasn’t a lot of dedication. There was dedication to cut the track but once that was over it was like, “well, let’s go then”. With the Stones, there was this dedication [to] playing the song over and over and over and letting it go through its changes. It’s a bit like working on a painting — you’d do the initial thing, sit with it for a few hours, go back to it and add a bit and come back the next day and change it around a bit, and then go, “oh I think I might change the background, you know, the colour”. Whatever it was, we were doing that with the songs, and developing the songs in a unique way. The Stones had this kind of thing that I had in me, but I’d never really got down to it to such an extent as they did. So Keith was my perfect sparring partner to work and re-work and then we’d go back and listen and re-listen and listen and listen and then go back and put it into practice. Tell me about recording Some Girls in Paris. What do you remember about those recording sessions in 1977? Well, in recording sessions we were on the floor, so to speak, all the time — actually plugged in with our instruments hanging round our necks, and there would be all kinds of side shows coming in, like wallflowers — there’d be all different bands coming in... French bands... actors, actresses, people coming round the outside, while we were just knuckling down — sort of “sorry, I ain’t

Following on from last year’s re-issue of Exile In Main Street, the Rolling Stones catalogue has been revisited once more, with the 1978 Some Girls getting a ‘deluxe edition’ dust off. Guitarist RON WOOD wades through his memories of the musical landscape of the times, the recording sessions, and why the album is still important after 33 years.

24 r e v e r b

m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 6 5 — D ec 2 01 1 –Ja n 2 01 2

“We were betting the farm,” said Iero. “We had to make the choice — to release something we were not 100 per cent happy with or put it all on the line and make something that we really loved. We found freedom through fear. It could have gone either way. It could have gone the way it is now, something we are really proud of, or it could have been really horrible and we could have regretted it forever.” Iero described the making of Danger Days as consecutive “trials by fire”. The band used synthesisers more prominently on songs like ‘Planetary!GO’ and ‘Bulletproof Heart’, forcing Iero to approach recording guitar tracks differently. “We threw out the manual and approached the songs more innocently for instance, taking instruments that you

got time to talk right now”, run over and give somebody a kiss, go back, “take 25!”. You know, it was nose to the grindstone all the time and time off was very rare. When I did get back to my apartment or the hotel, Keith would bang the door down and drag me out of bed [saying] “nobody sleeps while I’m awake!”. Me and Charlie used to laugh about that. What was the feeling like in the Rolling Stones at the time of recording and writing Some Girls? It seems as though it really re-invigorated the Stones sound. Did it feel like that to you at the time? At the time there were no restrictions, with the energy put in to the album. I was coming out with all these ideas and singing and background vocals. It was a great sense of freedom, you know, anything goes. That was the beginning of the separate… kinda, well, Keith started to get his own songs, that he wanted to put his own stamp on. After songs like ‘Happy’ that he’d done in the Exile days, Keith kept it going with songs like ‘Before They Make Me Run’ which set a whole new precedent. The artwork for Some Girls is amazing. What did you think of it at the time? I remember the artwork for the Some Girls album cover coming through with all these weird ideas of us dressing up in drag and stuff and I remember it was quite a funny photo shoot because at the time there was so much going on and we were all so out of our brains… I think we had a few photo shoots where we all dressed up in make-up and wigs and stuff and then the rest were just collage. I like the artwork approach with it, the 40s hairdresser and pin-up girls. I love that. What makes the Some Girls album stand out to you? Some Girls to me stands out as kind of a forgotten gem. I didn’t realise how good and how free the band was. I mean, it’s one of the few albums that I can say, on looking back, that we could go on and play (live) nine of the ten songs on the original album without thinking about it. Which is quite unique with Stones albums and with any band, really. You very rarely get a band to play 90 per cent of the songs live, that they’ve put on an album. And I think if the Stones ever work again, if we could re-create 80 per cent of that energy that we had going at the time of Some Girls, we’d be doing all right.

Those KinDa girls

If you had to describe Some Girls to someone who had yet to hear it, what would you say? Hey, do you fancy rocking? Do you fancy hearing some pure unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll music? Then, listen to this! Some Girls Deluxe Edition is out now through A&M Records/Universal.

r e v e r b m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 6 5 — D ec 2 01 1 –Ja n 2 01 2 25

Find us on Facebook

soundwAvE review

“ We were treading on ground we’d never tread on before. That was inspiring. the guys at Epiphone showed me the Wilshire — it had a sound I really wanted to chase after.” Iero can’t get enough of the Phant-omatic. It was one of his main guitars during the recording of Danger Days (the other was a Epiphone Casino) and it’s also his main live guitar. Despite the abundance of synthesisers and effects on stage, Iero keeps his signal chain plain and simple. He uses a Vox AC30 for his clean tones. “I

In the age of gritty reboots, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE have taken the unusual step of taking themselves less seriously. After burning out the black-tangled, military band jacketed The Black Parade, it was time to rethink things. They had a plan — to record a raw punk record [a la The Stooges, with go-to producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, AC/DC)], escape the emo tag and demand respect. MATT PETHERBRIDGE spoke to guitarist FRANK IERO about taking the more radical route with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. felt comfortable with and thinking about them in a different way. “For me, it was a constant learning curve, taking guitars out of their comfort zones [and] reapproaching the instrument. Making sounds with them that sounded nothing like guitar - approaching it like a percussive instrument or trying to replicate different synth sounds. I never really knew how it was going to turn out. We were treading on ground we’d never tread on before. That was inspiring.” Enter the wacky, graphic action heroes, The Fabulous Killjoys, traversing a postapocalyptic California circa 2019, fighting the evil corporation, Better Living Industry (aptly named BL/ind). While there’s no concept implicitly stated within the album’s music or lyrics, the characters and the setting have influenced the events of the band’s promotional music videos for singles ‘Na Na Na’ and ‘Sing’. A third video capping off the actions of The Killjoys, for single ‘The Only Hope For Me is You’, is yet to be released. And with kooky new characters come pseudonyms! Fun Ghoul is what they call Iero, but he insists it’s less wanky than you think. “The names we came up with for Danger Days weren’t really for the characters,” he laughs. “We were naming our guns. As a kid, there was this costume shop called the Fun Ghoul, it was where all my friends would go for Halloween. When we were talking about naming the guns, I had drawn the symbol that I wanted the gun to have, and the first thing that came to my mind was the Fun Ghoul logo.” Speaking of weapons, Iero worked closely with Epiphone to put together his very own signature model guitar — The Wilshire Phant-o-matic! It’s an amalgamation of the 60s Epiphone Wilshire guitar body, with the neck, headstock and pickups coming from the Les Paul Elitist. It also has a Tone-o-matic switch (hence Phant-o-matic) and a Momentary Kill switch, to kill the signal for dramatic purposes. “I was playing a Les Paul Elitist, but I wanted something that had that tone, that was a bit lighter. Once

JAN-FEB

Grand Junction Hotel 88 Church Street, Maitland 02 4933 5242 / MySpace / Facebook

SUN

JAN PUGSLEY BUZZARD + LISA OTEY (US)

CHASE THE SUN 27 FRI JAN

11 VAN WALKER FEB FEB 12 + LIZ STRINGER

JANUARY: THU 19 PETE CORNELIUS FRI 20 TOOT TOOT TOOTS WED 25 G . N U M A N B A N D S U N 2 9 THE STILLSONS FEBRUARY: THU 2 BENNY WALKER + T O M R I C H A R D S O N F R I 3 V I D A N D G U I N CY ’ S V I N Y L S U N 5 S H A U N K I R K F R I 10 T H E AUSTR ALIAN BEEFWEEK SHOW + THE JONESEZ THU 16 THE RESONATORS FRI 17 THE WIDOWBIRDS + L ACH Y DOLE Y SAT 18 CASH SAVAGE AND THE L A S T D R I N K S S U N 19 T H E D A R R E N J A C K BAND THU 23 S W I S S A R M Y W I V E S F R I 2 4 TBA SUN 26 THE ADAM ECKERSLEY BAND 24 r e v e r b

m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 6 6 — Ja n – F e b 2 01 2

Find us on Facebook

don’t really put much (effects) on that, it’s a great stand-alone tone. I don’t know if you could really beat that.” For distorted tones, he uses the guitar through an Orange Thunderbird 200 watt and 4x12 cab, overdriven with a Keeleymodded Boss Blues Driver BD-2 and of course, the Way Huge Swollen Pickle. “It can react as a Big Muff or it can get much smaller, doing slightly overdriven tones. I tell everyone about the Swollen Pickle, it’s a great pedal.” Australian fans have been looking forward to the band’s upcoming tour since they upped and cancelled their appearance at Soundwave 2010 — attributed in the press release to vocalist Gerard Way’s “severe vocal trauma”, but more likely to have been influenced by the making/re-making of Danger Days. However, Iero is excited for the Australasian Big Day Out tour — considering the last time MCR toured Australia — he had a one way ticket in the opposite direction, thanks to a midair sinus explosion! “What happened was... we were touring Japan and then Australia, it was the last time that we had done the Big Day Out tour. I had gotten my wisdom teeth taken out before the Japanese tour started and I was told they’d be fine. On the trip over to Japan, it was rough man. It didn’t heal correctly and my sinuses kinda exploded,” he laughs. “I got a massive infection and when I arrived in Japan, I went straight to the hospital and then a couple of hours later, I had to fly back to New York. After that, I was grounded. I couldn’t fly for two months. Not only that but also getting back on a plane again to go home and worrying that it could happen again. It was pretty brutal hearing the doctor say, “You can’t do this tour, because your head exploded...” My Chemical Romance perform as part of the Big Day Out festival – Gold Coast Parklands on Sunday January 22, and Sydney Showground on Thursday January 26. They also perform at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, on Friday January 27.

r e v e r b m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 6 6 — Ja n – F e b 2 01 2 25

gingER bEER

photos by kEvin bull

Reverb’s final 12 months began with low revenue, and continued negotiations with the Newcastle Herald. Over the Christmas/New Year break, Reverb ran two issues over a three month period to try and cut costs. The January and February issues had always been the worst in terms of revenue, and it seemed wise to take a smaller loss than what was expected from a three-issue run — a decision that should probably have been made much sooner. The Herald deal had morphed into a 17-page contract, having been updated numerous times, and while there was still hope it would be approved, despite the delays, it was ultimately the Herald’s own internal restructuring that killed off the deal. But the negotiations over 12 months had had a slowing down effect on Reverb. Decisions were being made with the Herald deal in mind. (More often than not, it was decisions not being made.) To have the deal fall through due to something totally out of Reverb’s control was disappointing. So what was the deal? The Herald wanted to use the Reverb name and content for a new website, which they would fund, as well as paying Reverb to produce the magazine, in return for our advertising sales. It was an arrangement that would have been good for both papers, but considering the upheaval that occurred at the Herald earlier this year, perhaps we dodged a bullet in the end. The production of the magazine had become quite streamlined by this point, with it ending up being almost entirely remotely produced production was done in Katoomba, it was subedited in Mullumbimby, the North Coast manager was in Ballina, and the editor on the Central Coast. The content, though, came from all over the country… all over the world. The ability to work from home and produce the magazine remotely definitely extended the life of Reverb. The reduced costs and the availability to work long hours were essential to produce the quality the four of us expected. One of the most enjoyable projects during this time was beginning our beer tasting editorials. What started out as drunken talk about beer companies sending us beer so we could drink it and write something remotely enjoyable about it ended up becoming some of the best evenings. It also introduced the pleasure of drinking a really nice beer, and the art of home brewing to the Reverb editor. So what broke the Reverb spine? A simple equation. There was a business debt that needed to be serviced, and there was not enough revenue being made from the magazine to cover it, and no possibility of the debt being paid off. It was a good run, one that everyone involved in the paper is proud of. RIP Reverb.

hunter ginger beer

shAdows FAll

rose river original alcoholic ginger beer

wychwood brewery ginger beard

crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer

Alcohol content: 4.5%

Alcohol content: 4.0%

Alcohol content: 4.2%

Alcohol content: 4.0%

750ml

500ml

$15 per bottle

$5.90 per bottle

$6.49 per bottle

$6.99 per bottle

Big bottle, big price, and a big beer presence. In fact, everything about this brew screams beer. It’s honey in colour with a lush creamy head, and ginger notes amongst the prominent yeast aroma. The action is lively, to the point where care was needed with the pouring. Everything about the taste screams beer, although there is a lingering ginger aftertaste. All tasters enjoyed the Hunter, but the consensus was that it was a little too beery for a true ginger beer. Hunter Beer Company [Potters Brewery], Wine Country Drive, Nulkaba, Hunter Valley. www.hunterbeer.com.au.

Pours like a soft drink; looks like lemon squash with no beer head to speak of. Rose River is new to the market and perfect for those who prefer their ginger without the beer body. All tasters enjoyed the Rose River Original with its hint of lemon making it perfect over ice on a warm summer day on the verandah. Rose River Original would be a hit with all but the most discerning ginger drinkers. Think Bundaberg with alcohol, and you are getting close. Rose River Beverages, 27 Tullamarine Park Road, Tullamarine. www.rrb.net.au. Available at Dan Murphy’s.

Now this is a complex little number. Clear golden amber in colour; strong ginger to the nose, and with slight carbonation, all the action happens once it hits the mouth. Sure, the ginger is there, but it was the pleasant malty depth that was unexpected. The sweet ginger heat then kicks in and lingers for quite a while. This is a craft beer infused with root ginger, and would be favoured by those who like their ginger to give a real kick. This divided the tasters due to the ginger punch. Wychwood Brewery, Witney, Oxfordshire, UK. www.wychwood.co.uk. Available at Dan Murphy’s.

Another newcomer from the UK, Crabbie’s is cider in colour and to be honest, there is a sickly sweetness that dominates. Sure there are ginger notes, but if it was not poured out of a bottle that had ‘ginger’ written on it, you could mistake it for a cider. There is no beer fullness to be had here. On the positive, it is inoffensive and would appeal to those who shy from ginger’s bite. On a warm afternoon over ice... with a little umbrella in it. www.crabbiesgingerbeer.co.uk. Available from Dan Murphy’s.

ginger spice

MAstodon

in FlAMEs MEshuggAh

slipknot

soundwAvE sydney showground sunday, February 26

Now in its sixth year, Soundwave could be described as the ‘glutenous uncle’ of the festival season – 96 artists across 11 stages full of bruising metal. This drew the crowds in early, who were met by a one-hundred metre queue at the entrance. Not the most promising start to your day. Steel Panther are Motley Crüe reborn, and it appears that the world is ready for the return of 80s glam, metal and sleaze. For a band to play to such an expansive crowd at 12.40pm was quite extraordinary, and there was much talk of them being the band of the day. Hair metal returns — who would have thought it? With the best set of dreads in the business, Shadow Falls front-man Brain Fair whipped the early-afternoon faithful into a frenzy, concluding their set with a visit into the adoring mass. This ‘getting close, close and personal’ visit was repeated throughout the day with Break Even,

Thursday, Biohazard, Dillinger Escape Plan, Madina Lake and Limp Bizkit all exchanged bodily fluids with their fans. Opening with ‘Loco’, Coal Chamber’s return to the stage was most welcome, and considering these Soundwave shows are their only reformation performances, kind of special as well. Sound issues may have hampered their set, but the band sounded super tight, and I can see a full return to service for the band. The Limp Bizkit crowd could only wait until Bad Religion were half way through their set on the adjoining stage before their mosh began seething. The band rose above any negative perception that the band and front-man Fred Durst may carry to deliver a set that was intense and nostalgic. To be honest, it is hard not to throw the fist into the air to ‘Nookie’. Jessica Michalik was rightly acknowledged and

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Stone’s and Bluetongue are no longer the only ginger tipples in the fridge at your local bottle shop — the brands of alcoholic ginger beer on the shelf these days are wide and varied. This month the Reverb team took the challenge and put six of the best to the test (including a couple of DIYs). Time to get firey!

remembered as it was in this very arena that she lost her life at the 2001 Big Day Out during Limp Bizkit set. Marilyn Manson played a chaotic set, as frustrating as it was enthralling. Whether for show or not, Manson’s numerous on-stage meltdowns have become comical and quite distracting to what could be an amazing rock performance. Heckling from the Slipknot fans would not have helped, either. The Slipknot freak circus literally exploded on stage with heart stopping percussion and flames. These faceless caricatures of our nightmares are relentless in their assault, brutalising those before them. System of a Down closed the main stage with an impressive set filled with cuts that fill the hardcore lover’s hearts. The return of SOAD to the live stage is a most welcome return, and Sydney is all the better for their visit. ~Kevin Bull

r e v e r b m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 67 — m a r c h 2 01 2 35

Find us on Facebook

Download Issue

williams alcoholic ginger beer

ginger rabbit

Alcohol content: 3.8%

Alcohol content: 5.0%

500ml

20 litres

$6.00 per bottle

$30 for all ingredients

New off the boat from Scotland and not yet in the shops, this one came straight from the distributor. Put your nose to it and you know this is ginger — not overpowering but you know what’s to come. Cider colour in the glass, but definitely not to the taste buds. It resembles beer in the mouth, but it’s far more than that. The malted barley and wheat used in the brewing gives it a depth that draws you in, and the ginger burn reminds you exactly what you are drinking. This is a winner and I can’t wait to see it on the shelves. www.brookbrothers. com.au.

Beginning with the Coopers ginger beer kit, Max Plank of the Hunter United Brewers has added his DIY flair in the form of lemon juice, citra hops, and an extra kilo of chopped ginger. The result is a ginger that has possibly outdone the commercials. With a hue of pale amber under its crisp white head, Max’s ginger warms the throat as it should, and delivers a spicy aftertaste. The question was asked a number of times — why would you pay $6 for half a litre when you can do it yourself for a fraction of the price? When you add a keg fridge and tap, it becomes a no-brainer. www.hunterbrewers.com.

r e v e r b m ag a z i n e i ss u e # 0 67 — m a r c h 2 01 2 27

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 29

g e n e r al m o t o r in g

“This baby will make you car-sick from the g-forces if you push hard enough, long enough.”

More Kick in the R.S. Here, the cops get SS Commodores or if they’re lucky, the sharper Ford F6 Typhoon pursuit cars. The SS is a barge while the F6 is quick but still heavy and a handful. The Frogs on the other hand go down a whole different path to fast. They go for something akin to a scalpel when pursuing the baddies or heading somewhere in a hurry. And what the gendarmes want they usually get. Their requirements have given rise to possibly the most desirable Renault ever made - the Megane RS265. It rates as one of the best front drive sporty cars available now. The gendarmes specified 265 horsepower for their rapid response cars, so Renault got hold of its RS250 and upped the ante to suit. The result is the 195kW Megane RS265 (hp). But the upgrade wasn’t only to engine power, the rest of the car has been given a touch-up too. We really liked the earlier 250 - superb thing to drive, quick, controlled, handsome and well specified. But this new 265 is something else again. Aussies appear to feel the same way with this country ranking third in the world for Megane RS sales behind France and Germany. They just ticked over 700 sales of the 250 here. That will surely accelerate when word gets out about the 265. Competition comes from VW’s Scirocco R and the imminent Ford Focus ST five door hatch. Scirocco we can vouch is a fabulous car and the Focus will want to be

30 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

sensational to best the Megane RS265.

on the top-of-the-range car.

PRICE

ENGINE

Renault pitches the 265 at a starting point of $42,640 for the Cup model. That’s quite a few grand under Scirocco. Two other versions of the 265 are available, featuring more kit and larger wheels. They are the Trophy and the Trophy-plus. But there’s more... Coinciding with the launch of the 265 is a special edition called the Trophy 8.08, celebrating the RS265’s recent record for a front drive car around the legendary Nurburgring track in 8.08 seconds. It’s the one to get for collectors although all will be desirable.

CHANGES

The 265 looks the same as the 250 at a casual glance but is, in fact, quite different in detail. Dual lines of LED daytime running lights, black-out trim panels, gloss black body hardware and matte black 18- or 19-inch wheels are obvious. Inside is a better effort than before - neater, tidier, and with more attention to detail and quality components and materials. As good as a Veedub? Possibly. We like the carbon-look fascia and piano black highlights. The instruments have white face dials and there’s a range of new goodies, model dependent, including a rear view camera, park assist, new radio interface and an air quality system that knocks out pollen and dust. Satnav is only

Download Page

r e vi e wed

Renault Megane RS265 r e vi e wed by

Peter Douglas

It’s essentially the same, with the wick turned up a tad to deliver more power and improved torque. The 2.0-litre petrol unit has a twin scroll turbo, variable inlet valve lift and other detail changes. Boost pressure has been upped to 2.5 bar but the engine complies with Euro 5 emissions and uses less fuel than the 250 at 8.2-litres/100km. Outputs are 195kW/360Nm, the latter from 3000rpm. Renault claims a conservative sounding 0-100kph sprint of 6.0-seconds but it feels quicker than that. Some work has been done on the exhaust for better flow and improved note but it could sound better again with not much effort.

DYNAMICS

The 250 had a reputation as one of the best handling front-drivers around but the 265 is better again, and better still the further up the model range you go. It uses a mechanical limited slip front differential to apportion drive, and a clever independent steering axis front suspension system to avoid torque steer under heavy throttle applications. There’s a new ‘dial-up’ dynamic management system offering Normal, Sport and Off. It acts on various functions including throttle response and power delivery. Not to mention better quality rubber.

Download Issue

THE DRIVE

We drove the base model and the 8.08 through south-eastern Queensland last week and it blew our mind. This baby will make you car sick from the g forces if you push hard enough long enough. And it never puts a foot wrong despite ridiculous cornering speeds. We punted it on mountain passes, country B roads and what we like to call ‘Ducati’ roads - long arcing sweepers taken at high speed. Just as well it was mid-week and the Queensland constabulary wasn’t around. Front-drive cars just don’t handle like this, or they didn’t. It makes all-wheel drive seem redundant. Renault’s involvement in F1 obviously pays dividends on its street cars. And we haven’t even started yabbering on about engine performance yet. Surfing the wide torque band is a hoot, hooking hard into tight corners a buzz. It sits flat and stays controlled all the time, but the brakes did fade a tad on one downhill mountain run. The interior is comfortable and even the 19-inch wheel equipped car wasn’t too hard riding.

VERDICT

Yep, love it. A real bad-arse coupé that backs the visual statement with withering performance and handling. Pity the zero per cent Renault finance deal doesn’t apply on RS265.

c r u nc h y f o r t u n e s

fortunes

Steve Burrito’s crunchy fortunes

Virgo: In 47 days, it will be a month and a half later. Say “eye”, and then spell out “map” and then say “ness”. It might help if you yell it quite loud. Keep going, you’ll get there. Your lucky cloud type this month is the cirrocumulus. Far away in a village called Smith, you are a sex god.

Capricorn: Your decision to change your name to Dixie Normous will bring a tear to your pants. This month your lucky children’s fairy tale is the one where they kill that old woman and eat her, or was that a John Lennon song? From here on in, every time you have oral sex you will think of me.

Taurus: If life gives you melons you probably have dyslexia. A new friend will acquire the nickname Dust Balls, and you’ll have something to do with it. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall did he? That sounds a bit suss to me. Your lucky things to rub are strangers.

Libra: On Thursday you’ll meet a man. He’s nobody special. He’s just a man. Your lucky motto for this month is - “If it’s hot, blow it”. Meanwhile back at the ranch, your prized racing turkey, Trevor, silently plots his revenge. For extra luck this month try sending me pictures of your

Aquarius: Around the middle of this month you will realise that half the month is already gone. Sixty per cent of the time, you’re right all the time. Never eat anything bigger than your head. Your lucky imaginary friend is Buttman, the king of swing.

Gemini: You will soon be paid a surprise visit by the ancient Greek God of “Where the fuck did that come from?” - Dildonius. Your first line of defence, whipped cream, may prove ineffective. Your lucky thing this month needs a good shave.

genitals. Scorpio: On the baggage carousel of life you’re going round and around at Coolangatta airport. Someone very close to you has been reading 50 Shades of Grey and has secretly been preparing to train you. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?

Pisces: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. What a relief. This month you will invent the chocolate penis that ejaculates money. Well done, boofhead, now we’re all stuffed. Did you know that the technical term for martial arts isn’t fisting? You’re sexy when you smile.

Cancer: You’ll be surprised to find out that you’re featuring at the next Big Day Out. You’ll wonder what to do. This month keep telling yourself, “it’s the sizzle, not the sausage”. Your lucky food additive is emulsifier 481, and your lucky flavour will be mysterious. Mmm, mysterious.

Sagittarius: This month, for once in your life, give yourself up to sweet, sweaty, sexy temptation. I dare you. Oh and my number is in the book. Your lucky thing this month will be so slippery that it will be hard to hold down.

Aries: This month you will be painfully sexy, and some of that hair will just never grow back. Far, far away in a land time forgot, nobody knows you’re late. And remember kiddies — swearing is fucked up. Your lucky evil twin is the nice one.

Leo: Please place all unsecured items in the overhead locker, put your pants back on and return your tray to the upright position. Your lucky airline this month is Air Lingus. You’ll get there lickety split. Trust me.

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Download Issue

THE FINAL BURRITO Well guys, this is the final instalment of the Crunchy Fortunes, and I suppose I should come clean with you. I’m not mystical at all. I’ve been making this shit up. I know, what a shock, eh? It’s been a whole lot of fun writing these silly things. Even better than writing them has been watching the wtf expressions on people’s faces as they’ve stumbled across them for the first time. I’ve enjoyed all the weirdness, but I do have one complaint. Over all this time I’ve been hitting on you, I’ve told you to send me money, alcohol and all manner of illegal things. Hey, I’ve even asked you to email me your home porn, and not one of you sent me anything. No. You pricks. Anyway, on a serious note, guys, I just want to say thanks. Without your oddness I’d have had nothing to write about. You’re a bunch of freaks. So as we draw to a close, I’d like to finish with a quote from a real writer. “Life’s too short to take seriously” – Oscar Wilde. Have fun, guys — he other options are shitty. Steve Bocking Burrito

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 31

album Reviews Feature albums

Mia Dyson

beth orton

Plan B

MGM

Anti

Atlantic/Warner

Come Home to Mama

4.5/5

3.5/5

4.5/5

indochine

The Moment

The incomparable Mia Dyson bares all in her fourth release, The Moment - a flawless 10-track of contrasting musical arrangements and moods, accompanied by the profound lyrics of a natural storyteller. Ideal opener ‘When the Moment Comes’ is an uplifting bluesy track with rolling drums, tambourine and electric organ, topped by Dyson’s signature husky vocals, while the heartwrenching ‘Tell Me’ bares all. Intricate guitar and heavy organ fuel the rockier ‘Pistol’, and ‘Jesse’, while raw piano ballads like ‘Two Roads’ showcase Dyson’s soulful side. With melancholy moments, heart-warming ballads and strong messages, Dyson’s timeless contemporary blues are all class. ~Charli Hutchison

testament Dark Roots of Earth Riot! /Nuclear Blast

4.5/5

Bay area thrash metal legends, Testament, are back with album number 10, and they’re holding nothing back! Their last album, The Formation of Damnation, was one of the best metal albums of the past decade, so I knew we were in for something special with this killer follow-up. It kicks off strongly with ‘Rise Up’ – which will no doubt feature predominantly in the band’s live set, with that aggressive, driven style we’ve come to love from Testament. The title track is just one of many favourites on this album. Renowned heavy metal producer Andy Sneap has done a fantastic job producing Dark Roots of Earth while keeping the sound and feel 100 per cent Testament. Featuring the atomic clock on drums, Gene Hoglan, and the brilliant bass work of Greg Christian, the rhythm section leaves no stone unturned, delivering pounding riffs and hellish beats. The guitar work displayed by Skolnick and Peterson is by far their finest work, with phenomenal dual guitar solos, and vocalist Chuck Billy is at the top of his game. If you’ve been living under a rock it’s time to crawl on out and grab yourself a copy of what will no doubt be classed as the thrash metal album of 2012. ~Cameron Edney

32 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Sugaring Season

Ill Manors

British songstress Beth Orton makes her long-awaited return on fifth album Sugaring Season. Her first album in six years is a rich, emotional offering that continues her departure from the electronic textures that formerly defined her work. Accomplished musicians add musical depth and sophistication to the album’s sombre tones and Orton’s fragile but determined voice. Delicate string arrangements and piano accompany guitar, bass and drums to create a gloomy folk sound – the perfect backdrop for Orton’s versatile vocals and ghostly melodies. The songwriting covers ample ground while largely staying within the altfolk realm. The wonderful ‘Candles’ has a woozy, jazzy flavour and soulful vocals. The jaunty, old-school charm of ‘See through Blue’ is an interesting detour from the darker, downbeat vibe of the album. But the hauntingly beautiful ‘Poison Tree’ is a better indication of what listeners can expect, with its eerie vocal melodies, sparse instrumentation and delightful harmonies. Sugaring Season is the perfect wrap-up to a chilly winter although its brooding melodies will likely stick around for much longer. ~Luke Saunders

the lumineers The Lumineers Dualtone/Inertia

3/5

Sounding a little like Sea Wolf at times, and more like Regina Spektor in songs like ‘Submarine’ and ‘Big Parade’, The Lumineers mix it up on their self-titled debut album, moving between quirky pub tunes like ‘Classy Girls’, with plenty of fiddle-work and hand-clapping, and slower, stripped-back numbers such as ‘Slow it Down’. The Lumineers’ big hit ‘Ho Hey’ also features. The spaciousness of the music gives it a live feel, although the vocals of frontman Wesley Schultz start to grate after a while. While not really my cup of tea, this is a solid debut that will definite please some listeners. ~Louisa Bulley

Die! Die! Die!

Benjamin Drew, aka Plan B, has built a solid reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting and inventive new artists, since his debut album in 2006 and his more recent venture into soul music in 2010. Ill Manors is the latest release from Plan B and is the soundtrack to his film of the same name. It explores the controversial topics of corruption, crime, violence and drugs on the streets of London. The opening title track ‘Ill Manors’ is hard-hitting and provocative, stirring up a riotous atmosphere and showcasing Drew’s raw energy. ‘I Am The Narrator,’ ‘Playing With Fire’ and ‘Lost My Way’ are standouts, rich with ideas and relevant messages. The instrumentation is powerful and, as with most hip-hop these days, the beats are extremely heavy. This fast-paced, in-your-face approach effectively conveys Drew’s political views and makes for an enjoyable listen. While Plan B has had commercial success with his previous albums, Ill Manors cements Drew as a significant artist, as well as an exciting and enjoyable musician. ~Josh Clements

redd kross

Researching The Blues Independent

2.5/5

It’s time to grow your hair and get back into those tight pants because Redd Kross are back with their first record in 15 years, Researching the Blues. Slipping nicely into their signature noise pop sound, the band is tight and Jeff McDonald’s vocals radiate sunshine. The album moves at a crazy quick speed, clocking in at just under 32 minutes. But who likes draggy songs? Highlights include the summery sound of ‘Meet Frankenstein’ and the trippy little ‘Hazel Eyes’. I definitely think this album is a grower for new fans but old fans can rejoice in glee. Redd Kross are back and seemingly here to stay. Having missed Dig It Up!, I’ll be keen to at least see how Steven McDonald (bass) performs with OFF! at Big Day Out. ~cormack O’Connor

Bat For lashes

Harmony Inertia

The Haunted Man

1/5

Capital/EMI

Intrigued by the name of this band, I prepared myself for an outpouring of emotion that would make me turn green and start crushing things. Oh, how I was wrong. No doubt fuelled by passion and anger, the production makes it sound like the first jam session of an angsty group of 15-year-olds - less ‘back to their roots’ than ‘sounds too amateur’. Completely lacking in distinctive sonic qualities, the whole release sounds as if it’s stuck in some awkward middle ground between indie and punk. The riffs are discordant, making for an uncomfortable listen. This album is to the ears what Matt Preston is to a sandwich - relentless and punishing. ~Thomas Peasley

Download Page

4.5/5

Natasha Khan, or Bat For Lashes as she is known, is set to release her third studio album, The Haunted Man, in October. This time around we hear a more stripped down, vocally-driven Khan, in comparison to the beats-heavy Two Suns, or debut Fur and Gold. The opening track ‘Lilies’ reminds me why I love Bat For Lashes. Pitch perfect vocals, swirling strings and electro beats. In fact the single ‘Laura’ isn’t really a great representation of what’s to be found on the album. The sparse piano and haunting vocals are amazing but this album is full of synthesisers and small beats on every other song. The fun ‘Rest Your Head’ is probably as close as you’re going to get to her Fur and Gold songs. But for me the new direction is as good as ever. I love you Natasha. ~Cormack O’Connor

Download Issue

martha wainwright 4.5/5

Evocative as ever, Martha Wainwright’s third studio album, Come Home to Mama, is an emotionally charged, poetic record that showcases Wainwright’s vocals over simple melodies, designed by producer Yuka C Honda of Cibo Matto. The Canadian songstress sings of love, loss, heartbreak and her unique take on life, and from the opening track, ‘I am Sorry,’ a dark ballad about marriage, it is clear very little is off limits. ‘Radio Star’ moves from a fastpaced pop song to a slow, emotional drawl, finishing with an offbeat rock sound. Slow, hung on simple piano and strings, with a backing choir, ‘Prosperina’ is a standout, giving us a taste of Wainwright’s obscure yet hauntingly beautiful sound, as she calls the listener “home to mama”, creating a sense of intimacy reflected in the psychedelic cover art, which features a nude Wainwright. Come Home to Mama is an impressive collection of songs from a fascinating artist. ~Mark Henderson

rush

Clockwork Angels Roadrunner

3.5/5

It’s been six years since Canadian prog legends Rush blessed our ear drums with Snakes And Ladders, and expectations were high for this release. Nor was I disappointed. The driving, distorted bass lines and wailing vocals of Geddy Lee; dynamic performances by legend drummer Neil Peart; and top-notch riffing of Alex Lifeson, are just as prominent on this release as they were decades ago, as evidenced by the spacey intro and killer, heavy riff of ‘BU2B’. The only problem with this release is that it’s short of anything groundbreaking - all the quality you expect from a Rush album, but nothing revolutionary. Nevertheless, Clockwork Angels will please existing fans and might earn the band some new ones. ~Thomas Peasley

The Vaccines Come of Age Sony

3/5

As its title suggests, Come Of Age, heralds a slight shift in sound from the immediacy and energy of The Vaccines’ debut. Unlike its hyped-up predecessor, Come Of Age embraces a dark, mellow tone, without losing the Vaccines feel, characterised by fun rhymes and riffs. ‘Teenage Icon’ dives straight into an infectious chorus, from which it doesn’t stray more than two or three lines during its entire three minutes. ‘Aftershave Ocean’ is as simple and catchy as a Beach Boys hit. ‘Weirdo’ is full of twangs, Joy Division-esque dystopic lyrics and a ton of long ‘aaaaaahhhhs’. But the catchy blues intro of ‘I Wish I Was A Girl’ soon becomes repetitive. All is redeemed with ‘Lonely World’, where the hooks are emotional and nurtured by guitar – a smooth comedown from the craziness. ~Jamie Nelson

album Reviews album of the month

Tim hart

Dinosaur jr.

yellowcard

Liberator Music/PIAS

Hopeless Records

Milling The Wind

4/5

island records

I Bet On Sky

The tenth album from alternative rock legends Dinosaur Jr follows the upward trajectory the band has maintained since they reformed in 2005. I Bet on Sky is their third post-reunion album and is loaded with sun-drenched melodies, ripping leads and inspired altrock. Although their name evokes a sense of nostalgia, this collection of new songs sounds anything but dated. Dinosaur Jr has a heavy boot firmly planted in the here and now. The songwriting is inspired, swinging from energetic to brooding. Singer/guitarist J Mascis handles his instrument with deft expertise - the gripping solos elevate nearly every song to a new level of sonic bliss, and his distinct vocals are pleasantly laidback with a melancholy charm. The chemistry of the trio, rounded out by bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph, resonates throughout the album. The compelling ‘Watch the Corners’ has a chugging intro that develops into a wonderfully dreary and dynamic number. Mascis’ melodic croon has a soulful quality on the spine-tingling ‘Stick a Toe In’, and the funky guitar and punchy percussion shines on the upbeat ‘I Know It Oh So Well’. Dinosaur Jr is riding a robust second wave of creativity and this high quality effort is sure to rock playlists for many years to come. ~Luke Saunders

opossom

Electric Hawaii Create/Control

3/5

This debut album from Auckland-based band Opossom starts off with a collection of short, snappy numbers with a dancey, electronic beat. These first few songs get the party started but just when the beats are starting to seem a little samey, Opossom changes it up midway through the album. The second half is more laidback, with space to listen and relax. A good debut album, especially if you don’t give up after the first few songs, because the second half of the album is more interesting territory. ~Louisa Bulley

Van She

Ideas of Happiness Modular

2.5/5

Sydney outfit Van She’s second release, Idea Of Happiness, banishes the winter chill with a tidy collection of sunny electro-pop, complete with steel drums and crashing waves. The cute boy-meets-girl narrative is packed with tropical feel-good vibes, twinkly sounds and sunny names like ‘Calypso’ and ‘Coconuts’. The title track is about loving life and losing yourself in the moment, however the aptly named ‘Beat Of The Drum’, reminds us of the fleeting nature of love. Idea Of Happiness starts strongly, but soon flat-lines due to a lack of innovation. Only the brilliant electronic sampling saves it from being a complete fizzer. ~Helen Brown

Find us on Facebook

Southern Air

“No rest for the wicked, they say” - the bridge of the opening track ‘Awakening’ sums it all up. A year after the release of their comeback album, Yellowcard are right back at it with Southern Air. From the opener’s punch in the heart right through to the closing title track, this is definitely Yellowcard’s strongest and most diverse album yet bright but with dark undertones and production crisper than a fresh Granny Smith, Southern Air proves that Yellowcard don’t need a long hiatus to create strong songs. Vocalist Ryan Key is at his best, hitting the highest of highs in ‘Surface Of The Sun’ and a perfect falsetto in the melancholic ‘Sleeping in The Snow’. Lyrically, this album screams of nostalgia but has its moments of darkness - best displayed in ‘Ten’. Each song is as catchy as the last and the violin is spot on. Yellowcard have proved their violin flavoured pop/punk stylings are a winner. ~Sean Degan

Ben Folds Five Sound of the Life of the Mind

4.5/5

Better known as Boy & Bear’s drummer, Tim Hart has spent his spare time creating a debut solo release produced by The Middle East’s Mark Myers. Milling the Wind delivers a cultivated, evocative sound, with a touch of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Paul Simon. Opening track ‘Architects’ introduces the heartfelt, ruminant lyric and the multitude of instrumentation used throughout picking strings, humming strums, and stinging whisk of harmonica, incorporated with lashings of brass and woodwind. Gently hinting at the trademark Boy & Bear sound while blissfully spotlighting Hart’s impressive, supple vocals. There was not a single track I didn’t linger over, in a daydream of emotive connection. Truly beautiful work Hart’s solo future is sparkling. ~Chloe Webb

The Smashing Pumpkins

Sony

4/5

Old age suits Ben Folds Five. Sure, bassist Robert Sledge might be borderline obese and drummer Darren Jesse’s best chorus (‘Brick’) is turning 15 this year, but the chemistry that made Ben Folds Five pertinent and fresh in the 90s holds strong through 2012. Folds is the focal point - his songs still sharp and his keen observational eye intact. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind might be the trio’s wisest record, and sees Folds sometimes-curmudgeonly doling out the advice he used to dig deep inside in search of. You’re not going to find a ‘Brick’ or an ‘Army’ here – but what you will get is something thoughtful, poignant and totally charming. Bring a pen and take some notes. ~Max Quinn

Mojo Juju Mojo Juju ABC Music

4/5

Mojo Juju’s debut selftitled album has been a long time coming, and contains blood, sweat and tears. Jazz-infused and full of heart and soul, this is an afternoon delight, perfectly accompanied by a big ol’ drink. Opener ‘Must Be Desire’ encapsulates the title completely. Juju’s grainy vocals are like no other, flowing effortlessly over a sax that oozes sex appeal and those dusty, jazzy drums blend it all together so smoothly. The songs are so romantic and rich in rustic charm it is difficult not to get caught up in the little world Juju has created. The pumping double bass of ‘Brother Where Have You Been’ provides some upbeat kneeslapping fun and the powerful deliverance in a dramatic cover of ‘I Put A Spell On You’ will give you chills. Mojo Juju certainly has a way with words and spunk to boot as she embraces her oddity via her love affair with music. ~Charli Hurchison

Download Page

Oceania

Create/Control

4/5

Most people think I’m crazy for loving The Smashing Pumpkins. In fact, I’ve made my friends’ ears bleed with praise for Corgan. But you have to respect a band that can resurrect itself from an American History X-style gutter stomping, case and point, with new album Oceania. Put simply, it’s the Pumpkins album of lurve. There’s a return to beautiful melodies, diverse instrumentation and engaging arrangements, with a newly kindled emotional resonance that harks to past Pumpkins – but takes the band to new territory. ‘Quasar’ invokes God, Krishna and Father Yod of the Source Family, over sludgy, psychedelic guitars and intense drumming (I’ve probably lost you). ‘Panopticon’ extends the welcome to the galaxy, with subtle twists on the loud/quiet dynamics. Quasi-single ‘The Celestials’ sounds like four different songs in four minutes, whereas ‘One Diamond, One Heart’ showcases Corgan at his most candid. The title track is an amazing spectacle - a bolder and more dynamic antithesis to the hypnotic, grinding ‘United States’ – the centrepiece on 2007’s Zeitgeist. ‘Violet Rays’ and ‘Pale Horse’ are more subtle, building instrumental layers around the melodies, rather than ‘up to 11’ antics. Closing number ‘Wildflower’ is gripping, with tense chords that resist resolving until the end. An insanely good album - sit yourself down with a joint, a scotch, a bean bag and some headphones and see where it takes you. ~Matt Petherbridge

Download Issue

Something For Kate Leave Your Soul to Science EMI

3/5

After an impressive solo career, Paul Dempsey returns to Something For Kate with Leave Your Soul To Science. The tracks fluctuate between smooth acoustic and grunge rock, showing more risk-taking and playfulness than on previous albums. Lyrics are a strong point, with plays on words and songs about obsession (“I keep a running list of every list I’ve ever kept”). Standout ‘Back To Normal’ tells the tale of a heartbroken man: “Do you think you can just stroll through my head like you own the fucking place?”. Another highlight is ‘Deep Sea Divers’ - a stripped-back acoustic reverie. Mediocre at times, the drawling monotone is saved by its spark. If you find a formula that allows you to grow while staying true to form, why change it? ~Helen Brown

The RubEns The Rubens Ivy League

4/5

Off the back of massive airplay for their single ‘Don’t Ever Want To Be Found’, the three brothers and a mate from Menangle, that are the Rubens, release their debut self-titled album, full of smooth, bluesy, rootsy tracks that glide along effortlessly at a relaxed pace, with the help of plenty of organ and Sam Margins’s soulful croon – best displayed in the chorus of ‘Lay It Down’. The three singles already released from this album are very strong (the hook from their latest, ‘My Gun’ will get stuck in your head for days), but there are plenty of other gems. Listening to this record reminded me of a summer festival. Not one with thousands of sweaty, shirtless men and girls in shorts that show off half their arse, but the chilled out kind, with a welcoming vibe where you can park yourself on a grassy knoll and enjoy the atmosphere and sunshine. The Rubens are like that great band you catch by accident when you get to the festival early. Their sound is relaxed, unique and promising. You don’t know much about them but you feel as though you’ve made a real discovery. ~Amelia parrott

Delta Spirit Delta Spirit Shock

2.5/5

One of the really cool things about the early records of California’s Delta Spirit, is that they didn’t sound like the work of a band from California. The Long Beach natives have a knack for crafting catchy but disjointed Americana pop that defies regional pigeonholing. So a recent move from the sunshine state to Brooklyn would, on the surface, seem a logical step for a band on the cusp of fulfilling lofty expectations. However, despite the ferociously catchy opener ‘Empty House’, Delta Spirit is an album that leans, at times clumsily, on all-too familiar keyboard flourishes and drum loops. For a band that once used an actual trashcan as a percussion instrument, on the fantastic (and aptly titled) ‘Trashcan’, there are too many easy outs to make this record a step forward. ~Nick Mackay

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 33

photos by ian laidlaw

splendour Review

kimbra

at the drive in

azealia banks

friends

splendour in the grass Belongil Fields, Byron Bay July 27-29

Splendour In The Grass returned to its spiritual home at Belongil Fields, Byron Bay, in 2012. But following a two-year sojourn in Queensland’s magical forest, Woodfordia, one of Australia’s most loved music and arts events was also back in the climate that rains upon it each year with eerie consistency. So much so that Splendour In The Grass is affectionately known as “Splendour In The Mud”. This year’s weather threatened to break the trend, with a radiant sun beaming over the early crowds on Friday. But as revellers crowded into Splendour’s Mix Up Tent to hear the minimal and haunting lo-fi pop of 34 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Californian artist, Youth Lagoon, a rain cloud appeared. Forty minutes of torrential rain and hail stones turned the festival site into a deep and unforgiving quagmire of thick black mud and pools of water. The magnificent sun returned, but the damage was done. It was boom day for gumboot purveyors. The festival crowd rushed up the road to Byron’s shopping district and snagged every pair of boots available. With appropriate footwear donned, they then turned to Splendour’s main focus – three days of world-class music. Friday was jam-packed with big acts. The Shins delivered robust

Download Page

versions of their timeless folk anthems. Led by original singer and songwriter James Mercer, the new line-up of the group opened with ‘Caring Is Creepy’ and played many singalong numbers including ‘Know Your Onion!’, ‘So Says I’, ‘Australia’, ‘Phantom Limb’ and ‘New Slang’. The highlight was the one-off Australian performance of revered Texan post-hardcore band At The Drive-In. It was a reunion that their fans never thought would happen. The five-piece split acrimoniously at the height of their powers in 2001, but recently re-formed for a limited number of shows – California’s Coachella and Splendour. Opening

Download Issue

with ‘Arcarsenal’ and ‘Pattern Against User’, At The Drive-In appeared to relish this nostalgic trip. Closing with ‘One Armed Scissor’, they whipped the giant Supertop crowd into a frenzy. A once-in-alifetime experience. Jack White closed Friday’s proceedings with an impressive array of his hits, both solo and from other projects. Opening with the White Stripes tune ‘Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground’, and accompanied by two different backing bands – Los Buzzardos and The Peacocks – White commanded the stage. The set list featured songs from his other projects, The Raconteurs and The Follow us on Twitter

yuksek

miike snow

bloc party lana del rey

Dead Weather, but finished with his most famous song, ‘Seven Nation Army’. Saturday’s line-up was capped off with British rock band Bloc Party’s third visit to Splendour, previewing songs from their upcoming record Four, as well as playing crowd favourites – ‘Song for Clay (Disappear Here)’, ‘Positive Tension’ and ‘Banquet’. Swedish synth-pop group Miike Snow also drew a large audience to the Supertop. And another of Saturday’s highlights was a colossal performance from Seattle grunge legends Mudhoney. Even though some of their music is nearly 25 years old, their blisteringly raw performance sounded as fresh as ever. There is no denying their influence on modern music. Find us on Facebook

It girl, New York’s Lana Del Rey, appeared on the GW McLennan stage in a wedding dress, backed by a string section, guitar and a white grand piano. She strolled seductively around the stage, daintily smoking on a cigarette and crooning her Nancy Sinatra-esque ballads, including a smouldering cover of Nirvana’s ‘HeartShaped Box’. Sunday’s pick was Fleet Foxes’ bearded alumni Joshua Tillman, aka Father John Misty, who swaggered and gyrated through his alt-folk rock set with an aloof charm. Closing with a rocky version of his song ‘Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings’ – an instant classic – Father John Misty gave one of the most memorable performances of the festival.

Download Page

French electronic artist Yuksek got the Mix Up Tent pumping, as did British rock band The Kooks. The hottest new lady in hip-hop, Azealia Banks, arrived at Splendour amid a wave of hype. It was difficult to squeeze into the Mix Up Tent to see her perform. But while Banks seemed genuinely happy with her deafening reception, and her rapid-fire raps sounded fantastic in the crowd, the superstar kept mentioning “sound difficulties”. These issues weren’t apparent to the audience but proved too much for Banks, who stormed off stage after only 20 minutes, leaving the crowd dumbfounded. But one diva could not spoil the day’s proceedings. Beth Ditto of The Gossip provided enough feel-good grooves for

Download Issue

those who wanted to dance. And final act, The Smashing Pumpkins received a rapturous roar, as Billy Corgan appeared on-stage. The group opened with a cover of ‘Black Diamond’, by Kiss, and then ploughed through a hit-laden set-list that included ‘Today’, ‘1979’, ‘Tonight, Tonight’, ‘Cherub Rock’, ‘Zero’ and ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’. The material from their new album, Oceania, was equally impressive. Despite some foldback issues early in the set, the mercurial Corgan, who normally doesn’t enjoy playing his older material, couldn’t hide the smile from his face as 10,000 people sang along with him. Even iconic artists can be swept up in the Splendour. ~AMANDA BEVAN & NICK MILLIGAN reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 35

live Reviews Jinja Safari

gig of the month

slash

Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni Thursday, August 16

Sydney Entertainment Centre Saturday, August 25

©David Jackson

Since Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight began collaborating in 2010, Jinja Safari have rocketed into the spotlight, winning Triple J Unearthed in 2010, and touring locally and overseas, not to mention climbing atop every amplifier in order to beat their chests and holler (if you’ve seen them live, you’ll recognise this scene). The experience is always rowdy and fun, and of they didn’t disappoint this time around. The event, coined ‘Jinja On The Hill’, was a change from their regular Newcastle venue (The Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton) and the crowd was less packed in, the lights blue and neon rather than the usual warm, sunny feel. It didn’t take away from the energy of the show, where lots of ugly dancing ensued. ‘Mud’ and ‘Forest Eyes’ came early. Current single ‘Toothless Grin’ fuelled the dance floor and a short interlude encouraged two girls from the audience on stage for a boogie. Jinja Safari settled the crowd with the atmospheric ‘Stepping Stones’, finishing as usual with the yell-at-the-top-of-your-lungs ‘Mermaids’. After yet another exuberant show matched by an enthusiastic crowd, their debut album is much anticipated. ~Jamie Nelson

Angry Anderson saunters on stage, bottle in hand, and sets the scene with a scream of, “Welcome to rock ’n’ roll”. The elder statesmen of Oz pub rock, Rose Tattoo’s slot as set openers highlights the wide influence their dirty blues licks have had on a generation of rockers, including the act to follow. Is there a more enduring image in rock than Slash and his trusty Les Paul? He embodies rock ’n’ roll — all hair, attitude and noise. It also looks like he has finally found another band that can execute his melodic, bluesy vision. Vocalist Myles Kennedy shines — the confident, dynamic foil to Slash’s more laidback on-stage persona. He and his Conspirators stalked the stage, urging the crowd into a frenzy suited to the vicious attack of the music. While the night’s setlist was a snapshot of the many phases of Slash’s career, it was the Guns ‘n’ Roses classics that got the crowd going. It’s been 25 years since Appetite for Destruction was unleashed, and the power of ‘My Michelle’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ and ‘Paradise City’ are unrivalled, a point made clear by the energy generated on and off the stage. ‘You’re A Lie’ and ‘Anastasia’ from current release Apocalyptic Love showed promise as future sing-along anthems, while Slash cemented his reputation as one of the modern guitar gods (who else is fighting for that mantle?) ~Paul Frost

©Ashlee kellehear

Ainslie Wills

Gin Wigmore

Loon Lake

Emma Soup, Newcastle Friday, August 17

Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle Saturday, August 25

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday, August 25

Turning up to Emma Soup a little early, I was lucky enough to catch the sound check of the beautiful Shanna Watson and the talented Benjamin Fraser as I chowed down on my salmon sashimi. As punters started trickling into the Soup Can Gallery, free cups of Fruity Lexia in hand, Watson and Fraser were faultless, relaxed and got everyone in the mood. Soon enough Ainslie Wills and her four-piece backing band took to the stage, ripping into their first song. Wills voice blew me away, sounding far better than her recorded work, she could have been mistaken for Feist at times. The small space, filled with art and warm smiles, had a lounge room vibe. The band joked with members of the crowd and even borrowed a set of keys to use as a makeshift tambourine during ‘Something I Prepared Earlier’, which Wills dedicated to her Novocastrian sister. The quintessential cover of the night was Broken Bell’s ‘The High Road’. Although the highlight was the clap-along anthem, ‘Fighting Kind’, complete with crowd participation, tight drumming, smooth dance moves and one big voice. No doubt the next time I see Wills it will be in a much bigger room. ~Cormack O’Connor

36 reve rb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

©Kristin Wright

Download Page

An effortlessly chic Gin Wigmore, accompanied by a five-piece band of equally sharply dressed men, exploded onto the stage at Newcastle’s Great Northern, as part of her Gravel and Wine tour. Opening with ‘Hey Ho’, from her debut album, Holy Smoke, Wigmore’s performance was essentially a ‘best-of’, with a balance of tracks from both of her albums. There were no surprises; no new or unheard material - just an evening which was jam-packed full of familiar tunes that the crowd could sing along to. Chatting with the enthused crowd between songs, Wigmore created a fun and intimate vibe that felt more like a private party than a tour gig. An overwhelming feature of Gin Wigmore is her vast range of material. From the pleading ‘If Only’, to the purring ‘Kill of the Night’, and the effervescent ‘Under My Skin’, her performance was an emotional rollercoaster ride. The only thing more diverse than her songs is her fan base, which on the night ranged from the barely legal to over-60s. That is the beauty of Wigmore, she offers something for everyone, while maintaining a distinct vocal sound. Buy her music, or better still, get along to one of her concerts and discover one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets. ~Kristin Wright

Download Issue

©Glen Pearson

live Reviews

gig of the month

The Smashing Pumpkins

hilltop hoods

ed sheeran

Sydney Entertainment Centre Tuesday, July 31

Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni Thursday, August 2

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, August 1

©Mitchell Jones

©Kevin Bull

Reviews don’t come any more biased than from yours truly at a Smashing Pumpkins concert. Not everyone’s cup of tea - since 1998, the default reaction — to anything Corgan does after he wakes up in the morning — is that he’s bat shit crazy. However, the reconstituted Pumpkins – drummer Mike Byrne, bassist Nicole Fiorentino and guitarist Jeff “The Shredder” Schroeder - take this band forward to transcend the ‘guns for hire’ insults with true class. The stage production was highlighted by a giant orb, flashing virtual mapped images inspired by the work of Ernst Haeckel, designed by Sean Evans (Roger Waters’ The Wall). The images suited the emotional complexity of their latest album Oceania, which they played from start to finish. The back end of Oceania – ‘The Chimera’, ‘Glissandra’ and ‘Inkless’ – felt a little unpolished, granted, it was their second live performance ever (these are great tracks on the album). Enthralled as I was in the band’s shimmering, ethereal first act, quasi-fans hanging out for ‘The Doorbell Song’ and ‘Rat in a Cage’ (which came 30 minutes later for the patient) left early, disappointed. A daring cover of Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’, followed by a brutal, anarchic deep cut from Mellon Collie, ‘X.Y.U’. took the crowd back to 1996. The hits came hard and fast - ‘Disarm’, complete with orchestral backing, ‘Tonight, Tonight’, ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’ and ‘Today’ were smacked out with gusto. No sign of ‘1979’, which was a shame. An encore saw a very gracious Corgan say few words, apart from thanking the Sea Shepherd Crew for their amazing work on the high seas – before launching into ‘Cherub Rock’, a salacious hard-rock version of ‘Ava Adore’, with Corgan and Schroeder duelling harmonised licks, Thin Lizzy-style, and ‘Zero’. The band kissed and waved their goodbyes... collapsing as they exited stage right. All in all, an amazing concert. ~Matt Petherbridge

The massive line outside Newcastle Uni’s Bar on the Hill on a freezing Thursday night was testament to how far these boys from Adelaide have come in the last 10 years. Supported by popular hip-hop acts Briggs and Horrorshow, the Hilltop Hoods had a big and flashy show in store for us as part of their Drinking From The Sun Tour. When the Hilltop Hoods finally took to the stage, the bar went mental as they belted out ‘Still Standing’, followed by a mass clap-along to a start-stop version of ‘The Hard Road’. I was disappointed with the response to the intro for ‘Nosebleed Section’, but it probably had something to do with the way the Hoods interrupted it trying to get the crowd fired up. Of course, once they were off everyone was going pretty nuts and the Bar on the Hill became one big sweaty mosh pit. Pumped up and jumping, the Hoods delivered new material from Drinking From The Sun, including the catchy ‘Love It’, and threw in a few more popular songs, including ‘Chase that Feeling’, for good measure. They messed around with Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ for extra theatricals before exiting the stage. Of course the Hoods were nowhere near finished, but they let us scream for a few minutes before they returned to belt out their encore which included new song ‘Drinking from the Sun’ and some clever rhymes to remind us why they are number one. ~Stephanie De Vries

Die! Die! Die! Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle Wednesday, August 22

©Kristin Wright

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

©Ashlee kellehear

Ed Sheeran’s performance at the Enmore Theatre was one of the best concerts I have ever been to, with the acoustics in the old theatre accentuating his magical voice. The 21-year-old opened the night with ‘Give Me Love’, for which the crowd went absolutely wild. He got the audience singing harmonies and made them feel like an important part of the show. Sheeran’s performance quality didn’t falter when he proceeded to play ‘Drunk’, ‘Homeless’ and ‘UNI’. He then performed ‘Grade 8’ before covering folk song ‘Wayfaring Stranger’, by Jamie Woon, without a microphone. You could have heard a pin drop in the vast

space. Sheeran continued with Nina Simone’s ‘Be My Husband’, catering for the few adults in the audience, followed by ‘This’, and ‘The City’. He then told a touching story about his godparents, the inspiration for his next song ‘Kiss Me’, before finishing with ‘Lego House’ and the promised encore, much to the relief of his screaming fans. His last songs ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ and Top 10 hit ‘The A Team’ lived up to the same potential as the very first song. With his strong and powerful voice and incredible performance skills, Sheeran has a big future ahead of him. ~Stephanie Jenkins

The dark and brooding sound of opening band, The Go Roll Your Bones, channelled the likes of The Scientists and The Birthday Party, with swampy southern blues thrown in for good measure. Thundering bass lines, moody guitars, solid drumming and some brilliant wailing from frontman Geordie Cargill made these guys a fitting support for headliners, New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die!, and definitely a band to keep an eye on. The Die!s have a reputation for incredible live performances, and they proved themselves from the get go. Frontman Andrew Wilson wasted no time bringing his brand of noisy, indie punk straight to the audience by descending to the dance floor, mic stand and all, getting the punters to provide backups to his howling vocals, which ranged from venomous screaming rants to the soft and melodic, but always a barrage of sonic noise. Drummer Michael Prain played with

industrial precision and an almost tribal rhythm that held the wall of sound together, while lanky bassist Michael Logie complemented Wilson’s post-punk guitar licks with pummelling bass lines. Opening with ‘Oblivious Oblivion’ off the new album, Harmony, the band went on to play a great selection from their back catalogue. Highlights were the screamer that is ‘Ashtray Ashtray’; the epic and formidable sounding ‘We Built Our Own Oppressors’; and the chant-along belter ‘A.T.T.I.T.U.D.’. This was the first night of their Australian tour and one could sense the band’s disappointment in the small audience. But a Wednesday night in Newcastle is always a tough gig and Japan’s Zoobombs, in the next room, probably stole a few punters. But in saying that, the New Zealanders delivered the goods with a solid, huge sounding set that was very well received. ~Mark Snelson

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 37

film Reviews

Total Nightmare It has been 22 years since Arnie and Sharon Stone graced the screen in Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall, a film adaptation of Philip K Dick’s short story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale’. Len Wiseman (Underworld) helms this year’s retelling with Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale in the main roles. Farrell plays Doug Quaid, an unfulfilled factory worker haunted by recurring nightmares, who dreams of a better life. When he sees the services of a company called Rekall, advertising their virtual memory experiences, he is immediately intrigued by the exciting escapism. But his visit to

Rekall triggers buried memories — is he really a highly trained spy operative for The Colony resistance army, and a key figure in the push to bring down the high tech forces of the United Federation Of Britain? All of a sudden, Doug is the world’s most wanted — on the run from the law, he must learn the truth about who he really is and reach the resistance army’s headquarters. In all fairness, the effects and sets of the new version are impressive but it is not enough to save it from drowning beneath every sci-fi cliché in the book. There is the car hopping from The Fifth Element, the cityscapes straight out of Blade Runner

and the robotic army of Stormtroopers. Kate Beckinsdale spends a lot of her time pouting and flicking her hair and Farrell’s bushy eyebrows leave him looking baffled 90 per cent of the time. Blockbusters are not known for quality acting and I feel sorry for the leads who have been given so little to work with here. They could at least have injected more of the one-liners that made the original remotely worthwhile. Paul Verhoeven’s movie was no masterpiece. But this unimproved remake is no Christopher Nolan-style re-imagining. There must be a million better sci-fi scripts not seeing the light of day.

r e vi e wed

Total Recall r e vi e wed by

Mark Snelson r ated

1/5

r e vi e wed

Bully

r e vi e wed by

Bully in Focus In recent years, the subject of bullying has had extensive media attention, with stories of victims fighting back; compensation payouts; and the tragic cases that have resulted in suicide. Lee Hirsch’s documentary Bully is an intimate study of bullying from the victims’ perspective, following a number of children who have all been targeted by bullies at school, two of whom committed suicide as a result. Their stories are told by their grieving families, who have been driven to bring the subject of bullying to the forefront of school politics

38 reve rb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

in the hope that no one else will suffer as they have. Others include 12-year-old Alex, who endures bullying on a daily basis; Kelby, a gay teen being harassed about her sexuality and 14-year-old Jamaya, who is in custody after pulling a gun on her tormentors. Hirsch has shot the film beautifully and offers a deeply personal look into the lives of these children, who suffer daily torment because they are different. Many viewers will be appalled and infuriated by the behaviour documented here, and for others this film may trigger

Download Issue

Mark Snelson r ated

4/5

painful memories. The awfulness of bullying is one thing but the true horror is the apathy of the school authorities that enable this behaviour by not paying closer attention to the victims. Bully is by no means a perfect documentary — it is unfocused at times and the lack of solutions to the problem are frustrating. But it is timely, especially with the rise of internet bullying which tends to fly under the radar. Schools should make this compulsory viewing – its insight into the daily lives of bullying victims could be a powerful agent for change.

DVD Reviews

DVD Marathon Like a Version If mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery, American television producers must be among the most genuine people alive, earnestly showering praise on some of the most innovative, provocative and self-reflexive British television of the last 40 years.

r e vi e we d

Episodes r e vi e we d by

Sallie Pritchard r ate d

3.5/5

Getting L.A.’d It is a truth universally acknowledged that news of an American version of a British television series will be met with protest. The general criticism holds that the American version will pander to its audience and replace subtlety and wit with a younger, more attractive cast. Beverley (Tamsin Greig) and Sean Lincoln (Stephen Mangan) are a happily married, multiple BAFTA-winning team, famous in England for their critically acclaimed series Lyman’s Boys. It’s not long before Hollywood comes knocking, in the form of Merc Lapidus (John Pankow), a television head who wants to bring Beverley and Sean to LA to write the pilot for an American version of their show starring Matt LeBlanc. On the surface, the series is a rather

exaggerated, blatantly critical representation of the process by which American television producers transform British television for a US audience — that is, making the show dumber. And on some levels, this is exactly how the show works. The characters, apart from Beverley, Sean and Matt, are underdeveloped and one-dimensional. Yet this heavy-handed treatment of the plot reveals what Episodes is really about: Beverley and Sean’s transition from London to LA, from British comedy to American comedy. In London they’re equally smart and witty. In LA they fight all the time, constantly embarrassing themselves in front of their crew. The dynamic between the pair shifts, as Beverley becomes a jealous witch, and

Sean, a meek ‘yes’ man. LeBlanc is a manipulative womaniser with no charm or grace because this is exactly what Beverley and Sean expect, and when he shows moments of humility they are disconcerted. Greig and Mangan are both excellent, proving why they’re two of Britain’s best comic actors today. The surprise is LeBlanc, whose performance is a glimpse of what might really have happened if Joey had left New York to pursue a career in Hollywood. There’s something depressingly realistic about this man, whose garage is cluttered by cheap reminders of his former glory. Episodes is an excellent exploration of British and American television and the uneasy partnership between them.

r e vi e wed

Happy Endings r e vi e wed by

Sallie Pritchard r ated

3.5/5

Find us on Facebook

Steptoe and Son (1962-1965) Steptoe and Son are a father and son team who operate a small junkyard. The show is defined by its focus on family dynamics in a claustrophobic environment. US version: Sandford and Son (1972 1977) Apart from the location not much was changed, although in this version Sandford and son are African-American. The show also has one of the greatest theme tunes in television history. Spaced (1999-2001) This tale of two 20-something slackers who pretend to be a couple, to move into a flat, introduced the world to the formidable writing duo of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and the enduring bromance of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. US version: Spaced (2008) Simon Pegg and fans of the British series publicly slammed the idea and, to date, the pilot remains unaired on television. The Office (2001-2003) Ricky Gervais’ cringe-worthy regional manager, David Brent, is perfectly balanced by the adorable Tim Canterbury and his relationship with bored secretary Dawn. US version: The Office (2005-present) It may have lost some of its subtlety in the translation but this version still manages to hold its own as a series. Not a patch on the Norwegian version Etaten.

Happy Days

It seems the sitcom never tires of throwing together a group of men and women who do very little apart from eating and drinking. Since Friends, this formula has been used to great effect in series such as How I Met Your Mother, Community and New Girl. And now we have Happy Endings, a show about six friends: Jane (Eliza Coupe), Brad (Damon Wayans Jr), Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), Dave (Zachary Knighton), Penny (Casey Wilson), and Max (Adam Pally). Their tight-knit group is threatened when Alex leaves Dave at the altar, seemingly for a guy who crashes their wedding on rollerblades. When Alex returns to the group to apologise, they vow to remain friends despite the

Til Death Us Do Part (1965–1968) The story of bigot Alf Garnett was meant as a biting satire about the prevalence of racism among the working class in 1960s London. The Australian series Kingswood Country (1980-1984) shares many similarities with the series. US version: All In The Family (1968-1979) Archie Bunker’s bigotry irritates his young daughter and her husband. Here Bunker’s racism is played mostly for laughs. The series also starred Rob Reiner, director of the greatest ‘documentary’ of all time, 1984’s Spinal Tap.

tensions that may erupt. Ridiculous premise aside (some of the best television series start with a ridiculous premise), this is an accomplished comedy that aims purely to entertain. Hilarious dialogue works in perfect unison with physical comedy, and jokes are set up with razor-sharp precision. Issues such as race, sexuality and the career-versusfamily debate are addressed with humour and often played out between the characters as playful ribbing. In this way, a conversation about who would survive a zombie apocalypse leads Dave to pursue a different career path. This is not to say there aren’t flaws here. While no character conforms to the

Download Page

traditional stereotypes or stock characters usually found in American sitcoms, there is also very little character development and no overarching storylines to unite the series as a whole. Some episodes appear to be out of sequence, making for confusing viewing at times. These flaws, however, can mostly be forgiven in light of the performances of the cast. It’s truly an ensemble piece with no weak links. Wayans and Wilson are definite standouts and Cuthbert is surprisingly good with the physical comedy, but Pally, Knighton and Coupe all hold their own. A great man once said that it’s impossible to be unhappy in a poncho. It’s also impossible to be unhappy during this show.

Download Issue

Blackpool (2004) Partly inspired by Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective musical mini-series, Blackpool is the story of ambitious arcade owner Ripley Holden and his fall from grace. US version: Viva Laughlin (2007) Even with the original creators and Hugh Jackman on board, the entire absence of subtlety, humour or good casting meant the series was cancelled after just two episodes. The IT Crowd (2006 - 2012) Chris O’Dowd and Richard Ayoade play Roy and Moss, two gormless IT guys who drag their socially confident manager Jen Barber down (literally) to their level. US version: The IT Crowd (2007) A pilot was filmed starring Community’s Joel McHale as Roy, and Ayoade reprising his role as Moss, but no subsequent series went into production. reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 39

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

gig Guide Newcastle Sat, September 1

Fri, September 7

Sydney Opera House

Allphones Arena, Sydney

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Warners At The Bay

Pitbull, Taio Cruz, Timomatic,

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

7 Sep

Lanie Lane Mahalia Barnes

8 Sep

Mark Seymour

9 Sep

Margaret Urlich

14 Sep

Mia Dyson

15 Sep

Drag!

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Alpine, Clubfeet, Georgi Kay

Entrance Leagues Club The Beautiful Girls

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Vinyl Night

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Delta Lions

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Ember

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Abby Dobson, Elliot the Bull Backsliders, Dog Trumpet

27 Sep

Andy Cowan

Zoe K and the Shadow Katz

feat. Paul Greene

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Dollarosa

The Berias Masseque Band Vince Jones

Lizotte’s, Lambton

of David Bowie

Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland His Merry Men

Into the Mystic w/ Joe Creighton

The Stage Door Johnnies

Dream on Dreamer, Hand of Mercy,

11 Oct

Katie Noonan &

Lycanthrope

Like Moths to Flames, In Hearts Wake,

Mark Seymour, Nick & Liesl

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Smith Street Band, Restorations,

Hotel Jesmond

Margaret Urlich

Mark Hotel, Lambton Dave Carter

Queen’s Wharf Brewery, Newc

Cosy Velour

Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, Kira Piru & The Bruise

Sydney Opera House

The Radiators Nom De Strip, Propaganda, Matt Meler Nikko, Lander Configurations, Hopes

Patrick Wolf, Brous

Sydney Opera House Rufus Wainwright

Warners at the Bay

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Lizotte’s, Lambton Mahalia Barnes

Maitland City Bowling Club

Rubicon

Jonah Matranga’s Onelinedrawing

America

Wed, September 12 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Tired Minds, Safe Hands, Inhale the Sea

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Big Empty, Missing Myrtle, Pure Habitat

Belmont 16 foot Sailing Club

Bill Bailey

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Tommy 9 Fingers, Roesy, Tim Kellaway

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jessica Lord & Lachlan Robert, Shawn Lidster, Tara Scalas, Chattelz

Richard Clapton

Wed, September 5

14 Oct

Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson

12 Oct

Tanie Kernaghan

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

17 Oct

Mark Wilkinson

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Greenthief, Hey Lady! Making, King Tears Mortuary,

Belmore Hotel, Maitland V-Dubs

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Sleepmakeswaves, Breaking Orbit,

Psycho Pucko, Pocket of Stones, Ian Curtis Alive

Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni The Beautiful Girls

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

The Levymen

Roesy

Entrance Leagues Club

The Gooch Palms

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Thur, September 13

Teal, I Am The Agent

Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Hi-Fi, Sydney

Cartel, We Rob Banks

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

Earth

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Hornet

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mick Sparrow, Max & Tom, Calling Mayday, Amy Vee

Thur, September 6 Civic Theatre, Newcastle

Creative Creatures Open Mike w/

Fannys Nightclub, Newcastle Havana Brown

Ella & Andy

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Royal Artillery

Mal Eastick

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Great Northern Hotel, Newc King Cannons, All The Young, The Hello Morning

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Xavier Rudd

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Lizotte’s, Lambton

phone (02) 4956 2066

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton

Hansel, Delta Lions, Duke of Erlington

Lanie Lane, Jordie Lane

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mahalia Barnes

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Nick Raschke

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington

Mark Seymour, Amy Vee

Mark Hotel, Lambton Metro Theatre, Sydney Brand New Heavies

Rhythm Hut, Gosford The Strides

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield The Jungle Kings

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Paul McDermont

Duke of Wellington, Lambton Bobby C

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton Misbehave

Factory Theatre, Sydney Howard Jones

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Nat Col and the Kings

Great Northern Hotel, Newc I Can’t Believe It’s Not Porkers!, The Los Capitanes

Hotel Jesmond Good Company

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Starfuckers

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Zoe K. & the Shadow Katz, The Havelocks, The Huberts

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Joe Moore, Peter Dickson

Lizotte’s, Lambton Mia Dyson, Simon Meli

Mark Hotel, Lambton Dr. Zoom

Julia Stone, Trouble with Templeton

Hornet Rubber Bullets

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland Pete Gelzinnins

Sat, September 15 Belmore Hotel, Maitland Kotadama

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle British India

Duke of Wellington, Lambton Wellsy

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton Grand Theft Audio

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Vinyl Night

Great Northern Hotel, Newc Dan Southward

Hi-Fi, Sydney Hanson

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Nukewood

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Afro Moses O’Jah, Berias Masseque, The Wrong Crowd

Laycock Theatre, Gosford Kitty Flanagan

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Darren Percival

Lizotte’s, Lambton Drag!

Mark Hotel, Lambton Dan Beazley Nick Raschke

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Incognito

Tall Timbers Hotel, Ourimbah Steve Edmonds Band

Warners at the Bay Loose Bazooka

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland

Iguana

40 reverb

Iguana

Civic Theatre, Newcastle

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington

Kato

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Ngariki

information,

Impending Doom

Charlestown Bowling Club

Warners at the Bay

Pete Hibbert

Civic Theatre, Newcastle

Crawford Brothers

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland

Sat, September 8

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Sundays Record

Fri, September 14

Mon, September 10

Richard Clapton

Mark Hotel, Lambton

Mon, September 3

Chase the Sun

Gambirra

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Side Bar, Cambridge Hotel, Newc

5-6 Oct

or visit lizottes.com.au

Cass Eager

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Zane Penn

Ziggy - The Songs

For bookings and

Cartel, We Rob Banks

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

Margaret Urlich

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Charlie Musselwhite

Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Bobby Disco, Alex Carapetis

26 Oct

Morgan Evans, Andy Sorenson

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Spy vs Spy

20-21 Oct Josh Pyke

Civic Theatre, Newcastle

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling

Karin Schaupp

Bateau Bay Hotel The McClymonts, Wes Carr,

Sun, September 2

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

29 Sep

Sun, September 9

Hunter Valley Brewery, Maitl

Phonic

22 Sep

Dr. Zoom

Run Squirrel, Jen Buxton

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Darren Percival

Charlestown Bowling Club

James Thomson, Bambina Koresh

Lizotte’s, Lambton

21 Sep

Steve Edmonds Band

The Capulets

The Years

Tim Hart (Boy & Bear)

Catherine Hill Bay Hotel

Greg Bryce & The Bad Bad Things

Level One, Newc Leagues Club

20 Sep

Alics vs Everything, We Built Atlantis,

Judith Lucy

Subdivision, Bigger Cages, QnRoo

Darren Percival

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland

The Levymen

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

19 Sep

Phase III

Swallow Your Pride, Shoreline

Love that Hat

6 Sep

Sun Hill Drive

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Havana Brown

Patrick Wolf, Brous

Download Issue

The Levymen

Sun, September 16 Bateau Bay Hotel Steve Edmonds Band

Charlestown Bowling Club Scratch

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Hanson

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Floyd Vincent & The Childbrides

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Darren Percival

Lizotte’s, Lambton Joe Moore, Peter Dickson

Mark Hotel, Lambton DV8

Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong Mark My Words, Crowned Kings, Saving Grace, The Takehold

Wed, September 19 Annandale Hotel, Sydney Rival Schools, Toy Boats

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham The Timbers, Hudson Arc, Markettown

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Tim Hart, Neda & Stu Larsen

Lizotte’s, Lambton Darren Percival

Fri, September 21 Charlestown Bowling Club

Pete Cornelius

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham The Hubert Hubertson Showband

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jeff Duff, Glenn Rhodes

Lizotte’s, Lambton Tim Hart, Neda & Stu Larsen

Queen’s Wharf Brewery, Newc Charlie Mayfield, The Falls

Terrace Bar, Newcastle Naked

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Cover 2 Cover Kotadama

Ash Grunwald, Mike McCarthy

The Remains

Hotel Jesmond

A Villian’s Embrace, Fire Fish

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Tues, September 25 Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Xdream, Josh Lang, Dexi

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Elliot the Bull

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Lovechild, The Rockets, Six Foot Fall

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Kelly Breuer, Crazy Old Maurice

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Unknown State

Pat Dow & Spectacular Feets, Duo Loco, Keith Hall

Enter Shikari

Warners at the Bay The Remedy

Broadway Mile

Thur, September 27

Sat, September 22

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Belmore Hotel, Maitland Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Creative Creatures Open Mike

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Hornet

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Sydney Opera House

Laneway, Fingers, Malone Ensemble

Jace Cordell, Surian, JWell, DSteady, Josh Solman, Matt Saxon The Big Empty, Nugwardo

Sat, September 29

Krystle Warren (USA)

28 Sep

In Memory of Darryl Cotton

4 Oct

Belmont 16 foot Sailing Club Diesel

Iguana

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

The Joe Kings

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

feat. Paul Greene 5 Oct

Ashleigh Grace

6 Oct

Mia Dyson

10-11 Oct

Josh Pyke

12 Oct

Kim Cannon

13 Oct

Tanie Kernaghan

19 Sep

Jacob Peason

21 Oct

Deb Conway &

Tall Tee Nation, Major Tom, Packwood

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

High on Fire

Mark Hotel, Lambton

Dave Live!

The Rattle

Newcastle Foreshore

Mingara Rec Club, Tumbi Umbi

Fat as Butter Festival w/

Spy vs Spy

Formula

Ziggy - The Songs of David Bowie

Mark Hotel, Lambton

25 Sep

Moonlight Drive

Manning Bar, Sydney

Andy Cowen

Andy Cowan

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Lizotte’s, Lambton

23 Sep

Architects, Buried in Verona

Barry Leefs

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Jeff Duff

Grant Smillie

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington The Stillson

20 Sep

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Scissor Sisters

Matt Meler, DJ Fuel, Boogie, Nat King,

Dan Beazley

Newcastle Panthers

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Spy vs Spy, Paul Greene Kelly Clarkson, The Fray, Sarah De Bono

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Mathmatics, Venom, Lomas

Incognito

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Suicide Swans, Motor & Mace

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Tim Hart (Boy & Bear)

The Medics, I, A Man, Sincerely, Grizzly

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Dr. Zoom

19 Sep

Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Fear Factory

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

Joe Moore

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Junior Bowles

Hi-Fi, Sydney

Bone Thugs n Harmony

B-Boy/B-Girl comp w/

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Oh Mercy,Millions

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

End of Days

14 Sep

Warners at the Bay

Tim Hilberts, Amy Vee, Little King,

Dan Beazley

Mark Eastick

Kotadama

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland

Ashleigh Grace

Loft Youth Centre, Newcastle

The Amity Affliction, I Am Ghost,

Daxton Monohan, Lewis and Jones,

UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney

Grand Master Mon, Errol J.M.,

Mark Hotel, Lambton

Sound of Season

Bobby C

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

13 Sep

Jim Keays, Russell Morris

Wed, September 26

Darren Percival

Cassian

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Krystle Warren

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Mark Seymour

No Hausfrau

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

The Main Guy & The Other Guys

Lazy Sunday lunch w/

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

James Morrison

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

9 Sep

The Levymen

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Steve Edmonds Band

Let The Number Be X, We Built Atlantis,

Margaret Urlich

Rubicon

Premier Hotel, Broadmeadow

Dream Tambourine

7 Sep

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Love That Hat

Hunter Valley Brewery, Maitl

The Big Bang

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

Mark Hotel, Lambton

Mar Haze

Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night

Talk of the Town

Jimmy Willing & The Real Gone Hiccups Andy Cowen

Hotel Jesmond

The Zillers

Charlestown Bowling Club

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Lizotte’s, Kincumber

The Widowbirds

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Entrance Leagues Club

Katchafire, V Tribe

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

CENTRAL COAST

Fri, September 28

Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Far East Movement

Exchange Hotel, Hamilton

Mark Hotel, Lambton

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney

Dr. Zoom

Duke of Wellington, Lambton

Annandale Hotel, Sydney

The Toasters, The Resignators

Sun, September 23

Midnight Mojo

Loft Youth Centre, Newcastle

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Ryan Daley

Belmore Hotel, Maitland

Thur, September 20 Nada Surf

Windsor Castle Hotel, Maitland

Willy Zygier 28 Oct

Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson

Soul Station

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton

Good Charlotte, 360, Grinspoon, Yellowcard, Wheatus, Mystery Jets,

Nick Raschke

Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield

Marianas Trench, Set Sentry, Pond, Urthboy, Hungry Kids of Hungary,

Rubicon

The Rubens, Hunting Grounds, Rufus, Art of Sleeping, Hey Geronimo, Kill City Creeps, Carousel, Shockone,

Sun, September 30 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Far East Movement, Yacht Club DJs, Bombs Away, Feenixpawl, N-Trance, Rebecca & Fiona, Karmin, Eiffel65, Nick Thayer, The Only, Tenzin, Softwar, Slow Blow, Dr Don Don, Jamzpress,

For bookings and information,

Regurgitator, Senyawa, Hedgehog,

phone (02) 4368 2017

Toothy the Swede

or visit lizottes.com.au

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Max Savage & The False Idols

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

Doctor Werewolf, Wolfpack DJs

Rhythm Hut, Gosford

Paul Oakenfold

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Sunchasers

UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney

Bandaluzia

Yellowcard, Heroes for Hire, Never Ever

Warners at the Bay

Rhythm Hut, Gosford Sarah Humphreys

Kotadama

Find us on Facebook

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 41

REflection the final word on REVERB

Editor’s letter Once the decision had been made that September would be our final issue, a sense of achievement and retrospect filled the Reverb office. This was after the disappointment and fear had subsided. It was the local focus and the quality that stood Reverb out amongst the other street presses. We have always been proud of our local industry focus, and every local interview, CD and live review was placed with much satisfaction. Our style and design must be credited to designer Cam Bennett. His vision for how all our content was displayed created the biggest visual departure to other papers. It was clean, clever, and respectful to the artist, reader and the space. There are a number of people whom I would like to thank specifically. My apologies for any I may miss. To the team who were there at the end — Cam, Steve and Kate, without you guys for the past couple of years I would not have been able to produce Reverb. You were large wheels in a small four-person team that produced this wonderful magazine, and I thank you for your support. To my main team at the beginning — Nick, Kieran and Amanda, I learned how to deal with the industry through you guys and how the whole magazine process worked. These early days will hold some of my fondest memories — the third birthday party, our time at the warehouse, and working all-nighters at the Hunter Street office, and it was wonderful to have shared these with you. To the team before my time with Reverb, the first 12 months, Tommy, Larissa, Greg, Lee, Neda and Claire, I thank you for beginning the magazine that would end up being such a big part of my life. I hope you have been happy with what we have achieved with your baby. To our regular contributors: Peter for his wonderful motoring reviews, Hugh for his always in-depth gaming reviews, Mark and Sallie for keeping an eye of films and DVDs, Tony and Dave for the cartoons, and Stan for his view on vinyl, without your regular contributions to the paper, it would have been a very dry affair. With over 350 contributors involved over the six years, it would be almost wrong to single anybody out. It is the sum of all parts that made Reverb, and without all these people involved and giving their voice, Reverb had no voice. One of the most pleasing aspects of this job was seeing contributors move on to the next step of the career, to begin what is hoped will be a long career in the industry. To know that reverb may have played a small part in your career is extremely satisfying. There have been many long time financial supporters of Reverb. The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Panthers, Grand Junction Hotel, Great Northern Hotel and Lizotte’s have advertised with Reverb for many years, with the Hamilton Station Hotel being in Reverb since Issue 1. Many thanks also to the industry marketing that was regularly sent Reverb’s way. I must also thank the industry itself. I feel that over time, I found my own little niche in the way I fitted in. To Gra, Nathan, Ben, Ross, Brian, and Paula, thanks for making the Newcastle industry a joy to be involved with. To those where the email and phone was the way we kept in touch, there are so many of you that I feel I connected with. I thank you for allowing me into your world, and I hope I made your job an easier one. Reverb has been a joyous ride, one that has given me many life highlights. Who knows what’s ahead? Life is an unknown, but here’s hoping that there will be a little bit of Reverb still around to scratch that musical itch.

42 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Download Issue

REVERED the faces OF REVERB

Nick Milligan

Kieran Ferguson

Steve Bocking

Larissa Meikle

Role: Editor

Role: Co-founder, production manager, writer,

Role: North coast manager

Role: Co-founder, editor

June 2007 (Issue 11) — September 2010 (Issue 50)

photographer, designer

March 2010 (Issue 44) — September 2012 (Issue 73)

August 2006 (Issue 1) — June 2007 (Issue 11)

Doing now: Sub-editor and entertainment editor at

August 2006 (Issue 01) — March 2009 (Issue 32)

Doing now: Freelance journalist, writer and publicist

the Maitland Mercury, aspiring novelist

in Sydney, helping with the launch of Justus Magazine

Well the time I had with Reverb was a whole heap of fun. I met some lovely people, and did some quite bizarre things. But all weird things must come to an end, so I’m off to write the next chapter in this strange ride. To all the people I got drunk with I’d like to say, it’s your shout. To all the people I did anything illegal with I’d like to say let’s do that again. And to all the people I got naked with I’d like to say sorry. It’s always the ugly ones that get naked first. I’m going to miss you mob. Going back into a “normal” job might near kill me, but off I go. In the short-term, while I’m organising the burlesque gimp wrestling festival, if you’d like to say “hello” I’ll be pulling beers at the Australian Hotel in Ballina, but after that goodness knows what I’ll be doing. Well, that’s a lie. I do know what I’ll be doing, but why should I start telling the truth now? Fiction has always been much more fun. Play nice with the other kids, and don’t forget to say ‘hello’ if you see me... Cheers, big ears

Some of my fondest memories in publishing were from working on Reverb alongside Tommy and Kieran (guys, remember those late nights?). It was my first foray into independent publishing and a great excuse to meet all the best musicians and creatives in town! I commend Kevin for keeping the dream alive as long as he has — no easy task! I also thanks Newcastle and the central coast for getting behind Reverb — it won’t be the same without you, old friend!

Amanda Bevan

Tommy Leung

cam bennett

Role: Sub-editor

Role: Co-founder, sales, marketing

Role: Designer and art director

March 2011 (Issue 56) — September 2012 (Issue 73)

March 2010 (Issue 44) — February 2011 (Issue 55)

August 2006 (Issue 01) — July 2009 (Issue 12)

April 2009 (Issue 33) — September 2012 (Issue 73)

Doing now: Freelance writer and editor

Doing now: PR consultant at Alpha Whiskey PR

Doing now: Social media/online business

Doing now: Freelancing until Feb 2013, at which

development with www.icustom.com.au

point he intends to become a welding student.

Reverb is very special to me, from the early days in Hooker St, Islington (cleaning up the infamous front room), and turning it into a workspace to moving into the offices in the CBD. Great times with awesome people. Hot sauce on crackers and seafood platters after production ;) Seeing the mag in local spots every month always brought a smile to my face. Knowing that the local music scene is celebrated by local people. It a little sad to see it end and writing this has brought back lots of fond memories of what it was all about. Big ups to Kevin for flying the flag and keeping Reverb real for the music scene alive and local. Best of luck on your future endeavours, Kev. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Steve Jobs

Jack-of-all trades and master of none, Cam is a self-confessed lettering addict — a typeaholic, if you will. Notable Reverb memories include the Alex Grey connection and subsequent interview, Adalita’s reported endorsement of my illustration, and not doing the Tool interview: when Kev asked Cam — a devout fan since the release of Undertow in 1993 — to do the Tool interview in November 2010, Cam giggled like a schoolgirl, blushed, got a stomach cramp, and had to decline the offer. Thanks to Nick for the foot-in-the-door, to Kieran for holding my hand during those first issues, to Steve for the insatiable good humour. Thanks to Kate for sticking by me that fateful day when, like an origami crane manipulated by Philip K Dick himself, reality folded outwards, then declared itself null and void — Kate, you know the day. Finally, thanks to Kevin for the extraordinary trust, goodwill, and multitude of opportunities that I will reflect on rather fondly.

While reading old email exchanges from the months in which I transitioned to the role of Reverb editor, I was reminded that the mag once died. Its heart had stopped and it wasn’t breathing. Make no mistake, Reverb lovers, Kevin Bull resuscitated it and gave this indie music bible five more glorious years. For this I sincerely thank him. Reverb will always hold a special place in my memory. Despite five years of experience as a music journalist and sub-editing work at Yen, Dazed & Confused and Frankie, I’d never had a chance to sink my teeth into a publication as editor. Reverb and Kevin gave me that opportunity. My three years as editor were a steep learning curve. Our small, passionate team held a disproportionate amount of responsibility compared to staff at bigger, less interesting publications. I learned lessons about publishing that you can’t pick up at an educational institution. But as both the music and print publishing industries undergo their most monumental transformation, blood-and-ink institutions like Reverb become collateral. Here’s to Reverb’s legacy and to every life it changed through its team’s passionate love of music.

Having started in ’zines early in my formative years, I’ve always loved the world of music publishing. I was very fortunate to work with some great teams at the various Newcastle streetpresses that have been kicking around for the last decade and it’s with great sadness that I say goodbye. Being involved in Reverb is a definite highlight in my career, interviewing a bunch of my heroes from Chuck-D to Max Cavalera and getting to shoot some of the biggest in the game like Nine Inch Nails and Slayer has left an indelible mark. So, after 10 years in print and publishing, I regretfully (at times) relocated shop to Melbourne, to take up the role of Service Delivery Manager at what was once Newcastle and the Hunter’s only ISP. I wouldn’t say I jumped ship, on the high seas of the internet, more like the reverse seachange that Kev pulled-off midway through Reverb’s life. Mad props need to be given out to all the creatives and crazies that have mad Newcastle music so awesome. Seems like there is a never ending supply of talent in the Castle of New, and I hope that continues on.

Kate Hamilton Role: Sub-editor

I’ve been a writer and editor for 20 years and have worked across the spectrum from free street press to high end glossy mags and quality dailies. Working for Reverb for the past 18 months has been something of a return to my roots. Having been immersed in The House At Pooh Corner and Finn Family Moomintroll, to a soundtrack of Jambu Tree and Justine Clarke (apologies) for some time, it has been a re-education of sorts to hook back into the word (and sound) on the streets and the pulse of that tribal yoof kulcha within, buried but not stilled despite being on the curly side of 40 ( just). Street press are an important part of that culture and play a vital role in the strata of media, and the demise of Reverb is a sad portent of the state of play. But the phoenix rises from the ashes and the beat goes on. Thanks to all of you.

Find us on Facebook

I recall many a night in the Reverb office spent guzzling energy drinks or beer (or both) and napping periodically on the office floor, in a race against the clock to the print deadline. Working with a group of such dedicated people, whose passion (and willingness to forgo sleep for a better cover story) and love of music was truly inspiring. Thank you, Kevin, and you, dear reader, for indulging me a little while.

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012 43

to whom we are immensely grateful Keith Abigail, Sam Adamson, Chris Ahern, Claire Albrecht, Mitchell Alexander, Betinna Allen, Joe Andersons, Kirana Anderton, Lauren Anseline, Paul Appelkamp, James Ashton, Kerryn Atkinson, Joel Attenborough, Johnny Au, Lauren Ausline, Kurt Banks, Brad Barber, John Barnes, Amy Barnwell, Jarrod Beckley, Ross Beckley, Mitch Beldon, Georgina Bible, Nick Bielby, Birdy, Stephen Bissett, Tim Boehm, Matt Booy, Dan Boud, Kristy Bradford, Marc Brant, Nick Brightman, Evan Bromiley, Chris Brown, Nina Brooke, Chris Brown, Helen Brown, Michaela Bruton, Ian Bull, Louisa Bulley, Amanda Bulloch, Katherine Burgess, Laura Butler, Suse Cairns, Steve Caldwell, David Campbell, Alex Cameron, Brad Cardis, Vanessa Caspersz, Fi Chapman, Andrew Chesham, Sarah Chuck, Eliza Church, Cameron Clarke, Josh Clements, Barrington Cocks II, Melissah Comber, Emily Cones-Browne, Troy Constable, John Corrigan, David Cory, Joel Courtney, Eliza Cox, Angela Cronin, Daniel Culley, Jim Curran, J.D., Mick Daley, Ruby Dalveen, Bianca Danti, Sue Daoud, Simone Darcy, Cassie Davison, Raelene Dawson, Sean Degan, Liam Demamiel, Stephanie De Vries, Jakob Dezwart, Carl Dixon, Adam Dorrington, Amanda Douglas, Peter Douglas, Alex Dun, Annika Durland, Bibi Eckhardt, Matt Edmunds, Cameron Edney, Justin Edwards, Scott Evans, Terry Farrelly, Craig Faulkner, Derek Fernandez, Charissa Ferguson, Claire Fitness, Courtney Fitzsimmons, Paul Foley, Jessica Ford, Mark Forester, Cherri Fountain, Sean Frazer, Adelaide French, Paul Frost, James Gallagher, Rebecca Gallegos, Celia Galpin, Lizza Gebilagin, Dane Geercke, Scott Gilbert, Vicki Gleeson, Matthew Glenn, Kaela Good, Jacinta Govind, Ashleigh Gray, Lee Green, Trent Grenell, Jess Guylay, Sarah Hall, Cassandra Hannigan, Grace Harding, Sarah-Kate Harris, Clare Hawley, Aaron Hayden, Lucy Hearn, Richard Hedger, Phillip Hempenstall, Jess Henderson, Mark Henderson, Helen Henry, Jason Michael Henson, Michelle

Ho, Michelle Hogan, Luke Holdstock,

Alexander Holliday,

Alex Holt, Drew

Hopper, Ben Hosking, Shelby

Houghton, Amie

Hudson, Tom Hudson,

Charli Hutchison, Victoria

Jack, David Jackson,

Lauren Jackson,

Cam

Stephanie Jenkins,

James, Michelle Jenkins, Tony Jenkins, Josh Jerga,

Ly Joel, Timmy Johnston,

D ave Tow n l ey J o n e s ,

Kellie Jones, Martin Jones,

Mitchell Jones, Dean Joy,

Zak Kaczmarek, Nick

Kachel, Chrissy Kavalieros,

Jessica Kellar, Ashlee

Kellehear, Gerant Kenneth,

Heath Killen , Roger Craig Lawler, Jessica Lawson,

Killjoy, Victoria Kime, Torin King, Adam Kinnane, Dan Kish, Laurie Klippel, Ian Laidlaw, Roland Lange, Becky Lee, Justin Lees, Kirri Liepins, Zoe Lonergan, David Long, Morgan Long, Julie Lowe, Dom Lumsden, Peter

Mac, Nick Mackay, Wai-jing Man, Kent Marcus, Mick Mayer, Jonathan McCallum, Kiah McCarthy, Terrease McComb, Liana McDonald, Stephanie McDonald, Mark McIntosh, Jo McIntyre, Matt McIntyre, Jake McKee-Wright, Peter McLeod, Tim McPhee, Nicola Meikle, Sophie Metcalfe, Adam Miller, Hugh Milligan, Mark Moldre, Clint Morris, Robyn Moore, Cherie Moseley, Veronique Moseley, Neda Moskovsky, Jennie Moss, David Muir, Jason Nahrung, Brooke Nash, Tim Nash, Jamie Nelson, Simon Nicholas, Harry Nichols, Ceara Nicholson, Ryan Nix, Mandy Nolan, Cormack O’Connor, Matthew O’Donnell, Kath O’Hara, Lauren O’Hara, Scarlett O’Horror, Phillipa O’Shea, Matt Packer, Laura Palmer, Cassandra Pandolfi, Sam Paquette, Amelia Parrott, Darren Pauli, Jordyn Paull, Terry Paull, Lilen Pautasso, Glen Pearson, Thomas Peasley, Lakshal Perera, Matt Petherbridge, Sasha Petrova, Kieran Pink, Mitchell Pinney, Kurt Poglase, Anthony Pollock, Elisse Pottier, Jessie Prince, Sallie Maree Pritchard, Max Quinn, Josh Rafton, Chelsea Reed, Jessie Reid, Thomas Reid, Remote, Melissa Roach, Sean Roche, Stevie Rodger, Baz Ruddick, Geoff Ruddick, Caroline Russo, Crystal Ryan, Luke Saunders, Jessica Saxton, Nick Schaedel, Emma Schmidt, Yumi Sed, Sarah Shields, Adam Shurey, Martin Slade, Phil Smart, Greg Smee, Anthony Smith, Madeline Smith, Mark Snelson, Dese’rae L Stage, Peter John Van Stee, Haylee Steen, Byron Struck, Ryan Stuart, Joe Swann, Michael Sykes, Stan Sykes, Patrick Tangye, Steve Tauschke, Lee Taylor, Sam Tess, Jeff Theys, Miles Thomas, James Thomson, Roger Thornhill, Simon Threadgate, Sami Thurtell, Kai Tipping, Cassandra Tobin, Lee Tobin, Tom Tokacs, Mitchell Tomlinson, Kelly Toth, Nathaniel Try, Chris Turner, Rachel Urquhart, Jacqui Verrocchio, Michaela Virgara, Cassie Virgona, Roger Virgona, Emma Visman, Kirsty Visman, Linda Wales, Kellie Wallace, Sara Wallace, Jessica Ward, Jordan Watton, Chloe Webb, Lindsay Weir, Kristyne Weiss, Margaret Welna, Rod Whitfield, Kieran Wicks, Jeremy Wilson, Mel Woodward, Abbey Wright, Kristen Wright, David Youdell & Marija Zeko.

44 reverb

magazine issue #073 — Sept 2012

Download Page

Download Issue