Reverb Magazine : Issue 35 by Reverb Magazine

#035 June ‘09

FREE

arts & entertainment news monthly newcastle|hunter|coast

Return Of The Super Conductors Also Inside: The Temper Trap In New Conditions FarmLife With Dinosaur Jr Red Riders Drown In Colour

reverb, spunk & el dorado music present

leader cheetah REVERB MAGAZINE’S 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY

Sat July 18, The Cambridge Hotel With The Seabellies, The Tunstalls, Fear Of Monsters + DJs

Tickets available from:

Moshtix - www.moshtix.com.au ph. 1300 438 849 + outlets

THE DEBUT ALBUM “THE SUNSPOT LETTERS” OUT NOW ON SPUNK!

www.spunk.com.au www.leadercheetah.com

o se ur e j u th e ne g & ig j u gu ly id li e f st o in r gs

Food, wine, music. We serve the best of each. You might try the

five-spiced duck with poached peach & prosciutto salad while seeing acts ranging from Mental As Anything, Jeff Lang, or Jenny Morris â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all with our professional, attentive service.

have some fun, book online at lizottes.com.au

newcastle

Central coast

31 Morehead Street, Lambton

Lot 3 Avoca Drive, Kincumberâ&#x20AC;&#x192;

Phone (02) 4956 2066

Phone (02) 4368 2017

Authorised by the Australian Government, Capital Hill, Canberra.

No. 35 index 08 News 14 Manchester Orchestra 16 Reggie Watts 17 Jamie Hutchings 18 Taking Back Sunday 19 Red Riders 20 Regular John 22 Flipper 23 Of The Red Sea 24 Gig Guide 26 CD Reviews 31 Karl Broadie Troy Casser-Daley 32 Cog Mixtape Talking Shop 33 Dinosaur Jr 34 Fashion – Next Exit 36 Motoring – Nissan 370Z 37 The Temper Trap 38 Live Reviews 40 Wes Carr Sketching Cato 41 Gamer’s Corner 42 Film Reviews 43 DVD Reviews 44 Socials letter from ed Dear Reader, This month marked the very sad departure of one of Australia’s most beloved stage and screen actors, Charles William ‘Bud’ Tingwell. I had the honour and privilege of interviewing Bud as a young journalist and he remains one of the most humble, delightful and inspirational people I’ve ever spoken to. An absolute gentleman, Tingwell was a passionate believer in telling stories through his acting and he will remain a national treasure. On a lighter note, it’s with great delight that we have Manchester Orchestra on our current cover. What a band! Until next month, Nick Milligan

Lady Ga Ga PAGE 39

giveaways So did you all catch the Iron Maiden movie, Flight 666 while it was on the big screen? No? Then fear not. We have managed to get our hands on 5 copies of the DVD release. We also have 5 copies of the pretty amazing new release from The Temper Trap, Conditions. Email editorial@ reverbstreetpress.com.au and let us know what you want.

Editorial nick@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 4929 4739 Gig Guide gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Enquiries sales@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Manager kevin@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 0410 295 360 Production cam@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Editor Nick Milligan Sub-Editor Kevin Bull Production Cameron Bennett IT Manager Kieran Ferguson Sales Kevin Bull Nick Milligan

Senior Writers Peter Douglas Hugh Milligan Mark Snelson

Jess Henderson JD Dean Joy Torin King

David Long Writers Ross Beckley Kevin Bull Andrew Chesham Eliza Cox Noah Cross

Veronique Moseley

Terry Farrelly Courtney Fitzsimmons

Graphic Designers Cameron Bennett Nick Milligan Kevin Bull

Sean Frazer Ashleigh Gray

Terry Paull Yumi Sed Nathaniel Try Mel Woodward

Photographers Joel Attenborough Ross Beckley Tim Boehm Kristy Bradford Chris Brown Kevin Bull Courtney Fitzsimmons Veronique Moseley

Terry Paull Sean Roche Mark Snelson

Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd: sales@spotpress.com. au r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 5 — j u n e 2 0 0 9

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Party time, excellent On Saturday July 18, Reverb is to celebrate three years of publishing with a giant birthday bash at The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle. If you’re a reader of Reverb, we encourage you to come along and help celebrate this wonderful milestone. You’ll also be supporting independent media! Here are the bands that will be taking to the stage at our birthday bash. Tickets to Reverb’s Third Birthday are on sale now through Moshtix.

Parkway Drive

LEADER CHEETAH

There’s something sublime and timeless about the sound of Leader Cheetah. Vintage and modern all at once, their debut album The Sunspot Letters is an arresting collection of songs. Clearly identifiable by the potency of Dan Crannitch’s vocals plus a massive guitar sound reminiscent of groups like Crazy Horse, Leader Cheetah are stars on the rise. The Adelaide band is kindly passing through Newcastle for a special one-off performance, before making their way to Byron Bay for Splendour In The Grass.

THE SEABELLIES

If The Seabellies are a bunch of overachieving kids, then Newcastle is a proud parent. Rising out of Newcastle’s indie underground, Trent Grenell and his fellow melody makers have been regulars on Triple J’s airwaves, played major festivals and even travelled to New York as an addition the CMJ Music Conference. Reverb is very happy to have this powerful and uplifting act perform at our birthday!

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THE TUNSTALLS

When it comes to The Tunstalls, what you see is what you get. Their no-holds-barred blues rock is a gritty onslaught and a stoner’s wet dream. Featuring primal riffs over an equally wild rhythm section, these four guys know how to strip paint off the walls. The four-piece have recently completed their first tour of Melbourne, leaving a lasting impression down South! With a debut EP, Los Cerrillos, impressing everyone who hears it, The Tunstalls will definitely be cranking our birthday festivities up to 11!

FEAR OF MONSTERS

This group of Newcastle musicians and artists have been locked away writing for quite some time, but at Reverb’s third birthday you will finally get a chance to hear their new wares. Fear Of Monsters devise some beautifully layered atmospherics and have a depth of sound that needs to be heard to be believed. This is their first Newcastle performance of 2009 so don’t miss out!

PARKWAY DRIVE ANNOUNCE DVD TOUR

features interviews with all five members as well as many of the key players crucial to their success. As an added bonus, the disc will also feature a full live set shot at Sydney’s Roundhouse in December of last year. With THE DVD due in stores on August 7, Parkway are set to embark on a fresh bout of national touring throughout August, their first Australian jaunt for 2009. Having conquered SE Asia for the first time in January and February, April was spent headlining across the United States and Canada, June and July will see them head back to Europe and the UK for their summer festival season, where they will grace the likes of Download (UK), Greenfield (Switzerland), Hove Fest (Norway), Graspop (Belgium), West Coast Riot (Sweden) and many more. You can bet that come August, Parkway will be at the top of their game. Joining them on the tour will be Pennsylvania metalcore heroes August Burns Red and Brighton, UK’s metal/ hardcore crossover sensations Architects. The tour comes to Newcastle Panthers on Friday August 14, 2009. Tickets on sale now from the venue and Moshtix.

SLOW DOWN HONEY RELEASE NEW EP

display. They offer a nod to the history of the genre… while busting it wide open.” Slow Down Honey’s hard work began to pay off last year when they caught the attention of Australian producer David Nicholas (INXS, Midnight Oil, George), who threw his hat in the ring to produce the band’s five song EP — after hearing only a few rough demos. Mixed by Australia’s own Tony ‘Buchman’ Buchan (Blue King Brown, Gin Wigmore, Kid Confucius). And after inking a deal with Island/Universal in April 09, the boys are ready to roll. Having already toured alongside Something with Numbers, Razorlight, Fall Out Boy and also a performance at the Playground Weekender Festival, Slow Down Honey are not about to stop. The band will forever tour. Supporting Something With Numbers, again, on their upcoming national tour in late June/July.

Since they first came roaring out of Byron Bay in 2003, Parkway Drive have never taken a backward step. From playing local shows to making multiple trips around the world, they’ve scaled heights previously unheard of for an Australian hardcore or metal band. Signing to prestigious US label Epitaph, scoring a Top 6 ARIA berth for 2007’s Horizons album, selling-out countless shows at home as well as in Europe, the UK, North America and Asia… it’s been one triumph after another. They’ve been on a whirlwind adventure with barely any time for looking back. Until now…Parkway Drive: The DVD is a documentary looking at the rise and rise of the Byron juggernaut. Featuring archival footage dating right back to the early days, the film follows the quintet from humble beginnings on the beaches of the NSW North Coast to storming stages all over the world. Directed and edited by the band, THE DVD is both a travelogue of their adventures and an inspiring chronicle of their ascendancy. Packed with live and behind-the-scenes content, it

Umina pop-rock group Slow Down Honey are continuing to kick goals with a brand new release. Their debut EP In the Picture unleashes a crackling, electric blend of catchy melodies and layered harmonies that find an unexpected meeting place in the sounds of Elvis Costello, The Cars and Wilco, with a good measure of the Clash thrown in to speed things along. Slow Down Honey believe in the threeminute pop song. As Alex Bennison, frontman and the band’s primary songwriter tells it, “We love the three minute pop song. All the best songs are short, sweet and have lots happening in them. The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, The Beatles. They were masters of the short pop song. Songs like ‘On Your Records’ and ‘When I See You’ put that confidence on

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SPINAL TAP RETURN

Not one to leave a behind, legendary spoof rockers Spinal Tap are returning to the rock world. For the first time in 16 years, the band are recording new material. “If we’re going to do a world tour on only one night, at least it’s this world,” says guitarist Nigel Tufnel. The legendary fictional band will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the This Is Spinal Tap mockumentary by releasing a new album, their first since 1992’s Break Like The Wind. “It’ll be for download as well as on conventional media later this year,” Harry Shearer (aka bassist Derek Smalls) confirmed to BBC 5 Live. The fictional English heavy metal group is the work of Shearer and two more American actors, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest. They last reunited in 2007, playing the Live Earth concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. “We’ve never recorded the song we did at Live Earth, ‘Warmer Than Hell’, and I think [Spinal Tap] are trying to revisit their old success,” Shearer said. Rob Reiner caught up with the band at the time of that gig, shooting a short film showing what Spinal Tap’s members had done with their lives. Guest’s Nigel Tufnel was raising miniature racing horses, Shearer’s Smalls was recovering from an internet addiction, and McKean’s David St Hubbins had become a hiphop producer. The band will revisit the same rich lyrical vein they plundered with their early hit ‘Gimme Some Money’, Shearer promised. “We’ll do a song called ‘Gimme Some More Money’, probably with… dubious results.” On June 30, Tap play London’s Wembley Arena with very special guests The Folksmen. The band have yet to announce their new D O H A 0 0 7 9 _ K N O WI N G _ 1 . p drummer.

none. Including support slots for the likes of Ani DiFranco, Blue King Brown, Jeff Lang, Mama Kin and Ash Grunwald, the last 12 months alone has seen the band play over 100 shows — from Melbourne to Gympie and everywhere in between. Catch them at Lizotte’s, Newcastle, on Wednesday June 17, 2009, followed by the Cambridge Hotel on June 25. ray mann three

CHILDREN COLLIDE TOGETHER

RAY MANN THREE PLAY THE GRAND JUNCTION

Fresh from major summer support slots for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Jamie Lidell, slots at Peats Ridge Festival, and sold out Melbourne residencies, Sydney neo-soulsters The Ray Mann Three are proud to announce the release of ‘Hook Me Up’, the second in their series of three digital-release-only EPs. Ray Mann is the former lead guitarist with Kid Confucius, now out doing his own thing with last years acclaimed self titled debut album to his new outfit’s credit. Already this year The Ray Mann Three has released three EPs exclusively through iTunes. Catch The Ray Mann Three at The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, on Sunday July 19, 2009.

RIDING THE BARREL

Following on from their recent single of the same name, three-piece blues, roots, rock, dance and funk outfit Barrel House are pleased to announce the release of their new EP Open Road. To celebrate, the band are heading down said open road with a string of East Coast Australia EP launch dates. Hailing from Port Macquarie on the NSW mid north coast and together only just over a year, Barrel House’s dedication to establishing themselves as one dof f thePcountry’s a g e foremost 1 2 0 /live 5 acts / 0 is 9 second , 7 :to4 0

As the only place to be this June long weekend, Come Together brings you the hottest Australian talent. Children Collide, Phrase, Villains of Wilhelm and Jericco will all be joining Sunday’s already drool worthy lineup. The full list looks like this: Saturday:Midnight Juggernauts, Datarock (Norway), Infusion, Dukes of Windsor, Art vs Science, Quan, Pez w/ 360, Astronomy Class, Spod, Cloud Control, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, Leader Cheetah, Oh Mercy, Bang Bang Eche (NZ), Midnight Youth (NZ), Made in Japan, Cameras, Megastick Fanfare, Purple Sneakers DJs & P*A*S*H DJs. Sunday: Bliss n Eso, Something with Numbers, Wolf & Cub, Muph n Plutonic, Children Collide, Red Riders, Kram, Behind Crimson Eyes, Funkoars, Phrase, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Numbers Radio, The Protectors, A Death in the Family, Villains of Wilhelm, Here Come the Birds, DZ, Jericco, Hot Damn DJs and Trash DJs.

BORN SLIPPERY

Eels will release a new album, Hombre Lobo, on June 2, 2009. The 12-song album, which will be the band’s seventh full studio effort, was recorded in band leader Mark ‘E’ Everett’s studio in Los Angeles.It will be the group’s first new studio album release since 2005’s double M LPPBlinking Lights And Other Revelations.

The Herd

FINAL HERD TOUR FOR 2009

Despite hanging up their boots for 2009, The Herd have given in to the demands of online fans and are announcing a final East Coast Tour. The tour coincides with the special DVD release of the Elefant Traks 10th Anniversary Party, filmed with 13 cameras in late 2008. The DVD captures the vitality and energy of the Elefant Traks celebration. It’s been a phenomenally successful 12 months for The Herd: their fourth album Summerland debuting at #7 on the ARIA chart and the resulting tour was the biggest in their history. They went on to win two AIR Awards for Best Independent Artist, Best Hip Hop Album, the J Award for Best Music Video as well as being nominated for an ARIA for Best Urban Album. The Herd made their mark once again on triple j’s Hottest 100 with hit single ‘The King is Dead’ coming in at #13 and ‘2020’ at #63. Don’t miss this last opportunity to catch the group’s explosive live show at the Hunter Valley Brewery, Maitland on Friday August 7, 2009. Tickets are available from bigtix.com.au or directly from the venue.

You might think your partner is safe, but with many sexually transmissible infections the symptoms don’t show for months or even years. If you have had unprotected sex, see your doctor about getting tested. Using a condom is the best way to avoid getting or spreading infections like chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV.

w w w. a u s t r a l i a . g o v. a u / S T I

Authorised by the Australian Government, Capital Hill, Canberra. reverb maga z i ne i ss u e # 0 3 5 — j u ne 2 0 0 9

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SOMETHING WITH NUMBERS ON FREEDOM STREET

With the release of their new single ’89 Freedom St’, Something With Numbers are heading out on the road on the road to play shows across the country in June, July and August. These will be the last shows fro 2009 so they will be huge. For Something With Numbers it has all been building up to now with 3 albums, 6 singles, a Top 20 chart debut for their current album Engineering the Soul, 2 tracks in the JJJ Hottest 100, 1.4 million MySpace plays, a BDO Main Stage performance and countless sold out shows around the country to over 200,000 people over the last 18 months. And now comes ‘89 Freedom St’, a hook laden Oz rock classic which is the follow-up to the airplay hits ‘We’ll Fight’ and ‘Stay With Me Bright Eyes’. You can catch Something With Numbers for the last time in 2009 with special guests The Galvatrons and Slow Down Honey on the following local dates, July 25 at Newcastle Panthers (AA), Friday and Saturday August 7 and 8 at Entrance Leagues Club.

GYPSY MUSIC FOR KINGS

Be prepared for a night of exciting tunes, outrageous tempos, amazing playing and flashy dressing when the most exciting new gypsy band in the country, The Woohoo Revue (Melbourne) appear at The Lass O’Gowrie in Wickham on Wednesday June 10, 2009. The show will also feature The Understudy and I.Y. The performance begins at 8:30pm and there’s free entry. The Woohoo Revue perform music for celebration- for dancing, drinking, and forgetting about tomorrow. Their wild arrangements of gypsy tunes combine virtuosic

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maestro Michael Carpenter, and has a dreamy, cinematic quality that Mark has labelled Sonic Folk. The single is a hallucinatory rant inspired by the bizarre story of the Phil Spector trial — a true troubled genius if there ever was one. Joining Moldre will be popular local artists Elisa Kate and Tom Hudson.

AN UNHOLY ALLEGIANCE

Something With Numbers

musicianship, bravado and dance floor savvy. Every song expresses a strong sense of occasion that transports the listener to a rampaging after-party at a circus sideshow. Their debut CD, Dear Animals has been received strongly and has attracted airplay on Triple J, ABC radio and community radio stations across the country. It is an uncompromising, intense gypsy dance album that presents some iconic and powerful versions of traditional tunes. The CD takes the listener throughout Europe whilst staying true to the band’s Melbourne dance floor roots. The group has also fast established itself on the festival circuit by getting the big crowds dancing at The St Kilda Festival, The Brunswick Music Festival, Folk Rhythm and Life, Rainbow Serpent Festival and High Vibes.

SNUGGLE UP @ ISOBAR

As the temperatures drop, it is nice to see that Isobar are encouraging people to snuggle up

and keep warm. Every Sunday from 4pm, as we bring the weekend to a close and prepare for the working week, ‘Snug Sundays’ will be offering $5 coronas, $6 vodka redbulls, $10 pizzas and mussels, plus the warmest of beats.

ACOUSTICS GET RED

Sounds Acoustic kicked off with an unplugged bang in May, showcasing some fantastic local acts in a very large room. The June event sees a location change, but only by a few metres. Moving from the Glasshouse into the smaller and more intimate Red Bar at the Cambridge Hotel, three quality acoustic acts will be on offer Friday June 26. Well known and respected Central Coast singer songwriter Mark Moldre — best known for his work with band Hitchcock’s Regret — will be launching the first single off his upcoming solo album, The Waiting Room. The song, ‘Troubled Genius’ and album was produced by The Church’s Tim Powles and pop

Those rascals of the Russian criminal underclass, VulgarGrad, are descending on Newcastle armed with their new album King of Crooks. On tour in July, VulgarGrad are joining forces with Mojo Juju and the Snake Oil Merchants for a darkly raucous night at the Cambridge, Friday July 10. Since at least the 19th century there has been a parallel world in Russia — a place where they haven’t heard of Tolstoy or Tchaikovsky — they only heard of Stalin. Vodka, tattoos, money, guitars, drugs, jail, and girls are the mainstays of this world — the world of the Russian criminal. VulgarGrad bring you the old songs of the Russian thieves (called ‘blatnie pesny’ or ‘blatnyak’), along with punk classics of the Perestroika era and a strong dose of contem porary St Petersburg swearing ska. The band delivers this music with style, raucous menace, stripy shirts and a smattering of grim smiles. Legend of stage and screen, Jacek Koman (Children of Men, Moulin Rouge) is the genial but vengeful frontman backed by a gang of Australia’s most illustrious ex-cons drawn from bands such as The Ennio Morricone Experience, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Zulya and the Children of the Underground, Croque Monsieur, Blue Drag, and the Five Angry Men. Instruments include largest, most triangular instrument of them all, the mighty contrabass balalaika. It’s vodka-fuelled oompah-swing-ska-punk — gulag-style.

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IT’S ROCK VERSUS METAL

The Iron Clef Sessions, A weekend mini-festival is summoning the forces of rock and metal in a pitched battle to find out once and for all, who’s routine reigns supreme? Support local original artists, stand up for your genre and be at The Wickham Croatia Club on the weekend of June 12 & 13 as some of the region’s finest emerging acts bring fire to the kitchen. Friday night unleashes clouds of smoke and thunder as Inhale the Sea, Sabretung, Skura and Soultremor sweat over a cauldron of steaming black and checker plate. On Saturday night Caleb Skips Chemistry, Room 24, Stonehawk and The Great Escape will be slicing and dicing denim and leather into solid slabs of rock and serving it up on a spicy sizzle platter with a studded belt mousse for dessert. Ummmm. What ever the flavour, Iron Clef is designed to showcase the local original music scene and a live video will be produced on the night specially to promote the local industry and artists. The famous 50,000-watt student association BBQ is also set to make an appearance.

THE CULTURAL STOMP

The annual Cultural STOMP Festival returns again in 2009, with the unveiling of this year’s festival theme, ‘be the change’, alluding to Gandhi’s statement that, “You have to be the change that you wish to see in the world”. Celebrating its twelfth year as a pioneer festival in promoting cultural diversity, social justice and community arts. This year STOMP will focus on the idea of being the change through education and awareness raising about issues, local, national and worldwide and promoting the local community to become the change that it wishes to see in Newcastle and the Hunter region. To be held in Civic Park Newcastle on

Edmonds has been playing guitar professionally for over two decades. His slick six-string savvy and killer Stratocaster tones have graced the recordings and stages of many local, national & international artists, Jimmy Barnes, Human Nature, Renee Geyer, Richard Clapton, Billy Thorpe, Matt Taylor’s CHAIN and Johnny Johnson to name a few. The Steve Edmonds Band boat harbour cruise sets sail Saturday June 20 from Pyrmont Wharf, Sydney at 11.45am. Head to steveedmondsband.com for more details.

Doug Murray of Sabretung muscles up recently with Steve Forward of Stone Hawk

Saturday June 6 from 9 am to 6 pm, STOMP is expected to attract a crowd of around 10,000 people to its activities including music, visual and performing arts, food, markets, wellness zone, forums and creative workshops.

to tour and release their current record. This will be your last chance to catch Mammal live in action before they head overseas! Mammal will be at the The Bar on the Hill, Newcastle University, Thursday September 3.

MAMMAL HIT THE ROAD WITH BASS LINE HUMMIN’

STEVE EDMONDS cruise

After smashing the sold out stages of the Groovin The Moo Festival, Mammal are pleased to announce a new 18-date Australian tour. Mammal are currently getting high rotation on Scuzz TV in the UK with their video for ‘Smash the Piñata’. This international exposure is quickly raising their profile and the band will be heading to the UK in September

The Rocks Rhythm boat claims to be the best live music venue in the world. Featuring the Steve Edmonds Band playing live and loud, you’ll see Sydney’s incredible harbour and its myriad natural- and man-made wonders. Suitable for the whole family, there’s a fully stocked (and licensed) bar and restaurant. All in all, it should make for a wonderful afternoon’s entertainment.

Hale and pace

HALE AND PACE

The highly entertaining and much loved duo Gareth Hale and Norman Pace return to stages around Australia. The madcap creators of this comedic duo have a unique rapport with the public — each appearance and interview they deliver a romp of cultural parodies and inventive characters. Hale says to expect all the favourites on this tour. “The Rons will be there, Jed and Dave, Billy and Johnny and songs that will tickle your fancy.” Hale and Pace will perform at Newcastle Panthers August 26, and Wyong Leagues Club, August 27.

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SPENCER P JONES HITS MAITLAND

The Panics

BIMBADGEN BLUES ROOTS FUNK N GROOVES

We may be heading into winter, but the announcement of the Bimbadgen Blues Roots Funk and Grooves festival has made us all warm inside. It’s their 10th anniversary so they thought they would shake things up a bit. A new date, Saturday September 12, new times running day and night, new name and a cracker of a line-up spread over two stages. Providing the sounds will be The Panics, Blue King Brown, Kram, Blue Juice, Ash Grunwald, Dialectrix, Philadelphia Grand Jury, and Here Comes The Birds. Tickets are on sale now at $65.

JEFF LANG DOUBLE HEADER

The beauty of having a Live and Cookin’ @ Lizotte’s at Kincumber and now Lambton, is that premier artists can play both venues straight after each other. Such is the case with the upcoming gigs of the extremely talented Jeff Lang. Passionate and an absorbing performer, Lang will undoubtedly sell out at these intimate venues. Catch Jeff Lang at Lizotte’s, Kincumber Tuesday June 9, followed by Lizotte’s, Lambton Wednesday June 10.

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Wendy Matthews

WARM WINTER NIGHTS

The Queens Wharf Brewery will be holding intimate dinner show performances with a leading artist once a month throughout the winter season. For the first of these special events, Wendy Matthews will perform an exclusive dinner show on Thursday June 18. The upstairs dining room will be dressed with candles and linen table cloths, and full table service will be provided. Patrons will be treated to a three course meal including bread with the choice of two entrees, three mains and a cheese plate to finish off. Tickets cost $85.00 per head and are available as pre-sale only from the venue.

Spencer P. Jones and The Escape Committee are back in business with a new line-up and a powerful new rock’n’roll sound. Following the departure of much-loved drummer Andy Moore and ‘Guitarrista’ supreme Phil Gionfriddo, Spencer and long time bassist Helen Cattanach have returned with a harder, more explosive sound, some new songs and a thrilling line-up, which features former Love Addicts drummer Dave Nicholls and legendary Bored/Powder monkeys sonic stringman John Nolan. They have a new, soon to be released album Live At The Elsternwick Hotel that was recorded earlier this year on the eve of Spencer’s touring commitments overseas, and was completed recently with co-producer Hamish Marr galvanising all aspects of their more brutal, valve-fuelled, cluster bomb rock’n’roll. The element of danger has never been so present in the Escape Committee’s music as now. You have been warned! Approach the Grand Hotel in Maitland on Saturday June 27 with caution or burn your ears.

PEATS RIDGE 2009 FIRST RELEASE TICKETS

It only feels like yesterday when I was taking a good long shower to get that beautiful Peats Ridge dust off of me. What a magic New Year. News has come in that the first release tickets for Peats Ridge 2009 are about to go on sale. Tickets can be purchased online from 9am on June 8. Adult season passes are $180, saving you over 35% on the general release price. The organisers have also introduced a lay-by system so you can pay for your ticket in monthly instalments. For more information and tickets, head to peatsridgefestival.com.au

Wolf and Cub

THERE’S A WOLF AT THE CAMBridge hotel

It’s more than two years since Wolf & Cub broke cover with their debut album Vessels. Those two years seemed to take on a momentum of their own. The album was released around the globe and the band found themselves playing in Japan, Europe, the UK and the USA and touring Australia with TV On The Radio,The Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, Wolfmother and Primal Scream. At some point the breaks had to be applied, battered road cases stored away and thoughts focused on future sounds. Given the restlessness at the core of Wolf & Cub’s creativity there was never any chance things would be done the same way a second time. New influences, new gear, new ideas necessitate a new approach. The result if the just released Science & Sorcery. “We never attempted to alter the outcome, ‘our sound’ or the songs that make up the album,” guitarist/singer Joel Byrne explained, “but there was a conscience effort to change the procedure that created the outcome. I’ll leave it up to others to decide if the sound has gone anywhere else, because I don’t know where it was before. It’s still Wolf & Cub, just another piece of the puzzle.” Wolf & Cub come to Newcastle to launch their album at the Cambridge June 18, with special guests The Scare.

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WE’RE RAGGED & ECSTATIC

STEVE POLTZ RETURNS

It seems Yves Klein Blue can’t get enough of being on the road, announcing a national Australian tour throughout late June and July to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated debut album Ragged & Ecstatic. Having just made our US and UK counterparts take notice of their classic intonation and danceable indie jive, Yves Klein Blue are poised to bring their live presence to Australian audiences from Ballarat to Toowoomba! Yves Klein Blue played packed out shows at The Great Escape in Brighton, UK to a room jammed full of industry and fans, with whispers of potential European tours spreading as soon as the band stepped off stage. Catch Yves Klein Blue on their national ‘Ragged & Ecstatic’ Tour of Australia at the Cambridge Hotel, Friday July 3.

TRACES @ CIVIC THEATRE

Montreal’s Les 7 Doigts de la Main has taken the world by storm with its eccentric and intelligent contemporary circus-theatre. With deft humour, these laid-back young circus artists somersault, contort, balance and catapult effortlessly around an urban backyard. Then with a touching and straightforward honesty, their lives and relationships are revealed, exploring notions of memory and survival. Live drawings form a spontaneous animated backdrop, a ‘homemade’ grand piano is played by every character and skateboarding morphs into Hollywood musical. “Traces is a new style of acrobatic dance theatre… wistful and dynamic, sexy… the last 30 minutes is so thrilling, it will surely make an entire generation run away and join the circus,” wrote The Guardian [UK]. Traces will be performed at the Civic Theatre between Wednesday July 28 and Saturday August 1.

YVES KLEIN BLUE

SWEDES IN THE POT

Take a soul singer like Marvin Gaye, send him to Neil Young’s farm for work experience, get him to jam with Levon Helm and the Band and then take him on a fishing trip with Paul Kelly and you’ll have an idea of the Huckleberry Swedes. Guitars, banjo, hammond organ, squeeze box and great harmonies. Sometimes alt-country, sometimes soul, Huckleberry Swedes are artists with voices that join in the ups and downs of our time. Songs about the love of fishing, pies, and sweethearts, songs of protest, underdog anthems and melancholic musings baked in a crust of roots, rock, folk, soul, Australiana and Americana. They’re a band that asks questions about who we are, and what our place is in the land. Catch the Huckleberry Swedes at the Lass O’Gowrie June 24. Their debut CD, Suburban Dreaming is out now on Vitamin Records.

IT’S A SECRET — BERTIE BLACKMAN IS COMING

In a pop world filled with fashion followers, Bertie Blackman is forging her own path. Bertie burst on to the Australian music scene in 2004 with her stunning single ‘Favourite Jeans’. This soon became a radio smash. Her debut album, Headway, was a folk-inspired adventure, powered by Bertie’s acoustic guitar. The follow-up, 2006’s Black, saw Bertie armed with an electric guitar and delivering some grittier sounds. For her new album, Secret and Lies, Bertie has traded her guitars for keyboards. “I wanted to do something more electronic and not as bandoriented,” she explains. “It’s dark, but also a pop record. It’s a good thing to make a pop record.” Bertie Blackman gives you plenty of chances to catch her over the coming months. Friday June 26: Hunter Valley Brewey. Friday July 3: Doyalson RSL. Thursday August 6: Cambridge Hotel.

Steve Poltz just can’t get enough of the region. Having recently visited as support to Bob Evans, he is back for two gigs in June. Charming, witty, and armed with a crackin’ new album, Poltz is one helluva songwriter. From former founder of US cult college band The Rugburns to co-writer of Jewel’s biggest hit ‘You Were Meant For Me’, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter is back in fine form with his new melodic offering, Travelling. Joining Poltz will be fellow San Diegan Gregory Page. A former member of The Rugburns, the singer/songwriter and producer has toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Chris Issak, Jason Mraz and more. Steve Poltz and Gregory Page will play the Royal Exchange Theatre, Saturday June 13, followed by Lizottes, Kincumber June 14 (without Page).

LIVE & LOCAL AT LIZOTTE’S, NEWCASTLE

Local support has always been on the menu at Lizotte’s, and now the very first “Live and Local @ Lizotte’s” takes place Wednesday June 3 at the brand new Lambton venue. Bob Corbett is proud as punch to be involved. “I’d like to let everyone know about our first band show in Newcastle for the year. We’re about to commence our national tour and this will be the first and only Newcastle date for quite a while,” Corbett explains. Also on the bill is Amy Vee, Jules Crichton and Rocwater. The night starts at 7pm and costs $13.50.

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M A N C H ES T E R O R C H ES T R A

After slaying audiences on their visit for the Laneway Festival, the Georgian indie-rock group known as Manchester Orchestra, are returning to wreak havoc on Splendour In The Grass. Lead singer Andy Hull has a candid chat with Nick Milligan.

Conducting Electricity 14

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Had you heard of the Splendour In The Grass festival before being invited to play? We had not heard of the festival. We did Laneway last year, and once we were invited this year, it was a no brainer. We absolutely loved our time there in 2008 and wanted to get back asap. I’ve read that the name of the band is inspired by your early interest in bands from Manchester, like The Smiths. What drew you to that style of music? I think it was youthful emotion mixed with a very non-rebellious attitude. I didn’t have angst, I just wanted to cry it out with Robert Smith or Morrissey. It wasn’t until later that I realised that music can make you angry and that anger can be turned into a positive when you need to deal with anxiety. How does the current sound and direction of the band differ from your initial vision for Manchester Orchestra?

Do you get very restless when you’re not writing new songs? I do, more mentally than physically. I constantly am concerned with having writer’s block or just not being able to do it anymore. Luckily, I still wrote songs and I have two tremendous song writers in the band with Robert (Mcdowell, guitar) and Chris (Freeman, keyboards), both of them have incredible bodies of work and although Manchester Orchestra hasn’t put a hand in the bag, it doesn’t mean we won’t. I am influenced by their writing, the way they are influenced by mine. Sonically, I have a safety net. How have you improved as a lyricist since you first formed Manchester Orchestra? I think I improved my ability to say less and mean more. Mean Everything To Nothing is lyrically subtle to the regular ear, but to those

“God and self -loathing are at the top of my ‘wr ite abou t list’. Can’t quite sa y why…” We would probably be more experimental and electronic. I thought early on we were headed towards a rock, electronic, melodic type of thing. We are all-out loud and abrasive on this [new] record. It doesn’t mean we won’t go into other areas, but for this album it was what we needed to do. What made you decide to add permanent members to the Manchester Orchestra lineup, rather than write as a solo project with guest musicians as you’d originally intended? My band are not ‘my’ band, we are the band. So when these members started really playing together, it was at a time when there was little to no interest in the band; they were as committed as I was and from the beginning that was the main reason why there weren’t other band members. I never wanted to be more invested in something than another member. Sort of a ‘if we go down, we go down together’. I read that you trusted the band a lot more on Mean Everything To Nothing, in terms of allowing them to take your songs in a certain direction. What made you decide to allow for more collaboration on this album? I would bring in the songs in a far more naked level than previous records. Then the guys started adding things that I wouldn’t have dreamed of adding. It made all the songs that much better. It wasn’t a decision like, ‘Okay guys, here you go’; it was more of an understood trust and communication that was fluid between members. If there was something we all hated, we’d scrap it. If somebody had a part that just wasn’t working, then we’d change it. No feelings hurt, we were truly committed to the quality of the songs and the performance behind them. What do you feel are the defining aspects of Manchester Orchestra’s sound? Loud, soft, loud, soft, loud, soft, loud, soft, loud, soft, loud again. Mean Everything To Nothing is a record full of louds and a few softs. The next album will dive into more emotionally delicate sounds, in the vein of ‘I

AT THE STATIO THIS MONTH....

Can Feel A Hot One’ — really adding bare bones layering to get melodic and consistent sounds.

close to me and who know what kind of three years I’ve had, it’s actually more vulnerable and descriptive than anything I’ve done. Is that better? I don’t know… maybe not. Is there certain subject matter that you find yourself drawn to more than others? God and self-loathing are at the top of my ‘write about list’. Can’t quite say why, but if I’m writing for me than it is incredibly hard to stray away from God because it’s what surrounds me all the time. Even my storybook-type characters all have issues of faith and resentment. Loss and hope. Has attending a Christian school continued to have an impact on your lyrics? Probably not anymore. I was bitter and angry with what the private Christian high school is feeding into the minds of teenagers that don’t yet have a brain to use properly. It’s brainwashing and wrong. I have no issues with the teaching of religion or faith, my father being a pastor and all… it was the fact that these inexperienced people — hardly older than the kids they’re teaching — were telling students theology and life lessons that were unsound and false. The whole thing got to me for so long, I just wanted to scream at the ignorance. What do you think you would have thought of Mean Everything To Nothing if you’d heard it in high school? This is undeniably the best interview question I have ever had. I don’t think I would have appreciated it as much as I hope I would. I would look past the musicianship and probably not understand what ‘we’ were going for. What I think I would have loved are the harmonies and vocal arrangements. I have always loved harmony and melody structure. The lyrics are tricky, if I identified with them I would have dug it, but I’m not sure at 15 to 17 that I would know what the hell ‘future me’ is talking about. I went and saw the band The Blood Brothers in high school and legitimately felt evil for the first time hearing music. I loved it. I think this record would have made me feel evil.

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r e ggi e w att s

The Loop Keeping In The Loop Keeping In The music of Brooklyn native Reggie Watts is indeed the square peg to every round pigeon-hole. Startling, puzzling, challenging, funny and often awe-inspiring, Watts’ live performances are something that words struggle to do justice. By Nick Milligan. It seems that Australia has fallen in love with Reggie Watts. Now a regular to our shores, he was the poster-boy for 2009’s Sydney Festival, with many critics describing him as the highlight of the season. Barely five months later we’ve invited the Brooklyn-based musician back to headline the Sydney Comedy Festival and also play the Brian Eno curated Luminous Festival at Sydney’s Opera House. He’s even been invited to co-host on Triple J radio during his visit. Watts’ touring itinerary is beginning to resemble his music. A solo performer, Watts uses a loop machine to layer and construct songs live on stage. His tools are his worldclass ‘beat-boxing’ ability (where he uses his voice to mimic a drum machine) and a vocal range that is said to be a staggering ten octaves in height. Using his own voice as every instrument, the result is a spell-binding and dynamic concoction of soul, hip hop, blues and jazz. A celebration of the human voice, Watts’ music sizzles with energy and political statements, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously. “It’s about ninety-five percent improvised,” reveals Watts, of his live performances. “A lot of people would struggle to do that, because when you’re trained in music you’re expecting a certain amount of structure. You’re expecting a song to be written and repeated, whether you write it down or whether you’re reading the music. I think a lot of people don’t try fully improvised shows because of this, but I know there are other people out there doing it.” 16

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Using his classical training as a pianist and jazz singer, Watts built a profile in Seattle with his band Maktub (pronounced Mock-too). The experimental group started a series of concerts at an Irish pub in Seattle called the Owl ‘N Thistle, where they would completely improvise every song in their set. The aim was to make the audience believe that the content was in fact written and rehearsed. The popularity of the shows took off, garnering Maktub residencies in clubs further abroad. Other acts followed suit and an improvisation scene began to develop. “My main goal was to simulate as if it were written and to create the impression that the song were premeditated,” explains Watts. Watts’ continued experimentation and desire to push musical boundaries has quickly found him an audience on Australian shores. “I think when you have something that’s chaotic and unexpected in a country that is a distance from the rest of the world, then people will respond to it. [My music] is not mean-spirited — it’s strange and fun-loving, so I think [Australians] dig that energy,” says Watts. The musician and comedian’s impression of Australia is equally positive. “I love the hospitality from everybody (in Australia). Quite an efficient population — the population might argue with that, but coming from abroad, the level of production detail and the ability to make things flow is awesome. [Australia] is just a really interesting society of people,” says Watts. It’s comforting to know that Watts is impressed with Australian culture, especially considering he is based in the artistic hub of Brooklyn, New York. “It’s a great place for a musician to live, but it’s a lot of work to live there. It’s full of so many amazing artists and talented people that if you have an idea you can try out the idea almost instantaneously. You can choose anybody you want to be a part of the project. It’s a great place to workshop

things. You just have to keep hustling to survive,” says Watts. An experimental mindset led Watts to develop the live show he is now known internationally for. “I was working with a composer named Wayne Horvitz, out of Seattle, who is an avant garde jazz, experimental composer. Around 1998, we were going on a European tour and I was using this effect pedal called a ‘Roland Space Echo’ (also known as the RE101). But I didn’t want to go on tour with it because it’s mechanical, uses tape and is really unruly. The company Line 6 just came

the class clown. “Weird Al Yankovic was really popular and he blew my mind. I would do my own versions of popular songs and change the words, so there’s always been a goofy aspect. I also studied serious music, but that sense of comedy stayed with me. So I’ve always used music to get funny responses,” admits Watts. “I’m hoping to get into a pocket of opportunity where I can create albums really quickly. I want to generate as much viewable musical content as possible and make sure I can do at a level of quality that I can find interesting. I’d like to do as many types of music as possible, in as many

“...w hen you hav e something that’s chaotic and un- expect ed... people

will respond to it.” out with this pedal called the Delay Modeller and it mimicked the RE-101, amongst other delay pedals. I got one and it was awesome. It sounded exactly like the RE-101. Then I noticed there was a loop function on it which was really cool. I started using that to convey ideas to my band. I’d do a rhythm real quick, then I’d do a bass line over it to show my band the idea. Then I started using it to harmonise with myself live. Eventually I realised that I could do everything with my voice using just this machine. It was just an evolution, really,” says Watts. A strong aspect of Watts’ art is absurdist humour, which has made him a hot ticket on comedy festivals around the world. His sharp, but sometimes silly, persona blossomed during his time in elementary school. Watts became

different forms and ways. I’m not quite in that zone yet,” says Watts. “I like to perform or be working on something, so either one has to happen for me.” The second half of 2009 will see Watts play shows in London, as well as hosting the musical leg of the Montreal Comedy Festival. If that wasn’t enough, he has recently received a grant to develop “another multimedia theatre piece” which will require him to create “some live three-dimensional technology” for the stage. Comedy Central have also asked Watts to develop a TV special for them. With a creative desire that can’t be extinguished, Reggie Watts is sure to loop his music around the world for years to come. Catch Reggie Watts at Live and Cookin’ @ Lizotte’s, Lambton, Saturday, June 6.

jami e hutching s

Capturing Imagination As the architect responsible for the surging atmospherics of Bluebottle Kiss, Jamie Hutchings has turned down the volume to create a beautiful new solo album. The Sydney-based songwriter spoke to Nick Milligan about His Imaginary Choir. You made the decision to work with producer Tony Dupe. How would the record have sounded if you’d self-produced? I’d say it would have been like a ramshackle, late-60s folk record — and it still has those elements, but the alliance of the sounds, and the fleeting moments of clarinet and glockenspiel — those psychedelic elements wouldn’t have been as obvious. It would have been a more live sounding, sparse folk record. There’s certain things that I let Tony loose on that gave it a different flavour You’ve been making music for many years now. How do you think you’ve improved as a songwriter? Well, I think you get wiser as you get older. You get more confident about what you know, rather than what you think you know. At some stage in writing you have to take a leap of faith. If you want to try something new, you need to leap into the dark. You can stumble, fall over and fail, but the more you do that,

Why was it time to make a solo record and not another Bluebottle Kiss album? The nature of the songs were something that I didn’t think would be appropriate to a band. I started thinking more and more about wanting to make something playful. Also something that’s not super loud. If it was just two instruments playing on a song, then that would be fine. I was coming from a minimalist stand point. I only wanted an instrument if it was absolutely necessary.

you get to a point where you can tell a story in a song. When you first try to write a narrative, it can be quite clumsy. I’ve never felt like I’ve got a certain strength, so I keep doing that same thing. Any strength can be pushed in a new direction. It can keep growing. Has age made you a better lyricist? When you’re young, you’re often writing about things you don’t know about. Or your writing is very earnest and self-important, because that’s the person you are in your early 20s. I think I’ve gotten better at lyrics. Musically, when you’re older you become less precious about your influences. When you start out you tend to be more judgmental about different forms of music. When you get older you begin to realise the world is a great playground of music, and you should utilise it. Even a style that you necessarily wouldn’t listen to when you’re younger, there will be someone out there that does it in a way that’s really good and to your tastes. Tell us about the title of the record — His Imaginary Choir. I tend to imagine all the parts (of the songs) before I get into the recording studio. A lot of people might work it out on the fly or experiment with the people they’re with. It’s not like I’m thinking about the music in an analytical way, but [the ideas] just turn up. You

imagination becomes your one motivating factor. The choral arrangements were a part of what I imagined and kept thinking about. I kept hearing the sound of this group of girls singing and then I imagined the parts. Where did you find the girls that you worked with? Some of them I’d worked with before. Some of them are family — there’s my sister and my wife. One of them is the girl that did the artwork on the record. It was whoever was around at the time. Just friends and a couple of girls I knew that could sing. It wasn’t a real professional choir, but it has a real child-like sound. It’s not perfect and it has a naivety to it. Some of them are confident and others are unsure. They sound in between a woman’s choir and a children’s choir.

Do you get restless when you’re not writing? I do get restless. I get depressed and I feel a bit useless if I’m not being productive. It’s very hard when making music independently in Australia to be really prolific. That’s why even bands that have been around a long time will have three to four year gaps between records. It’s very hard to organise and find people to help. I struggle with having gaps in between my material. In an ideal world I’d be producing material all the time, but you also need to have a tangible end point so you’re working towards something. I try to keep writing because it exercises your imagination. You get scared that it’s going to go to sleep some time and you’re not going to be able to wake it up. It helps keep it alive. Jamie Huntchings will be at Lizottes, Kincumber, July 1, supporting Mark Moldre. His Imaginary Choir is out now through Shock.

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taking back s unday

Give and take Taking Back Sunday’s latest album is a rebirth for the New York rock group. Nick Milligan spoke to new guitarist Matthew Lazzi about their fourth album, New Again, and how he filled the very big shoes of ex-guitarist Fred Mascherino. What are you enjoying the most about being a member of Taking Back Sunday? There’s a million things. The positivity within the band is really awesome. Everything about the band is so fun — playing shows is great. Touring is great. Writing music has been great. I really enjoy being close to the band and I feel like they’re my brothers now. Playing music is such a blast — we played this festival called ‘Bamboozle’ over the weekend, and there were points during the set where we would just laugh at each other, because the crowd and the show was so amazing. Has it been a challenge taking the place of Fred Mascherino on guitar and backing vocals? When I joined I was really nervous about that, but from the way the new record came along and how the writing went, I don’t feel any pressure now. They really gave me the chance

to have a voice in this band and to try a lot of new things. They put a lot of trust in me to help guide the band in a new musical direction. We tried a lot of things stylistically that Taking Back Sunday wouldn’t do before. I owe them a lot for approaching [the writing] with an open mind and allowing me to do the same. I really wanted to come in and complement the band, and bring something new to it. I also wanted the band to move forward, and make a record which showed an obvious progression. What have you brought to the sound of Taking Back Sunday with your playing style? I like to play a lot of jazz-influenced chords. Tonally I like to play distortion that has a little less meat on it, so that the riff chords can really come through. This creates a lot of frequency space, to allow Matt Rubano to shine — there’s some truly great bass parts on the record. I feel that my approach to guitar is a little left of centre for a rock band, but this helped the record to have different colours. Songs like ‘New Weekend’ have more jazz influenced chords and really pretty turns in the middle of the chorus. We change time signatures for certain songs. The single ‘Sink

myspace.com/bertieblackman

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In To Me’ has a 6/4 riff, then it jumps back and forth between a 6 and a 4. We experimented with a lot of new rhythms and tried not to limit the band stylistically. There’s even a song called ‘Winter Passing’, which didn’t make the record, that is very RnB influenced. Was it a tough decision to leave your previous band Facing New York? It was difficult, for sure. But the timing was cosmic. We were in a lull at the time and were deciding what we were going to do. We’d been doing a lot of DIY touring, and just trying to make it as a band, but it was barely sustaining itself. We were at a place where certain members wanted to go back to school and make Facing New York less of a priority. Then Taking Back Sunday came knocking at my

door. It was fate intervening. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I was ready to move on and do something new. Is there a song on the new album that you’re the most proud of? If I had to pick a favourite, I think it would be ‘Carpathia’. It’s the second last song on the record. I’m really proud of the three part harmonies in it, and I think it has a lot of attitude. It’s a new direction for Taking Back Sunday. There’s a rewarding chord turn in the second chorus, that kind of refreshes the chorus. I think ‘Carpathia’ has a lot of cool elements that showcases where the band is at currently and where we’re trying to go. It’s a new frontier for us. New Again is available now through Warner.

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r e d rid e r s

Red Riders’ second record proves that there are many colours on their palette. Frontman Alex Grigg tells Nick Milligan how their latest work came together. There’s an era in Australian music that’s been overlooked by most listeners. In the late 80s, bands were beginning to form a unique identity, by capturing an atmosphere that was as much about the Australian landscape as the people inhabiting it. Few could have expected that Sydney band Red Riders would return after three years with a second album that’s vibrant, dark and beautiful. Their debut album, Replica Replica, was a pulsing and dense rock rollercoaster, full of anthems for urban kids who embrace the night more than the day. Red Riders’ followup, Drowned In Colour, is as beautiful as it is energetic. It’s the fog lifting as the sun rises. A world where shadows can’t hide hedonism. “I had a fairly clear idea,” says the band’s singer Al Grigg. “Replica Replica was very black and white sonically — just guitar, drums, bass. That was probably a result of us having toured so much before that, because I think they were very ‘live’ songs. We definitely wanted to move away from that and have something that was more interesting and diverse. We wanted some songs that would suit a live setting, but also songs that are more quiet. More colourful.” Grigg is the principal songwriter in the band but, like in many rock groups, the songs change direction once the other members begin to form the arrangements. The major

catalyst for change was the departure of guitarist Adrian Deutsch, who left a year ago to pursue a solo career. Luckily, the timing was perfect. Fellow Ivy League label mates, The Vines, had just gone into another indefinite hiatus and their bassist, Brad Heald, was looking to return to guitar playing.

that evoked,” says Grigg. The beach image that adorns the front of Red Riders’ new album is serene but also quite mysterious. The group’s artistic collaborator Chris Hopkins, who has also directed music videos for Red Riders, found two Polaroid photos on the internet that a girl in San Diego

think we necessarily sound like The Church, The Go-Betweens or The Triffids, but I like that spirit. Those bands were strongly Australian but also of a high international quality. That’s inspirational. On the album we wanted to capture those wide, open spaces. Vast sounds. Those bands were able to do that

“you’r e drow ning, helmed by but you’r e also ov erw something beautiful.” “I’m a guitar hack,” laughs Grigg. “A terrible player. But we’d booked a studio and it looked like I would just have to play the lead parts. If I couldn’t do it, then we’d have to get one of our music nerd friends to come in and play it — like one of the Dappled Cities guys. But a month out from recording, The Vines went through their crazy thing. Brad came and jammed with us and it gelled straight away. Adrian is a great musician, but his style is quite complex. He fills in all the parts. Brad’s style is more ambient. It’s added a whole new element to this band.” The pursuit of more considered aural tones led the band to call the record Drowned In Colour. “I really like the image of ‘drowning in colour’, it’s oddly sublime. You’re drowning, but you’re also overwhelmed by something beautiful. I liked the mood and whimsy that

had taken. It’s ironic, because the desolate beach image instantly feels like it’s one of our own shores. It’s apt, because the beach is a theme that recurs throughout Drowned In Colour, just as it did in other classic Australian albums like The Triffids’ Born Sandy Devotional. “The beach is iconically Australian. It can be so many things. In summer it’s a paradise, but at night it can be quite menacing or mysterious. In winter it’s cold. There’s a lot of references in our lyrics to water and the ocean, and Chris picked the images without really realising that,” says Grigg. The singer doesn’t deny that The Triffids have been an influence. “I have been listening to that era and it’s one of the highest points in Australian music — the mid to late 80s. It’s one of the few times that Australian bands have had a strong sense of identity. I don’t

— the haunted aspect of the landscape. But this is a Red Riders record, so it’s not hugely filmic or experimental, but we tried to adopt some of those elements,” explains Grigg. Red Riders were able to road test their new material during their recent trip to the South By Southwest Festival in Texas. As is most bands’ experience of the conference, every show was quite different from the last. Grigg says one of the highlights was an opening spot for Kid Cudi in Los Angeles, an artist that Kanye West has taken under his wing. Despite Cudi being an up and coming hip hop performer, it turned out to be one of Red Riders’ most responsive audiences. With a fresh new guitarist and a beautifully crafted sophomore album, 2009 is definitely shaping up to be this band’s biggest ride yet. Drowned In Colour is out now through Ivy League.

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R e gular J ohn

jamming together and I would go visit on school holidays and jam with them. They formed Regular John and we all ended up moving to Sydney and I started playing bass with them. You have taken the approach of sharing the vocal duties amongst the members as opposed to having a definitive front man. Is songwriting a fairly democratic affair? I play bass and sing, and yeah, the other guys sing as well. Each song is pretty varied in its composition. We normally just jam or I might have a guitar riff or Brock might have a drum idea or Ryan and I might have something we’ve brought from home. Someone might sing on something someone else has written. Something might have been written on piano and then played on guitar; it’s all very flexible and interchangeable which gives us a lot of room for different ideas and sounds.

atomic power They’re one-part stoner drone band, one-part rock piggery - and completely without pretension. Yumi Sed chats with bassist Caleb of Sydney’s Regular John about the history of the band, their love of Bill Hicks and their weirdest gig ever. Note to young musos — don’t play your first gig on acid. Regular John’s The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb has been released to rave reviews and garnered itself a spot as Triple J’s Feature Album. The album has been described as an urbanised and raucous excursion in rock, punk and fuzz pop. Despite having played together for years, The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb is the bands debut full length release and has set the stage for a big year for the boys.

Relentless touring appears to be the order of the day, at least for now. For the uninitiated, give me a little history of how the band came to be? Ryan [guitars, vocals] and I have known each other since I was four. He moved around a lot and ended up in Griffith where he met Brock [guitars, vocals] and Macca [drums]. They started

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bigtix

You started out in Griffith before sharing the stage with the likes of Dinosaur Jnr, The Scare and The Bronx. What has been your strangest gig so far? My first gig with the band was pretty weird. It was at Club 77 in Sydney. I was playing an upside down bass because I’m left handed and didn’t own a bass yet. It only had three strings on it. I was still learning the songs and to top it all off Ryan and I had had a hit of acid earlier that day. It was hard work let me tell you and I wouldn’t recommend it one bit. Bill Hicks is a big inspiration and you can certainly hear his acerbic presence in some of your lyrical content. It’s interesting when an artist’s list of influences is littered with mediums other than music, as is the case with Regular John. Who else have you drawn on artistically?

I’m a big fan of authors like Robert Anton Wilson or Terence McKenna — people that open your mind to alternate ways of thinking. They’ve been a big influence on the way I look at things and this leaks into the way you write songs or approach playing. Musically I draw from all sorts of stuff — Black Sabbath, Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Jane’s Addiction, Replacements. Bands that were basically their own genre and created their own world. Given that we are living in a world that is in a perpetual state of military engagement, the title of your album is extremely powerful and relevant. How did you come up with it? I found a box of New Age magazines from the 1970s. There were many cool articles on astral projection and psychedelic plants and stuff like that. In amongst them was an image of a protester wearing a grim reaper outfit. He was holding a sign that said ‘The Peaceful Atom is a Bomb’. It wasn’t until I used the image for the front cover that everyone said ‘that should be the title’. This is a question that could take hours to answer but I’ll throw it out there, what does music mean to you? Everything. It’s beyond having favourite songs or playing riffs. It’s something spiritual that validates your very existence. It’s like totally deep, man. What do the next 12 months hold? Touring I’d say. Release a couple of singles from the album and play the shit out of it on the road. I hope that at some point, we’ll get some time to work on new material. I’ve already got about ten songs waiting and I’m sure the other cats do as well. Regular John play the Hamilton Station Hotel, Saturday, June 27.

F lipp e r

PuNk iS â&#x20AC;&#x192; NOt DeaD Flipper are probably better known for the bands they influenced than their music. They are touted as the grandfathers of Grunge. Kurt Cobain made his own t-shirts with the Flipper logo on them. Moby claims to have been a front man for Flipper, for two days. REM did a cover of Flipperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest hit, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sex Bombâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Andrew Chesham speaks with lead singer Bruce Loose about their first album in 17 years, entitled Love, challenging audiences, and mass murder suicides. Those who were part of the hardcore punk scene in the late 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knew Flipper. Their style of punk music and antagonistic attitude towards the audience made them well known. In their music, they played a slower, sludgy brand of punk music, angering punk purists who liked raw, quick riffs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to work all those years during the hardcore scene,â&#x20AC;? Loose recalls, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was ridiculous, the odds that we were put up against and the audiences we were put up againstâ&#x20AC;Ś people proclaimed to hate us but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come to see three shows in a row.â&#x20AC;? Flipper approached their audiences differently. They felt an audience needed to be challenged. This is apparent on the opening track of their new live album, Fight (which will be packaged with the new album), Loose comes on stage and addresses the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hi! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a band. Are you an audience?â&#x20AC;? He then pauses a moment, â&#x20AC;&#x153;about three of you answered yes. I think the rest of you are bystanders.â&#x20AC;?

Loose expects certain things from his audience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the energy of the concert; the energy of the fans. When I get on stage Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m expecting something I can feed off from the audience. And I challenge the audience to have a good time. We sing about harsh subjects, real things. And the idea is to get past that and get into the music and listen to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on and expand what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking.â&#x20AC;? The new album, Love, touches on many issues, like triple mass murder suicide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was a weird one,â&#x20AC;? Loose explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the band was coming up with it and I had these really stupid lyrics and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really like them. I started writing about this subject of triple mass murder suicides. And all these things started popping up in the news that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s these student shootings on these campuses and stuff. It was a strange coincidence.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Learn To Liveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the second track on the album. The chorus is â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to do something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real, different and new in this world

todayâ&#x20AC;?. When asked if Flipper has achieved something real, different and new with their new album, Loose gives a surprising answer, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not really. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve stayed true to what flipper is. Doing something new? Ya. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried basically combining grunge with Flipper, in this case working with a grunge bass player (Krist Novoselic, formerly of Nirvana). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to do something different these days.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flashes of inspiration are not just one personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s falling.â&#x20AC;? Loose continues, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It hits hundreds and thousands of different people at a time. You get different interpretations of the same energy all the time. And youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bombarded by fifty million versions of the same thing, people doing the same thing. And theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not all just copycatting each other. Some of them genuinely believe theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing something

brand new. So doing something different is definitely very hard. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you would pose that type of lyric in that song in that situation. It was a hard thing to say in a song.â&#x20AC;? Loose also feels that there is still an audience for their style of punk music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are still young kids who are very much into it. There are 16 year olds, 17 year olds, who get around to the free shows, all access shows and under 21 shows and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud of how many theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just as interested as when the old 65 year old comes out of the closet and goes, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen you guys in over 40 years.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; It hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been that long, but you know what I mean.â&#x20AC;? Love/Fight is released through Fuse Music. Flipper play the Cambridge Hotel, June 14.

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of th e r e d s e a

Marrying angular arrangements with dark and lush ambience, Of The Red Sea’s new EP is a nighttime journey that encapsulates its listeners. Nick Milligan spoke to singer Ben Fletcher about the creation of their powerful new release.

We own the night Marrying angular arrangements with anarchic ambience, Of The Red Sea’s music will wash you away. Nick Milligan spoke to singer and guitarist Ben Fletcher about their impressive new release. What led to your new EP having a broader sound than your previous release? Partly because in writing I’m so restless — one minute I’m doing this and the next I’m interested in going somewhere else. I’m usually feeling ‘past’ a song and wanting to move forward to new sounds before I’ve finished recording the ones that I’m working on at the time. I think the band sound was always heading this way really, because the first EP evolved out of a singer-songwriter record that became a band instead. When the new band lineup was settled in, this is what we sounded like. Your EP has a very night-time quality, and of course ends with ‘By Morning’. Was this vibe something you intended early on, or did it come out in the writing? I’m glad it comes across that way. For me this all felt like nighttime stuff — it feels to me like the city lights, dance floors… but it’s something I didn’t realise until it was done. These were the songs that were the most ready for recording at the time, and that mostly dictated them getting on there. They were written around the same time though and hopefully feel like they work in together. I guess as a whole the EP is about change and looking forward, in a global sense, but in little parts it’s also woven into little personal narratives. ‘By Morning’ felt best at the end, as a logical conclusion to that — it feels to me like the ‘up and leaving’, the taking action, the escape part, of all that change. What can you tell me about ‘We Run In The Night’? Whose point is it from? All of us, I hope. The context is I had just come out the other end of some pretty massive

personal changes. I’m in a totally different place to where I was a year ago and I guess wondering who i was and what was going on. This song is like deciding what I’m standing for, if anything. Or rather re-affirming that, because I think I’ve held more or less the same set of values forever, but being open about it. I think I lost touch for a while. The lyrics are two things juxtaposed. This personal narrative of someone travelling, thinking about what’s behind, and the other is this little group, a movement, this underground rebellion — “We are the secret you don’t talk about.” If this EP is about anything, it’s change, and the feel of each song and the energy in the music is trying to reflect the emotional process of all that. The first song is this desire to run, to break off the past, the second is restlessness, the third is the doubt and to-ing and fro-ing between restlessness. The last is calm resolution, and then movement into where the first song was intending. I guess it’s a reaction to this culturally imposed ‘it’s cool not to care’ thing. It’s cool not to feel; society reinforces these sort of messages like obsession with celebrity and materialism. I think if you identify with all that too much and forget who you are and you might lose yourself in that process. How has Of The Red Sea’s sound evolved since you first formed the band? The first EP, Verona, at first I started recording as a singer songwriter, folky sort of thing. But then the way Syd [Green] plays the drums, just enjoying that and wanting more of that turned it into a band. So the sound there is a pretty acoustic based, organic feel. But at the time I also had a lot of dance-rock,

electronica, ambient stuff demoed at home on the computer. So I was torn, but the recording was heading one way, so I left these ideas till next project. With the new band lineup, trying to encourage the input of Jim [Lewis, drums] and Adam [Barnett, bass] obviously changes the sound to start with. I think this sound we have now mixes in a bit more of the dance/ ambient influences with the sound that the previous EP. Where did you record the new EP? We recorded it live, that was a must this time, with Mathew Laurence at Everland in Sydney. He’s a friend and I’ve recorded with him before. We see things a bit differently, but that’s a nice way to challenge yourself when recording because I always get a fairly strong idea of how I’d like it to sound. But mainly he has a really nice old Neve desk that I wanted to record through. It’s got great warmth and at the upper end has clarity, but doesn’t get all brittle like a lot of newer stuff. We got Wayne Connolly to mix it because I loved his work on Firekites. He’s also done The Vines and Josh Pyke, but that Firekites record is my favourite. I like the idea of taking that post-rock/indie/dance thing but still keeping the warmth and tone in the mix — not just squashing the hell out of it with compression and harsh frequencies, so it’s louder on an iPod than everything else. Have you set goals for this EP release? I suppose getting a clear statement of intent; ‘this is what we are about’ was what I was going for. It’s the first recording of our current lineup, and the idea was, rather than wait for an album, to get something out now that we

have all been a part of and worked on, and something that more accurately reflects our live shows now. It’s a good way to unify the band. What can you tell me about the song ‘Nagasaki’? Is it set in Japan? Pretty much. I guess that started from the opening guitar riff sounding a little ‘Japanese’ to me. The contrasts in Eastern and Western approaches to things is the global theme there. There’s also a personal narrative woven in of someone making the decision to up and leave; “I head east tonight…” I liked the idea of the East/West thing, because the song feels restless. It goes back and forth between ideas, too — a push-pull feeling of doubt, and resolution to move forward and pausing on doubt and so on. Of The Red Sea launch their new EP at The View Factory on Saturday June 20, 2009, with support from Like… Alaska, Paper Prophets and Birds & Belles. reverb maga z i ne i ss u e # 0 3 5 — j u ne 2 0 0 9

central coast

3 June Krystel Keller & Grandmaster Monk & Lou Bradley & Talia Whittman

5 June Vince Jones 6 June Abi Tucker 7 June Karl Broadie

9 June Jeff Lang 10 June Hayden French & One Jonathon 12 June Matt Finish

13 June James Blundell

20 June Renee Geyer 21 June Dutch Tilders 25 June Dave Graney

26 June Nathan Foley 27 June Paulini 28 June Joy and Lara 2 July Cotton, Keys and Morris 3 July Psycho Zydeco 4 July The Choirboys 5 July Mick Hart 9 July Ophelia of the Spirits 16 July Dr Goodvibe 17 July Don McGlashan 23 July Borich x Borich & Brus

Tuesday June 2 Lambton Park Hotel Derek Warfield and the the Young Wolf Tones Lizottes, Lambton Newcastle Grand Opening w/ Diesel + Deni Hines + Beccy Cole + Jason Lowe + Benjalu

Wednesday Jun 3 Cambridge Hotel Paul Dianno + Darker Half + Sabretung Lizottes, Kincumber Krystel Keller + Grandmaster Monk + Lou Bradley + Talia Whittman Lizottes, Lambton Bob Corbett + Amy Vee + Jules Crichton + Rocwater Newcastle Entertainment Centre Pink

Thursday June 4 Cambridge Hotel Dukes of Windsor + Fictions + Vaudeville Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Junes Lambton Park Hotel Derek Warfield and the Young Wolf Tones Newcastle Entertainment Centre Pink

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

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Saturday June 6 Cambridge Hotel Lord + Switchblade + The Exiled + Crowning Swarm Chilli Lounge, Wyong The Hannigans + Truth Ruby + Cente Section Doyalson RSL Ziggy - The Best of David Bowie Show Hordern Pavilion We Love Sounds Lizottes, Kincumber Abi Tucker Lizottes, Lambton Reggie Watts Luna Park Come Together Stag and Hunter Hotel Amy Vee Woodport Inn, Erina Kram + One Jonathan

Sunday June 7 KRAM

24 July Mark Seymour & Sarah Humphreys 25 July Mark Seymour & Sarah Humphreys 30 July Mark Wilkinson 31 July The Blues Preachers

Metro Theatre Morbid Angel Northern Star Hotel Mick Hart Stag and Hunter Hotel Daniel March The Gallipoli Legion’s Club The Middle East Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Zombonimo + Order of the Dragon The Junction Hotel Emily Sorenson Woodport Inn, Erina Ajax

Friday June 5 Bar on the Hill Snowball w/ Kram + The Galvatrons + Funkoars + Phrase + Doom & Kato (The Bang Gang DJ’s) + Lightnoise + Gfresh Beach Hotel Fourth Street + Last Avenue Cambridge Hotel Friar Rush + Cigars for the Man Chilli Lounge, Wyong The Remnants + The Ideal Height + The Neon Dawn Doyalson RSL Tamara Stewart Lass O’Gowrie Hotel Grandmaster Monk + Tim McMillian + Karma Cops Lizottes, Kincumber Vince Jones Lizottes, Lambton Diesel

Beach Hotel Broadway Mile Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Amanda Baker Band Lizottes, Kincumber Karl Broadie Luna Park Come Together Wickham Park Hotel Extended Family Woodport Inn, Erina Bob Evans + Blinding Lights

Tuesday June 9 Hordern Pavilion Lily Allen Lizottes, Kincumber Jeff Lang + Jordie Lane

Wednesday June 10 Cambridge Hotel The Glass Ceiling

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel The Woohoo Review + The Understudy + I.Y. Lizottes, Kincumber Hayden French + One Jonathon + Fergus Brown + Krystel Keller Lizottes, Lambton Jeff Lang + Jordie Lane Woodport Inn, Erina DJ Delicious

Thursday June 11 Chilli Lounge, Wyong Short Notice + Drawcard + North of the Border Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Jez Mead Manning Bar Deerhunter Wyong Leagues Club Wes Carr

BRIGHT YELLOW

Friday June 12 Cambridge Hotel Bright Yellow Chilli Lounge, Wyong The Snoots + Vaudeville + The Big Empty + The Wooden Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Mischli Lizottes, Kincumber Matt Finish Lizottes, Lambton James Blundell Newcastle Panthers Cog + Oceansize + Calling All Cars Queens Wharf Brewery True Live Wickham Croatia Club Inhale The Sea + Sabretung + Skura + Soultremor Woodport Inn, Erina Goodwill + Tommy Trash

Saturday June 13 Bar on the Hill Evermore + End Of Fashion Beach Hotel The Dread Sky + The Owls Chilli Lounge, Wyong Fonke Knomaads + 2UP + Section 9 + Dominic Brook

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Ngariki Lizottes, Kincumber James Blundell Lizottes, Lambton Matt Finish Wickham Croatia Club Caleb Skips Chemistry + Room 24 + Stonehawk + The Great Escape Woodport Inn, Erina The Lazys

Sunday June 14 Cambridge Hotel Flipper + Castings + Synthetic Apolalypse Entrance Leagues Club Cog + Calling All Cars Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Handsome Young Strangers + Rumjacks Lizottes, Kincumber Steve Poltz + Michael Peter Prince Of Wales Hotel The Havelocks + Grant Wolter

Wednesday June 17 Cambridge Hotel Zero Logic Lizottes, Kincumber Daniel Lee Kendall EP launch + Birdlife + Pepa Lizottes, Lambton Barrel House + Jason Lowe + One Jonathan + Benjalu

Thursday June 18 Cambridge Hotel Wolf and Cub + The Scare + Cabins Lizottes, Lambton Mike McCarthy Queens Wharf Brewery Wendy Matthews

SKETCHING CATO

Friday June 19 Cambridge Hotel Sketching Cato Chilli Lounge, Wyong The Shivering Indies + Stray Bulletz + Origin of Janken Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Super Massive Lizottes, Lambton Mental As Anything Woodport Inn, Erina Nick Skitz

View Factory Of The Red Sea + Paper Prophets + Like... Alaska + Birds & Belles Woodport Inn, Erina Rocketsmiths

Sunday June 21 Cambridge Hotel Psycroptic + The Amenta + Ruins Lizottes, Kincumber Dutch Tilders Lizottes, Lambton Grant Walmsley and the Agents of Peace Prince of Wales Hotel Bobby Virtue

Newcastle 2 June Grand Opening 5 June Diesel

cITY eSCAPE

Wednesday June 24

Sunday June 28

Cambridge Hotel The Moonlight Theatre Lass O’Gowrie Hotel Huckleberry Swedes Lizottes, Kincumber Harry Ola + Hipsister + Racz and Waters Lizottes, Lambton Clint Crichton + Bob Corbett + Daniel March + Rocwater

Chilli Lounge, Wyong City Escape + Vampirates + Short Notice + A Nightime Skyway + When The World Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Pugsley Buzzard Lizottes, Kincumber Joy and Lara Lizottes, Lambton Guitar Wizards w/ Dia Pritchard + Luke Koteras + Peter Toohey + Dexter Moore + John Brownrigg

Thursday June 25 Cambridge Hotel Barrelhouse Gee Wizz @ Blush, Gosford Tom Ugly + The Veld + The Pocket Lizottes, Kincumber Dave Graney Lizottes, Lambton Jenny Morris

Friday June 26 Cambridge Hotel Mark Moldre + Elisa Kate + Tom Hudson Chilli Lounge, Wyong Skippy The Bush Kangaroo + Eyes of the Scavenger + Phobiac + The Penetrators Hunter Valley Brewery Bertie Blackman Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Errol JM and the Trade Secrets Lizottes, Kincumber Nathan Foley Lizottes, Lambton Paulini Newcastle Entertainment Centre French and Saunders Northern Star Hotel Dash and Will Woodport Inn, Erina Nino Brown

Saturday June 20 Annandale Hotel, Sydney Deerhunter Bayview Tavern, Woy Woy Christina Crofts Cambridge Hotel The Evening Son Doyalson RSL Let’s Spend the Night Together- Rolling Stones Tribute Entrance Leagues Club Ash Grunwald + Bright Yellow Lizottes, Kincumber Renee Geyer Lizottes, Lambton Julia Morris Northern Star Hotel Marty Simpson

Lizottes, Kincumber Paulini Lizottes, Lambton The Blackeyed Susans Northern Star Hotel Pico

Broadway Mile

Saturday June 27 Beach Hotel Paper Prophets + In The Dollhouse Cambridge Hotel Vaudeville Chilli Lounge, Wyong A Silent Fiction EP launch George Tavern Broadway Mile Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Spencer P. Jones and the Escape Committee + Bitter Sweet Kicks Hamilton Station Hotel Regular John + Talons

6 June Reggie Watts (New York City) 10 June Jeff Lang 12 June James Blundell 13 June Matt Finish 17 June L&L 18 June Mike Mc Carthy

19 June Mental As Anything 20 June Julia Morris 24 June L&L

Tueday June 30 Newcastle Panthers Stevie Wright spoken word

Wednesday July 1 Laycock Street Theatre Stevie Wright spoken word Lizottes, Kincumber Mark Moldre single launch + Jamie Hutchings + Steve Smillie Lizottes, Lambton Emily Rose + Mark Wilkinson + Racz and Waters

Thursday July 2 Cambridge Hotel The Fumes Hamilton Station Hotel Blackchords + Stone Parade + Broadway Mile Lizottes, Kincumber Cotton, Keys and Morris + Jenny Biddle

Friday July 3 Cambridge Hotel Yves Klein Blue Doyalson RSL Bertie Blackman Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Great Dividing Range Lizottes, Kincumber Psycho Zydeco Lizottes, Lambton The Choirboys Newcastle Entertainment Centre Pink

25 June Jenny Morris 26 June Paulini 27 June The Black Eyed Susans 28 June The Guitar Wizards 3 July The Choirboys

4 July Daryl Braithwaite 8 July L&L 10 July Tim Freedman 11 July Tim Freedman 12 July Bondi Cigars 15 July L&L 16 July Paul Greene

17 July Christine Anu 18 July The Flood & Amber Lawrence 19 July Damien Keith 22 July L&L 24 July Chris Gudu (Africa) 25 July Mental As Anything

31 July George Smilovic

Saturday July 4 Lizottes, Kincumber The Choirboys Lizottes, Lambton Daryl Braithwaite Newcastle Entertainment Centre Pink

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

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album reviews Feature albums

Dinosaur Jr

TORI AMOS

Farm [PIAS} Recordings/ Liberator Music

Abnormally Attracted To Sin Universal/Republic

4.5/5 There is just something about Dinosaur Jr’s abrasive guitar assault, combined with J Mascis’s whiny drawl that appeals to me. It is such a contrast. Having formed in 1984, the band withstood a band name change (they were originally called Dinosaur) and numerous line up changes to produce seven highly influential releases before folding in 1997. Eight years later, the original trio of Mascic, Lou Barlow and Murph reformed. Following on from the solid 2007 Beyond reunion set, album number nine is upon us in the shape of Farm, and it is a brilliant collection of mid-tempo guitar rock turned up to 11. The Dinosuar Jr juices are still red hot. Opening with ‘Pieces’, you are thrown head first into the song. It hits you, pummels you, yet Mascis still has this uncanny ability to find a sweet melody amongst the brutal guitar. ‘Plans’ holds some of the sweetest moments. The volume is turned down a notch, but the solos still cut sharp. The cornerstone of the album, ‘Said The People’, has pleading vocals and slow tempo guitar solos that lasts over seven minutes. If you enjoy good guitar rock, you won’t be disappointed. For fans of: Neil Young/Crazy Horse ~Kevin Bull

5/5 This album, the tenth released by Tori Amos in her twenty year career, is proof that she is more comfortable than ever in her craft. Abnormally Attracted To Sin is a concept album that explores the history of moral shame imposed on human sensuality by religious dogma. She employs the same rock and orchestral instrumentation as her previous albums, held together by her ever haunting and virtuosic piano lines, but the sound is richer, darker and more intense. None of the eighteen tracks are ‘filler’ — every song is deeply multi-layered in both melody and lyrics. You may not immediately understand her music, but each time you listen, you’ll fall deeper into Tori’s unique and captivating musical spell. ~Hugh Milligan

4/5 Astronomy Class are back with the coolest, smoothest, most earthy sounding Aussie hip hop album to date. Pursuit of Happiness is a rootsy, grooving album that wears its reggae influences like dreads. Ozi Batla, a member of Astronomy Class, says that they make music for themselves. This feel good album is something you might play while chilling with your close mates. We’ve all heard ‘Where You At?’ on the radio, which is one of the albums more up tempo songs, the rest are more chilled, though never boring. Some favourites are ‘Blood Transfusion’, ‘Pursuit of Happiness’, ‘On Your Mind’, ‘Work’ and the list keeps going. A listening must for any fan of Aussie hip hop music. ~David Long

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

Self Titled Victory

The Temper trap Conditions Liberator

4.5/5 From the opening vocals of singer Dougy Mandagi on ‘Love Lost’, it’s immediately clear that you don’t know The Temper Trap as well as you thought. While their EP was a radiant and energetic shot-in-the-arm of indie power-pop, it was not an indication of what would follow. Clearly the Melbourne-based four piece have reaccessed their direction, opting for far more slick and measured soft rock. It’s original and intriguing songwriting that maintains its edge through out, keeping Mandagi’s lilting and haunting vocals as its focus. Indeed, the vocalist sounds like a DNA experiment between Prince, Robert Plant and Sparkadia’s Alex Burnett. Conditions echoes of the vast, spacious production of fellow soulinspired indie-popsters Tokyo Police Club, TV On The Radio and The Polyphonic Spree. The band have written to the strengths of Mandaghi’s pure, crystal voice, using quite minimalist rhythms for him to float over. ‘Soldier On’ sounds like its haunted by The Rolling Stones or The Animals, before exploding into sustained vocal bursts. Having surpassed all expectation, The Temper Trap’s debut record could prove to be the Australian breakthrough album of the year. For fans of: Prince, Jeff Buckley, Sparkadia, The Cops, Hall & Oates ~Noah Cross

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The Century Of Self Justice/Richter Records

4/5 Known as ‘...AYWKUBTTOD’ or ‘Trail Of Dead’ for short (the latter rolls off the tongue slightly better), this epic rock band from Austin, Texas, has delivered an equally epic sixth studio album. This offering has it all the giant guitar sound of 70s progressive rock, mixed with 90s, Stone Temple Pilots-esque hard rock, and prettier indie moments, with flourishes of piano. Principal songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Conrad Keeley and Jason Reece clearly have a penchant for the diversities of rock, perhaps holding the likes of Led Zeppelin in as high a regard as indie guitar bands like Built To Spill. If you’re looking for rock of mammoth proportions, look no further than the six-minute ‘Halcyon Days’, with its rapid-fire drumming and soaring vocal parts. ‘Luna Park’ has Trail Of Dead wearing their Rolling Stones influences on their sleeves, allowing their distinctive piano sound room to breath. Piano is also the centre piece on the theatrical ‘Insatiable One’. The Century Of Self is an album for rock purists. The elements are kept simple and the songs aren’t over-written. Despite the often relentless arrangements, there’s a lot of spaciousness in the production. If you’ve been waiting for your favourite indie-rock bands to turn the volume up to eleven, then… And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have answered the call. ~Nick Milligan

Chris Cornell Scream Mosley Music Group/ Interscope Records

2.5/5 Anyone who has heard various artists’ collaborations with Timbaland will already have some sort of idea what this album will sound like. The club-inspired backbeats mixed with Cornell’s raspy, hardcore voice create something that is, to say the least, ‘interesting’. Cornell brings his pained sounding vocals and arbitrary lyrics to the table, but when mixed with Timbaland’s unique sounding touch, it creates something that you will either like or hate. With no middle ground, this record may not be for fans of Cornell, but more for fans of Timbaland. ~Ashleigh Gray

Astronomy Class Pursuit Of Happiness Elefant Traks

The Audition 2.5/5 This self-titled release is The Audition’s third studio album and their first release since the departure of founding member and bassist, Joe Lussa. The pop rock outfit has decided to remain a four-piece rather than recruit another member, with rhythm guitarist, Timmy Klepek, now fulfilling the bass duties. The album begins with upbeat songs like ‘The Running Man’ and ‘My Temperature’s Rising’ which immediately assert the strong presence of vocalist, Danny Stevens. Stevens’s vocals are great, and at times he almost sounds like Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. Unfortunately the lyrical content of the album is nonsense, with more than half of the songs repeatedly abusing the word “love”, which can leave the listener sickened with sweetness. A promising album if you don’t mind soppy pop songs. For fans of: Jack’s Mannequin, Maroon 5 ~Dean Joy

Boom Crash Opera

Jeff Buckley Grace Around The World Sony BMG

4.5/5 With the 15th Anniversary of the release of Grace upon us, this new CD/DVD is the motherlode of unreleased live performances. Footage is culled from various in-concert and television sources; it is Jeff Buckley circa 1994-95 we witness. All tracks from Grace bar ‘Corpus Christi Carol’ are represented, including bonus alternate versions and interviews. Along with the visuals is a CD that contains 12 of the songs that appear on the DVD, so whether you are in the car or at home, there is no way to avoid the strength of these songs. Added to all this is Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley, a one hour documentary that includes rare performances, out-takes and interviews. The whole package is truly special. If you are already a fan, this is a must, but if you know someone who is unaware or just doesn’t get Jeff Buckley, convert them with Grace Around The World. For fans of: Tim Buckley, Neil Young ~Kevin Bull

CAMERA OBSCURA My Maudlin Career 4AD/Remote Control

3.5/5 Glasgow indie pop outfit Camera Obscura have created a definite 60s vibe in their latest album, with a slightly washed and faded quality creeping at its edges. This does not detract at all from the relaxed and fluid energy of the songs, best exemplified by the first track and single ‘French Navy’, with Beach Boys beats [and, in later tracks, vocal harmonies to match] and sweeping string lines. The album is dreamy and buoyant for the most part but, oddly enough, not particularly maudlin – there’s not a great deal of emotional depth here. Still, those into laidback pop with a surf-rock streak probably won’t be bothered by this in the slightest. ~Hugh Milligan

Dancing In The Storm

The Devil Wears Prada

Liberation Blue label 3.5/5 During the late 80s and early 90s, Boom Crash Opera were the business. They had great success with both their self -titled debut and the follow up These Here Are Crazy Time, generating a multitude of Top 10 hits. Dancing In The Storm is an acoustic trip through many of their best known songs. The treatment works best when their anthemic tunes are deconstructed. The opening track ‘The Best Thing’, with its distinctive eastern feel is wonderfully executed, and ‘Love Me To Death’ has a brooding quality that is not felt in the studio version. Even the more up-tempo ‘Bettadaze’ and ‘Onion Skin’ work well due to the strength of the songwriting. An added bonus is the MTV Unplugged DVD from 1993. This new release may not convert new fans, but for those who remember, it’s a joyous ride. For fans of: Good Aussie pub rock, 90s style. ~Kevin Bull

With Roots Above and Branches Below Ferret Music

3/5 Drop D guitars. Check. Double-kick drumming. Check. Screaming vocals accompanied by clean vocals. Check. Heavy verses followed by emotional breakdowns. You better believe it. The Devil Wears Prada instantly kicks off to a fast and aggressive start with the opening song ‘Sassafras’, seamlessly running into the next track entitled ‘I Hate Buffering’, to create the illusion of one epic song. The new album, With Roots Above And Branches Below has it all if you enjoy metalcore and the occasional haunting keyboard melody coupled with reverberating guitars. But don’t be fooled by the humorous song titles, the mood of this album is anything but light-hearted with most songs containing some moral or religious inference. For fans of: All That Remains, Vanna ~Dean Joy

album reviews album of the month

Flipper

Dan GRanero

Love/Fight Fuse Music

Can’t Stand To Lose Independent

4/5 San Francisco sludge punks Flipper burst onto the music scene in 1978, abruptly turning heads with a ubiquitous droning sound that was dissimilar to the hardcore/punk blueprint followed at the time. Flipper were admirably valued by respected individuals such as Kurt Cobain and Henry Rollins for their daring approach of “wanting to be bad in ways that no band had ever been bad before”. Love is the quartet’s first studio album since 1993. Vivacious and confronting, with an uninviting bleakness is the approach for ‘Be Good, Child!’, a seditious track with a comparable feel to a Dead Kennedys tune. Fight, a ‘best of’ live release, opens with a mellow semi-humorous proclamation, “We’re a band. Are you an audience?”, setting the tone for Flipper’s ironic lyrical manner present for the duration of the record. ~Nathaniel Try

3.5/5 With a tour schedule that stretches to December, Dan Granero needn’t stress as his latest album Can’t Stand to Lose will benefit listeners on any shore. The album is packed full of bluesy bass lines and lengthy imposing guitar solos, combined with the lyrical content of women and alcohol. His guitar style on the album is reminiscent of early day blues, incorporating a Hendrix feel to much of his playing. The dazzling guitar playing of Granero is matched by his impressive low rusky voice that bellows out; a perfect match for the heavy blues riffs that follow. Although some songs seem typical to the genre, most are delivered with a strong persona and a sense of confidence to his guitar playing. Songs like ‘Can’t Stand to Lose’, ‘My Baby’, ‘Drivin South’ and ‘One of Those Weeks’ displays the talent of Granero at its finest. ~Sean frazer

FRightened Rabbit

Kid Sam

Quietly Now! Fat Cat

Self Titled Two Bright Lakes

4.5/5 This intimately recorded, stripped back, acoustic performance is wonderfully majestic and utterly absorbing. Recorded July 30, 2008 at “The Captain’s Rest” in Glasgow, Scotland, it captures the distilled essence of Frightened Rabbit’s second album, The Midnight Organ Fight. Featuring most of the songs from that album, except the instrumentals ‘Bright Pink Bookmark’ and ‘Extrasupervery’, it’s a showcase for the Selkirk band’s captivating brand of indie folk-pop. Scott Hutchison’s broad Scottish accent gives the recording a traditional folk feel, but his biting and direct lyrics subvert any conservative aspects of the music. The often dark and poetic nature of Hutchison’s words, mixed with his earnest guitar strumming, evoke the immediacy of Mountain Goats mastermind John Darnielle. With surprisingly sweet lines like “You’re the shit and I’m knee deep in it”, “It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm,” and “I’m drunk and you’re probably on pills,” this concert is a treasure trove of lyrical gems. Quietly Now! blossoms with repeated listens, though ‘The Twist’ creates an instant rapour with the listener. For fans of: The Mountain Goats, Snow Patrol, The Decemberists, The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie, Eric Bogle. ~Nick Milligan

4/5 This Melbourne duo’s debut LP is shockingly good. Their 9 track release delivers a refreshingly different style of indie rock, with each track relying primarily on just one guitarist, vocalist and percussionist. The result is a beautifully stripped back yet intense album. The duo writes about politics, love and violence in a tracklist that varies from folk ballads to haunting indie melancholy. Opening track ‘Mirror Drawings’ seems an odd choice for an album starter as it’s both lengthy and slow-paced, but even so it eases the listener into the rest of the album which only gets better. ‘Landslide’ is a definite album highlight, the kind of track to make one close their eyes, tap their fingers and listen as fully as possible. Other highlights include ‘A Black Ant’ and final acoustic track ‘Soft, Grey Rain’. For fans of: Radiohead, Damien Rice ~Eliza Cox

The Fumes Sundancer Kick Music/MGM

4/5 For a two piece, shit they make a hell of a noise. Sundancer is a fire storm of dirty blues and searing guitar. ‘Who Do you Love’ drives along at a frantic pace, and gives a clear indication of what is to follow. The perfect introduction to this set. The piano intro to ‘Slay The Liar’ is a great diversion to the screaming chorus. The blues is all over Sundancer; the intro to ‘The Letter’ and ‘Rogue River Woman’ are perfect examples. The album is well balanced, with the pace and noise pulled back for ‘High City Lights’, ‘Never Gonna Get Back Home’ and the title track, giving the listener time to breathe. However, the highlight for me is the ‘Seven year Itch’ closer; slow blues with keys at its best. This is a wonderful release. ~Kevin Bull

Maximo Park Quicken The Heart Inertia/Warp

3.5/5 The world discovered Maximo Park as a part of the British new-wave invasion. Their angular, sparse debut, A Certain Trigger, resounded with those kids who were no longer cringing about 80’s fashion. The five-piece proved themselves accomplished songwriters with their second album, Our Earthly Pressures, which featured massive guitar parts, urgent tempos and anguished, emotionally charged lyrics. The effect was quite ferocious. Quicken The Heart applies less pressure than its predecessor, but continues to reaffirm their instantly recognisable sound. While influences like XTC are still apparent, the songs have less of an immediate impact. The spurs aren’t kicked in until the fifth track, ‘Calm’, which hits in all the right places. What lets down many of the other tunes, is that the verses feel like generic British pop, and come off sounding way too much like Kaiser Chiefs. When Paul Smith’s vocals punch through in many of the choruses, Maximo Park really hit their stride. ‘Let’s Get Clinical’, with its lyrical hook, “I’d like to map your body out inch by inch, North to South, and I’m free for circumnavigation”, is another stand-out. But

Manic Street Preachers Journal For Plague Lovers SonYBMG

4.5/5 For Manics fans, this ninth studio album is a particularly emotional one. Featuring lyrics that were left behind by the band’s rhythm guitarist, Richey James Edwards, before his mysterious disappearance on February 1, 1995, Journal For Plague Lovers is subsequently shadowed by an eerie presence. Now a cult figure, Edwards was a gifted poet, whose words were always politically and socially charged. It’s safe to assume that singer James Dean Bradfield, bassist Nicky Wire and drummer Sean Moore would not release these lyrics if they didn’t feel their music did them justice. It comes as no surprise then that Journal For Plague Lovers is one of the band’s most accomplished records. It recaptures the challenging, heavy and raw nature of records like The Holy Bible, Gold Against The Soul, and more recently Send Away The Tigers. While they’ve traversed most aspects of pop, rock and glam metal throughout their career, Journal is the band returning to what they do best — brutal, abrasive, uncompromising, melodic rock music with a punk ethos. As with all Manics records, there’s beauty, too. ‘Jackie Collins Existential Question Time’ is rife with hooks that finally grab you on the third listen. It’s also got vintage Edwards lyrical gems like “If a married man fucks a Catholic, and his wife dies without knowing, does that make him unfaithful, people?” and “Oh mummy what’s a sex pistol?” Of course, it wouldn’t be a Preachers album without their trademark use of audio bites from pop culture and political speeches. There’s also a selection of gut-wrenching ballads, orchestrated with the lullaby-like quality that makes their music so diverse. ‘This Joke Sport Severed’ and ‘Facing Page: Top Left’ are amongst the prettiest songs in the trio’s repertoire. The final track, ‘William’s Last Words’, has already been perceived by Manics groupies as Edwards’ suicide note. Wire takes over vocal duties on the song and it’s a farewell that cuts to the core. Showing no signs of slowing down, you get the distinct feeling from this Journal that the Manic Street Preachers’ best work has yet to be written ~Nick Milligan

overall, Quicken The Heart doesn’t deliver what its title suggests. The boys have taken their foot off the accelerator, when perhaps it should have been held to the floor. For fans of: XTC, Kaiser Chiefs, The Young Knives, Dogs Die In Hot Cars ~Noah Cross

Mexico City Brown Bird One Plus Records/Shock

4/5 Brown Bird is Mexico City’s second album. It’s a great mix of garage rock combined with some good elements of country. The vocals are like gravel, the guitar

is dirty and the drums and bass harmonise into one massive instrument. The first song of the album, ‘I Raised An Empire’, is a perfect example of this and begins with a pounding drum and bass line, that is quickly joined by synchronised guitar and vocals. But Brown Bird also exhibits the band’s ability to play mellow tunes with songs like ‘Sometimes I Wonder’, which features dual vocals and guest pianist. Overall Brown Bird is an awesome album. For fans of: Bob Dylan, Dragstrippers, Neil Young ~Dean Joy

The Middle East Recordings of the Middle East Spunk/EMI

4/5 It’s a sad fact that independent bands blossom and fade before major labels pick them up and hoist them before a wide audience. Thank Spunk Records that this was not the case for The Middle East. Gestating for a number of years in the suburbs of North Queensland, in 2008 this indie folk band released these tracks independently on their website. Spunk have very kindly reissued the recording — and who wouldn’t? An earthy floor of acoustic guitars provides a resting place for every track on this minialbum, with sparse but luscious male and female vocals, twirling and tip-toeing across its surface. There’s a child-like, dreamy quality to the orchestration, with musical parts that creep up behind you when you least expect them. The melodies on tracks such as ‘Blood’ and ‘The Darkest Side’, are almost too beautiful to bare, evoking that timeless headspace of artists like Iron and Wine, Softlightes, Sigur Ros, and Firekites. The closing track, ‘Beleriand’, is an epic psych-folk journey, opening with the 70s style rumblings of Crazy Horse, before falling into the echoed darkness of Sigur Ros’ more serene, introspective moments. There are certainly worse fates than being stuck in the Middle. For fans of: Kings Of Convenience, Sufjan Stevens, Firekites, Sigur Ros, Iron and Wine and Softlightes. ~Nick Milligan

New Neighbors New Neighbors Independent

3.5/5 What strikes you about this mini-album from New York’s New Neighbors is its eclectic nature. Each song is a change of gear, but it’s relaxed delivery certainly won’t break any speed limits. Opening with an upbeat Weezer-esque slab of pop-rock, singer songwriter Chris Frank creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere with his versatile vocals and minimal arrangements. He even turns crooner on the slow, laid back ‘Room Project’. Frank then slows the pace even further on the closer, ‘Stay Awake’, a hazy, slow-burner that wafts over sustained organ notes. ‘Candles’ bounds along with warm, Americana instrumentation, like The Hold Steady with the volume turned down a touch. ‘Lines’ is a timeless, indie folk song. Perhaps the greatest success of this collection of songs is to get away with having so many strings on the one bow. With an Australian tour iminent, now is the right time to discover New Neighbors. For fans of: Donavon Frankenreiter, Radiohead, The Whitest Boy Alive, Bon Iver. ~Nick Milligan

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album reviews Feature albums

Silversun Pickups Swoon Warner/ Dangerbird

4.5/5 While Silversun Pickup’s accomplished debut album Carnavas, didn’t make as big a splash in Australia as it deserved, the Silver Lake four-piece had a lot more up their sleeves. Swoon is an epic, with a riveting sonic journey that wraps you in its arms and doesn’t release you till its grunge-laden finale. Brian Aubert’s androgynous, almost-whispered vocals, echo through chaotic layers of sound, peering over walls of buzz-saw, distorted guitars. It captures that amazing balance between ferocity and tranquillity that has become synonymous with dynamic bands such as Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction. This is extremely powerful music and despite it’s clear shoegaze and grunge influences, Swoon is a timeless album. It’s dark and twisted when it needs to be and beautiful when the time is right. Christopher Guanlao’s monstrous drums have a life of their own, making Silversun Pickups a truly deadly beast. Songs like ‘Panic Switch’ and ‘The Royal We’ whip into a fury, with Aubert’s voice as their conductor. ‘It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone’ is an example of the the singer’s directness as a lyricist. ‘Growing Old Is Getting Old’ steals the show, with its dreamy, halcyon-induced, slowbuilding intro and explosive, helterskelter ending. Swoon could be an ironic title, because it feels more like a lustful encounter than a bashful batting of eye lashes. For fans of: Smashing Pumpkins, Manchester Orchestra, Ash, Mew ~ Nick Milligan

Leonard Cohen Live in London Song BMG

5/5 This live release will serve as an emotional and lingering document for those that were fortunate enough to experience Leonard Cohen on his recent world tour. For those that missed him, listening to this superbly recorded set from London’s Wembley 02 Arena could be as painful an experience as it is spell-binding. With a world class band that includes the gorgeous and talented Webb Sisters and long-time collaborator Sharon Robinson, Cohen takes his audience on a mercurial and majestic journey through a vast selection of his best material. The set list includes ‘Dance Me To The End Of Love’, ‘Hallejulah’, ‘I’m Your Man’, ‘The Future’, ‘Tower Of Song’, ‘First We Take Manhattan’, ‘Bird On A Wire’, ‘Anthem’, ‘Sisters Of Mercy’, ‘If It Be Your Will’ and ‘Suzanne’, to name but a few. With two loaded discs, Cohen makes sure that his beloved audience doesn’t miss out on hearing any of his monumental songs. For fans of: Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan, Tom Waits ~ Nick Milligan

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CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND Outer South Spunk/EMI

4/5 It was only ten months ago that Conor Oberst graced us with his magnificent self-titled album. While touring those songs with his backing group, The Mystic Valley Band, he and his fellow musicians were co-writing a new record. Outer South contains not only songs written by Oberst, but also tracks written by members of the Mystic Valley Band. Guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth sings his own song, a sunny piece of Brit-inspired power pop called ‘Air Mattress’. The other tracks are every bit as delightfully laconic and engaging as Oberst’s solo record. It seems, that the songwriter and unique voice behind Bright Eyes is revelling in this fresh, Americana folk-rock endeavour. ‘Ten Women’, which was performed on The Mystic Valley Band’s Australian tour, is an inspired ballad, performed only as Oberst can. With fragile vocals and diction made for storytelling, Oberst’s performance on Outer South is as immediate and engaging as ever. For fans of: Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams. ~ Noah Cross

Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix V2/Shock

3/5 This latest offering from these French indie-pop heartthrobs opens with the bounding leaps that we’ve come to expect — stylish and slick pop that maintains a loose grip on emotional substance. Like its previous efforts, Phoenix’s polished 80’s production can make it hard to sink your teeth into. However, the occasional melodic hook and the sporadic choruses that lift into a wonderful anathema, redeems the four-piece’s songwriting prowess. Phoenix take a dark turn on the fourth track, ‘Love Like A Sunset Pt. 1’, a Depeche Mode-esque instrumental that builds with a simple, repetitive keyboard, acoustic guitar and walls of fuzz. This could be the influence of producer Philipe Zdar, who is one half of Cassius. Once the instrumental morphs into ‘Love Like A Sunset Pt. 2’ (which has vocals), you quickly reassess your view of Phoenix. The last half of the record is as inoffensive as the first. This fourth studio album is undeniably catchy (check out ‘Lasso’), and certainly won’t offend your grandmother. Perhaps someone just needs to piss these guys off — or take them out partying with The Teenagers. For fans of: Vampire Weekend, The Temper Trap. ~ Noah Cross

Red Riders Drowned In Colours Ivy League

4/5 If Red Riders’ debut record Replica Replica, was the outline of a striking tattoo, then this second effort is a return from the tattooist with all the colours inked in. While spacious production is again a defining aspect of the Red Riders’ studio recordings, the guitars are less urgent and manic. The group has instead opted for a more mature, considered and refined sound that chooses beauty over venom. This is largely due to a change in personnel — Brad Heald, of The Vines, has officially replaced departed guitarist Adrian Deutsch. Opener ‘Today/

Tomorrow’ kicks off in a ball of fury before bursting into flower with beautiful, sparkling guitar parts. It’s fuelled with sizzling energy, but aims for the heart as much as the hips. ‘Ordinary’ has a jangled Smiths’ influence that is shimmering and dreamy. Whilst they’re careful not to tread in the footprints of fellow Sydney-siders Mercy Arms, Red Riders have clearly acknowledged the intrinsically Australian atmosphere of groups such as The Go-Betweens, The Church and The Triffids. This is an extremely mature and accomplished release from one of Australia’s most impressive rock bands. For fans of: Mercy Arms, The Smiths, Expatriate, The Cure, and The Triffids. ~ Noah Cross

The Red Shore Lost Verses Stomp Entertainment

4.5/5 Triumphing through tragic times that would have ended many bands, Melbourne based extreme metal quintet The Red Shore use Lost Verses as the next chapter in their existence. Lost Verses, breathes new life to the five songs from their 2006 debut EP, Salvaging What’s Left, and a number of B-sides that didn’t make the cut for last years maiden full length, Unconsecrated. The first TRS release containing no vocals from deceased, former front man Damien Morris, and therefore proves that founding band member Jamie Hope had the ability to fill those very large shoes left in Morris’ wake. In ‘Effigy of Death’, Hope supplies the deepest of guttural growls contrasted with blood curdling high pitch shrieks, making sure his group is well outside the accepted mediocrity that Australian metal has provided in recent years. ~ Nathaniel Try

Ben Riddle The Bright Side Independent

4/5 Anyone that had the privilege of seeing Newcastle band The Zeal Room, will already be aware of Ben Riddle’s vocal gift. Now based in the sunny suburbs of Melbourne, Riddle continues to write music as a solo artist. His angelic voice can be compared to some of the modern greats like Thom Yorke and Gotye, and is served well by stripped back acoustic orchestration. ‘Moon’ feels like a lullaby that Elliott Smith may have written in one of his more whimsical moments. ‘Going Nowhere’ wafts with a Josh Pyke quality, aided by its nautical theme, while ‘It’s True It’s You’ reaches an emotional high that Ben Lee may have been aiming for when he wrote ‘Cigarettes Will Kill You’. The moving ‘After All’ is so breathtaking that you never want it to end. The Bright Side never turns into cheap sentimentality, and is clearly the work of a songwriter who has a lot to be happy about. It’s a romantic experience. For fans of: Elliott Smith, Lior, Radiohead. ~ Nick Milligan

ST. VINCENT Actor 4AD/Remote Control

4.5/5 St. Vincent [aka American singer/ songwriter Annie Clark] has described the tracks of her sophomore album as “technicolour animatronic rides.” After hearing the complex, idiosyncratic and at times disturbing tones of Actor, you’ll be

inclined to agree; Clark, ‘acting’ through various characters, explores decidedly morbid territory. The album seems to have drawn heavily on songs such as ‘Your Lips Are Red’ from her previous album – jarred and dirty riffs awash with conflicted musical colours, punctuated by almost theatrical moments of orchestration. Tracks like ‘The Strangers’ and ‘Black Rainbow’ will catch you off guard as lush orchestral lines are suddenly perverted by distorted electric guitars. As rides go, this album is definitely a wild one. ~ Hugh Milligan

Jenny Wilson Hardships! Rabid/etcetc

4/5 The second solo release by Sweden’s Jenny Wilson is not your average pop album. It plays out like a series of narratives, delivered in the singer’s quirky vocals and underpinned by body percussion and simple piano exclamations. Nigh a capella introductions develop into gutsy and soulful choruses, each with their own eccentric force – for example, the dreamy and surreal fairytale origin of ‘The Path’ and the pulsedriven ‘Pass Me The Salt’, with backing vocals that sound like hungry cats. Bold and catchy with an absurd edge that renders it memorable, Hardships! is crazy and compelling pop. Oh, those nutty Swedes. ~ Hugh Milligan

Wolf and Cub Science and Sorcery Dot Dash

3.5/5 Wolf and Cub, the psychedelic rockers from Adelaide latest offering comes 3 years after their debut album Vessals. In that time they have been busy touring the world and supporting bands such as The Killers, Queens of the Stone Age Wolfmother and Primal Scream, too busy in fact to record anything other that singles, masquerading as EPs with unpalatable remix fillers inserted. This latest album has the band turning 90 degrees in sound by employing hip hop producer Bumblebeez, aka Chis Colonna, to take the band into uncharted territories. The result is a cut and paste version of the band’s solid live performances, twisted, remodelled, reviewed and resurfaced into this album. Fans may not take too easily to this new pastiche, but many new fans will be garnered. The album was recorded not in Sydney, Melbourne or New York, but in humble rural Braidwood in NSW, an hour from anywhere. This gave the guys the seclusion necessary to craft their new songs, and probably reminded them of their hometown of Port Augusta in South Australia. The songs are strong, and the two drummers push the beat along at break neck speed. The guitar is shrill and clean, and the bass is functional and precise. Unfortunately, the producer has seen fit to put in an overabundance of cheap sounding synths and extra terrestrial sounds that you would expect to hear from Star Trek circa 1969. You will either love in or hate it; I find it gets in the way of well written songs. The slow burning tracks, ‘Hearts’, ‘Loosest of Gooses’, ‘Restless Son’, and ‘One To The Other’ are the stand out tracks. Altogether a brave album, showing glimpses of the power and potential only seen at their live gigs. For fans of: Tame Impala, The Doors, Truth Ruby ~ Terry Farrelly

what’s on this month — from 9pm

Wed 3rd Fri 5th Sat 6th Wed 10th Fri 12th Sat 13th Wed 17th Fri 19th Sat 20th Wed 24th Fri 26th Sat 27th

DJ $tyle Get Swanky DJ Micky P DJ $tyle Phonic DJ Twiggz DJ MitchMix Crush 4 Miss A DJ Micky P DJ MItchMix Misbehave DJ Twiggz

wednesday nights — wii comp Wednesday nights Free to enter $100 to win

all week specials • Pockitpal deal for the uni students • $9 jugs of beer all week • $6 xox chargers on Wednesday only

189 Hunter St, Newcastle NSW 2300

(02) 4929 1027

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Arts Projects Australia and Adelaide Festival Centre’s CentreStage program present

Canada

CLE TA C E P S T N E IC IF N G A M “A WHICH LEAVES US BREATHLESS”

circus as you’ve never seen it before!

Le Devoir. Montreal

“rent meets cirq ue du soleil”

The Washington Post

Design: Adelaide Festival Centre

> > > > > > Photography © OCDPhoto

HIGH ENERGY

POETIC

HUMOROUS

EXPLOSIVE

SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES Co-production: Centre National des Arts Ottawa With the support of: Conseil des Arts et des Lettres Quebec; Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; TOHU

July 29 – August 1 civic131theatre newcastle BOOK AT 246 adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au box office 4929 1977 or visit www.civicprecinctnewcastle.com.au

karl broadi e — troy ca s s e r - dal e y

out on a limb Karl Broadie admits he’s a complete paradox: intensely private yet at the same time willing to reveal his deepest emotions through his music. Kevin Bull caught up with Broadie to discuss his latest release, Branches.

Your fourth release appears to have been created from a little cottage industry, with yourself, Craig Ross and Simone Pain producing all the sounds, artwork and photography. Has it been an enjoyable experience to get Branches to the public? It really has. I’d like to think it will be enjoyable for a good while yet too. It’s a shame when new records have a ‘date’ attached to them which gives them a shelf life. Let’s see if I can’t sustain this one’s shelf life a bit. Does all the hard work start up again now that it’s time to promote and support the release? It’s a different sort of hard work, but yes. I think creativity is at the other end of the spectrum from album promotions. Both can be fun but goes without saying, making the album is hard work that none of us mind. The production has a subtle quality, understated when compared to your previous release One Million Emeralds. Was this a conscious decision?

Yes. It was not a decision that was made because we wanted the album to be different to Emeralds, rather to serve this batch of songs as well as we could. Craig Ross chose this approach and I was happy to trust him all the way! You have embraced country music on Branches, demonstrated by slide guitar, and the organ on ‘Thorn’. Do you see yourself as country? I don’t think so, but I am a big fan of country music, especially the old-timey, rootsy kind. I’m also glad to be amongst all the good people in the country music scene in Australia. Glad they like what I do even if it only hints at ‘country’ music now and then. Do your Scottish roots impact on your music? Yeah, I think mostly in my writing though. I get a real fiery, tingly feeling when a celtic melody or similar arrives in my songwriting. I also draw on childhood for my writing and of course all the imagery in my mind, from those times, is from Scotland.

‘Sight For Sore Eyes’ is such a touching and personal love song, looking on one’s failings and the strength a loved one gives. I hope that this was written for someone special, and that many lamb roasts came your way? It was written for someone special, but being a vegetarian, no small, innocent animals were harmed as a result of me writing that song. Is it difficult to write a successful love song? I can’t really view songwriting in degrees of ease, or difficulty. I’m pretty sure you just either nail it… or you don’t. Wish I could go pick them from trees sometimes. I love

Your new record I Love This Place has just been released — are you happy with how it turned out? Yeah, I had a picture for this record. Being a co-producer on it as well is the first time I’ve done that, and that was like swinging out of a tree for me, it was like bizarre! Having to be that prepared to go in and start a record is something I’ve never had before. I normally get in there with lots of sheets of paper and guitars that needed re-stringing and all that. But I actually felt more prepared this time around than I think I’ve ever been for a record and with that it came out exactly the way I thought it would, even better to the point of getting some surprises. I was pleasantly surprised with a lot of them. Would you say this is your favourite album? Yeah it is! I know you probably get people saying that about every record they release, but this one is just… happy. I don’t think I’ve ever written a happy album. There’s been other melancholy style records that I’ve made but I just find there’s a happiness in this one that does reflect my life the way it is right now, which I haven’t really written about before. What inspires you when writing music? It started at home with my kids. They started

the whole ball rolling with things, I started writing about them. And I had a bit of a fight with my wife one afternoon…(laughs)… and I wrote this make-up song and that was the start of the record. (laughs). ‘I Love You’ the song’s called, it’s pretty heart-on-the-sleeve stuff. But it was interesting to see how that song came about. It was the make-up song that started the process of making this record. It was a positive song and I think everything I wrote after that started to follow suit. In your lyrics you’re very open and honest about how you feel. Do you think that makes you vulnerable? I think I’ve been through my vulnerable times. I think it’s just more of a celebration of where you’re at and I like that. I’ve worn my heart on my sleeve with different songs over the years and sometimes you pay the price of that too, you know. But I don’t feel as vulnerable now. What I am feeling now is happy with my lot in life, and it’s nice to be able to write about that. You participated in the Victorian Sound Relief concert to help victims of Victoria’s bushfires. Do you do a lot of charity work? Yeah we were raising money for an incredible cause, something that hopefully we never see again. We try and sneak in and do stuff when we can. I like doing school visits. I think that there should be more kids encouraged to do music for a living. If we don’t do that, we won’t have another generation of kids coming through wanting to be as passionate about guitars and song writing as we all are now, and I’d like to see more of that encouraged. I think

You are playing Lizotte’s in Kincumber, June 7, and you are a bit of a regular there. Tell me about your experiences of playing Lizotte’s? I’ve had so many good nights there. With good friends on and off stage. I remember back before I had played at Lizotte’s and hoping I’d get the chance sometime. It is a good feeling to be considered a regular at such a great venue. My pick would have to be opening for Patty Griffin there in 2007 — a very special night.

takes photos of native birds. So, if they find something in their lives that give them purpose — it mightn’t necessarily be music — I don’t mind, I’m happy to just back them all the way.

Country smile Returning to with his seventh studio album, I Love This Place, Troy Cassar-Daley took time to talk with Ashleigh Gray about his new album, his life, and how he’s the happiest he’s ever been.

writing songs though and I enjoy writing love songs — the real kind.

more kids should see music as being a passport, and not as a chore. Your passport to the world! Who inspired you at the beginning? A lot of the early acts I listened to were really traditional country people like Slim Dusty, but I was heavily into the old American stuff like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, George Jones, all these people. They influenced not only my musical taste but my life a bit too. Because I was brought up in this single parent setup where every song that I heard tended to tell my story in a way, and I related to that and I found a bit of a home in that old traditional country. Do you hope that your kids will follow in your footsteps and become musicians in their own right? Look I just want them to follow what they feel passionate about. My little girl’s really passionate about creative writing. My little fella is really passionate about nature and he

How was your experience of the reality show, It Takes Two? I loved it! I didn’t want to do it at first. It wasn’t the fact that it was reality television, I just didn’t think I’d really have what it takes to get in there and pull off the different genres; there was dancing classes, I just felt totally out of my comfort zone. I remember talking to Ian Moss about it when he did the series. He said that they were asked to do this ad break where they’ve had to dance and sing to Rocky Horror. And when I turned the TV on… he wasn’t even there! He’d gone to the toilet and got out of it! But, in all honesty, I embraced it because it was fun and I needed a challenge. I felt I’d plateaud a little bit with regards to pushing myself. So for a person who has never heard you play or heard your music, how would you describe this album? Why should they listen to it? If there’s one thing that I got from writing this record was a light at the end of the tunnel. That’s what I got. It wasn’t intentional but it gave me a bit of hope writing this record. It gave me some confidence back in my writing, it gave me the confidence to go and be a coproducer which I really didn’t think I’d do. I think what else it gave me was just a different take on music and I never thought that this far down the line I would feel that, that “reinvention” thing. But I felt it this time, I don’t know why. It gave me an open door to somewhere new, and I hope it will take the listener on the same path too. Troy plays the Belmont 16ft Sailing Club, August 22. Visit troycassardaley.com.au for more information about the tour. reverb maga z i ne i ss u e # 0 3 5 — j u ne 2 0 0 9

cog mi x tap e — talking s hop

the cog mixtape Rat Race Bob Marley I remember this song from the surfing movie Tubular Swells when I was young and it’s stuck with me ever since. I’m The Slime Frank Zappa I heard this track on vinyl when I was around 13. I couldn’t believe my ears and the voice that was coming out of the speakers. Another Brick In the Wall Pink Floyd It was a track we’d play in the playground at school. When the song really sank into my mind, I just quit school. 1983 A Merman I Should Turn To be, Moon turn the tides Gently Away Jimi Hendrix I think this it’s one/two of the best pieces ever written. I get goose bumps when I hear it. The Place Kevin Borich [my father] I love this song for its dirty blues riff and I used to practice to this song all the time when I was a youngster. I still play it live with him now! Not Even Jail Interpol It reminds me of my family and what’s to come. Walking on the Moon The Police It’s a track I played to death when younger and it made me play the way I play today.

Jesus Christ Pose Soundgarden This takes me back to the Big Day Out when they played. I couldn’t believe the sound and power that was flying through me.

When The Levee Brakes Led Zeppelin It’s one of the best drum tracks ever put down on tape. Any drummer will tell you that if they have any real drumming heart beat.

Deb’s Night Out Shihad Killer track — this puts me in a good head space. Cog will be playing Newcastle Panthers, June 12, and Entrance Leagues Club, June 14

Profiling music industry professionals with Jess henderson

Talking shop This month’s industry pro is Mushroom Group Promotions’ Fenella Davidson. Who do you work for? I work for a company called Mushroom Group Promotions that looks after the PR across four independent record labels, [Ivy League, Liberation, Liberator and Illusive] and an international touring company [Frontier Touring]. Current position title? National Publicity and Promotions Manager — Print. How long have you been in this position? For nearly two-and-a-half years. What are the main responsibilities of your position? I look after what we call in the industry, print long leads [ie. Those publications that are monthly, bi-monthly or even quarterly]. So my job is to keep these magazines informed of what artist albums, singles, DVDs and tours we are planning, and making sure every opportunity of exposure is covered. This means a lot of planning ahead; for example, when an album is being released, I need to be working with magazines up to three months in advance of when it gets into the shops, as that is how far in front some publications are scheduling stories. I also look after the daily newspapers based in NSW and ACT and they have a much faster turn around. I spend a lot of my time on the phone pitching artist interviews to publications and so it is important I have good 32

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relationships with music journalists and editors. They can be hard to pin down! Also, an understanding of every magazine’s demographics is essential. It means I can offer opportunities to them with relevant artists who will appeal to their readership. There’s no point pitching a hard rock act to a country based magazine! How did you get involved in the industry? I have always loved music, and seeing as I can’t sing or play an instrument I decided I wanted to work in the industry quite early on. I started working in dance nightclubs, got a work experience place with a company that booked DJs and tours in the UK. The club started its own dance label, and from there I met a lot of industry people and managed to swing a job at a major label. Proudest moment? In this job, having breakfast with Sting was pretty cool. I thought I was having a meeting with his Tour Manager, but he rocked up and was really down to earth — I was a bit overwhelmed! And I always have a sense of pride when I have worked closely with an Australian artist through their album release — like recently when Josh Pyke’s current album went Gold, I felt really proud, as he truly deserves it. One of the hardest working people I know and a lovely guy! Is there anyone you would really like to

meet [living or dead]? Eminem [living], Kurt Cobain [dead] Best live show you’ve been to? Too hard to just say one, so since I have worked here my highlights are: 2007 — Arctic Monkeys 2008 — Justin Timberlake 2009 — Kings of Leon/Sound Relief Favourite venue? Enmore Theatre Favourite musical instrument? Anything with strings [cheat answer, I know!] Who should we be listening to? The Temper Trap — debut album Conditions out in June, it’s awesome! What would be on your ultimate rider? Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters Best way to spend a Sunday morning? Sleeping in, breakfast in bed, dog walking and hanging with my fella. Any advice for people trying to break into the industry? Network, do internships, go out a lot, get your face seen — be prepared to make coffee, sweep the floors, whatever it takes. I believe if you want something enough you have the power to make it happen.

dino s aur jr

Walking the earth If you were shocked by the reformation of Dinosaur Jr’s original line-up and their subsequent ‘comeback album’ Beyond, then their amazing new record will blow your mind. 25 years after their debut, the powerhouse rock trio show no signs of extinction. Noah Cross caught up with drummer, Emmett ‘Murph’ Murphy III. This original line-up of Dinosaur Jr famously split in 1989. Now that you three are back together, do you all get along? Things are good! We feel more like brothers now that we’re out there doing our thing. In the beginning we felt at odds and there was as lot of uncertainty and clashes of personality and opinions. Now we’re a lot more on the same page. How did the recording of your new album, Farm, compare to the other records that you, J Mascis [guitar, vocals] and Lou Barlow [bass] have made together? This was totally different. On Beyond, that was more like a reunion record. We wanted to do it, but we also felt like it was an obligation. We recorded it over a period of seven months in between touring. It was hard to get a sense of what that record was until it was finalised and we could listen to it. Farm was done more traditionally. We had three months in the studio to bang out the songs. Drums are usually done first. Some days I was learning songs in the morning and tracking them by the afternoon. It was really pumping along. It was more highly focused. As a result I really enjoy Farm. I don’t normally listen to records that I play on, because I’m going to be playing them so much anyway.

monster truck . “Dinosaur Jr is the ult imate It’s got the biggest wheels, s.” the biggest engine and it roar But I’m really into Farm. I’ve been sitting at home at night and listening to it. It’s fresh sounding. What do you think you would have thought of Farm had someone played it to you in the early days of Dinosaur Jr? I know I personally would have been like, “Wow, this is amazing.” I was the guy that was pushing toward more rock, more production and better sound quality. I was definitely the guy that waited for this to happen. What are the differences in the sound of Dinosaur Jr now compared to your first three albums? Is there more maturity there? Definitely. J’s always had a formula — we’ve all had a formula. Like anything, if you do something long enough you are going to perfect it. It’s a nice feeling. Is J Mascis still the major songwriter or is there more collaboration these days?

It’s not so much collaboration, but interpre tation. J is now more willing to let [Lou and I] interpret something. In the beginning, things had to be done a certain way. Now I feel more comfortable doing a certain kind of drum fill and Lou is more comfortable throwing in a bass line. Now J will say, “Ok, that’s cool.” In the old days he would just say, “No, it’s not going to work that way.” These days he’s much more flexible and open to interpretation.” Is that because J has mellowed with age? I think it’s a combination of age and also the fact that he got married to a really amazing woman and had a baby. He also began following a spiritual leader named Ammachi, about ten years ago. He’s literally been to India about five times. Once you go to India, it breaks down every barrier. You have no choice but to see life differently. I think [his mellowness] is a combination of all these things. You’ve played in other bands, most notably

The Lemonheads. What’s unique about playing in Dinosaur Jr? There’s a certain power and velocity [in Dinosaur Jr] that I’ve never experienced in any other situation. Dinosaur Jr is the ultimate monster truck. It’s got the biggest wheels, the biggest engine and it roars. Nothing compares to it. You realise that you’re a part of a really big engine. It feels good. Why did you call the album Farm? J just came up with ‘Farm’. We’re from Amherst, Massachusetts, and it’s a real farm community. It’s a very small town. When you drive around you literally see a lot of working farms and people on tractors. We’ve always had consistent themes of cows and small-town, pokey images. It made sense to call it Farm. What do you see as the highlight of all your years in Dinosaur Jr? There’s many things, but I guess I would have to say just being here now, going through everything we went through and arriving at the place we are now. That’s the most powerful thing, and it’s what I think about. I’m blown away by the fact that we could make this happen again and not only pull it off, but make it true to form. Farm is out now through Liberation. reverb maga z i ne i ss u e # 0 3 5 — j u ne 2 0 0 9

fa s hion — photography by K ri s ty B radford

Next Exit Far left — Saint Augustine Academy dress shirt $210, Saint Augustine Academy skinny tie $50, NCAC black denim $139. left — Illionaire lost look frock $324, LS Clothing trench coat $170, NCAC denim $139. below left — Illionaire take flight dress $330. Below — Tuesday Night Band Practice jacket $240, NCAC denim $139.

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fa s hion — photography by K ri s ty B radford

Above — Popissue sexy-feeling dress $198. above right — [Dan] Popissue love in pain tee $94, [Josie] Popissue dreamer tee $94. right — Illionaire lost look frock $324, LS Clothing trench coat $170, NCAC denim $139. Far right — Saint Augustine Academy cowl neck tee $110.

Photography by Kristy Bradford Hair & make-up by Wade Ambler Models: Josie from Scene Models, Dan All clothing supplied by Who’s Yoko? 78 King St, Newcastle. Phone 4929 2432

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g e n e ral motoring

For the Zed-heads The Nissan PR bloke’s face was a picture of utter misery after the brand new 370-Z he was demoing lunched its clutch in an attempted acceleration test down an airport runway. The surface was grippy, sharp, metal-chipped tarmac designed for biting into airplane tyres. Obviously, the 370-Z couldn’t cope with that amount of grip. Few cars could. It was accompanied by the retching stink of burning clutch friction plate and the engine screaming into the nose bleed range. The beast wasn’t playing fair and sat there revving its tits off. Not to be thwarted, out comes another new 370-Z. Same thing happened — fried its clutch on the line and was put on the back of a flatbed… nighty-night. With their third attempt came success because this time around, the Nissan crew rolled out one of the new seven-speed autos — no clutch to fry and plenty of grunt to get it off the line quickly. The auto went like a shot out of a gun down the runway where it put away a 0-100kph sprint in the mid five-second bracket — pretty good for a car that has until now been more for cruisin’ rather than bruisin’. This is the latest version of the Zed-car and holds true to the original formula — well, almost. Like the first 240-Z going back 40 years this year, it’s a front engine, rear driver with a six cylinder engine and sexy, low-slung styling. The new one certainly has a lot in common with the previous 350-Z especially in looks 36

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reviewed Nissan 370-Z reviewed by Peter Douglas despite being totally new and smaller overall. Put the two side by side and the differences stand out like dogs balls. It’s better looking from every angle, has a more aggressive stance, higher pouncing front end, angry boomerang head- and tail lights and a stunning profile. This time around, Nissan has tried to cut some beef off the Zed and succeeded only to lose out when it was decided to put more stuff on it luxury stuff I mean. The net result is a modest 15kg saving. Better than nothing. The 370 sports aluminium body panels on the bonnet, doors and tail gate and there is plenty of the lightweight metal underneath in the suspension and other bits and pieces. Because it’s shorter, wider, smaller and lighter, the 370 has an edge in the ride and handling department and thankfully, better design provides more room inside despite a shorter wheelbase. Gone is the dumb-arsed strut brace between the rear suspension towers that mean’t you couldn’t take luggage of any size in the 350-Z. The 370’s brace moves down behind the seats. Oh, and is gets a glove box this time round, too. There’s only one version specced up to ‘track’ standard of the 350. That means all the

good bits such as large diameter multi-piston brakes, 18-inch alloys, Bose audio, DVD driven satnav and climate control air are all included in the price which starts at $67,990 for the six-speed manual. Add a couple for the sevenspeed paddle shift auto. The 350’s Tokyo taxi interior is gone, replaced by something a whole lot slicker with a luxury, technical look including the instrument binnacle in front of the driver. Everything is better, the multi-function wheel, console layout and look, dash material, seats, door linings, latches and the overall finish. Big tick for Nissan. But this car is about the drive as much as it’s about the look. And let me tell you, the drive won’t disappoint. First thing you notice is the responsive steering — I am talking rapid-fire here. No winding on some lock and aiming in the general direction. Move it a mil’ or two and it flicks to where you want. Almost intuitive. You’ve got to spool up to it especially at speed. And the ride is just as impressive — not super hard to rattle your cage but firm enough to maintain control at high speed around corners and still gobble up the kilometres in relative comfort — rough roads included.

The engine is a 3.7-litre, naturally aspirated V6 with 245kW/363Nm output and it’s a raucous beast once you get over 5000rpm. Bellows like a bull in rooting season. But it gets up especially with the seven-speed auto. The variable valve lift and valve timing system no doubt help. We saw 10.0 litres/100km average without trying too hard. I thought I’d never say this, but the automatic is the better drive in this instance. I loved the big paddles fixed to the steering column — down on the left, up on the right. And it snaps them through real quick… bang, bang, bang. There’s a cool synchro-rev function that automatically blips the throttle on downchanges fitted to the manual and the auto. Some of the weight went in safety kit with the 370 scoring six air bags and ESP among other life saving and crash avoidance technology. Our test drive was a good one that included some sections of the Classic Adelaide Rally so we didn’t hold back. The Zed-car did it easily, made us look like champions and we got out of it ready for more action. That’s got to be a good thing in a sports coupé that offers the performance and handling of the new 370-Z.

THE TEMPER TRAP

Weird science Our boys from Melbourne, The Temper Trap, are being noticed internationally, which is confirmed by their solid European tour schedule. David Long talks to drummer Toby Dundas about music and working with a world-class producer. The Temper Trap have been labelled, with one of those mundane clichés, as the next big thing in the rock music industry. Though one listen to their latest track ‘Science of Fear’, or any of their back catalogue for that matter, and it’s clear that they are deserving of that title. The Temper Trap’s music is fresh, unique, atmospheric and sometimes just plain amazing. Dougy Mandagi’s vocals cut through the music like a fish through water, while the layered guitars and instruments provide a juicy wall of sound. Latest single ‘Science of Fear’ demonstrates that this can be a powerful weapon when in full force, or can be as intricate as weave work when need be.

After multiple attempts at arranging an interview time, a date is finally set that suits what is obviously a very busy band. Curious, I ask Dundas, the band’s drummer, what he thinks has kept the band together and how they’ve achieved such recognition. “We practice a lot,” responds Dundas, sincerely. “I’ve played in other bands before and we’d only practice once a week or once every couple of weeks. But from the start (with Temper Trap) we’ve practiced three or four times a week, so it gives you a lot of time to get your head around your instrument and practice your song writing.” “The second biggest factor is that we really get along. So it makes spending all that time in a practice room, and being stuck in a van driving around Australia, that much easier when you can all have a laugh at each other,” Dundas tells me. Most of the band have known each other and been friends for a very long time, some since school. Any Temper Trap fan will be acquainted with Mandagi’s unique voice, as he has a falsetto reminiscent of Bono, and quite a powerful bellow when in full swing. I ask Dundas if the band’s music is written to support this, “It’s definitely the key to the sound. Some of our songs kind of vary, or are stylistically a little bit different to the main body of work, but I think that Dougy’s voice is the thing that kind of glues it all together.” The Temper Trap have been lucky enough to be spotted and picked up by British producer Jim Abbiss, who is best known for his work with The Arctic Monkeys. The lads couldn’t believe their luck. “Obviously he’s resume speaks for itself,” Dundas said, “so we were really excited to be working with someone of that caliber. Particularly given that we’re a nothing band from Australia. To have someone like Jim to come out to Australia and work with us was really exciting, but at the same time there was

“...we’ve definitely made an effort to add a lot more layers and try and give the songs more depth.”

definitely expectations and nerves on our behalves of wanting to come up with something good and hope that he would be able to put his mark on it as well.” Dundas says technical difficulties helped ease that pressure once they entered the studio. “It was a strange situation because we were all feeling that pressure, but when we got into the studio a lot of things started to go wrong on the technical side. So it kind of took the pressure off us, because the focus was on the fact that the studio was falling apart a little bit. Which I guess cost us a lot of time but it probably did take our minds off that pressure.” The boys had a lot of time to do their own editing on the songs before Abbiss got to Australia, though once there he started to pull his producing prowess out of the hat. Dundas explains “He has a real knack for getting the sound right at the source. You’d work for hours just getting a guitar sound right, or getting the drums to sound a particular way for each song.” Abbiss had more tricks up his sleeve. “Once we started recording the song, he’s got a real knack for kind of…capturing that x-factor that you sometimes get in a recording,” says the drummer. Dundas agrees that Abbiss got a something out of the band that they didn’t know was there. “Listening back to recordings of other things we’ve done, or even listening to demo versions of the same song… yeah he definitely pulled performances from us that I don’t think any of us expected.” This was especially so for Mandagi’s vocals. “Him and Dougy worked really closely on the vocal takes, and I think you can really hear the care and attention to detail that they put in.” Dundas explains the musical changes the band has made in the past couple of years. “The EP that we put out in 2007 was much more simple and straight forward. In the past

few years we’ve definitely made an effort to add a lot more layers and try and give the songs more depth. That’s musically and lyrically. I know Dougy spends a lot of time writing the lyrics and coming up with vocal melodies, so we spend a lot of time coming up with little bubbly parts on the computer, or seeing how we could change a guitar part into some kind of synth sound or something. Just playing around to see how they work out,” Dundas explains. This approach just might be what gives The Temper Trap their modern sound that suits the times so much more than a raw band. In fact, Dundas tells me he is influenced by a lot of drum and bass, techno, electronic music — some of which has made its way into the album. Despite having a major record deal with Liberation, The Temper Trap remain genuine and sincerely nice people. And even though their next couple of months boast an impressive European and UK tour schedule, Dundas is proud to admit the band’s favorite gig to date was at home. “It was at the Corner, and in Melbourne it’s kind of an iconic venue. To play there and sell it out, it’s one of those little things that when you go and see bands there, you’re like wow it would be amazing to play here. So that show was really special, and being our last show in Australia for a while, all our family and friends were there as well, so there was a great vibe in the room that night and it was really fun.” Conditions is out now through Liberation.

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Live reviews FRENZAL RHOMB Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Saturday April 25, 2009

Frenzal Rhomb

Nancy Vandal got the crowd grooving early, with their infectious style of ska meets punk. The Sydney based ‘devil worshipping’ quintet were great, offering excellent crowd involve ment, entertaining on stage gimmicks, and a set that had an appropriate length. Largely, it seemed, the band was of most interest to long term fans, who congregated up the front, chanting along to tunes such as ‘Quite Partial to Rock’ and ‘Budgewoi’. Nancy Vandal reached their career high point in the mid to late 90’s, and was their first tour since 2003. Strolling on to stage in his trademark three quarter shorts and dreadlocks of a comparable length, Frenzal Rhomb vocalist Jay Whalley informed the crowd,“We’ll play five songs, then we’ll have a chat.” And so it began, just as planned. With almost two years past since their last tour, the comfortable quartet demonstrated why they remain the country’s preferred punk rock pranksters by executing their jams with enviable precision. Jay used a mid set breather to notify the rowdy punters that he would soon become a father. In comic Frenzal Rhomb fashion, this became an invitation for guitarist Lyndsay McDougall to joke that drummer Gordy Foreman was Jay’s partner. ‘Ship of Beers’, ‘Ball Chef’, ‘Never Had So Much Fun’ and ‘Punch In The Face’ were just a few of the many hymns provided by a band who lay claim to an entourage of tunes near impossible to number. I would gladly give $50 to any individual in attendance who could honestly say they weren’t blissfully satisfied. Labelling this Frenzal Rhomb outing as ‘good’ or even ‘outstanding’ is a blatant understatement. On this occasion the experienced ensemble were flawless. ~Nathaniel Try. Image: Kevin Bull

Eagles Of Death metal Luna Park Big Top, Sydney Saturday April 25, 2009

Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes — Eagles Of Death Metal

Opening for the Eagles of Death Metal was Kram, of Spiderbait fame, bringing his solo effort to the stage. Whilst his new album has some great songs on it, it just did not seem to translate well live. He was swapping 38 r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 5 — j u n e 2 0 0 9

instruments and having dramas with back tracks, causing long pauses between songs. I had expected more from such a seasoned muso; I am guessing it was more to do with lack of preparation rather than his talent. It was not all bad. He ended the set with his hit song ‘Silk Suits’, which was polished and tight, leaving the Big Top warmed up for the dancefest to follow. From the moment Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes and his band walk out onto the stage, it becomes one big rock’n’roll party. Eagles of Death Metal’s tunes are some of the best riff heavy, disco infused rock written in recent years, so it was great to see that they can pull it off live. Jesse is very much the showman and he pulls out every rock move in the book – his energy is infectious, and had just about every punter dancing along. Then there is his sexed up and hilarious, between song banter, which further adds to the appeal. The set list was a smorgasbord of hits from the past 3 albums, with highlights being ‘Wanna Be in LA’, ‘Anything ‘Cept the Truth’, ‘I Got A Feeling’ and ‘I Want You So Hard’. Also thrown into the mix was a rocked up version of ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’ and a brilliant cover of the Rolling Stones’, ‘Brown Sugar’. All in all, a very entertaining show from a band who don’t take themselves too seriously, love what they do and have a great time sharing it with the rest of us. ~ Mark Snelson

Glenn Hughes Gaelic Club, Sydney Sunday April 26, 2009

Glenn Hughes

Recently, our shores were graced by the musical enigma that is Glenn Hughes. Glenn’s Australian tour was a brief affair consisting of only three shows. Fortunately, Sydney’s Gaelic club in Surry Hills was one the venues that got treated to a full dose of the Glenn Hughes experience. He delivered a show that was a culmination of nearly four decades of refined stage techniques, which left his audience in awe. As a vocalist, Glenn Hughes can wail above all expectations, yet he also has the ability to roll out sweet natural notes which he showcased at the recent Gaelic club gig. Two things that struck me immediately about Glenn; his larger than life stage presence, and his vocals are as pitch-perfect live as they are in his studio material. The sign of a true vocalist. Not only was his magnificent voice on display, but Glenn’s legendary bass playing sets the stage alight with blistering bass runs and note executions, which are second to none. Even though he hammered out some of his most recent masterpieces, such as ‘Love Communion’ and ‘Soul Mover’, he took the audience on a colourful journey back into the heady daze of early 70’s hard rock with classic pieces from the albums Stormbringer and Burn, which were penned in the Deep Purple days when David Coverdale and Hughes cowrote and sung up a storm together. As you would expect from a veteran of rock, Glenn

gave a powerful performance that delivered an almighty punch to all present. It was the kind of gig that lifts your spirits, and makes you hungry for more of these memorable musical experiences. ~Terry Paull

Dan Granero Diggers at the Entrance Sunday May 3, 2009

to wet my pants. Fortunately, things worked out in my favour and a performance by Hot Water Music’s talented singer/guitarist was thoroughly enjoyed. Ever humble Ragan credited fans for supporting his band over the years and hinted that there may be an Australian tour in the near future. Ragan delivered a few of his own jams, some HWM tunes, a Billy Bragg song and a superb cover of ‘Bleeder’ by Chicago punks Alkaline Trio.

Chuck Ragan

Dan Granero

Dan Granero’s long awaited album launch was everything and more than expected. Can’t Stand To Lose was recorded at the end of January this year at “The Oakglen Treehouse” on the Central Coast with producer/engineer Dave Scotland, featuring Lawrence Gambale on bass and Michael Williams on drums. Diggers at The Entrance was the venue for the launch of an album that reflects Granero’s “raw power” on stage. His fans anticipated a high energy, audience involved performance with the typical rockin’ funky blues rhythms that now have him sitting at the number one spot on mp3.com.au’s blues and electric blues charts. They were not disappointed. The newbies in the audience were immediately shown why he has been Fender endorsed since 2006 — what this guy does with his 1979 Fender Stratocaster has to be seen [and, of course, heard!] to be believed! He had promised that there would be plenty of surprises at Diggers, and he left no stone unturned - or should we say no “rock” unturned, as he played nearly the entire contents of his new album plus an encore of a rendition of the classic Bob Dylan/Jimi Hendrix song ‘All Along The Watchtower’. It went for a staggering twenty plus minutes, an incredible finale leaving the audience screaming for more. And more they will receive when they listen to the new album which has all the passion, enthusiasm and energy of Granero’s live performance. Just as well, because we won’t be catching him live in Australia for a few months as he leaves our shores for a second tour of Europe returning in October. ~ Veronique Moseley & Ross Beckley

Chuck ragan + Tom gabel Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Friday May 8, 2009

Local artist Jen Buxton landed the support slots for both the Newcastle and Sydney shows of this tour. Jen took a moment between executing some damn fine tunes and necking Coopers to graciously thank Resist Records for the opportunity. Jen’s intricate finger picking, accompanied by a remarkable voice are well deservedly gaining her a wholesome following. You wanna know how good Chuck Ragan was? Well, with my front row positioning, coupled with a desire to see every second of Ragan’s set, I neglected to realise I was about

Tom Gabel took the stage to join Ragan for a few songs together. The overlapping approach meant no change over time between sets. This was exceptionally pleasant indeed. The front man for Floridian quartet Against Me! followed a similar method to that of his predecessor, playing a handful of his own songs and some solo versions of hymns borrowed from his band. ‘Random Hearts’, taken from Gabel’s debut EP Heart Burns was a stand out inclusion. A punter who had also attended the Brisbane show claimed that the night flowed better with Ragan playing last. This may have been so, with Ragan’s raspy voice and heavy strumming over shining Gabel, who at times seemed to be suffering without his band to fill things out. But hey, it’s not a competition. ~ Nathaniel Try. Images: Joel Attenborough

Chase The Sun Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Sunday May 10, 2009

Chase The Sun

Venturing to the Grand Junction Hotel in Maitland is like stepping back 20 years into my youth. This is not a hotel that has had its heart ripped out and replaced with stainless steel and glass. It is honest and true to itself, much like the Family Hotel was. (It will never be the Duck’s Nuts, always the Family). Seeing a band at the Grand Junction is always an experience, and that is why I travelled up from the Central Coast to catch Chase The Sun. There is no stage. The band sets up in the corner, and lighting is a sole globe that hung over the pool table that has been wheeled out to make room. It is personal and intense, and you are right on top of the band. Nothing better. Chase The Sun were in fine form, always are. As a band, they have found the ability to take traditional blues songs and inject them with their own personality. Add to this their own originals off their self-titled debut and it is a fabulous mix. Hendrix/Band of Gypsy’s ‘Who Knows’ is a surprise inclusion, and proves that this band has a real groove that they can tap into. Their own ‘You Gotta Go’ is a dirty blues stomper

Live reviews that allows vocalist/guitarist Jan Rynsaardt to show off on the steel guitar. On the subject of that, the musicianship that is displayed is amazing. Rynsaardt is one of the best blues/rock guitarists I have seen in many years, with vocals that add so much to the music being played. The bass work by Ryan Van Gennip is imaginative and free. If you are a bass player, just come and watch Van Gennip at work. It will bring a smile to your face. Jon Howell is as solid as a rock behind the drums, never overplaying, simply providing the foundation. ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’ turns up late in the final set and is blistering. Not simply a copy of Hendrix, it has been reworked with breakdowns allowing them to work off each other. Sending us home is their new single ‘Living Free’. It is noticeably looser than the rest of the night, but drives along at a frantic pace. I will state this right now, though I have believed this for well over a year, Chase The Sun are quite possibly the best blues band this country has. ~ Kevin Bull

Bob Evans Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Wednesday May 13 2009

Gig of the month

Sneaky Sound System

Groovin The Moo

Newcastle Panthers Friday May 15, 2009

Maitland Showground Saturday May 9, 2009

Tame Impala Sneaky Sound System

DJ Johnny Powell got the crowd pumping and the energy rising. With his beautiful beat blending, Powell moved from one song into the next before anyone had the chance to truly notice. Upon the Panthers’ dancefloor, a giant dance party was unfolding. As a teaser, Powell played Sneaky’s ‘Goodbye’, sending the crowd rushing into the mosh pit, only to find out it was a teaser. Clever stuff from Powell. The crowd was captivated the moment Sneaky Sound System set foot on the stage. Connie Mitchell and Damon Downey have a great stage presence, and vocally they really complemented each other. Playing a mix of new and old, Sneaky had the crowd moving to every beat. The set list included ‘16 lyrics’, ‘Pictures’, ‘Promises’, plus ‘UFO’ performed as the finale, to name just a few. We were even played a special song, ‘What’s The Matter With You?’ as a personal thank you from Connie for returning to this previously postponed gig. Since the gigs’ announcement, my excitement has been building. Sneaky Sound System delivered on every account. ~ Courtney Fitzsimmons. Images: Tim Boehm

Dylan Moran Civic Theatre, Newcastle Saturday May 16, 2009

Bob Evans

Supporting Bob Evans at the Bar on the Hill, American Steve Poltz was an energetic and theatrical start to the night. His performance included a witty rhyme about the journey from San Diego to Newcastle, a moment of audience vocal participation and an entertaining tale about a friend’s request to create a song based on a sewing machine and the cabaret result. Touring the country to promote his third album, Goodnight, Bull Creek!, former Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell, now known as the illustrious Bob Evans, performed both old and new songs including highly ranked 2007 Hottest 100 hits ‘Nowhere Without You’ and ‘Don’t You Think Its Time.’ Backed by the drummer from The Sleepy Jackson and the keyboardist from Jet, with Evans himself playing a guitar sporting fairy lights, the night promised to be entertaining. During the course of the evening, Evans pulled a woman from the crowd to serenade. Perched on a stool and armed with a glass of red, the woman proceeded to sing and comically act out the lyrics. In obvious surprise, Evans could only insist that he hadn’t expected the song to be a duet. Crowd highlights included his song ‘Pasha Bulka’, further emphasising his obvious love of Newcastle, and the encore where Evans answered crowd demands, playing an old favourite ‘Ode to my Car’ and a version of Lily Allen’s ‘Not Fair.’ Overall, an incredible must see performer. ~ Mel Woodward. Images: Courtney Fitzsimmons

their amazingly lush wall of sound. The Armada played a range of crowd favourites from the Tea Party’s back catalogue, as well as selections from the Armada’s self titled debut album and Martins solo offerings. A highlight of the show was the performance of ‘The Kingdom‘, which Jeff dedicated to those affected by the recent Victorian bushfires. He also impressively covered a

Dylan Moran

Dylan Moran’s twin sold out shows at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre was concrete evidence that Coal City is indeed a comedy town. Having the internationally famous Irishman perform in our backyard was indeed a coup and few in the audience were disappointed with his tight, but frustratingly short gigs. Right from the beginning, it was vintage Moran. His half-drunk ramble began with a gruff greeting to the crowd, then quickly turned to Newcastle CBD’s vacant shop fronts and the Australian government’s stimulus package. “How much does an Australian cost? $900 exactly!” The comedian’s normal stage routine, which usually involves chain smoking and red wine, was toned down to a stubby of Australian beer. He was quick to point out digital camera in the audience that were filming him, and demand that they stop it instantly. Overall, Moran’s material on the What It Is tour was up there with his best. His cynical take on relationships and comparisons between the Irish, the British, America and Australians was quite hysterical. His second Newcastle performance was easily as funny as

It was like the sun came out in Maitland just for Groovin the Moo. With a chilled out atmosphere in the afternoon, the new drinking regulations and sections were probably the best thing for the festival, with hardly a drop spilled from any drunken dancer. Everyone but the dancing queens were basking in the sun on the hill while Tame Impala wowed the crowd with ‘Half Full Glass of Wine’. Okkervil River impressed the audience but the standout for the many Groovers on the day was The Grates, who had endless amounts of energy. I don’t think there is anyone but Patience Hodgson who can dance like that and sing at the same time, while jumping from speakers to stage. Another stellar performance on the day was Architecture in Helsinki, who dedicated one song to chicken and another to beef. A cover of the 80s classic, ‘Break My Stride’ by Matthew Wilder had the crowd singing along while their own hit, ‘That Beep’, inspired a large group of men to dress like the blue characters on the popular music video. With the feel of a larger music festival, like Big Day Out, this year’s Groovin the Moo was probably the best yet. Hilltop Hoods were in their usual form, stirring the crowd with their introductions to their most famous hits. Props to DJ Matt Saxon who played an amazing set, warming the crowd up for what was the best performance of the day — Muscles! The man from Melbourne was hypnotic as he played to what seemed like thousands of his sweaty, dancing friends. He served up two flavours of ‘Ice Cream’, and amongst a few microphone issues, made every girl in the room want to have his babies. ~ Abbey Wright. Images: Chrissy Kavalieros

his Monster tour and far succeeded his Like, Totally... material. Let’s hope Moran hurries back. ~ Nick Milligan. Images: Sean Roche

The Armada Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Sunday May 17, 2009

Former Screaming Jets guitarist Grant Walmsley, opened the night with his blend of roots and blues based music. As the crowd slowly grew larger they warmed to his efforts, which included stomping on the smallest kick drum I have ever seen, whilst effortlessly playing slide guitar and singing. After a Middle-Eastern sounding intro tape, The Armada took to the stage and launched into the Tea Party classic ‘The Bazaar‘. This was closely followed by another Tea Party song ‘Coming Home‘. Singer/guitarist Jeff Martin (ex-Tea Party) brought a strippeddown acoustic version of the Armada to Newcastle. Nonetheless, it was hard at times to believe that there was only Martin and percussionist Wayne Sheehy on stage creating

Jeff Martin - The Armada

melody of songs by Australian band ‘Dead Can Dance‘. Despite touring Australia regularly for a number of years it has been quite some time since Jeff has visited Newcastle. Let’s hope he brings the full Armada experience back soon, for a large dose of his trademark Middle Eastern inspired hard rock. ~Torin King. Images: Terry Paull

Pussycat Dolls

Pussycat Dolls + Lady Ga Ga Newcastle Entertainment Centre Thursday May 21, 2009

A crowd of 95% female, 5% very patient boyfriends braved this wet and chilly Thursday night, all to take in the spectacle that is the PCD. Having Lady Ga Ga open for you must be daunting. She was brutal, aggressive, and totally dominated the stage. Proudly displaying her g-stringed and fish-netted arse to the audience, she lapped up the attention. Wearing a skin coloured bodysuit wrapped in plastic bubbles, she began ‘Poker Face’ quietly behind a piano before it erupted into deep beats. Her set was way too short. Pussycat Dolls, what can I say. It was a visual orgy. Pyrotechnics were used in many of the songs, along with 5 rather buff male dancers, one for each Pussycat. The choreography was spot on, full of energy. That said, the ‘Hey Big Spender’ burlesque number did faulter. It came across as rather dull, with much of the crowd taking a breather. Stepping back from all the dancing and pyro onstage, it was clear that Nicole Scherzinger is the lead vocalist. It did feel like the Nicole show, with four backing vocalists and five male dancers. Her name was even blazed across the video screen as she sung. There was also no actual musicians to speak of. All this dancing and singing was done to a backing track, with a lot of the vocals being recorded. There was also a rather disturbing moment during ‘Bottle Pop’. Four audience member were invited on-stage to show off their dancing prowess, one being a 7 year old girl. To see this very young child being encouraged to dance suggestively, to thrust her butt to the audience was very off-putting. Bad move PCD, bad move Mum. I’ll leave it at that, I’ve seen all I need to. ~ Kevin Bull r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 3 5 — j u n e 2 0 0 9

W e s C arr — Sk e tching C ato

Anything but idle Few could have expected Wes Carr, a hard-working indie songwriter, to win Australian Idol 2008. But as the singer tells Sean Frazer, he simply didn’t have anything to lose. How old were you when you began to play music? Did you always want music to be your career? Pretty much since I was about five years old I’ve lived and breathed music. I was always interested in the way [bands] put sounds together, so from then on I started to learn the piano and guitar which lead me to eventually writing my own material. Growing up, who were your inspirations? Well, early days it was Michael Jackson. But when I really started delving into song writing it was Nick Drake, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Led Zeppelin and Van Morrison. Nick Drake and Pete Moon were a huge influence in my life.

CJ Vanston, who at the time was on tour with Joe Cocker, approached me at the bar and said, “Hey, you should come over and meet me in LA and we can work together on some stuff,” and I just jumped at the opportunity. I saved up some money and went over and worked with him. He’d written songs for a lot of movies. One of the songs CJ and I wrote called ‘Say My Name’ which ended up in a film called For Your Consideration. I also worked with Mac Davis and Jeff Baxter who were heavyweights that infiltrated and were involved in the 60s and 70s era.

In 2004, pre-Idol, you got together with Silverchair’s Ben Gillies and created the band Tambalane. How was it working alongside Gillies? Yeah, Ben was awesome and the whole experience gave me a better insight into the industry. I was kind of being a co-pilot in a band trying to get high up in the independent world. It was a great experience travelling around Australia in a small Hi-Ace van doing sixteen hour drives and playing at the end of the night. We were lucky to come out alive!

On the first day of Australian Idol, you’re one of thousands who believe they have what it takes to be number one. Did you feel you had the potential to be the next Aussie Idol? Nah mate, I didn’t really think I would get that far. I didn’t think I’d win it. I thought maybe I had a chance to get into the hundred and then see how I go from there. But really my confidence was pretty much at an all time low when I went in there. I made a pact with myself that I would leave the fear of failure at the door and just do what I’ve always been doing. I initially thought they would say cut your hair, take your hat off and piss off home! I never thought I’d fit the mould of an Idol, whatever that mould is.

You were in the US for a bit, recording some tracks over there with a producer. How did the option of going over to the States come about? I was playing a show in a bar called The Stag in Adelaide. I was kind of just sitting there and

Can you tell me a little bit about the song ‘Love is an Animal’? You wrote this song when you were fifteen years of age. For it to make it to your album ten years later, there must be a lot of passion for the song?

come back from a really great California summer into a very cold Adelaide winter and I was sort of going, “Oh get me back to the Californian summer!” It was one of those songs I had recorded, demoed, and never thought it would be anything. Now it is the title track which is cool. ‘Feels like Whoa’ was chosen by the NRL as their 2009 theme song. Are you much of a Rugby League fan? Yeah it’s a great honour to be apart of that. The Hoodoo Guru’s and Tina Turner were involved in it a few years ago so it’s good to be apart of that musical heritage.

Yeah it’s a song that’s always been kicking around. It never got a turn on any albums I’d done previously before. It was just one of those songs that I’ve always had and it always seemed to go down well live. So I just thought what the heck, let’s record it and see how it goes. What can you tell us about the song ‘The Way the World Looks’? It was a song I had written in ten minutes just after I got back from LA, where I had just

You’re leaving to tour in a few weeks time and you won’t be finished till mid-July. You must be buzzing to get out there and showcase this album? Yeah, it’s going to be great. I’m a bit disappointed to say that the Queensland dates have been postponed, so the first show is June 5. The first show is Adelaide which is quite ironic. I grew up there so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great ‘old fashioned rock show’. I made a bet with Kyle; if it’s sold out I have to eat a cockroach! What can we expect from you this year? I’ll be touring, touring and touring! Keeping this album going and seeing how I go, seeing where I fall. Wes Carr will be performing at the Wyong Leagues Club, June 11.

Locked and loaded As the Hunter Valley’s most efficient creators of verbose and virile rock music, Sketching Cato are now firing on all four cylinders. Nick Milligan speaks with singer and guitarist Dave Wells about their new EP release.

What does your new EP release say about Sketching Cato in 2009? A sense of realism. We feel that this release connects with people on a personal level. With a strong spontaneous vibe, it projects to the audience a rumble in the soul, something that we feel bridges that gap of communication between ourselves and the listener. Like walking past a stranger in the street, you can be very expressive without actually saying it. We are hot to trot and ready to roll! How does the current sound of the band compare to when you first got together? Our sound has matured on many levels. I guess we’ve always used new material as inspiration to build and develop a different sound. We tend not to lock ourselves into one particular style — each of us have a very diverse range of musical tastes. It takes some time to consolidate all this, but we have a lot of fun in the process. What did you find to be the biggest challenges in making your EP? 40

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Not going to the bottle shop everyday, which was conveniently located right next door to Glebe studios [laughs]. I guess work commitments as well — ‘working around work’, you know. Also, overcoming the spells of red wine, sherry and beer on our shoulders from the night before… good times. What goals have you set for this EP release and the last half of 2009? To spread the Cato vibe past the borders of the Hunter Valley, just letting people know what we are all about. We get kicks out of performing music live, especially to a fun crowd. Gigging is a great way to meet people and talk rubbish over some tunes and beers for while — escape the world, you know… for the last of ‘09 we would like to get back in the studio and take our sound further. What do you feel are the defining aspects of Sketching Cato’s sound? Big guitars, catchy melodies and a solid backline. A live, roomy and atmospheric

sound that’s straight to the point. Capturing the listener wherever possible. The tracks can unexpectedly change mood. Each song has its own sense of motion, setting a different scene every time. Some soulful, some energetic. What would you have thought of this EP if someone played it to you when you guys were first forming? “Oh, that’s interesting? We should do cover of one these tracks!” How has the experience of recording in a studio affected you guys? It definitely opens your mind and more doors of creativity. It allows for adding some spontaneous input and improvisation. It’s cool being locked in a room with endless opportunities, building layer upon layer of

melodies and strange sounds. It’s like giving the sketch its final colours of paint. It’s an awesome experience, we would live in a studio if we could afford it. As a lyricist do you find yourself drawn to certain subjects more than others? Yes and no, life experiences mainly. Picking out the questionable parts of life. Why is it? How can we? I touch on social and political issues at times. Sometimes just a good story or fantasy is fun to write about. This EP displays most of those topics. Lyrically, it portrays some very personal experiences, not only as a band but as individuals. Something I’m sure everyone can relate to. Sketching Cato launch their new, self-titled EP at The Cambridge Hotel on Friday June 19, 2009, with support from VAMP and Fictions.

gam e r ’ s corn e r — pr e s e nt e d by w e dn e s day w i i gam e s @ cro w n & anchor

game reviews

it also plays games! reviewed Nintendo DSi reviewed by High Milligan rated 8/10 Though relative latecomers to the world of online gaming, Nintendo have really gripped the bull by the horns in recent years. The Wii has been expanded enormously by internet functionality, with features like WiiWare and Virtual Console (and a host of other applications through firmware updates) providing a profitable platform for independent developers. It’s not surprising, then, that the Wii appears to have inspired much of the design of Nintendo’s latest handheld console. Even the DSi’s new menu, with its clean white minimalist squares, is based upon the layout of the Wii. The console comes with a suite of applications already installed that make use of its two built-in cameras and microphone; you can take photos or short sound recordings and play around with them using various filters and effects. These can then be sent via Wi-Fi to friends or saved to an SD memory card (so your images can be opened and displayed in the Wii’s Photo Channel). The

DSi’s sound player will also play some forms of AAC audio, provided that they’re uploaded to an SD card. As the console does not support other methods of transferring data (such as Bluetooth), these multimedia applications probably aren’t as flexible as those on your mobile phone. If you buy a DSi, it’ll almost certainly be in order to use the DSi Shop, the console’s equivalent of the Virtual Console. Using “Nintendo Points” (which can be purchased in prepaid cards), you can download DSiWare games or additional programs — for example, an internet browser, radio, map software or notepad (further

features will made available for download over time). These apps improve upon the device’s existing functions and add new ones. The console’s Game Boy Advance slot has been sacrificed to make room for these new features — if you’ve been making use of the DS’ backwards compatibility, be warned. The DSi’s intuitive flexibility, however, more than compensates for this, and there’s a lot to recommend it to anyone thinking of buying a Nintendo handheld platform. Those who already own a DS, however, will really only be buying the online and multimedia functions, and should carefully consider whether they alone are worth the price of a new console.

The Herbaceous Horde reviewed New Play Control! – Pikmin 2 Nintendo Wii reviewed by High Milligan rated 8.5/10 Nintendo’s New Play Control! series, which revives Gamecube classics on the Wii with improved graphics and Wiimote functionality, continues with the release of Pikmin 2. The original Pikmin was the first title to be adapted to the console, and owing to its success, the sequel has received a similarly effective facelift. Pikmin 2 immediately follows the events of the first game – astronaut and intergalactic freight worker Olimar returns from his ‘vacation’ (having crashed on a distant planet and worked together with the native Pikmin to escape) to find his company, Hocotate Freight, in severe debt. The only solution is to return to the Pikmin’s planet and search for treasure to pay off those nasty creditors. The gameplay revolves around Olimar’s symbiotic relationship with Pikmin, tiny plantanimal hybrids that follow his orders. Though weak individually, they are highly effective in packs and can lift enormous objects, break down walls, build bridges and defeat gargantuan predators. There’s a great deal of strategy and puzzlesolving as the game progresses. There are five varieties of Pikmin, each with different strengths and weaknesses that are suited to certain tasks. The sequel also introduces a

second character, Louis [the game can be played with two players co-operatively] which is desirable when facing obstacles that require a high degree of multi-tasking and control. There are also additional challenge modes for two players, both co-operative and competitive, that add depth and replayability beyond the story mode. The game is prettier on the Wii, with water and environment effects receiving particular attention, but the best improvement is easily the control scheme — the Wiimote is the perfect vehicle for this game. The IR system is

fluid and accurate, allowing you to direct your Pikmin with intuitive ease. This improvement is especially welcome during hectic encounters, where you may be in command of up to a hundred Pikmin at once. While the New Play Control! series has been slightly hit-and-miss so far, Pikmin 2 is undoubtedly one of its success stories — an old classic completely revitalised and enhanced. Anyone who never had the chance to play this enjoyable (if utterly absurd) game when it was released on Gamecube should check out its Wii incarnation.

FUTURE ALERT

ALIENS VS PREDATOR PC, XBOX 360, PS3 UK developer Rebellion, is hoping to reclaim some of its notoriety with a return to the franchise that put them on the map. Along with SEGA, Rebellion is “rebooting” Aliens vs. Predator for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The basic concept remains the same. Aliens, a Predator and a number of Colonial Marines are mixing it up and you have the opportunity to play as each faction. This time around, there is a strict linear story which plays out Call of Duty style, switching between perspectives after each level.

THE SIMS 3 PC The Sims 3 may have leaked to the Internet two weeks before its release, but there’s more to the game than just that code. EA’s big sequel ships with only one town, Sunset Valley, but a second town, Riverview, will be available for free download once you register the game. Beyond that, there’s the online interaction through the game’s Web site and online store. What the store looks like remains hidden until the game’s official release on June 2, 2009.

GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME PC, XBOX 360, PS3 Ghostbusters: The Video Game has had a bit of a bumpy ride since it was first announced in November 2007. Publisher Activision famously dropped the title after its merger with Vivendi in July, and Atari swooped in to save the day. Ghostbusters features a full single-player storyline that casts you as the newest recruit on the Ghostbusters team. Joining you will be Spengler, Stantz, Zeddmore and Venkman, all voiced by the original actors. It turns out Manhattan has been overrun yet again by ghosts, and its up to the crew to bag ‘em and tag ‘em.

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film reviews Not for grey matter reviewed Angels and Demons reviewed by Mark Snelson rated 3.5 stars The sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, pretends to be a sophisticated thriller by involving religion and art, but in reality it is just an action adventure with a rather silly plot disguised under lavish sets and historical locations. Even though Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) has a notorious relationship with the Church, he is called upon by the Vatican to solve the puzzle laid out by an ancient brotherhood known as The Illuminati. The Pope has died and The Illuminati have chosen the monumental event, the conclave’s choosing of his successor, to attack the Vatican at its core. They have kidnapped the four main candidates and promise to execute them hourly with a catastrophic bombing from within the walls of the Vatican as a finale at midnight. The explosive device contains grey matter and was stolen from the laboratory of the Hadron Collider. The attractive young physicist Vittoria Vetra is also called in to help as she has the expertise to stop the device when found. Whilst the two leads scramble to work out the clues that sees them dashing around to various monuments and churches across Rome, the College of Cardinals headed by the determined Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl)

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continue with the election proceedings despite the threat to many innocent civilians gathered in St Peters Square. During this process the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) assumes control of the Vatican, supervising the frantic chase to stop the ancient and mysterious enemy. One thing that director Ron Howard has got right in Angels & Demons is the pacing. It moves along rapidly, not getting too bogged down in historical facts and religious mysticism. Although these factors are certainly there, this time they do not dominate as much as the action and suspense. It is a solid cast with Hanks reprising his role confidently and his sidekick, the acclaimed Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer proving a fine choice. For some reason Ewan McGregor does not deliver as well as normal and is not as convincing as he should be in such a commanding role. It is also a beautiful film to look at; the locations are stunning and are wonderfully captured by Salvatore Totino who shot the previous film with Howard. Angels & Demons is an entertaining enough romp with its time based clue solving and various twists but just don’t go into it expecting anything too intelligent despite the subject matter. Essentially it is National Treasure crossed with Speed all dressed up in a papal frock.

Trek on track reviewed Star Trek reviewed by Mark Snelson rated 4.5 Stars The 2009 version of Star Trek, which is a prequel to the entire series, has put the franchise back on track after a number of lacklustre big screen outings. Star Trek traces the early years of James T Kirk (Chris Pine) and his path to captaining the Enterprise as well as other members of the crew. Spock (Zachary Quinto) gets equal amount of back story that goes a long way to explain his inner turmoil between the two races from which he was conceived. Once the crew to the Enterprise are established the plot follows its maiden voyage into deep space where they fly straight into a battle with Romulan forces headed by Nero (Eric Bana). Nero is bent on revenge after the destruction of his planet, which he blames solely on the Federation. Due to this, he is determined to destroy Earth as payback. The fate of mankind rests on the crew of the Enterprise and in particular Kirk and Spock, who must put aside their very different personalities in order to overcome the enemy. Star Trek 2009 is far from being a cash-in on a popular sci-fi name. It will undoubtedly please hardcore fans as well as introducing a new generation to the series. Casting is spot on with some great performances

throughout especially from Zachary Quinto as the young Spock — making the leap from TV actor to blockbuster star with impressive confidence. Chris Pine in the lead role of Kirk also does very well, capturing superbly the cocky confidence that Shatner delivered so well in the early days. The key to the brilliance of this film though is the screenplay. It has been crafted with an obvious love for the series as well as being well researched and faithful to the original storyline. Then there are the action sequences and special effects that are nothing short of dazzling, making it a mustsee on the big screen. The film makers have really captured the spirit of what has made Star Trek one of the most endearing and long lasting sci-fi series by retaining its sense of hope, equality as well as the odd bout of cheeky humour. Quite possibly the best prequel to a series ever made, here’s hoping for a few more with this cast and crew.

dvd reviews

Iron men take flight

A common spirit reviewed The Unborn reviewed by Noah Cross rated 2/5

A creepy demon child, a mental hospital, randomly appearing insects, scary video tapes, spooky mirrors, exorcisms, bumps in the night and a vengeful spirit... sadly, it’s not an original path that lies beneath the plodding feet of The Unborn. When a series of bizarre events take place in the life of Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman), including vivid nightmares involving a masked dog and a human fetus in formaldehyde, it’s clear that she’s suffering from more than premenstrual tension. As Casey begins to think she’s going crazy, it occurs to her that there may be a mystery behind her mother’s apparent suicide. Casey’s investigation into her past reveals very little that hasn’t already been explored in supernatural fright-fests. The film blatantly rehashes concepts and imagery from so many horror movies of the modern era (particularly far more effective scream-fests The Ring and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose), that you’re quickly irritated by the film and impervious to any potential chills. The film begins to build up to a showdown between Casey and the demon that wants to use her body to re-enter the world of the living, but only delivers a weak and ramshackle climax.

reviewed Iron Maiden: Flight 666 reviewed by Noah Cross rated 4.5/5

Although she’s unbearingly stunning, Odette Yustman isn’t given much room to move as Casey, with numerous scenes simply involving her character investigating strange noises in her underwear. There is no time given to developing Casey as a human before the creepy special effects are let loose. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of The Unborn is that its parts should have equalled a strong whole. With Gary Oldman appearing as a Rabbi exorcist, Carla Cugino portraying the deceased mother and Dexter cast members James Remar and C.S. Lee in minor roles, The Unborn should offer more. Add to this the fact that David S. Goyer, who both wrote and directed, was on the writing teams for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. With further gestation, The Unborn could have been a far more effective experience. The Unborn [DVD] is released on July 1, 2009.

Bone to pick reviewed My Bloody Valentine 3D reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 4/5

In an age where effective and clever horror movies seem doomed to the weekly racks at your local video store, a small group of splatter devotees are endeavouring to revive the genre. There’s been a few in recent memory, from Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, to Frank Darabont’s The Mist, James Gunn’s Slither and Alexandre Aja’s remake of The Hills Have Eyes. Add to the list My Bloody Valentine 3D, a relentless gore-fest that kills more bewildered teenagers than drunk driving. What makes this slasher even more wicked is that its designed to be watched in 3D. Indeed, the DVD release comes in both 2D and 3D versions, and even includes two pairs of 3D glasses. If you dare to watch the film with a third dimension, then you’ll enjoy body parts, branches, pick-axes and bullets wizzing past your head. Yep, it makes for a fun night in. My Bloody Valentine 3D is a remake of the 1981, George Milhalka-directed film of the same name, and is mostly a faithful version, despite a different ending and other minor story tweaks. When a methane gas explosion traps a group of miners down a shaft, only Harry Warden comes out alive — but he’s in a coma. A year later, Warden wakes up and brutally kills the doctors, nurses and patients of the hospital where he has been kept. Dressed in miner’s gear and armed with a very sharp pick-axe, Warden goes after Tom Hanniger

(Jensen Ackles), the young miner who was responsible for the accident. Before Warden can exact his revenge, he is shot by police and runs into the depths of the mine. His body is never found. Ten years later, Hanniger returns to the small mining village, still haunted by the disturbing events that transpired. But Hanniger isn’t the only person that’s back in town. A violent killer has also appeared. Has Harry Warden returned? What makes this grotesque romp so enjoyable is that the film doesn’t take itself seriously, but the actors do. The result is a slick horror movie in the grindhouse style that never falls short of being utterly gruesome and completely over-the-top. One scene involving a midget, steals the show. The casting works in the film’s favour. Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles proves that his stoic hero translates to the big screen, while Jamie King manages to build complexities in her character despite spending most of her screen time ducking a pick-axe. Kerr Smith relishes another opportunity to distance himself from Jack, the bashful homosexual of Dawson’s Creek. Indeed, it’s these fine casting choices that ultimately makes the final twist so deliciously rewarding. My Bloody Valentine 3D is released on June 17, 2009.

70 million albums sold with very little radio support. A world tour spanning 21 cities in 12 countries across four continents. 40,000 miles travelled in a private Boeing 757. If you were in any doubt that Iron Maiden are a big deal, then Flight 666 will put your fears into a deep slumber. This exciting documentary charts Iron Maiden’s 2008 ‘Somewhere Back In Time’ world tour and it’s an absolutely epic affair. The stage show and set list is based upon their 1985 ‘World Slavery’ tour, so it’s an acknowledgment of times passed, as well as a big step into the future. What makes this tour so different is that Iron Maiden are globetrotting on their own private Boeing 757 called ‘Ed Force One’ (affectionately named after their skeletal mascot) and lead singer Bruce Dickinson is their captain. The festivities kick off in Mumbai, India, with an ecstatic stadium audience and a colossal rendition of ‘Aces High’. As one of Great Britain’s biggest and most enduring metal bands, Iron Maiden have captured the hearts and imaginations of music lovers in the far corners of the globe. Flight 666 contains numerous montages of unbridled fanaticism in everywhere from Australia to Columbia and Chile. This thrilling documentary allows you an intimate look inside the world of Iron Maiden and reveals each member as a very normal, down-to-earth and unique personality. Dickinson is articulate and enthusiastic, while

drummer Nicko McBrain emerges as a largerthan-life character and a born comedian. Mixing tour footage with scintilating concert sequences, Flight 666 takes you backstage one minute, then promptly sits you in front of a 20,000 strong crowd. This adrenaline rush means that even viewers who are unfamiliar with Maiden’s music can still be riveted by the spectacle. It’s hard not to be moved by the amazing sequences from the band’s trips to Chile and Columbia, where there is literally days of celebration and rejoicing in the streets. Along the way there’s some guest appearances by Tom Morello, Lars Ulrich and Vinny Appice, but what makes this DVD release an absolute must-have for rock fans is that it comes with a second disc that features a full-length Iron Maiden concert — 16 songs recorded in 16 different cities. Do yourself a big favour and strap yourself in. Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is out now through EMI.

Jean-Claude his way back reviewed JCVD reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 3/5

His career on a downward spiral, Jean-Claude Van Damme is also going through a humiliating custody trial over his daughter. The fallen action star flies home to Brussels, where he is instantly recognised, taking photos with fans. When he enters a local post office savings bank, he unknowingly disturbs a robbery and is taken hostage. Through a comedy of errors, the authorities believe it is Van Damme himself that is the mastermind behind the hold-up. This is obviously not a documentary, but does contain a lot of truths about Van Damme’s career and life. Despite being a satire designed to poke fun at his image (much in the same way that Being John Malkovich lanced its title character), Van Damme is certainly not portrayed in a negative light. In one bizarre moment the celebrity stares down the camera and delivers an uncomfortably honest monologue about his life and career, tears and all, that works to garner sympathy

from the audience. It’s an incredibly raw performance from a man whose renowned for having little acting ability. His willingness to bare everything to the audience ultimately makes him quite endearing. While JCVD doesn’t outlive its welcome at only 96 minutes in length, the film doesn’t resonate nearly as much as it should. This is due to the fact that it’s unclear on what level the script is being pitched. What shapes up to be a black comedy in the first quarter (with some funny John Woo and Steven Seagal references), becomes a very basic heist film that starts to take itself quite seriously. Any lasting message that French-Algerian director Mabrouk El Mechri may have had becomes buried in the chaos. The pacing has a wonderfully minimalist, European feel, reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s work, with absurdity just beneath the surface. But the line between satire and reality becomes so blurred that any emotional impact is lost. It’s a shame because Van Damme himself is an absolute revelation. ‘The Muscles from Brussels’ might have a killer round house kick, but it seems that his acting can indeed stand on its own merits. Released on DVD Thursday July 2, 2009. reverb maga z i ne i ss u e # 0 3 5 — j u ne 2 0 0 9

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