Reverb Magazine - issue 42 by Reverb Magazine

#042 Jan ‘10

FREE

arts & entertainment news monthly newcastle|hunter|coast

The Nine Lives of

Cat Power getting wild with steve vai

a very metal christ

mas with rob halford

Also Inside: Anthrax + Deepchild + Polar Bear Club + Bluejuice

PRESENTS

WITHSPECIALGUESTS

EHDNMEASDRCAHY W T 0 1 LE ST A C EW N E, TR EN C T EN M IN RA ENTE TICKETS ON SALE NOW TICKETEK.COM.AU ALSOAPPEARINGATFUTUREMUSICFESTIVALNATIONALLY.

WWW.FUTUREENTERTAINMENT.COM.AU WWW.FUTUREMUSICFESTIVAL.COM.AU

No. 42 INDEX 08 14 16 17 18 19 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44

News Cat Power Baroness The Get Up Kids Rob Halford Top 50 Albums of 2009 CD Reviews Gig Guide Roger Hodgson Bluejuice Blackchords Steve Vai Polar Bear Club Deepchild Anthrax Talking Shop The Devil Wears Prada Mourning Tide Motoring – Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Fashion – Landing Gear Gamer’s Corner Newcastle Gig Retrospective Kitchen Complaint Live Reviews Homebake Retrospective Homebake Review Reverb Xmas Party Review DVD Reviews Film Reviews Socials

Publisher’s letter Oh my dear, each year the silly season just appears to get even more crazed. Whether it’s uncle Max passed out in the lounge from too much VB, the kids getting up at 5am in order to open their presents before you even wake up, or the neighbours complaining about the music (come on, it’s only 2am), the year always appears to build to one almighty climax. Would like to take the opportunity to thank my editor, Nick Milligan, and production manager, Cameron Bennet for all their hard work over the past year, as well as our loyal contributors whose efforts are always much appreciated. Much love all, and all the best for 2010, KB

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

RED RIDERS PAGE 41

Editor Nick Milligan IT Manager Kieran Ferguson Sales Kevin Bull Nick Milligan

Senior Writers Peter Douglas Hugh Milligan Mark Snelson Writers Nick Bielby Stephen Bisset Steve Bocking Kevin Bull Andrew Chesham Noah Cross Sean Frazer Scott Gilbert Lucy Hearn Jess Henderson David Long

Scarlett O’Horror Lilen Pautasso Anthony Pollock Phil Smart Byron Struck Lee Tobin Nathaniel Try Photographers Johnny Au Chris Brown Kevin Bull Joel Courtney Dane Geercke Luke Holdstock Chrissy Kavalieros Mick Mayer

Robyn Moore Scarlett O’Horror Terry Paull Graphic Designers Kevin Bull Cartoonist Dave Townley Jones

Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd: sales@spotpress.com. au 6

RE VERB MAGA ZINE ISSU E #042 — JANUARY 2010

Southern Star TV Presents...

(ALL DATES EXCEPT **)

(PLAYING BATEMANS BAY/CHARLIES/TARTHRA)

WED 13TH JAN ENTRANCE LEAGUES CLUB, BATEAU BAY Tickets available from the venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reception: 3 Bay Village Road, Bateau Bay or http://theaudioarmy.oztix.com.au/ or 1300 762 545

THU 14TH JAN CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets and over the bar at Cambridge Hotel.

FRI 15TH JAN HOEY MOEY, COFFS HARBOUR Tickets available from www.offbeatoperations.com.au or the venue Ph: 0266523888, Park Beach Music at The Plaza Ph: 0266523725, Coopers Surf Australia Palms Shopping Centre Ph: 0266526369.

THU 21ST JAN LAURIETON HOTEL, LAUIRETON Tickets available from www.moshtix.com or at Little Red Vamp (Shop 7, Galleria Building Williams Street Port Macquarie 2444) More info at www.sandevents.com.au

www.myspace.com/bluejuice

news

Giveaways

vamp

Vamp revitalises THE 7-inch

Up for grabs this month: • 1 double pass to each of the After The Fall gigs, Saturday January 9 at the Entrance Leagues Club, and Saturday January 16 at the Northern Star Hotel, Newcastle. Just tell us what you want by emailing editorial@reverbstreetpress.com.au. First come, first served.

Bringing back the joy of the black grooves, local indie record label, Last Heat Decider is about to deliver their debut release on 7-inch vinyl. Local three-piece Vamp are the lucky recipients and coincidently enough, this will also be their debut release. An all-girl affair, Vamp took assault on Newcastle’s The Studio mid-2009 to lay down three of their signature tunes, plus a tasty little cover with local engineer Kenny Jewell. “I honestly feel this recording captures Vamp’s true essence; We don’t do things in a girly, princess-like fashion,” lead singer/guitarist Harmonie Harris exclaims. “We want our music to be an audible smack across the face, and I feel we’ve achieved that with this release!” Get your hands on a limited edition Vamp vinyl at their live shows, online at myspace.com/ vamptheband or at Beaumont Street Beat in Newcastle. Vamp play their official launch at the Cambridge Hotel, January 30, 2010.

parkway drive

PARKWAY DRIVE PLAY THE COAST

2009 has been nothing but a blur for Byron Bay quintet, Parkway Drive. Starting the year with a tour of SE Asia and Japan, followed by tours of the USA, Parkway Drive embarked on an endless summer appearing at some of the largest heavy music festivals Europe and the UK has to offer. Returning to Australia in August the band released their first DVD, fittingly titled The DVD and set out on their biggest headline tour to date. Currently writing the follow-up to 2007’s Horizons, the upcoming Sick Summer Tour will be the band’s last Australian dates before the release of their new album, due out mid 2010. Parkway Drive, along with special guests Confession and Word Up, will play the Bateau Bay PCYC (AA), Thursday January 28, 2010.

BLUEJUICE SIZZLING 2010

Having attained a well-earned ARIA Award loss for Top 40 hit, ‘Broken Leg’, Bluejuice have big plans for 2010. Despite their pasty complexions, their complete rejection of shorts as a fashion item, and their general reluctance to go outside for any reason, the band have decided to spend summer touring the sizzling Australian countryside. Sizzling 2010 is a mini music fiesta also featuring their pals Yves Klein Blue, The Jezabels, and White Birds & Lemons, which will allow all members to throw off the shackles of their debilitating inner city paranoia and embrace the sunny delights of regional Australia. The dates to put aside are Wednesday January 13, Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay, and Thursday January 14, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle.

MYSPACE.COM/AMPDUPENTERTAINMENT CHILLILOUNGE.NET

fri 8th

fri 15th

sat 9th

sat 16th

teal + short notice + cold shots wandering bear + i am the agent + phobiac mon 11th school holidays 2-6

skyway! + heroes for hire + when the world + stop the dream

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

khargish + the sacred truth + rampant girl most likely + fiona magee + famous mayhem

fri 22

pitchfork + tainted toys + blood inside the machine fri 29th

final lies + ruins of an empire + north of the border sat 30th

plus many more + $1.25 + monica and the explosion

news

Corrina Steel the prodigy photo © paul dugdale

NEWCASTLE INVADERS

As the award-winning Future Music Festival rapidly approaches ‘sold-out’ status for yet another year, Future Entertainment is pleased to announce that legends of the early underground rave scene and big beat icons, The Prodigy, will be bringing the legendary noise, colour and excitement of their explosive live performance to Newcastle. Since emerging from the UK’s underground rave scene in the early 1990s, The Prodigy have established themselves as one of the most dominant, dynamic and revered electronic acts of all time. Pioneers of the big beat genre, their unique mixture of rave, hardcore, industrial and breakbeat sounds, has seen them consistently captivate the planet’s electronic faithful and, in turn, sell more albums than any other dance music artist in history. From giving birth to iconic tracks like ‘Firestarter’, ‘Voodoo People’, ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ and ‘Breathe’ to forging chart-topping albums like Music For The Jilted Generation, Fat Of The Land and 2009’s Invaders Must Die, The Prodigy are an explosive sonic voice for an entire generation of clubbers, ravers, punks and rockers worldwide whose live shows are the stuff of legend. UK supports Does It Offend You Yeah? are not your average cup of Earl Grey either. The quartet has enjoyed a meteoric rise on the back of their debut album ‘You Don’t Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into’. Touted by Rolling Stone as “an obnoxious, dizzying, perfectlyof-the-moment blend of Daft Punk, Justice and Rage Against the Machine”, DIOYY are renowned for their notoriously rowdy live shows and are set to cause a brouhaha when they hit the local stage. The Prodigy and Does It Offend You Yeah? play Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Wednesday March 10.

BONJAH STRICK TWICE

Fresh from an ARIA nomination for Best Australian Independent Blues & Roots Album for Until Dawn and a spring filled with performing alongside G Love & Special Sauce and The Original Wailers on their east coast tours of Australia, Bonjah will be hitting the road to promote ‘Colours’, their third single from their highly critically acclaimed debut album Until Dawn. Summer is finally here and sets the scene for long breezy festival days and hot, stage bound nights across Australia as Bonjah share the upbeat, high energy eclectic sounds of ‘Colours’. A truly summer sound. With performances with friends, The Beautiful Girls across New South Wales to eight festivals in six weeks and a stopover in Perth to perform at the Australia Day concert to a west coast sunset, Bonjah are thrilled to start 2010 with such momentum performing in a remarkable six out of the eight states of Australia. Bonjah, along with The Beautiful Girls play The Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay, Wednesday January 6, 2010. The band then returns to the Cambridge Hotel, Saturday February 20 with special guests Ryan Meeking and the Few and Melbourne-based singer/songwriter, Coby Grant.

HAVING A FLING WITH CORRINA

Comparisons with Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt should make you sit up and take notice, but when an artist is described by the Sydney Morning Herald as “arguably the most important left-field country music talent to emerge in this country since Kasey Chambers”, there’s really no excuse for not getting a oneway ticket to ride the Corrina Steel train. The woman that can effortlessly tear up gospel, soul, country, swamp and blues has just dropped her third album. While her previous two releases, Blues is a Good Woman Gone Bad and Wayward, waltzed it about with countryrock ballads and blues notes, A Fling with the King takes the bull firmly by the horns, and steers the musical trajectory off the well-trod country road and deep into the murky blue woods. Steel was taught slide guitar by Kenny Brown, RL Burnside’s slide guitarist for 26 years, an experience that left an indelible impression on her development as a musician. Steel penned A Fling… on a cattle farm, using a slide guitar that Brown sent over to her from Mississippi. Corinna Steel plays the Wickham Park Hotel, Sunday January 24, 2010.

BIG DAY OUT SIDESHOWS

As we all prepare for this year’s Big Day Out double header, let’s take a step back and have a look at all the sideshows treats that are on offer. It’s going to be a busy week: Fear Factory Manning Bar, Mon, Jan 18, Rise Against, A Death In The Family Enmore Theatre, Tues Jan 19, The Decemberists Metro Theatre, Tues Jan 19, Passion Pit Metro Theatre, Wed Jan 20, The Horrors Oxford Art Factory, Wed Jan 20, The Mars Volta Hordern Pavilion, Wed Jan 20, Kasabian Enmore Theatre, Wed Jan 20, Lily Allen, Miami Horror Hordern Pavilion, Thur Jan 21, Mastodon UNSW Roundhouse, Thur Jan 21, Calvin Harris Metro Theatre, Thur Jan 21, Peaches Home, Sun Jan 24, Dizzee Rascal Enmore Theatre, Sun Jan 24, Devendra Banhart Metro Theatre, Sun Jan 24, Groove Armada, Simian Mobile Disco Hordern Pavilion, Mon Jan 25, Girl Talk Enmore Theatre, Mon Jan 25

After The Fall

AFTER THE FALL HEAD BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

With the release of After The Fall’s album [IN] Exile this year and just finishing a massive national tour covering all corners of the country, After The Fall are getting back to their roots. After The Fall will play two shows in local shows this month, the first being The Entrance Leagues in Bateau Bay on Saturday January 9. Local bands Six And Sevens and Mind Priorities will open the night. After The Fall will then hit the Pacific Hwy north for an hour to the Northern Star Hotel on Saturday January 16. Local band Light Noise will open the show on the night. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

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THE MAN IN BLACK

The tough, challenging life of country music superstar Johnny Cash and his legacy of powerful songs come together in a brand-new show starring electrifying Australian rock identity Tex Perkins. The Man In Black will hit Civic Theatre for two performances only, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th February 2010. Cash, who died in 2003, was one of America’s most influential country music stars, his output over a long career covered a range of genres, including rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk and gospel. He sold well over 50 million records in his lifetime and his music is still selling today. Johnny Cash was dealt a very tough hand early in life, but through his music and dedication he became a legend throughout the world. Renowned as “one of the wildest and most electrifying front men in rock” (Herald Sun), Tex Perkins, singer with the multi-ARIA Award-winning Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon and Ladyboyz, will lead The Tennessee Four in the night of memorable music. Written by Australian theatrical producer Jim McPherson, who confesses to a 40-year fascination with the wildly unpredictable star, The Man In Black is two hours of Cash’s magnificent music interwoven with the story of his rise to stardom, his fight for survival and his eventual redemption.

ROGER HODGSON AND 10CC AT CIVIC THEATRE

What an extraordinary treat this is for lovers of the finest classic pop and rock ever made! Roger Hodgson from Supertramp and 10cc will perform together on a double bill at the Civic Theatre, Sunday April 11. Roger Hodgson is recognised as one of the most gifted composers, songwriters and lyricists of our time. As the legendary voice, writer and arranger of most of Supertramp’s greatest hits

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

angus and julia stone

ANGUS AND JULIA STONE GO TO UNI

tex perkins

that led to more than 60 million record sales, he gave us amazingly enduring songs like ‘Give a Little Bit’, ‘Dreamer’, ‘It’s Raining Again’, ‘Take the Long Way Home’, ‘The Logical Song’, ‘Breakfast In America’, ‘Fool’s Overture’ and so many others that have become the sound track of our lives. 10cc may well be described as a tongue-in-cheek British art-pop band that found international success in the 1970s, but that’s just part of the story. With 26 million albums sold, and perennial hits like ‘Donna’, ‘I’m Not in Love’, ‘Rubber Bullets’, and ‘The Things We Do for Love’, it soon becomes clear that 10cc are one of Britain’s most original and innovative pop and rock bands. Both bands are in Australia for Bluesfest’s much anticipated 21st Anniversary festival held in Byron Bay over Easter 2010.

The last three years have been a whirlwind for brother and sister duo, Angus and Julia Stone. Their debut album A Book Like This, released in 2007 glided easily in to the hearts of Australians. It debuted top 10 on the national ARIA album chart and maintained a spot in the top 100 for over a year, culminating in 2008 with six ARIA award nominations and reaching platinum sales status. The duo with their band, have travelled around the world from the cold Scottish Highlands to the warm desert towns of the USA, have had songs feature on TV ads from Korea to Scandanavia and have appeared on Festivals throughout the world including SXSW in Texas, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Latitude in London. All this international touring successfully expanded the bands audience, with their MySpace plays now exceeding 5 million. The new single ‘And The Boys’ has been enjoying high rotation on Triple J, and comes with two bonus tracks ‘Change’ and ‘Take You Away’ when purchased through the iTunes store. Angus and Julia Stone will once again grace our stages when they hit the road this March, playing Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni, Thursday March 18.

JOSH PYKE confirms lizotte’s dates

Josh Pyke has had a bumper 18 months since the release of Chimney’s Afire. The album, largely themed on Josh’s love for the water and deep family history with the ocean, debuted at #1 in Australian ARIA charts and went gold shortly after. Pyke backed this up with multiple national headline tours and festival appearances, including his most recent tour, the aptly named Variations Tour, which saw Josh take on a new approach to his live shows, with three separate sets at each show — one acoustic solo, one stripped back and one with full band. This unique approach gave fans a chance to see Pyke’s songwriting talent in a few different shades of light. For those of you that haven’t witnessed Pyke in solo mode before, you’re in for a real treat. Pyke’s amazing lyrics and storytelling ability really shine through in an acoustic setting, and the intimate feeling of a small venue will give Pyke a chance to really connect with his audience. Josh Pyke performs both Lizotte venues in February, at Kincumber, Monday 22 and Saturday 27, and at Lambton, Tuesday 23 and Friday 26.

news

TROUBADOUR REUNION

sinden

SINDEN DROPS BY CBD

Sinden is the London producer/DJ best known for his wide-ranging sets that include everything from Baltimore club, baile funk and hip-hop to RnB, soul, dancehall, house, electro, Miami bass and grime. Sinden has released one solo 12” ‘Sinden EP’ but has carved out a name as a remixer, rejigging everyone from Basement Jaxx and Mary J Blige to Plan B and Bonde Do Role. He’s also known for his collaborations and remixes with Jesse Rose, Herve aka Count of Monte Cristal, and Dave “Switch” Taylor as A.Brucker & Sinden. Taylor and Sinden also run the label Counterfeet and program Get Familiar’ in the main room of Fabric, London every other month. Newcastle fans may be familiar with Sinden’s dancefloor anthem, ‘Beeper’. “I got hooked on seven-inches when I was a kid,” says Sinden, of his beginnings, “mainly Def Jam rap and hip-house stuff mixed with metal jams like Iron Maiden. Now, like most, I’ve traded in the wax for the CD.” Sinden admits that he’s a fullyformed digital convert. “I converted to Serato about in 2008 and that has changed everything, so now I’m all about the digital downloads and upload links. Though my mate Jesse Rose would argue if you aren’t carrying your own records you aren’t earning your DJ fee!” Sinden keeps ahead of the game by being flooded with promo records for his radio show on Kiss FM. He shares some of his recent favourites. “I like lots of bands like Animal Collective, Micachu & The Shapes, Telepathe, Phoenix and Passion Pit, some Southern trap hip-hop especially Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman. These guys hustle so hard on the mixtape circuit. Loads of UK urban dance music — Dubstep, Garage and Funky House etc. I’m really excited about The Dream’s record. I get off on a lot of global world style music too — this new Douster mixtape kills! I think more producers will embrace these sounds,” says Sinden. The artist also famously toured with MIA as her tour DJ and explains how he pulled off that coup. “I met her and Diplo through Switch a few years back — this was in the very early stages of Kala being made. When a gap came up for a tour DJ, Switch put in a good word for me. I seized the opportunity in an instant. The shows were mental and unforgettable — getting kicked off stage in Scotland for inciting a stage invasion, supporting Bjork to thousands in an old Roman colosseum. It was bananas!” Sinden will head to Newcastle’s CBD Hotel on Saturday, January 16, Featuring support from Kato, Menna, A Catt, B Cattz, Beatniks, Hades, Loods, Cassi, Keegz, Cal, Tap Tap, Park-Ohhh!, Ponyboy!, and Hey Presto! Doors open at 9pm. Lock out is at 1am sharp. Tickets are $20 from Overt Clothing, the venue and the DJs. This show will sell out, so don’t hesitate.

carole king and james taylor

Iconic recording artists Carole King and James Taylor will bring their Troubadour Reunion world tour to the Hunter Valley in April. The two-hour show will feature a breadth of material, including songs they performed during their 1970 debut show at Troubadour in Los Angeles, a show which helped propel them both to the world stage. The idea for Troubadour Reunion came about in 2007 after King and Taylor performed — for the first time since 1970 — at Troubadour’s 50th anniversary. The shows sold-out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. “When James and I first played together in the early seventies, we connected immediately, both musically and personally, with an effortless, comfortable familiarity,” King said. “After we reunited in 2007 with Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar and Russ Kunkel, the original band from our early Troubadour shows, none of us wanted the fun to stop.” This is a rare opportunity to see two of the world’s most renowned singer-songwriters perform together on stage. Troubadour Reunion play Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Saturday April 3, 2010.

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

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MICK FLEETWOOD AT Lizotte’s

the philly jays

PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY to HEADLINE REVERB’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY With two massive parties already notched into its collective belt, it seems Reverb, with its new-found taste for hosting live gigs, is already planning big things for 2010. To kick things off, we’re throwing a Back To School party for the lead up to O-Week — your opportunity to cut loose before study begins in 2010. Headlining the evening will be the explosive live act known as Philadelphia Grand Jury. Stylish fashionistas The Bastilles will provide support, along with the equally tasty

Fictions and Empire Burlesque. Reverb’s Back To School party is proudly sponsored by Bacardi and the popular drink brand will be having promotions on the night — Bacardi girls, taste-testing, etc. Tickets are only $15 presale on Moshtix or $18 on the door on the night. Reverb strongly advises to wear your best school uniform. Enrol for Reverb’s Back To School party at The Cambridge Hotel on Thursday February 4, 2010. Be there!

There are some gigs that are so special, they become the stuff of legend — an experience that can be shared only amongst the people in the room. One of those evenings will be when The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band takes the stage in the 100-year old Lizotte’s theatre in Lambton. Recently, Fleetwood Mac played to the biggest crowd ever assembled in the Hunter Valley. The super group’s founding member and arguably the world’s most famous drummer and percussionist, Mick Fleetwood, will return to Australia in March, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the first record, Fleetwood Mac, and is giving fans the opportunity to experience the sound and energy of the original band in a very personal and intimate gig. The new Blues band brings together the people who created music and those who were influenced by it to produce a show of unparalleled energy and a true vibe of the 60s. On the project Mick has said, “I’ve been very excited about the prospect of doing something like this for a real 40th Anniversary Tour and I’m so pleased at how it has come together. I can’t wait to see the reactions from the fans — the music is there, the energy is there, all of the pieces fit.” The Mick Fleetwood Blues band is performing at Lizotte’s, Lambton playing the exact type of music Fleetwood Mac played between the years of 1967 and 1970 — the finest in Blues and Classic Rock & Roll. Monday March 1 is already sold out, but a new date has been added, Sunday February 28. Get in, really quick.

NICK AND LIESL RELEASE THE PRESSURE

Nick and Liesl have adopted a novel approach to their upcoming album — it’ll be ready when’s it’s ready, they say. It seems to be paying off. Without the pressure of studio deadlines and tour schedules they have been having a ball working on new songs. Suddenly the ideas are flowing and things are starting to come together. So, even though they still can’t offer any release dates, they can at least give some assurance that it will be worth the wait. Catch them at Erina Leagues, Friday January 22, for some fine music, and beer for Nick’s birthday.

LOST ON THE PRETTY LITTLE COAST TOUR

What better way to kick off the New Year three bands, one from NSW, QLD and VIC, have decided to join forces to take their tunes to new crowds. All having an exclusive sound, these like-minded bands have been given strong support from community radio and have new tracks to bring up and down the coast. After a successful string of dates in the UK and France in October this year, Melbourne’s Blackchords are ready to take on their first national tour for the release of their second single, ‘Pretty Little Thing’, from their highly acclaimed selftitled debut album, released earlier this year. Brisbane band, Grand Atlantic will release their brand spanking new single ‘Coast Is Clear’ in January from the album How We Survive. The album was released in June 2009 to much acclaim and worldwide attention through frequent and widespread blog and podcast presence, the new single ‘Coast is Clear’ will see Grand Atlantic taking 2010 by force. The end of 2009 has seen Sierra Fin with their heads down preparing to record their debut album. After many gigs throughout the year, including a successful tour to promote their Shake Stare Sleep EP, Sierra Fins live show incorporates a mix of buddy holly inspired antics, blazing ukuleles and other theatrics never seen before. The Lost On The Pretty Little Coast Tour drops into the Northern Star Hotel, Friday January 29.

GETTING YOUR MONK ON

Following a busy six months which included recording a CD at Dark Horse Studios and touring up north to Port Macquarie and Bellingen, Grandmastermonk make a very special mid January return to one of their favourite hometown gigs, the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel. The band are looking to the release of their new CD later this year. According to Jimac, guitarist and founding member, “Some of the initial recordings achieve a depth of sound that lets the listener experience the textural quality of our live performances.” Joining the “monk” at the Lass will be Adelaide’s Huckleberry Swedes with their polished mix of folky roots rock. Grand mastermonk and The Huckleberry Swedes play The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham on Friday January 15.

SUMMER CARNIVALE SESSION 2 at Queen’s wharf brewery

snowdroppers

TO HELL WITH THE SNOWDROPPERS

The Snowdroppers came together in the third quarter of 2007, a group of misfits and STD carriers with one thing in common — the desire to introduce the blues to a new generation of fans. Realising they were, in fact, four cleanlimbed white boys, they decided to mix things up a little, which seemed to work in their favour, as their first ever show drew 1300 paying audience members. Of the 1300, only half asked for their money back — thanks in part, to their ribald songs about fornication and intoxication, and by drawing inspiration from the old blues and country masters of the American south. Taking their name from the Sydney 1920s slang term for cocaine addicts, The Snowdroppers delight in delivering something dark and thrillingly nostalgic, and by adding their own unique interpretations [and 12

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

bastardisations] of the genre, the sound is unique and fresh with original material and a modern stage presence. The last 18 months have seen the lads performing almost non-stop around the country, with highlights including the Sydney Big Day Out, a critically acclaimed run with the award-winning B-Sharp production of Killer Joe, Newtown Festival, the Canberra Fringe Festival, and most recently two completely sold out shows in Sydney [The Vanguard] and Melbourne [Order of Melbourne]. Their first full-length, Too Late To Pray, was released to rave reviews. With an ear for the past and an eye for the future, The Snowdroppers are guaranteed to bring something greatly needed to the Australian music scene… an enema. Catch The Snowdroppers at the Northern Star Hotel, FrIday January 22, and the Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, Saturday 30.

Summer Carnivale Session 2 takes place on the wharf at the Queen’s Wharf Brewery on Sunday, January 17 from 1pm when the temperature will rise with an afternoon and evening full of mind-blowing free entertainment. Following the success of Session One, held last month, Summer Carnivale Session Two is to feature two of Sydney’s most dynamic acts who are sure to get your heart rate pumping as we party on in celebration of the summer season. Femme Fatales, is a dynamite five-piece dance act with music credibility that puts attitude and foxy glamour in all the right places. This unique, all-female Aussie sound system, featuring a combination of live musicians playing alongside a DJ led by flavoursome UK DJ Beth Yen, is taking the club scene by storm. The 11-piece musical extravaganza known as The Bakery will get the party started with their wild and energetic routine. Featuring a menagerie of musical styles ranging from funk to afro beat, ska to swing and reggae to drum ’n’ bass, all solidly glued together by a deep respect for danceable grooves and sweet melodies, you’ll find it hard to sit still.

house vs hurricane

HOUSE Vs HURRICANE replace trap them on Boys of summer tour

Trap Them have pulled out of the 2010 Boys Of Summer tour citing ‘unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances‘. To fill the void, Melbourne’s House Vs Hurricane will be getting on board the Boys Of Summer Juggernaut. HvH will be fresh from recording their debut full-length with Brian McTernan at Salad Days USA, who has previously worked with Circa Survive, Thrice, Darkest Hour and Lifetime, to name a few. Having supported acts like Parkway Drive, Misery Signals and Bullet for My Valentine over the last eighteenmonths, House Vs Hurricane will use Boys Of Summer to kick start their biggest year yet. The Boys Of Summer 2010 Tour will play the Cambridge Hotel, January 15, followed by the Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong, January 16.

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Sunday Jan 3 - beer garden 2pm

Nicko

Sunday Jan 3 - front bar 8pm

Shanna Watson, Jen Buxton

We d n e s d a y Ja n 6 - f r o nt ba r 9. 3 0 p m

Corporate Smack

S u n d a y Ja n 10 - b e e r ga r d e n 2 p m

The Bad and the Ugly

S u n d a y Ja n 10 - fr o nt ba r 8 p m

Jen Buxton, Corey Price, Mick Ferfoglia We d n e s d a y Ja n 13 - fr o nt ba r 9. 3 0 p m

Shambala

SWIFT BORDER CROSSING To say Ember Swift’s new project, entitled Lentic, is a case where East meets West may be a cliché, but there is nothing stale about this bold and beautiful project. In fact, Lentic is a refreshing step in a new direction; electronic music meets folk and it is truly a sonic representation of two countries: China and Canada. This folktronica project is both organic [acoustic and traditional] and electronic [beats and grooves]. Lentic features Chinese instrumentation [specifically the guzheng], lyrics in both Mandarin and English, and, consistent with Ember Swift’s

Saturday Jan 16 - bac kroom 10 pm

Not OK (Bris), Judged by You, The Strugglers

musical outpourings, several tips of the hat to diverse styles and musical eras within the arrangements. Lentic truly reflects a new global reality of cultural exchange, and particularly China, a country that embodies the collision between East and West, ancient and modern. Ember will be bringing her new project, along with new band, to present Lentic for the first time to her Australian fans. Ember Swift plays Lizotte’s, Kincumber, Wednesday January 13, followed by Lizotte’s, Lambton, Thursday January 14.

S u n d a y J a n 17 - b e e r g a r d e n 2 p m

Nicko

S u n d a y J a n 17 - f r o n t b a r 8 p m

Jen Buxton, Tim Crossey

Wednesday Jan 2 0 - front bar 9pm

Mark Easton

Sunday Jan 24 - beer garden 2pm

The bad and the ugly

Sunday Jan 24 - front bar 8pm

Jen Buxton, Nick Saxon

Tu e s d a y J a n 2 6 - 2 p m

BIG DAY GOUT

We d n e s d a y J a n 27 - 9. 3 0 p m

Chris Burrows, Wil Wagner, Like Alaska

Maestri for this portrait of indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. All of the finalists of the 2009 Archibald Prize will be on display at the Gosford Regional Gallery until Sunday, January 24.

Saturday Jan 30 - Backroom 10pm

Newcastle Metal Show

Sunday Jan 31 beer garden 2 pm

Nicko

THE NEWTON FAULKNER

glass army

GLASS ARMY returns to THE CAMBridge

After almost two years of hibernation, Newcastle trio Glass Army is preparing to again hit the stage on January 23 to farewell their founding drummer, Jore Brown. The band toured out of Newcastle for several years and released one critically acclaimed EP before deciding to take a break and work on a new album. Said album is nearly finished and, with less than a month before Jore ships off to Melbourne forever, Glass Army is determined to play one show in Newcastle, to unveil some of the new material. Catch Glass Army at the Cambridge Hotel, Saturday January 23.

ARCHIBALD IN GOSFORD

The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art awards. Since its inception in 1921 the prize has been awarded to some of Australia’s most important artists, including George Lambert, William Dobell and Brett Whiteley. Each year the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales invite artists to submit paintings in competition for an annual prize which is awarded to the best portrait of a man or woman ‘distinguished in art, letters, science or politics’. Archibald’s primary aims were to foster portraiture, support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians. The winner receives $50,000 in prize money. The Archibald prize is now in its 88th year, and this year there were 708 entries for the prize from which 35 works were selected. This year the prize has been awarded to Guy

It’s safe to say that Newton Faulkner is now one of the family. Following his recent sell-out tour, our favourite young folk hero returns in March. In his relatively short career, Faulkner has shared the stage with James Morrison, Paolo Nutini, The Fray, Chris Martin, John Butler Trio and John Mayer. In 2008 he was nominated for a Brit Award and played a gig from a hot air balloon over the Swiss Alps. In 2010 Faulkner will reach new heights, headlining a national tour that will ascend to Newcastle’s Bar on the Hill, March 30.

Sunday Jan 31 front ba r 8 pm

The Havelocks, Jen buxton

Coming soon: The Rumjacks Feb 12, Nunchucka Superfly Feb 13, Casino Rumblers late Feb

Mondays 9pm Muso’s jam night - cheap booze, free pool Tuesday – Hamilton’s best pool comp 7.30pm Beer of the month:

SHOCK TREATMENT

To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, the Tokyo Shock Boys return with a brand new show. Whilst working on the Paul McCartney’s 1990 tour of Japan, four roadies formed up to perform some funny stunts on Japanese TV — their segment became the most popular on the show, and the Tokyo Shock Boys were born. 20 years later, the Tokyo Shock Boys have delighted, amazed and shrink-wrapped thousands of happy people. Their fast-paced show is a circus of physical stamina delivered with a surreal Japanese sensibility. From their trademark dengeki dance, to apologies for tea ceremonies gone wrong, a Tokyo Shock Boys performance is infused with Japanese culture. Don’t miss these hilarious onion-crushing, milk-snorting Japanese comedians. The Tokyo Shock Boys play Newcastle Panthers, Sunday March 14.

PERONI

Live It Up Karaoke

Thur- Sat 9.30-2.30

Little Creatures Pale Ale now on Tap

Happy Hour Thurs & Sun 4-6pm $3.30 Schooners Live Entertainment In the Beer Garden every Sunday

990

MEALS

7 Days a Week

Bistro now open til 10pm Thu-Sat

AUSTRALIA’S BEST PUB MEAL - THE FOOD CHANNEL

RED BULL’s UNITE

The third and final “Unite” event is upon us, and your favourite energy drink, Red Bull, will be there to push you all along. Red Bull Unite will host the Lost Valentinos DJs, Kato, B Cattz at the Queen’s Wharf Brewery on Friday, January 22 from 8pm out on the wharf. Entry is free so there’s no excuse.

BOOKINGS: kurt@hamiltonstationhotel.com

cnr BEAUMONT & FERN ST’s ISLINGTON myspace.com/hamiltonstationhotel 02 4961 3852

OPEN 9.30AM-3AM DAILY EXCEPT SUN 10AM-MIDNIGHT r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

cat po w e r

Chan Marshall, known better as Cat Power, has outgrown her 90s-brooding-shoegaze influences to become a captivating folk icon in her own right: the inclusion of her ‘Sea Of Love’ cover in the film Juno certainly made mainstream listeners take notice. Having faced and overcome a well documented battle with alcoholism, Marshall is ready to reintroduce herself to her legion of fans around the world. Nick Milligan spoke to a very talkative, thought-provoking and candid Marshall at her home in California.

The nine lives of

Cat Power Hi, Chan. Hi, nice to meet you. Where are you calling from?

I’m calling from Newcastle, Australia. Wow, yeah cool. I’ve played there before. It’s a nice little beach city… Aw, man, I need the beach. I need it, I need it. What’s the weather like where you are? I’m living in California and it’s not cold right now, but in the morning and at night it’s fuckin’ cold. Everyone thinks that LA… it’s not what everyone thinks it’s like. It’s cold. In summer, it’s hot. It reminds me a lot of Australia, actually. You’ve had a long relationship with Australia: you’ve recorded an album here [Moon Pix] and you have some prominent Australian musicians in your touring band, The Delta 14

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Blues. Does coming to Australia feel different compared to other countries? Yeah, it does. I have such great memories [of Australia]. It’s been so long since I spent a really extended time there — I used to spend a lot of time there. I’ve always considered Australia to be close to my heart — a place I could always live. But I’ve never moved there so it sounds trite to even say that.

When did you move to California and what’s it been like? I moved to [California] from the east coast last September [2008]. It was kind of hard, apart from being in a relationship with my boyfriend. That was the reason I moved out here and it’s brought a lot of positive things to my life. I think my friends have always been like my family, so leaving them was a struggle. I was missing my friends — that sense of camaraderie. I’ve been

“I’m still trying to work out what I’m doing on Planet Earth… or what I need to be doing.”

trying to find a new path. When you partner up with someone, your life changes, you know? I’ve heard you’re working on a new album — is this true? Yeah, I’ve been writing here at the house for a while on tape recorders — that’s how I usually write songs — then one day I was going through all the cassettes and I was like, ‘I always do this — I want to do this differently’. I rented a little studio around the corner from where I live. I just went in there and instead of rewinding and rewinding, I recorded these ideas so that I would have them on an actual reel; a forced situation, where you’re now being recorded. With all the rewinding and fast forwarding [of cassettes], it’s a different ball game. So [recording in a studio] actually inspired me to say, ‘Fuck it, I’m just going to do it for a couple of days to vomit the ideas up’. Now I have a lot

cat po w e r

in a very different place to where I was then. I’m not drawing on any space of time as an inspiration [for this new album], but where I’m standing now, everything in the past is still relative. In a weird way, I can’t seem to erase my memory… I don’t know what I’m saying… I’m still trying to work out what I’m doing on Planet Earth… or what I need to be doing. Or can I do anything? Or what am I good at — am I good at anything? All those questions we always ask… of songs, so it sounds really good to be working in that way again. I’m [recording] by myself with an assistant engineer from the studio, which is cool. I haven’t done that since I recorded Moon Pix in Australia. It has a nice feeling, playing drums by myself and getting amp sounds and things like that. There’s no pressure to release the record and go on tour next week. That’s how I’ve lived my life the past two years, but I’m starting a new thing. It’s clear that you’re in a very different stage of your life compared to when you made The Greatest. Are the changes in your life coming through in your music? It’s weird, because as you get older you look on your life when things like new relationships, new environments and new challenges pop up, and then you look back on things in your past and different areas — whether it’s experiences, travel, family, friendships or loss. I think it’s all tied in, not necessarily to these last few years since The Greatest, but it’s tied in to it all. The personal challenges of where I was at with The Greatest, on a fundamental level, yes, I’m

You have two albums that were released in the mid-nineties. Do you ever listen to your earliest work? No, I don’t listen to any of my old records. I feel like the only record I wanted to make was Moon Pix… oh, and Jukebox. I never wanted to make records. I feel like what I wanted to do was see the world and experience different societies. If I could have just toured without making a record, I think I would have been fine with that. Touring gave me the opportunity to enhance my learning experiences. I still feel [ask], ‘Why does a record have to be one moment in time?’ It’s still really abstract — I know it’s a normal thing that you go in [to a studio] and make a record and then there it is — it’s hard to describe — a song, once it’s recorded, it’s taken for granted that that’s what the song sounds like. I feel like that’s not true. Once you’ve played the song a thousand times, your life experiences affect the way you perform the song and the way the song actually grows and lives. The recording should actually come after. It just seems weird that you record the song and then play it afterwards.

“I don’t know how to feel good about recording. It’s strange. It’s like trapping ghosts.” Is the way to get around that to record only live albums, so that you keep recapturing the songs? Well, that’s the thing. When I record, I like to do it live. That’s what make me feel inspired. I might have played some old songs a thousand times, but now I’m recording the new ones. And [the new ones] aren’t even real to me — I’m recording them but they don’t feel like songs to me yet. On the other records, it’s as if they weren’t even done — they weren’t songs yet. I don’t even know what I’m saying… but recording feels like… some people get their teeth taken out and new ones put in — fake ones to look perfect. But when I go to record, I don’t want perfect teeth — I don’t want to do 20,000 takes of this “Oh, the feeling was there but I’m off-key… I didn’t get the right lyric in”. I don’t know what I’m doing — I don’t know how to feel good about recording. It’s strange. It’s like trapping ghosts. It’s like maths. Or trapping the meaning of life. That doesn’t really feel right. I’m trying to get back to playing an instrument.

That’s what I’m doing in the studio. I’m sitting and playing piano and guitar, and singing and recording it. I haven’t done that since The Greatest. It’s interesting, I feel like I’m learning again or something. Just as your songs change over time, do you feel that the meaning of your lyrics changes for you, too? Yeah, that’s interesting. After years, even with covers, I think a song is always adaptable. I can interpret it and think about it differently. Sometimes I listen back — I’d been on tour with The Greatest and had a break, and I wondered what it sounded like. I actually listened to [The Greatest] one night and I thought, ‘What the fuck did I put out?’ I was in such a fog, and, when I listened to it objectively, I couldn’t believe that I had sung some of those things. It made me feel like I needed to have a conversation with myself. I don’t know if songs are allies and can teach you about yourself, but you learn that your ideas can change. Have you set yourself any new year’s resolutions for 2010? That’s a good question. I’ve started being more kind to my health, which is a good thing. Californian people are very advanced with organic food — that mentality of Californian people. I’m finding myself casually noticing my health a lot more. That’s the most important. The goal is to be good to myself. Cat Power plays Newcastle Panthers on Saturday January 9, 2010. Don’t miss what will be a magical night. Support from Canvas Kites. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

baro n e s s

pressure on each other in a way to make a great album. There was no visceral feeling of pressure from the label or anything like that. I guess we’ve been lucky with our label as they did give us a fair bit of room. But I guess we’re just a bunch of hard working guys who wanted to make the best album we could. Speaking of hard work, you guys have been doing a fair bit of touring of late. How would you say that time on the road informed what ended up on The Blue Record? Well here’s the thing — over the past years we have played with a great wealth of talent and I guess we’re always keeping our eyes and ears open. It’s all learning for us. Like when we’re on tour with a bigger band, it’s kind of like school for us — we’re like sponges soaking everything in we can, to make us better performers.

the royal blue So what’s happening at the moment? Well right now I’m not really doing anything. Just sitting at home hanging out with my family, which is pretty cool. Are you guys looking forward to getting down here for Soundwave? Oh absolutely. The whole band is really psyched about coming to Australia and the Soundwave festival looks like it’s going to be awesome. All of us just can’t wait to get down there. For the uninitiated, can you tell us a little bit about Baroness? Well, I guess we’ve been fooling around as a band for about six years now. The thing about

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On the eve of their turn at Soundwave, Stephen Bisset caught up with Baroness singer John Baizley to chat about life on the road and classic album covers. Baroness is that we all grew up together in the same town. We’ve had brothers in the band before, so yeah we’ve always kinda just been a group of musicians who come from the same background. Would you say that having that close relationship outside the band makes things easier for you guys musically?

Yeah it definitely makes things easier. I guess there’s this thing that develops over time where you don’t really have to talk about it too much anymore, it’s more from the gut and we can kinda sense where everyone else is goring. Are you happy with the reception The Blue Record has been getting of late? Absolutely. The response from both the critics and the fans has been great. Would you say that there was any pressure going into the studio the second time round after the success of The Red Album? The only pressure that we felt and the only things we needed to prove was internal. I guess we put

Apart from being flat out with the band, your art has been taking up a fair bit of your time as well [Baizley designs the Baroness album art and for bands such as Pig Destroyer and Flight of the Conchords, too]. How do you find the time? Well basically I spend fifty percent of the year making art and fifty percent of the year making music. I like to keep it a pretty even split and try not to mix the two too often because I’d probably go crazy. So what would you regard as the greatest album cover of all time. The single greatest album cover? [laughs] I’m definitely not qualified to answer that. But there’s all the great Motorhead record covers, some great Judas Priest covers — even bands like Black Flag. There’s just too many to mention. Baroness play the Soundwave Festival, February 21 at Eastern Creek Raceway.

th e g e t up kid s

The Kids Are All right When seminal Kansas City indie/emo band The Get Up Kids called it quits back in 2005, little did they know that all they needed was a break. And so the story continues with the Kids hitting our shores in February for the Soundwave festival in support of the 10th anniversary re-issue of their groundbreaking 1999 LP Something to Write Home About. By Stephen Bisset. “It was just a natural thing for us,” Pryor says of the reunion of his band, The Get Up Kids. “We have all kept in touch since we broke up, and I guess with hindsight being 20/20 — we really never needed to break up at all, we just needed a break.” Pryor said taking time away from the band exploring other projects gave him a reinvigorated fondness for getting on stage with The Get Up Kids. “The biggest thing I learnt was definitely the need to keep a bit of distance,” he says. “I guess it’s kind of an ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ kind of thing. I think it’s important that the band isn’t the one and only thing we focus on.” Pryor says the reunion also came about, in part, as an excuse to play shows around the re-release of Something to Write Home About. “We talked about re-releasing Four Minute Mile [the Get Up Kids’ incendiary debut] but we don’t really have the best relationship with the record company who put it out [Doghouse] and we didn’t really have anything to put with it,” Pryor explains. “With Something to Write Home About though, it was like 10 years since its release so we kind of used it as a flimsy excuse to start playing shows again.”

For Pryor, the fact that the album is still turning heads after 10 years is a source of bewilderment. “I guess there’s just something about that record, I don’t know what it is,” he says. “I guess maybe it has more to do with timing than anything else. Everything just seemed to come together on it.” In fact, Pryor says that the entire Get Up Kids career thus far has been a bit of a surprise, owing to his own self-confessed musical shortsightedness. “God man, I had absolutely no idea we’d still be touring the album ten years later,” he laughs. “When it comes to music I’ve always had a really short-sighted vision of what I wanted to do. Like first off I wanted to be in a band, then I wanted to play shows, then I wanted to tour, then I wanted to tour in a van, then I wanted to tour overseas and drive around in a bus. So yeah, it’s a constant surprise to me that we’re still able to get out there and play all these years later. While The Get Up Kids may not have had the same amount of mainstream success as many of the third wave emo bands [My Chemical Romance, Fallout Boy et al], they are considered quite influential in emo circles with everyone from Pete Wentz to Gerard Way singing their

praises. While Pryor says this is something he can definitely live with, he does not see himself as hugely influential, but rather just another guy trying to make good music. “Yeah, I really don’t think about the band in those terms,” he explains. “We have always been about moving forward and challenging ourselves musically, so it doesn’t really matter to me if we’re famous or not, or how many bands name-check us in interviews. It’s nice to have those things, but it’s not why I play music.” Pryor says that while the band are concentrating on reconnecting with each other on stage for the time being, there are plans to put out some new material in the near future, yet he is unsure as to what form it might take. “We’ve been working on a bunch of new stuff recently but we’re looking at doing some different stuff like maybe

releasing a series of 12-inch vinyl singles or something like that. You know, something a little different to all of the MP3s out there.” Pryor said he was especially looking forward to playing the Soundwave festival owing to what he calls an ‘awesome lineup.’ “Yeah, Soundwave is going to be awesome,” he says enthusiastically. “The line-up is just fantastic, I mean you’ve got Faith No More and Jane’s Addiction which is pretty cool, but I’m really looking forward to seeing The Weakerthans as they are awesome, and also Sunny Day Real Estate… wow. I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have a blast.” The Get Up Kids play Soundwave, Sunday, February 21. Something To Write Home About 10 year anniversary edition is out now through Vagrant/Shock.

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rob halford

HEAVY METAL FATHER CHRISTMAS

The prospect of interviewing somebody known universally as The Metal God could be a daunting prospect, but as Stephen Bisset found out when he caught up with Rob Halford to chat about his forthcoming Christmas album, nothing could be further from the truth. In terms of oxymorons, heavy metal and Christmas would have to be pretty high on the list. Yet Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has defied tradition and released an album celebrating the festive season in Winter Songs — a niche normally reserved for Cliff Richard. But that’s not to say The Metal God has gone all soft. As he explains down the line from San Diego, he has always wanted to combine two of his favourite things in the world — metal, and Christmas. “Musically, the adventure goes back for as long as I can remember,” Halford says enthusiastically. “Y’know I just love Christmas and there’s always some music, isn’t there, in the background so I thought I’d give it a kick up the bum this year and give it some different vibes musically for the first time in my career.” For those expecting typical Christmas carol fare on Winter Songs, you might be left hanging as Halford says while he had a lot to choose from cover–wise, he only wanted to pick songs that could handle the metal. As such, he has gone for more obscure songs such as ‘Oh Come O Come Emmanuel’, and ‘We Three Kings’. “I really steered clear of all the obvious Christmas songs because they just can’t take the interpretation,” he explains. “You’ve gotta 18

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“...if you’re a dickhead, you’re not going to get very far in any form of life, but particularly in rock and roll.”

look at songs that can take the rock and metal vibe. It’s kind of a serious record, apart from a couple of moments, and while we did have some trouble picking out some covers I really think we made some good choices.” Halford, who’s been in the business for more than 30 years now, shows no sign of slowing down with another Priest tour in the works as well as promotion and touring for Winter Songs. He says if anything, he is just as passionate about making metal now as he was when

Judas Priest first strapped on the leather. “Yeah, though I’m probably more passionate about it now,” he says, “I think that the longer you do it the more important it becomes to you. I’m glad really, as I haven’t become cynical or bitter which is really easy to do when you’re in the entertainment business. But I think really more than ever you’re grateful to your fans for keeping the lifeline open for you to play your music. I mean, if you’re a dickhead you’re not going to get very far in any form of life, but particularly in rock and roll.” Halford says that having been making music for as long has he has [with Judas Priest, Fight, and his solo efforts] has afforded him the luxury of experimenting with a festive album, yet he remains humble about the undeniable influence of his music on hard rock and metal. “When it comes to influence, the truth is you never really think about that and I think most musicians tend to just get on with the job, so to speak,” he says. “But there comes a time in your career, and it is a career, that you start being recognised and people start pointing you out as being useful in what you do, but for my part I accept that very humbly because I’m in the company of some very talented people. But I’ve been making music for 36 or 38 years

now and it’s just nice to still be able to do it and be recognised for it a little bit.” Those who witnessed Halford in full flight with Judas Priest on their Australian tour last year could attest to the fact that the plaudits are warranted. Halford says Australia now holds a special place in Judas Priest’s heart, owing to the reactions they got from the fans down here. “We’d all be back down there in a heartbeat — we had the most amazing time,” he says. “All the lads had a ball. Australia means a hell of a lot to us and we only wish we could get there more often. The fans were absolutely brilliant in being patient and waiting for us and they welcomed us in a really strong way. It was brilliant.” For now, amidst all of the promo for Winter Songs and gearing up for a massive 2010 with Priest, Halford said he was eagerly awaiting the festive season and that he has some surprises in store for his neighbours. “Well, I’m making my black leather Santa outfit as we speak and I’m going to terrorise all the local neighbourhood children dressed as a heavy metal Father Christmas,” he laughs. “And everyone in Australia needn’t worry because the photos will be all over the internet. Everything I do is all over the internet.”

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Fiftyof2009 Top

albums

HILLTOP HOODS State Of The Art Universal

From the first song to the last, State Of The Art truly is a masterpiece. All the jazzy, laidback beats that make up the Hilltop Hoods’ trademark are still there, plus it is their most well rounded album. State Of The Art reaches a new level for a group that was already perceived to be at their best.

TORI AMOS Midwinter Graces Universal

Amos’s masterful 11th studio record was a pseudo-Christmas album and reaffirmed her as one of the world’s most talented artists. As Hugh Milligan described in his December review: “…an amalgam of traditional Christmas carols and original compositions drawn from her upbringing as the daughter of a Methodist priest… It casts aside much of the subversion and defiance of her last album, Abnormally Attracted To Sin, and instead finds greater communion with arrangements from earlier in her career — moments of baroque harpsicord and string lines…”

COTTON SIDEWALK Evil Verses People Independent

Cotton Sidewalk’s second release, their first since relocating to Melbourne, exceeded all expectations. They always had a knack at piecing together cleaver pop. With Evil Verses People though, it appears that the move south has broadened the band’s musical horizons, allowing them to create an ambitious body of work, and to find the true CS sound.

PAPERPROPHETS Paperprophets Independent

Newcastle’s Paperprophets released an incredibly catchy pop EP in 2009 and Reverb hopes there’s a lot more to come. ‘Indigo’ demonstates the group’s blossoming craftsmanship as songwriters. It’s layered and cleverly constructed. Most importantly, the band has developed a very definable sound. 2010 should be a big year for Paperprophets.

MUMFORD AND SONS Sigh No More Dew Process

Confirming a resurgence in southern, earthy and pastoral folk, Mumford and Sons gripping and emotive record proved many people’s discovery of the year. The epic ‘Thistle & Weeds’ is a masterwork, while the radio single ‘Little Lion Man’ captured many ears with its uptempo layers of acoustic guitars and banjo. Fans of Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, Frightened Rabbit and The Swell Season all jizzed quite loudly when they first heard Sigh No More. It’s easy to see why.

BLACKCHORDS Blackchords Devildust Music

Brainchild of Melbourne songwriter Nick Milwright, Blackchords is lush and sweeping when it is called for, and just as delicate and frail in comparison. For example, ‘These Lights’ is minimal and raw, with production echoing Plastic Ono Band. Then the stings rush in, and it is a beautiful moment. This is one of the best Australian debut releases I have heard in a long time.

BLUEJUICE Head Of The Hawk Dew Process/Universal

With their influences on their sleeves and their tongues firmly in their cheeks, Bluejuice have created one hell of a fun record. They may’ve pricked up a few ears with their debut, Problems, but Bluejuice will definitely turn more than a few heads with Head of the Hawk. Mostly killer, very little filler.

HOWLING BELLS Radio Wars Liberation Music

Perhaps it’s not fair to say that Howling Bells abandoned the unique musicality that defined their previous musical efforts — even reinvented, their sound is unmistakably theirs. Radio Wars is infused with the best of the band’s endeavours past and present. Joyfully energetic songs giving way to others sombre and beautifully bittersweet. The result is a satisfyingly balanced musical experience.

THE NEW CHRISTS Gloria Impedance

Rob Younger’s latest incarnation of The New Christs continue the legendary underground acts legacy of colossal punk-tinged rock. A legend himself (as the lead singer of Radio Birdman), Younger’s vocals continue to howl with a tortured abandon that’s impossible to ignore. But the songs and production on Gloria are top-notch and grow on the listener as aggressively as their previous record, We Got This! ‘Psych Nurse’ is a highlight with its dynamic arrangement, haunting piano interludes and ball-tearing chorus. What a cracker of an album.

2009 was a massive year for music. You couldn’t swing a cat without hearing an amazing debut release or an almighty return from a legendary band. This list was Reverb’s top 50 favourite albums of the past 12 months, with rereleases, covers albums and live records omitted. We apologise if we’ve left out your favourite album. Enjoy!

THE DEARS Missiles Sony Music

Murray Lightburn removed most of The Dears’ band members (except his wife) and then rebuilt the group. Following up on their epic masterpiece Gang Of Losers, which is one of the greatest albums of all time, Missiles is another brilliant affair. Lightburn’s deep vocals are soulful and moving as always. With each repeated listen to this record, it will fire another missile into your heart.

THE BRONX Mariachi El Bronx Shock

The most shocking album of 2009 was this effort from The Bronx. Known as one of the wildest punk-rock bands on the planet, the Californians changed gear and recorded an authentically instrumented Mariachi album, complete with a big brass section and flamenco guitar. While on paper this would seem like a novelty record, it’s actually a completely sincere and immaculately written record, which has a high emotional density. It’s surreal and genius all at once. While it may not have been the band’s intention, there are echoes of Sufjan Stevens and Calexico and vocalist Matt Caughthran actually sings… and he sounds great.

Sainthood

Darren Sylvester

TEGAN & SARA Warner

Our favourite musical twins returned with another pop record that employs some echoes electronic lashings, creating a potent concoction. The truth of it is, Tegan & Sara can clearly write hooks in their sleep. Every song is so instantly catchy, they should almost be banned. There’s no hope for the listener — with their cute harmonies and tight production, these tracks will rattle around your head for weeks.

DARREN SYLVESTER Remote Control

Melbourne visual artist Darren Sylvester made his recording debut in 2009 and it’s an impressive one. With half-awake halcyion production, his sound captures the feeling of youth adrift, twirling somewhere in the shimmering hours of early morning. It’s a universal sensation — Sylvester’s songs could be the anthems of detached teenagers living in Hollywood or in the urban settings of Australia. The Lou Reedesque ‘That’s A Nice Haircut’ is an instant hit, but it’s his more tranquil works that resonate on numerous levels.

THE HORRORS Primary Colours Remote Control

While their previous record may have been lost in waves of post-shoegaze, pseudo-punk fodder, The Horrors’ Primary Colours is an epic sonic journey. Walls of distortion and echoed arrangements arrive in a cacophony of dark, primal energy, proving that this band don’t just talk the talk.

ROYKSOPP Junior Wall Of Sound/EMI

Royksopp confirmed their place at the top of the electro-pop world with this slick, joyous, space-age record. Less tranquil then some of their previous releases, Junior is a dark sleighride through the cosmos, with some scintillating vocal performances from the likes of Robyn and Lykke Li. ‘Happy Up Here’ is surely the summer anthem of 2009.

Never Gonna Touch The Ground

Octahedron

STILL FLYIN’ Lost and Lonesome

One of the most impressive and insanely catchy singles of the year was ‘Good Thing it’s a Ghost Town Around Here’, a slice of sweet indie-pop that stands tall on this eclectic, genre-bending record.

THE MARS VOLTA Universal

To follow the onslaught of their brutally brilliant The Bedlam In Goliath, The Mars Volta have tamed the assault to produce an album of pure beauty. Aside from infrequent moments of wild abandon, it’s the pensive fragility of songs such as ‘Copernicus’ and ‘With Twilight As My Guide’, and the fragile melody lines and guitar atmospherics of ‘Since We’ve Been Gone’ that paint the real picture; a lesson in understated force.

BAT FOR LASHES Two Suns Spunk/EMI

The foreboding shimmers and tribal drumming of ‘Glass’, the opening of Two Suns, draw you into this intricate, beautiful album. It’s ethereal in its delivery, confirming Bat For Lashes as not only an astonishing vocal talent but also an inventive songwriter.

ARBOURETUM Song Of The Pearl Thrill Jockey

Some of the most earthiest, most honest folk rock dirge to be encountered this year was found on Arbouratum’s third release, Song Of The Pearl. Mid- to slow tempo throughout, the album as a whole is an exercise in subtle power. With elements of folk, rock, stoner and alt-country throughout, it could have ended up an utter mess. What has occurred though is a seamless blend that will appeal to lovers of the fore-mentioned genres. Song of the Pearl is indeed a gem. Muscular when required, yet restrained and tender foremost.

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top 5 0 album s of 2 0 0 9

200 9

DINOSAUR JR

PEARL JAM Backspacer Sony Music

Seattle legends Pearl Jam once again proved why they’re one of the biggest bands in the world. Never resting on their laurels, the group released another swag of anthemic rock songs on Backspacer, from ‘Unthought Known’ to the jubilant single, ‘The Fixer’. During closer ‘The End’, Eddie Vedder sings one of the most stirring vocals in his career. It’s a triumphant finale to an album that displays a group who are getting better with age.

WHITEST BOY ALIVE Rules Modular

The Über-chilled out beats of this incredibly impressive album are almost as impressive as the sumptuous, sparse melodies. Rules is an exercise in minimalistic pop, spacey electro and warm production. A distinctive sound.

SPIRAL STAIRS The Real Feel Remote Control

Pavement’s Spiral Stairs released a longawaited new collection of solo material — and what an absolute cracker! With the ragged guitar opening on ‘True Love’, this live sounding rock album is cohesive and eclectic at the same time. From the slow-burning ‘Call The Ceasefire’ to the swagger of ‘Maltese T’, it grabs you on the first listen and grows with every spin thereafter. There are stylistic similarities between The Real Feel and Stephen Malkmus’ Real Emotional Trash — no great surprise — but it’s still a fascinating comparison.

SNOB SCRILLA Day One Ivy League

From the US via Sydney arrived Snob Scrilla’s debut and damn, was it impressive. Noticeably different to other Australian released hip-hop, Snob combines rock and trip-hop with some upbeat fist-in-the-air anthems. He has a social conscience, a sense of humour and an innate ability to write big choruses. Snob Scrilla has a huge future ahead of him.

FRUIT BATS The Ruminant Band Stomp/Sub Pop

With a member of The Shins as their front man, you know from the outset that you’re in safe hands. While they’ve managed to slip under the radar in Australia, Fruit Bats are a cult band internationally — and for good reason. This beautiful alt-folk, alt-country jamboree is an absolute must-listen, particularly for anyone who is already a fan of their peers Band Of Horses, Fleet Foxes or Wilco. The opener, ‘Primitive Man’, is enough to get you hooked on your first listen.

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Farm

Liberation

The second studio album to be released since the reformation of the very original line-up, Farm’s mission statement was clear in the explosion of J Mascis’s guitar on opener ‘Pieces’. There’s simply no one that plays the guitar as monstrously as Mascis. For a band whose shoegaze attitude was always ‘we don’t give a fuck’, Dinosaur Jr have remained as fresh and relevant in this modern decade than they were when they began. Farm is a brilliant record that can only be appreciated when the volume is turned up to eleven.

MEAT PUPPETS Sewn Together Stomp/Sub Pop

One of the enduring acts of the 90s grunge movement, Meat Puppets returned with a practically perfect record. Every song is emotive and raw and incredibly melodic. With touches of everything from psychedelia to country — even some manic indie-pop — Sewn Together is a moving, instant classic.

SONIC YOUTH The Eternal

SARAH BLASKO As Day Follows Night Dew Process

Where her first two records spun and twirled in lush layers of indie-pop orchestration, Sarah Blasko’s third album is more minimalist and dream-like. It’s a logical progression for the coquettish songwriter. As Day Follows Night is stark, haunting and enveloping. It’s a night-time fairytale land with Blasko’s innocence at its core. With Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn John lending his production prowess, which artists like Lykke Li and Shout Out Louds have already benefited from, Blasko’s third studio release may well become her defining moment.

THE FALL OF TROY

So Sonic Youth leave the majors behind, and deliver their first indie label release in nearly 20 years. Bad luck for Geffen, as The Eternal is a cracker. Beginning with the balls-out rock blast of ‘Sacred Trickster’, it is Sonic Youth as we love them; serrated guitars from Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, with the Kim Gordon growl. The feedback noise was noticeably absent on 2006’s Rather Ripped (though it was still a strong release), with The Eternal it returns with force, and it is a better release for it.

Continuing their legacy of mile-a-minute, contorted progressive post-punk anthems, The Fall Of Troy will please fans of everyone from The Mars Volta and Thursday, to Panic! At The Disco and Coheed and Cambria. It’s equal parts aggressive hard rock, punk and power-pop and entwines around you further with every listen. In The Unlikely Event is a catchy record, in the most evil kind of way.

PATRICK WOLF The Bachelor Speak n Spell

In The Unlikely Event Stomp

RED RIDERS Drowned In Colour Ivy League

Written during a particularly lonely period of Patrick Wolf’s wonderfully intense existence, The Bachelor consolidates his exploration of ‘baroque pop’ and ‘electro-folk’. His deep croon is tortured and emotional, and rather than become cheesy, presents a dark and twisted opus. It’s experimental and ambitious, and songs like the title track are nothing short of sheer brilliance. Wolf is perhaps becoming more accessible as he grows as a songwriter, but is no less inventive. Let’s see what Wolf’s genius comes up with next.

Red Riders’ return was not as furiously paced as their debut Replica Replica. Turning maturity into gripping guitar melodies and atmospherics that intrinsically echo of Sydney suburbia, Drowned In Colour delivers on its bold, abstract title. To its credit, it doesn’t alienate the fans of Red Riders’ guitar-driven, semi-shoegaze sound, as their new guitarist (and ex-bass player of The Vines), Brad Heald, leaves an indelible mark on the group’s new sound. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another three years for new material.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES Them Crooked Vultures

What a magic coming together this has turned out to be. Josh Homme (QOTSA, Kyuss), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) have delivered a hard rock album with enough prime riffage to make you salivate. With a sound that is closer to QOTSA than the Foos or Zep simply because of the vocals and guitar, this super-group for the new decade has hit the ground running. Can’t wait to see them at the end of January.

WILCO Wilco The Album Warner

A group of perennial class, Wilco released a pseudo-self-titled record in 2009 and it’s another brilliant chapter in their career. From the unsettling murder ballad ‘Bull Black Nova’, to the duet with Feist on ‘You and I’ or the catchy ‘You Never Know’, Wilco The Album does make you question whether Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was their crowning achievement… because they’ve still got an opus left in them.

GRIZZLY BEAR Vekatimest Warp

This band’s third studio album has made them the indie success story of 2009, with tickets to their Australian shows in 2010 selling out in an hour. Grizzly Bear’s multi-layered, earthy folk arrangements echo of everyone from America, The Beach Boys, Dappled Cities, Fleet Foxes and Iron and Wine to Augie March and Mercury Rev. The acoustic guitar parts on ‘Southern Point’ are mesmerising, while the vocal harmonies on ‘Two Weeks’ are difficult to ignore. This is regarded by many as an instant classic.

Battle For The Sun

Zounds

The Middle East

PLACEBO Shock

Minus drummer Steven Hewitt, Placebo entered a new era with Battle For The Sun. The album’s title indicates its desire to express optimism, but nevertheless, singer Brian Molko’s brutal songwriting continues to reach from the darkness and wrap a fist around your heart. As sexual and visceral as ever before, Placebo’s colossal sixth studio record is as powerful as anything the British trio have ever released, from the uplifting ‘Ashtray Heart’, to the twisted onslaught of ‘Devil In The Details’ and the title track. Lyrical gems like, “I tore the muscle from your chest, used it to stub out cigarettes”, are vintage Placebo and the sign of a band that don’t want to reinvent themselves, but simply expand upon their already definable sound.

DAPPLED CITIES Speak n Spell

Dappled Cities’ sweet and angular pop was endearing to many, but destined for indie-cult status. All that changed when the eccentric outfit released Zounds, an album of grand proportions. Opening with a wall of synths and serene vocals, this third album is surely the group’s opus. ‘Wooden Ships’ sways on a dark ocean and like all the songs that share its waters, feels quite timeless and breath-taking.

THE MIDDLE EAST Spunk/EMI

During the opening notes of ‘The Darkest Side’, it’s immediately clear that The Middle East are the brightest stars in the upcoming crop of new Australian artists. Achingly beautiful, this sweeping collection of five songs is pure ecstasy. Arresting harmonies from three different singers, The Middle East have enough talent for five different bands, but we’re not going to complain that they’re all in the one.

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MANIC STREET PREACHERS Journal For Plague Lovers

This is an emotional record for a lot of people Manic Street Preachers decided to open a folder of lyrics that had been left to them by ex-member Richey Edwards only a week before he disappeared on February 1, 1995. The brave act of putting Edwards’ words to music has taken Manic Street Preachers back to their glory days. This phenomenal record is as powerful and confronting as anything the band has put out. They are the greatest band of the modern era — perhaps of all time — and Journal For Plague Lovers is no argument to the contrary. One can feel safe in the knowledge that if Edwards were to hear this album, he’d probably like it.

WHITLEY Go Forth, Find Mammoth... Dew Process

While his debut had girls swooning — a husky voice, sweetly delivered folk songs and emotionally honest lyrics — Whitley’s sophomore album confirmed that Lawrence Greenwood is brimming with inspiration and musical ability. Go Forth, Find Mammoth… reaches some towering heights, taking the singer’s definable voice and thrusting it into the stratosphere with stirring layers of production and instrumentation. From the Eva Braun love letter in ‘1945’ to the single ‘Head, First, Down’, this record is joyous.

YUKSEK Away From The Sea Universal

French producer, Yuksek, released the space-age, electro-pop record of the year, a bounty of dancefloor anthems. From ‘Tonight’ to the thumping ‘Extraball’, Away From The Sea is an electronic album that will get any party started.

KARNIVOOL Sound Awake EMI

Four years in the making, Sound Awake raises the bar for any future hard rock album to come out of this country; it is that good. It carries a bass sound so heavy that it makes your stomach tighten, and progressive elements that demand that you take an active part in the music. Karnivool has stepped up to the mark, given Birds of Tokyo an almighty kick to their pop-tainted arses, and shown the international market how it’s done.

DATAROCK Red etcetc

Datarock became famous in Australia due to their insanely catchy electro hooks and quirky Scandinavian senses of humour. Red took their sound to a whole new level. It’s an ambitious and brazen vision of the future that makes you want to dance and sing along at every turn. While it is by no means a completely serious affair, there’s a depth to the sound that takes every listener by surprise. Single ‘Give It Up’ is a funky dancefloor disco anthem — something we expect from Datarock — but tracks like the dark dreamscape ‘Do It Your Way’ and the retro pop of ‘Amarillion’ demonstrate that Datarock aren’t novelty — they’re damn good songwriters.

THE TEMPER TRAP Conditions Liberation

While Australia had to wait a long time to hear some more Temper Trap material in the wake of their ear-catching power-pop EP, it ended up being well worth it. Conditions is so hard to define, but it builds and broods with shimmering dynamics, creating a moonlit carpet for Mandagi’s Buckley-esque vocals to slide across. Conditions is sublime from start to finish.

EELS Hombre Lobo Shock

In case you didn’t know, Mark Oliver ‘E’ Everett is one of the most talented individuals on the face of the planet. If you did already know this, then the quality of Eels’ 2009 album wouldn’t have surprised you. Returning to the character of the ‘Dog Faced Boy’, through which E explores his most primal desires, Hombre Lobo is a rock album that delivers on all fronts. E howls like an animal, filling every track with tortured blasts of testosterone. The highlight is the album’s single ‘Fresh Blood’, which is so animalistic you feel as though you need a shower after listening to it — either to cool down or wash off.

LEADER CHEETAH The Sunspot Letters Spunk/EMI

Adelaide’s Leader Cheetah have a timeless sound and this debut drew on a number of gorgeous influences — 70s southern rock, folk, country, psychedelia and Neil Young. It rolls along with a dreamy quality, aided by singer Dan Crannitch’s aching voice, but songs like the highlight, ‘Alibi’, take The Sunspot Letters to some soaring heights. While it was a year of quality releases from Australian acts, you can’t listen to ‘Fly, Golden Arrow Pt 1’ without realising that this was the pinnacle of local music in 2009. Whilst their debut hasn’t made Leader Cheetah world-famous, time will prove this an Australian classic.

ALBERTA CROSS Broken Side Of Time Dew Process

Brooklyn-based Alberta Cross release their debut, and it hits in all the right places. With Broken Side of Time rooted in mid-tempo country-rock, vocalist Petter Ericson Stakee exudes fragility and an ache that is believable and honest. It’s a voice that carries a gospel undercurrent to its delivery; let it inside you and the almighty heavens will open up. There is a maturity that lies within this release, something that is rarely found in a debut.

The Hazards Of Love

Swoon

THE DECEMBERISTS EMI

An epic concept record about good versus evil — set in a forest — The Hazards Of Love sees The Decemberists’ arrival as a landmark band. Their folk-infused rock echoes of the timeless masters and this latest record, which borders on rock opera, is a progressive wonder. If Death Cab For Cutie were a prog-rock band from the 70s, they’d hope to sound like The Decemberists. Listen out for some guest vocal appearances by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS Warner

Swoon does just as its name promises. This tightly-wound collection of lustful and twisted rock songs simply sizzles with energy. An epic sonic journey, it wraps you in its arms and doesn’t let go until its grunge-laden finalé. Songs like ‘The Royal We’ are an absolute whirlwind that leave you breathless, before the slow-build of ‘Growing Old Is Getting Old’ finishes off the job. Brian Aubert’s voice has been compared to Billy Corgan’s and subsequently the Silver Lake four-pieces have been compared to The Smashing Pumpkins. There’s no need to compare, because Silversun Pickups are just as good.

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA Mean Everything To Nothing

Fusing 90s grunge with the dynamics of an indie-pop band, Manchester Orchestra gave us a masterful record in Mean Everything To Nothing. When asked to define his band’s sound in Reverb’s June issue, singer Andy Hull said simply, “Loud, soft, loud, soft, loud, soft, loud, soft, loud again.” Indeed, this album drops down to breathless angst before exploding into some of the most ball-tearing riffage we’ve heard since Bon Scott-era AC/ DC. It’s abrasive in the best sense of the word, but also lyrically clever and intriguing. ‘Pride’ is a mammoth production, while the single ‘I’ve Got Friends’ will stand as an indie anthem for many decades to come. Manchester Orchestra play second fiddle to very few.

MEW No More Stories... Sony Music

“While you’d think that picking out one record as ‘the best of 2009’ would not be easy, Mew actually made it a very effortless decision. Their third official studio album, No More Stories… is a work of true genius. It’s a masterpiece that stands proudly next to Radiohead’s OK Computer and Manic Street Preachers’ Everything Must Go as one of the most amazing records of the modern era. While in their home nation of Denmark and around Scandinavia, Mew are a pretty big deal, they currently have a cult following in Australia. But No More Stories… will change all of that. From the opening track ‘New Terrain’, which when played backwards becomes a completely different song, to the mind-bending opening of ‘Introducing Palace Players’, this record takes your breath away. There’s the sublime sun-soaked melody of ‘Beach’ and the sonic rollercoaster ‘Cartoons and Macrame Wounds’. The tranquil, moving ‘Silas The Magic Car’ gives you chills, while the uplifting ‘Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy’ is one of the most joyous pieces of music ever recorded. Mew write pop music that is then given the ‘prog-rock’ treatment and, somehow, it becomes one of the most unique sounds ever. There’s no shortage of expressive praise that you could heap on No More Stories… — trying to capture it in words does it no justice. It’s a lifechanging, spiritual experience. My only advice to you is to find a copy of this album, a pair of headphones, a dimly lit room and an uninterrupted space of time. Just let it wash over you and carry you away. ~Nick Milligan, Editor

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album reviews Feature albums

ESPERS

balmorhea

brunettes

III Drag City/ fuse Music 4/5

All Is Wild, All Is Silent Longtime Listener/ fuse music 1.5/5

Paper Dolls Shock Records 4/5

III, strangely enough the fourth full-length from Philadelphia freak-folk act Espers, sees the band move away somewhat from the dreamy psychedelics that marked their earlier releases. Shifting to a more organic, acoustic sound, the sextet have distanced themselves from the acid-induced stylings of psych-rock bands like Pink Floyd in favour of something akin to the sad sounds of Nick Drake. This is seen on the shimmering, hypnotising ‘The Road of Golden Dust’, whose complex acoustic guitar picking and distorted, funereal leads make the track sound like a cut off Opeth’s Damnation. The fuzzy guitar line that runs through the intro of ‘I Can’t See Clear’, courtesy of lead guitarist and co-vocalist Greg Weeks, contrasts wonderfully against the wooded sounds of the acoustic guitar and bass, and it is this contrast that defines III — the beauty of the organic augmented by the electricity and technology that occupies our modern lives. ~Scott gilbert

EMBER SWIFT Lentic Few’ll Ignite Sound 4.5/5

The highly prolific Ember Swift delivers her 11th release in 13 years, and it is the perfect example of what can be achieved by melding different cultures, genres and technology. Canadian-born, Swift has interwoven the musical heritage of her newly-adopted China with electronica and folk; the result is a highly engaging excursion through East and West influences without sounding alien. The album can be summed up within a single song, ‘That’s Right’. The Chinese percussion and strings leads you into an 80s electro dance beat with vocals sung in Mandarin. The production is totally current, the beats acknowledge their legacy, and the Asian strings and vocals add an exotic and foreign edge. It’s an intoxicating mix. Swift arrived in China in 2007, and in her words, “It washed over me as gently and matter-of-factly as light envelopes morning, leaving me forever changed.” Working with producer Tim Rideout, the pair refined Swift’s captured ideas into realised ideas. Across continents and time zones, they made Lentic in Montreal and Beijing simultaneously. Technology can be to wonderfully productive tool. In summing up, Lentic displays the blurring of preconceived boundaries, leaving enough for lovers of the electronica, world music and folk genres to fall in love with. This is a massive achievement and a great success. It is a release waiting to fall in love with. ~Kevin Bull

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Balmorhea’s All Is Wild, All Is Silent is a melodic album which has a gypsy feel to it. There are no lyrics on this album except for a few sparse oohs and ahs. There is some beautiful string work on ‘Settler’ and ‘Coahuila’. Although I did think it was well performed and well recorded, I don’t enjoy a whole album without lyrics unless it’s of the old school Classical variety. The accompanying re-mix disk was not my cup of tea at all. If you’re into experimental acoustic, you’re more than likely to dig this. I just found it was a bit too repetitive and kind of dragged on. ~Scarlett O’Horror

New Zealand indie-pop group The Brunettes bring to their most recent album the same cute and playful eccentricity as those before it. The single ‘Red Roller Skates’, for example, tells the story of a guy who learns to pull his girlfriend along behind him on roller skates when she becomes too exhausted to keep up. Tracks like ‘Bedroom Disco’ and ‘In Colours’ are quite catchy, but in other areas the disjointed modal melodies sound a little aimless and incomplete. Still, it’s whimsical and unique; vocalists Jonathan and Heather blend fantastically as a duet, especially in the luscious title track. For fans of: La Roux, Lovers Electric ~Hugh Milligan

brand new

chris byrne

Daisy DGC Records/ Universal Music 1.5/5

Follow The Sun Independent 3/5

There really are no words to describe Brand New’s latest endeavour. The phrase “Daisy is a disaster” is as about as eloquent as I can manage. If it was any other band I may be more accommodating — but Brand New’s musical direction is about as steady as Britney Spears’s marital status. 2003’s Deja Entendu was flawless to say the least — but regrettably led way to a career best exemplified by their messy 2009 release. Daisy is a bizarre mix of strained punk-influenced vocals, distorted riffs and painful shrieks. While there is momentary value in the more melodic ‘At the Bottom’, most tracks, particularly the opening ‘Vices’, are confused and breathless. Sure, Brand New are blurring generic boundaries, but do they have to give us a headache while they’re at it? ~Lee Tobin

jonathan boulet Jonathan Boulet Mudular/Universal 3/5

Jonathan Boulet is a 21 year old singer/ songwriter from Sydney’s northwest. His eponymous debut was recorded in a garage with most instruments played by Boulet himself. He is Modular’s latest signing, and, according to their sources, his music is ‘born out of a world of endless campfires and tribal jam sessions’. For better or worse, this mythology sits slightly askew when actually listening to Jonathan Boulet. While it is a solid first effort—a self-assured and often lively foray into alt-pop — there is nothing so visceral as to confirm the existence of the heady days of youth his bio alludes to. The eleven songs here are more than easy to listen to. ‘Continue Calling’ opens the album with infectious three-part harmonies, hand-claps and whoops, and the slowburning ’10 Billion Years’ is a sweet, wistful lullaby. But there is something so blankly appropriate about Boulet as he presents himself on this record, which means that as you dig beneath the surface with repeated listens, what you get is little more than what you had in the first place. ~Lucy Hearn

Central Coast local Chris Byrne delivers a tight and interesting debut album in Follow The Sun. Recorded at Electric Avenue in Sydney and produced by Matt Fell and Paul McKercher, the latter being part of the brains trust behind Augie March’s Moo, You Bloody Choir, this album is quite easy on the ear. The title track has a pop sensibility not far from the likes of Howie Day, though Byrne has a tendency towards warmer vocal tones. The rest of the album follows a similar path, kept interesting by intelligent songwriting, with drum-machines, and other slightly electronic flavours, thrown in for good measure. ‘Question Marks And Broken Hearts’ closes the album on a strong note, with this quiet, pretty song reminiscent of a modern Cat Stevens. For fans of: Howie Day, Ben Harper. ~Nick Bielby

coerce Silver Tongued Life Flicker Capital Gains 4/5

Post-hardcore is not dead. It is alive and and living in Adelaide, via Melbourne four-piece, Coerce, and their debut long player Silver Tongued Life Flicker is something of a cracker. The opening track ‘Trance Viper Dance’ bristles with angular guitar and frenetic drumming that would not be out of place in an early Samiam, Lifetime, Jawbreaker or Swizz set. The title track is a more flat out metal groove type number that still has its feet firmly planted in post-hardcore territory. When they get their metal on, they reminded this reviewer of a kind of watered down Mindsnare as produced by Steve Albini. The rest of the album is essentially Coerce straddling the line between metal and angular post-hardcore, with surprising results. Vocalist Michael Deslandes manages to keep up with the frenetically paced set with some of the most full-on screaming heard for quite some time. A solid album. ~Stephen bisset

cotton sidewalk Evil Verses People Independent 3.5/5

Novacastrian ex-pats Cotton Sidewalk are back with the ‘difficult second album’ in Evil Versus People, and a rather ambitious album it is at that. From the synth inspired dirge of the opening number ‘Organ Smash’, one gets the feeling that Cotton Sidewalk want to prove they are more than just your average three piece. To a degree they have succeeded, especially on tracks such as ‘Binaural’, ‘Ride Spider Ride’, and ‘Feet Teeth and Hands’ with their well placed harmonies, urgent riffing, and clear understanding of the power of dynamics. Their softer moments like ‘Out The Back’ recalled some early Belle and Sebastian and some of the most honest and unaffected vocal delivery in recent memory. I defy anyone not to sing along with its inevitable choral crescendo as well. It’s nigh on impossible. While this album may not win Cotton Sidewalk any ARIAs, Evil Versus People is a solid set from a band who have finally found their sound. I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next. ~STephen bisset

christina courtin Christina Courtin Nonesuch/Fuse Music 3/5

There has been quite an amount of hype behind New York singer-songwriter Christina Courtin in the advent of her self-titled debut album. There seems to be two sides to this artist, the whimsical folk storyteller and the growling jazz singer. Many have levelled Courtin with comparisons to both early Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. ‘Mulberries’ is a quiet and elegant song in which Courtin shows the real power of a beautifully quiet voice having only a piano to keep it company. On the other side of the coin, ‘Foreign Country’ is a jazz/country stomp driven by Courtin’s aggressive and impulsive growl, which is a rare moment on the album that hints at the songwriter’s reputation for having a Joplin-esque stage presence. This is an impressive debut for listeners with an acquired taste. For fans of: Katie Noonan, Angus and Julia Stone, Joni Mitchell. ~Nick Bielby

the ivys Inside Out Independent 3/5

Hailing from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, The Ivy’s have toured with the likes of The Living End and Gyroscope and recorded Inside Out with Steve James, who has produced for legendary Australian acts like The Screaming Jets and Cold Chisel. Thus, there’s a degree of professionalism expected from The Ivy’s on their debut EP, and they certainly deliver. The heavy bassline and metallic guitar tone of first track ‘Give It Up’ are enjoyable enough without veering too far from the familiar, with vocalist Luke Hannaford’s unmistakably Australian bark sounding close to Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson. Although similar to many young Australian indie bands, The Ivys show that they are gifted with an ear for innovation — shown through the bubbling synths of ‘Inside Out’ and the phased-out stoner riff on ‘Miles Away’ — that will enable them to distinguish themselves from the often dry, derivative qualities of their peers. ~Scott gilbert

album reviews album of the month

terence koo Lunacity Independent 3.5/5

Having graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Master of Arts in music, it’s obvious Terence Koo knows his way around the ivories, and many other instruments. On Lunacity, his second album, Koo provides the instrumentation for the majority of the tracks, like: piano, drums, synth strings, organ, synth bass and bell tree. Lunacity is a fusion of sounds, including jazz piano, hip-hop beats, and world music. Koo does a great job of melding these genres. My favourite track would be ‘Koo’s Blues’. I love the diving bass lines and rain drop piano. It’s fun, sprightly and works well against the heavy percussion. The addition of hip-hop beats and scratches modernises the album’s sound, though on tracks like ‘Song for Rachel’ and ‘Almost Like Being in Love’, I find the electronic beats grate against the organic crispness and vivacity of the piano. It’s good to play while making dinner for your “lady friend”. ~Andrew Chesham

lord Set In Stone Dominus Records 3.5/5

Without a doubt, one of the busiest bands in Australia, yet never receiving the attention they deserve from the mainstream at large, Wollongong/Sydney based power metal/hard rock unit Lord return with their latest release Set in Stone. Chockfull of instantly catchy melodic hooks and amazing musicianship (due largely to former Dungeon vocalist/guitarist Lord Tim), this release should be a welcome addition to any self-respecting metal/rock fan’s Saturday night drinking shenanigans or general rocking out obligations. Upping the ante once again for production, songwriting and performance, this is one of the strongest statements yet from this fine band and includes a brilliant cover of Kylie Minogue’s(!) ‘On a Night Like This’, as well as guest spots from members of Megadeth, Harem Scarem and Angra. For fans of: Blind Guardian, Dungeon, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween. ~Byron Struck

mourning tide Mourning Tide MGM 3.5/5

Australian metal has experienced something of a renaissance over the past five years, with bands like Parkway Drive and I Killed the Prom Queen gaining significant attention from even the metal uninitiated. The Gold Coast’s Mourning Tide have received similar interest, with their 2006 debut Trash N’ Burn garnering the band consistent airplay on Triple J’s Short, Fast, Loud program, and earning a spot in Blunt Magazine’s Top 100 albums of 2006. The selftitled follow-up to Trash N’ Burn sees the fivepiece creating a more metal, but also more varied album than their first, with vocalist Tyrone Ross’ gruff, bloodied delivery playing against non-typical metal instruments, like the eerie banjo on ‘Swamp Thing’ and the clean piano solo on closer ‘Crow Boat’. The tone of the album is most apparent on ‘The Inversion of John Citizen’, whose central guitar line hearkens back to 80’s metal, creating an

over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek caricature designed to appeal to our presupposed assumptions about this often misunderstood genre. ~Scott Gilbert

powderfinger Golden Rule Universal 3/5

After 2007’s lack-lustre Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, an album that will be referred to in the future as an “only for the fans” release, Powderfinger had a lot to prove. It was time to deliver, or close up shop for ten years, only to reform to sold-out stadiums for a $150 ticket. Golden Rule certainly hits many of the marks that its predecessor widely missed. Songs have the urgency needed, and the songwriting is stronger even though it remains mainstream rock fodder. Stand out tracks ‘All Of The Dreamers’, ‘Burn Your Name’ and ‘A Fight About Money’ all have the qualities you would expect, unfortunately it’s not the qualities needed to make a bold statement. In fact, it’s when the band experiments with the formula, like on ‘Iberian Dream’ and ‘Jewel’ that this reviewer woke up and thought, “Hey, these aren’t that bad.” It’s a shame I had slept through the previous three tracks though. Powderfinger are bigger than they have ever been. What they need to do is take advantage of that and throw the rule book out the window, and create a body of work that is totally unexpected. Reinvention is sorely needed. ~Kevin Bull

the snoozefests One Way Ticket Yo Snoresville Independent 3.5/5

Their MySpace page says “Remember Kids: If you don’t like the Snoozefests... You’re Nothin!” That’s a pretty bold statement from this three-piece, psychedelic, blues-rock band from the Central Coast. It almost made me not want to like them. Indeed, I could fault them and their new album, One Way Ticket to Snoresville, for being so obviously derivative of their influences that the tracks could have been marinating in them for hours. ‘You’ll be Sorry’ is reminiscent of ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ by the 13th Floor Elevators. ‘Weight Off My Mind’ is a sped up Television song. ‘Bounty Killer Shuffle’ is hauntingly similar to ‘Eagle Rock’ by Daddy Cool. I could go on. But I think that would be unfair to such a promising young band. The songs are done exceedingly well and the album is tight, focused and great to play loud. I am keen to hear their next album, when hopefully they have evolved from their influences and created their own sound. ~andrew chesham

The Snowdroppers Too Late To Pray Difrnt/universal 1/5

Too Late to Pray — the debut album from Sydney four-piece The Snowdroppers — simply doesn’t work. Well known for their rockabilly stylings and abrasive stage personas, the band play a ribald concoction of blues rock that just doesn’t translate to the studio — the handclaps and backing shouts heard throughout the album beg for a boost of crowd participation. In addition to this

Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures DGC/Interscope 4.5/5

When the word was leaked that Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones were recording together, it made the music community salivate. This modern day super-group has a mountain of credibility, the only question was if they could capture it. In a nutshell, they have excelled at the task. Them Crooked Vultures have produced a debut hard rock album that any other band would have to work for years over a number of releases to have a chance to get near to. The sound touches the QOTSA camp more often than the Foos or Zepp, simply because of Homme’s vocal and guitar style. That said, Them Crooked Vultures is not a QOTSA record in disguise; the songwriting follows a more traditional hard rock path, and there is a retro quality best exemplified on ‘Scumbag Blues’ and it’s Cream falsetto treatment. ‘New Fang’ has the spring of a wild cat, and ‘Reptiles’, with an intro straight out of Zeppelin’s textbook highlights what a brilliant bass player John Paul Jones is. This beast of an album opens with the swagger and assurance of ‘No One Loves Me and Neither Do I’. Essentially two songs for the price of one, the opening swing becoming a stomping dirge midway through, bringing with it one almighty thump to the stomach. I could go on and name each track on the album, but needless to say, there’s not a dud to be found. While many jump straight out of the speakers and wrap you up, there is much to be found with multiple listens. Them Crooked Vultures is such a solid step for a debut, let’s just hope that it is not a one off. Homme, Grohl and Jones have found the best way to skin that first cat, you skin it, bone it and stir-fry the bugger. ~Kevin Bull

problem, the musical and lyrical content of The Snowdroppers’ debut is basic and senseless, with ‘Good Drugs, Bad Women’ exemplifying everything that’s wrong with Too Late to Pray. The track is as inane and posturing as it’s title suggests, with lyricist Johnny Wishbone scattering lines such as “I had a crack pipe for a rattle and a rat for a dog” over the song’s atypical blues stomp. Sentiments such as these are strewn throughout Too Late to Pray, and the repeated references to totally unbelievable instances of bravado and excessive drug consumption make The Snowdroppers seem like the worst kind of meathead, tough-guy poseurs. ~Scott Gilbert

corrina steel A Fling With The King Snakedrive 3.5/5

Aussie country artist Corrina Steel’s third studio album A Fling With The King is awash with tinges of Nashville country and the soulful blues of the deep south. Recorded on a

cattle station in NSW, A Fling With The King is a soulful, musky and honest record that sits more in the Alanah Miles or Lucinda Williams (and sometimes Gillian Welch) camp of blues country than her Australian contemporaries. The opening track ‘No Promises’ is particularly reminiscent of Miles with its bourbon soaked tub thumping drums and dirty slide guitar. Steel is at her best though when she takes on the slower numbers with ‘Alibi’ a particular standout. I’ve always wondered what The Band might sound like if they had a female vocalist, and while never reaching the dizzying heights of Music From Big Pink, Steel gives us a pretty accurate glimpse here. If you like your country with more than a hint of twang and with just a dash of soul, you could do a lot worse than Corrina Steel. ~Stephen bisset

Super Florence jam Super Florence Jam Green Media/MGM 3.5/5

Sydney-siders Super Florence Jam have been playing around the traps for many years now, with a live show earning them much cred. Their self-titled debut EP has just been released, and it captures the band’s various styles and influences wonderfully. Opening cut ‘Ghetto Project Fabulous’ is a raucous jam of cutting guitar work, Wolfmother-esque squeals and handclaps. ‘The Circle’ follows, and shows greater refinement; tempo is pulled back, and there are enough hooks to catch you dinner for a week. SFJ also show a liking for the big guitar riff, exemplified in ‘No Time’; it has a lovely retro feel that will make you go running for your Gibson SG. If there is an area that lets the release down, it’s the vocal howls that remind of the aforementioned Wolfmother. That may not be a bad thing, but for this reviewer it just became a bit too obvious. The closing ballad ‘No Man’s Land’ is also a fine counterpoint to the preceding rock. ~Kevin Bull

wale Attention Deficit Allido/Interscope 2/5

Following buzz surrounding the Seinfeld concept album The Mixtape about Nothing and his recent touring successes with the likes of Jay-Z and NERD., DC rapper Wale has dropped his debut label full-length, Attention Deficit. The 25year-old is a decent rapper, but the real star of the album is the glossy production featured throughout. From the jaunty bass groove of ‘Mirrors’ (courtesy of whiz-kid producer Mark Ronson) through to the airy, synth-soaked Neptunes joint ‘Let It Loose’, it consistently feels as though Wale is playing second fiddle to the respective men manning the boards. That being said, the most bothersome aspect of Attention Deficit is Wale’s constant need to prove to his audience that he’s from the 21st Century. References to pop culture signifiers like Facebook, Twitter, and Slumdog Millionaire seem forced, and Wale’s attempt to connect with his audience through common Western institutions makes him sound like every other quasi-mainstream rapper making music in the late noughties. ~Scott gilbert

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CENTRAL COAST Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night 6-8 Jan James Reyne 9 Jan

Amber Lawrence & Travis Collins

14 Jan

Rock Trivia

15 Jan

Mental As Anything

16 Jan

Vince Jones

17 Jan

The Badloves

21,22Jan Ian Moss 23 Jan

The Robertson Brothers

27 Jan

Mia Dyson

29 Jan

Katie Noonan

30,31Jan Tim Freedman

5 Feb

Eugene Hideaway Bridges

6-7 Feb Mark Seymour 12 Feb

The Black Eyed Susans

14 Feb

James Valentine Quartet

18-19Feb Ross ‘The Boss’ Wilson 20 Feb

Grace Knight

26 Feb

Renee Geyer

22,27Feb Josh Pyke

Friday, January 1 Beach Hotel, Newcastle Kotadama The Domain, Sydney Field Day w/ 2manydjs live + The Presets + Major Lazer Soundsystem + Fred Falke + LCD Soundsystem (DJ set) + Datarock + Architecture in Helsinki + Fake Blood + Krafty Kuts + The Proxy + Sinden + Sebastian Leger + Lyrics Born + DJ Yoda + Skream & Benga

Saturday, January 2 Crowne Plaza, Terrigal Chris Byrne Doyalson RSL Slow Down Honey + When The World + Adski + 3 Stripe Ave Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Austin Busch and the Good Reasons Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham The Havelocks + Karma Cops Lizotte’s, Kincumber Gilli Moon + Jacob Pearson + J.Walker Lizotte’s, Lambton Andrew Winton

Kim Richey

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

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Rodrigo y Gabriela Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Ngariki Hamilton Station Hotel Nicko + Shanna Watson + Jen Buxton Lizotte’s, Kincumber Andrew Winton Metro Theatre, Sydney Biffy Clyro

Metro Theatre, Sydney Seasick Steve

Tuesday, January 5 Enmore Theatre, Sydney Emiliana Torrini + Lay Low Lizotte’s, Lambton Steve Poltz Metro Theatre, Sydney The View Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney White Rabbits

Wednesday, January 6 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Burning Brooklyn Entrance Leagues, Bateau Bay The Beautiful Girls + Bonjah + One Jonathan 24

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Thursday, January 7 Annandale Hotel, Sydney Future of the Left Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Benjalu Lizotte’s, Kincumber James Reyne + Fergus Brown Lizotte’s, Lambton Borich & Borich & Brus

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Dom Turner + Supro Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Dennis Boys Band Lizotte’s, Kincumber Amber Lawrence + Travis Collins Lizotte’s, Lambton James Reyne + Mark Wilkinson Newcastle Panthers Cat Power Wickham Park Hotel McNastys

Sunday, January 10 hamilton station hotel Jen Buxton + Corey Price + Mick Ferfoglia Lizotte’s, Kincumber Steve Poltz Lizotte’s, Lambton James Reyne + Mark Wilkinson Moore Park, Sydney Days Like This Wickham Park Hotel Ghost Road

Monday, January 11

Sunday, January 3

Monday, January 4 28 Feb

Hamilton Station Hotel Corporate Smack Lizotte’s, Kincumber James Reyne + Fergus Brown Lizotte’s, Lambton The Folkoholics and Nano Stern Metro Theatre, Sydney Editors Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong The Amity Affliction + Break Even + Burning Empires

benjalu

Friday, January 8 Beach Hotel, Newcastle VAMP Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Candy and the Full Moons Chilli Lounge, Wyong Teal + Short Notice + Cold Shots Fannys, Newcastle Patsan Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Yeah Yeah Yeahs Lizotte’s, Kincumber James Reyne + Fergus Brown Lizotte’s, Lambton Amber Lawrence + Travis Collins Wickham Park Hotel Milestones woodport inn, erina Timmy Trumpet + KCB + Nino Brown + Nick Skitz

Saturday, January 9 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Hansel album launch + Vaudeville + Bastian Chilli Lounge, Wyong Wandering Bear + I Am The Agent + Phobiac Entrance Leagues, Bateau Bay After The Fall + Six And Sevens + Mind Priorities

Chilli Lounge, Wyong Skyway! + Stop The Dream + When The World + Heroes For Hire State Theatre, Sydney Al Green

Tuesday, January 12 State Theatre, Sydney Al Green

Wednesday, January 13 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Storm Picturesque + The Bride + In Hearts Wake Entrance Leagues, Bateau Bay Bluejuice + Yves Klein Blue + The Jezabels + White Birds and Lemons Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Charlie Parr Hamilton Station Hotel Shambala Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ember Swift Lizotte’s, Lambton Ash Grunwald + Matt Joe Gow

Thursday, January 14 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Bluejuice + Yves Klein Blue + White Birds and Lemons Lizotte’s, Lambton Ember Swift Newcastle Panthers John Butler Trio

Friday, January 15

Wednesday, January 20

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Boys of Summer Tour w/ Every Time I Die + 50 Lions + House Vs Hurricane + Mary Jane Kelly Chilli Lounge, Wyong Girl Most Likely + Fiona McGee + Famous Mayhen Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Abbie Cardwell + Brothers Grim + Graveyard Train Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham Huckleberry Swedes + Grandmastermonk Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mental As Anything Lizotte’s, Lambton Vince Jones woodport inn, erina Tommy Trash

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle One Flew East Enmore Theatre, Sydney Kasabian Hamilton Station Hotel Mark Easton Hordern Pavilion, Sydney The Mars Volta Lizotte’s, Kincumber Sally Singleton Lizotte’s, Lambton Liv Gritten + The Chesnuts Metro Theatre, Sydney Passion Pit

Saturday, January 16 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Nick Saxon + Jess Cain + Emily Rose + Grant Wolter CBD Hotel, Newcastle Sinden + Kato + Menna + A Catt + B Cattz + Hades + Loods + Hey Presto! + Park-Ohh! + Cassi + Keegz + Cal + Beatniks + Tap Tap + Ponyboy! Chilli Lounge, Wyong Famous Mayhem + Girl Most Likely + Fiona Magee Enmore Theatre, Sydney John Cale Hamilton Station Hotel Not OK + Judged By You + The Strugglers Lizotte’s, Kincumber Vince Jones Lizotte’s, Lambton The Badloves Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton After The Fall + Lightnoise Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong Boys of Summer Tour w/ Every Time I Die + 50 Lions + House Vs Hurricane + Mary Jane Kelly

Sunday, January 17 Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Extended Family Hamilton Station Hotel Nicko + Jen Buxton + Tim Crossey Lizotte’s, Kincumber The Badloves Queens Wharf Brewery, Newcastle Femme Fatales + The Bakery + Surian + Matt Saxon

Monday, January 18 Manning Bar, Sydney Fear Factory Metro Theatre, Sydney Chimaira

Thursday, January 21 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Lily Allen Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ian Moss + Jordan Miller UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney Mastadon

Friday, January 22 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Polar Bear Club + Break Even + The Gifthorse Chilli Lounge, Wyong Tainted Toys + Inside The Machine + Pitchfork Erina Leagues Club Nick and Liesl Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Front End Loader Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ian Moss + Jordan Miller Lizotte’s, Lambton James Morrison Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Snowdroppers Sydney Showground BDO

Saturday, January 23 Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley Ronan Keeting + Tina Arena Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Glass Army Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Waz E James Lizotte’s, Kincumber The Robertson Brothers Lizotte’s, Lambton Ian Moss + Daniel March Sydney Showground BDO

Sunday, January 24 Enmore Theatre, Sydney Dizzee Rascal Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Cass Eagar + Chase The Sun Lizotte’s, Lambton Ian Moss + Daniel March Metro Theatre, Sydney Devendra Banhart Wickham Park Hotel Corrina Steel

Monday, January 25 the decemberists

Tuesday, January 19 Enmore Theatre, Sydney Rise Against + A Death In The Family Lizotte’s, Lambton Folk Uke Metro Theatre, Sydney The Decemberists

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Girl Talk Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Groove Armada

Tuesday, January 26 Hamilton Station Hotel Big Day Gout Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Them Crooked Vultures

Metro Theatre, Sydney Florence and the Machine Wickham Park Hotel Grant Walmsley and the Agents of Peace

NEWCASTLE

Wednesday, January 27

Don’t forget — Live & Local

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Echo and the Bunnymen Hamilton Station Hotel Chris Burrows + Wil Wagner + Like... Alaska Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Them Crooked Vultures Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mia Dyson + Jaimi Faulkner Lizotte’s, Lambton Craig Sinclair + Gilbert Whyte Metro Theatre, Sydney Florence and the Machine

Thursday, January 28 Bateau Bay PCYC Parkway Drive Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Abbie and Jeb Cardwell Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mark Wilkinson Lizotte’s, Lambton Tim Freedman Metro Theatre, Sydney Hockey Sydney Opera House Marianne Faithful

every Wednesday night 5 Jan

Steve Poltz

6 Jan

The Folkoholics & Nano Stern

7 Jan

Borich & Borich

8 Jan

Amber Lawrence

9, 10 Jan James Reyne 13 Jan

Ash Grunwald

14 Jan

Ember Swift

16 Jan

The Badloves

22 Jan

James Morrison

23,24Jan Ian Moss 28,29Jan Tim Freedman 30 Jan

Austen Tayshus

3 Feb

The McClymonts

4-5 Feb Mark Seymour 12 Feb

Glen Cardier and The Sideshow

grand atlantic

Friday, January 29 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle A Death In The Family + Like... Alaska + The Gun Runners + Local Resident Failure Chilli Lounge, Wyong Final Lies + Ruins Of An Empire + North Of The Border Lizotte’s, Kincumber Katie Noonan Lizotte’s, Lambton Tim Freedman Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Blackchords + Grand Atlantic + Sierra Fin woodport inn, erina Ajax

14 Feb

Dexter Morph

18 Feb

Arrebato Ensemble

19 Feb

The Last Waltz Tribute Show

20-21Feb Ross ‘The Boss’ Wilson 23,26Feb Josh Pyke

27 Feb

Renee Geyer

28 Feb

Mick Fleetwood

Saturday, January 30 Blush Nightclub, Gosford Ten Thousand Times + Teal + She’s The Morning and the Night Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Vamp Chilli Lounge, Wyong Plus Many More + $1.25 + Monica And The Explosions Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Gay Paris + The Snowdroppers Lizotte’s, Kincumber Tim Freedman Lizotte’s, Lambton Austen Tayshus

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

Sunday, January 31 Lizotte’s, Kincumber Tim Freedman Lizotte’s, Lambton Mia Dyson + James Chatburn Sydney College of the Arts Laneway Festival r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

rog e r hodg s o n

Return Of The Dreamer As the definitive voice of Supertramp, Roger Hodgson has written a long list of timeless classics. From ‘Breakfest In America’, ‘It’s Raining Again’ and ‘Give A Little Bit’ to the lament on his years at a boarding school, ‘The Logical Song’, his enduring music has seen Hodgson sell out concerts around the world to people of all ages. Hodgson spoke to Nick Milligan about his return to the spotlight after a 17-year break and the magic of composing. Are you currently on tour? I just finished touring for the year. I did 70 shows, so I’m recovering. Sounds like you’re taking a much needed break. What I’ve done for the past five years is take the winters off and tour in the spring and the summer. My biggest desire over the years has been to return to Australia. We haven’t been able to make it happen until 2010. Have you been to Australia many times? I came once with Supertramp in 1976. I swore that I wanted return and it’s been 33 years. What are your most vivid memories of coming here? I just loved it — I loved the people and the country side. You could feel the ancientness of the land, which stretched on forever. It’s just an amazing continent. I managed to have a few days where I went up the Queensland coast — it’s more developed now than it was then, but it was pretty incredible. The beaches and the lifestyle of the people then. It was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to see what changes have happened since I was there last. You met your Supertramp collaborator Rick Davies after answering a newspaper advert in 1969. Were you looking to join a particular type of band? 26

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No, actually at that time I had recorded a single and had a little career happening by myself. It almost became a hit. To tell you the truth, the reason I answered that advert is because my mother wanted to get me out of the house. I had left school and had been living at home for six months and my mother thought it was time for me to spread my wings and leave. She saw the advert in Melody Maker which was the musical trade in England at that time, and saw the words down the bottom, it said ‘genuine opportunity’. She said, ‘You go to London and answer this ad!’, so I did. But to tell you the truth, that’s only half the story. I wanted to be in a band, I had no interest to be a solo artist at that time, and I really didn’t know how to begin. This was the only advertisement that I answered and I was one of 300 musicians that answered it. I really got the job because Rick had to take a break after I’d played for him, and we went to the pub and got to know each other, and really liked each other, and that’s how it all started. Supertramp’s third album, Crime Of The Century, released in 1974, is considered the group’s commercial breakthrough. What was it about that album that made it more successful than the previous records. Well, I think it was a very, very special album. It sounds like nothing else I’ve ever heard. For the first time not only had we found the musicians that Rick and I had been looking for for three or four years, but also the record company suddenly took notice of us and gave us carte blanche to go into the studio. We spent five months in the studio with Ken Scott (David Bowie, The Beatles), a real wizard, and we experimented and came up with a very unique sounding album. We had to have a hit and we did with the song I wrote for it, ‘Dreamer’. It went to number one in England and eventually word of mouth spread over the next five years across the world. It was a breakthrough album in a lot of ways. I know audiophile freaks always claim that that album had such an amazing sonic quality, that they

“Writing is almost like a meditation for me... It’s a very magical process, composing.” used to play it to show off their sound systems. It was a sonic breakthrough. You made the decision to leave Supertramp in 1983 — how difficult a decision was that to make at that time? It was difficult emotionally for me, because I grew up on the Beatles and I saw what was possible with music. They really lit a passion in me and I wanted to see what levels of… greatness, I don’t know what the word is, but I wanted to see what legacy, what body of music that we could leave. It had been my life for 14 years, I hardly did anything else. It was very difficult saying goodbye to that, but I knew I had to because I suddenly had a family and I was looking at these two small children and realising that if I didn’t stop Supertramp for a while I would miss out on their childhood and my family probably wouldn’t even survive. My heart was telling me that for the next phase of my life I had to stop and learn how to be a parent. But it was a very, very difficult decision because Supertramp was my baby and I was the driving force in that band — I was one of the main songwriters. It was tough. You’ve got a large body of work, both as a solo artist and with Supertramp. Are there any songs that you’re the most proud of? Yes, to tell you the truth there are only a few songs that I don’t feel like playing anymore. When I go on stage and play these songs I really enjoy them. I don’t know if proud is the right word, but I’m amazed where some of them came from. ‘Fool’s Overture’ is a piece of music I’m very proud of, ‘The Logical Song’, ‘Dreamer’ — there’s a solo song called ‘Only

Because Of You’ and ‘Love Is In The Wind’, ‘Take The Long Way Home’. It’s funny, people often ask me do you ever get sick of singing these songs in concert and I never do. It amazes me that every night they feel fresh to me and I enjoy playing them. They have an evergreen quality for me as the composer and I think people can feel that. They still feel current. Do you get restless if you’re not working on new material? I have so many songs waiting to be recorded, it’s not like I need to write songs to make an album. I’ve got more material than I will ever get to. Writing is almost like a meditation for me. It’s not something I sit down and do for my mind. It’s something where I allow the music to take me and it gets me into an almost compulsive state and that’s to me, where magic happens. Suddenly I’m hearing chords or a melody in my head. I watch the process and then I follow where that seed thought wants to go. Before I know it, there’s a piece of music forming. It’s a very magical process, composing. I know a lot of artists have said the same thing. They feel like they’re more like channels than composers of the piece of music. I do love getting in that place. It’s now easier than it’s ever been. Have any of your lyrics ever changed in meaning for you? I don’t know if they’ve changed. I think maybe I have a greater appreciation of the wisdom I had in those very young years. To me, the message of ‘Give A Little Bit’ is as relevant today as when I wrote it. The world is needing love and care more than ever. I really do still relate to almost all of the songs I’ve written, which is good for me as an artist — I’d hate to be on stage thinking that these lyrics are terrible. It’s easy for me to sing from my heart. I don’t think I could do it otherwise. Roger Hodgson performs at the Newcastle Civic Theatre on April 11, 2010 [tickets through Ticketek]. He is also playing at the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival on April 4. 2010.

blu e juic e

Them’s The Breaks A live act like no other, Bluejuice are back on the touring circuit with a diverse second album beneath their belts. Nick Milligan caught up with the boys backstage at Newcastle’s recent Fat As Butter festival. It was, as always, interesting. Your most recent album, Head Of The Hawk, is more diverse than your first — was this a conscious decision? Jake Not a conscious decision, but a semiconscious feel for the way the band is going. We’re a little older now. Stav Notice he didn’t say more mature. Jake Maturity is a perspective-based thing. But we’ve always enjoyed lots of different kinds of music, but up until now all we could write was balls-to-the-wall insanity and hiphop. Now I think we feel more comfortable with expressing some of the weird, daggy 70s references like REO Speedwagon. Stav We’ve settled into a comfortable zone of what we’re actually capable of. Jake We don’t want to be a straight-forward band, we’ve always wanted to try and be different from the kinds of bands that people are likely to say that we are. Stav Like if you look from the first EP up until now, Jerry [Craib, keys]’s hair has grown so long. That’s Samson-like power. Samson did nothing, but he had power. You can’t write a song like ‘Broken Leg’ without that hair. Jake How could we have referenced the 80s without someone in the band having that hair? When Bluejuice formed did you have an idea about the sort of band you wanted to be? Jake For me, when we started playing the mission was to be unlike the bands that we were seeing around, which were conservative in terms of image and performance. Everyone was so concerned to be successful that they weren’t having an effect on an audience because they were so self-conscious about their style. We are such different nerds from one another that we can’t contrive to be fashionable. All we can do is perform as hard as we can and try an have an affect on the audience where they connect with the music and feel like they’re a part of it. It’s an egalitarian approach, rather than an exclusive or heirarchial one. We want to be accepted by the crowd, but we also want them to feel like they could be doing the same thing we’re doing, if they were just given the opportunity. Stav We want to be loved, We’re desperate. Tell me about the jump ropes in your video for ‘Broken Leg’. Stav (speaking in high speed) We had a battle with the kids, then we came up with the characters, then we jumped up and down for six weeks, then we did the clip, then it was over.

Jake It was a long process, we hated every second of it, it turned out well. Thanks for asking. 12 hours of fucked [filming] equals two-and-a-half-minutes of semi-good. All the things that should have been good about the clip were fucked, and all that the things that should have fucked turned out good. Which of Bluejuice’s trips to Newcastle stand out as the most fun? Jake The last Cambridge (gig) was pretty fun. Stav The Big O was fun. I got so drunk that I went to McDonald’s and I had this mechanical claw that I stole from the Uni and went around picking up everyone’s rubbish. Jake Crazy times! Aw, we have some freaky stories. I bet the Rolling Stones don’t have stories like ‘picking up the rubbish in McDonald’s with a mechanical claw’. Stav No, because I remember that at my university they used to have people with Down’s Syndrome and learning disabilities doing that job, so I was saying, ‘Hey, I have a learning disability, too.’ Jake You’re shitting on them by pretending it’s easy. Stav Well, that’s how we found Jerry. Jerry Hi. Do you have a new year’s resolution for 2010? Jake My new year’s resolution is to stop believing that Stav’s mum did an accurate coffee grounds reading… almost four years ago. She said I would never have any money, I would always be worried, I would never marry but I would be in love with someone with blonde hair and that we’d break up before she went overseas. I was in love with someone with blonde hair and we did break up the day before she went overseas. I feel my life is basically ruined because of Stav’s mum’s coffee grounds reading. Maybe you should have another cup of coffee? Jake If I could do that, that would be great. Otherwise, my resolution is to a) avoid getting aids, b) for us to write and put out an even better record than the one we just did and c) become an ecstasy dealer... I don’t know. Jerry I’d like to just live off my royalties, comfortably. Jamie I’d like to get around a golf course on par. Bluejuice play the Entrance Leagues Club, january 13, 2010 then the Cambridge Hotel on January 14, 2010. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

blackchord s

Striking A Chord The music industry can be a hard task-master. When the Blackchords played their first Newcastle gig a mere six months ago, it was to an empty room. In January they return from a European tour complete with rave reviews and sold-out venues. Kevin Bull speaks to vocalist and guitarist, Nick Milwright. Does it feel good to be home after touring Europe for two months? It does feel good to be home, but it also felt really good off touring and playing shows while we were in the UK and France. We all felt a bit sad to part from France because they were some of the best gigs we had played and the best responses. But after a few days in London we felt really happy and at home there, and were again playing some of the best shows we have played. When it came time to pack up shop and head home we were all feeling a bit like we were coming down off our cloud. But I guess that only lasted for a couple of weeks and once we were settled and writing and rehearsing, we felt good again. What were your goals before heading overseas, and how close do you feel you came to achieving them? We had some offers of shows that came pretty early in the year that were based in France and Germany. We also got a distribution deal and a man on the ground working for us in the UK. So we decided that it would be a good opportunity to test the waters over there, to see how we went down and, obviously, with the hope to get a good response and pave the way for future European tours. The shows and the response from them were great. We also got some good airplay and publicity. So all in all I guess we managed to achieve pretty much all the goals we set out to achieve.

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

From what I hear, Damian [Cazaly, guitar] and Nick [Cheek, drums] nearly missed your very first London gig. What happened here? Yeah, we headed off early in the morning to Paris’s Gare Du Nord to catch the train to London. To our surprise the company who were sponsoring us for playing music in the UK hadn’t registered to the immigration properly and so Nick and Damian got whisked off with Customs. Myself and our bass player had EU passports so we decided to head off without them. We were on the phone all day to UK and Australian consulates and were unable to get any help whatsoever. We had no idea what to do and nobody was telling us anything so we decided to just try and pass through again. That’s when they actually got detained by customs, searched, questioned and finger printed. The whole next day [the day of our first London show] we were desperately trying to get a new sponsor for the boys. At 5pm we got a phone call to say that we could get a sponsor letter for them. At five minutes past five I received a phone call that the band we were playing with had been in a car accident and weren’t able to make it, which meant that we had no drums or amps, and at about half past five, Nick phoned to let me know that his wallet had just been stolen. Anyway, with a lot of phone calls we were able to sort out gear for the evening and Nick just had to wipe the memory of losing his wallet from his mind.

We got to the gig about 30 minutes before we were to play. We got on stage ready to play, the house music turned off and the lights went down and my guitar shat itself. Ten minutes later that was then fixed and we managed [just] to play our first ever London show. It was a pretty amazing test for us in those 24 hours. What is the feeling like when overseas audiences sing along to your songs? It’s incredible. The idea that you have created something that has managed to make it across the planet and find people who connect with what you have created is everything you could hope for. It’s by no means a tidal wave, but it still feels very right. The debut self-titled CD has been out for nearly a year now, is it too early to talk about album number two? Not at all. We are putting together new ideas all the time and can’t wait to begin the process of making album number two. At the

same time we don’t want to rush the next record. We want to make sure it hatches when it is ready. Your last visit to Newcastle could be summed up as ‘wrong venue, wrong supports’. Was there any trepidation in returning? Thanks, that is a nice neat way to sum it up. In short, we don’t have any trepidation in returning to Newcastle. We are just keen to do it right this time. In our short existence we have had a couple of hard experiences whether it be a bad gig being booked, terrible sound, somebody being sick and off his game, having sleep deprivation or just being detained in customs. Each of these moments serve to teach us how to do things better or play harder. As much as we don’t want to repeat these things again, it’s a good thing that we have experienced them. Blackchords play the Northern Star Hotel, Friday January 29 along with Grand Atlantic and Sierra Fin

s t e v e vai

guitar hero With a career spanning 30 years and over 14 solo records under his belt, Steve Vai is not slowing down anytime soon. Sean Frazer chats to Vai about his latest album and an illustrious career.

The release of your latest CD/DVD Where the Wild Things Are is already getting great reviews. What do you believe has made it so successful? Well you know it’s different to my last DVD. Primarily when I put a show together I try to imagine the kind of show that I would like to see if I was sitting in the audience. I focus on the things that I think are the unique talents that I might have and present a show that has a real high degree of musicianship. So when you watch this DVD you’re going to see some incredible musicians, I’ve also got two incredible violinists in the band too. Was it your idea to introduce the violin sounds to your performance? Yeah, well I’ve always believed I knew how to make a violin work with a rock band, to create a really nice atmosphere alongside the electric guitar. With the violins I can do all these interesting passages in four-part harmony, it just adds a different texture to the band. When I was putting the concept together I knew it was going to be a long show — two hours and forty minutes to be exact. I like to keep a real dynamic so it’s not just the same sounds played throughout the one show. I end up doing a lot of things that add a new dimension, like changing my clothes three or four times during the show. You’ve made over 14 solo albums in the space of 30 years, what inspires you to continue to bring out new material? My biggest source of inspiration is a good idea. I have no idea where they come from. If I

sit and be kind of quiet by myself and allow something to come in then it gets me very excited. There are a lot of things that can be pin pointed as being “inspirational” like; something that someone said or listening to something that has a particular groove or even a lyric that inspires you to do something. For me I don’t put up any parameters about what will inspire me because it’s by any means necessary, any kind of inspiration that comes in from anywhere is good. Whenever I feel like I’m getting a little bit of inspiration I try to document it, which could be as simple as writing it down on a piece of paper or recording it into my iPhone. This is how I have done it throughout the years. We all have the ability to be creative and when those creative moments hit, you just better be ready to make them real and capture them. All I need is a seed to the song, maybe just a lick that I record. I can come back to it ten years later and be re-inspired to work on it.

Secrets Master Class’. What was your drive behind the projects? I’ve always enjoyed teaching and in fact before I became a professional musician, I always thought that I would be very happy being a teacher — as long as I could play the guitar and compose. But you know, things worked out for me and luckily I’ve had a very rich career for the past thirty years. In this DVD you will find things that you can’t just read in a book or learn on the internet. I always felt one day I’d love to go out and speak about these things, I take an esoteric approach to it. It’s worked out great. I started out doing a few classes in the US and then a few international promoters found out about it and I did a twelve-city tour of Russia, then not long after I did a tour of Italy — it’s going great. I am planning on an extensive world tour and I am looking forward to being in Australia. I might come to Australia next October to do some ‘Alien Guitar Secrets Master Classes’.

You have spent some of the year touring the globe running a program called ‘Alien Guitar

Your former band leader and idol was Frank Zappa. How did your early years with Zappa

influence your sound? Well, at the time I was just doing my best to play Zappa’s music. It wasn’t until later in life when I looked back at all the things that I saw Frank do. He was an independent musician and he made his music in the face of every kind of adversity, which had a big influence on me. What are you looking to take on next? Is there any slowing down for Steve Vai? Well, I have achieved a lot more than I ever thought I would. I am very happy with what I have accomplished. As I move into my fifties I still have some pretty powerful statements I want to make on the guitar. I’m going to be moving more into the compositional realm; there are a couple of projects that I am still very eager to accomplish. Starting in January, I am going underground for five months and I’m going to record a new record. It’s going to have some surprises that I can’t really talk about just yet. If I get to do exactly what is on my mind at the moment, the record will come out with an accompanying DVD that will be unique. But that is really all I can say. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

polar b e ar club

join the club Polar Bear Club? No, it’s not an animal rights organisation. And it’s certainly not a bat used for bludgeoning white snow beasts. New York’s Polar Bear Club is one of the most exhilarating post-hardcore acts to emerge in recent years. Nathaniel Try chatted to vocalist, Jimmy Stadt. Late January sees Polar Bear Club embark on their first-ever Australian tour. Undeterred by the scorching weather conditions that many Australians spend much of their year complaining about, Jimmy Stadt is looking forward to one aspect in particular about coming to Oz. “The weather! We come from extremely harsh winters and to be in extreme heat in January is going to be really cool.” Attesting that his ensemble are intending to play shows too and not just have a cheeky summer holiday, Stadt continues, “I’m really looking forward to playing in new places. Most places we play now we know what to expect, but I have no idea what to expect from you guys!” Polar Bear Club’s second full length, Chasing Hamburg has been receiving a large portion of positive praise from musical publications and fans alike, since it was released in September 2009. Modestly, and almost pessimistically, Stadt has little to offer on his feelings towards achieving such a hyped release. “It’s nice. There’s a decent amount of negative responses, too. Those don’t feel as good.” Such a remarkable

album evidently required a label’s backing to be heard by the masses. This is where renowned punk/hardcore label Bridge Nine came into the picture. “It’s been great. They are one of the most exciting punk labels to be a part of right now and I’m proud to be with them,” enthuses Stadt of the record company which has also played host to artists such as New Found Glory, Strike Anywhere and Terror. Polar Bear Club’s rise has been a relatively swift one, having only formed in 2005. The quintet undoubtedly encountered the challenges that many punk bands are confronted with when establishing themselves. Stadt remembers “playing in Syracuse, New York, at the Westcott Theatre, to ten people.” And just how have things transformed over the past five years? — “Now we sell it out! It’s awesome.” One would assume that a revolution like this would feel uncanny and almost dreamlike, but

the unpretentious nature of Stadt promptly returns. “We are still pretty low on the totem pole. We are definitely working our way up, very much so. However, meeting some of the bands we’ve met and playing to the amount of kids we get to play to, can sometimes be surreal.” The healthy operation of a touring band is often strained, with members spending weeks on end confined to a van together. At times, it’s much like… well, exactly, like five to six perspiring dudes stuck in a small bus, being forced to inhale someone else’s inexplicably horrible odours. Whilst some musicians undeniably attempt to isolate themselves from band mates, to prevent conflict and confrontation, my research lead me to realise Polar Bear Club take a different approach. How imperative to this New York-based group’s prolific functioning is it to be able to clown around with each other to prevent problems

arising? Stadt articulates, “It’s very important to us. You’ll drive each other crazy on the road if you can’t make fun of yourself and find fun in dumb things — like shooting fireworks at each other in parking lots.” Well, if that’s the type of leisure-based antics these rockers enjoy in their spare time, perhaps Australian audiences should be worried. On second thoughts, ‘worried’ is quite possibly the wrong word to complement my next revelation. Before Polar Bear Club even hit our shores for their first visit, Stadt explicates his goals for the band in 2010. “Hopefully we get on some awesome tours and maybe even come back to Australia for a second time!” Let’s take things one step at a time shall we old Jimmy boy? Polar Bear Club play at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday January 22. Break Even and The Gifthorse will be supporting.

KATO, POOLHAUS, GET WRONG, DEATH METAL, MILKSHAKES AND MIDNIGHT MUNCHIES PRESENT...

(CHEAP THRILLS/ DOMINO/ FABRIC UK)

+ KATO, MENNA, A CATT, B CATTZ, HADES, LOODS, HEY PRESTO!, PARK-OHH!, CASSI, KEEGZ, CAL, BEATNIKS, TAP TAP, PONYBOY!,

SATURDAY 16TH JAN 2010 9PM-3AM [DON'T FORGET THE 1AM LOCKOUT]

CBD HOTEL HUNTER ST NEWCASTLE WHAT HASN'T SINDEN DONE? AFTER REMIXING EVERYONE FROM AMY WINEHOUSE TO CRYSTAL CASTLES TO PHAROAH FUCKING MONCH, CREATING MASSIVE CLUB ANTHEMS SUCH AS 'BEEPER' AND 'MEGA' AND RUNNING THE SEMINAL CHEAP THRILLS AND COUNTERFEET LABELS THERE'S SIMPLY NOT THAT MUCH LEFT FOR SINDEN TO DO EXCEPT COME AND TEAR NEWCASTLE APART!!!

$20 PRESALE FROM OVERT CLOTHING, CBD HOTEL AND THE DJ'S MORE ON THE DOOR IF STILL AVAILABLE - BE QUICK THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT!!! 30

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

d e e pchild — A n thra x

In the deep end Sydney DJ Rick Bull a.k.a. Deepchild has taken to globe-trotting, moving bodies around Europe and particularly in Berlin. His upcoming performance in Newcastle is not to be missed. Deepchild tackles some questions from Newcastle-based DJ legend Phil Smart. How did you get your start in the electronic music scene? I believe it began during an obtuse dreamvisitation in 1987 — George Clinton and Sun Ra saw fit to impart secret knowledge to myself about The Black Secret Technology. These were the final years of the Reagan administration’s neo-conservative stronghold on cold-war era America, and change was much needed. George was difficult to understand, being as unlikely an avatar as you might imagine. He mumbled something about “painting the Whitehouse black”. I was heartened to see that his dream was realised only last year. Sun Ra was adamant that, quote, “Bach and Beethoven, all of them, they had to write something to please the upper structure, those with money and power.” This, I could understand. I wanted to explore a music that made a space for a different type of dreaming. Some years later, I encountered the unlikely Australian-based consortium of electronic nerds, Clan Analogue. They greatly assisted in mobilising the necessary tech-knowledgy to explore this vision. What kinds of music are you playing at the moment? Thugstep, halfway-house, tech-no, deep-blap and booty-dub. Bass-heavy, sweaty machinemusic — generally found in back-room dives of the American mid-west and Berlin’s more shadowy establishments. Your favourite place to play records? Panoramabar, Tape and Watergate Club in Berlin are my special favorites — my extended

the cards from February next year, and some special remix work for Frankfurt/US futurehip-hop heros, Portformat!

musical family in Germany have offered me more than I can say. Sankeys in Manchester is also brilliant fun, and never runs short of beer, and, in Australia, Brisbane’s perpetually loose Bar Soma shows prove wonderful fun. I’ve enjoyed some lovely festival experiences in Serbia like Exit Festival and SONAR, which are massive whilst still maintaining a special sense of intimacy. For me, I love to play wherever audiences are willing to embrace new music, and foster the collective love. This could as likely be a small afterparty at your mother’s house, as it might be a 2000-person club with tweaked sound-system. The greatest rewards are where a sense of deeper family is present. Greatest DJing experience? Panoramabar in Berlin for the symbolic realisation of “yes, I can actually get booked to play a world-renowned club”, EXIT Festival in Serbia for the insane size and spectacle of the experience, Shameless in Seattle for realising that family can be found across the world, Redbox in Tokyo for the thoroughly disconcerting randomness of Japanese fashionista-hedonism, and thousands of unknown, small, special nights across Australia where one or two enthusiastic punters really make the night with their exuberant love for what’s being played. Your influential DJs and/or producers? Dr Dre, Akufen, Richie Hawtin, Luomo, Rhythm and Sound, Burial, Samim, Jay Haze, Michal Ho, Jeff Samuel, Carl Craig, Rick Wade, Moodymann, Kraftwerk, George Clinton, Sun

within the bushes As far as pioneers go, they don’t get more ground breaking than Anthrax. Rising to prominence as part of the ‘Big Four’ of 80s thrash, which counted among its ranks Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, it was the selfdeprecating humour and willingness to incorporate other genres such as hip-hop that set them apart. Now, after some 28 years in the business, nine albums and a few line-up changes, Anthrax are set to show Soundwave audiences just why they are considered thrash metal pioneers. Stephen Bisset speaks with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.

Craziest thing you’ve ever seen at a club or party? Oh, the memories prove so hazy! I used to love the Vibe Tribe raves back in the mid-90s — wonderful warehouse locations around Sydney, police who were respectful and mild, and lots and lots of nudity and vegan food! Bless! I’ve seen a lot of alarming and often dangerous druginduced madness across the globe, but I have a special place for Australia’s earlier electronic pioneers and their collective celebrations.

Ra, Luke Vibert, Aphex Twin, Morgan Geist, Wighnomy Brothers, Modeselektor, Staxx Motown, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sade, The Roots, J-Dilla.

What are you into outside of music? Sleep, yoga, coffee, swimming, clandestine attempts at half-decent visual art, blogging and occasionally obsessive-compulsive behavior which is hopefully subdued with medication and late-nights. There’s rarely a day that passes when I don’t feel like the most fortunate pirate in the world!

Latest and upcoming recording projects? This year so far... a few 12-inches and EPs have been the focus... I’ve been fortunate enough to start a longer-term contract with Trapez in Cologne, Germany, who are a wonderful label and booking agency, focused on releasing quality vinyl… I’ve also acquired a US 0-1 Acceptional Ability visa, which means I can tour freely there without fear of deportation! At the moment, I’m head-down on a number of remix projects also, which I adore… more 12-inch releases on

Plans for the future? US/Canada tour from Feb 26-March 22, 2010, then settling in Berlin for a couple of years, in the wonderful suburb of Kreuzberg, just west of the former border. For some years I’ve been romanced by this wonderful city, and it’s time to lay down some deeper roots. My immediate future involves making a cup of tea...

“You know what, when this opportunity (Soundwave) came up, we we’re all like ‘wow’,” enthuses Benante. “We were all instantly really excited about it because our last time in Australia was probably one of our best times out. Also playing at such a big event with such awesome bands - well we’re just really happy to be a part of it.” After having more vocalists than you can poke a stick at, Benante says he was excited to have Sound of White Noise era vocalist, John Bush, back at the helm for the Soundwave shows and was optimistic about his long term future in the band. “I can definitely confirm that John will be singing with us down there,” Benante laughs. He says that the band is also in the process of having Bush re-record the vocals for their highly anticipated album Worship Music after having parted ways with former singer Dan Nelson. “Well, basically what’s going on with Worship Music is that Scott (Ian - guitarist) and John are going to sit down and start writing some new lyrics because, well I guess we just wanted to re-do it,” he explains. “And I know that Scott is really happy to be working with John again, just like the rest of us. We’re all just really happy at the moment and I think that’s gonna come through at our shows. There’s just so much excitement going into playing again and making this record. It’s great.” While the release date of Worship Music is still strictly TBC, a reissue of their classic Among The Living (featuring such Anthrax standards as ‘I’m The Man’ and ‘Indians’) recently hit shelves, and Benante says there is plenty there to keep fans happy till the new

slab arrives. “I’ve been wanting to re-master our back catalogue for quite a while now and I thought Among the Living was as good a place as any to start,” Benante says. “I went into the archives and found some old live stuff, some alternate takes, and just a bunch of other little things that I think make the album that much cooler. We’ve put a fair bit of effort into making this reissue worthwhile, and I just hope that fans can get something out of it.” Benante says he feels fortunate to still be making records and touring with Anthrax for so many years, but when it comes to the indelible mark the band has left on the popular music landscape, there is a genuine humility that belies their brash stage presence. “Well at the time of the whole thrash metal thing, we were just caught up in everything and living it,” he muses. “We never really had a chance to see what was going on from the outside ‘cause we were just caught up in the tornado. “Honestly though, the first time I really had the chance to take a breath from it all and kind of step outside was in the 90s when I really started to see the impact the band had. I couldn’t really see it at the time because I was just so caught up with making the music. “Now though, people come up to you and tell you how much a certain song meant to them or how a certain record got them through a tough period in their lives or something, it really hits home and makes all that hard work totally worthwhile.”

Deepchild performs at the CBD Hotel, Newcastle, with Jamie Lloyd on Friday February 5.

Anthrax play the Soundwave Festival, February 21, Eastern Creek Raceway.

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talki n g s hop — th e d e vil w e ar s prada — mour n i n g tid e Profiling music industry professionals with Jess henderson

Talking shop

Leave the Devil Be With their third album, With Roots Above and Branches Below, doing considerable business Stateside, Ohio Christian metallers The Devil Wears Prada are bringing their brand of kinetic metal riffage to the Soundwave stage this month. Stephen Bisset caught up with vocalist Mike Hranica to find out just what makes the band tick.

This month we learn what it’s like to be Scott Horscroft — producer, engineer and mixer extraordinaire. Who do you work for? Bigjesusburger Studios — owner/director and music producer and engineer. Current position title? Music producer/engineer/mixer. How long have you been in this position? Six years. What are the main responsibilities of your position? Finding and producing bands, creating albums and collaborating with artists. How did you get involved in the music industry? I studied at Sydney College of the Arts and The University of Lapland, Finland, majoring in experimental sound art. I began making noise albums and before I knew it, I was working on some major pop albums. Proudest moment? Working with artists such as Presets, Silverchair, The Panics, Sleepy Jackson and more recently, Whitley. Is there anyone you would really like to meet [living or dead]? Lord Heratio Nelson of the HMAS Victory [dead], and my future wife. Best live show you’ve been to? I really enjoyed some of my large guitar orchestras: we had ten guitars, harp, piano, drums, bass and bells and called it the Scott Horscroft Unsemble!! Favourite venue? Enmore Theatre in Sydney. Burke Reid and I have spent some classic nights together terrorising the backstage area. Favourite musical instrument? Drums, it is where I started and where the hits are made! Free plug – who should we be listening to? The Protectors, great young band from Newcastle. What would be on your ultimate rider? Five bottles Jameson, three cases of wine and a Weber barbecue. Best way to spend a Sunday morning? Five bottles of Jameson, three cases of wine and a Weber barbecue on a yacht in Sydney Harbour. Any advice for people trying to break into the industry? Work hard and start from the bottom, listen and learn! It’s a long hard road but a very, very fun one, enjoy it! 32

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You guys are about to head our way for the Soundwave shows — your second time down under. For the uninitiated, how would you describe what you do on stage? Yeah Soundwave is going to be awesome. We had a great time when we were in Australia last, and to play down there on such a great bill is going to be fantastic. But yeah, I guess I’d like to think of our live stuff as being more raw than what we do in the studio. Whenever we’re on stage we try to never do things half-arsed. How would you describe your new album? Well first of all we’re on a new label for this album [Ferret Records] and I think they gave us a little bit more room to move which definitely shows up on the album. But we’ve all learnt how to write songs better and I guess this is a much heavier and more epic record than Plagues or A Beautiful Dischord. It’s still Devil Wears Prada, just more epic. Sharing a name with a major Hollywood film must be a cause of confusion for the

band. Do you find this annoying, or have you found it has given you access to audiences you might not otherwise have reached? Well, personally it bums me out because the name really has nothing to do with the film. We are not trying to ride on anyone’s coat-tails or anything. Chris [Rubey, guitar] just thought it sounded clever as a comment on an antimaterialistic mindset that we try to keep going in the band. But I guess there have definitely been good things about it. Because of the film it grabs people’s attention right away and tends to be a pretty good conversation starter. So yeah, it’s not all bad. Who or what are your main influences? Well, being Christians, the primary influence in The Devil Wears Prada is God. We mostly write songs about the glory of God. We have other influences such as the awesome bands we like, but yeah God is our primary focus. Have you found any backlash from the metal and hardcore scenes over your lyrical content

and unwillingness to hide your beliefs? Yeah I think being an openly Christian band in those scenes, you’re always going to get that kind of backlash. A lot of metalheads in particular get turned off by our beliefs. But on the flipside, we’ve done a lot of good as well… if we were just playing to Christians, there would kinda be no point. I mean Jesus didn’t have a church, he just went out to people to spread the word. You guys have been slogging it out on the road for a while now. How do you think all of this touring has affected the band? Well, we’ve definitely become a much tighter band as a result. Also, all of the awesome bands we get to play with and watch from the side of the stage kind of spurs us on to make better music and put on better shows, which can never really be a bad thing. The Devil Wears Prada plays the Soundwave Festival, February 21. With Roots Above and Branches Below is out now.

the turning tide Hailing from Australia’s party capital, Gold Coast rockers Mourning Tide recently discharged their sophomore full-length album, austerely entitled Mourning Tide. Nathaniel Try chatted with the band’s rhythm guitarist, Vinny Steele. Opting for an eponymous album title is a bold statement. Ordinarily, this decision comes about as a way of signifying a reached landmark or a new beginning. Vinny Steele, the rhythm guitarist for party rockers Mourning Tide, elaborates. “We decided to go with the self-titled name as we feel we’ve really come into a sound we’re happy with. We all felt like this was a fresh start.” Further divulging, Steele informs, “We spent a lot of time working on the order of the songs from start to finish and feel we’ve achieved a complete and streamlined album.” Whilst the recording process for Mourning Tide was completed on home turf, the band enlisted some established American gents for finishing things up. The world-renowned Steve Evetts [The Cure, The Dillinger Escape Plan] handled mixing duties and Alan Douches [The Misfits, Converge] polished things off superbly with his proficient mastering skills. With the ease of bouncing emails and MP3s back-andforth, one would assume the band would have lingered patiently at their computers whilst awaiting emails containing their prized goods.

However, this assumption proved inaccurate. “Dale [Dale Walker, lead guitarist] and I flew over to the States for about a month. Being able to be over there with Steve and Alan, we could keep an eye on things, give our input and make sure we were happy with what was being done.” For those contemplating abandoning your existing station [perhaps slumped on the couch with a beer in hand] to collect your laptop from the coffee table and check these guys out online, this may assist in your assessment. Mourning Tide fuse an original blend of hardcore-meets-glam rock. Well, perhaps that’s too basic a description for such an inimitable ensemble. Think of Motley Crue’s party anthems and Guns ‘N’ Roses’ melodic guitar solos, melded with the heavy goodness of Hatebreed. Now we’re starting to scratch the surface. “As a band, we derive our influence from such a wide variety of different music, from many different genres. Whereas in some bands, all members will have the same favourite band, and it causes them to become almost a clone,” elucidates Steele.

Over the band’s existence, these assiduous pioneers have shared the stage with groups as diverse as Tiger Army, Cro-Mags, Strung Out and Parkway Drive. Steele offers testimonial as to why he believes his innovative quintet have clenched these accomplishments. “It doesn’t faze us as to what sort of bill we play on, as we feel we have elements in our music that allow us to relate to lots of bands. And no matter what, we pride ourselves on putting on a good live show, playing tight and having fun.” A swift ten years have passed since Mourning Tide formed on the Gold Coast [late in 2000] and the lads are undoubtedly pushing themselves harder than ever before. “When we started there were no goals, we were just having fun. In 2010, our main goal is to get overseas; we really want to take our music to Europe. Like any band, we’ve had a few hiccups and they always put you backwards. But, we feel like the time for Mourning Tide is now.” Mourning Tide is out now through Stomp Entertainment.

G ENE R A L M O T O R I N G

Sledgehammer Benz There’s something special about the mid-size Benz AMG cars — apart from the fact that they absolutely honk. It all stems from the 300 SEL 6.3 of 1969 — a V8-powered, four-door sedan capable of (then) 137mph and the basis for a LeMans 24 Hour race winner — yes a four door sedan car. What we are talking here is basically a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a formula that has run through the ages culminating in the latest and greatest Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. This is a kick-arse blitzkrieg of a car with more attitude than Kanye West. Coupled with the look is the sound — like a booming V8 Supercar in your residential garage. It’s sure to put the neighbours on side — not. But the price of admission is high at $234,900 — four grand less than the previous E63. A quarter of a mil’ is a big wedge but one drive of the car and you’ll sell the kids or your soul. The feeling of near limitless thrust, eye popping brakes, razor sharp steering and race car cornering is addictive especially with that blatting exhaust thundering away down back. This time around, Benz has gone for the doctor to fend off a gaggle of V10 competitors. It has upped the 6.2-litre V8 engine’s output to 386kW/630Nm which is enough mambo to put away a 0-100kph sprint in the low fours

and absolutely rip to the 250kph electronically-limited top end. Cut the wire and the E63 will top 300kph and that, friends, is one hellava fast car. The big-bore engine thrives on revs but still pulls like a train down low. It drives the rear wheels through a slick shifting seven-speed auto with a wet clutch to speed changes, and allow a race start function without frying the transmission. This Speedshift ‘box is in the SL63 and though a full auto — is every bit as good as the double clutchers prominent in sporty cars. You can manually select ratios by steering wheel paddles or leave it in D and it blips the throttle on a down change whether in D or manual. Multiple transmission modes are provided at the touch of a button, right up to sport and manual mode which only defaults back to first when you come to a stop. Ride control is also selectable for comfort and sport, and so is the ESP system to: on, sport and deactivate for track work. And the good thing about all this adjustability is that you can save it for next time using the AMG button. Yee haw! And get this, our E63s are specifically calibrated for Aussie driving with unique steering and heat control systems for the cabin and powertrain. We also get the big wheel and brake

reviewed Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG reviewed by Peter Douglas package. The cars are pretty much custom made at the AMG factory including a hand-built engine. Order one with the baby seal skin headlining, the kryptonite dash panel and the ejector seat and you’ll wait up to six months. The new model is feature rich with nappa leather sports seats, rear spoiler, aero kit, large air intakes, LED driving lights, adaptive headlights, auto wipers and dual outlet exhausts. It has just about everything you could imagine but there are some options including carbon ceramic brakes at around 20 grand and matte duco in white, grey or silver. You’d have to convince us on that one but we’re told it looks “stealth.” Though hardly an economy model, the E63 is capable of returning 12.7-litres/100km through the use of brake energy recovery, low friction engine internals and lightweight components. Safety is boosted with pelvis bags as well as the other six and rear adaptive seat belts make an appearance.

Benz took us to Adelaide to experience the new E63 on sections of the Classic Adelaide Rally course. It comprises endless tight switchback corners, corkscrews, sweepers and hairpins. Hardly what you might think is E63 territory. An autobahn-stormer yes, but point and squirt? The thing absolutely carved up the curves and gave us a sore neck into the bargain due to heavy sideways g-forces. Arrive too hot into a closing radius corner in some cars and its nigh-nigh. Not so with the E63, which simply requires a bit more steering lock to hook around untroubled. It’s an amazing sensation in a big, weighty car like this. Drive out of the corners is witheringly quick thanks to that bellowing eight up front. We tried different settings and dialled in more tail for a bit more of a challenge… ha! – made bugger all difference to the totally controlled way the E63 masters any sort of corner at nearly any speed. It’s fairly obvious that driving the Benz sledgehammer is a blast. And if you have a green conscience, all that fun can be carbon offset for the first three months for free by MercedesBenz Australia. After that it’s a couple of hundred bucks a year so you can have your cake and eat it, too.

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titl fa s hio e ru nn s—h photography ere by luk e hold s tock

right Severyn wears metallic maxi dress by Josephine $POA. Diva bangles set of 3 $14.95 Black bracelet Equip $12.95. Zoe Wittner peep toe boots $169.95. Josie wears Cotton On black fedora $29.95. Blue geometric maxi dress by Josephine $POA, Siren gladiator heels $129.95. Equip black and gold bangle $19.95. Gold studded bangle Sports girl $24.95.

left Severyn wears Ksubi shorts $240. Wish mink coat $199.95. Black Lovable bra $39.95. Vintage sheer top [lollypop factory] $40.

Landing gear left Josie wears Ksubi shorts $150. Bonds crop top $14.95. Tan Sportsgirl clutch $39.95. LV bag, stylist’s own. Vintage sheer top [lollypop factory] $30.

right Josie wears black jersey Maxi dress by Josephine $POA. Siren gladiator heels $129.95. Severyn wears black and white Jersey Maxi dress By Josephine $POA. Black patent chrome heel Zoe Wittner boots $189.95

r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

fa s hio n — photography by luk title ehold ru n ss tock here

left, above Severyn wears Azra maya tiger leotard $99.95. Black Doc Martens $265. Ladakh black vest $79.95. Biva bangles set of 3 $14.95. Black bracelet Equip $12.95. Tortoise shell Ray Bans $249.95. Josie wears gold and black bandeau style bikini by Josephine $POA. White Country Road plaid shirt $89.95. Equip black and gold bangle $19.95. Gold studded bangle Sports Girl $24.95. Zoe Wittner peep toe boots $169.95. Equip sunglasses $19.95.

Photography by Luke Holdstock. Make-up by Severyn Robertson & Wade Ambler. Hair by Wade Ambler. Styling by Josie Englefield. Modelling by Severyn Robertson, Josie Englefield. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

game reviews Riding the rails While Nintendo’s introduction of a new celshaded art style in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker originally raised a lot of eyebrows, it was a brave innovation to the series that has in recent years found further success on their handheld console. The Phantom Hourglass pushed the graphical capabilities of the Nintendo DS while making intelligent use of the stylus; Spirit Tracks builds upon this foundation excellently in some regards, less so in others. The game’s title refers to a network of railroad tracks that connect the various provinces across the land. These tracks also happen to act as magical shackles that bind the Demon King Malladus below the earth, and things take a turn for the worse once they start to disappear. When Princess Zelda is unceremoniously expelled from her own body, it’s up to newly-qualified train engineer Link to re-energise the Spirit Tracks and restore Ghost Zelda to her corporeal form. Given the game’s obvious locomotive theme, it’s ironic that the actual steam train travel is its greatest weakness. Following the vast open-world freedom of sea exploration offered by both The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, Link’s latest vehicle of choice seems gimmicky and restricted; a sweeping landscape is presented to you, and yet your entire field of movement is confined to a convoluted spider’s web of railroad tracks, made even more frustrating by demon bomb wagons that frequently cat-and-mouse you into roundabout routes. As a result, travelling between the various regions takes a laboriously long time, and there’s no feeling of genuine exploration as you’re guided like a child to your next destination. The game’s dungeons and puzzle-solving, however, are fluently executed and cleverly devised. Link is controlled entirely with the stylus, as are most of his items. The boomerang, for example, is directed by tracing a flight path across the screen, while others such as the whirlwind or spirit flute are activated by blowing into the DS’s microphone – there’s a satisfying physicality to the controls. The most entertaining passages are those completed co-operatively with Zelda herself, who for the first time is directly playable. As a ghost, she can possess

Thoroughly modern Mario

armoured Phantoms and use their strength and durability to assist Link, adding a further level of complexity to several dungeons. Spirit Tracks is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and polished DS titles to be released this year. You’ll be unable to put it down even during agonisingly boring moments of rail travel, and this is itself a testament to the game’s addictive gameplay. One can only hope, however, that Link’s next method of transportation offers him a little more mobility.

Jack of all trades reviewed Touchmaster 3 [Nintendo DS] reviewed by Hugh Milligan rated 6.5/10 This is the third collection of mini-games released by Midway Games, and it’s been designed with diversity in mind. With everything from card games and fixed shooters to puzzlers that test your word and number skills, TouchMaster 3 does its best to cater to every taste. Unfortunately, the game’s incredibly gentle learning curve isn’t nearly challenging enough; there are achievements and trophies for each mini36

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game, but they can be unlocked in five minutes during your first play-through if you’re even moderately competent. You’ll more often than not end the game yourself when you’ve had enough, rather than being thwarted by any progression in difficulty level. Still, online multiplayer is included to provide a much-needed challenge — a human opponent will almost certainly push you harder than the computer.

It’s Princess Peach’s birthday and she’s decided to throw a party. You’ve got to admire her pluck – historically, celebrations in the Mushroom Kingdom tend to attract alien abductions, ancient curses or forced marriages to Bowser, but she’ll risk it all for the opportunity to bake a cake. This particular bash is cut short by Bowser’s Koopalings, who kill everyone’s buzz when they stuff her inside a lemon meringue and whisk her away aboard an airship. Such a scant and silly plot is par for the course by now, and it fits well into the bright and colourful presentation. The eight worlds with their distinct themes (desert, jungle, volcano, etc.) are a deliberate throwback to earlier titles such as Super Mario Bros 3, and the game plays upon an upbeat nostalgia at every turn. It’s filled with resurgent details and touches appropriated from bygone Mario platformers – even Bowser’s rather disturbing Koopa Clown Car makes an appearance (not to mention his seven Koopaling children, whom he has all but neglected for the past twenty years). The title New Super Mario Bros Wii is highly ironic, in fact, given this decidedly old-school approach. Unfortunately, the graphics are at times just as noticeably dated. Mario and Luigi’s character models in particular lack polish and detail, especially by comparison to their treatment in Wii titles such as Super Mario Galaxy. Such flaws invariably look more like cut corners than reminiscent recreations, even when there’s a lot happening on screen. And there will be an awful lot happening if you’re playing with friends. Its treatment of the past aside, New Super Mario Bros Wii is definitely at its newest with the addition of four-player multiplayer. There’s no online functionality mind you, a point that will annoy some fans, but it’s still an incredibly addictive experience. It can be a mixed bag, gameplay wise; two to four players can breeze through most obstacles in large open levels,

reviewed New Super Mario Bros Wii (Nintendo Wii) reviewed by Hugh Milligan rated 8/10

but in finicky confined spaces you’ll more often than not just get in each other’s way. This can be fun too, of course – satisfy your mean streak by picking up your buddy and throwing him into a pit of spikes, if that’s your thing. The game cleverly avoids the hassle of ‘too many cooks’ but allowing players to jump instantly in and out of the action to give a more skilled player room to complete a difficult passage. The game’s most infuriating fault, and one you’ll definitely notice in multiplayer, is its inexplicably archaic save system. When first playing through the game, your progress will only be saved following a boss battle (every four levels or so); run out of lives, and any progress in the interim will be lost. When you and your friends are inadvertently killing each other, a dreaded Game Over can quickly sneak up on you. Strangely enough, completing the game unlocks the ability to save at any time between levels, and one has to wonder why this wasn’t available from the beginning. Despite its foibles, New Super Mario Bros Wii is an entertaining package that injects new innovation into a tried and trusted formula. The Mario franchise is one that never tires of celebrating its own history, and long-time fans will find a lot to celebrate here. The 2D platforming is creative and challenging even when played alone, but the addition of multiplayer transforms it into an entirely different, endlessly engrossing experience.

n e w ca s tl e gig r e tro s p e ctiv e —

K I T C H EN C O M P L A I N T

Blast from the past

As we concentrate on the current music trends and live music, it is easy to forget the amazing gigs that have passed through our humble city. Reverb’s publisher, Kevin Bull, looks back at a number of gigs that won’t be forgotten.

Meat Loaf

Fugazi

Dead Kennedys

The Cure

Cardiff Workers Club [Cardiff Panthers] June 4, 1985

Morrow Park Bowling Club October 1991

Bel-Air Hotel, Kotara 1983

Civic Theatre August 16, 1981

Eight years after Bat Out Of Hell, Meat Loaf was touring behind his 1984 release Bad Attitude, an album that was doing nothing on the charts. Hence, Meat Loaf at Cardiff Workers. He was also extremely overweight. The memories I have of this gig, apart from hearing all the classic Bat Out Of Hell songs, was his attempts at putting on a large stage production on the small Workers Club stage. He came out on a motorcycle that could only be ridden for a few feet before it reached the centre of the stage, plus there was pyrotechnics being used. Considering the tragic events that occurred at a 1983 Great White gig where pyro set fire to a venue killing over 100 people, this was probably not the wisest thing to do.

I still can’t believe I saw Fugazi at the Morrow Park Bowlo. It was an all-ages gig, and I took my 15 year old step-daughter to the gig. I think it has scarred her for life. She just does not go to live gigs now. From memory, Screamfeeder supported them, and the sight of the crowd sitting cross-legged watching them was quite strange. Once Fugazi hit the stage, it was clear that the stage, or lack thereof, was quite inadequate. The punters were right in Ian MacKaye’s face. I remember him stopping songs midway through just to get the crowd to give him some room. Personally I stayed near the back and stood on a chair, watching them over everyone’s head. Crazed and brutal punk at its best.

Remember the Bel-Air Hotel anyone? Growing up in Garden Suburb, The Bel-Air was my local live music venue, and the Dead Kennedys wrecked havoc there in the latter half of ‘83. I was 18 at the time, and probably the straightest person there when you consider the punk underground that came out for this gig. If my memory serves me right, The Johnnys supported them. Touring in support of the 1982 Plastic Surgery Disasters, Jello Biafra was a madman on stage, spending most of the time in the crowd. It was the first time I had seen a lead singer dive headlong into the masses. I remember vividly Biafra’s manic behavior, sticking an imaginary needle in his arm while shaking his head. I truly felt that I had stepped into another world, yet it has left an indelible impression on me. Punk at its most primal.

With the Faith album having been released early in the year, the now three-piece [Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Laurence Tolhurst] embarked on their Picture world tour that would bring them to Australia for the second time, and their first and only time to Newcastle. The night began with Carnage Visors, a short film by Ric Gallup, Simon Gallup’s brother, and the set list consisted primarily of songs from Faith and Seventeen Seconds, though the soonto-be-released non-album single ‘Charlotte Sometimes’ did make an appearance, and the encore consisted of tracks from Boys Don’t Cry. I remember vividly the stark nature of the staging, with lots of simple white light, plus black and white clothing. There was also a stunning flash of red and yellow lighting during the lines “So they close together, dressed in red and yellow” when the song ‘Primary’ was played. I was 16 at the time, and it is still one of my most memorable gigs.

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Live reviews bodyjar Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Thursday, November 26

If the music industry was a fair and equal place, where a band’s success was determined by their talent and uniqueness, Sydney trio Lungs would be fucking massive. Providing the early birds with their intricate blend of punk, rock and thrash, Lungs took us on a journey of frantic paced riffs and technically complex fills, accompanied by dynamically minimal interludes. Fellow Sydneysiders Grand Fatal had the difficult task of not only following a superb opening set, but trying to execute their tunes whilst the now tipsy punters became restless. Unfortunately, the provocative quartet’s urgent offering of rock failed to hold the crowd quite as well as their predecessors. I’m still uncertain as to how Bodyjar had remained on the [somewhat] exclusive list of “Awesome Australian band’s I have never seen” for all these years. Thankfully, if I do ever physically compile the aforementioned list, I’ll now have one less group to include. Humble front man Cameron Baines, took only minutes in acknowledging the vivacious full house bouncing, cheering and chanting in front of him; exclaiming “Newcastle’s always been good to us over the years”. Following this disclosure was the band’s most celebrated anthem ‘Not the Same’. The extreme heat never looked like deterring the populace from enjoying this final fling, with one of Australian punk rock’s greatest success stories. Stage dives, singalongs and sweaty shirts were all observed, as ‘The Jar’ ripped through their back catalogue with tunes like ‘Is it a Lie’, ‘Remote Controller’ and their superb rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’. For the encore, the band’s former drummer Ross Heatherington, took the stage with the ensemble to belt out the thought provoking ‘17 Years’. Current skinsman Shane Wakkerman [who lays claim to one of the most fitting surnames a drummer could be in possession of] joined the group again to conclude an implausible evening with ‘One in a Million’. ~Nathaniel Try

OPEN ARMS FESTIVAL Coffs Harbour Showgrounds Saturday, November 28

On a stinking hot day in Coffs Harbour, the Open Arms Festival kicked off. It wasn’t as crowded or as big as I had expected but the set up worked and on a melting day such as it was, that was a big plus. The crowd was primarily underage with a few scattered chaperones and the big kids pretty much sticking to the alcohol tent. With an all Aussie line up, the day was set to rock out. Bertie Blackman was absolutely amazing! The crowd was chanting for her long before she came on 38 r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

stage. She began with a superbly beautiful solo performance of ‘Shout Out’ which her adoring fans took an instant shine to, followed by a set mostly of songs from her most recent album, Secrets and Lies. The piece de resistance was her incredible rendition of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’. The next notable performance was electrorock outfit MM9. These guys were incredible to watch and incredible to photograph. Front man Daniel Sutherland has a magnetic presence, is talented and puts on one hell of a show. Then a blessing from above, the heavens opened and it absolutely pissed down. But the rains didn’t dampen the day, pardon the pun, the masses only got more exuberant. By the time Hilltop Hoods graced the stage the vibe was electric. I expected Hilltop Hoods to give a solid performance but I was absolutely blown away. They have an outstanding stage presence and left me literally speechless. I was overjoyed to experience ‘The Nosebleed Section’ and ‘What A Great Night’ live, Hilltop Hoods gave one kick arse set and the kids were crazy for them. ~Scarlett O’Horror

Celibate Rifles Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday, November 28

In this day and age, the music scene is filtered by fashionable punk bands [insert fringe] to the point where it seems that there isn’t so much as a decent band out there at times. I mean honestly, when did you last hear of a decent big true blue aussie punk band? Ok that description in itself is probably a contradiction but you get the picture. Before I go on, yes, Celibate Rifles are still alive and kicking. Expect no under 18s at this gig. Expect no under 28s for that matter. If you haven’t been in touch with Australian music during the 80s then chances are you probably haven’t heard of Celibate Rifles. The Rifles jumped on stage like it were any other gig and started busting through their surfy inspired 80s branding of punk rock. Tonight was a party. Everyone got their dancing shoes on for the hard rocking ‘World Keeps Turning’, and that simple bass line of ‘Downtown’ just sticks in your head like a badly timed whistle. Damien Lovelock was on fire tonight — hard to do when you sing in almost monotone — getting his old school ‘boogie’ on and still no stranger to keeping the crowd together and in check whilst promoting their anthology [on sale at the merch stand]. One matter I will touch on — thank god this isn’t another band reunited who have got fat in their old age! They may have grown older, and they definitely showed their age, but these old punks still have the energy needed to bring the house down. ~anthony pollock

les claypool Enmore Theatre, Sydney wednesday, December 2

underground with fans and critics alike. Their straight ahead garage punk that eschews any trend or notion of ‘affected cool’ comes as a breath of fresh air. The uninhibited energy of frontman Brendan Suppression resonated with the crowd tonight causing them to rush the stage in a display not seen since youth crew hardcore gigs at the Black Box in the mid-90s. Tonight was truly one of the best gigs this reviewer has been to in a while and is definitely up there with some of the best the Cambridge has served up over the years. ~Stephen bisset

dream theater I never really got into Primus. Sure, there were some cracking tunes on Pork Soda and ‘Tommy the Cat’ is a certified gem, but for mine a majority of Claypool’s virtuosity just sounded like garbled noise. I didn’t expect much going into the Enmore this evening, but Claypool, backed by Sam Bass on cello, Paulo Baldi on drums and percussionist Mike Dillon, delivered a set of almost cinematic scope that could only be described as genre bending. Claypool slapped and thumped his way through the set, yet this time there seemed to be more definition to his fretwork. Playing tunes from nearly every point in his unique career, including such Primus numbers as ‘Southbound Pachyderm’, Claypool and co garnered more than a few nods from the appreciative crowd. Ever the showman, Claypool continued to tease the crowd with snippets of songs like the aforementioned ‘Tommy The Cat’ which had fans surging to the front before the band ripped into a song off the new album Of Fungi and Foe. The trademarked Claypool ‘weirdness’ was present in spades tonight — not least in the obtuse, left of centre lyrics but also in the strange off-kilter arrangements and the weird evil pig-esque masks his band were wearing. Aside from all of the ‘weirdness’ this was a truly interesting show from a guy who really enjoys pushing the sonic boundaries. Some times he misses, but others like tonight he scores a near bullseye. ~Stephen bisset

eddie current suppression ring Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Friday, December 4

The Oh Sees could very well be this reviewer’s new favourite band. Their lazy yet urgent lofi/no-wave sound pricked up more than a few ears at the Cambridge tonight, not least the drummer, who did more with a floor tom, snare and a couple of cymbals than most could with the most ridiculous rack-tom set up. The US four piece ripped through a set that recalled tinges of Steve West-era Pavement and the psychedelic punk of the 13th Floor Elevators but with much sharper angles. This is garage rock par excellence. As the crowd reached near capacity, this reviewer had a sense that The Oh Sees might be a hard act to follow, but as soon as Eddie Current Suppression Ring hit the stage any reservations fell by the wayside. After seeing ECSP for the first time tonight, it was not hard to see why they are the current darlings of the Aussie

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Saturday, December 5

It was a mediocre start to the show — support band Pain of Salvation opened with music little more than 60s prog-rock regurgitation. With a topless guitarist and gelled up combovers, the band received a surprisingly enthusiastic response from the crowd given their lack of technical ability. Despite what I thought was a rather disloyal reflection of their evident influences, Pain of Salvation was warmly received and, dare I say, I could be the only one in the building who disliked it. Finally the lights dimmed and Dream Theater began their performance in a manner that mirrored their unfeigned identity — a combination of turbulent strobe lights that accompanied Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic Psycho soundtrack. Every sound is perfectly sculptured to fit, even if initially they appeared not to work together. And while the band has generally been recognised as progressive heavy metal, the adoption of more modern styles combined with their loyalty to the “prog-pioneers” meant the band captured the attention of everybody. One thing noticeably absent from the set was the older material. However in the absence of the ‘Theater classics’, the band still provided an invigorating and genuinely engaging performance. With their imaginative musical transitions and their electric and finetuned on-stage chemistry, there was no moment where the music felt flat or unrehearsed. Every note was perfect and every change almost unnoticeable. Key highlights included ‘The Mirror’, ‘In The Name of God’ and ‘Wither’. As the show edged towards the end, drummer Mike Portnoy, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess collaborated on the ultimate highlight of the show. Playing their instruments in a seemingly effortless manner, the quartet performed an engaging instrumental that preceded a rare performance of ‘Solitary Shell’. Beginning with Rudess’ keyboard and Petrucci’s mellow guitar solo, the instrumental quickly intensified and was then accompanied by Portnoy’s intelligent drumming and Myung’s enduring bass tones. Perhaps the most interesting part of the piece were the sounds coming from Rudess’ newest instrument — his iPhone — and Portnoy’s idea to wander around the exterior of his drum kit as he was playing. Lead by their ambitious vocalist James LaBrie, Dream Theater’s technical prowess surpassed all expectations in a manner that will continue to maintain their venerable legacy. ~Lilen Pautasso

Live reviews Gig of the month

green day Acer Arena, Sydney Saturday, December 11

Touring on the back their 21st Century Breakdown release, American punk giants Green Day hit the stages of Oz with their first tour since 2005. And going on the diversity of the audience at their Sydney shows, there’s still plenty of punters willing to stick it to any authority figure they can find, even if that is just the nearest hapless security guard. Unfortunately, supporting Green Day were the once-popular local rockers, Jet, who were simply mechanical and under-impressive. Even though Jet did engage the crowd with a couple of their more popular songs, they meekly departed after what seemed to take a little longer than it does to pull a tooth. But all was forgiven the moment Green Day hit the stage, and the aging punk rockers did not disappoint. Opening with the title track off their new album, the trio [who actually number five on-stage] then took their fans on a rollercoaster time trip through all things punk and Green Day. At stages they even ventured beyond the genre, playing such diverse numbers as Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ and The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’. Much to the crowd’s predictable delight, the boys are also still paying homage to their favourite Aussie heavy weights AC/DC and Johnny O’Keefe. It’s always difficult to be subjective when you’re reviewing one of your favorite bands, but if showmanship, tightness and aggression still count for anything, Green Day rock. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have the punk sneer and a smile trick down to an art form with a tight-arsed show that fired off enough pyrotechnics to scare the skin off every small white dog within a 10k radius. This band is still one of the hottest tickets in the business and well worth every cent of admission — but perhaps not the over-priced merchandise. ~Steve bocking

festival of the sun Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, Port Macquarie Saturday, December 12

Port Macquarie is not known as a hub of activity for young people. Most of the year the place is a quiet coastal town. In the summer months though, it comes alive, and it could be no more alive than the Festival of the Sun weekend at the Towns Beach Sundowner Park. First of all FOTSUN lived up to its name with the sun beaming down on the festival goers all weekend. One look

at any exposed flesh and this was obvious as most punters resembled lobsters than any sort of human. The music was great with an excellent sound and stage set up, sand on the floors for more authenticity and palm trees in the midst. Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park really is the perfect location for a summer festival. The vibe was more intimate and friendly compared to your average capital city festival, though there was still excellent food and stands available. As far as the music went, Pez was a definite stand out and clearly in his element. The crowd lapped up every beat and hung onto Pez’s every word, and not just ‘The Festival Song’. Little Birdy was of course also fantastic, a truly amazing voice. Spiderbait whipped the now sizable crowd into a frenzy with a set that delved into the back catalog. It is amazing how their songs have now become Australian standards, and that many of them are now older than the young punters who are singing along to them. Children Collide displayed a force that only comes with youth, and delivered a live performance that was fierce, frenzied, and urgent. This is a band that always delivers. Festival of the Sun was as good as anyone had hoped, everyone had a smile on their face and a mate under their arm. Great music, great atmosphere and just a bloody great weekend. ~david long

animal collective Enmore Theatre, Sydney Sunday, December 12

Animal Collective has drowned the stage in blue light. Their various instruments are set atop trestles dressed in billowing white cloth that draws a loose comparison to jellyfish, and behind this is a backdrop featuring an awkwardly drawn mermaid. Allusions to the ocean complete, AC wash on to the stage. Aptly, perhaps deliberately, their set tonight builds in waves. Comprising of material mostly from Merriweather Post Pavilion, it’s a hypnotic flow that lulls with repetition before bursting forth. Troughs of slow mesmerising synths rise to burbling crests of Beach Boyesque harmonies and frenetic beats. Extended metaphors aside, given the set tonight, it’s not hard to understand why Animal Collective is such a divisive band. Panda Bear, Avey Tare and Geologist give little in the way of crowd interaction. Instead they stay hunched behind their tables of electronic stuff, in sync with the rise and fall of their music and not the crowd. At points the music is so repetitive as to be soporific—easy to simply ‘not get’. But Animal Collective, here, is making dance music with touches of pop sensibility [not the other way around]. There is a palpable sense of presence from all three members. This Animal Collective show isn’t a performance; it is a communion with the band and fellow revellers. It must be swallowed whole. At first that feels strange because you’re not used to breathing water, but then your pupils dilate, and your body starts to pulsate and you realise instead of lungs, you’ve grown a set of gills. ~Lucy Hearn

fleetwood mac Hope Estate, Hunter Valley Saturday, December 5

The weather gods delivered a perfect Saturday evening for Fleetwood Mac and their predominately baby-boomer fans in the Hunter Valley. The sun was kind to the exposed skin as the crowd took in the pregig entertainment of sky divers and aerial fly-bys, that’s if you weren’t caught up in the traffic snarl of 19,000 punters trying to get to Hope Estate. Fleetwood Mac have reached true iconic status, and to have them playing in our backyard was a real privilege. It would be hard to find anyone with a passing interest in music that would not acknowledge Mac’s place at the top of the music ladder. Opening with ‘Monday Morning’, it was a two-and-a-half hour greatest hits set that would have met the approval of everyone present. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks provided the main focal point on stage, with their openly affectionate interaction warming this reviewer’s heart. John McVie on the other hand was quite happy to stay

in the background, providing the bass bedrock to these classic sounds, and Mick Fleetwood, the personable joker behind the most beautiful golden drum kit, put smiles on many faces. Buckingham, with his fluent fingerpicking style flying across the strings, was quite animate on his guitar. His talent was highlighted during ‘Never Going Back Again’ and ‘Big Love’. Possibly the highlight of the night was when Nicks stepped forward with the opening strains of ‘Rhiannon’. The roar from the crowd was deafening, yet receded to silence as the much-loved song swept over us. The Buckingham/Nicks duet of ‘Landslide’ was also memorable. Though most of the song selection focussed on their hugely successful mid70s to mid-80s albums, it was great to hear the band rip into ‘Oh Well’, a non-album track dating back to 1969. Their blues origins were on show, even if it was only for a brief moment. The Mac in the Hunter Valley comes close to the concert of the year. If I had not witnessed The Who and Pink, it would be no contest. ~Kevin Bull

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hom e bak e r e tro s p e ctiv e

homebake replay Homebake signals the bell lap for a season that passes through Xmas, the New Year and finishes after the Big Day Out. Distinctly, and more modestly Australian than its Australia Day BDO celebration, it heralds a season of lists: presents, cards and emailed greetings, holiday forgetme-nots; bills; tafe and uni entries and subject choices. mark sullivan makes the first list of the season. Homebake is many things to its many fans, be they Main Stage sun rockers, Hopetoun indie intimates, energised Big Top dancers, short movie buffs, or like me, Dome home dwellers. Set between the towering commercial monoliths, the Cahill Expressway, the NSW Art Gallery, and umbrella-ed in many places by the giant Moreton Bay figs, it’s a paradise. And each year the balmy sea breeze blows in and cools everyone down, and the fruit bats fill the skies at dusk adding to a uniquely Homebake atmosphere and vibe. There was also a time when it had no age limit and was a great intro’ for a new wave of punters to an exciting world of Aussie music. New, old, pub, pop, stadium, rock, grunge, techno, bland, avant garde, acoustic and increasingly hip hop and rap. A smorgasbord of music in Sydney’s stunningly beautiful side yard — The Domain. Before 1788 it was an initiation site; later it became “the park of the people” and a place where you could stand on a soapbox and speak your mind. Homebake channels these democratic and rites of passage influences to this day. 1999 was a great Newcastle year at Homebake. The Porkers closed on the dome [then the Juice] and Silverchair on the main. Shihad, Something for Kate and Frenzel Rhomb were worth a visit to the main; Avalanches and The Dirty Three were knockouts at the Big Top, but IOTA and Big Heavy Stuff were just perfect for a chillout in the afternoon Dome sun. The Living End were gold medallists in 2000 on the main stage, and Endorphin pumped the crowd in the Big Top but it was John Butler Trio and Augie March, against the long rays of the setting suns, playing rootsy music to a Dome audience, sitting amongst the beautiful Moreton Bay buttressed roots. In 2001 at the Dome, Big Heavy Stuff returned and the bassist spat the dummy, Eskimo Joe did their apprenticeship, Machine Gun Fellatio stripped it down, Augie March, George, Kasey Chambers and JBT reprised in the preliminaries, and it was a short stroll to the main stage for the Hoodoo Gurus to deliver a knockout punch. 40

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above, below: Eskimo Joe left: Paul Dempsey above left: Tim Finn

In 2002, there were bushfires and the highway to Sydney was closed. Undeterred, we went the back way, but were too late to see novices Jet and The Sleepy Jackson playing at the Dome. That was as amazing as Alex Lloyd being chosen to close the main stage and us driving home after midnight with spectacular flames leaping across the highway. Paul Kelly and George had been a calm Dome alternative to Radio Birdman and You Am I, but Dave McCormack and The Polaroids charmed the Hopetoun in an eventful year. In 2003, The Vines and Nick Cave drew the crowd away from the Dome. Pete Murray at the Dome did his bit too, being the [too] calm before the storm, and what a fantastic storm did The Cat Empire, The Church and Beasts of Bourbon create. A memorable year. Especially as in 2004 tickets were sold out, and I had to rely on memories to see me through. 2005 tested my Dome loyalty. A revitalised Finn Brothers made dirty creatures of us all on the main. A nibble at the Grates, Cut Copy, Pnau, The Saints, Ben Lee and Paul Mac riddled the aural senses but the year belonged

to my defining Dome moment of the decade — The Go Betweens in the afternoon sun singing about running round the streets of your town. Vale, Grant McLennan, only six months later. Thank you, Homebake, for the memory. 2006 was the year of the wet. The Valentinos under cover in Hopetoun were a respite, both to the constant rain and the sweetness of the Dome’s Angus & Julia Stone and Toni Collette. Bob Evans sang “Raindrops Keep Falling on Your Head” before The Models, scared shitless about electrocution and indifferent to their drowned punters, hit the funk groove at the Dome, making the likelihood of trench foot an acceptable risk. Silverchair played the main stage, but the rain had stopped by then. In 2007 Ed Kuepper played only about four songs — they were, mind you, 14 minutes each. I missed two songs whilst in the unending beer queue — which has become one of the more common things about modern Homebake. Paul Dempsey and Sarah Blasko continued their acquaintance with the Dome crowd; Missy Higgins joined Paul Kelly briefly before he added some sauce to the gravy and lead the crowd in

an Aussie sing-along. In 2008 Little Red, End of Fashion and Died Pretty bridged the generation gap at the Dome. Poor Died Pretty, they almost melted and spontaneously combusted as they ripped up the stage in the hot afternoon sun. Kasey & Shane were like hand and glove and perfect for the transition from light to dark under the bats and the Dome. But Sparkadia at the Hopetoun snatched the honours on this day. Like all good Hopetoun acts, I am hoping they’ll progress to the Dome. Which brings me to 2009. The weather was ideal. The Dome-ain crowd went mama-mia over Sia; and rightfully so. What a star. Dappled Cities flew and dazzled; Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner were their energetic and entertaining selves, leading a happy crowd in song. Jet filled the main stage, but of course they were graduates from the Dome’s 2002 alumni. If you’re still with me, thanks. Here’s a new year’s wish that Wickham Park, with some imaginative programming of music, becomes Newcastle’s Dome. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

hom e bak e r e vi e w — r e v e rb x ma s party r e vi e w

Homebake December 5, 2009 The Domain, Sydney

A word of advice to future punters of Homebake: arrive early. Arrive so early that you are there before even security, because the queue is one of the shittiest a festival has ever had to offer. Now, if you haven’t heard the name of Gin Wigmore then go find a CD of hers. She is New Zealand’s Patsy Cline, a hybrid lovechild hitting the board of success with her solid set of hippy guitars, infused with her over-the-top country/blues and at times punkish vocals. It’ll make you dance or it’ll help you chill out. There are just some reunions that should never be — Tumbleweed being one of them. They will always hold a place in my heart with their hypnotisingly brilliant stoner rock solos. Did they captivate the audience? No. Did everyone use this as an opportunity to go to the bar? Yes. The bass needed to be louder and the singer’s monotone made Nick Cave sound like an opera singer. Hilltop Hoods have won fans from one side of the country to the other, except for this reviewer. Today however, I couldn’t help but appreciate their penchant for putting on a good live performance. Their tribute to Bob Marley, a remix of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta

Love’, and the tough-as-nails ‘The Hard Road’ made it for me. Catchy as hell and deep growling bass that’s sure to get anyone up on their feet. As the sun set, Jet took the stage with their well-known radio hit ‘Cold Hard Bitch’. They sure got the majority of the festival singing with their rehashed pop rock riffage but the incessant bourbon-swilled sore throat screaming got old way too quickly. Grab your lighters because it wouldn’t be a Jet performance without hearing ‘Look What You’ve Done’ at least once. A decent performance to be sure, finishing the set with ‘Get Me Out Of Here’ — a sentiment I very much identified with. Powderfinger saw the night out with more songs from the latest release ‘Golden Rule’ than from any other release. Going from comments in the crowd, this sure peeved off a few. They still hit the nail on the head with their solid alt-rock ballads. ‘My Happiness’ got the entire crowd singing along, ‘[Baby I’ve Got You] On My Mind’ rocked the entire stage, and Fanning’s versatility shone as he switched between instruments on the beautiful ‘Nobody Sees’. We all felt it tonight and I can’t wait to see bigger and better things from them in 2010. ~david long

REVERB XMAS PARTY Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday 12, 2009

The Christmas spirit took hold of the Reverb office in 2009, and the best way for us to celebrate was to hold a big party at the Cambridge Hotel, and to then invite the whole of Newcastle. Our plans were simple – get a bunch of great bands on stage in the Glasshouse, fill the Red Bar with the finest of DJs, and the rest will follow. Build it, and they will come. From the smiles on all the faces, it was clear that we were on the right track. In the Glasshouse, the stage was occupied by Red Riders, Fear of Monsters, Canvas Kites and The Bastilles. Behind the decks in the Red Bar, Matt Saxon, D-Steady, Beatniks DJs, Loods

and El Fidde. When you put them all together, it was this fine mix of indie rock and thumping beats that kept the festive vibe going all night. Quite simply, we at Reverb had a wonderful night as I am sure everyone else did. Following the success of our 3rd birthday party last July, the Xmas Party was the obvious next step. Now we look towards 2010, and our first event will be on Thursday February 4 at the Cambridge Hotel, where we will help you ease back into Uni with our Back To School Party. The bands playing with be Philadelphia Grand Jury, The Bastilles, Fictions and Empire Burlesque. Tickets are on sale now through Moshtix. ~kevin bull r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

DVD reviews

Psychic power Hell of a drag

After Sam Raimi’s inevitable foray into the mainstream via the record-breaking Spiderman trilogy, the fans of his original trilogy, Evil Dead, have secretly hoped that one of the masters of horror would return to his roots. Drag Me To Hell certainly comes close. Co-written and directed by Raimi, this hellish tale draws on a number of influences, melding Stephen King’s Thinner, with more recent flicks like The Exorcism Of Emily Rose and The Unborn. When Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a bank’s loan officer, has to make the difficult decision to deny an elderly gypsy woman a third extension on her mortage, there are dire consequences. The craggy old woman, who will be kicked out of her home, places a curse on Christine. We learn that the result of this curse is that in three days a demon will come to claim her soul, thus... dragging her to hell. In the three days leading up to this encounter, the demon appears as a giant hooven creature, tormenting the soul that it plans to take. This means that Christine must not only survive three days of visits by the demon, but she has limited time if she is to find a way to avoid being... dragged to hell. Laced with Raimi’s twisted, gross-out sense 42

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reviewed Drag Me To Hell reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 3/5 of humour, Drag Me To Hell is pitched in an unusual tone. Alison Lohman does a fabulous task of grounding the screenplay in some compelling territory, but the big scare sequences are so over-the-top and ‘Evil Deadish’, that they ultimately feel at odds with the material. Every poignant moment that makes you care for Christine is dispelled when Raimi’s silliness reminds you that you’re just watching a piece of entertainment. Because of its obvious influences, much of Drag Me To Hell feels like familiar territory. Spooky noises, dark shadows, creaking floorboards, open windows, evil flies... you’d hope that someone as innovative as Raimi would avoid being so derivative. The script does deliver a terrifying climax that is not easy to predict, however the intuitive will probably guess the twist. There are some things to like about Drag Me To Hell. Justin Long, who plays Christine’s perplexed boyfriend, has a great presence. Alison Lohman, who was gorgeous in Big Fish, is again quite beautiful to watch on screen. But horror fans who have kept Sam Raimi on their pedestal will find this a very diluted effort. If only he’d cast Bruce Campbell as Christine.

Push opens with a frightened father telling his son that at some time in the future, a girl will offer him a flower and he must help her. The father knows this because in the world of Push, there are people with psychic powers that can not only see the future, but also move objects using telekinesis and use mind control. In the opening credits montage of Push, Dakota Fanning’s character explains that this story began in 1945 Berlin, where the Nazis were doing secret experiments in psychic warfare — tracking down psychics and trying to turn them into super soldiers. When the war ended, these experiments continued on around the world in top secret laboratories called Divisions. It’s then revealed that there’s a particular psychic booster drug that is being tested on unwilling psychic subjects that is supposed to increase their ability, but so far testing has killed every patient. However one subject, Kira Hudson [Camilla Belle], survives the injection and then quickly manages to escape the Division that held her, taking a sample of the drug. This enrages Division leader Henry Carver [Djimon Hounsou], who is what’s known as a ‘Pusher’, someone that can put a thought in your head and make you believe it’s the truth. It’s a skill that proves very handy. Nick Grant [Chris Evans] is a ‘Mover’, who can move objects with his mind, but lays low and rarely uses his ability. He receives a knock on his front door from Cassie Holmes [Dakota Fanning], a psychic that can see glimpses of the future [a ‘Watcher’]. She tells Nick that he’s going to help her find a girl that’s just escaped from Division and a suitcase that could potentially bring Division down for good. Nick is incredibly sceptical and unwilling to help, but

reviewed Push reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 3.5/5 is soon up to his neck in some crazy shenanigans. Push has some strong elements. It has a tightly written script, which contains some obviously fantastical elements, but this world of psychic powers is given a realistic grounding. There are rules in the world of Push, things that these psychics can and can’t do, and these are used to place some interesting twists and turns in the script. Rather than feel like an XMen-style blockbuster, Push has a dark, gritty tone. Special effects are used sparsely and never over done. The plot moves at a cracking pace and while you feel that all the threads can’t be brought together in the finale, quite a neat package is delivered. Set and filmed almost entirely in the fish markets, back alleys and clubs of China, Push feels like an art-house movie rather than a mainstream one. There’s also some lovely cinematography by Peter Sova. Chris Evans is a charismatic lead. Fanning, who plays a dogged, smart-arse character, avoids being too annoying and Camilla Belle is just plain exquisite. Hounsou is an interesting choice for the villain Carver, but he has a brooding presence. There’s also strong support from the always great New Zealand actor, Cliff Curtis. While it’s by no means a classic, Push is a nicely crafted film that many will find much better than they may have assumed from the trailer. Give it a nudge.

FILM reviews

When your latest film becomes the highestgrossing release in cinematic history, you will surely feel the pressure of expectation. In the wake of Titanic, which towed in over a billion dollars at the box office, the world wondered what James Cameron would do next. Rather than rush into another project, Cameron began work on an idea he had had in development since 1994. But the director had been waiting on an advance in digital effects technology that could realise his vision to a satisfactory level. It was well worth the wait because his new epic, Avatar, takes special effects into a new era. At three hours in length, the viewer can only marvel at the detail that has been poured into every moment. The result is breathtaking. The flora and fauna that has been dreamed up for the plot’s location, the forest covered Pandora, provides a complete sensory overload whilst also being believable. In its essence, the story of Avatar has been told many hundreds of times — not only in literature and movies, but in human history, too. Desperate to seek a mineral called Unobtainium, which is said to be able to sustain human existence, a mining company called SecFor sets up a base on Pandora, where the mineral is plentiful. However, the lush planet’s forest is the habitat of an indigenous, humanoid population called the Na’vi and mining the mineral means

A case of the blues

destroying their home. Viewing the Na’vi as unintelligent savages, SecFor feel it’s their right to do so. SecFor funds its own internal research program, which is led by Dr Grace Augustine [Sigourney Weaver]. Along with her team, Augustine has developed the ‘Avatar’ program, which involves the splicing of human and Na’vi DNA to create a Na’vi clone. A human being can then lie in a sort of cryogensis tube and telepathically remote control the clone, sharing its physical experiences on every level. While Augustine’s intention for the Avatars is purely anthropological, the heads of SecFor realise that they can use the technology to infiltrate and betray the Na’vi. Jake Sully [Sam Worthington], a paraplegic ex-soldier, enters the Avatar program in the place of his scientist twin brother, who was murdered. While SecFor conspire with Jake to earn the trust of the Na’vi, he is quickly swept away by the beauty of their culture and shifts his allegiance. Every sequence in Avatar is captivating and the film moves through moments of serene and startling images of the Pandora, before the gripping battle sequences take hold. The epic final act is reminiscent of the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope. Sadly, Avatar is let down by some fairly clichéd and bland dialogue, which most of the actors grapple with convincingly, but Giovanni

reviewed Avatar reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 4/5

Ribisi [who plays the snivelling antagonist Parker Selfridge] suffers the worst. He really is a cartoon villain. Cameron, who wrote the screenplay, uses a lot of contrived conversation to drill the themes of the movie into the viewer’s brain. The obvious metaphor of ‘white settler versus native’ is abundantly clear to people of all age groups, but Cameron dwells on this for the first third of the movie — and it becomes annoying. The casting of Worthington was a brave move, not just because he is fresh on the Hollywood scene, but because he’s not your typical leading actor. The Australian has a very natural presence on screen, and at times it’s almost as if you’re watching a nonactor. There is no heavy-handedness in his approach. Cameron employs a brazen sentimentality in many of the scenes, which often works, but sometimes can be a little jarring. Weaver, who teams up with Cameron again after Aliens, brings her trademark dignity, while new actress Zoe Saldana, who plays the romantic Na’vi lead, gives the film an emotional core. Avatar certainly deserves attention and sets a new benchmark for special effects. Let’s hope that any sequels, which are surely already in consideration, have a much more intelligent script. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 2 — j a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

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REVERB XMAS PARTY, CAMBRIDGE HOTEL

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