Brag#658

ISSUE NO. 658 APRIL 13, 2016

FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

T HE DA NDY WA R HOL S

Courtney Taylor-Taylor on one of his proudest albums yet.

THE INSIDERS'

GUIDE TO

F U T UR E OF T HE L EF T

Wales' noisiest rockers and an ancient code of chivalry.

T HRO T T L E

The young producer headlining The Argyle's ninth birthday bash.

LAUGHTER IN THE

AIR

DA N SULTA N

And why an appearance on Play School left him star-struck.

Plus

PA RQ UE T C OUR T S H A R D - ON S K AT IE NOON A N

ALSO INSIDE:

R E CO R D S TO R E DAY 2016 S PE C I A L @SUNGAATTACK

FRENCHY WORLD’S WORST ADULT

★★★★★

SPEAKER TV THE MUSIC

WED 27, THU 28 & FRI 29 APRIL AT 9PM FACTORY THEATRE T! SOLD OU

SYDNEYCOMEDYFESTIVAL.COM.AU

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with James Di Fabrizio, Chris Martin and Elias Kwiet

on the record WITH

MARK CALLAGHAN FROM GANGGAJANG The First Thing I Recorded Sunset Strip by The Riptides. We’d 3. formed our band after being inspired by groups like The Saints and the Sex Pistols. True to the DIY ethic of the time we decided to make a record. Oblivious to the fact that we couldn’t really play yet, we found a recording studio in the phone directory, booked it, turned up on the day and went for it. We had no idea what we were doing but youthful enthusiasm can carry you a long way!

The Last Thing I Recorded GANGgajang’s latest single ‘Circles 4.

In The Sand’, recorded at Blackfoot Sound

The First Record I Bought It was probably ‘Sugar, Sugar’ by The 1.

Archies – an irrepressible slice of bubblegum

The Last Record I Bought This Is Acting by Sia. She’s a great 2. songwriter and an amazing singer. The album’s

pop that I and about four million other kids thought was awesome!

production is excellent and there are some cracker songs on the record. My personal favourite is probably ‘Reaper’.

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar, D.A. Carter ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Elias Kwiet, Zanda Wilson, Keiren Jolly, Amy Henderson REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Anita Connors, James Di Fabrizio, Christie Eliezer, Emily Gibb, Adam Guetti, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Tegan Reeves, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Lucy Watson, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young

Savages

PURE SAVAGERY

Already announced for Mona’s annual Dark Mofo winter festival, Savages have locked in a headline Sydney show. Since they last toured Australia around the 2014 Laneway Festival, Savages have released an acclaimed new album, Adore Life, played live on US talk shows and continued to tour extensively, taking in iconic venues including Manchester’s Albert Hall and San Francisco’s The Fillmore.

This weekend, they will hit the stage at Coachella for an anticipated festival set, before continuing on to Sasquatch Music Festival. They’ll play Thursday June 16 at the Metro Theatre.

SURF MUSIC IN PARADISE

Surf Music In Paradise is bringing together music, surfing and travel for a series of curated surfing tours. Days on the tour will be spent on some of the world’s best surf breaks in Bali and the Maldives, capped off with Australian music legends performing live and beachside as the sun goes down. First up, Pete Murray will perform

The Record That Changed My Life When I was a kid my family lived in 5.

Africa. I remember being about seven years old and becoming inspired after hearing The Beatles’ ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on Voice Of Kenya radio. One night, as she was putting me to bed, I recall asking my mum: “Mum, if I wrote a song for The Beatles, do you think they would sing it?” She said, “Of course they would!” I didn’t actually start writing songs for another ten years but I’ve never forgotten that moment and often wonder what would have happened if she’d have given a more sensible answer!

What: GANGgajang (remastered) out now through IS Music With: Warren H. Williams, Dani Young Where: The Basement When: Saturday April 16

three intimate and exclusive gigs in the Maldives during the tour from Sunday June 12 – Sunday June 19. In a separate tour, Tex Perkins will join Phil Jamieson to perform five intimate gigs on the poolside lawns of the Hidden Valley Resort in Bali – ten minutes from all the peninsula surf breaks including Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Impossibles, Bingin and Dreamland. Surf Music In Paradise’s Bali trip runs from Monday September 5 – Monday September 12.

Client Liaison xx

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Joseph Earp, Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio, Amy Henderson, Keiren Jolly, Elias Kwiet

with Dave Nicholas (INXS, Pulp, et cetera) at the helm. Dave engineered our first album 32 years ago, so it was fantastic to get back into a vintage studio with him and record everything ‘old-school’ again. We recorded live with minimal overdubs and it turned out great.

And the reaction has been terrific as well – not only because of its sound but also due to the song being inspired by the story of the Pintubi Nine, the last true nomads to emerge from

the western desert and encounter ‘civilisation’ for the first time. That was in October 1984, around the same time GANGgajang formed!

OH BOY, IT’S CULTURE CLUB

One of the biggest alternative acts to come out of the ’80s, Culture Club, are returning to Australia after more than 15 years, and will hit up Sydney in June for one night only. The first group to score three top ten singles in the US since The Beatles, Culture Club have a bunch of classic hits to bring to town, including ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ and ‘Karma Chameleon’. Complete with the original lineup, including star frontman Boy George, the show will also see the likes of Bjorn Again and Kids In The Kitchen feature as supports. Get yourself some culture at the Hordern Pavilion on Saturday June 11.

WEEDEATER AND CONAN

Weedeater have announced a run of Australian dates for this July. The North Carolina trio are bringing UK outfit Conan along for the ride, taking over stages in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Across their almost two-decade-long career, Weedeater have released five crushing records including 2015’s Goliathan, which they’ll be supporting on this run of shows. Liverpool doom purveyors Conan will return to Australia for the first time since 2014, bringing with them their latest record, Revengeance. Weedeater and Conan will play Manning Bar on Friday July 15.

A LUCKY LIAISON

The nation’s smoothest electropop groovers Client Liaison are set to embark on their biggest Australian tour to date, and will hit up Sydney in May. The World Of Our Love Tour will see them revisit their finest hits so far, plus new material from their upcoming debut album release. Party-starters GL are coming along for the ride at the Metro Theatre on Friday May 27.

Bag Raiders

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Jeff Lang

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VIVID SYDNEY GROWS

Vivid Music, the contemporary music program held annually as part of the Vivid Sydney festival calendar, will this year host performances across the spectrum of popular genres.

Alongside the parties being hosted by Björk at Carriageworks – she’s recently added a second Björk Digital party, and will now be DJing on Friday June 3 and Saturday June 4 – and the Vivid LIVE program at the Sydney Opera House including names like New Order, Bon Iver and Anohni, Sydney audiences will get an extra taste of some accomplished local acts. Bag Raiders will be in town for their first Australian tour since 2011, and have added a Thursday June 2 show alongside their already sold-out Saturday June 4 appearance at Oxford Art Factory. Meanwhile, Cold Chisel songwriter Don Walker will perform an intimate show at Marrickville’s Camelot Lounge on Friday May 27, and retro punk rockers Hard-Ons will play Newtown Social Club on Saturday May 28 with original vocalist/ drummer Keish ‘Velvet Fog’ De Silva. Also added to the program are Kuçka, Mulatu Astatke and The Black Jesus Experience, and a special One Day Sundays event at the Factory Theatre on Sunday June 5. Vivid Sydney 2016 takes over the city from Friday May 27 – Saturday June 18.

The Northern New South Wales town of Bellingen is again set to host the Bello Winter Music Festival, and now organisers have locked in a boom lineup. Following on from its 2015 success, this year’s edition will feature Willie Watson, Jeff Lang, Kylie Auldist, Tijuana Cartel, Mojo Juju, L-Fresh The Lion and more.

However, this is only a small sample of an expansive lineup that covers jazz, blues, roots and country from both local and international artists. Bellingen’s clubs, cafés, churches and halls will host over 100 performances, allowing punters to amble from gig to gig (or ride the free psychedelic Magic Bus) and enjoy the music in intimate, comfortable spaces. Bello Winter Music 2016 is happening from Thursday July 7 – Sunday July 10.

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Savages photo by Colin Lane

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BELLO WINTER MUSIC

THE SOMEDAYS

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QUITE LIKE PETE EKKO

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live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Kieren Jolly, Amy Henderson and Chris Martin

five things WITH

Inspirations Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Betty Davis, 2.

Kaya, Phyllis Dillon, Susan Tedeschi, Nina

The Music You Make A fusion of Indian Ocean island 4. rhythms mixed with Afrobeat, pop, rock and

Simone, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, The Police, Parliament-Funkadelic – to name a few. I’m drawn to artists with soul and a unique/distinctive style, strong songwriting, melody, powerful conscious messages and vision, who are not afraid to break barriers, challenge and change the musical landscape and industry. Artists who create a positive movement.

a tinge of reggae. We call it Afro-Kreol. Both albums were recorded in Perth. People can expect some serious coconut-shaking at our live shows!

my sister Joelle Barbé on drumkit and my long-time musical collaborator Jamie Searle on electric guitar. My sister and I started playing in the Seychelles community band in Perth, then in a reggae band called Raggabeats where we met Jamie. I collaborated, co-arranged and co-wrote with Jamie on both of my albums. We connect because of our love, passion and knowledge of the Indian Ocean island music and to continue to push that genre on the global stage.

The Smith Street Band

WHERE THE STREETS HAVE THEIR NAME

Before they get cracking on recording their new album, The Smith Street Band are going around the country with a celebratory tour. The Smith Street Band have been touring rigorously off the back of their latest record Throw Me In The River, playing shows around the world including the UK, Europe and North America on several occasions, as well as taking on Reading and Leeds Festivals and Belgium’s Groezrock. Supporting the Melbourne punks this time around will be their friends and Tasmanian labelmates Luca Brasi, alongside MC and multi-instrumentalist Joelistics and Melbourne’s Jess Locke Band. The show is at the Metro Theatre on Friday June 3.

Lyre Byrdland

5.

Music, Right Here, Right Now Perth is producing some really great acts still and I think the Australian music scene is defi nitely growing. It needs to grow, and us artists living here are in a very unique and wonderful landscape to write, experiment and grow. Australia is still a small market and one obstacle bands face is the touring costs to travel interstate and internationally. Although there are challenges, one cannot underestimate the talent and awesome acts coming out of Oz at the moment. An amazing band I’ve seen recently is Ezza – a three-piece international touring act who play rocking desert blues.

Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Saturday April 16

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We’ve got two double passes to give away to the show. To be in the running, enter at thebrag.com/freeshit.

DANCING IN THE FIRE

The team over at The Gasoline Pony have added fuel to the fire of another week of live music, gearing up to host the likes of PJ Orr, Peasant Moon and Satellite V. This Wednesday April 13 will see a night of psychedelic rock, soul and blues with a show from Hailer vocalist and guitarist Orr, joined by The Lost Husky. On Thursday April 14, Peasant Moon – who dropped their EP Fading In The Light in May last year – plus Reuben & Eliot and Chris Porter & Pete Yates take the reins for some folky Americana tunes, followed by a night of country, Americana and soul at the week’s end on Friday April 15. That one will see Max Savage and The False Idols showcase their careful blend of vintage R&B sensibilities and unique sounds, alongside Koral and The Goodbye Horses. The live music fire burns through the weekend with two shows on Saturday April 16 – an afternoon of jazz from trio The Smokey Berets and a swingin’ evening of rockabilly from Satellite V – and more rockabilly again on Sunday April 17 from Los Romeos, Secret Suburbs and Adam Lowie. So get on over and have a dance in the fire – but be careful not to get burned!

Sydney rock dudes Bad Moon Born are set to release an EP and album soon, and have a few teaser gigs lined up in the meantime.

After spending a year in the studio, the fi ve-piece have surfaced to promote their approaching releases. Shows include Saturday April 23 at the Annandale Hotel, the Miss Ink Australia event on Saturday April 30 at Max Watt’s, Saturday May 7 at Frankie’s Pizza and Wednesday May 11 at The Red Rattler. Keep an eye out for the upcoming EP and album drops. Check out Bad Moon Born on Facebook for more info, including about a video shoot taking place after the Annandale show.

TEARS ON OUR PILLOWS

Soon to be gracing Sydney’s Inner West will be the 2016 Sad By Sad West festival, bringing together a range of mediums based on their emotional impact rather than genre. Put together by Lesstalk Records, Sad By Sad West prides itself on being a broad festival, with multiple art forms on the program, and artists booked largely on a common commitment to their craft

and their community. Six bands, 20 visual artists and 14 poets will hit up three venues over one weekend, including Beatdisc Records, Black Wire Records, and even a Redfern laneway. Bands on the bill include Hannahband, Jess Locke, Oslow, Ted Danson With Wolves, Burlap, Employment and Rad Island as well as New Zealand’s I.E Crazy and Hospital Sports, while poets including Alisha Bourke, Mike Day and Dave Drayton are set to feature as well.

It’s all going down from Friday April 22 – Sunday April 24.

BETTER SCRUB UP

The good people at Chippendale bar Freda’s have announced that no scrubs will be permitted at at the Shoop Crazy Sexy Cool TLC tribute party, going down this Saturday April 16. The evening – put on in honour of T-Boz, Left Eye and the late and great Chilli – promises to be one of dancing, crop tops and baggy silver cargo pants, with the best dressed set to win a bottle of prosecco.

Don’t go chasing any waterfalls to get to the evening that kicks off at 6pm, just stick to the rivers and the roads that you’re used to. thebrag.com

The Smith Street Band photo by Ian Laidlaw

Is the working week getting you down? Shake off the dust from the daily toil and find your glitter garment, for music be afoot at Slyfox this Thursday. If a band is to do Afrofunk, reggae-dub and rock’n’soul well, there must be more than nine members in the lineup. Well, by gum, Lyre Byrdland – the headlining act for Thursday April 14’s Live At The Sly – come fully prepared with a ten-person lineup. Ready to strum, croon and bop through every decade from the ’60s to well into the future, these fellas will have you swaying on your feet. Meanwhile, if you thought you may have lost your soul, Wallace Gollan will soon weave you a new one. Sure to bring the sensuous waves of blues, soul and jazz to your keen ears, this madam is one to listen to with rapt ears. Grooving is encouraged. Bringing it all home is Inês, a lady whose rhythm and blues will have you living your nirvana.

Deep down inside all of us, there’s a natural rhythm and an intrinsic melody. Sure, some of us might play instruments better than others, but a band like Melbourne Ska Orchestra make it their duty to draw out the music inside us all. Nicky Bomba’s musical all-stars, who can number anywhere between 20 and 30 members at any given time, have another bunch of irresistibly groovy tunes to share on their second album, Sierra-Kilo-Alpha, in stores on Friday April 22. They’ll be hitting Australia’s biggest stages (i.e. the only ones big enough to fit them) to launch the record, including Manning Bar on Friday May 13.

Satellite V

A BAD MOON RISES

A SLY NIGHT OUT

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA

Melbourne Ska Orchestra photo by Ian Laidlaw

harmony. The Sound Of Music was my favourite movie, I still watch it! My mother used to be a dancer, radio presenter, actress and netball player all while she was a full-time teacher with a child. My father used to play guitar and had the funkiest afro, which later turned into the deadliest dreadlocks on the island!

Melbourne Ska Orchestra

GRACE BARBÉ

Your Band We are currently a three-piece touring 3. act – myself on bass and lead vocals, Growing Up A childhood memory would be singing 1. hymns with my mother. I would always take the

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

OZ MUSIC BIZ CONTRIBUTES $6B TO ECONOMY The Australian music industry contributes between $4 billion and $6 billion to the nation’s economy annually. The live music sector generates $1.5b-$2b a year. These numbers come according to Music Australia’s Statistical Snapshot report. It says the copyright industries add more value to the economy than manufacturing and healthcare.

Over 40 million people attend contemporary music performances each year, exceeding sports events. 99% of Australians listen to music and attend a music event in any one year. 32% aged between 15 and 24 make music themselves, and 14% play a musical instrument.

Currently in the pipeline is the National Contemporary Music Plan. It’s proposing a raft of changes to grow the industry, including in workforce training, gender equality, regulatory reform, copyright, student awareness training

Lifelines Divorcing: Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow are expected to have finalised their permanent split papers this week.

Injured: Axl Rose broke his foot after he slipped onstage at a secret show by Guns N’ Roses at West Hollywood club the Troubadour, but will continue with the original lineup’s reunion shows.

Hospitalised: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, in Darwin, after he started bleeding internally.

His label manager Mark T Grose of Skinnyfish Music made headlines when he accused the Royal Darwin Hospital of racism for keeping Yunupingu vomiting blood for eight hours instead of giving him a “simple surgery�.

In Court: Kesha has lost another case, the judge rejecting her claims she was a “slave� to Sony Music, and knocking back her argument that her issues with Dr. Luke were “hate crimes�, because they did not necessarily mean the producer “harbours animus toward women�.

Suing: BeyoncĂŠ is taking action against a company selling merchandise under the name ‘FeyoncÊ’.

In Court: an Adelaide woman, 66, faces charges of stealing money from a blind banjo-playing busker in the city’s James Place – allegedly doing it one day and going back for a second grab.

Died: US country outlaw singer, masterful guitarist and fiddler Merle Haggard, on his 79th birthday, from ongoing pneumonia. His songs about patriotism and underdogs included ‘Okie From Muskogee’, ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Sing Me Back Home’.

Died: US soul piano player and singer Leon Haywood (‘I Want’a Do Something Freaky To You’ from 1975), 74. He was Sam Cooke’s piano player until the latter’s murder.

Died: New York drummer Dennis Davis, whose creative jazz- and rock-inspired work appeared on seven David Bowie albums between 1975 and 1980, from cancer.

Died: US guitarist Jimmie Van Zant, cousin of the iconic Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd, from liver cancer.

Died: Indonesian pop singer Irma Blue was bitten by a king cobra, one of her props, after accidentally stepping on it onstage. She insisted on finishing the show, but her conditioned worsened after 45 minutes and she died after being rushed to hospital.

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THINGS WE HEAR • Which small publisher has been hit with a sexting drama involving three staff? • Which singer had a party for family and friends after ending treatment for cancer? • Are the original founders of Stereosonic coming up with a similar event? • Aerosmith are calling it quits next year with a farewell world tour. • One of the highlights of the APRA Awards are interpretations of Song of the Year nominations.

This year, Guy Sebastian turned C.W. Stoneking’s ‘The Zombie’ into a soul stir, Gang Of Youths and Montaigne took on Jarryd James’ ‘Do You Remember’, San Cisco covered Courtney Barnett’s ‘Pedestrian At Best’, Birds Of Tokyo’s ‘Anchor’ was given a twist

by D.I.G. accompanied by Ngaiire and 13-year-old

singer-songwriter Ruel, while The Delta Riggs did Tame Impala’s ‘Let it Happen’. The Living End finished the show with a toe-tapping version of Cold Chisel’s ‘Khe Sanh’ after accepting their special award. • Tim Rogers, presenting Birds Of Tokyo at the APRAs for Rock Work of the Year, quipped: “When I walk into a room these days and see so many familiar faces, I always think it’s going to be another intervention‌ and they’re not much fun.â€? Meanwhile, Kevin Parker said on Tame Impala’s win: “When you do something good and people commend you for it, you worry that it’s the last time that you’re going to do something great and it’s such a relief that it’s not the last time you do something great.â€? • Bruce Springsteen cancelled a sold-out show in North Carolina in protest of a new state law that no longer protects gay and

and tax incentives. A draft is being reviewed by a subcommittee for discussion at the second Contemporary Music Roundtable in Sydney on Wednesday August 3 and Thursday August 4. Music Australia has written to the Prime Minister asking for investment in the music industry to create economic growth, jobs and to boost its identity here and abroad.

It has suggested that the government follow the Canadian government’s example – which will double its arts council’s annual funding budget of CAD$182 million within five years – and reinstate the Australia Council’s funding.

DID DRE TRY TO KILL SUGE KNIGHT?

Rap entrepreneur Suge Knight alleges that Dr. Dre, who founded Death Row Records with him in 1991, hired a hitman to kill him.

Knight is currently in jail awaiting a murder trial relating to hit and run charges. He made the claim in court documents. In 2014, Knight was shot six times at a party hosted by Chris Brown. He says police told him that a man called Tee-Money confessed to the hit and that Dre paid Tee-Money and a friend US$60,000. Dre’s lawyers dismissed this as “ridiculous�. Bad blood between the two is legendary. In the ’90s, 50 Cent claimed Knight tried to have Dre killed.

INDIE MUSIC STORE HAPPENINGS This year’s Record Store Day Australia on Saturday April 16, organised by the Australian Music Retailers Association (AMRA), becomes part of International Record Store Day, using the international logo and colours. Stores in capital cities have special releases, promotions and in-store gigs. For example, The Vintage Record in Annandale and The Record Store in Darlinghurst have ten bands paying tribute to Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. St Marys Sound Centre in St Marys has Kaylens Rain playing at 12pm and an offer where anyone buying a blues album gets a free Eric Bibb T-shirt.

FUNDRAISER FOR KARL BROADIE The music community is rallying around singer-songwriter Karl Broadie, who has stage four pancreatic cancer. It has spread to his liver, with several more malignant tumours. It’s a terminal illness, but Broadie is having none of it. “I CAN DO THIS and I will be unfaltering in my belief that no matter how difficult a journey I have up ahead, I will emerge healthier and stronger than ever,� he said in a Facebook post. Concert For Karl is on Sunday April 17 at Rooty Hill RSL to raise money for his medical treatment. On the bill is the cream of country music, including Kasey Chambers, Adam Harvey, Catherine Britt, Brooke McClymont, Adam Eckersley, Luke O’Shea and Jasmine Rae. Donations can be made at supportact.org.au/donate.

GLOBAL MUSIC REVENUES ON THE UP The rise of music streaming will see the international music industry’s revenues

transgender people in public facilities and toilets. • Henry Wagons is the latest Aussie signed on to Bonnaroo in Tennessee in June, joining Tame Impala, Jarryd James, Boy & Bear and Hermitude. • 50 Cent’s joke of posting photos of himself with wads of cash during his bankruptcy trial went down like a cup of cold sick with the judge. She banned his mobile phone and sternly told him not to post anything on social media from court, saying, “There is nothing funny going on here.â€? • House Of Pain hit out at “piece of shitâ€? and “scumbagâ€? Donald Trump for playing ‘Jump Around’ at his rallies. • Fleet Foxes are “definitelyâ€? coming back following a five-year break, guitarist Christian Wargo confirmed. • ‘This Girl’ by Melbourne soulsters Cookin’ On 3 Burners has hit number one in France.

grow from this year for the first time since 1998. Zurich-based global financial services company Credit Suisse predicts that by 2020, revenues from streaming will grow sixfold to US$12.7b (from $2.2b in 2015). Streaming will be used by 20% of consumers in the top ten music markets in the world – a list that ranks Australia at number six. The rise will be driven

by Apple, which by then will represent 45% of the streaming market (currently 15%) and generate profits of $33.7b through its Apple Music, iCloud and Apple Pay services. These services currently represent just 8% of Apple’s total revenues of $6.1b. Credit Suisse points out that streaming is more of a profit maker than CDs and downloads. Hence, major labels Universal, Sony and Warner will be worth more than expected. Credit Suisse says by 2020, Universal will be worth $11.36b instead of the estimated $7.3b, and more corporate investors will be drawn to own music content.

MARK FENNESSY TO DIRECT ARIA AWARDS

Mark Fennessy has been named the creative director of the 30th ARIA Awards in November, working alongside producer Michael Long.

Fennessy, who produced early ARIA telecasts, went on to head MTV Australia and TV production house Endemol Shine Australia.

He was behind INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart, The Voice and The Big Music Quiz as well as MasterChef, The Bachelor and Australian Survivor.

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BALCONYTV PARTNERS WITH AUSTRALIA’S RĂ˜DE BalconyTV, the global online music channel featuring acts playing on balconies and rooftops, has struck a partnership with Sydney-based microphone, audio software and accessories manufacturer RĂ˜DE Microphones. It will provide the mics for all 60 BalconyTV production teams in over 30 countries including Australia. BalconyTV, owned by New York independent The Orchard, features over gigs by major and emerging acts at more than 60 different locations, inspired by The Beatles’ impromptu farewell show on the roof of Apple Records in 1969. “RĂ˜DE prides itself on making high-quality recording tools that are accessible to artists and engineers the world over, regardless of their status or geography,â€? said Scott Emerton, global marketing manager of RĂ˜DE.

FIRST VINYL JUKEBOX IN 20 YEARS With vinyl sales growing by one-third last year globally, vinyl jukeboxes are returning after 20 years. Set to arrive in the northern summer is British jukebox manufacturer Sound Leisure’s The Rocket. It took three years to make, as key components as the cartridge and stylus were scarce. It comes with 140 songs and costs £8,000 (A$15,000). UK vinyl sales jumped up 56% over the last year to two million, mostly to males under 25. US sales were up 53% in the first three months of this year, with 9.2 million sold last year. In Australia, vinyl was up 127% during 2014, to 277,767 records.

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BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 7

The Dandy Warhols Where Distortion Reigns By Sarah Bryant

C

ourtney Taylor-Taylor is a man of many colours. In between renovating his self-designed recording studio, running errands and – as he puts it – extinguishing fires, he is one-fourth of The Dandy Warhols. For the last two decades, the Dandys have solidified themselves as a veteran band that just keeps on producing. Now, the Oregon alt-rockers have delivered yet again with their new album Distortland – a record bearing all the hallmarks of the unmistakable Dandys sound, with snippets of chuggy guitar riffs and regular flashes of their earlier work.

The band’s ninth studio album has frontman Taylor-Taylor experiencing a rare feeling of obsession with the material. “I can’t stop listening and smoking to it,” he says. “I’ve never had this happen to me. Usually I need a year or at least nine months to leave it alone and not hear it. This one, I seriously became a gothic teenager – I would just go and sit in my room with my headphones on and play this album three times in a row, minimum. This has only really happened maybe on our first record – I remember getting wasted with my friends and cranking it over and over again – but never on this level.”

Taking a slightly different approach to their other records, the Dandys enlisted the services of producer, mixer and Grammy Awardwinning engineer Jim Lowe to put the finishing touches on the album – despite the fact he wasn’t physically in the studio with the band.

“We’ve never really done it this way before,” says Taylor-Taylor.

“Normally I just fly out and do it.

You email them, you get a mix, you listen to it and email it back and offer suggestions, and then you go to bed. Then the next day you get an hour or two when you get up to check mixes, make a few adjustments and then he goes to bed. So you have fucking nothing to do.

“It’s crazy. It’s hard, but it also gives you a little distance. And because you’ve had that distance and you haven’t heard that song in five days, when you listen to it again, you’re a little blown away.”

Looking back on the full collection, Taylor-Taylor expresses no favouritism towards any particular track. They are all equally as personal to the band; songs that inhabit their own place, their own world. “Emotionally, it’s an interesting record,” he says. “I can’t believe how it just turned out to be everything I wanted, I guess, or close enough that I just don’t care about any more details – I just love it. It makes me feel better.”

Distortland’s lead single, ‘You Are Killing Me’, is self-explanatory in its title but also opens a dialogue for its listeners. “People are big mistake-makers and we are fucked in the head,” Taylor-Taylor says. “It’s a phrase that is there to open a discussion. It’s about being open-ended. Lyrically there are admissions of your own shortcomings, but without abusing yourself too much. It calls for admission to yourself.

“Maybe it’s just me,” he adds, “but the idea of when you’re in a relationship, what is ruining it is not the shit you do but the shit you don’t do. The shit you forget to do.

That seems to be what’s intolerable about me – that and a lot of illconsidered jocularity.”

Now the album has been released to the public, Taylor-Taylor finds himself in the lull that comes just before the inevitable tour. Being on the road is what the frontman loves – every part of it, from the lack of sleep to the partying, the long flights, and of course the shows.

“We haven’t toured since December,” he says. “Three months is a really long time for us to have not been on the road, but I guess not for anyone else in the world.

Although Australian dates haven’t yet been announced, they’re certainly in the pipeline. “We love Australia,” says Taylor-Taylor. “It’s part of our family, it’s part of our body. [We’ve done Australia and the UK] as one tour with a 34-hour flight in between. I actually quite enjoyed it. I love that floating-in-space jet lag feeling, where your time is all distorted. And then I can’t go to sleep, so you have to party. It’s the party plan. You’ve got to drink a lot of water during the party plan. You could forget and you could ruin your life. It’s hard to remember shit when you’re drunk. That’s why we do it.

Live in the moment, right?”

You can’t mistake how proud Taylor-Taylor is of the Dandys’

achievements since their inception in 1994. “Every record is what we are. Every record is definitely a milestone. They are two to four years apart. Certainly no record is more valuable than others. They are an emotional physiological document in a lot of ways, that only the four of us can truly interpret what they mean. And then of course they are also open for interpretation for everyone else.

“They’re all milestones for us.

Whether they’re big milestones, it’s up to other people to make that decision. This one could be a huge record, or it could be the flop that ended The Dandy Warhols. We don’t know, but I guess we will wait and see – but at the end of the day I just put it on and it makes me fucking feel better.”

What: Distortland out now through Dine Alone/Cooking Vinyl xxx

“This one could be a huge record, or it could be the flop that ended The Dandy Warhols.”

“It’s too long for me – I should have been on tour two to three weeks ago. Touring is serious work, but it’s also a touch of vacation, which I like.”

Hard-Ons Don’t Quit Your Day Job By David James Young thing to take care of. Ahn, Black and Ruse are set to headline the Housefox Fest at Narrabeen RSL on Sydney’s Northern Beaches this weekend. Ahn himself finds the end of the three-piece era of the band to be something bittersweet – as much as he is looking forward to the next phase of the Hard-Ons, he knows it was the condensed set-up that came to define the band’s sound to begin with.

A

fter 30-plus years in the game, the Hard-Ons have established themselves as one of the true evergreen staples of Australian punk. Time will long remember the commitment made by these lifelong mates to fuzzy guitars, rumbling bass and smashing drums. This, of course, is written in the future tense – the Sydneysiders themselves are far from done just yet. It was officially announced at the start of 2016 that the Hard-Ons would expand to a four-piece for the first time. Guitarist Peter Black and bassist Ray Ahn, the mainstays of the group, have been joined for the last five years by drummer Murray Ruse. Now, the band will also officially welcome back original drummer and vocalist

8 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

Keish de Silva, who is set to become the full-time lead singer.

“He left the band originally at about the end of 2001,” explains Ahn, taking a brief moment of time away from his family to talk shop. “We got a new drummer, Pete [Kostic], and Blackie became our singer again after being the original singer back when we started out. So we kept going, but every time we’d do a tour we’d have Keish on the phone asking us to put him and all his mates on the guestlist! I told him that he couldn’t keep doing that – unless, of course, he wanted to come back and contribute.

“We were always telling him that he was welcome back whenever

he was keen. We did our 30th anniversary shows where everyone performed – me, Blackie, Keish, Pete and Murray – and after that, he made the decision that he wanted to take on being just the singer. That worked really well for us, because we’ve all come to really love Murray and we love having him around. It’s come together really well.”

The new-look Hard-Ons will be doing two headlining shows in Sydney and Melbourne at the end of May, in which they intend to both road-test brand new material and also run through some of the deeper cuts from earlier in their discography. Before they take that on, however, there is one last

“There’s definitely a different dynamic with Keish in the band,” he says. “That goes for both being a three-piece and being a four-piece as well. With any band you’re in, it’s good to play to your strengths.

You utilise the abilities of whoever is enlisted in the band. Murray, for instance, is very capable at a lot of different styles but he particularly thrives in thrash drumming and using a double-kick. We found ourselves playing a lot more in that style when he began drumming for us. With Keish back in the band, we want to focus in on his singing. We think that he holds the melody really well. People tell us that he’s very charismatic onstage, too. We play a lot of different styles of music, but I think we’re focusing a bit more on the melodic stuff now. It’s about what works best for the individuals in the band.”

Of course, even with the band’s constant activity – new shows, reissues of classic albums, new material on the way – the world of punk rock is not exactly one of great financial gain. Blackie has spent the last few years as a taxi driver around Sydney, while Ahn will be a familiar face to the many metalheads who have weaved their way through the racks of Utopia Records in the city, where he is

one of the chief store clerks. “I just wanted a job that still meant I was around music,” he says. “I was working in retail, but that was still good enough for me.”

It’s also worth pointing out that despite being around for longer than a lot of their listeners have been alive, the Hard-Ons have survived, watching bands come and go with a beer and a laugh.

The secret to their longevity? Never losing their passion.

“I think you should do whatever it is that you love, and find a way to work your life around that,” says Ahn. “If you wanna go play golf every day, go play golf every day!

As far as we’re concerned, we apply the exact same ideology to the band that we did when we first started it back in high school. We don’t have anything to lose – we just want to make good music.

“I can remember when Nirvana got big, and you saw all these people that wanted to be in an underground band and turn it into a vocational thing. Instead of playing because you love it, they wanted to just get on top of a current trend.

You can play to ten people, 100 people, 1,000 people – any of it is a bonus if you’ve started from nothing. It’s about not treating it like a career – it’s about treating it like a high-class hobby.”

What: Housefox Fest With: R*U*S*T, Black Rheno, Gutter Tactic and more Where: Narrabeen RSL When: Saturday April 16 And: Also appearing at Newtown Social Club on Saturday May 28 thebrag.com

Dan Sultan It’s Play Time By Chelsea Deeley

W

e’ve caught Dan Sultan on a rare day off, and by the sound of it, it’s a rather mellow day at that. With Sultan firmly embroiled in recording the follow-up to his 2014 release Blackbird, if it wasn’t for his producer being “a bit crook”, our interview may have been just a slight distraction to a life that has seemingly picked up the pace within the last two years.

“Life’s been pretty busy,” Sultan says. “You know, you work really hard to make a record, and then it’s time to actually start working when you get on the road!”

xxx photo by xxx

Looking back at the Australian singer/guitarist’s travels over the last couple of years, the road probably didn’t know what hit it. Covering more ground than most, Sultan ventured to the more forgotten corners of our country in support of both Blackbird and his subsequent EP Dirty Ground.

He also found time to release a live album, Dan Sultan OpenLive – Live From The National Theatre, and spend the end of last year touring Australia yet again. All these releases cast a stark contrast to Sultan’s life prior to 2014.

“Before Blackbird it was years before I released anything,” he says. “So I didn’t want to take too long to release stuff again. On the Dirty Ground EP tour, we’d recorded a show in Melbourne and we listened to it and thought, ‘Why not release it?’ It was really well recorded [and it] felt really good.”

As a self-proclaimed “vessel” for his songs, Sultan seems to be fl oating in a slightly different creative direction this time

around. Having chosen to record in Melbourne as opposed to returning to Nashville, Sultan is already a solid six months into the album’s creation.

“There has been a lot of stuff on the demos that we’re going to keep and re-record from scratch because it’s working and we’re pretty attached to them,” he explains. “So it’s probably a third of the way through, even though we’ve only really just started – a lot of the heavy lifting has been done.

a fan of those guys and they’re my mates. But I was hanging out with Big Ted and Jemima!”

The conversation shifts from children’s programming to children in need, and Sultan has always been outspoken on social issues – a commitment he continued as a recent participant in the Walk For Justice For Refugees event. But aside from his satisfaction at the day’s proceedings, there is one feeling Sultan just cannot shake when it comes to these protests.

“I’ve said it before: it’s a shame and it’s embarrassing that we have to do it,” he says. “It’s just simple – we should just look after each other. People just want to be happy and secure in a safe place.

If you are able to help someone out, then why not?

“This record, we’re defi nitely changing it up a bit,” he says.

“There are a few more electronic elements to it.”

With not much more to say on the matter, other than a vague prediction of a release date towards the end of the year, talk soon turns to Sultan’s recent foray into children’s TV – and his enthusiasm is infectious.

“People have been calling me up, like old friends and old girlfriends, and telling me, ‘You’ve fi nally made it, you’re on Play School!’” he laughs. “I go out here in Melbourne and people may recognise you, but they don’t usually come up to you because no-one really gives a shit about the whole celebrity bullshit. But after Play School was out on social media, people were coming up in the street.”

Sultan’s Play School appearance was recorded alongside fellow guests in Powderfi nger’s Bernard Fanning and You Am I, but that’s not what had him most excited.

“It was amazing,” he says. “I was star-struck! Not by You Am I or Bernard Fanning, even though I’m

“I actually think it’s really childish that we need to convince people not to be racists and bigots. But to be a part of the rally, and help out in any way I can, it’s an honour and I was very proud to do it.”

Sultan’s sentiments are timely given the current contention over refugee children being kept in detention on mainland Australia.

“They’re putting kids in prison when their only crime is wanting to be safe. Why are you putting people in prison when all they have done is look for security?

Can you imagine what it would have to take to put yourself and your family on some fucking little boat and cross the planet to try and fi nd somewhere? Can you imagine how desperate you would have to be? Then when they get here, we put them in prison. It’s disgusting, and it’s dangerous.

“For people to say things like, ‘Fuck off we’re full,’ and that kind of stuff, it’s ridiculous. We’re not full – we’ve got plenty of opportunities, it’s a beautiful country and if people want to share that, then I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Sultan’s passion for the topic only just outweighs his passion for the Australian music festival circuit.

Performing for the first time at the Gum Ball Festival this month, he’s heard “all really good reports, so I’m really keen”.

So what about his big tip for the festival? “You Am I are seriously good value,” he says. “And they kicked Play School’s arse. You know: ‘One potato, two potato, three potato, four!’”

What: The Gum Ball Festival 2016 With: You Am I, Oka, Jeff Lang, Caitlin Park and more Where: Dashville, Lower Belford When: Friday April 22 – Sunday April 24

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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16 Apr

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17 Apr (8:30PM - 12:00AM)

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1 9 9 E N M O R E R OA D, E N M O R E thebrag.com

BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 9

The Stranglers Survivors Of The Fall By Augustus Welby

I

conic UK rock band The Stranglers last visited Australia in 2012. That tour saw them playing alongside old contemporaries Blondie, and many fans speculated it’d be their last visit to Australia. A similar sense of finality surrounded The Stranglers’ 2012 record Giants – it was just the second album they’d made following the departure of vocalist Paul Roberts, and it arrived six years after their previous LP, Suite XVI. However, having continued to perform with reasonable regularity over the last three years, they’re headed back to Australia this week.

The BRAG speaks to bassist and co-vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel, who’s quick to silence whispers about the band’s impending conclusion: “Why on Earth did you think it was going to be our last visit to Australia?”

Two other original members join Burnel in the band’s current formation: drummer Jet Black and keyboardist Dave Greenfield.

Guitarist Baz Warne entered the picture in 2000 and has been sharing vocal duties with Burnel for the last ten years. Black’s health has long been a point of concern, as he suffers from a chronic heart problem that inhibits his ability to perform. The band members previously intimated they’d stop touring if Black couldn’t continue, but the fact Jim MacAulay is handling drumming duties on this tour shows they’ve since settled on a compromise.

While the other band members are several years younger than Black, The Stranglers have managed to outlive the vast majority of acts they came up with in the late ’70s UK punk scene. The Stranglers are still regularly referred to as a punk band, and their irreverent attitude certainly corresponded with the initial mood of that movement.

However, they soon began to look further afield, moving away from the simplicity of punk rock and exploring lyrical themes that weren’t purely anti-establishment.

The Stranglers could be seen to represent the fact that punk wasn’t so much a sound as a way of thinking, but Burnel says they felt no allegiance to any particular school of thought.

“I agree that it was originally a way of thinking, although a form of suffocating fundamentalism hijacked it and put blinkers and rules on it and it no longer corresponded with our way of thinking,” he says.

The Stranglers’ disillusionment with punk by no means impacted on their creative drive. With the release of their debut LP Rattus Norvegicus, the band entered a ten-year period of staggering productivity, releasing nine albums between 1977 and 1986. Their next record didn’t come until 1990, and it was the last to feature founding guitarist and vocalist Hugh Cornwell. Cornwell’s exit could well have spelled the end for The Stranglers, but while they never regained the efficiency of their early years, the Brits have released a further seven LPs. With each new release, they’ve stayed intent upon positively expanding their oeuvre.

“The problem is to do with quality control,” Burnel says. “I have at the moment about 150 different ideas that I need to make sense of. That takes more and more time, especially in view of the worldwide demand for the band and our love of playing live. Also, the last thing I want is to start plagiarising ourselves.”

The Stranglers’ back catalogue is indicative of the band members’ eclectic tastes. Their best known song is ‘Golden Brown’ from 1981’s La Folie; a pastoral waltz that’s a far cry from the snarling, bassdriven pub rock of their debut.

Their discography also includes forays into art rock, new wave and tidier pop songwriting. These days, meanwhile, their influences are more internal. “There are loads of

things that I hear that I would be influenced by,” says Burnel, “but very often we fall short of being able to do them justice or interpret them in a credible way.”

Despite experiencing multiple lineup changes and executing wide stylistic exploration, The Stranglers have retained a core sound. This was true of Giants, which found the band’s dry sense of humour and dynamic unpredictability fully intact. The Stranglers’ creative field mightn’t be as wide open as it was in the early days, but the rewards are no less vital.

“The whole process of preparing an album is, for me, cathartic and very pleasurable,” Burnel says. “I don’t think, at this stage, I would want to work on a record if it just

meant going through the motions.”

For Burnel and his Stranglers associates, playing in this band has long been a professional responsibility. At this point in time, it’s no longer necessary for them to continue touring, especially to such far-flung places as Australia and New Zealand. But finance has nothing to do with their interest in getting up onstage.

“There is a need to play. There is a need for that communion with people, an audience. As a band, we really love each other’s company. The material is really enjoyable to play.”

Where: Metro Theatre When: Sunday April 17

xxx

“[In 2014] on our UK tour Jet played four numbers on the first night, two on the second and needed oxygen on the third,” Burnel says.

“Throughout [2015] he has been absent, although he certainly has an opinion and input on all things Stranglers. How many drummers

do you know approaching 80 years old that play in rock bands?”

Hey Geronimo The Best Is Yet To Come By Adam Norris through the video for latest single ‘Boredom’.

“It took maybe four or five takes,” Kilroy recalls of the clip that features a who’s who of Brisbane music, and plays out as an homage to TISM’s ‘Thunderbirds Are Coming Out’. “By the end it was a case of everyone slowly getting the shits. I did that classic thing of telling everyone it’d take an hour, and after two hours people were starting to check their watches. Everyone was still in a good mood, but we’d run out of beer after the first take. The second-last take was decent, but we wanted to try one more time because it had to be timed perfectly. I said, ‘Boys, for God’s sake, we need to get this right.’ But mostly, everyone was just happy to be there. We had a lot thanking us for just inviting them at all – everyone was really happy to be in this community. It’s funny.

There were a few bands that never returned our calls, so, into the black book with them! Some of the people who helped us out, like the dudes from Sheppard, we were almost surprised at how generous they were.”

Kilroy laughs. “Somebody asked, ‘Why do we have to have TISM in there?’ And it’s cause otherwise we’re just stealing someone else’s idea and we’re basically c**ts. If they’re in there, it’s OK.”

10 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

paltry humans don’t even make it into the fi nals. But our creative progenies are different stories, and spending several birthdays on a single release is no rare feat.

Debut album Crashing Into The Sun is still a few months away, but Hey Geronimo have been building towards this moment for years.

Frontman Pete Kilroy talks us

“By now, anything that could have been changed about it has been changed. There’s well and truly a full stop on it. Whatever anxiousness was there is gone.

There are certain things we agonised over, like the art, but we’re just happy for it to come out.

I’ve been told I’m not allowed to speak about this, but we’ve already started recording the next record.

We’re been really looking forward to this coming out, and it’s really something that’s as good as it can be. As good as we can make it. And what else can you do? You get to a point where you have to let go, and we’ve already passed that.

“This album is a bit of an evolution, cause it’s been a couple of years in the making. There were songs that were written years ago, and some more recently, and they do tie together. But it is an evolution of the band, which is kind of what a debut album is supposed to be. It’s like a foal that’s still stumbling before it walks. If the foal can walk in a straight line, then everyone gives it a thumbs up. I think our foal is alright, I don’t think it’s going to fall over. It’s like a ‘best of’ album, but at the start of our career instead.”

What: Crashing Into The Sun out Friday July 1 through Chugg With: Twin Haus Where: Moonshine Bar, Hotel Steyne When: Thursday April 21

thebrag.com

xxx photo by xxx

T

here are species of shark that remain pregnant for close to four years. As gestation periods go, that leaves elephants in the dust, and we

Hey Geronimo’s debut will finally be unveiled on Friday July 1, though you can catch their upcoming gig at the Hotel Steyne for a taste of what to expect. It is an album over three years in the making, and has seen a lot of change as their sound and lineup has evolved. Now that

the work is done, however, Kilroy and co. are already champing at the bit to see the next project gain momentum.

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BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 11

Parquet Courts Primed To Perform By Tegan Reeves “‘Two Dead Cops’ was something that I had to get out of me,” says Savage.

“I think you can make a personal, emotional expression and it also be a statement. For me as an American and someone that has to bear witness to the extreme amount of violence in this country, ‘Two Dead Cops’ was a way of me reacting emotionally to that.

“It was very upsetting. The whole city was very upset by it, and it got me thinking about how as a country we mourn the death of two police officers as we should, but at the same time we don’t mourn the deaths of countless young people – countless people of colour – that are killed every day by guns. It becomes so commonplace that it becomes a hard thing to mourn, and emotions become harder to purge. In that way ‘Two Dead Cops’ was a much-needed purge for me.

P

arquet Courts can be a difficult band to pinpoint. Their musical trajectory has zigzagged its way through genres, with the band going as far as changing its name to Parkay Quarts for a 2014 release in order to keep things fresh.

The latest offering from the New York four-piece, Human Performance, sees Parquet Courts get back to their punkier roots after their predominately instrumental 2015 EP Monastic Living. Singer/ guitarist Andrew Savage reflects on the more familiar nature of the new album.

“Human Performance was a very creative time for all of us,” Savage continues. “We recorded it in this old studio, which used to be a church, called Dreamland in Upstate New York. We lived there for three

“It’s a similar kind of double-edged sword that the record industry in general is – I’d like to say that all of these things are bad, and why can’t we go back to the good old days?

– but the reality is that the good old days weren’t that great. It’s really just the same thing, because the music industry has a long history of worker exploitation and fucking artists out of getting paid. It’s not a drastically new evil, it’s just a different facet.”

Parquet Courts have their own way of upsetting the status quo, and while the title track of Human Performance will have its film clip released in the near future, Savage isn’t willing to offer up a date, keeping it as a surprise for fans.

“I would say almost all of the songs on the album are some kind of purge.

Catharsis is a big part of my creative process and any art that I do tends to be based on something that needs to come out of me.”

“It’s kind of been put on ice for the moment but it’s going to be great. We made it with a friend of mine who is a renowned filmmaker, but I’m going to leave the rest as a surprise for the release date.”

weeks and there was an attitude at that time that there were no taboos – everyone was encouraged to explore their ideas to the fullest. It was a great environment for making an album and everyone was really respectful if someone went off on a musical tangent.”

The discovery process of art in the 21st century is far different to what it was in the previous generation, and a band like Parquet Courts has found many fans through platforms like Spotify and Pandora (including this writer). However, Savage sees music streaming as a double-edged sword.

One of the standout tracks from the new record is ‘Two Dead Cops’ – a song that tells the story of two Brooklyn police officers who were shot at point blank range as they sat in their patrol car. The lyrics are a bold statement regarding racial inequalities and gun violence in America, both tackled in the one song: “Protect you is what they say / But point and shoot is what they do”.

“You’re not the first person that has mentioned they found out about us through a streaming service,” he says.

“I have mixed feelings about those streaming services, and as someone who cares about labour rights, they really are a blatant exploitation of labour – the labourer being the artist.

It’s kind of the antithesis of a lot of things I stand for, but on the other hand I know that times are changing and this is the way that people are

Savage is also keen to maintain the mystery around a forthcoming Parquet Courts tour of Australia.

The New Yorkers are no strangers to an Australian summer, having most recently been here on the 2015 Golden Plains bill. Savage can’t confirm any plans for the band to tour the new album south of the equator this year, but seems optimistic that it will happen at some stage.

“We’ve been down there at least once a year for the past three years, so I would say it’s not an unreasonable thing to hope for.”

What: Human Performance out now through Rough Trade/ Remote Control

xxx

“One of the unique qualities of Parquet Courts records is that they’re all different from one

another and are all very specific in their own way,” he says. “In that way, Human Performance doesn’t really differ from our other releases, but it’s different from a record like Content Nausea or Light Up Gold, which came from quick bursts of creativity. Human Performance was a bit more considered – it took around a year to make and maybe it feels different because we’ve been in the band for six years now and a lot has changed in that time, naturally.

listening to music now. It does bring people out for shows and it gets people out there that might not have otherwise heard of the band.

Future Of The Left At Peace With Themselves By Anita Connors

“I

mean, some people can be a dick on the internet or whatever, but people can be a dick about almost anything,” says Future Of The Left’s Andrew Falkous.

“Yet most people – especially for the band, as far as I’m concerned – most people are a credit to our band.”

Falkous’ reputation for being a straight shooter doesn’t disappoint.

Superbly candid, the Future Of The Left frontman approaches most topics with characteristic sardonicism and wit, including the somewhat precarious issue of fans and their occasional antics. Regarding the Welsh noise rockers’ fan base, he considers it to be made up of “really nice, respectful people”, which for many bands can be a bit of a rarity.

Having crowd-funded both their new album, The Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Left, as well as their previous offering, How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident, Future Of The Left’s fans now have the added distinction of being enormously dedicated. Indeed, the band’s fifth record hit its PledgeMusic target in 12 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

“We didn’t really want to go the crowdfunding route,” he says. “I think like anybody with pride, you don’t like to ask for things, you know?

You’d rather just do something … and I mean, personally speaking, I don’t have a lot of money, frankly, so I don’t tend to get involved in Kickstarter or Pledge kind of projects because I don’t have the disposable income. And I certainly don’t have that much money to spend on a product, a record that I might not even like, because it hasn’t even been made yet.

“So on that basis alone it’s amazing to me that people are willing to invest that much money in something which is just a hope of something, like on trust, and I think what is also genuinely amazing to me is that people are prepared to give you their money and they might not like the album or it might not be their favourite.”

Being funded by the fans, however, has allowed Future Of The Left to approach their music in a bold, humorous and experimental manner, as well as relish the surreal. It’s arguably something that wouldn’t have been as achievable had Peace & Truce been made within the confines of a traditional record deal.

Falkous says this in itself was an “amazing experience”, and that the album is “not just something with your name on it but something which

carries a part of you”.

“Generally people like it,” he says, “which is all you can hope for, really, when you do something like that. But it exists. It’s a weird thing to be in a process which involves standing in a room, inventing shapes with your hands and making silly noises. And then, you know, three months later it’s a thing which exists and it’s being played in someone’s living room in Perth or something. It’s mad, fucking mad.”

Named after the Middle Ages code of chivalry, The Peace And Truce Of God, the record opens with the wonderfully wordy lead single, ‘If AT&T Drank Tea What Would BP Do?’. Falkous describes the song as a “mood-setter”. However, it didn’t immediately present itself as the opener.

“I swear on nearly every album except one I’ve worked on, nobody’s even had to have a conversation about the first song. You know, on our first record we started with a song called ‘The Lord Hates A Coward’. I don’t remember a conversation. Our second record started with a song called ‘Arming Eritrea’. Again, that was just obviously the opener straight away.

So there was a lot of debate around about what the opener of the album would be, for once,” he says.

“I think in this case we happened to have made the right decision, so it just sets a kind of mood I think. I think any of the other songs would have given a maybe misleading idea of what the album could be about …

I suppose it’s probably the nastiest

song on the record, right at the start, but it still has some elements which are further explored later in the record – he says now like that was part of this thought process.”

In Falkous’ words, these elements are “a bit more cushier and twisted” than on Future Of The Left’s previous albums. And while the record’s

observations about capitalism, politics and class warfare are “quite straightforward and condensed”, the frontman is, all in all, “very, very happy with it”.

What: The Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Left out now through Remote Control

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Future Of The Left photo by Sebastian Nevols

“When you see bands even just a bit bigger, there are more pricks in the crowd. We probably reach almost a statistical level where it’s still proper music fans who come and see us.

And it’s not to disparage people who only buy four or five records a year, I only buy four or five records a year … but once you move into that group of people, you get the people that, you know, we might commonly refer to as twats – the kind of people who shout stuff about getting your tits out or whatever, or that kind of business.”

three-and-a-half hours, beating the previous effort, which made it in five.

And while this is nothing short of astonishing, it wasn’t something that Falkous and co. had ever planned to rely on.

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BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 13

Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

YEASAYER Amen & Goodbye Mute / Create/Control

While it’s timid in comparison to their previous works, Amen & Goodbye maintains Yeasayer’s track record of producing blissful, angular electropop.

Working through an identity crisis – the result of nearly a decade of solid touring and pushing the band’s experimental limits – Amen & Goodbye is a matured effort.

Recorded in a barn in the isolated Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York, Amen & Goodbye is the fruits of variation and reaction. Yeasayer knuckled down in the isolated farm studio, only to have a good portion of work lost to a leaking control room during stormy weather.

What could be salvaged returned to New York with the band, and was reworked with Joey Waronker (R.E.M., Beck).

The final product is unmistakably Yeasayer. It’s quirky and experimental without losing sight of the end goal. The album is full of clever, catchy pop songs: ‘Silly Me’ and ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ are a testament to the band’s ability to harmoniously weave Western synthpop with what could be simply described as world music elements.

Azel Partisan/Cooking Vinyl

The band behind Bombino is tighter than ever before, and this results in new levels of energy. Where previous releases felt as though you were sitting in on a jam session, Azel contains an excitement, as if for the first time Bombino is playing music just for you.

Nigerien artist Bombino has a knack for combining the evocative desert blues/rock of the Tuareg tradition with his incredible skill as both musician and storyteller, creating albums that transcend language and cultural differences.

Bombino’s musical skill shouldn’t be understated; he makes his guitar shift and sing like the desert sands. From the acoustic beauty of ‘Inar’ to the very embodiment of the Sahara on the incredible ‘Iyat Ninhay / Jaguar’, each song has a delightfully intoxicating style.

On his latest release, Azel, Bombino has created something truly special. Combining elements of reggae with a ‘sunnier’ form of Tuareg blues, Bombino is forging his own brand of music. The new sound feels very clean and lively, as though the grit of the desert has been given a new shine.

A powerful and beautiful album, Azel covers everything personal to Bombino, from childhood memories to the decay and destruction of his culture. It is undoubtedly Bombino’s best work to date.

Daniel Prior

CLAIRY BROWNE

TIM HECKER

THE LUMINEERS

GREEN BUZZARD

Pool Caroline

Love Streams 4AD/Remote Control

Cleopatra Dualtone/Decca

Eazy Queezy Squeezy I Oh You

The former frontwoman of The Bangin’ Rackettes, Clairy Browne, is branching out on her own. And with her first solo album, Pool, comes an astonishing musical transformation.

Browne has shrugged off her onetime bandmates together with their lush harmonies, and in their stead, donned subversive albeit powerful pop aspirations and ’90s R&B beats.

It effectively ensures that Pool frames a decidedly mainstream but flawed makeover of the singer-songwriter’s signature retro-soul sensibilities.

Love Streams is less an album and more the memory of one.

It’s a vague, ill-defined mass; an assemblage of tunes being recollected in the head of a casual listener who only heard them once, many years before. Of course, by its very nature, that hazy quality does occasionally feel akin to slightness, and tracks like ‘Music Of The Air’ and ‘Live Leak Instrumental’ will be quickly dismissed by the majority of listeners. After all, it’s hard to become emotionally invested in tracks that actively reject such devotion: you can’t love something that doesn’t want you to.

It’s been four years since Colorado twee pedlars The Lumineers released their self-titled debut album. Clearly, much has happened in that time – not least of all, onetime musical compatriots Mumford & Sons shrugging off their indie folk sympathies. However, the only thing The Lumineers have cast aside is the shadow of their breakout hit ‘Ho Hey’. Accordingly, while their second record reflects a darker and more mature vision than their first, there is something undeniably comforting and familiar about Cleopatra.

Emerging from the ashes of Ghostwood, Green Buzzard were responsible for one of the best debut singles of last year, the double A-side ‘Zoo Fly’/‘Slow It Down Now’. On their debut EP Eazy Queezy Squeezy, the band gives us a look at some of the other weapons in a well-stocked arsenal.

For someone with Browne’s considerable talents, being pigeonholed into one musical genre must have been decidedly dissatisfying. In pursuing a new direction, she has found greater artistic freedom, but also a busy collection of ideas and influences.

Everyone from Michael Jackson to Nicki Minaj, Madonna and Christina Aguilera gets a nod on Pool. And Browne’s collaborations with many LA movers and shakers add even more chefs to the kitchen. The opener, ‘Vanity Fair’, was co-written and produced by Rob Kleiner (The Weeknd, Kylie Minogue, Sia), Amanda ‘MNDR’ Warner (Mark Ronson, Charli XCX), and Gabriel Strangio (Kira Puru).

But at other times that selfsame flaw is what elevates the piece to heights of perfection. ‘Bijie Dream’ is all echoes and suggestions, but becomes increasingly insistent and powerful without rising in either volume or intensity. The essential oddness of the whole record means it won’t be scoring any of your future parties, but again, that’s what makes it mostly work. The strange, tangled ‘Violent Monumental I’ and the beautiful ‘Castrati Stack’ both demand isolation; they require the stillness of a 2am listening session, and benefit from time spent with Hecker and Hecker alone.

The signature claps, stomps and syncopated beats are back, as are the twinkly piano, rolling guitar and wholehearted vocals. But having been renewed with deliberate and measured energy, this mellifluous approach never seems gimmicky. It all makes Cleopatra an enchanting and unassuming return to form.

Despite the long wait between albums, Cleopatra only took six months to write before Wesley Schultz (vocals/guitar), Jeremiah Fraites (drums/piano) and Neyla Pekarek (cello/bass) headed to the studio with producer Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers). Lead single ‘Ophelia’ is a pure, sing-along joy, as are ‘Gun Song’ and ‘Angela’.

Yeah, it’s arty – even the album cover screams pretentiousness.

But underneath the fluff lies a solid and wonderfully produced pop record.

Packed with bombastic, candycrushing pop, Pool is an ambitious and intriguing but ultimately frustrating solo debut.

Love Streams might be imperfect, but its dogged, damaged beauty will hang about you like so much second-hand smoke.

Cleopatra is slow-building, footstomping folk rock at its most charming.

Aaron Streatfeild

Anita Connors

Joseph Earp

Anita Connors

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK Three years on from her knockout debut album, You Can Have It All, Stephanie Crase AKA Summer Flake shows that she has her sound down pat with her second full-length release. Hello Friends is exactly as Crase’s band name suggests: summertime in soft focus. There is a creeping warmth in the music, in the ebb and flow of the rolling harmonies, and in a rhythm section drenched with sunlight that gives way to some truly scorching guitar riffs.

SUMMER FLAKE Hello Friends Rice Is Nice

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Bombino photo by Marije Kuiper

Bombino captures the sounds of the desert sands and transforms them into his finest work yet.

BOMBINO

Standout track ‘So Long’ is just one of many epic slow-burners on the album, appearing deceptively subdued and introspective through its steamy vocal harmonies – that is, until those searing guitars kick

in to light the darkness. ‘Satellite’ is also a noteworthy number; a jaunty, poppy tune in comparison to the rest of the album. Impassioned whispers of “Wake me up / Kill me now” have never sounded sweeter, and intersected by pretty, chiming guitar, they express a deeper meaning within the usual pop song sensibility.

At once smooth, airy, bright and crackling, Hello Friends shows an artist that has her sound buried in something darker than those beautiful harmonies would first suggest, and this makes for some incredibly powerful rock’n’roll.

The jangling opening chimes of ‘Diggin’ A Hole’ build up to a track that channels Teenage Fanclub at their most distorted and grungy. A sugary slice of power-pop follows with ‘(I Don’t Wanna) Break Your Heart’, its urgency and angst palpable throughout. ‘Crystal Eyes’ exudes sun-drenched swagger and includes a cheeky nod to the intro of Oasis’ ‘Supersonic’ towards the end. The summery feel rolls on into ‘Frequency Overload’, with the lyrics delivered in a particularly lackadaisical drawl.

Both ‘Green Time’ and ‘Motorcars & Jaguars’ move more in the direction of psych-tinged ’80s indie.

Sure, a lot of Eazy Queezy Squeezy is a culmination of the band’s influences, but isn’t that part of all great pop music? The difference between Green Buzzard and some of their contemporaries is instead of simply aping their influences, they’ve smashed them apart, melted them down and moulded them into something of their own.

More soon, please!

Michael Hartt

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...

ANDERSON PAAK - Malibu SPOON - Kill The Moonlight NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - Left Of The Middle

THE SMITHS - The Queen Is Dead PATTI SMITH - Horses

Jade Smith

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BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 15

arts in focus

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Amy Henderson, Chris Martin and Keiren Jolly

five minutes WITH

MICHAEL SCOTT-MITCHELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NIDA the dramatic arts. We want everyone to get involved, whether it is through our higher education offering or our NIDA Open public courses.

People recognise NIDA for its impressive list of acting alumni,

What makes Australia the best place for future screen and stage professionals to learn their craft, rather than relocating overseas?

Australia’s unique screen and stage industry creates an environment where future professionals are forced to broaden their skill set and create their own opportunities within the arts and entertainment industry – a key asset to a long and vibrant career. Throughout NIDA’s undergraduate and graduate courses, students from a range of disciplines have the opportunity to collaborate on numerous projects, inspiring long-lasting creative networks.

What: NIDA Open Day When: Saturday May 14 More: nida.edu.au

The Taming Of The Shrew

CHOOSE YOUR TRIBES

Exploring elements of life and belonging that are as core to us as they are avoided in conversation, Tribes, the play by Nina Raine, is set to uncover these taboo topics with startling dark humour and acute analysis. Tribes seeks to tackle the issues around disability, belonging and family, retaining the complexity, frustrations and nuances felt in the lives of those navigating what it is to be deaf, becoming so or caring for a family member who is. In testament to truth and life imitating art, Raine stipulates that a deaf actor stars in the production as Billy, and after an extensive search Luke Watts was cast for this production, alongside Ana Maria Belo. Tribes will play at the Ensemble Theatre from Thursday May 26 – Saturday July 2.

for the much-loved Games Of Thrones series!

NOT SO TAME AFTER ALL

Tribes

Lest she be tamed without you, head on down to the Riverside Theatres and Seymour Centre this May to catch this new production of one of Shakespeare’s finest. In a wit-infused hit of sharp barbs and fierce sparring, The Taming Of The Shrew has enthralled audiences over the centuries. Both beautiful and boisterous, disturbing and delightful, this play tackles confronting issues of power structures and place by having us in stitches in one breath and deep thought the next. Complete with what look like old-school motorcycle goggles and plenty of soot, the Sport For Jove production is gearing up to be one for all ages and tastes. If the wielding of words, wit and sass has any pull, don’t tally, get thee hence to the theatre.

Sport For Jove is bringing its fresh and vibrant take on this complex and comedic play to the Riverside from Thursday May 5 – Saturday May 7 and the Seymour from Thursday May 19 – Saturday May 28.

TA-KU IN RESIDENCE

We Will Rock You plays in Sydney from Thursday April 28, and we’ve got two A Reserve double passes to give away to the Wednesday May 4 performance. To be in the running, fandango over to thebrag. com/freeshit. sundry to experience their fantastical world of soul, pop, jazz and rock music. This free show is quite the cacophony of sights and sounds, suitable for crowds of all ages and maturity. The Sirens are appearing on Thursday to Sunday evenings until Sunday May 1.

Aussie producer Ta-ku and a slew of creatives and collaborators are packed close together in Surry Hills this week as they undertake a residency at Golden Age Cinema. Partnering with artists from across the world, the Perthbased Ta-ku is hosting nightly talks on all the topics of goodness that inspire his work – food, photography and music being but a few.

Because the bounds of music are not enough to hold Ta-ku in, a public gallery exhibition is also running of his Songs To Make Up To photo series alongside photography walks with the Create + Explore team. Ta-ku’s residency at the Golden Age continues until this Friday April 15.

THE SIRENS SOUND

The Sirens, a performance group of fourmetre-tall divas, are taking to the Harbourside Amphitheatre at Darling Harbour this month to whirl all your senses for a wild ride. Performing among a vibrant and dazzling kaleidoscope of flashing lights, The Sirens are going from strength to strength, keen to encourage all and

Giant Dwarf and Sydney Comedy Festival’s Story Club will hit Sydney Town Hall later this month, and for a good cause. As the name implies, Story Club will share a series of fascinating and true stories by a range of Australian personalities, including Kate McClymont, Alex Lee, Rob Carlton, Mark Sutton, Zoe Norton Lodge and Osher Günsberg. The Marrickville Legal Centre will receive the proceeds, helping to assist women and children under the threat of violence and homelessness. Furthermore, you can make a donation to Redfern’s not-for-profit young people’s creative learning centre Sydney Story Factory upon buying tickets online. Get your bedtime stories at Sydney Town Hall on Saturday April 23.

Black Jesus

A SAVIOUR RISES

Continuing a string of culturally diverse productions from Sydney collective Bakehouse Theatre Company, Anders Lustgarten and director Suzanne Millar are bringing political thriller Black Jesus to Kings Cross Theatre. Set in Zimbabwe in 2015 after the fall of the Mugabe government, Black Jesus sees investigator Eunice Ncube seek clarity among the muddy waters of political justice, with her discoveries further blurring the line between innocence and guilt. The piece will mark Bakehouse Theatre Company’s debut at its new home, the Kings Cross Theatre on William Street. To follow the Sunday May 15 performance is Out Of Africa, a special satellite event with Bakehouse friend and former child soldier Johnson Ngor discussing government aid and refugee programs in response to humanitarian crises.

Brace yourselves for the first coming of Black Jesus, Friday April 29 – Saturday May 21 at Kings Cross Theatre.

thebrag.com

The Taming Of The Shrew photo by Marnya Rothe

Sydney Film Festival is returning for its 63rd year in 2016, and organisers have now revealed the first 26 films on the program as a teaser for what’s to come. The full program will feature more than 250 films screening across 12 days in the Sydney CBD and suburban centres, but the teaser announcement offers plenty for cinephiles to enjoy already. Following the recent announcement of a program of Martin Scorsese films selected by David Stratton for SFF 2016, now 26 documentaries and features have been added to the calendar. Highlights include the Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts-starring Demolition, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club), the new Richard Linklater ’80s period comedy Everybody Wants Some!!, and Rebecca Miller’s offbeat rom-com Maggie’s Plan starring Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore. The 2016 documentary program will include the political piece Weiner, Oscar winner A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness, and Heart Of A Dog, a film shot for HBO by performance artist Laurie Anderson. SFF 2016 runs from Wednesday June 8 – Sunday June 19.

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One of the most popular contemporary musicals in the world, We Will Rock You, is coming back to Sydney this month. The extraordinarily successful collaboration between Queen and Ben Elton is beginning its Australian tour at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, with a host of stars from stage and screen to feature alongside that classic soundtrack. Gareth Keegan (Jersey Boys), Erin Clare (Heathers) and Thern Reynolds (Rock Of Ages) lead the cast in the latest production of a story that has played to more than 15 million theatregoers in 17 countries since 2002. And of course, it includes 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs.

SPIN US A YARN

Demolition

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL TEASER

WE WILL ROCK YOU

We Will Rock You photo © Brian Geach

A

s an educational institution, NIDA certainly comes with a massive reputation, but for prospective students even the name can be quite intimidating. How do you make them feel welcome?

NIDA does have an enviable reputation as a result of our dedication to our students’ education and providing industry experience, however we encourage everyone to come to our Open Day and see that NIDA is simply passionate about

What can visitors expect from NIDA’s upcoming Open Day? From 11am on Saturday May 14, NIDA will open its doors to the public, giving people a chance to find out more about everything NIDA has to offer and to speak with current students, alumni and staff. The day will include talks and panels from NIDA’s teaching staff, students and alumni, demonstrations by NIDA’s talented students, behind-the-scenes tours, a peek into the props and staging workshops, and a revealing look at what goes into creating NIDA’s spectacular costumes.

but what other careers can begin with an education at NIDA? As well as NIDA’s worldrenowned acting degree, there are vocational diplomas in musical theatre, specialist makeup services and live production and technical services; bachelor degrees in acting, costumemaking, design for performance, props-making, staging and technical theatre and stage management; and finally, master’s degrees in cultural leadership, design for performance, directing, voice and writing for performance.

Graduates can pursue a broad range of interesting professions, such as lighting designer/ specialist, costume supervisor, events designer, special effects artist, staging technician and arts and culture managers, among others. A great example is design graduate Deborah Riley, who is the current production designer

Katie Noonan [CLASSICAL] Art For Us All By David Molloy defi nition of the genre. I did grow up in a home that was obsessed with classical music and so I loved Bach and Vivaldi as much as I loved Bros and Kylie Minogue when I was ten. I thought they were all great artists – I obviously don’t think Bros are now – but you know, it was just music for me, it was just expression.”

The boundaries blur across Noonan’s back catalogue, and particularly on her latest record, With Love And Fury – a passion project that saw her pair with the distinguished Brodsky Quartet and nine Australian composers to bring to life the words of Queensland poet Judith Wright. “[It’s] a pretty signifi cant body of work celebrating incredible poetry from a very important Australian writer,” says Noonan, “whose themes of reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and the need for ecological conservation are, sadly, still incredibly pertinent years after she wrote about them.

Katie Noonan photo by Cybele Malinowski

“It was recently the centenary of [Wright’s] birth – she’s a very signifi cant writer and I thought it was kind of amiss that there wasn’t more of a big deal made of that.”

R

ecent years have fostered an artifi cial division among the arts communities, namely between the ‘high art’ of major companies producing classical repertoire and that produced by everyone else. In such times, it’s always refreshing to hear a person of authority speak plainly, especially when they happen to bridge the gap between the classic and the contemporary.

Deeply passionate as she is about the arts and her home state of Queensland, singer-songwriter Katie Noonan has no need to hold her tongue. As one of Australia’s most respected musicians, and the new artistic director of the Queensland Music Festival, she is championing music of every form and funding level. To her, there is no divide.

“Music’s just music,” she says.

“I’ve never really cared about the

Noonan’s personal connection to Wright’s poetry is evident in ‘The Surfer’, her own composition for the album, in which her delicate voice fl oats over ebbing tides of strings. The song touches on their shared love of the ocean; Noonan is a conservational advocate, too, and played at the Marine Conservation Society’s 50th anniversary concert alongside Bernard Fanning.

“Judith was actually one of the founding members of the Marine Conservation Fund,” Noonan says.

“I’m a Queenslander, and we’re obviously kind of fucking up the

Great Barrier Reef in substantial ways. I just started ruminating on the ocean and the water, and I actually did a version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Ocean’, did my own kinda weird version of that, and then the end riff, you know, the blues riff at the end where it goes…”

She busts out with a pub-worthy vocal rendition of Jimmy Page’s blues guitar.

“It goes into this 12/8 kinda jam at the end of the track and I literally used that theme. I kinda stole that motif, as all musicians do.

So yeah, that’s kinda where [‘The Surfer’] came from, infl uenced

by Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page basically helped to write that one.”

Yep, you heard right – Katie Noonan, one of our most accomplished classical musicians, froths the Zep. After all, they were classically infl uenced, too.

“Led Zeppelin are the band that I just lost my shit to when I was in my first share house – playing air guitars to ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ while I was [laughs] having a joint in my share house when I was 18 in Brisbane, and they were the soundtrack to my initial explorations with music and connecting with my friends.

Somehow we’re all connected: Jimmy Page, the Brodsky Quartet, Judith Wright, air guitars, share houses in Brisbane. We’re all connected somehow.”

Connection is core to Noonan’s vision for the Queensland Music Festival, which she is set to invigorate with the new theme of #FindYourVoice.

“I’m dreaming up all sorts of things where hopefully, in the audience, we’ll have someone in their tux and then someone in their furs and then some beautifully tattooed, pierced, dreadlocked

person sitting next door, and they’ll both be enjoying the same kind of music, because it’s good music, doesn’t matter what it is.”

One of her models has been the revitalised Sydney Opera House, owing to its expansion into more diverse musical territories – a move signifi ed particularly by the Ship Song Project in 2011, in which she participated.

“The great thing about the Opera House is that it used to be a place that only fuckin’ rich people went to,” Noonan says. “They went to these exorbitantly expensive, overpriced operas, which just created an elitism that I fucking hate! I really dislike that, because it makes that new, beautiful music a hoity-toity, snobby thing. And it’s not! When opera was written, it was written for everyday people and it was telling the stories of the day.”

In her new position and her musical career, Noonan battles against this perceived elitism, not least in combating the assaults on accessible funding that have come from government.

“The major performing arts bodies make beautiful work, they make very expensive work, but the small to medium arts sector, which is where the really interesting shit gets made, they’re just not getting the funding,” she says. “And so we’re just perpetuating Aida every year and Mozart and all this stuff that I love, but I really question what it has to do with the Australian identity – singing music that’s 300 years old, written by an Italian guy.”

Who Katie Noonan and The Brodsky Quartet What: With Love And Fury out now through Universal Where: City Recital Hall When: Monday May 2

Stephen Hough [CLASSICAL] From The Silence To The Sonata By Adam Norris

T

Stephen Hough photo © Keith Saunders

here are artists who will tell you it is only during interviews – when (hopefully) wellresearched strangers quiz them on motivations and process – that the artists themselves begin to discover the truth behind their work. This is not the case with Stephen Hough, whose insights and observations on music and creativity are already clear and incentive. He is a recognised polymath – someone considered an expert across many fi elds – and will soon demonstrate his compositions and performance once again during his fourth Musica Viva tour of Australia.

a show that draws on his own work in addition to that of César Franck and a particularly sombre Schubert piece – his sonata of sighs, composed after a fatal diagnosis – it will certainly be a night of many moods. While Hough is at pains to encourage people from all walks of life to engage with classical music, he is also refreshingly blunt in insisting that it is not the casually accessible genre that many would extol.

“I would say classical music should be listened to to the exclusion of everything else,” Hough says.

“You’re a pilot going through a bad storm; you don’t want to be turning around to grab your sandwich and read a magazine. Your focus is absolute, and that’s what the great classical works demand. They’re not things to have on in the background while you’re reading or distracted.

It’s not background music, it’s very foreground. Some music is designed to be background music, something that fills an empty space. You go to a restaurant to eat, you’re there to talk with your friends, you’re not there to listen intently to the music coming out of the speakers. It’s there to create an atmosphere. I don’t think classical music should ever create an atmosphere. It is the atmosphere, it is the event.”

“There’s a tendency I think now to sell classical music in a way of, ‘Oh, it’s not so serious, it’s not so difficult.

Anyone can get into this, just come along, you’ll love it!’ I think we’ve mis-sold this. Classical concerts should be open to absolutely everybody, and I hate the idea of it being an elderly, white, middleclass way to spend a comfortable evening. That’s not what it’s about at all. But on the other hand, it is tough, but anything that is worth doing is going to take a bit of effort. If you’re interested in climbing mountains, you can’t train for an afternoon and then ascend the Himalayas. This is something that takes time, but it’s so wonderful when you’ve done it. If you’re going to read a really complicated book, it’s going to take time to get inside, but then you’ll go back and read it again and again and each time you’ll get deeper and deeper. For me, this is what’s so thrilling about human life. There’s depth and complexity, and it’s what makes classical music so important.”

Hough has been described as an “eclectic” performer, and with

We also shouldn’t expect Hough to be particularly verbose onstage; any

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commentary of his own would simply compromise the very atmosphere he hopes to conjure.

“I see concerts as theatre. The lights go down, someone walks out from the wings, the silence – the silence is so important to music; it is the

soil, if you like, from which anything grows. Without that, nothing can happen, so to me those few seconds of silence before I start to play are as magical as the music that comes after. That is a very important dramatic moment, that there is a blank space. There has to be that

moment of expectation, like holding your breath underwater.”

Where: City Recital Hall When: Saturday April 16 and Monday April 18 BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 17

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

L

ast week, I got a phone call from my friend’s boss, who is a freelance journalist. She was producing a radio show about privacy, and wanted to interview me, as someone who lives a reasonably public, out life.

She asked me whether I kept anything deliberately private, if there was anything I avoided writing about in my column. I racked my brain, thinking for a moment.

The first thing that came to my mind was, of course, the things you typically keep private.

Sex? Nope, I’ve definitely written about that. Sexuality? Duh. Awkward encounters?

Embarrassing moments? Upbringing, regrets, illness? I feel like I’ve written about all of that.

Sure, there are things I keep private. You may not know where I live (though based on my columns and listings it’s probably easy to guess); you might not even know what I do in my day-to-day life (have I ever written about that? I don’t think so). But in considering this question, I had to think about where I’d draw the line, or why I don’t.

Often, it’s about the story. If it’s a good story, I’ll tell it. Maybe I’ll change people’s names to protect them, but if it’s a good story – no matter how embarrassing or awkward for me – I’ll generally tell it.

I think this willingness to share comes from living a life that was never known to me. As I’ve written before, queerness was so alien to me when I was growing up. I didn’t know what it looked like, and so – as with most things you are ignorant of – it was something I didn’t like, something I was suspicious of. Call it a weird saviour complex, but now when I share my mundane, everyday, awkward, funny or embarrassing stories, I feel like I’m contributing to a culture that makes queerness visible. Less alien. Less suspicious. Real.

Visibility is the first step to survival and justice. Queers enjoy relative

Mardi Gras 2016 photo by Katrina Clarke

Mardi Gras 2016

visibility these days, but I think still in a stereotypical sense. Until we start realising there are a million ways to be queer, just as there are a million ways to be straight, or just be, we won’t have a true understanding of what it means to be queer, or different in any way, and how to cater for that.

I also think that as a queer woman, I have a different sense of what should be private. I want to talk about sex, so I can smash stigma around the way I do it. I want to talk about my sexuality, so that it isn’t silenced. I want to talk about drugs, alcohol, sex toys, kink, sex work, beats, one night stands, bad sex, bad dates – because ultimately, these are things that are part of our lives, and shouldn’t be hidden. When we hide things, we’re taught to be ashamed of them. Or that they’re bad.

This can have dangerous consequences.

Our nation’s current drug policies, for example, are essentially a head-in-thesand approach from our lawmakers. If we acknowledge that drugs are something people do, and then talk about it, we’ll minimise harm. Criminalising sex work just means people will pay for sex in underhanded and dangerous ways.

Or it means sex workers will never be able to access workers’ rights, workers’ safety, healthcare or welfare, because, according to the state, they don’t exist.

Privacy is a privilege of the powerful.

For if the oppressed are private, they are hidden, controlled, condemned. If I were to keep my ‘private’ life private, I’d be hiding who I am.

And I wouldn’t have a job.

this week…

Yellow Wednesdays is back at Secret Garden Bar this Wednesday April 13, featuring Akul, Iron Gate Sound and Lewbar.

Then on Thursday April 14, Manning Bar is hosting a pride week celebration with Paul Mac, L’Oasis and Matty Bixx. This is an early (civilised!) party, so start early and get to bed on time.

Heaps Gay is back again this Saturday April 16 at the Oxford Hotel. It will feature Simo Soo, Bad Deep DJs, Mason Mulholland, Voin, Brooklyn Queenz and FlexMami.

Then on Sunday April 17, House Of Mince is bringing back the PavlovaBar to celebrate 30 years of Ben Drayton’s illustrious DJ career. He’ll be playing a massive seven-hour set at Club 77, 8pm-3am.

Paul Mac

Paul Mac photo by Tony Mott

18 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

thebrag.com

C STARRING

BRIAN POSEHN

THE

ARJ BARKER, DAVID O’DOHERTY, FELICITY WARD, STEPHEN K AMOS, JOEL CREASEY, STEEN RASKOPOULOS

2

BRAG’S

1

ALSO

VSYDNEY COMEDY

GUIDE TO

AND MORE

I N S I D E

FESTIVAL 2016

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5 – 7 MAY, 7PM THE COMEDY STORE

susie Youssef CHECK YOUSSEF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOUSSEF

5-7 MAY, 7.45PM THE FACTORY FLOOR

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MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL PROUDLY PRESENTS

SE CO PH ND EN SH MO OME OW N 1 NAL ADD 8 A DE ED PR MAN DUE IL D! TO

We Are All in the Gutter, But Some of Us Are Looking at David O’Doherty ENMORE THEATRE SUN 17 APRIL 6PM MON 18 APRIL 7.15PM An Evening with

MR PAUL FOOT Tempting morsels highlighting his best work to date. A must for connoisseurs.

KYLE

KINANE

Terrestrial Woes

++++ ‘EXCELLENT STORYTELLING COMIC’ THE GUARDIAN

‘An exceptionally gifted storyteller’

++++

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SYDNEYCOMEDYFEST.COM.AU & 9020 6966 thebrag.com

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THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

thebrag.com

The BRAG’s Guide To

SYDNEY

COMEDY

The season of laughter is upon us. 2016 marks the 12th annual edition of the Sydney Comedy Festival, and this year’s program is bigger than ever, featuring international and local funnypeople performing across the CBD, Inner West, North Shore and Western Sydney.

That means there’s no excuse not to go and check out some of the shows, which together draw an audience of more than 120,000 people each year. Not sure where to start?

We’ve pulled together some of the festival’s biggest stars to talk about their acts, and picked out some of our own favourites for the month ahead.

Now, let’s get laughing!

“Heavy metal always talks about

how great the devil is, and hell is, but what if when you get to hell it’s not so great and they don’t play Slayer there?”

FESTIVAL 2016

MONDAY APRIL 18 – SUNDAY MAY 15

Long Way To The Top

By Peter Hodgson

B

rian Posehn’s comedy is pretty hard to sum up, but the following anecdote does it better than any journalistic ramblings ever could. Skip this next paragraph if you’re planning to go to his show at Sydney Comedy Festival, though. You’ll spoil it for yourself should he do this bit on the night.

“My son is nude a lot. At six years old, he’s naked all the time. I was playing ‘Bark At The Moon’, Ozzy [Osbourne] classic, and my son ran from the other side of the house and said, ‘Daddy! Weiner solo!’ and then did air guitar with his six-year-old body. That was one of my proudest moments as a dad. Nudity and Ozzy Osbourne – I totally approve.”

Though not specifically a ‘metal comic’, Posehn has always incorporated his interests into his stand-up, be they metal, Dungeons & Dragons (check out his D&D podcast Nerd Poker), comic books or good old-fashioned whackin’ it. But his love of metal seems crucial to his existence, and he’s been working on a comedy metal album with producer Jay Ruston, Brendon Small (Metalocalypse) and Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. The record also includes Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer) on a song called ‘Satan Is Kind Of A Dick’.

“I had the idea that heavy metal always talks about how great the devil is, and hell is, but what if when you get to hell it’s not so great and they don’t play Slayer there? So the chorus is: ‘They don’t play Slayer in hell, they don’t play Slayer in hell,’ with the guy from Slayer playing on it.”

Posehn is playing five dates in Australia, with most venues leaning more towards a club vibe than a theatre. “That’s what I do a lot in the States,” he says. “I do play comedy clubs over here and I do do theatre shows, but I do a lot of standing room rock clubs too … Those shows are always awesome.”

At this point, Posehn isn’t sure what form his act will take, other than “whatever makes sense, whatever will make the most fun hour performance”. He’s already worked up half an hour of new stuff that wasn’t on his most recently recorded Netflix special, and he expects to generate new material while travelling around Australia. And on his time off, you might spot him undertaking an AC/DC pilgrimage, checking out Melbourne’s AC/ DC Lane or Swanston Street locations from the ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top’ video, or visiting Bon Scott landmarks in Perth. It ties in nicely to his greater mission as a parent: “I’m trying to raise a metalhead, so I play a lot of AC/DC and Sabbath every day, to give him a nice foundation.”

WHERE: Factory Theatre WHEN: Tuesday April 19

BRIAN POSEHN MICF debut back in 2000, but his numerous (and hilarious) appearances on Network Ten’s Thank God You’re Here and his scenestealing role as Dave on HBO’s Flight Of The Conchords cemented his growing reputation as a fresh-faced comic on the rise.

ARJ BARKER Get In My Head

By Natalie Rogers

Arj Barker is a man of action. Not only is he currently the toast of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival thanks to his brand-spanking new show Organic, but he also finds time to train his beloved pet pooch.

“She’s a good girl, but sometimes she licks her own balls,” Barker says matter-of-factly.

“It’s a habit I’m trying to break.” thebrag.com

“Bret [McKenzie] and Jemaine [Clement] are good mates and they’re really fun,” Barker says. “I started out supporting them on their small comedy tours and now they play big bloody stadiums! They’re like rock stars.

They’re the genuine article, but they don’t act like stars at all – they’re real nice guys. I know they’re starting a tour of the US soon and I’m going to support them. I can’t wait!”

In conversation, Barker is very similar to his onstage persona – laid-back and charismatic with just the right amount of sass. “I’m bringing my other show, Get In My Head, to the Sydney Comedy Festival. I haven’t toured it much up there and I don’t want to cheat the good people of Sydney out of getting to see it,” he says.

Barker first came to the attention of Australian audiences when he made his

In the meantime, Barker is also developing a project of his own. “I’m working on my own TV show. I’ve never had my own TV show – I’ve been a part of other people’s TV shows occasionally, but I’m currently developing my own show, which I look forward to getting on the air eventually. We’re in the very early stages, but we’ve had some good developments and I’m already working with the production company, so the next step is to find someone who wants to show it on their network. So it’s still early days, but so far so good.”

Barker is quick to declare that he doesn’t plan to coast on the success of Flight Of The Conchords – he prides himself on

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

his originality when it comes to writing his own material. “When people steal jokes, it’s disgusting and it sickens me when I see it happen. But the thing is, you’ve got to be careful, because there are a lot of comedians out there and sometimes people do have similar ideas, so I don’t jump the gun accusing people. There are cases when you hear somebody doing a joke word for word and you know it’s been done before. That’s like [US comedian] Carlos Mencia – I believe he was using other people’s material for certain. Sometimes when people get big they get called out easier, because people are interested.

No-one pays that much attention to the lower level joke-stealers.

“In fact, I did hear about a guy that used one of my jokes,” Barker adds, “but he’s a fairly low-level comedian who works around a bit, so I’m not too bothered. When a joke is on my DVD, I feel like that’s enough proof anyway.”

While Barker’s career continues to soar, he admits he wouldn’t say no to a chance to reprise his role as the apathetic loan store sales clerk on Flight Of The Conchords – but he’s not holding his breath. “I can’t sit by the phone and wait for them. I’ve gotta make my own shit happen!”

WHERE: Capitol Theatre WHEN: Saturday May 14 BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 23

DAVID O’DOHERTY

We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At David O’Doherty

By Sarah Little We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At David O’Doherty. That’s the distinctive name of a new show coming to Sydney Comedy Festival this year. But what is a David O’Doherty, anyway? A David O’Doherty is a man. A man with a silly sense of humour, which he says has been fairly constant since he was eight or nine years old. “I still love people falling over and farting and things like that,” the Irishman confesses.

But he’s also someone who can speak convincingly, and at length, on more serious issues such as economics, politics, LGBT rights and social issues. He’s empathetic, a human encyclopedia, and a bit of a cynic who makes funnies for monies – and of course for his own pleasure. O’Doherty’s dad is a jazz musician, and it would seem that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The BRAG attempts to commend O’Doherty’s work ethic on this tour: he’s doing a long run of evening shows in Melbourne, as well as a few children’s shows during the day, immediately followed by two dates in Sydney. But he won’t hear a dime of it.

“You have to realise, this job is a piece of piss,” O’Doherty says. “The hard part is writing a show – especially when you’re under pressure to get it ready for a festival or whatever. You can lose your mind doing that. But then doing it, once it’s of a reasonable standard, is the joyful part of this job. And anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to make themselves sound more impressive – probably to try and get off with a girl or something like that.”

How’s the tour going so far, then? “It’s been a highly eventful tour so far – no. It hasn’t really

been very eventful. Although I did get hit by a triple-A-battery-sized bug in Brisbane that went straight for my nutsack.”

O’Doherty’s most famous talent is his composition of amusing songs in which he sets his inner monologue to music. However, it’s important to his shows that his inner monologue relates to the universal inner monologue of humankind. “I don’t have the veneer of showbiz,” O’Doherty says. “I just try to be myself. I can’t think of another art form where you can just go on as yourself.”

He has lots to say – through song – on topical issues from Grand Designs to living life in general. In his song ‘Life’, O’Doherty quips: “Life is like a long journey in a car … And that car is a 1991 Toyota Corolla where you have to leave the hot air on to make the lights work”.

It’s been a while between visits Down Under for O’Doherty – a few years, he says – but his first visit here as a comedian was now over a decade ago. He particularly enjoys the Sydney scene where he can “stretch out a bit”, playing longer sets than the 55-minute slots usually afforded by comedy festivals. And it also gives him the chance to check out the local talent.

“There’s a bunch of [Australian] comedians who I really look up to, like Claudia O’Doherty – she’s writing for Amy Schumer at the moment, she’s great. [And] I saw a really interesting show here the other night called True Australian Patriots – it’s a seminar on ‘How to spot lefties and halal people’, is their description of it; it’s all Australian flags onstage and they come out with flag capes on, and it’s one of the most subversive shows I’ve seen.

“It’s on in Melbourne in the Town Hall – it’s literally in the establishment – and I think they’re possibly going to get punched for doing it by someone who thinks of themselves as a ‘patriotic Australian’. It feels very exciting when you’re in the same room.”

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Sunday April 17 and Monday April 18

The BRAG’s Best Of The Fest 2016 Even though it might not be true that you can have too much of a good thing – seriously, best which grump came up with that line? – it’s certainly of the possible to be overloaded fest with opportunity. This year’s Sydney Comedy Festival is so packed with performers that navigating the whole thing can be a thankless task. To that end, we’ve drawn up a list of the acts you’d be a fool to miss.

Tommy Dean: Lessons Learnt Gaming

Factory Theatre, Friday April 22 Ever found a game of Scrabble sidesplittingly funny? No, neither have we.

But Tommy Dean isn’t like the rest of us, and has managed to transform the somewhat dry subject of board games into a quirky, memorable show.

Sammy J & Randy: Sammy J & Randy Land

Enmore Theatre, Sunday May 1 Sammy J & Randy have opened their own theme park! Given that this is a comedy show, I’m sure that absolutely nothing will go wrong, and proceedings will run without a hitch. Right?

Neel Kolhatkar: Neel Before Me

The Comedy Store, Wednesday April 20 / Factory Theatre, Thursday April 21 – Sunday April 24 Those who view YouTube comedians as mere pretenders would do well to check out Neel Kolhatkar’s Neel Before Me, a searing yet far-from-serious analysis of the media, race relations, and of course, the much-blighted bogan.

Hosted by

STEEN RASKOPOULOS

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★★★★★ Timeout SYDNEY TOWN HALL SATURDAY 23 & SUNDAY 24 APRIL PH: 132 849 ticketek.com.au BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

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GET IN MY HEAD

KITTY FLANAGAN

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All shows presented by A-List Entertainment - for more information go to alist.com.au thebrag.com

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THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

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SATURDAY 4 JUNE ENMORE THEATRE BOOK AT TICKETEK 132 849 TICKETEK.COM.AU ABPRESENTS.COM.AU • SEBASTIANLIVE.COM

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STEPHEN K AMOS

Joel Dommett: Conquer

Enmore Theatre, Thursday April 21 – Sunday April 24 Despite the aggressive, war-like connotations of its title, Conquer is actually a nuanced, hilarious look at lost love and the best ephemeral nature of modern romance. Go figure.

serious issues, finding the light-hearted side and leaving audiences entertained and thoroughly upbeat.

“If I talk about packaging on a Chicos bag, and talk about how that can be construed to be quite racist, I’m talking about very serious issues, but in a very light-hearted way,” says Amos. “They’re very different serious topics to what others discuss – I don’t have the background to make mental health funny, for example – but all of us have our serious topics that we challenge in our own way.”

of the fest

Enmore Theatre, Friday May 6 / The Concourse, Chatswood, Saturday May 7 Comedy might be a laughing matter, but it’s still a serious business. Aussie comic and media personality Kitty Flanagan will be seriously funny when she presents an encore performance of her 2015 show, including tunes from her sister Penny Flanagan.

For The Laughter Master, Amos has focused his comedic lens on perhaps the defining issue of our time – social media. Ubiquitous, influential and a seemingly unending source of debate and conflict, Amos says the subject is ripe for comedic picking.

The Laughter Master

By Alexander Darling

Stephen K Amos is hot and bothered when we speak. He’s been in Adelaide for the Fringe Festival, and the city has been sweltering through a heatwave. “I don’t know how you people live in such amazing conditions – I’m dripping and more moist than I’ve ever been in my life,” he says.

It’s just one of the many keen observations of Australian life that has earned Amos his lofty reputation here. Known for his charming and relentlessly feel-good performances the world over, Amos’ observations about Aussie culture – from our accents and our politics to the Adelaide tram that only goes from the city to the beach that so infuriates him – have helped local audiences see the funny side of things that otherwise seem perfectly normal.

“I think having an outsider’s point of view gives

TANYALEE DAVIS Actual Size

By Adam Norris

Tanyalee Davis first appeared here back in 2001, having forged a name for herself both at home in the US (though the three-foot-six comedian is Canadian-born) and across the UK. She has recently wrapped performances at the Soho Theatre, featured on Live At The Apollo’s first Christmas special, and is unleashing her updated show on Australian soil after 26 years of honing her craft. Actual Size arrives direct from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and is already being hailed as an enlightened and entertaining hoot.

“It’s kind of a different ball game for me this time,” Davis explains. “Back then I was very fortunate to meet up with Fahey [Younger] and Linda [Haggar] from Miss Itchy, who I met online through a comedy forum. They came to Los Angeles and we had a kind of reunion of all the comedians who were on this forum. I’d told them I’d love to go to Australia,

you a unique perspective,” says Amos. “There’s certain things I see that I then highlight, and people will go, ‘Oh my goodness, we didn’t see it like that at all.’ But that’s my job, to find the funny.”

Being an outsider seems to give Amos a distinct advantage. “There are also certain things I can get away with and say that maybe some Australian comics couldn’t,” he says. “I do a routine about some of the things people say, where they think they’re being polite, even though it’s quite outrageous.”

This year, Amos and his observations return to Sydney Comedy Festival with The Laughter Master, a show that promises to include everything Sydney audiences have come to love about the British comedian.

The show sees him delving deep into

“It has made the world smaller, but in the same respect, it’s given people a very strange voice. Or it’s made people think they have a voice, and have very silly arguments with strangers over nothing at all … The internet is 25 years old this year, and you know, there are so many things going on online that are quite dangerous.”

Felicity Ward’s new show relies a lot on toilet humour, but not the usual kind. What If There Is No Toilet? sees the widely loved local comedian continue her mission to tell it like it is with mental health, exploring her 28 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

Enmore Theatre, Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1 Justin Hamilton’s press photo depicts him reading a book about David Bowie with a toy monkey dressed in a widebrimmed hat sitting on his shoulder.

There is literally nothing else you need to know about the comedian.

While his subject matter has serious undertones, Amos says he hasn’t forgotten his true purpose, evident in the title of his show.

“I want to make people laugh. I’m hoping my kind of audiences have kind of got my sensibilities, so I want them to think along the way, but also have a good time. It’s not a TED Talk, I’m not doing a serious documentary, so I must never forget my focus being laughter.”

but I didn’t know anything about it – at that time I’d never done anything like that. [MICF] being an invite-only thing, they ended up bringing me over, which was an amazing experience, but I really didn’t have enough material. We padded it out with a video of me at Disneyland with the two of them walking up to me thinking I was a lost little girl, trying to help me find my parents. It was funny and a cute gag, but it was also to gloss over the fact I didn’t have enough material for a full set.”

She laughs. “Now, I’m very happy with this show – I think my act is really solid and the audience is going to get a good laugh. I feel like this time around, it’s my time.”

Davis has every right to feel excited. Her voice is bright, full of energy and comic asides, and the lessons learned in a life of stand-up over 25 years are employed to full effect. This was not always going to be the case, however. Growing up in Canada, Davis had every intention of breaking into the world of acting, but fate (in the form of a penguin) intervened.

“I grew up in the ’70s, where parents plunked you in front of the television instead

of actually parenting, so I watched a lot of American sitcoms. I loved Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy. I’d always try out for school performances and end up in the background playing a tree or something nonsensical. Never the leads – they eluded me. When I graduated, my family told me I needed to go to university.

But when I got there I realised you really are studying theatre – we didn’t really get to perform, dammit! So I started doing community theatre and auditioned for a Christmas performance and got the lead. I was Perry The Penguin, and the other adult in the production, I started dating. Apparently he had a thing for penguins. But he asked if I wanted to go down to the comedy club to watch him, and that was my first ever exposure to stand-up.

“When we got there and I saw people just stood up and performed, I thought it was amazing.

And then I realised how badly this guy sucked.

I could tell instinctively the things he was doing wrong. And he was like, ‘You think you can do better than me?’ And I thought, ‘Well, yeah!’ So they got me up there on January 23rd, 1990.

And here I am. He later dumped me for a seal, but hey – now I’m living the dream.”

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Thursday April 21 – Sunday April 24

the two conditions were linked and it was really common, it made me feel so relieved – no pun intended.”

Ward’s Sydney Comedy Festival show comes on the back of her successful ABC TV special Felicity’s Mental Mission in the middle of last year. Ward also took her gutbustingly funny observations and joyfully energetic stage persona to the world in 2015, with performances around New York and LA, at the Edinburgh Fringe, Montreal’s Just For Laughs and the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival. For Ward, the opportunity to test her material on new audiences was equal parts nerve-racking and a learning experience.

“It’s really rewarding when you go to a new territory and your comedy works, but it’s also terrifying, and I think that’s part of stand-up – constantly being terrified about whether you’re making the right or wrong move,” she says.

By Alexander Darling

Justin Hamilton: Hoot

WHERE: Enmore Theatre / The Concourse, Chatswood WHEN: Friday May 6 / Saturday May 7

FELICITY WARD

What If There Is No Toilet?

Kitty Flanagan: Seriously?

experiences with anxiety, depression and chronic irritable bowel syndrome, and her longest-running relationship: with the toilet.

“I used to be so embarrassed about [irritable bowel syndrome], and I would never talk to anyone about it,” says Ward. “And then when I got diagnosed with anxiety and found out

Ward explains that her relocation to London almost three years ago has also aided in her development as a comedian. “You can’t live in London and get worse – you just have to get better living there or you won’t have a career. Like, even if I fought against it, I’d still

probably be a little better by now – I hope.”

Today, Ward is fearless and upfront when talking about mental health in her TV and stand-up work. It was actually the period immediately following her diagnosis with anxiety and depression that helped her become comfortable speaking freely on these topics. “Initially I was really frustrated other people weren’t really talking about it.

But then I remembered how hard it was to have it, and how you don’t really want to tell people you’re going crazy, so rather than getting angry about people who weren’t talking about it, I started talking about it, and I love it.

“I did a gig the other day in some part of the UK, and I ended up staying with the person who was running the gig, and they had a daughter who had been having panic attacks recently, and so we just had a two-hour chat about what I do and how I get through them and in between. So I love talking about it, and that’s why I love doing this show. One, it’s the show I’m most proud of and I think it’s the funniest I’ve ever written, but two, if people are on your side, they’re really on your side with this stuff.”

WHERE: Giant Dwarf WHEN: Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

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‘FEELS LIKE IT WAS CO-WRITTEN BY HEALTHY HAROLD AND THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN’ - THE GUARDIAN

‘FUNNY...WORTH WATCHING’ - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

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GREGO c M E K U L T O P I A’ S U G N I R TA R

AW K WA R S ' N A M ONE

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TOMMY TIERNAN

Out Of The Whirlwind

By Liza Dezfouli

Despite what you might have read, Irish stand-up comedian Tommy Tiernan isn’t out to shock his audience. Although comments from one of his shows attracted controversy when taken out of context a few years ago, scandal isn’t something he courts. His thoughts about the US might offend some more patriotic Americans, however – Tiernan is excited to be coming out to Australia, but doesn’t feel the same way about the States.

“I’m not curious about America,” he says. “I am offended by America. It’s like a white Iran, full of Christian capitalist fundamentalists. I’m looking forward to getting to know Australians, whether it’s 80 people in a bar in the outback, or 2,000 people in the Opera House. I’m proud to play on the other side of the world. I’m keen to get across that I want to get to know Australia from a performer’s point of view.”

Does Tiernan, who used to play Father Kevin

older, you see the folly of all of those things.

You see that every castle is built on sand. I’m 46 and I can see the futility of achievement.

There are things now I want to experience, rather than things I want to achieve. When you’re in your teens, 20s and 30s, your libido rules, but the nature of it changes as you get older. You develop a lust for life rather than a sexual thing.”

on the much loved television show Father Ted, get people waving green flags and shamrocks at his shows? “The Irish, absolutely,” he says.

“I’m proud to play for Irish people. It’s thrilling.”

One of Tiernan’s more recent endeavours saw him forgo the safety net of a well-rehearsed routine for a completely improvised show. “I [started] talking with no setlist or anything.

That’s the risk – a fully improvised show. You walk out onstage and have to talk for an hour.”

Tiernan says the improvisation in his last show has influenced his upcoming show for Sydney Comedy Festival – which is rehearsed, but peppered with moments of spontaneity. “[This] show is about getting older, about the awareness of getting older and the changing nature of ambition. When you’re younger, ambition is about status, recognition, lust and conquest. As you get

By Kate Eardley

It’s certainly not uncommon for modern comedians to rely on personal anecdotes and brute honesty as a way of better relating to their audiences.

We see it from prolific comedy icons like Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K., with the latter only reaching success after he got older, fatter and had a couple of kids to complain about. Australian humour has always had blunt, genuine and somewhat self-deprecating undertones, and Perth’s Joel Creasey, who has recently found himself to be a staple of Australia’s ever-growing comedy scene, has carved an unfaltering and unashamedly honest identity on both home soil and internationally.

Now he brings his latest show, The Crown Prince, to this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival.

“I’ve always been brutally honest,” says Creasey. “I don’t have the time to be nice to people. It just sounds exhausting.”

Nothing is a taboo topic to this young comedian, and he uses this approach to brilliant effect. “To me, fame equals money, equals hot boyfriend,” says Creasey of his wish to become mega-famous. “It’s simple science really.”

With previous shows in the US, UK and a recent set in South Africa, Creasey is certainly getting closer to having his name immortalised on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While his comedy has taken him to different corners of the globe, he has found that laughter seems to transcend any perceived cultural barriers.

“There is an element of self-deprecation in my comedy,” says critically lauded local comedian Susie Youssef ahead of her upcoming Sydney Comedy Festival show, 30 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

And after years touring and making thousands laugh, Tiernan is finding the joy in life for himself. “Comedy is a wonderful physical release,” he says.

“Making people laugh, it’s a marvellous thing. The creativity of comedy – I get such a kick out of being funny.”

Theatresports National Championships

Enmore Theatre, Sunday April 24 Who doesn’t love watching some of the most quick-witted comedians around improvising up a storm? The Theatresports National Championships will see contemporary comedy’s best and brightest go head-to-head in a furious battle of resolve.

Lawrence Mooney: Moonman

The Comedy Store, Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1 Lawrence Mooney is the kind of comedian who needs no introduction, an Aussie legend as famous for his live shows as he is for his television appearances. Just make sure you only say very nice things about Moonman, or he’ll have a go at you on Twitter.

“I’ve always been brutally honest.

I don’t have the time to be nice to people.

It just sounds exhausting.”

“Humour doesn’t really differ all that much around the world. Funny is funny. I’ve had some of my best audiences in random parts of Asia or Africa – you just never know. As long as you give the audience some content, they’re on board.”

However, Creasey admits that there are some jokes that are just a little too specific to Australia to tell overseas. “The odd Cosima De Vito or Shelley Craft joke is lost on an international crowd,” he laughs.

It’s easy to find yourself feeling envious of the comic. He entered the Raw Comedy competition at the age of 17, and has achieved so much in the past eight years. Still, it hasn’t been an easy ride for Creasey, who went out on a limb to pursue his love of laughter – dropping out of his political science degree to concentrate solely on his comedic endeavours.

He advises young creatives in the same stressful situation to trust their instinct. “If it feels right to drop out of your accounting degree and go paint murals in Tanzania, then do it,” he says. “You only live once.

“I’ve really grown into the comedian I am today,” he adds. “This has developed with my brilliant audiences.” As for the content of The Crown Prince itself, Creasey offers a neat rundown of what to expect: “A truckload of sass, some naughty stories and some pretty scandalous gossip.”

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Friday May 13

SUSIE YOUSSEF

By Liza Dezfouli

Like many great comedians, storytelling forms the crux of Tiernan’s comedy. “It’s an important part of Irish society; a social thing, not a performance thing,” he says. “It’s the way we interact with each other.”

Factory Theatre, Thursday April 21 – Sunday April 24 It takes guts to choose for the title of your comedy show a boast about as grand as one can best imagine. Luckily, David Quirk has the talent to back up his of the claims. Get ready, because fest this is going to be a good one.

Perfect, some might say.

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Thursday April 21 – Saturday April 23

The Crown Prince

Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef

Even if Tiernan isn’t out to create headlines, though, there isn’t anything he’ll actively steer clear of talking about onstage. “I don’t avoid anything,” he says. “But I don’t go onstage hoping to cause offence. The media creates a dynamic – a comedian’s job is to work the room, a journalist’s job is to work the story. No-one has left any of my shows feeling outraged. Things are taken out of context. There’s a contract with comedy – it’s like the boxing ring. Things are permitted in the boxing ring that are not permitted on the street. It’s a virtual given – the understanding is that we have licence to play. I never intend to cause offence. My agenda is to undermine everything, including myself. A comedian is a fool as well as an upstart.”

David Quirk: Approaching Perfection

JOEL CREASEY

“It doesn’t matter what you joke about, as long as you’ve worked hard at something to make it funny. Those shared experiences are a quick way to connect, even if it’s clichéd. Just being bloody funny – that’s where the longevity is in comedy. The gender issue is a small part of the difficulty. I’m not saying it isn’t real – because it is – but it’s a small part of the difficulty.”

While many have waxed lyrical about Youssef’s comedic prowess, she is reluctant to identify these qualities herself. “These are things you recognise in other people,” she says, ever humble. “The amusement comes from the things and stories that are more specific and more personal. I find that the more specific and personal I am, the more I’m connecting. I make jokes about my family Christmases. We had trinket donkeys that dispensed cigarettes from their arseholes. When I was growing up, I thought that was normal. I come from a family of people with a good sense of humour. And the jokes are usually on me. I’ve been really lucky. I’ve had experience across the board, especially in the last three years.”

Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef.

“I’ve joked about being single. It used to mean more when I was younger,” she says.

“There has been a lot of backlash about clichés, but these experiences are real for the person going through them. So they’re shared experiences. And they become clichés because so many people share them.

Youssef has impressed audiences in Edinburgh, New York, Chicago and Atlanta with her spontaneous sharpness, and she has enjoyed guest television appearances on the likes of How Not To Behave, The Chaser’s

Media Circus and The Checkout. By all accounts, she’s doing extremely well for herself.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” she laughs.

“You live from gig to gig. We don’t put the difficulties out in public as much as the highlights. When you get up and perform, people infer confidence. But with me, and a lot of comedians I know, confidence is a wavering thing. You want to ride with that wave of feeling you’re on top of the world when you can. It’s really difficult to make a living in this unstable industry; to integrate real life with a comedy career. But the experience of being uncomfortable also makes you push yourself harder to be funny.

Being in a major city in Australia is one of the easiest places to make a career – you have so many opportunities.”

Coming from a large family, Youssef always has a small army of audience members to count on.

“They are so supportive, it’s embarrassing,” she says. “They come to all my shows. My mum even manages not to fall asleep. At first they were terrified for me when I started to show an interest in performing when I was around 15. I come from a big family – there are eight members of my immediate family and eight million in my extended family. Family always provides a lot of material.”

WHERE: Factory Theatre WHEN: Thursday May 5 – Saturday May 7

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

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THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

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The Umbilical Brothers: Speedmouse

Enmore Theatre, Saturday May 7 The Umbilical Brothers aren’t a comedy act, they’re a goddamn Australian institution. Seriously, don’t need us to tell you to best you hit up a show that was once of the described as “Marcel Marceau really good drugs”. You fest on should have already bought tickets.

Kyle Kinane: Terrestrial Woes

The Comedy Store, Thursday April 21 – Friday April 22 Kyle Kinane knows what you’ve been saying about him. In fact, he named his TV special I Liked His Old Stuff Better, taking a cue from the most persistent of your criticisms. He’ll be bringing that unique mix of the selfdepreciating and the self-aware to his show at The Comedy Store. Be there for the spectacle.

Michael Workman, Ave Loretta

Sydney Town Hall, Friday April 22 – Sunday April 24 Missed out on the show that Time Out described as “absolute genius” back when it first hit our shores in 2013?

Don’t despair – you’ve got a rare second opportunity, as Workman is all set to tour his raucous gig Ave Loretta once more.

By David James Young After emerging from Adelaide as a teenage stand-up wunderkind, Demi Lardner has spent the first part of her 20s making a name for herself in her new home of Melbourne. In that time, she’s been on both the giving and receiving ends of advice – plenty good, but even more bad. “The worst advice that I’ve been given recently is that you can clean your toilet using Coke,” says Lardner. “That is such bullshit! I tried it, and now my bathroom just smells of Coke. There is absolutely nothing behind it – all those ‘life hack’ websites telling you about it can go get fucked!”

The quirky comic is throwing every last bit of advice that she’s accumulated over the years – for better and for worse – into her latest hour of stand-up, Life Mechanic, a follow-up to her debut Birds With Human Lips. Debuting her show recently at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival before its upcoming visit to Sydney, Lardner says the origins of the idea were entirely circumstantial.

“It’s something that I just fell into, really,” she says. “I give great terrible advice, I think. I just seem to give everyone the best advice that I would never take myself. Half of the show is some slightly decent advice, and the rest of it will be the kind of shit that will get you into far more trouble than you should. It’s very misguided, but it’s knowingly misguided.”

Lardner has had ample opportunity to dish out all kinds of advice on her podcast, We Are Not Doctors, which she co-hosts with her

STEEN RASKOPOULOS You Know The Drill

By Nick Mason

Though Sydney comedian Steen Raskopoulos routinely seeks audience participation in his shows, he occasionally bites off more than he can chew. “I once had a couple of old Scottish ladies [in the audience],” he says, “and, well – let’s say they were very into rubbing sunscreen on me.”

The Barry Award-nominated performer has learnt to expect the unexpected. Raskopoulos remembers a specific gig two years ago in London, in which he chose precisely the wrong punter for an all-in, disco-dancing finale. Or at least, that’s how it first seemed.

“He was really quiet and really to himself,” Raskopoulos says. “For the next half of the show – in my head whilst doing the other sketches – I was going, ‘Oh God, he’s going to be terrible.

He’s not even going to try and dance.’ Then I got him up, we had 30 people up onstage and I was trying to convince him and he didn’t really look enthused or interested. But then, I kid you not, he did a whole John Travolta – point to the heavens, point to the floor – and was one of the best dancers I’ve ever seen in my life.”

DEMI LARDNER

Life Mechanic

Of course, nobody is expected to be an instant star in Raskopoulos’ sketch routines the second they take the stage. In fact, he actually empathises with the nervous punters he plucks from the crowd. “When people say the words ‘audience participation’, everyone freaks out, and I do as well. If I go to a show, I’m the person going, ‘Please don’t pick me,’ because that’s just my personality. I feel that when I do it, I just want everyone to have fun, and I’d never pick on anyone to bully them or belittle them. This is my job, they’ve come from their job and I don’t know what their day has been like. I don’t know what’s happening in their personal life, with their family, with their friends or whatever. I’d hate for someone to be forced onstage with that on board as well. I always want to come from a place of love and joy and happiness. I know that sounds super corny, but that’s genuinely a big reason why I do it.”

Raskopoulos – a formidable triple threat of actor, comedian and improviser – returns to Sydney Comedy Festival this year with You Know The Drill, an entirely fresh hour of material. “I like trying out new stuff and this show is completely new,” he explains.

out – he hosted my second-ever gig, actually.

Living together, as well, makes it super easy to put together – we can just venture into the lounge room and knock one out whenever we please.”

fellow fearless weirdo (and housemate) Bart Freebairn. Across the course of roughly half an hour, Lardner and Freebairn riff on one another’s life events, answer listener questions and even share bits and bobs of philosophy – Lardner herself has a segment in the show entitled Demi Has The Wisdom, in which she waxes lyrical on whatever topic may come to hand.

Lardner is now making plans for the rest of the year, with hopes to further tour Life Mechanic and get her advice out there on a global scale.

“I’m hoping to do Edinburgh Fringe again this year,” she says. “I’ve been really enjoying the process of this show. Every other year that I’ve been doing comedy, I’ve been simply too stressed to actually properly enjoy it. I’ve stressed so much, it’s given me ulcers. With this show, I just want to keep on doing it for as long as possible.”

“Doing the podcast has actually been the best practice for this show,” she says. “I’ve gotten a lot of material out of it, just from the back-andforth between Bart and myself. He’s obviously way more experienced than me, and he’s been doing it for such a long time. He’s been one of my best friends in comedy ever since I started

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1

“I’m trying new audience stuff, new characters, new tones of comedy, which I’m excited about. I’m excited just to get cracking.”

“When people say the words ‘audience participation’, everyone freaks out, and I do as well.”

Interestingly, Raskopoulos’ writing process is specific to his brand of comedy. “I like to write things as a whole. I know stand-ups will write five minutes and try it out. Two minutes work, so they keep it and then try another five minutes out. I think with my shows, because there is such a narrative element and a character development element, I can’t necessarily just go and do that at an open mic night. I think a lot of people would be like, ‘What the fuck is he doing?’ I write shows like a jigsaw puzzle. I personally don’t know which order it’s going to fit in, but when I do the show I think of new ways to create everything within the same world.”

Improvisation is an equally integral component of Raskopoulos’ act. “There’s always different styles and different ways to do it,” he says.

“There’s never a right way or wrong way. If you get to a point where you think you’re a good improviser, I think you’ve always got room to grow and more room to learn.”

WHERE: Giant Dwarf WHEN: Tuesday May 3 – Saturday May 7

ALICE FRASER

show The Resistance to Sydney Comedy Festival to spread the good vibes.

“I think I always knew it wasn’t for me,” says Fraser, pondering her previous career. “But I wanted to give it a proper go, because wouldn’t life be a lot easier if you suddenly realised you loved working in a prestige job in a fancy corporation? I thought there might be a niche for me there, but there definitely wasn’t. I think there were a few moments every day where I thought, ‘That’s it,’ but I was looking at my pay slip and thinking, ‘All I want to buy is that time back.’”

Like many comedians, Fraser’s love of comedy has been with her a long time. “I always loved comedy, but never thought of it as a career,” she says. “I don’t even know if I understood the concept of a comedian being paid, which is good now that I’m actually living that dream. I think being a comedian is less a desire than it is a compulsion.”

The Resistance

By Bel Ryan

Sydney’s Alice Fraser left her life as a corporate lawyer to pursue a career in comedy. This year she’s bringing her new

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It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Fraser.

She’s had a few interesting experiences while performing her craft. “I was in a Law Revue, where at dress rehearsal one of the lead performers showed his penis to a cast member in the stairwell. She was quite traumatised and the executive had to pull him out of the show.

That was quite intense, learning parts at the last minute and switching things round.”

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

Though she’s quite humble about it, Fraser has seen quite a lot of success in her career thus far. “The problem with achievements is once I have them, I immediately dismiss them and start looking for the next thing.

I think it mustn’t be that good – after all, they gave it to me, and I’m an idiot. Like the reverse of impostor syndrome, as though the whole world is faking it, which it kind of is.”

For The Resistance, Fraser is taking on a number of themes that hit close to home – “Humanity, houses, childhood, morality, my mash-up Buddhist-Jewish-Catholic upbringing, post-war trauma, sexiness.”

Indeed, Fraser identifies as a feminist, and often discusses sex, vanity and what it means to be sexy. “Sex is funny and messy and intimate and weird,” she laughs.

“Packaged and commodified sexiness is trying to make sex serious and worthwhile and important. It’s not. Basically, vanity is dumb, we’re all getting older and dying, and if you pin your identity to something as ephemeral as sex appeal, you’re setting yourself up to fail by your own terms. Worse, if you take your ideas of what’s sexy from something other than your own sex parts and partners, you’re setting yourself up to fail by other people’s terms as well. It’s just dumb… and funny.” thebrag.com

MARY TOBIN PRESENTS

STEPHEN K AMOS The

Laughter Master

‘A note-perfect hour’

Metro

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AG R B E H T TO E D I U G

D R O C RE RE STO DAY 2016 A GLOBAL EVENT

BY ZANDA W ILSON

In what is fast becom ing one of the world’s biggest days for new music releases, Recor d Store Day 2016 tak es on Saturday April 16.

Music industry person place internationally Heidi frontwoman Ell a Hooper is one of the ality and former Killing this year, and we ask Australian ambassad ed her all about it. ors

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ydney’s independent rec stores are well known ord as outlets for une hidden gems. Conceive arthing d at a gathering of indepe in 2007 ndent record store owners, Re Store Day was fashionedcord as a means of celebrating the culture surrounding tho unique usands of independent stores inte rnationally,

and to provide a speciality day for stores to show their wares. After yea operating independently rs , sees Australia’s Recor this year d Day finally fall into line Store wit international date on Sa h the turday April 16.

“It’s not just about buy ing records – it’s about communic ation, hanging out,” says Re cor Day Australia ambassad d Store or Ella Hooper.

recently found herself chatting For Hooper, the celebr to Record Store Day atio organisers independent record sto n of by happenstance. “It was just integral to the sur vival res is born from a conversat of ion at a music community in its the music industry event. current I me state – a community guys involved at the lau t the tha nch of both benefited and suf t has a music school where fer I the hands of the interne ed at doing some MCing. Sp was “I know t. eaking to them I was saying how so many I loved “Th ings have changed a Record Store Day; I wa people who lot in s the last ten, even the fan. Then they told me a big just like to go last five that they years with streaming have ambassadors to to stores to get ser promote and downloading,” she vices the day and I thought, ‘Well, that’s “It’s not all bad, but we says. recommendations something I would lov e to do.’” to remember to suppor do need from people who t all work there, and it’s a var iety of outlets and the the Apart from acting as a wa media good way for musos to tha t the music community ys ambassador and spread stays ing the stay in touch. These day hea lthy, and one of those word via various social s media it’s everything from tap independent record sto is channels, Hooper’s dut es and res.” ies as a tote bags to CDs. It’s representative for the not just day vinyl.”

As Hooper retierates extend to making a num also , Re Store Day is just as mu cord in-store appearances ber of ch about in her native With five ARIA Award get ting Me out lbourne. These will dou s to her there and being ble name, and as the you as par t of a chance for her to sho the event as it is ngest wcase person and first woma actually making a pur about new and as-yet-unrele n chase. ased music received APRA’s Songw to have not just vinyl; you don’t hav “It’s from her for thcoming e to EP, New the Year award, the for riter of drop a huge chunk of Magic. mer Killing mo Heidi singer was a log to go into a record sto ney just ical choice re. as the face of the cam people go to record sto Some “I’ll be hitting up some paign. “I of love my social media don’t even buy any thin res and favourite record stores my and I love g – it’s a to communicating with peo soc ial hub that I think with my band, which kin play is really d of it felt like a really natura ple, so imp ort wo ant rks for everybody, bec and I’d hate to see tha might get behind it too l fit that I t die out.” can’t wait to play my new ause I and spread stu the word,” she says. ff,” she says. “We’re planni ng on What: Record Store Da playing lots of new tun es, Hooper didn’t ever rea When: Saturday April y 2016 all new tunes in our Re if not lly have 16 cord Store any long-term plan to More: recordstoreday.

Day appearances.” take on the com.au role, until she

FIVE MINUTES WITH CHRIS SAMMUT FROM

Repressed Records 413 King St, Newtown. repressedrecords.com

Who’s on the team at Repressed Records?

There’s me (Chris), Nic (who runs R.I.P Society), Damien the book dude and Saturday Sabina who’s in a band called The S-Bends.

What music do you specialise in?

Independent Australian music and anything interesting from around the world. On vinyl mainly.

We prefer championing the underdogs that will have some longevity to them and discovering exciting things for ourselves to pass onto customers.

Repressed is not only a music store, it’s become something of a community hub for the Newtown music scene. What are some of the cool things your staff and customers are up to at the moment?

I’m running the Repressed Records footy tipping comp (doing OK as well) and managing my son’s team. Nic is in bands like Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Ruined Fortune and perennially up the front at small shows. We’re thinking of launching a Repressed Records label, but more on that later. Henry Rollins loves us. Did you know that?

How does a record store ensure it can survive in the tough 21st century retail market?

Don’t be boring, and offer something unique and individual. Don’t pay $35 wholesale for single LP records. Get involved in helping local music and have a purpose and vision to what you’re about and

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don’t compromise on that.

Apart from the music you sell, what are some of the things your customers can check out at Repressed?

We have an excellent range of secondhand vinyl and books and we also stock T-shirts.

What’s been your most in-demand stock this year?

Tyrannamen, Royal Headache as always, Eddy Current Suppression is back in demand, The Drones’ new LP, King Gizzard, Terry.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16?

We’ll have some exclusive releases for the day (go to repressedrecords.com to check them out). We have three huge import shipments of new vinyl on their way now. Hundreds of second records to go out that I picked up in Japan. A collection of punk seven-inches to go out, both new and second-hand. Some rare second-hand stuff I’ve had stashed away and Newtown Social Club are giving us free beer vouchers to give away if you spend over $50 in here. Beer and vinyl are what dreams are made of.

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THE TEN MOST ESSENTIAL RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVES

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all the vinyl revolution a fad at your own peril. Despite digital dominance, physical media has made a surprising, significant comeback, and given that vinyl sales have gone from strength to strength, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Record Store Day 2016 is shaping up to be one of the biggest celebrations of that old shiny black stuff yet. The full list of exclusives is kind of overwhelming, so to help you out we’ve compiled a list of the ten releases you can’t miss. Read on and start saving up your pennies.

Beatdisc Records

What’s playing in store right now? American Football – American Football (1999, Polyvinyl Records)

Where: 11/181 Church St, Parramatta Website: beatdisc.com.au The team: Myself, Peter Curnovic (owner), Tom Houlahan (drums in Burlap/ Ted Danson With Wolves) and Mark Mihos (the new guy).

The history: Beatdisc opened in August 1995. Last year we celebrated 20 years of business from the same location in the Queensland Arcade, Parramatta. We’ve seen many record shops close over the years but we’ve stood the test of time, so far. A friend of ours made a short fi lm for our 20-year anniversary and it’s available to watch online.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? A lot of vinyl! We’ll have an excellent swag of RSD exclusive releases, hundreds of pre-owned vinyl hitting the racks from the archives, heavily discounted vinyl buckets, giveaways, possibly a limited edition Beatdisc T-shirt, and if we get time, a heap of preowned seven-inch singles hitting the racks.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? Almost every day we make the best discovery; if it’s not a rare Aussie prog record from the ’70s, it’s on a new release sheet and we’re always super excited to get it

Various Artists – Reloaded

Nothing beats supporting the local music scene and nabbing yourself a sweet album in the process. As both a tribute to The Velvet Underground’s Loaded and a taste of Sydney’s underrated alt-rock scene, Reloaded is an unmissable opportunity, featuring the likes of Salvador Dali Llama and Bad Valley. It’s the first exclusive Sydney RSD release brought to us by The Vintage Record and Montes Jura.

out in the racks for sale.

What’s the one record you argue over most? We don’t really argue over their records, but one of the most discussed bands and their many releases are King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. They already have a huge discography and each album has numerous pressings.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene?

At Beatdisc we’re seeing more and more people reconnecting to music with physical media and especially vinyl records.

We also have a great community around the store and with our all-ages in-store shows and punters supporting new local bands.

In our community there is huge support for smaller independent artists and there are a lot of passionate and dedicated musicians, promoters, indie label owners, record stores, venue owners and fans out there. It’s something we’re very proud to be a part of.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment?

Beatdisc tote bags, Bowie – Blackstar, Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfl y, Violent Soho – Waco, Ted Danson With Wolves – DTMWWWY… and Royal Headache – High.

Egg Records Where: 3 Wilson St, Newtown Website: eggrecords.com.au The team: Baz (me) the head egg, Stephen our fountain of knowledge, Nic the all-round legend.

The history: My brotherin-law Ric and I started Egg back in 2000. We have gone through many changes but we’re still here

and coming up on our sweet 16th year.

What’s playing in store right now? Wade Jackson – Whiskey Alpha Delta Echo, an excellent Australian album of great songs. And Ego, a great young Sydney dream-pop band.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? Hopefully some of the RSD goodies will arrive in time! Also we will be having bands on in store. At 2:15pm it’s Wade Jackson; 3pm Bible Studies; and 4pm Chewee – legend Nic Dalton’s new psychedelic masterpiece.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? Finding a copy of Extradition, which is a rare Australian folk-psych LP. What’s the one record you argue over most? The Velvet Underground & Nico.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene?

I don’t know about ‘dig’, but there needs to be more live music venues.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? I can never get enough copies of The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Mojo Rec ord Bar 73 York S t. S ydney

S A LE 10% O FF on all new vinyl 25% O FF on all sec ond hand vinyl

8am until 7pm A pril 16th

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Jay Reatard – Blood Visions (10th Anniversary RSD Bonus 7”) The world lost a true creative force when Jay Reatard passed away tragically in 2010 at the age of 29. Blood Visions is his masterpiece – a jangly collection of garage-pop tunes that sounds better than anything else produced in that genre since his death.

The Shaggs – ‘Sweet Maria’ and ‘The Missouri Waltz (Missouri State Song)’ 7” A pair of unheard singles from The Shaggs, the outsider artists Frank Zappa once described as “better than The Beatles”? Yes please.

Mojo Record Bar Where: 73 York St, Sydney Website: mojorecordbar.com The team: As of January this year it’s just myself (Daniel) running the store. We’ve also got Neal covering Saturdays.

Neal was here before me working part-time, but otherwise it’s a clean slate for Mojo this year.

The history: The store has changed owners and managers a few times over the past year or two – I’m not sure of the exact history but I’m here to stay hopefully!

What’s playing in store right now? Right this moment I’m playing Chelsea Wolfe; she’s an American artist who does pretty dark electric folky music.

I’ve been playing a lot of the new album by Melbourne band The Murlocs this week

though.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? We’re going to have a heap of limited RSD items, of course! We’re also doing a big sale on the day too – ten per cent off any new vinyl and 25 per cent off the secondhand stuff. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more details.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? Digging through crates turned out to be a great way to discover some of the more interesting areas of Japan, and I’m sure it’s a hobby that could take you around the world. As far as specific albums, finding an original copy of Joy Division’s

Unknown Pleasures was a very exciting day – cliché I know, but I love that record all the same.

What’s the one record you argue over most? Music discussions with my friends always seem to boil down to a heated debate over Kanye West’s credibility as an artist and the quality of his latest album. But one album that also comes to mind is Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart – I still haven’t quite “got” that album yet.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Bowie’s Blackstar is by far our best seller of the year so far, the demand has been insane.

After that, probably the new albums by Kendrick Lamar and Grimes.

Pearl Charles – Pearl Charles Pearl Charles might have dipped under your radar, but it shouldn’t have – the selftitled EP by the actress, model and singer is an endlessly cool, deliciously tactile collection of retro rock and pop songs.

Catch it the second time round.

Pacific Records Where: 1759A Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale Website: pacificrecords.com. au The team: It’s just me [Sven] and the invaluable help from my mate Grant.

The history: Opening and closing depending on my mood since 2001.

What’s playing in store right now? Thee Oh Sees.

The barber and dentist next door get to enjoy it as well.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? Just like every other day. Turn up late, sell a few records, drink beer and knock off early.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? A strip of LSD inside an original Frank Zappa record from 1969.

What’s the one record you argue over most? None.

When I smell it coming I run away.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene?

thebrag.com

It’s getting better and better.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment?

The LSD I found in that

Zappa record… just joking.

A lot of the current psych and garage bands are doing great but Bowie tops everything at the moment.

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Patti Smith – Horses Live At Electric Lady Studios

Metz/Mission Of Burma – ‘Good, Not Great’/‘Get Off’ 7”

In 2015, one of the most important US musicians of the last five decades took to the studio to re-record one of the most important US albums of the last five decades. This is the result.

Given Metz and Mission Of Burma share essential musical DNA, it’s appropriate that the incendiary bands have teamed up to cover each other. Two landmark groups for the price of one.

Hüsker Dü – ‘In A Free Land’ Given the troubled times we find ourselves in, Hüsker Dü’s paranoid brand of punk rock feels more relevant than ever. ‘In A Free Land’ has been out of print for over 30 years, making this a very welcome release indeed.

Resist Records

Revolve Records

Where: 294 King St, Newtown Website: resistrecords.com

Where: 65 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville Website: revolverecords.com.au

The team: Resist is a small team consisting of Graham Nixon and Mel Kraljevic.

The history: Resist has been operating since 1996 and in that time we have been in three different locations in Newtown.

What’s playing in store right now?

Blueline Medic – The Apology Wars How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? Other then stocking as many relevant RSD titles we can get our hands on, it will be business as usual for us.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? Face To Face – Don’t Turn Away LP on Dr Strange (it was later reissued on Fat).

What’s the one record you argue over most? If a customer asks my opinion on a title, I’ll give it, however I’m not going to argue with them about it. If they choose to spend their money on an album I don’t think is great, I’m not going to argue with them about it.

The team: The Revolve team is small but a very close-knit family. Jon and Trish have been the shop owners since its opening and have shaped the store to what it is now, a fun place to shop! The fantastic range in both records and antiques comes down to their great taste.

The history: The store was launched close to 12 years ago by Jon and Trish when the Erskineville area was in its genesis of change. The store is now nestled around some of the Newtown region’s best cafés and eateries. Come check it out!

What’s playing in store right now? We’re a huge supporter of 2SER in the shop, so playing now in the shop is Mighty Reel.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? We will have over 30 fresh ‘brand new second-hand’ albums coming in along with five crates of new imports and reissues. We have a stall outside in the

courtyard (surrounded by two cafés) on the day, along with new stock inside the shop.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? The $2 crates outside are pretty sick, especially when they’ve been refreshed.

I’ve found some super obscure exotica and funk outside over the years. Inside is just an Aladdin’s cave of epic proportions.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene? Its diversity. I like the fact that you’ll get someone who’s into punk buying a soul album from us, or a person into electronic who buys a jazz LP for the first time.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Bowie sales have been going off since his untimely passing. The man was an absolute genius, so anyone discovering him for the first time or rediscovering him again gets a gold star from us. Long live great music!

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene? Sydney’s always had a strong music scene – like any city it has its ups and downs, but there’s a lot of good young bands coming through so that always keeps things exciting.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Violent Soho – Waco

assortment of Revolve Records has an amazing tent $2 bins. second hand vinyl with very po

NEW ARRIVALS INSTORE DAILY with something for everyone

FROM ROCK TO CLUB. ns, Always buying record collectio call Jon on 0402141968.

OPEN:

MON-TUES 12PM-6PM WED-FRI 10AM-7PM SAT-SUN 10AM-6PM

ADDRESS:

SHOP 3/65 ERSKINEVILLE RD, ERSKINEVILLE PH: 9519 9978 / 1800626610

Like us on Facebook Shop online: REVOLVERECORDS.COM.AU 38 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

thebrag.com

The Feelies – Uncovered

Jittery, over-caffeinated legends The Feelies pay tribute to their heroes on this unmissable album, a collection of covers that features material from the likes of The Doors and Neil Young.

Jason Molina – The Townes Van Zandt Covers 7”

Giant Sand – The Sun Set (Vol. 1)

Jason Molina was one of the most talented songwriters of his generation. Townes Van Zandt was one of the most talented songwriters of his. Absolutely essential.

Giant Sand may not have achieved widespread commercial success over the course of their career, but who needs sales when you make music this good? Given the band formally broke up last year, this is your chance to celebrate/ mourn one of the very finest groups of modern times.

RPM Records Posters Memorabilia Where: 113 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville Website: rpmrecords.com.au The team: Owner Lizzie French is the latest newcomer to vinyl shop ownership but it was likely inevitable, being as she spent most of her high school years in Canada skipping school to hang out at the Bancroft Record and Game at the beginning of the ’80s! RPM sources new stock constantly from far and wide, making sure regular customers have rare new finds each visit.

We pride ourselves in having great taste in artists and a variety of the classics in many genres.

The history: RPM Records started from a dream of one day opening a record shop to having an awesome opportunity presented in June 2015 to partner with a former major music promoter and represent his collection, made up of items as far back as the 1980s – many rare one-offs and signed collectables. We are the ultimate destination for music-lovers. We have a large amount of vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and also music posters, books, T-shirts, and an impressive collection of framed vintage music and sports memorabilia

for sale. Something for every taste and budget.

to show you our shop, next to The Gasoline Pony.

What was the first record you sold? Bob Dylan, and he continues to be one of our biggest sellers.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene? The scene where we are is really happening – we’re right next door to a fantastic pub that has live music five nights so we stay open later than our normal 11am-7pm until 10pm on the weekends. Local and international musicians are often in the shop and there’s such an explosion of new vinyl buyers due to the popularity over the last few years.

What’s playing in store right now? A new unreleased songwriter called Steve Wernick from The Twisted Waltons (and formerly The Cleanskins). We should have his EP in stock by May/June but whenever we spin it, customers want to buy it, and so we are already taking preorders!

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? We are offering a ten per cent discount store-wide, and when you spend more than $100 we are giving you a free RPM T-shirt! We would love

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? David Bowie – Aladdin Sane What’s the one record you argue over most? What’s to argue about music? Now which pressing or country of origin one is, perhaps…

Sandy’s Music Where: 870 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why Website: facebook.com/sandysmusic The team: Sandy’s Music is a family business run by Nigel and Jenny Fry. The history: Nigel has been selling music on the Northern Beaches since 1973. His first business was Narrabeen Record Bar, which he sold in 1982. In 1976 we purchased Sandy’s Music at 870 Pittwater Road, Dee Why, and we are still here today. It has always been a family business.

What’s playing in store right now? At this very moment we are playing Valerie June’s

Pushin’ Against A Stone. Otherwise we are playing the new Mayer Hawthorne, triple j’s 40 Years Of Music, Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue or anything the customers request.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? We will be open at 8am and have RSD releases for the customers.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates?

Music!

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene? Is there one? I thought it disappeared with the pokies!

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Vinyl of all genres.

VINYL & CDS Supporting Australian Recorded Music since 1973 Thousands of Vinyl & CD titles to choose from including the new Record Store Day titles!

All genres!

Latest releases!

Local & imported stock!

Turntables with pre-amps Styli & cartridges

CNR OF OAKS AVE Next to Aussie Home Loans 870 PITTWATER ROAD DEE WHY…9982 7353 https://www.facebook.com/SandysMusic/ thebrag.com

BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 39

St Marys Sound Centre

The Vintage Record

Where: 116A Queen St, St Marys Website: smscountry.com.au

Where: 31A Parramatta Rd, Annandale Website: thevintagerecord.com The team: Well, there’s me (Phil), my wife Michelle, Tom (ex-Good Groove owner back in the day) and Dom (does all our digital stuff).

The team: A husband-andwife team of Steven and me (Cherrie).

The history: This store has been here for 45 years. We have owned it for 16 years from when CDs and DVDs were all the rage, through until now with the resurgence of vinyl.

Everything old is new again, as they say. We pride ourselves on our customer service. We have worked hard to ensure we have something for everyone.

From live performances in store (advertised through our St Marys Sound Centre Facebook page), CDs, DVDs and vinyl through to music memorabilia.

We also sell items online via our website, smscountry.com. au.

What’s playing in store right now? I am rotating between Nickelback’s Dark Horse and Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller, depending on what I’m working on in the shop.

The history: I bought the shop 11 years ago, we’re still here – amazing.

What’s playing in store right now?

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? At 11am, William Crighton will be in store performing and signing copies of his new CD. At 12pm, Kaylens Rain will be in store performing and signing copies of their new CD. We’re also doing 50 per cent off second-hand vinyl.

Buy any blues or jazz album and receive a free Eric Bibb T-shirt, and buy any classical CD/DVD to get a free promotional classical DVD.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates? Pat Drummond’s deleted vinyl Skool Daze.

What’s the one record you argue over most? All David Bowie albums. Steven and the family love Bowie while I like only a few of his songs.

How are you celebrating Record Store Day on April 16? By releasing our first LP, Reloaded – ten unsigned Sydney bands doing The Velvet Underground’s Loaded LP. We will also be putting out ten crates of US vinyl bought on our most recent record buying trip.

There will be a few other things but you will have to be in store to find out.

What’s the one record you argue over most? Led Zeppelin I. It gets five stars in most reviews, I’m still to be convinced.

What’s the best discovery you’ve ever made while digging through record crates?

Kind Of Blue mono original – been looking for that one for years.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Aussie bands from the late ’70s to the late ’80s.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene? It’s trying to reignite but certain regulations are making it harder than it should be.

What is it you dig about the Sydney music scene?

The variation of music types playing. You can go see blues, country, rock, pop, hip hop et cetera throughout the city. But I would love to see more live music brought back to the pubs and clubs, as this is where the artists’ talents grow. If you can survive the Australian pub scene you can survive anywhere.

What’s selling like hotcakes at the moment? Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind. Ray Hadley – Those Were The Days. Jason Aldean – Old Boots, New Dirt. It depends on the genre. We stock all music types, from hip hop and R&B to metal and country.

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If you have any If you have any CD’s, DVD’s or Vinyl you wish us to try to locate for you or an inquiry about an item just email stmarysound@bigpond.com and we will do our best to source item for you.

1759a Pittwater Road, Mona Vale STMARYSOUND.COM.AU OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK ST MARYS SOUND CENTRE

www.pacificrecords.com.au

OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri: 9am – 5pm, Sat: 9am – 2pm f facebook.com/pacificrecordsaustralia 40 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

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f facebook.com/pacificrecordsaustralia BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 41

live reviews What we've been out to see...

SARAH BLASKO, JACK COLWELL, LUPA J Enmore Theatre Friday April 8

If any Sarah Blasko fans are harbouring doubt over the new synth-soaked sound of Eternal Return, her Enmore performance stomps, romps and ’80s boogies all over it. This Aussie indie darling is as gracefully kick-arse as ever on the stage.

There’s a certain polish to seasoned solo musicians like Blasko; a sheen particularly noticeable alongside those not yet buffed by over a decade of performing experience.

Take supporting electro act Lupa J (AKA Imogen Jones), who conjures eerie Hitchcock-inspired soundscapes through lush, looping vocals, fidgety violins and fractured beats. Some serious production chops and musical maturity are evident in this 17-yearold’s set, but there’s still a fresh-faced nervousness that slips in between songs.

Multi-instrumentalist Jack Colwell, on the other hand, is confidence in overdrive, bursting from his keyboard during the first song to caress the hands of some confused punters in the front row. His big, brazen ballads are off-kilter (and a little off-key) but delivered with a theatrical intensity that either beguiles or bewilders.

Cue Sarah Blasko. She glides onto stage in an ’80s power suit – the perfect

embodiment of both professionalism and pizazz. Over the slippery synths and military snare of ‘I Am Ready’ she sings a lone smoky note, and we know, by God, she is ready.

She’s ready to boogie. Blasko sashays and stamps to the percussive snap and dizzying ditties of ‘Maybe This Time’ and the heffalump-plod of ‘No Turning Back’. (“Apologies to any tap dancers in the audience,” she says, “your art is about to get murdered!”)

She’s ready to explore both new and old terrain. The six synths and keyboards get a workout during fresh groovers like ‘Only One’, while a double bass and some carefully carved out a capella moments enable oldies ‘We Won’t Run’ and ‘All I Want’ to shine.

She’s ready to mesmerise. There’s a stripped-back rendition of ‘Here’, complete with delicate ukulele and haunting falsetto that so enchants the crowd, we momentarily forget to clap once it’s finished.

Most refreshingly, Blasko is ready to play, evident in an encore featuring Sydney drag icon Aaron Manhattan lipsyncing an ironic version of ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ in utterly fabulous glory.

New wave vibes, daggy dance moves and all, Blasko still posseses an effortless ability to enthrall. Best of all, she demonstrates serious musicianship while never taking herself too seriously.

Jennifer Hoddinett

DAUGHTER, FRACTURES Enmore Theatre Sunday April 10

There’s something about Fractures, the electronically inclined musical project of one Mark Zito, that doesn’t quite even out or add up. Perhaps it’s Vito’s betweensong banter, which may intend to be humorous but more often than not comes across as misplaced arrogance. Perhaps it’s the scatterbrained nature of the music itself, which goes from crescendo-laden highs to tinny, uninspired lows often within the same song. In either case, there’s not much consistency. That also means, however, that it’s difficult to make a judgement call. For every good point surrounding Vito’s music – here filled out by a competent duo on guitars/keyboards and drums, respectively – there will be something that detracts from it. Fractures, as a result, resides in a grey area and needs to find a way out of there.

The demand to see Daughter at one of only two shows being performed in Australia was so great that the originally sold-out Metro was upgraded to the twice-as-big Enmore Theatre. There are literally thousands of Sydneysiders who want to see Daughter live – at least, that’s what one would be led to reasonably believe. And yet (this is a pretty big ‘and yet’, too), there is a subset

Enmore Theatre Saturday April 9

Homecomings are always fraught with emotion, but for industry high-riders Gang Of Youths, there was only joy. “In March last year, we weren’t able to even fill out Goodgod Small Club,” said frontman Dave Leaupepe, and the audience of thousands packed into the Enmore roared back its admiration.

Before the Gang kicked off, local indie punks Spookyland let loose on the gathering crowd with more energy to offer than their successors, Day Wave, who

42 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

mellowed the room with lazy, sunny tracks that received a warm response.

But this was Gang Of Youths’ night, and everyone knew it. Triumphantly arriving to the tune of the Rocky II theme (and with Joji Malani proudly waving the Fijian flag), the five-piece looked comfortable, humble and as elated as the punters. With a simple raising of his hand, Leaupepe drew out every voice in the crowd for a hearty opening rendition of ‘Restraint & Release’.

From the stage, it must have been a hell of a sight – not many people dancing as wildly as Leaupepe, but a sea of enraptured faces, all tear-streaked and smiling. This was never more apparent

As far as Daughter themselves are concerned, they play capably and smartly. None of the aforementioned issues are their fault at all. The room is filled – on the rare occasion that the crowd ceases talking – with their layered, brooding style of indie rock, justifying the theatre upsize. New material from January’s Not To Disappear, such as ‘Doing The Right Thing’ and stunning opener ‘How’ serve as set highlights, as does a truly tender and heart-wrenching ‘Smother’, which could well be the standout rendition of the entire evening.

Vocalist Elena Tonra is overwhelmed at the size of the show itself, timidly thanking the audience for coming along.

If only said audience could extend Tonra and her bandmates the same respect.

Alas.

David James Young

INA CLARKE OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: KATR

EY MAR :: OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHL

GANG OF YOUTHS, DAY WAVE, SPOOKYLAND

of the audience that has come to this show with the sole intention of talking through the performance and waiting for the quietest moment of the quietest song to let out a “WOOOOOO!” Was there a miscommunication over how this show would work? Or have we truly reached such a level of disrespect to the artists we pay through the nose to see that we feel entitled to treat them as background noise to our all-important nattering?

than during ‘Knuckles White Dry’, performed solely by Leaupepe on the keyboard.

fans for “giving a shit” before ascending a speaker, dancing like Elvis or climbing into the crowd.

The few bodies moving gave nowhere near enough credit to the presence and power of Max Dunn and Dom Borzestowski’s fierce rhythm section, not to mention the shimmering keys of Jung Kim. Gang Of Youths are a band that has taken every lesson to heart, and their potency as a live act augments every strength of The Positions, a fine album to lay their hat on.

After the set closed with the rousing ‘Magnolia’, we knew we’d get one more.

Instead, we got three, and as we carried Leaupepe aloft in the final moments of ‘Vital Signs’, we all felt like he did – held up high on the swell of goodwill that brought us all here to be together.

The entire venue was overwhelmed with gratitude, from the audience held in sway to the band members themselves. Every chance he got, Leaupepe would thank the

It wasn’t just a homecoming for Gang Of Youths, but for all of us. Here, we could be open and proud of ourselves. Here, we were worth loving.

David Molloy

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Enmore Theatre Tuesday April 5

to see Green serenade the mic almost hands-free before whipping the guitar back on and rolling into a vigorous close.

With couples, lone romantics and music lovers all gathered before them, Dallas Green and the latest form of City And Colour returned to the Enmore stage for the second time amid their latest bunch of Australian shows. While Sydney may not have had an audience marriage proposal as Melbourne did, the magic certainly filled the theatre from the get-go.

As if symbolically, Green was then left solo and we were into the night’s next half, travelling back almost 11 years. One of the set’s few surprises was accompanied by audible crowd realisations a few bars in: ‘Hello, I’m In Delaware’ was slowed down, even more mellow and blue than ever, and cheers penetrated its pauses.

Presentation was paramount; the tidy, amp-filled stage left otherwise vacant before the room was bathed in lighting – sunset colours and twinkling lights all setting a cosy scene for what Green had in store. Making the Enmore feel akin to a Pinterest-worthy campsite setting among the Canadian Rockies (of course), the crisp drums of ‘Thirst’ sliced through the room and more recent tracks from 2013’s The Hurry And The Harm and last year’s If I Should Go Before You dominated proceedings.

Mumbling barely more than five dry words before each song, Green’s captivating vocals commanded the “few mid-tempo sad songs” that followed.

Blissful sing-alongs and communal harmonies across the audience ensued thanks to ‘Lover Come Back’, ‘Waiting…’ and ‘Sleeping Sickness’.

Without saying more than a ‘thank you’, Green and his crew neatly powered through the first half of the evening. After cycling through his Fender Jazzmaster, Gibson guitars and custom Martin acoustic, Green then put them all aside as that lighting rained down for ‘Killing Time’. Popping his signature hat, and with shaker in hand, it was a dynamic scene

As the lights dimmed and the audience hummed with adoring chatter, a bursting encore impressively covered City And Colour’s full range with apparent ease.

From ‘Woman’ to ‘Comin’ Home’, ‘The Girl’, ‘Fragile Bird’, ‘Body In A Box’ and finally ‘Little Hell’, it took a special few like Green and friends to make this transition across 11 years of tales so smooth.

Keeping things as magic and intimate as ever, irrespective of the size of the room, City And Colour left the stage to buzz and grins aplenty.

Emily Gibb

live at the sly

PICS :: DC

CITY AND COLOUR

up all night out all week . . .

07:04:16 :: Slyfox :: 199 Enmore Rd Enmore 9557 2917

LOW, MIKE NOGA, JEP AND DEP Factory Theatre Friday April 8

The understated and the underwhelming lie hazardously close to one another.

After all, not much separates a gentle suggestion and a whimper – except perhaps conviction.

Jep And Dep opened the evening, doing a kind of muted Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra routine. Though their music was certainly pleasant, there was something quaint about their sound. It was more musical wallpaper than anything else – decorative and paper-thin.

But the mood in the room perceptibly changed as soon as Mike Noga took to the stage. A tambourine beneath his heel, Noga spat out stories and songs with equal amounts of conviction. His choruses were like bracken breaking, his harmonica solos like a stick dragged across a chainlink fence. A version of ‘Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings’ removed tongue from cheek and transformed Father John Misty’s stylised remove into a kind of desperation. “Jesus Christ girl,” Noga sang, his voice filling the room. “Jesus Christ.” Everything rang true, everything worked, and in many ways the night belonged as much to him as it did to Low.

That’s not to understate the prowess of the headline act, however. Low have spent the majority of their career making magic out of absence, and their live show added a palpable sense of urgency to their quiet horror and quieter still beauty. Each song nailed the audience to a time, a place, a feeling, and even the band’s newer material echoed through the space like an ornament shattering.

‘No Comprende’ hinged on a chorus that sprung open like a hangman’s trapdoor, and ‘Gentle’ was transformed into something essential by Mimi Parker’s heartbreaking voice. She has the power to make every lyric sound like a confession, every chorus a prayer.

Though they barely moved, and spoke to the audience sparingly, there was something intensely theatrical about their performance. Footage shot out the windows of cars and planes took up the entirety of the wall behind them, as fitting a backdrop as could be imagined. After all, Low’s music is all about something being gained. Ground being covered.

“Thanks,” Alan Sparhawk muttered towards the end of the set. “This has been fun.” Parker nodded. And then they launched into their final song, together, and with conviction.

Joseph Earp

EY MAR :: OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHL

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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week The Proclaimers

THURSDAY APRIL 14

SATURDAY APRIL 16

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Matt Corby Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8:15pm. $69.

PJ Orr + The Lost Husky The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

The Wiggles Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10am. $27.90.

Craig Nicholls Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $33.

Harbourview Hullabaloo - feat: Russel Neal + Violet Nights + Jo Thomas + Kenneth D’Aran + Simon Marrable + Will Raftery Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm.

Free.

Lazybones Acoustique Lounge - feat: Katie Rosewood + Mike Rein + Mel & Jade + I Am Mordechai + Carmen Lysiak + My Sisco Electro Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $10.

Mark N’ The Blues Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

8:30pm. Free.

Peasant Moon + Reuben & Eliot + Chris Porter & Pete Yates The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Sydney Opera House

The Proclaimers 8pm. $55.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 13 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Songwriting Society Of Australia Showcase - feat: John Chesher + Gavin Fitzgerald + Russel Neal Old Fitzroy Hotel,

A Tribute To Manolis Chiotis And Mary Linda Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $30.

Devil On The Rooftop Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10.

Live & Original @ Lazy Bones - feat: Lucas Hendriks + Rob Demasi + Cleon Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $10.

Sufi Soul Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7pm. $30.

Woolloomooloo.

7:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS In Stereo Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 1pm. $35.10.

Jim Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. Free.

Julianne Disisto + Joseph Calderazzo Rock Lily, Pyrmont.

7:30pm. Free.

Live & Original @ Lazy Bones - feat: Lucas Hendriks + Cleon + Rob De Maasi Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm.

Free.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Luke Aaron Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7:30pm.

Free.

Bin Juice + Ego The White Horse, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free.

Blake Tailor Hornsby Inn, Hornsby.

8pm. Free.

El Dinero Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Glen Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

Heads Of Charm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown. 9pm. Free.

Hurst + Capital Coast + Bears With Guns + Rhiannon Kate Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm.

Free.

In Stereo Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 1pm. $35.10.

Jed Zarb Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 7pm.

Free.

Lazy Thinking Presents - feat: Golden Girls + Lekias + The Seaport & The Airport Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. $10.

Live At The Sly feat: Lyre Birdland + Wallace + Ines Slyfox, Enmore.

7:30pm. Free.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Michael Gorham Crown Hotel, Sydney.

4:30pm. Free.

Nomadic Vibes - feat: The Crimson Horror + Tracing Lines + Postmentalist + Bluntz Kush Endo Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Sticky Fingers Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50.

Strawberry Hills Presents - feat: Tyler Rivers + Varno + Prema Smith + Dave Mullan Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30am. $10.

Ted Nash

Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 7:30pm.

Free.

The Murlocs + Crepes Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $23.10.

FRIDAY APRIL 15 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Claire Anne Taylor + The Button Collective The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm. $16.50.

Mike Scala Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

9pm. Free.

The Ozskas Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Asking Alexandria UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7pm. $59.90.

Big Way Out Penrith RSL, Penrith.

9pm. Free.

Bill Kacir Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm.

Free.

Blake Tailor Trio Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 8:30pm.

Free.

Brothers 3 Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 7:30pm. $30.

Caligula’s Horse Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.

Diesel Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 8pm. $50.

Dragon Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club, Hurlstone Park. 8pm. $30.

Dylan Wright Brass Monkey,

Cronulla. 8pm. $50.

Evie Dean Club Liverpool, Liverpool. 5:30pm.

Free.

Heads Of Charm + Rackett + Dom Alessio Vs Hunch + Dom O’Connor DJs + Money For Nothing DJs Waywards, Newtown.

9pm. Free.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Mesa Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby.

8:30pm. Free.

Montaigne Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18.

Oh Pep! Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $17.90.

Ripened Records - feat: Rooms + Bad Pony + All My Alien Sex Friends + Rookie + Bly + Nonne Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $10.

Ryan Enright Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. Free.

Sarah McLeod The Vanguard, Newtown. 6pm. $20.

Shannon Noll Wyong Leagues Club, Kanwal. 8pm. $40.

Sons Of Zion Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40.

Sticky Fingers Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50.

The Go Set Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

The Modern Glitch + The Marquis Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

7pm. Free.

They Call Me Bruce Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free.

Top Novil + Blind Man Death Stare + Nerdlinger + The Great Awake + Tiger Can Smile Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm.

five things WITH

ARNE HEERES FROM MAGNUS Growing Up My dad had never been allowed to play 1. guitar and he ended up building them (as a hobby) instead. One night, when I was about nine, he just finished one and was trying it out.

That was the moment I decided I had to learn to play guitar. Growing up in a town where there wasn’t much happening, it was such a great escape, listening and playing along to music to create something that is your own world. I haven’t stopped escaping since.

Inspirations I was lucky enough to run into one of my 2. favourite musicians, Josh Homme, by chance last year. I love the way he approaches music by writing and brilliantly producing songs that go wherever they need to go without falling into repetition. By far the biggest influence, however, are The Doors – both musically and lyrically.

Their songs are poetic, weird, sometimes carnivalesque, dark… the L.A. Woman album especially is a masterpiece.

Your Band I reckon bands are strange things – 3. unstable, organic, uncertain. Everything has to come together somehow to form an entity that surpasses just being a bunch of people playing instruments. We’re an odd bunch as well; an

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Italian as the animal on the drums, a GreekAustralian on bass and an awkwardly-taller-thanthe-other-two Dutchman on guitar and vocals.

The Music You Make We describe it as “oddly timed stoner jazz 4. rock with a dash of goth”. Which really is the only way to describe the mix of moods and styles we incorporate. To me, restricting yourself to one style is like slapping yourself in the face with a wet fish – it gets boring pretty quickly. Life isn’t that one-dimensional either. Of course it all has to flow and stick together somehow, but we’re not afraid to take it where it needs to go. Also, I can’t seem to write a happy song.

Music, Right Here, Right Now For a long while, apathy and lousy 5. musicianship reigned. I think the mainstream is getting a little rockier, edgier now. That might be wishful thinking. There are some great venues that try to keep the live music scene going, though. Someone needs to invent a teleportation thingy so one can see more music on one night.

What: I out now independently Where: Frankie’s Pizza When: Wednesday April 20

thebrag.com

g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com $10.

SATURDAY APRIL 16 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Manouche Wednesday - feat: Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

Rebecca Moore + Mike Caen The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $24.30.

Round Mountain Girls The Music Lounge, Brookvale. 7:30pm. $18.

Satellite V The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Deep Heat + Shrapnel + Aloha Units + Delivery Boys Blackwire Records, Annandale. 8pm. $10.

Deradoorian Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $25.

GANGgajang + Warren H. Williams The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $34.50.

Good Boy Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $5.

Housefox Fest 2016 - feat: Hard-Ons + Rust + Black Rheno + Gutter Tactic + Coffin + Keystone Red Gazelle + The Hollerin Sluggers + Uncanny Decoy + The Desert Sea Caravano + Aureus + The Shadez + The Iron Horses + Zach Odgers + The East Coast Low Narrabeen RSL, North Narrabeen.

12pm. Free.

Jamie Lawson Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $60.20.

Katcha Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

9:30pm. Free.

Rare Finds 1st Birthday - feat: Deep Sea Arcade + Lime Cordiale + Owen Rabbit + Good Boy + Hedge Fund + Lily & The Bellows + Billy Fox + Ross Henry + Drae Leighton + Rare Finds DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. $18.

Sticky Fingers Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50.98.

The Proclaimers Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $55.

Trivium UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 8pm. $62.19.

UTSC 8 Metal Fest - feat: Earth Rot + Order Of Chaos + Whisky Smile + The Levitation Hex + Daemon Pyre + Voros + Segression + Bastardizer + Darker Half +

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Blackhelm + Miazma + Metaltower + Nullifer + Exordium Mors Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

12pm. $23.60.

Venom Clubnight - feat: Breaking Point + I Digress + Double Chamber + Chillaum + Liberties Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

Wednesday 13 Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $54.

When Saturday Comes + Fabels + Red Zora Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $15.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Anna Salleh Foundry616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $27.50.

Grace Barbé + Declan Kelly And The Rising Sun Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

Jazz Nouveau + Juliane Di Sisto Bankstown Sports Club, Bankstown.

8:30pm. Free.

The Smokey Berets The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5.

SUNDAY APRIL 17 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Live Music Sundays - feat: Sydney Blues Society Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

Ricardo Steyer Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7:30pm. Free.

Songsonstage feat: Russel Neal + Lucy Tiger + Kenneth D’Aran + Steve Lojewski Surrey Club Hotel, Redfern. 2pm. Free.

Stormcellar Shady Pines, Darlinghurst. 6pm.

Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Jazz & Shiraz Sundays Northies Cronulla Hotel, Sydney. 1pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dead + MoE + Thorax + Defektro Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Hawthorne Heights + Mest Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

3pm. $38.90.

Imogen Clark Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 6pm. Free.

up all night out all week...

Deradoorian Matt Corby

WEDNESDAY APRIL 13 Jim Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

6pm. Free.

Los Romeos Oxidados + Secret Suburbs + Adam Lowe The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7.

Scorcher Fest Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $20.

Sunday Sundown feat: Mansionair + Yuma X + CC:Disco The Newport, Newport. 3:30pm.

Free.

The Banter Junkies + Jo Thomsas + Dinch + Hibernia + Matty Effin Morrison Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $5.

The Mighty Surftones Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm.

Free.

The Stranglers Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $85.20.

With Confidence + Harbours Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 1pm. $23.10.

MONDAY APRIL 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Paul Mbenna & The Okapi Guitar Band Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham.

5pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

The Monday Jam The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK John Maddox Duo

Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

Live & Original At The Corridor - feat: Ben Lattimore + Gene Gibson + Nic Cassey + Eucharist Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

Songsonstage feat: Russel Neal + Kenneth D’Aran + Excelsia College Students Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7:30pm.

Free.

TUESDAY APRIL 19 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sunset Jazz Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 6pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Bucket Lounge Presents – Live & Originals Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

Josh Groban Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $132.50.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

Natasha Stuart + Joseph Calderazzo Tokio Hotel, Sydney.

7pm. Free.

Matt Corby Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8:15pm. $69.

PJ Orr + The Lost Husky The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

THURSDAY APRIL 14 Bin Juice + Ego The White Horse, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free.

Craig Nicholls Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $33.

Hurst + Capital Coast + Bears With Guns + Rhiannon Kate Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm.

Free.

Peasant Moon + Reuben & Eliot + Chris Porter & Pete Yates The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.

Sticky Fingers Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50.

The Murlocs + Crepes Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $23.10.

FRIDAY APRIL 15 Asking Alexandria UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7pm. $59.90.

Caligula’s Horse Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.

Montaigne Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18.

Oh Pep! Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $17.90.

SATURDAY APRIL 16 Deradoorian Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $25.

GANGgajang + Warren H. Williams The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.50.

Grace Barbé + Declan Kelly And The Rising Sun Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

Housefox Fest 2016 - Feat: Hard-Ons + Rust + Black Rheno + Gutter Tactic + Coffin + Keystone Red Gazelle + The Hollerin Sluggers + Uncanny Decoy + The Desert Sea Caravano + Aureus + The Shadez + The Iron Horses + Zach Odgers + The East Coast Low Narrabeen RSL, North Narrabeen. 12pm.

Free.

Jamie Lawson Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $60.20.

Rare Finds 1st Birthday - Feat: Deep Sea Arcade + Lime Cordiale + Owen Rabbit + Good Boy + Hedge Fund + Lily & The Bellows + Billy Fox + Ross Henry + Drae Leighton + Rare Finds DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. $18.

Trivium UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 8pm. $62.19.

Wednesday 13 Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $54.

SUNDAY APRIL 17 Dead + MoE + Thorax + Defektro Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

The Stranglers Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $85.20.

With Confidence + Harbours Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 1pm. $23.10.

Sons Of Zion Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40.

TUESDAY APRIL 19

The Go Set Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

Josh Groban Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $132.50.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Bandsonstage Ruby Tuesday feat: Dale Cosatto + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. Free.

Songsonstage feat: Stuart Jammin + Guests Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 8pm.

Free.

Bin Juice

BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 45

brag beats dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin, Elias Kwiet and James Di Fabrizio

five things WITH

Flume

KAVEH SOROUSH FROM PLEASUREKRAFT they’re nowhere near as cool as their music, but I won’t spill the beans here – but it’s proof that sometimes it’s best not to meet your idols!

The Music You Make 4.

And Play Current producers whose stuff regularly finds its way into my sets include Tiger Stripes, Weska, Traumer AKA Roman Poncet AKA Mod3rn and Pig & Dan. Basically all guys who, while you can lazily categorise them into the ‘techno’ genre, all have such a unique style which make their tunes instantly recognisable. Quite a feat in this day and age with so many labels and producers releasing music with absolutely no quality control.

Music, Right Here, 5.

Right Now I think it’s an incredibly exciting time

Growing Up 1.

Listening to music in public was completely forbidden in Iran

Your Crew 3.

I used to work in the wine industry before I ended up touring

where I lived as a child (especially Western music). The first piece of electronic music I heard that I fell in love with was Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygen album. Still groundbreaking to listen to!

the world DJing! I got into DJing through a friend of mine who owned a couple of vinyl decks, and eventually I got the bug and spent entirely too much time and money buying vinyls which are now sitting in storage collecting dust. These are my fave DJs to play and generally spend time with, as I love them as much as I love their music: Sian, Carlo Lio, Tiger Stripes, Stephan Bodzin and Thomas Gandey.

There’s a much longer list of DJs who I regret meeting because

Inspirations So many different ones to 2. name but I’m going to focus on my non-dance music inspirations: Tool, Van Hunt, Daniel Lanois (producer), Tom Waits, A Tribe Called Quest, Deftones, The Naked And Famous.

in music. Production technology has advanced so much that anyone can put the time in to get their productions out. While this certainly has created an ocean of mediocre and sub-mediocre music, it’s also enabled people that are deserving of the respect to come into the limelight. I unfortunately don’t get to attend as many shows as I would like with the tour schedule, however seeing Kink live (again) is always an inspirational experience. He has so much incredible music and such magnetic energy!

What: S.A.S.H By Night Where: Home Nightclub When: Sunday April 17

A SECOND SKIN

The hottest property in Australian dance music, Flume, is back in business. Late last week, the 24-year-old producer and remixer otherwise known as Harley Streten – in the midst of preparations for his Coachella appearances – shared some massive news with his mailing list subscribers, revealing details of his second album, Skin. The record will be out on Future Classic on Friday May 27. And for those who think the end of May is too far away, Flume unveiled the free download of ‘Wall Fuck’, one of the songs on the record. Keen ears will recognise the track from Flume’s Laneway Festival set in February, and as far as a teaser of the new album goes, it has us hooked.

THEY LIKE TO PARTY

European dance-pop legends Vengaboys are set to hit Sydney.

They’ll be packing the Vengabus with certifi ed hits including ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!’, ‘We Like To Party’, ‘Shalala Lala’, ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’ and ‘Up & Down’. Joining them will be an impressive retro party lineup including the likes of Tina Cousins, Crystal Waters, DJ Sammy, Whigfi eld, Sonique and Joanne. The Big Top, Luna Park show on Saturday November 5 sold out almost immediately, so a second date on Sunday November 6 has been added.

A GUIDE TO SURVIVAL

If you were lost in the desert with only a small bottle of water and a compass, how would you survive? It sounds like the type of job for a Discovery Channel survival expert. OK, so DJ and producer Bear Grillz might not be able to help you there. But when it comes to navigating the dancefloor, this guy (or should that be animal?) has you covered. He’ll headline a big night at Chinese Laundry this Friday April 15 alongside Royalston and Contra, and they’ll all be joined by locals like Samrai, Goldbrixx, Sippy, Gilletene, Mr. Pink, Heartless and BTTRS. If you can bear to stand all that bass, we’ll see you there.

Spit Syndicate

party profile

the argyle’s 9th birthday weekend

THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER

Following a jam-packed few years, Spit Syndicate will celebrate the release of the first single from their new album with a huge national tour. Produced by acclaimed producer Styalz Fuego, ‘Know Better’ is the first release from Spit Syndicate’s upcoming record. With three releases, an ARIA nomination and several sold-out tours under their belt, Spit Syndicate have established themselves as one of the most respected hip hop acts in the country. Ahead of their new full-length, Spit Syndicate will play Come Together Festival on Saturday June 11 at the Big Top, Luna Park.

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It’s called: The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend It sounds like: Future house, club anthems and R&B Acts: Throttle, The Faders, Minx, Glover, Tass, Lavida and many more!

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Thrott le – ‘Waiting (Original Mix)’; Odd Mob – ‘Into You’; Jauz – ‘Rock The Party’ And one you definitely won’t: Shannon Noll – ‘What About Me’ Sell it to us: To celebrate almost a decade of epic nights, amazing DJs and that certain Argyle je ne sais quoi, we’re throwing open the doors to a weekend-long, full-venue shindig to celebrate The Argyle’s ninth birthd ay. Enter the secret garden and escape the ordinary: the entire venue is being transformed into a dreamlike, electr ified secret garden where you can escape the mundane and music take over. Think electric floral landscapes let the , performers, nymph-like dancers and vine-covere roaming d hidden corners. And let’s not forget the music…

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Our stateof-the-art performers and production tied in with a sneak y selfie with Throttle.

Crowd specs: 20- to 30-year-olds.

Wallet damage: Free entry on guest list before 9pm. $20+ thereafter Where: The Argyle (18 Argyle St, The Rocks ) When: Friday April 15 – Saturday April 16

thebrag.com

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

Throttle Waiting No More By Joseph Earp

Half High

EARS HAVE EARS LIVE

The second instalment of FBi Radio’s Ears Have Ears Live will feature Melbourne drone duo Half High and guest speaker Nic Warnock. Following on from its inaugural instalment last month, which featured Marcus Whale and Pia van Gelder, EHE Live will host Lucy Phelan (NOTV, Knitted Abyss) and Matthew P. Hopkins (NOTV) as Half High, and broadcast their set live to air on 94.5FM during the regular Ears Have Ears slot. Their semi-improvised experimental soundtrack made exclusively for Ears Have Ears Live is set to deliver a damaged form of ambience through meditative synth lines, tape manipulation and a wide range of electronics. Joining Half High for an in-depth discussion will be R.I.P Society’s DIY enthusiast, Warnock. Ears Have Ears Live #2 happens Thursday April 28 at FBi Radio’s live space in Alexandria. To RSVP, email your full name to live@fbiradio. com with the subject header “EHE-Live – Half High”.

The Upbeats

A

lot of things have changed for Robbie Bergin. This week, the 19-year-old producer and DJ behind the Throttle moniker will play a muchanticipated set at The Argyle, but it wasn’t all that long ago that he was having slight altercations with the venue’s staff.

“I came up [to Sydney] for Stereosonic,” Bergin says. “I wasn’t playing, but I came up. A few friends of mine took me to [The Argyle]. I was still wearing shorts from the festival, so it was a nightmare getting me in. It wasn’t too bad, but security were like, ‘Nah, fuck off,’ and my friends were like, ‘Nah, he’s [going to] be playing here!’”

KEEP IT UPBEAT

Courtney Act and Conchita Wurst photo by Jeffrey Feng Photography

New Zealand DnB enfants terrible The Upbeats are hopping across the ditch for a sixdate Australian tour next month. Childhood friends Terror Snake and Downie Wolf have been making music together for some 15 years, and their high-velocity bass music belies the sometimes sleepier surrounds of their home country. Collaborations with countrymen like Shapeshifter (for whom The Upbeats produced a full-length record) have grown into shared productions with international stars like Bad Company and Bassnectar. You better believe it’ll be an upbeat set at Chinese Laundry on Friday May 20.

The anecdote neatly encapsulates the stage Bergin’s career is at – though he might not yet be a household name, he is moving from strength to strength at a rapid pace. A lot of that comes down to his incredible work ethic – his touring schedule would make a less committed performer go a little green. “[I’m] pretty much touring non-stop all year,” he says. “I’ll be heading to the States all of May. Then back to Australia for a couple of weeks. Then back to the States. Then Europe … It’s pretty tiring.

Especially when my agent books an 8am hotel call the next day,” he laughs.

Yellow Claw

HAVE MERCY ON US

Barong Family’s flagship group Yellow Claw have announced a series of Blood For Mercy Tour dates in Australia this June. The trio’s debut album, Blood For Mercy, landed only last year, but has already catapulted them to international renown. From their roots in trap production and DJing, the Dutchmen have expanded via their weekly spot at Amsterdam’s Jimmy Woo nightclub to bring dancers varied flavours of hip hop and EDM. Yellow Claw’s world-beating single ‘Shotgun’ has scored an astounding 79 million plays online, and they’re just coming off a closing slot at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. Yellow Claw and their guest Mike Cervello will be at the Metro Theatre on Sunday June 12.

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Even more impressively, performing live is still a relatively new experience for Bergin. “Honestly, I haven’t done much of it,” he says. “I performed a little bit with a guitar as a kid, just in school things.

But the touring has only really kicked off now. The US tour was my first real run of shows … I’m loving it, but it’s all really new to me.”

Luckily, Bergin got a chance to learn from one of the best. He toured the US alongside Oliver Heldens, the Dutch DJ and producer whose house track ‘Gecko’ cracked the charts and

has chalked up almost 15 million hits on YouTube.

“The [Heldens shows were] pretty full-on,” says Begin. “It’s two-and-a-half thousand people looking at you. But I love that. That was awesome.”

Though Bergin and Heldens first got in contact with one another years ago, it was a while before the pair finally began work on their collaborative track, ‘Waiting’. “We’d been chatting online for maybe two, three years prior to talking about doing a track together,” Bergin says. “We got in touch about the time he released ‘Gecko’ and that was when I did the remix of Avicii … We were both big fans of each other.”

Perhaps aptly, given its title, the writing of ‘Waiting’ was a lengthy, drawn-out process, one that Bergin wasn’t quite used to. “I think [Heldens] had a couple of weeks off in the studio,” he says. “But it took about six months all up to write the song.

Maybe it was even a year from when I first started with the idea to when it wrapped up. We worked almost entirely online. And then we met up in LA last October. That was when we fully fi nished it. But until then it was 100 per cent online.”

Though the long-distance working relationship was one Bergin found sometimes difficult (“We don’t work on the same program,” he says, “so it was pretty tricky”), the end result is something Bergin is immensely proud of. “It was weird, but you make a few changes [to a song] and then you hear it played out at one of the biggest dance festivals in the world. [That’s] cool.”

The story is very different when Bergin works by himself. He takes pleasure in getting songs out quickly, writing and recording almost in an impressionistic manner.

“Some tracks come together in one or two days. [They] are always the

best tracks, I fi nd. ‘Waiting’ came out great, but that was way slower. Recently, the best ones I’ve been making are the ones I’ve been fi nishing in two or three days max.”

It seems as though nothing quite beats the experience of making music for Bergin – he sounds almost giddy when asked about his creative process. “Especially with the remixes, I’ll do four or fi ve versions before I settle on something,” he says excitedly. “Usually I’ll do something, and then make another change, and then make another change, and then delete the first thing and end up with something totally different than what I started with. It ends up sounding nothing like how I thought it would.”

Though Bergin has always had a strong cult following, recently he found himself on the receiving end of a very special fan’s affections. US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton used Throttle’s ‘Together’ in one of her campaign videos, a massive boon to an emerging artist looking to break out in North America.

Bergin laughs when the story is brought up – the whole situation evidently still feels more fantastical than anything else. “That was nuts,” he says. “That was out of nowhere as well. That track we thought had done its dash months before. Then someone from her team emailed my manager and then the whole story blew up.”

There’s only one question left, really – has Bergin managed to meet up with the one and only Hillary just yet? “I haven’t,” he says, sounding almost disappointed. “I think we invited her to the show when we were in D.C. but to no avail.” He laughs.

“Probably a long shot.”

What: The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend Where: The Argyle When: Friday April 15

BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 47

club guide g

club picks p up all night out all week...

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Adi Toohey

Boathouse Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. $20.

R&B DJs By The Greens Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville.

4pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS

FRIDAY APRIL 15

Xxx

Slyfox

Heavenly Dances Beautiful Swimmers + Adi Toohey + Sydney Pony Club 9pm. $27.50.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 13 HIP HOP & R&B Justice Crew + Fletcher Pilon The Juniors, Kingsford. 7:30pm. $40.

CLUB NIGHTS Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free.

The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY APRIL 14 HIP HOP & R&B

Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

Mixed Tape - feat: DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 4pm.

Free.

The Thursday Jive - feat: Nukewood + And Friends Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

XO Thursdays Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm.

Free.

FRIDAY APRIL 15 HIP HOP & R&B Downtown Funk - feat: C’Man + Adverse + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills.

4pm. Free.

El Sol Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. $15.

Justice Crew + Fletcher Pilon + Kookies N Kream Mounties, Mount Pritchard. 7:30pm. $40.

CLUB NIGHTS Acid Tannins Dance - feat: Mike Who +

48 :: BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16

Anno Cake Wines Cellardoor, Redfern.

5pm. Free.

Bassic - feat: Bear Grillz + Royalston Contra + Samrai + Goldbrixx + Sippy + Gilletene + Mr. Pink + Heartless + Bttrs Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28.

Blvd Fridays - feat: Matt Watkins Marquee, Pyrmont.

10pm. $13.40.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm.

Free.

Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks.

5pm. Free.

Friday Frothers feat: DJ Babysham + DJ Jesse Sewell Side Bar, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Fridays At Zeta Zeta Bar, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Harbour Club - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm.

Free.

Harbour Club Fridays The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm.

Free.

Heavenly Dances - feat: Beautiful Swimmers + Adi Toohey + Sydney Pony Club + The

Heavenly Jocks Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. $27.50.

Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm.

Free.

Jauz Metro Theatre, Sydney. 10pm. $34.95.

Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney.

5pm. Free.

Marti Smith Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Student DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm.

Free.

The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend feat: Throttle The Argyle, The Rocks. 9pm. $20.

The City Knock Off - feat: DJ Just1 + King Lee + Samrai Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

SATURDAY APRIL 16 HIP HOP & R&B

Dillon Francis

Bassic - Feat: Bear Grillz + Royalston Contra + Samrai + Goldbrixx + Sippy + Gilletene + Mr. Pink + Heartless + Bttrs Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $28.

El Sol Plan B Small Club, Sydney.

9pm. $15.

Jauz Metro Theatre, Sydney. 10pm. $34.95.

The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend - Feat: Throttle The Argyle, The Rocks. 9pm. $20.

SATURDAY APRIL 16 C.U Saturday - Feat: Elijah Scadden + Harry Sanger + Bronx + Bodywork + Cdinc + Robbie Lowe + Murat Kilic Civic Underground, Sydney.

9pm. $22.10.

Dillon Francis Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 9pm. $65.50.

Foxlife - Feat: Jona + Dean Relf + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10.

House Of Marquee - Feat: Tigerlily Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $31.80.

Lndry - Feat: Alex Niggemann + Lo’99 Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $22.90.

Something Else - Feat:

Systrum + Leoch + Shivers* + Somersault + The Underground Slum + Robbie Lowe + Garth Linton Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

10pm. $16.50.

The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend - Feat: The Faders + Minx + Glover The Argyle, The Rocks. 9pm. $20.

The Sweet Escape - Feat: Stereogamous Imperial Hotel, Erskineville.

9pm. Free.

SUNDAY APRIL 17 S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Jona + Jake Hough + DCW + Just G Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 2pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Pleasurekraft + Apro + Franchi Bros + Kaiser Waldon + Radiator + James Cripps + Mitchell Parkinson + Alessio Latino + Significant Others + Matt Weir Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $15.

Tigerlily

Erskineville. 9pm.

Free.

SUNDAY APRIL 17 CLUB NIGHTS Beresford Sundays - feat: DJs On Rotation Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 3pm.

Free.

Ben Drayton 77, Darlinghurst. 8pm.

Free.

S.A.S.H By Day feat: Jona + Jake Hough + DCW + Just G Greenwood Hotel,

North Sydney. 2pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night feat: Pleasurekraft + Apro + Franchi Bros + Kaiser Waldon + Radiator + James Cripps + Mitchell Parkinson + Alessio Latino + Significant Others + Matt Weir Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour.

9pm. $15.

Shady Sundays Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 5pm.

Free.

Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

Somatik + Anthony Toomey Manly Wharf Hotel,

Manly. 8pm. Free.

MONDAY APRIL 18 CLUB NIGHTS I Love Mondays Side Bar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

TUESDAY APRIL 19 CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. thebrag.com

Adi Toohey photo by Erik Bergan

Lord Finesse & Large Professor + Boogie Blind Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $50.

Justice Crew + Fletcher Pilon Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville.

7:30pm. $40.

CLUB NIGHTS

Argyle Saturdays feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

C.U Saturday - feat: Elijah Scadden + Harry Sanger + Bronx + Bodywork + Cdinc + Robbie Lowe + Murat Kilic Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $22.10.

Dillon Francis Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 9pm. $65.50.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm.

Free.

Foxlife - feat: Jona + Dean Relf + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore.

10pm. $10.

Frat Saturdays feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney.

7:30pm. Free.

Graham M And Husky Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

Honey - feat: Ariane + Br00klyn Queenz + Sezzo Snot + (Music) + G Coo Tokyo Sing Song, Newtown. 10pm.

Free.

House Of Marquee feat: Tigerlily Marquee, Pyrmont.

10pm. $31.80.

Lndry - feat: Alex Niggemann + Lo’99 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.90.

Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney.

10pm. $25.

Mona Saturdays feat: Local DJs Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm.

Free.

My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks.

8pm. Free.

Pacha - feat: Purple Disco Machine Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.

Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney.

8:30pm. Free.

Soda Saturdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Something Else - feat: Systrum + Leoch + Shivers* + Somersault + The Underground Slum + Robbie Lowe + Garth Linton Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50.

Spirals + Low Key Austin + Kid Fiction + Saffron Mash Play Bar, Surry Hills.

5pm. Free.

The Argyle’s 9th Birthday Weekend - feat: The Faders + Minx + Glover The Argyle, The Rocks. 9pm. $20.

The Sweet Escape feat: Stereogamous Imperial Hotel,

FRIDAY APRIL 15

SAT 16 APRIL SPECIAL GUESTS

JONA

DEAN RELF RESIDENTS

MESAN

1 0 P M T I L L L AT E

$10 BEFORE 12AM / $15 AFTER 1 9 9 E N M O R E R O A D W W W . S LY F O X . S Y D N E Y

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BRAG :: 658 :: 13:04:16 :: 49

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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

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up all night out all week . . .

Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

Beautiful Swimmers

the underachievers

PICS :: AM

T

10:04:16 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

he duo behind the Washington, D.C. Future Times label Beautiful Swimmers will be swinging into town this weekend. Over the course of running the imprint for the past eight years, they’ve released the likes of Jack J, Hashman Deejay, Shanti Celeste, Huerco S., Steve Summers and Juju & Jordash, not to mention their own record Son. Expect a night of heavy house and curious curveballs when they hit Slyfox this Friday April 15. Support is coming from Adi Toohey, Sydney Pony Club and The Heavenly Jocks.

Dive in.

So, y’all already know about Carl Cox’s Pure festival that’s happening on Saturday April 23 at Hordern Pavilion (which also features Joseph Capriati, Format:B, DJ HMC, Eric Powell, Murat Kilic and Mantra Collective). But, did’ya know about the afterparty yet? HMC will switch into disco edit mode under his Late Nite Tuff Guy alias and go all night long at Barrio Cellar with help from Lauren Hansom,

Mirã Bõru, Genie and U-Khan. Party on, Wayne.

Ol’ mate Tony Scott from the UK produces under a lot of aliases, but none more prolific as his moniker Edit Select – and he’s coming to Sydney next month. Since first emerging on the scene in the early ’90s, he’s been called up for remix duties for the likes of techno royalty Speedy J, Dadub and Chris Liebing, and has collaborated with Dino Sabatini, Markus Suckut and Giorgio Gigli. In 2007 he founded Edit Select Recordings, and has gone on to release productions from the likes of Tadeo, S100 and Cassegrain.

He’ll be flanked by Kali, Shivers*, Dave Stuart, Sebastian Bayne and Anthony Bohlock on Saturday May 14 at the Burdekin Hotel.

Two local gigs not to miss: on Saturday April 16 at the Burdekin Hotel you’ll have the chance to catch an all-too-rare live serving from Mike Witcombe and Felix Warmuth AKA Systrum, while on Saturday April 30 at The Red Rattler

it’s set to be an all-local, all-vinyl and all-techno throwdown from Babicka, Baron Castle, Ben Fester and Matt Lush.

Tour rumours: ready for the best sentence I’ve ever written in this column before?

Good. Lock in visits from Ryoji Ikeda and Tim Hecker this June.

Announcements for both are incoming. Oh, and Detroit Swindle are returning at the end of May too, if that’s yo’ thang.

Best releases this week: oh my Lord, the new Omar-S album The Best (out on his own FXHE Records, of course) has finally landed and it’s straight-up Detroit techno and house fi-yah. Feel the burn. You also can’t go past the new split EP from Hank Jackson and Anthony Naples (Proibito). Other highlights include Globex’s Inversia 1 (Acting Press), Simon Shreeve’s The Healing Bowl (Downwards), Flxk1 & Ena’s 749 (Hidden Hawaii) and T & P (AKA Tim Sweeney & Phillip Lauer)’s Shoot The Freak (Beats in Space).

Carl Cox

RECOMMENDED FRIDAY APRIL 15 Beautiful Swimmers Slyfox

SATURDAY APRIL 23

Pure: Carl Cox, Joseph Capriati, Format:B Hordern Pavilion

SUNDAY APRIL 24

s.a.s.h by day

PICS :: AM

Anthony Parasole

10:04:16 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue Street North Sydney 9964 9477 50 :: BRAG :: 658:: 13:04:16

Danny Krivit TBA

SATURDAY APRIL 30

Hunted/Game Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY MAY 7

Anthony Parasole Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY MAY 14

Edit Select Burdekin Hotel

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos?

Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. thebrag.com

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