MADE IN SYDNEY MARCH 1, 2017
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MUSIC, FILM, COMEDY + MORE
INSIDE This Week
T HE WA IF S
Celebrating 25 years of songwriting and touring the world.
KINGSWOOD LIVI E R ' Y E HOW TH
T HE HO T 8 BR A S S B A ND
Taking a modern approach to traditional New Orleans horns.
A L L OUR E X E S L I V E IN T E X A S
Their debut album arrives at last.
SLE A F ORD MODS
Are they the most important political band in 2017?
SY DNE Y'S BE S T CHE A P E AT S
A guide to eating around town for $1 and up.
Plus
C A IRO TA K E AWAY ME T H Y L E T HEL CH A IN A ND T HE G A NG CL SMOO T H A ND MUCH MOR E
RE S S U P E H T O NG UP T
HE RE OF T
LT U C I F F I D ' D SECON ' ALBUM
The award-winning political thriller As the tanks rolled through Tiananmen Square, a young man holding shopping bags walked out to block their path. Who was he? What happened to him? And could he still be alive? Inspired by one of the 20th century’s most powerful images, Chimerica tracks two decades of complex US-China relations alongside the personal stories that exist beyond the margins of history. At once intimate and geopolitical, it is a gripping thriller, a touching romance, a cracking comedy and a rich drama.
CHIMERICA BY LUCY KIRKWOOD SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PRESENT
28 FEB — 1 APR
SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU
ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE
9250 1777
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LIGHTING DESIGNER
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NICK SCHLIEPER MATTHEW BACKER GERALDINE HAKEWILL MARK LEONARD WINTER SET DESIGNER COMPOSER & SOUND GABRIELLE CHAN BRENT HILL ANTHONY BRANDON WONG DAVID FLEISCHER DESIGNER REBECCA MASSEY JASON CHONG CHARLES WU THE SWEATS COSTUME DESIGNER MONICA SAYERS TONY COGIN JENNY WU RENÉE MULDER WITH 20 STUDENTS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRAMATIC ART
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KIP WILLIAMS
Photo James Green
@SYDNEYTHEATRECO #STCCHIMERICA
THE AWARD-WINNING, GLOBE-TROTTING POLITICAL THRILLER INSPIRED BY ONE OF THE 20TH CENTURY’S MOST POWERFUL IMAGES. PRESENTING PARTNER
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in this issue
free stuff
what you’ll find inside…
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
4
The Frontline
6
Industrial Strength
8-9
Kingswood change up their sound on their ‘difficult second album’, out this week.
10-11
10-11
All Our Exes Live In Texas are a fine foursome with a debut album set to impress.
12
Methyl Ethel
13
The Waifs
16
(8-9)
19
Transitions Film Festival, Superhal
20
Out & About, Scoundrel Days
21
Album reviews, First Drafts
22-23 Cairo Takeaway, cheap eats in Sydney, Bar of the Week
14-15 Carus Thompson, Hot 8 Brass Band, Hussy Hicks, Christo Jones 16
Chain and The Gang are rebelling against normalisation of indie rock music, Oslow
17
Sleaford Mods
18
“When we played it for the record label they thought we were playing a joke on them.”
24-26 Live reviews 28
Gig guide
29
CL Smooth
30
Off The Record
“I didn’t go to film David Stratton looks back on a school, I didn’t even go to university, I didn’t even life in cinema, The Bodyguard finish high school!” (18) giveaway
ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES
Alabama sextet St. Paul & The Broken Bones are coming to Australia for this year’s edition of Bluesfest, and they’ve locked in a Sydney sideshow while they’re at it. They only formed in 2012, but already these soulful booty-shakers have risen to impressive heights, collaborating with Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner on their debut album and supporting none other than The Rolling Stones. Sea Of Noise, their new record, landed last year to great reviews. St. Paul & The Broken Bones play the Metro Theatre on Wednesday April 19, and we’ve got a double pass to give away. Head to thebrag.com/freeshit for your chance to win.
the frontline with Nathan Jolly, Abbey Lenton and Chris Martin ISSUE 702: Wednesday March 1, 2017
HAVE FAITH IN THE SYMPHONY
PRINT & DIGITAL EDITOR: Chris Martin chris.martin@seventhstreet.media SUB-EDITOR: Joseph Earp STAFF WRITERS: Nathan Jolly, Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Abbey Lenton, Poppy Reid, Ben Rochlin
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will team with Diesel, David Campbell and more for two George Michael tribute concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Interestingly, the tribute started life on a happier note, intended to celebrate 30 years since the release of Michael’s debut album Faith proved he was more than mere boy band fodder. Since his untimely passing, the show is now a celebrate of his life’s work, encompassing 30 of his greatest hits. Joining Diesel and Campbell onstage are the likes of Sam Sparro, Brendan Maclean, Jade MacRae, Gary Pinto, Carmen Smith and Natasha Stuart. The shows are on Thursday July 6 and Friday July 7 at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.
ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Ian Laidlaw PHOTOGRAPHERS: Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Tony Pecotic - 0425 237 974 tony.pecotic@seventhstreet.media PUBLISHER: Seventh Street Media CEO, SEVENTH STREET MEDIA: Luke Girgis - luke.girgis@seventhstreet.media MANAGING EDITOR: Poppy Reid poppy.reid@seventhstreet.media THE GODFATHER: Sam GIG GUIDE: gigguide@thebrag.com AWESOME INTERNS: Anna Wilson, Ben Rochlin, Abbey Lenton REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Arca Bayburt, Alex Chetverikov, Chelsea Deeley, Christie Eliezer, Matthew Galea, Emily Gibb, Jennifer Hoddinett, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Aaron Streatfeild, Jessica Westcott, Anna Wilson, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address Level 2, 9-13 Bibby St, Chiswick NSW 2046 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Carrie Huang - accounts@seventhstreet.vc (02) 9713 9269 Level 2, 9-13 Bibby St, Chiswick NSW 2046 DEADLINES: Editorial: Friday 12pm (no extensions) Ad bookings: Friday 5pm (no extensions) Fishished art: No later than 2pm Monday Ad cancellations: Friday 4pm Deadlines are strictly adhered to. Published by Seventh Street Media Pty Ltd All content copyrighted to Seventh Street Media 2017 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email george.sleiman@ seventhstreet.media PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 follow us:
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Jerry Seinfeld
A LITTLE MORE SEINFELD
Comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld will play a third and final show in Sydney as part of his 2017 Australian tour. The announcement comes in response to the (predictably) overwhelming demand for tickets to Seinfeld’s standup shows, marking his first live dates Down Under in some 19 years. The extra show on Thursday August 10 at the ICC Sydney Theatre is added to Seinfeld’s already announced two shows on Friday August 11 at the same venue. A Telstra Thanks presale to the new show begins 10am Wednesday March 1, with general public tix on sale Monday March 6 via Ticketek.
ALL ABOUT WOMEN’S FREE EVENTS
Returning for its fifth year, the Sydney Opera House’s All About Women festival will be shaking things up on Sunday March 5.Thousands of women are expected to attend All About Women 2017, with a day of talks and performances that will shine a light on the voices of women. Many of the major talks and performances have already had their allocations exhausted. But never fear, the festival has announced new additions – and better yet, they’re free. For History Of The World (In Five Hours), theatremakers Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose will take a retrospective look at history, and weave in stories that they collect at the festival. Watch them make herstory as they reinvent every moment in time – all within five hours. Also, from Friday February 24 – Wednesday March 8, the Western Broadwalk will host Standing Rock: Protesting The Dakota Access Pipeline. The exhibit features portraits of women who took part in last year’s protest at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.
SYDNEY COMEDY FEST GOES BIG
Boris
BORIS ARE PRETTY IN PINK
Japan’s experimental legends Boris are coming to Australia in celebration of their landmark album Pink. The record is now over ten years old, and itself was the tenth LP in the Boris discography, catapulting them to international renown thanks in part to a 2006 reissue by Southern Lord Records in the US. Since then, Boris have become world leaders in genre exploration, from drone and sludge to noise rock, doom, shoegaze and beyond. See them at Manning Bar on Tuesday May 16.
UNDERWORLD ARE GOING DOWN
Legendary electronic duo Underworld are coming to Sydney this April for one show only. The duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, who have built a legacy and fan base over the past 30 years, are known for their progressive house and techno sound. Underworld are perhaps most famous for their 1996 track ‘Born Slippy .NUXX’, which landed at number 65 in triple j’s Hottest 100 Of All Time countdown, as well as featuring on the Trainspotting soundtrack. Underworld will play one show at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday April 11.
Bridie Connell
The 13th edition of Sydney Comedy Festival is shaping up to be its biggest yet, with a bumper program of hilarious acts announced on the full lineup. Over 300 of the funniest people from Australia and overseas will come together on stages around Sydney, and are expected to draw upwards of 120,000 people to their shows in April and May. Returning stars include Arj Barker, David O’Doherty, Jason Byrne, DeAnne Smith, Ivan Aristeguieta, Urzila Carlson, Aunty Donna, Dave Hughes, Tom Gleeson, Nazeem Hussain, Doug Anthony All Stars, Bridie Connell, Fiona O’Loughlin, Frank Woodley, Joel Creasey and more. There’ll also be a host of debut Sydney Comedy Festival shows from the likes of the UK’s Joe Lycett, Andy Zaltzman, Phill Jupitus, Romesh Ranganathan and Dane Baptiste; the US’ Chris D’Elia, The Hodgetwins and Eric Andre; India’s Papa CJ and Vir Das; and Germany’s Anne Klinge and Canada’s Ian Bagg. The popular Comedy For Kids! Shipwreck Gala will also be back at Sydney Town Hall, hosted by Harley Breen and Heath Franklin. The 2017 Sydney Comedy Festival runs from Monday April 24 – Sunday May 21. See the full program at sydneycomedyfest.com.au.
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National Folk Festival FLATS AND SHARPS (UK)
GUYY AND THE FOX
FANNY LUMSDEN
- EASTER, CANBERRA -
THE AOIFE SCOTT BAND (IRL)
THE NEW MACEDON RANGERS (USA/AUS)
LES POULES À COLIN (CAN)
13-17 APRIL, 2017
EXHIBITION PARK, CANBERRA FOLKFESTIVAL.ORG.AU
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BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17 :: 5
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR • With Victoria’s queer musical festival Gaytimes an instant sell-out in its second year and with so many people from New South Wales taking the train to attend, are organisers also looking at a Sydney site? • Will Pink Floyd reunite to play the Glastonbury Festival? Nick Mason and Roger Waters have proffered an olive branch to Dave Gilmour. • Has Jello Biafra rejected a move to recall the Dead Kennedys? • Did drummer Steven Adler sit out the Guns N’ Roses reunion tour because he suffered a back injury during rehearsals? That’s what he said in a US podcast. • Are Queensland police pushing for drug tests on bar staff as part of the state’s rewrite of liquor laws?
• Which Aussie musician who attended the Grammys admitted to being so broke they couldn’t even buy a drink? • During Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band’s set at Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley, a fan who flew from Norway to catch the show and snagged a place in front of the stage held up a poster offering three choices: “sign my arm for a tattoo”, “play ‘Jersey Girl’” or “dance with me”. The Boss signed her arm with a pen, marking his name alongside a Jersey Girl tattoo on her right wrist. But sweating through the show started to erase the signature, so she took a photo of the Springscrawl and got it tattooed the next morning. • In the meantime, the Boss’ fans heading for the Auckland show had a reason to be upset: Jetstar cancelled flights from Palmerston North and Napier on the day, forcing them to rush to drive there.
• Ed Sheeran has the most monthly listeners on Spotify (42.18 million) with The Chainsmokers in second place (37.8 million). • Wollongong has a new live music venue: the Town Hall Chamber has opened at the former site of Three Chimneys. • Lana Del Rey is using the occult to get rid of Donald Trump. Rituals being held Sunday March 26, Monday April 24 and Tuesday May 23 mark the dates of the waning crescent moon, which occult members believe are the best days to defeat stress and negativity. • Talks have begun between fans and council members of Bon Scott’s birthplace of Kirriemuir, Scotland, and his adopted city of Fremantle, WA, in order to develop sister city links. • Sinead O’Connor has apologised to Arsenio Hall for claiming he gave Prince it exceeded its $5,000 target and hit the $5,500 mark. The Hideaway provides free live music from Wednesday to Saturday. Recently, a student from Sydney DJ School was spinning tunes at 7pm on a Saturday and the doors were open so customers could walk in. A single complaint meant that the venue had to install an airtight soundproof door as another complaint would see it closed down.
Cosmo’s Midnight
NEW SONG FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
COSMO’S MIDNIGHT LAND US DEAL
Sydney-based electronic duo Cosmo’s Midnight have landed a deal with RCA Records in the US, joining the likes of Mark Ronson, Snakehips and Sia. The twins are currently on a nine-date headlining US tour with SG Lewis, Whereisalex and Maxo, winding up on Saturday March 11 in Portland, Oregon. Six days later they start an Australian tour, performing eight shows from Friday March 17 – Thursday April 13. The two Sydney shows at Newtown Social Club have sold out, and a third has been added.
STREAMING PUSHES UP UNIVERSAL REVENUE
Streaming has been the saviour of record labels this past year, generating the revenue to covered losses incurred with the falling sales of CDs and downloads. Latest fi gures for Universal Music Group showed that last year its revenue was up 4.4% to US$5.83 billion – the result of a whopping 57.9% increase in streaming revenues. Recorded music revenue rose 2.9% (an extra $83 million) with the company’s bestsellers including new releases from Drake, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and The Rolling Stones, as well as carryover sales from Justin Bieber. Physical format (CD, vinyl) had its biggest drop in years, down 13.1% to $1.36 billion. Downloads, abandoned by consumers, sank 26.1% to just $835 million. The streaming phenomenon also contributed to Universal Music Publishing’s
6.7% revenue rise. Increased touring by Universal acts led to a 16.1% jump in merch and other live music related activities.
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE FINED OVER NOISE
Residents of the infamous ‘Toaster’ building, who’ve campaigned since 2013 against concerts being held at the Sydney Opera House forecourt, have won a major victory. The third of four concerts staged there in November 2015 by Florence + The Machine copped a $15,000 fi ne for exceeding noise levels. This win is expected to generate more opposition to live shows there.
HIDEAWAY EXCEEDS SOUNDPROOF TARGET
The GoFundMe campaign held by The Hideaway Bar to increase its soundproofi ng has been a success. By the weekend, A.B. Original
Ahead of International Women’s Day, which arrives on Wednesday March 8, Australiabased Polynesian singer-songwriter Caprice Quinn has issued a new R&B track called ‘No More Silhouettes’. Quinn wrote and produced the track, a call to arms designed to get women to let their light shine and #BeBoldForChange. She also directed its video, set in an underground bunker, which Quinn says characterises “all the potential that lies within women, despite constant varying degrees of oppression”. The track features rapper Kaylah Truth and Elena Maria Wangurra. Quinn is donating all royalties to Dress For Success, a local charity promoting the economic independence of women. The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186… AKA in 169 years’ time.
EARN A $15,000 RECORDING GRANT
Need $15,000 towards your next recording? The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) and the Australia Council For The Arts are offering grants for just that. Applications close on Wednesday April 26 and will be judged on artistic merit, diversity and viability. Head to the Australia Council website (australiacouncil.gov.au) to fi nd out more.
MUSICNSW SEEKS MARKETING COORDINATOR
MusicNSW is looking for a marketing coordinator. It’s part-time (two to three days a week) and pays $55k annually, plus superannuation, pro rata. You’ll develop and implement new communications and marketing strategies, lead project-based marketing, manage the MusicNSW website and all online communication and collect data and analysis. Go to musicnsw. com for full details. The deadline for submissions is Monday March 6.
GUY SEBASTIAN JOINS YAMAHA $100K SCHOOL SEARCH
Guy Sebastian is part of Yamaha Australia’s $100,000 school band search. Yamaha will choose a school and provide 42 new instruments valued at $90,000, plus three days’ training from Yamaha education outreach clinician Dr. Rob McWilliams and a concert by Sebastian. Four runnerup schools will share in $10,000 of prizes. Applications close Monday March 13. Go to greatstart.yamahabackstage.com.au to enter.
AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE HEADS TO MELBOURNE
After 11 years in Sydney, the Australian Music Prize is heading to Melbourne. It’s not surprising really, given virtually all of the shortlist comes from Victoria. Nominated albums include A.B. Original’s Reclaim Australia, The Avalanches’ Wildfl ower, Big Scary’s Animal, Camp Cope’s Camp Cope, D.D Dumbo’s Utopia Defeated, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard’s Nonagon Infinity, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Skeleton Tree, Olympia’s Self Talk and The Peep Tempel’s Joy.
Nominations for the 15th Australian Jazz Bell Awards are closing on Wednesday March 15. There are seven categories, covering the best Australian jazz vocal album, instrumental jazz album, jazz song, jazz ensemble, best produced album, young Australian jazz artist and
the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame award. The winner of each category will receive $5,000. The awards will be held at Bird’s Basement in Melbourne on Monday May 15. Go to bellawards.org for more info.
OVERDOSES AT SECRET GARDEN
The first evening of the two-day Secret Garden ‘forest disco’ festival saw two overdoses and 28 drug detections for MDMA, cocaine, LSD and cannabis at its Camden farm site. The festival draws 5,000 patrons each year. Organisers warn against bringing drugs on the Secret Garden website.
Lifelines Hospitalised: Slaves frontman Jonny Craig underwent multiple surgeries for “severe back pain”. Hospitalised: Lionel Richie has had a knee procedure and postponed a US tour with Mariah Carey. Recovering: Bad Brains singer H.R. after brain surgery. Ill: ’70s heartthrob David Cassidy of The Partridge Family says he’s suffering dementia. In Court: a US judge told Chris Brown not to go near ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran after he allegedly threatened to kill her after punching her twice in the stomach and pushing her down the stairs. (Not) In Court: an Adelaide magistrate let Shannon Noll off for not attending court over a scuffle with security guards outside the Crazy Horse strip club in January. His lawyer explained he was away touring. Magistrate Rodney Oates was OK with the excuse, but said the singer had to be there when the case returns to court in April. Arrested: Paolo Nutini for drink driving in England. Jailed: a man for firing a shot in the air during a fight between the hip hop music group Migos and rapper Sean Kingston outside a Las Vegas venue. Died: legendary US jazz fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, 73, in his sleep from natural causes. His bestknown album Spaces featured a performance by John McLaughlin and launched the jazz fusion movement. Died: a 19-year-old roadie after an Avenged Sevenfold concert in Stuttgart, Germany when a 26-year old roadie fell from the rafter while dismantling the stage and landed on him. Died: a 27-year-old fan was fatally stabbed at legendary punk group Exploited’s show in St. Petersburg, Russia after trying to stop a bunch of neo-Nazis from chanting the equivalent of “Heil Hitler”. xxx
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NOMINATIONS CLOSING FOR JAZZ AWARDS
the drugs that killed him. Arsenio sued for US$5 million, calling her a “desperate attention-seeker”. • David Bowie fans are crowdfunding an Aladdin Sane-style lightning bolt statue at his birthplace in Brixton. • The Chainsmokers’ ‘Closer’ has broken the record for most weeks in the US top five charts, while Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Heathens’ has also set a new record, spending 28 weeks at the number one spot on the Hot Rock Songs chart, passing the mark held by Walk The Moon’s ‘Shut Up And Dance’. • New York rapper Princess Nokia punched an audience member at a Cambridge University show in England after he shouted “show me your tits”. She stormed off, came back, threw a drink over the crowd and snarled, “That’s what you do when a white boy disrespects you.”
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COMING UP / MAR 10 RUMINATERS
THURSDAY FROM 6PM
thu
01 Mar
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
02 Mar
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
fri
03 Mar (5:00PM - 8:00PM)
(10:00PM - 1:45AM)
TRIVIA in the Atrium
in the Atrium
wed
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
sat
sun
04
5:45PM 8:45PM
Mar
05
3:30PM 7:30PM
Mar
(7:30PM - 10:30PM)
(10:00PM - 1:45AM)
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
Party DJs in the
04 Mar
Ground Floor 11:30PM 3:00AM
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06 Mar
in the Atrium
Marine bar sat
JAY
mon
Steve Zappa
10:00PM 2:00AM
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
tue
07 Mar
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
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COVER STORY
DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN BY Z A NDA WILSON
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I
t’s hard to imagine the Aussie rock scene in 2017 without Kingswood. It feels like the Melbourne rock outfit have been doing the rounds for ages, and although they first formed in 2005, it was only several years later that they really broke through, courtesy of a swathe of festival shows and relentless touring. 2014 saw the release of their debut album, Microscopic Wars – securing Kingswood an ARIA nomination
for Best Rock Album – but the absence of new music from the band has been conspicuous ever since. However, late 2016 saw the triumphant return of Kingswood via the unexpectedly dark new single ‘Creepin’, and they’ve followed that up with the slow-burning ‘Golden’. The stark contrast between the two songs is perfectly indicative of the greater exploration of their sound on After Hours, Close To Dawn, their new album due out this week.
“I guess there’s an inevitable pressure on the second record for any band,” says lead guitarist and songwriter Alex Laska. “Obviously the bigger the first album goes, there will be more pressure from people for the second to live up to it. “I guess Microscopic Wars was successful, but it wasn’t some huge blow-up or
“ON INSTAGRAM WE JUST HAD thebrag.com
“WHEN WE PLAYED IT FOR THE RECORD LABEL THEY THOUGHT WE WERE PLAYING A JOKE ON THEM.” While the album is undoubtedly diverse, showing off sides of Kingswood that fans might never have expected, there aren’t many songs as far removed from each other as the lead singles. “It’s funny, because any single that follows ‘Creepin’ was going to be a huge departure,” Laska laughs. “That’s just in the nature of what that song was like. So we’re just releasing them in a way that’s structured so it makes sense to us, and how we want people to experience the album. We make albums to experience albums, but in this day and age where people tend to focus more on one or two songs that they might be jazzed by… [that’s] cool, it’s just a different listening environment now.” Returning to music with a revitalised sound was always going to be a huge risk for Kingswood, which is part of the reason their appearance at number 48 in the triple j Hottest 100 with ‘Creepin’ was a massive shock. “We’d been away for so long and it was the first thing we’d put out, the first step back into the world,” says Laska. “People started to talk about the Hottest 100 and we just thought that honestly it would just be great if we got in. “It’s really hard to gauge how the song’s translating – as much as you see comments and you hear it on the radio, sometimes it’s not indicative of how it’s going. This was our highest position ever – we were overjoyed, we just had the biggest night of all time. On Instagram we just had stories coming through at 6am that no one remembers of us just dancing and silliness. We’re so appreciative of everyone who voted.” Apart from spending much of the last year on the road, Kingswood have also enjoyed a good chunk of time recording their new record in Nashville, a city that has become something of a second home to them. After Laska and his bandmates Fergus Linacre and Justin Debrincat recorded their first album in that famous musical city, it felt only natural to return. “The assistant producer on our first album, Ed Spear, has now gone on to become a kickass engineer, so we went for him,” Laska explains. “It wasn’t even a decided thing, but we just became such great friends after the first one, so we’d basically chat every day. It wasn’t even a question of who was going to do the album, it was more like, ‘When are we going to do the album?’ There was never any decision-making; it just feels like we’re on the same side of the creative spectrum with us writing and him engineering. With this one he just said, ‘We’re doing it here [in Nashville] – we have to do it here, just trust me.’ He always just says, ‘Trust your boy, trust your boy.’ We have a great relationship.” Kingswood are about to set off on an Australian tour of capital cities and regional towns alike – something that will undoubtedly come as quite a change from playing stadiums with AC/DC, whom they supported in 2015. It’s also a chance to get back to their roots and play the venues where they cut their teeth as an emerging rock band. “I love the smaller shows, man,” says Laska. “Don’t get me wrong, the AC/DC shows were heaps of fun, but my favourite shows are when it’s just a sweatbox and you can 100 per cent ascertain people’s expressions, and your interactions with people are so in-your-face.
gargantuan experience, but in a sense it was a really nice setting for us to expand upon. The one thing we wanted to be really conscious of was – and we start to do it in Micro Wars – was to have a level of diversity that was unrestricting, because there’s a lot of different music in our heads, and we started to go down those roads on a couple of tracks that probably weren’t the bigger
ones on the first record. That’s led us now to the diversity that is on After Hours, Close To Dawn. “As much as certain natural pressures might occur, and that you want to beat the first record, you have to also forget those pressures when you’re writing,” Laska adds. “It has to become its own thing in its
own world, so the diversity was a big thing, and that’s something that I guess we’ve achieved with this one, because when we played it for the record label they thought we were playing a joke on them. Even with people’s reactions between the first single ‘Creepin’ and this latest one, ‘Golden’, the album is just way more diverse than you could possibly anticipate.”
STORIES COMING THROUGH AT 6AM THAT NO ONE REMEMBERS OF US JUST DANCING AND SILLINESS.” thebrag.com
“We built our fan base on rural touring. Back in the day, all we did was tour Australia to cultivate a fan base, because that’s just where you did it, and to an extent I think that’s the way it still is. So we like to honour that tradition and respect the people that we’ve gone back to. We love it. Going back to these places is really special for us; the Newies, the Wollongongs, all that sort of thing. Some venues don’t hold massive numbers, but all of the sudden the atmosphere becomes these sweatboxes and people are really into it.” What: After Hours, Close To Dawn out Friday March 3 through Dew Process With: Waax, Maddy Jane Where: Metro Theatre When: Friday March 31
BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17 :: 9
FEATURE
ALL OUR
PRIDE BEFORE THE FALL BY A DA M NOR R IS
L
egend has it that the outlandishly entertaining All Our Exes Live In Texas do not, in fact, hail from Sydney, but instead have their origin on a distant mountaintop, where they survived in a cave for eight eremitic years. There they lived off harmonies and lichen until their musicianship reached an unholy peak and they set off across the land in search of success and bona fide Texan boyfriends. While this legend is surprisingly accurate, there is of course much more to the story. With their debut album, When We Fall, heralding a sprawling international tour, the flamboyant foursome talk life, loss, and the outline of album number two shimmering on the horizon. “‘When We Fall’ is a Phosphorescent song,” explains Hannah Crofts. “I went to see him play at the Oxford Art Factory and he blew my mind. When I went home I learned [that] song, and the next day, I got a call saying my grandma was going to pass away. So I went to the airport and I was crying, and Phosphorescent was also at the airport with his wife, and I was like [weeping], ‘Your gig was so good, I just loved it,’ and they were really, really nice to me and asked if I was OK. And then I went to Melbourne and I went straight to my grandma’s house, and she passed away and I sang this song. So when we were coming up with album titles, that’s a phrase that always sat with me. It’s a huge inspiration, that tune. I also think it feels like a weird story to tell because it’s so me-centric.”
“WE DIDN’T THINK PAST THE FIRST GIG – WE DIDN’T THINK WE’D GET A SECOND GIG.”
“We had some other options,” Katie Wighton reassures, “but that’s the one that felt the nicest. And there are a lot of songs about heartbreak on the album, and we’re also at a point in our lives – well, everybody always is – where you make mistakes, and you fall down, and you get back up, and you do the same thing over. A guy asked me at a bar the other night, ‘Do you reckon you’ve stopped making mistakes by the time you’re 70? What age do you think you stop making mistakes?’ And I was like, ‘Hopefully never.’ The more mistakes you make, the more you can learn from them and grow. So When We Fall, as much as it came from Hans, it definitely sat nicely with us.” Georgia Mooney nods. “The thing I also liked about it was [that it’s] a collective thing. In my mind, when I fall, I have the girls. When Hannah falls, she has the girls. When we fall, we have each other.” I’ve been rather fortunate to watch the rise of the Exes over the years, and as their writing and performing has progressed, it’s been entirely unsurprising to witness a strong and swelling fan base emerge around them. I can’t think of any other act whose banter is so entertaining, who can engross their audience with such ease. Attendant to that has been the gradual evolution of the songs themselves; tracks like ‘I’m Gonna Get My Heart Cut Out’ and ‘Sailboat’ have been part of their repertoire for years now, but on the album find an expansive new form. “I think the idea is none of us are too protective of [each] song,” says Elana Stone. “So that when we take it even to the initial rehearsal with the Exes, we have to be willing to let go of structure. It absolutely improves if you don’t guard it fiercely.” “When you tour a lot and sing songs over and over,” says Wighton, “one night it might be like, ‘Oh, actually, I think there’d be something cool you can do here.’ Recently we changed the intro to ‘Boundary Road’. It’s different from the album when we do it live now … So when you’re doing something a lot over and over and over, things morph a bit.” “And it’s often by accident,” Mooney adds. “That was the most exciting thing, for me at least on the album, was to have the chance to rearrange things and add instruments, and
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“THERE’S work with Wayne [Connolly], who had just the right amount of creative input. He was willing to try every idea that we had, which was probably tedious for him sometimes.” “‘Yes, we’ll try it with you standing on your head, Katie,’” Wighton recalls, sighing. “We decided consciously to differentiate between the live shows and the EP we put out, which were very similar to what we were doing live,” says Stone. “We also are aware of the fact that having four female vocals and four quite trebly instruments means that EQ-wise we’re all up in the top end, and we felt like we needed a bit of grunt and bottom
end. That was part of our modus operandi going into the album recording, and I think we were fairly influenced by some people who were doing more electric guitar stuff in the folk context. We [cite] Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, but also that Neil Young sound. To me, that’s when folk opens up to a less traditional sound, and a more rock’n’roll sound.” With the album release at hand – not to mention a tour that will find them performing not only across Australia but the world – it’s a nice time to have a Texan ex. They’ll be showcasing songs that have marked their evolution these past three years, but will also
likely be offering an insight into the shape of their music to come. “What’s going to happen with this band for the next album?” Stone muses. “There’s this really empowering situation going on with feminism; there’s a very big, volatile thing happening in the world. Lyrically, things will [probably] reflect that in our music. I think When We Fall is a vulnerable look at ourselves, but I imagine – and I haven’t mentioned this to anyone – but I think the next album will be very powerful and very self-assured. I feel like we’re getting our stride, and that will probably happen in the music sonically and lyrically. That’s what I imagine.”
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EXES LIVE IN TEXAS
THIS REALLY EMPOWERING SITUATION GOING ON WITH FEMINISM; THERE’S A VERY BIG, VOLATILE THING HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.” “But definitely still buy this album,” Mooney laughs. “There are a few [new] songs we’ve all got, and we’re champing at the bit to play them,” Wighton says. “We might play a couple on the album tour, maybe. It’s really exciting. We were saying this the other day – now that we’ve been playing our instruments for a bit longer, the songs have the potential to be a little more… not complex, really, but there’s more of a palette to play with. And it’s funny, because the album hasn’t even come out yet – we’ve been talking about the album for such a long time, and now we’re really keen to put it in the world.”
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Given the quartet’s reception thus far, it’s a fairly confident bet that their unlikely star will continue to rise. Having already supported the Backstreet Boys, the Exes will soon rejoin their pals Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, feature at SXSW, and explore their trademark unconventional merchandise options. It’s a remarkable ascent, and none are more surprised than the Exes themselves. “[When we started] we were going out to our friends’ gigs a lot,” Mooney recalls. “There was this period where everyone was playing all the time, and then partying and then going back and jamming at someone’s house – bands like The Morrisons and Green Mohair Suits – and
we were hanging out with them and taking in all their amazing abilities on their instruments.” “I learned to perform without having an instrument,” Crofts says. “So then having an instrument I didn’t really know how to play was actually very daunting. ‘Don’t judge me, don’t judge me!’” “We didn’t think past the first gig – we didn’t think we’d get a second gig,” Wighton laughs. “We just wanted to make music that we love, and we loved singing together, and that was kind of the extent of it… and I think that first gig we ever did was the most terrifying experience.”
“We wore beards,” says Crofts incredulously. “Subconsciously I think it’s a bit of a security blanket,” replies Wighton. “A security beard.” “Well, we were performing a song by The Muppets,” Mooney reminds them. A career that began with a Muppets cover. For these hilarious and endearing performers, it’s hard to imagine anything more fitting. What: When We Fall out Friday March 3 through ABC
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FEATURE
Methyl Ethel Hard To Forget By Emily Gibb
“I HATE SINGERS. I HATE PEOPLE WHO SING NICELY. VOCAL CHOPS MAY AS WELL BE THE SAME AS LIKE FUCKING SHREDDING GUITAR SOLOS.”
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ethyl Ethel are in hot demand. So much so that Australian audiences won’t be the first to hear their shining new album, Everything Is Forgotten, postrelease. Europe, Canada and the US will be treated before the trio return to play Groovin The Moo 2017. However, frontman Jake Webb says their performances at Groovin will be treated the same as their own shows. “I guess it’s easier in ways to play in front of a shitload of people. A lot of them probably wouldn’t even care what you were playing. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you play well. As long as we keep ourselves honest and keep working towards delivering high-calibre musical performances,” he says half-mockingly, “then I think we’ll be alright. ’Cause then it doesn’t really matter – I could come and play in your living room and it would have, for me, the same amount of importance, you know? We’re lucky that people want to listen to us do it, so [we] just make sure that we balance it out.” Balance fi lters into Webb’s downtime as well, with productivity abundant after a cruisy summer playing a handful of festivals. With Everything Is Forgotten having been all but fi nished more than a year ago, the band’s sole songwriter happily spends a fair amount of his spare time writing new music.
“I love it all. Until once the song’s finished – the song will get to the point when there’s no more that can really be done, and that’s even like mixing and that, and then it’s dead,” he says. “And then I don’t need it any more and it’s not for me. The satisfaction is in the environment that it kind of comes together. You know, it’s that idea of potential. The potential is what is exciting, and then once it’s complete and it’s a thing, it’s dead to me, and I will go and try and improve upon it by making something better.” Webb is aware our conversation is taking place during his last slice of respite for months, but he’s confident Methyl Ethel’s next album is on the right track. “Yeah, get working, get cracking!” he says. “Well, it’s kind of changed, it’s taken a change ’cause this week I’ve written a couple of songs that I really like, so they’ve edged out… I’ve stripped a couple. Well, I shouldn’t say – I feel like it’s bad to, and it’s kind of a bit pigheaded, but like I said about enjoying the process, I am excited about what I’m working on right now ’cause it has this potential to be [great], and I get excited about it.” Much like Webb’s next project, Everything Is Forgotten was conceived long before its release. Taking shape at home and wherever Webb found himself between tours, the album was completed after a trip to London to work with producer
James Ford. The Arctic Monkeys collaborator might be prominent in the credits, but he left Webb’s music largely untouched. “I think he wanted to preserve as much of what I’d already done as possible, and I think the result was good,” says Webb. “I’ve since learnt some little tricks from him, but yeah, he’s a bit of a wizard in certain areas, and that definitely, I thought, helped the final result. I was kind of thinking that there would maybe be more push-pull, but it turns out we have the same kind of tastes.” Across the record, Webb experiments with the delivery of his lyrics and voice to unexpected and delightful effect. “I think it’s good to [experiment] as far as in context of a song,” he says. “It can be difficult balancing a vocal in a song, and I think taking on certain characters in certain songs can be helpful. But I guess I’m more thinking of the melodies – it’s anything that will benefit the song, you know, rather than putting myself in there. It’s more what delivers the message better. “I hate singers. I hate people who sing nicely. Vocal chops may as well be the same as like fucking shredding guitar solos. I want to try to hold back from that as much as possible. If I was to indulge with my vocal delivery, I would take on a kind of a Whitney Houston vibe, you know?
“Like a female diva. I don’t like prettysounding voices.” Instead, Webb takes inspiration from more obscure sources. Case in point: Everything Is Forgotten’s second single, ‘Ubu’, which cites Ubu Roi, a surrealist 20th century play by Frenchman Alfred Jarry. Much like on the band’s debut, Oh Inhuman Spectacle, literary references are scattered across the new record. “It’s fun for me to do,” says Webb. “I mean, I like to appropriate and reference things and it adds to the overall reading of it all. Just being generally open to learning about things, which is probably a good thing for people to do, is it not? I’m a bit of a Francophile, but at the same time, I just have a vague interest in other cultures, and also, why not marry it all together? You know, one world. One world, man. Respect.” What: Groovin The Moo 2017 With: Milky Chance, The Wombats, Pnau, The Smith Street Band and more Where: Maitland Showground When: Saturday April 29 And: Also appearing at Oxford Art Factory on Friday May 26 More: Everything Is Forgotten out Friday March 3 through Dot Dash/ Remote Control
“THE POTENTIAL IS WHAT IS EXCITING, AND THEN ONCE IT’S COMPLETE AND IT’S A THING, IT’S DEAD TO ME.” 12 :: BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17
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FEATURE
The Waifs A Big Quarter Century By David James Young
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he year was 1992. Over in Albany, a port city in Western Australia, lived two middleclass, folk-singing, guitar-playing sisters. Long before they were in London still, Donna and Vikki Simpson were breaking out of their hometown to travel around and play whatever pub would have them. In their travels, they met a guitar player around the same age, himself chasing the dream of hitting the open road and playing music to anyone who would listen. After a ten-minute jam session, the three decided to combine their powers and become The Waifs. Little did they know this bond would last through countless tours, eight studio albums and Bob Dylan getting to know them by name. “We really didn’t have any grand aspirations or plans for the future,” says Josh Cunningham, who plays lead guitar and sings with the trio. “We were just a bunch of kids, fresh out of high school and leaving home for the first time. We weren’t even writing songs back then, we were just playing a bunch of covers – we didn’t foresee this being a career or anything like that. It was just like an adventure to us, really. It beat picking fruit or working in a bar. Having said that, I think there was a pretty immediate knowledge among the three of us that we were going to play a very signifi cant part in one another’s lives. We certainly didn’t
plan to be around for 25 years, though – at that time, I don’t think we could have even dreamed of it.” 2017 is the 25th anniversary of The Waifs, who are among the most celebrated folk acts to ever emerge from this sunburnt country. Their time together has resulted in four ARIA wins, four consecutive top fi ve albums and a live reputation that has inspired two separate recorded documentations of their shows, including the platinum-selling A Brief History… in 2004. It’s a given that a lot has changed in The Waifs’ world since their humble beginnings out west, but a greater curiosity may be that which has managed to stay the same. “It might seem a little obvious, but I think the key thing that has stayed the same is the way that we write songs together,” says Cunningham. “Obviously our circumstances have changed a lot over the years – we live apart, we’re all married, some of us have kids and we spend a few seasons over in the States these days. The consistency across all these different chapters of our lives would have to be the strength of the songwriting itself. There’s a chemistry that can only come when we’re playing music together. Whatever the context of our own individual lives might be, The Waifs is something that we can always come back to.”
On the eve of their quarter century, The Waifs have released their eighth studio album. Entitled Ironbark, it’s their first album in two years and one that – according to the band itself – feels a little more homegrown. “I think that spending so much time over there [in the US] has defi nitely infl uenced the music that we’ve written – a few albums that we’ve made have had a pretty distinct Americana fl avour to them,” says Cunningham. “We’re obviously not anti-Americana; we didn’t mind sounding like that. With Ironbark, though, I think we thought it was important to get back to a more Australian sound, whatever that might mean. We recorded it here, in a very familiar setting. We had a pretty laid-back approach to it, and I think that’s refl ected in the album itself.” With Ironbark in the can, the next step is the one thing The Waifs know best: touring. They’ve got a month and a half of shows locked in across Australia, starting in their native Perth this week before crossing the Nullarbor, trekking the east coast and winding up back in Broome, where it all began, in the middle of April. Billed as An Evening With The Waifs, these shows are set to be some of their longest and most expansive, with hopes to draw from their vast discography in conjunction with brand new songs from Ironbark
and, of course, all of the band’s hits. “It’s not going to be a complete retrospective – we’re definitely going to focus in on the new material as much as we can,” says Cunningham. “That said, there are quite a few older songs that we just couldn’t get away with not playing – and a lot of them are on the first two records, so it definitely does span quite far. We might go through the archives and see if there’s anything that we haven’t played in a while that is worth resurrecting. When you’ve got so much to draw from, songs tend to come and go.
“WE CERTAINLY DIDN’T PLAN TO BE AROUND FOR 25 YEARS.”
“I was talking to a guy just recently who wanted to hear us play ‘Lest We Forget’ from our second album, which used to be one of those must-play songs. We’ll definitely be taking in a lot of fan input – I think that’s definitely going to drive the selections for the setlist.” He laughs to himself before slotting in some trivia for what might have been: “There was even a point where we were considering having a spinning wheel onstage to pick what songs we’d play, but that was pretty quickly talked down.” What: Ironbark out now through Jarrah/MGM Where: Enmore Theatre When: Saturday April 1
“WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET BACK TO A MORE AUSTRALIAN SOUND, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT MEAN.” thebrag.com
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FEATURE
Carus Thompson Every Man Is An Island By Joseph Earp
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arus Thompson is a storyteller. Sure, the decorated Australian musician might also be an accomplished guitarist, but more than anything else, what Thompson does is tell tales. His new record, Island, is a testament to that fact: a rich catalogue of lives lived and lost, full of the stark honesty that has long defined his work. Indeed, the stories in Island are so well-told that one could be forgiven for assuming the album is a work of autobiography. But, as it turns out, that is far from the case. “Actually, only three of the songs on the album are strictly personal,” Thompson explains. “The rest are all narratives. Early on I decided I wanted Island to be a kind of concept album that talked about modern Australia. I really wanted to comment and document on what I see as an incredibly uncompassionate and sad time in this country’s history, and I wanted to write small, suburban stories with characters and settings that dealt with this. That’s where the central theme of isolation comes from.”
Thompson is most proud. “‘Reza Berati’ [is] my dedication to the young Iranian asylum seeker who was murdered during the Manus Island riots in 2014,” he says. “It’s such a tragic story, yet I feel his death and the way he died sums up everything that is wrong with the way Australia is dealing with refugees. I hope this song presents what happened in a way so that even the hardest heart would feel something and perhaps ask themselves, ‘Why are we doing this?’” Thompson also tackles other taboo topics via his song ‘Starved Myself Pretty’, a powder keg of dark melodies, powerful vocal hooks and troubling narrative twists. “The song is an imagined story of a failed X Factor contestant,” Thompson explains. “I wanted it to be a catchy, lyrically sparse pop song that expressed the darkness and sadness of that world. To me these shows take advantage of vulnerable people. They’re so intent on fame and ‘making it’ that they don’t realise that the whole thing is manipulated crap and that the prize of ‘success’ actually isn’t real.
It would be wrong to suggest that Island is a depressing listen – Thompson is too good at writing uplifting melodies for that to be the case; too ready to embrace the structure of pop music and radio hits – but it’s true that the record deals with some lofty themes, from Australia’s treatment of refugees to the stigma associated with mental illness.
“You’ll have a career for about five seconds. It’s the absolute antithesis of what I’m about. You have to have substance, good songs, real records and you need to learn how to perform the real way – in pubs, night after night, [in front of] small crowds, big crowds, festivals, whatever. That’s the university of live touring and that’ll give you fans that will hang around, long after the TV channel’s been changed.”
As a matter of fact, the song exploring the former theme is the one of which
To that end, Thompson often seeks
inspiration from Australia’s great songwriters, and he frequently finds himself attracted to the work of that true poet of the antipodean way of life, Paul Kelly – the man who taught him, ironically enough, how to sing your own stories in someone else’s voice. “Think of ‘How To Make Gravy’ – the story is so vivid you’d swear he’d been to prison,” Thompson says. “Whether a song is personal or a narrative, people shouldn’t be able to tell if it’s about you or not. You should be so inside the character that it’s irrelevant.”
“THE SONG IS AN IMAGINED STORY OF A FAILED X FACTOR CONTESTANT … THESE SHOWS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE.” What: Island out now through MGM With: Nathan Gaunt Where: Newtown Social Club When: Sunday March 5
FEATURE
“SOME KINDA DOWNPLAY WHAT WE DO, SAYING IT’S NOT TRADITION. WE DON’T WANNA PLAY TRADITIONALLY!”
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five things WITH LEESA
GENTZ FROM HUSSY HICKS
Growing Up I was raised on 1. a heavy diet of country
music – Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings… you get the picture. My sister and I started singing and playing when we were about ten and by age 11 and 13 we were out playing in pubs across Northern New South Wales. Inspirations These days I take 2. most of my creative
inspiration from our extended musical family around the world. We’ve spent the past ten years touring solidly and in that time have come across some pretty awesome people making the kind of music you just don’t get to hear through mainstream media. A very rough shortlist of my highly recommended is: Krystle Warren, The Mulligan Brothers, Liz Stringer, Karl S Williams, Kristy Lee, Schrav… it could go on forever. Plus Blake Mills and Mavis Staples (who I don’t know personally but absolutely adore).
Your Band Hussy Hicks is 3. essentially Julz Parker and me; we’ve been playing together since
The Hot 8 Brass Band Brass Appeal By Alex Chetverikov
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ear the phrase ‘brass band’ and you might be excused for conjuring images of swelling marching bands steeped in tradition and ceremonial capacity. For the most part, you wouldn’t be far wrong. Redolent of the bayou’s rich and diverse music history, brass bands have remained a common feature of the Louisiana landscape. You’ll find groups like The Hot 8 Brass Band playing jazz funerals, parades and community events every Sunday afternoon, remaining deeply invested in grassroots and community despite their global success. Ahead of a jampacked Australian debut tour in March, Hot 8 bandleader and sousaphone player Bennie Pete reflects on New Orleans tradition and the band’s dynamic approach to expression. “I started playing music with the band in high school,” he says. “At that time, we just wanted to know how to play the music, play the tunes. We were just in New Orleans with a bunch of raggedy horns. We were all in high school marching bands, but we wanted to get into another style of music, so we chose this other brass thing.” Blending traditional New Orleans brass jazz with hip hop, R&B and funk, Hot 8 offer a modern New Orleans music education, with Pete previously describing their take on brass music as “symbol music” rather than genredistinct. Much like the current state of their beloved city, it is music in a constant state of flux: universal, raucous, funky, and altogether feel-good. “Once we continued to do it, we started reaching out with our ambition. We would sit around at rehearsals and imagine ourselves performing for thousands of people; imagine ourselves playing on a big old cruise ship. It started to become more of a business decision. We wanted to reach our dream, marketing ourselves and being able to share our culture with different people and nationalities.”
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Hot 8’s desire to reach out and to share their history was spurned along by a very positive response to a string of covers, vitalising the music of Marvin Gaye, Snoop Dogg, The Specials and Basement Jaxx with clever arrangements and their refreshingly broad, life-affirming approach to their own productions. So too an appearance on Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina documentary When The Levees Broke, which catapulted them into the broader public conscience.
2005 and over that period have collaborated with loads of wonderful musicians, most notably our rhythm section Tracy Stephens and Rohan Hems. We kind of accidentally became a band because we loved hanging out and playing music and both of us had the travel bug – Hussy Hicks was the result. The Music You Make 4. A difficult-to-classify
jumble of folk, roots, country, funk, soul, surf and ’80s-inspired power ballads. Our live show is always different depending on the day, but you can be sure it’ll be high-energy, interactive, fun and passionate with loads of harmonies, percussion and some pretty mindblowing guitar playing.
Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. As an independent
musician I absolutely love the musical world we exist in at the moment. I hear a lot of people complaining about the state of the industry and I find the constant budget cuts to the arts really hard to take, but all in all we have a wonderful global network of music makers and music lovers that support each other and work to build a really healthy creative scene. I’m grateful every day that I get to live amongst it. With: Bluehouse, Christie Lenée Where: Leadbelly When: Friday March 3 And: Also appearing at Lizottes Newcastle on Sunday March 5
he said she said WITH CHRISTO
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ell us about the kind of music you make. I built a stage rig with samplers, guitars, percussion and pedals so I can perform, live-loop and record experimental pop tunes. You’ll hear dashes of rock, folk, electronica and soundscape and maybe references to Alt-J, Dirty Projectors, Talking Heads and The Flaming Lips. I put loads of instruments and effects at my fingertips and feet so I can just take the music anywhere it wants to go.
“Some kinda downplay what we do, saying it’s not tradition,” says Pete. “We don’t wanna play traditionally! It’s not like we don’t pay homage or respect to tradition. We thank it to the highest degree. But we didn’t come around just to mimic or repeat it … Everything kinda evolves in time. New Orleans is definitely developing and changing. I’m kinda torn. There’s a lot of good and a lot of bad in it too.”
What are four household objects we’ll hear on your EP? I used a blender as a cowbell (in ‘Gravity’), car keys as a shaker (‘Hold Us Still’), smashed a wine glass and sampled it as a snare drum (‘The Feeling’), and played an old music stand like a tom drum (‘Complicate’). I love sampling sounds rather than using traditional drums because I can tie them to the feel and theme of each song.
While tradition is respected as a familiar and comforting constant, it’s discomfiting to imagine trauma and death as a primary constant, as Hot 8 have done. In spite of the violent deaths of and shocking injury to several of its, along with debilitating health issues, the band has endured and regrouped. While old members are remembered and cherished, new performers have been recruited, bringing their own youthful voices and influences to the mix.
Is the age of album releases finished? Some say that streaming is killing the album because people now have short attention spans and access to thousands of curated playlists. I hope that’s not the case, but it adds pressure to release singles and hold off from an album until you have a wide audience. That inspired me to make my debut a kind of ‘concept EP’, which has a
JONES
musical and lyrical beginning, middle and end across eight songs. It’s my hope that if you can spare 21 minutes then the EP will reward you with a full experience. How did you come to do a TED Talk? I emailed some live footage to a guy who booked musicians at a small market to try to play there, and he replied and said he was also working on TED Talks and wanted to book me for that. It was surreal; there were 2,000 people there, a Radio National live broadcast and YouTube live stream with whopping big cameras rolling about the place. What’s different about the way you live-loop? The great thing about live-looping is that it’s not tied to any genre so I can explore experimental pop sounds while other live-loopers might make blues, reggae, folk, et cetera. The challenge is coming up with riffs and melodies that work on repeat and still take the listener somewhere. But I take solace that so many classic songs are basically one-riff loops, like The Cure’s ‘A Forest’, Joy Division’s ‘Digital’, Talking Heads’ ‘Once In A Lifetime’ and The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. What: Gravity out now independently through Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Bandcamp
“At the end of the day, music is there to inspire and to heal people, and give people a new perspective on whatever their current position is,” Pete says. “We’re a real affirmative concert band. The music allows us to be free. Just the word ‘freedom’, and [to be] free to play, it’s another one of the big elements in this style of music, and one of the key components. It’s fun trying to reach out and see how far we can go.” Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday March 8
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“WE DON’T SO MUCH AS
FEATURE
and performance art shone its light within a number of different bands – most notably The Nation Of Ulysses, in which Svenonius sang and played trumpet. He longs for a return to the values of those times, against what he calls the “IKEA/Obama/Pitchfork” era. In turn, this inspires him to create the kind of music he does today – one with feel, attitude, and which encourages the rejection of mainstream values and ideals. “It just feels like today, indie rock has an enforced positivity that has no personality or style,” Svenonius says. “Just watching popular and mediocre people elevated to extraordinary stardom when they aren’t very interesting is kind of boring. When normal people discovered indie rock, it became normal. It doesn’t have an underground or fringe context any more, and you can see unusual ideas or aesthetics approaches that have become completely mundane.
“WHEN NORMAL PEOPLE DISCOVERED INDIE ROCK, IT BECAME NORMAL.”
Chain And The Gang The Golden Days Of Indie Rock By Benjamin Potter
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hain and The Gang are one of those bands who genuinely communicate something, rather than simply performing to a passive audience. Their notorious high-energy frontman Ian Svenonius holds this ambition close to his heart – especially following what he claims to be the complete normalisation of indie rock, bound by a culture of middle-class musicians who take themselves way too seriously.
“Once indie music became middle-class, it became less authentic expression, and that’s something I’m quite interested in,” he says. “There’s a real theatre aspect to music – you can perform your synthetic self onstage, but it’s generally not ever your authentic self. But now it’s become very abstract because it’s become more institutionalised as a way of expression.
“It’s lost touch with almost everything it used to be, which is this kind of ritualistic form of communication. So for Chain and The Gang, we don’t really care about being authentic, so much as we do about communicating with people in real time. No choreograph.” For Svenonius, the ’80s and ’90s were a time of self-discovery, where his fl air for creativity
“I guess that’s my motivation for creating. All kinds of people are determining what should happen with music nowadays, and it’s just like, ‘Who the fuck asked them?’ People like me, we made music in a ghetto, and nobody cared about it except for the people that cared about it. It wasn’t attempting to be Madonna, you know?” Svenonius adds that Chain and The Gang work towards a framework of rejecting the corporate interest that has otherwise changed music forever. He remains vigilant against the idea of super fame and fortune, but says Chain and The Gang aren’t really a band that is marketable anyway – and it’s not like they ever really wanted to be. “I mean, I’ve never been famous,” he says. “I’ve got a bit of notoriety, but I think to be successful you can’t really say anything. It’s just like, you know, if you want to be invited to the party, you can’t really be having opinions. That’s part of the agreement now. Once music
Oslow Join The Resistance By Shaun Cowe
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slow are a post-punk outfit you may have seen gracing the stages of the outer suburbs of Sydney. The band is a group of long-running friends who came together at the start of this decade to make music. Now, after a series of smaller EP and LP releases, Oslow have released their selftitled debut studio album.
“I know when we were first starting out as a band we were writing a lot of songs and a lot of them were terrible,” says guitarist Jacob Rossi. “I think when you start out you just need to be playing together as much as possible. We just took as many gigs as we could and kept jamming and writing as much as we could.”
“WHEN WE WERE FIRST STARTING OUT AS A BAND WE WERE WRITING A LOT OF SONGS AND A LOT OF THEM WERE TERRIBLE.” The album took almost two years to complete, with the gestation process interrupted by an intensive year of touring. According to Rossi, many songs were abandoned during their early stages. “By the time we went into the studio we had most of the songs written,” he says. “Some of the songs we’ve been playing for a year and a half. But then, the lead single ‘Cold Dark Space’ was the second-last song we wrote on the album. It just came about when we were jamming one day. A few songs were like that. They came together very quickly when we were together.” Oslow once again worked with producer Dylan Adams for the album, following his contributions to their 2015 seven-inch, No Longer Concerns Me. Adams also worked with Rossi and frontman Dylan Farrugia on their side project, Sweater Season. “We’ve had really great experiences with him and he seems to understand the band, so we wanted to do the album with him,” says Rossi.
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“He can be hands-on but he knows when to let us do our thing as well. He’s not afraid to give ideas but he knows where his place is. He was a good person on the outside to listen to the songs. Sometimes you need someone to do that.” Adams’ approach to the recording involved much more layering of tracks than on Oslow’s previous efforts. Rossi says it was the band’s ambition to create a more polished work – the balancing act between creating a finely crafted product and staying true to Oslow’s raw, garage band origins has been difficult, but they’re happy with the end result. The album is out through Resist Records, a mainstay in the Sydney hardcore scene. “Graham [Nixon, Resist Records co-founder] has always been around. He’s been at shows and he’s given us a lot of good international supports and gigs. He’s always been someone we’ve looked up to in the Sydney music scene. Ever since we were kids going to hardcore shows as teens, Resist Records has been our favourite label. When we were writing the album he said he was interested, so we sent him a few songs. Resist was always our first choice if we weren’t going to get it ourselves.” The album’s release is accompanied by a clip for ‘Cold Dark Place’ – an unusually mundane video set in a suburban Sydney house. Rossi says the simple setting had a very practical origin. “That’s Sean [Hampstead, guitar]’s house. He and his wife Meg live there. We started jamming there last year and we really liked the place. It felt like a good place to do the video. Jamming there isn’t so much about getting a good sound, just practising the songs. We’ll go to a good rehearsal place when we’re working on getting the set sounding as best we can, but mostly we just get together to play the album songs to keep them fresh.” What: Oslow out now through Resist With: Cat Heaven, Recovery Room Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday March 11
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REALLY CARE ABOUT BEING AUTHENTIC WE DO ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE IN REAL TIME.” became a bankable product, it basically made you silenced, otherwise you might fuck it up for yourself and the record company. “You know, it’s cool to say ‘Free Tibet’, but if you say ‘Free Palestine’, you’re not going to be looked upon very favourably.” Still, for the most part, Svenonius says Chain and The Gang are not a political group – more than anything else, they represent a philosophy, reflecting on a time when music was about the music. “When people say Chain and The Gang are a political group, I wholeheartedly disagree,” he says. “Maybe philosophical – yeah, philosophical. And yeah, politics is a part of philosophy, but it’s almost broader. Being a political group just puts you in this box that I don’t like. “We’re just trying to do a good job. I just like performing and creating things, and an aesthetic that isn’t bland and has no content or personality. And definitely not idiotic, consumerist pop music. I like something that helps to address important things in life, stuff that makes you think.” Chain and The Gang are excited to travel to Australia this month – in particular Sydney, from which news of the State Government’s lockout laws has travelled overseas. Svenonius is particularly aware of the impending closure of Newtown Social Club; the venue they’ll be playing during their visit to our city. “Let’s keep it open!” he says. “Maybe we’ll just refuse to leave after our visas expire and become international examples of what can happen with a bit of anti-establishment noise.” With: Angie, Cold Sweat DJs Where: Newtown Social Club When: Wednesday March 15
FEATURE
Sleaford Mods This Is England By David James Young
A
thudding, repetitive beat booms its way out of a massive PA. There’s no band – just two wirey blokes on a huge festival stage. One has his hand in his pocket, the other hand nursing a beer as he bobs back and forth to the rhythm. The other is pacing back and forth, all jitters and shakes, before arriving at the microphone stand and bellowing out the words, “FUCK OFF, GLASTONBURY!” Glastonbury, in response, cheers as loudly as it can.
“MY FOCUS AS A WRITER TENDS TO GO FOR THE MOOD ON THE STREET RATHER THAN SOME SORT OF COMPLETE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.”
Sleaford Mods, the gentlemen in question, are so much more than just your average lager-swilling meatheads down at the local pub – but in a few very crucial ways, that’s exactly what they are. They arrive at album number nine this week with English Tapas, and although that number may suggest impulsive productivity, the Mods themselves will attest to the fact it’s not always that easy. “I think the process, for me, tends to start up about three months after something’s been released,” begins Jason Williamson, the fi gurehead of the project who provides vocals and lyrics. “We’d begun work on this record in about January of last year, but it took us a little while to get back into the swing of things after [2015 record] Key Markets. The fl oodgates hadn’t quite opened yet between Andrew [Fearn, producer/multi-instrumentalist] and I at that point. It actually took us until about April to come up with anything new that we found really interesting, not long after we’d put out [2016 EP] T.C.R., when we went to London to work on the album. “Andrew tends to work pretty similarly to myself, so we were in sync for a lot of the process. By August, he was sending complete instrumentals over, which gave me a chance to really look at how I wanted to approach each song and what subjects I wanted to broach.”
“It had been rearing its head more or less since the start of the project, even before Andrew joined,” says Williamson. “English Tapas has singing on it that’s a lot more refi ned than what was on Key Markets, and I’m fi nding that to be the case with every release. It’s a lot clearer – it’s a lot more distinct. “At the same time, though, it’s got to be right. It’s got to fi t with the song, and it can be really difficult to fi gure out what goes where in that respect. This sort of thing doesn’t happen overnight – it takes years for things to formulate properly. I think, with future releases, our songs are going to feature a lot more singing.
FEATURE
Originally, Sleaford Mods consisted entirely of Williamson going on extensive spoken-word rants about the world around him – see the seething ‘Graham’ or the unemployed anthem ‘Jobseeker’. In more recent years, however, Williamson has focused more on singing and choruses within the songs. It’s not in any sort of attempt to go mainstream – that remains of little interest – but rather an evolving idea of what Sleaford Mods can be.
“It has to be done in a way that makes sense for us, though. It has to suit us. The sound of what Sleaford Mods is has really changed, and I think if we make another album then it will be refl ective of that.” The ‘if’ in Williamson’s reply brings into question the uncertainty of Sleaford Mods’ longevity – although, to be fair, he couldn’t have anticipated just how far the project would go when he started performing under the name some ten years ago. The world around Sleaford Mods has been constantly swept up in the winds of change – and not necessarily for the better. English Tapas is unapologetic in its mix of the personal and political, easily surpassing that of their 2014 breakthrough Divide And Exit. For Williamson, it’s about catharsis
and making sure those who actively work against lower classes and minorities are held accountable. “I did my best to not just write about these issues for the sake of it – just because that’s what’s expected of me and of us,” he says. “You’ve got to be really careful with this sort of stuff. The political climate shifted so quickly last year – it came at all of us so fast. There’s the argument that having a pop at people like [Brexit campaigner Nigel] Farage is too easy – that they’re an easy target – but I tend to think that those people are easy for a reason. Every time we do an album, we talk about stuff like this. My focus as a writer tends to go for the mood on the street rather than some sort of complete character assassination. It all
depends, though. Sometimes it can be a mixture of both – which is especially the case when you look at some of these guys with their fucking stone age policies.” Touring is already under way for English Tapas, but a maiden voyage to Australia still eludes the band – for now. “I’m a family man – I’ve got a couple of kids,” Williamson explains. “If I’m going to be away for an extended period of time, it’s got to be within a window that was feasible. The timing has to be just right. I do have a lot of people from Australia that get in touch, so we’re defi nitely going to make it over there at some point.” What: English Tapas out Friday March 3 through Rough Trade/Remote Control
“THE POLITICAL CLIMATE SHIFTED SO QUICKLY LAST YEAR – IT CAME AT ALL OF US SO FAST.” thebrag.com
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arts in focus
FEATURE
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life [FILM] In Reel Time By David Molloy
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alk to any Australian between the ages of 20 and 80 about movie critics, and without fail, two names pop up: Margaret and David, the beloved duo who fought over films for 30 years on screens around the country. At The Movies gracefully retired in 2014, but true passion never subsides – and cinema is unquestionably David Stratton’s greatest passion, given that
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
it has consumed his every waking moment since he was a young boy. “You can get passionate about the arts – whether it’s cinema, theatre or literature – because they touch us in so many ways,” says Stratton, looking fondly on his obsession. “You can get very passionate, and Margaret [Pomeranz], I think, is probably a more passionate person than me on the surface. Although I think I have passion lurking just beneath the surface. “I think [the show] worked because we were different types and because we didn’t mind saying what we thought about films, but we were also very understanding of the other person’s point of view.” Stratton has spent over five decades seeing through the eyes of others, be it on At The Movies or in his 18-year tenure as director of Sydney Film Festival. Now, his audiences finally get a glimpse of the world through his eyes, in a documentary feature and series based on his career – David Stratton: A Cinematic Life. “I never thought that anybody would be very interested in me or my opinions outside those areas,” says Stratton, “and so when the proposal came to make this film, as I say, I was quite flattered and intrigued and concerned and all those things. I think it turned out pretty well! But I’m too close to it to really know what I think.”
THE BODYGUARD
We’ve got two double passes to the Sunday April 23 matinee. To be in the running to win one, enter at thebrag.com/freeshit. 18 :: BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17
“She phoned me the other day and said she liked it and that she cried,
A Cinematic Life paints a portrait of Stratton’s years in the field by engaging directly with the medium. As a lover of Australian cinema, he has championed a great many films and filmmakers that would otherwise not have entered the zeitgeist as memorably as they did. Among the artists that speak fondly of Stratton in the film are Nicole Kidman, George Miller, Russell Crowe, Gillian Armstrong, and other stalwarts of the industry. Sadly, its book counterpart has not yet found an outlet, even though Stratton’s autobiography I Peed On Fellini was roundly celebrated. “The sad fact is, I’ve written a book, a sort of encyclopaedia really, of Australian feature films since 1990… but I can’t find a publisher,” he says. “Maybe this documentary will get publishers interested after all, but it’s there, it’s written!” For Stratton, this points to a changing culture around film criticism – it’s easier to get your voice out there, but harder to be heard than ever before. He believes there are three vital factors to success as a critic: dedication, passion, and pure blind luck. Oh, and watching tonnes of movies. “The only advice I can give to young would-be critics is to see lots of films,” he says. “Not just to see current films but to delve back into cinema history, because that’s how I learnt about the cinema – I didn’t go to film school, I didn’t even go to university, I didn’t even finish high school! But I learnt about cinema by watching films.
“I DIDN’T GO TO FILM SCHOOL, I DIDN’T EVEN GO TO UNIVERSITY, I DIDN’T EVEN FINISH HIGH SCHOOL! BUT I LEARNT ABOUT CINEMA BY WATCHING FILMS.”
“I TRY TO WATCH A FILM EVERY DAY THAT I HAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE. THAT’S MY CHALLENGE TO MYSELF.” “I try to watch a film every day that I haven’t seen before. That’s my challenge to myself, and that adds enormously to my knowledge. So I watch films from 1930, 1940 and from anywhere, from Czechoslovakia or Japan – I don’t care, I just want to see a new film every day.” With every film he sees, Stratton takes down notes, archiving them in an enormous handwritten database of the 2,500+ films he’s watched. It’s something he does for himself, and perhaps occasionally to refer back to when lecturing on film history at the University of Sydney. This technique is what has made Stratton known and loved – a breadth of knowledge on everything cinematic. “If I can say one thing about my career, I’ve been incredibly lucky,” he admits. “I mean, I was very wellinformed from an early age about films, but even so, I was very lucky to be just in the right time and the right place when they urgently wanted a director to the Sydney Film Festival. I didn’t apply for that job, they asked me. “Luck plays such an important role, but you’ve gotta have the dedication and the passion and the knowledge as well … Write about everything that you see and just write it for yourself. And doing that will just encourage you or enable you to express your ideas and your feelings about the film and the aspects of the film that you think are important to convey to people.” What: David Stratton: A Cinematic Life (dir. Sally Aitken) Where: In cinemas Thursday March 9 thebrag.com
David Stratton photo by Mark Rogers
Everybody, sing it with us: “And eeyyyy-eee-eye will always love you…”. The legendary 1992 film The Bodyguard has now been reimagined as a stage musical, and it will have its Australian premiere in Sydney this April. Paulini stars as Rachel Marron, the character made famous by Whitney Houston, while Kip Gamblin fills the role of Frank Farmer, Rachel’s titular bodyguard. The show features a bunch of Houston’s greatest hits, including ‘Queen Of The Night’, ‘So Emotional’, ‘One Moment In Time’ and more. It plays at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from Friday April 21.
It would be wonderful to see co-host Margaret Pomeranz’s take on the film, but she too is close to the project, having featured heavily in the narrative of Stratton’s life.
which is rather nice,” he says. “But I don’t think she’s going to review it publicly – I mean, she can’t, because she’s in it, she’s got quite a substantial supporting role.”
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ransitions Film Festival is the festival dedicated to documentaries about the people and ideas who are changing the world for the better. From technology to food, social sciences and ethical fashion, the Transitions program is an uplifting window into our future. Festival director Daniel Simons shares with us his five favourite picks. See more at transitionsfilmfestival.com.
arts in focus
FEATURE
1. How To Let Go Of The World And Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change – A Film By Josh Fox
2. Raw
H AY D E N O R P H EUM CREM ORNE, F R I DAY M ARCH 10
Despite its bleak title, How To Let Go is really a deeply moving human story, full of adventure, hope and determination. It gives a fascinating insight into most exotic parts of the world and is told by a master of the craft in a way that will stay with the audience long after the film has ended. Watching this film binds us together with the challenges, reflections and visions of our shared humanity.
H AY D E N OR PH E U M C R EMOR N E , TH U R S DAY MA R C H 9
Raw follows the incredible story of two ‘grandparents’ who ran 366 marathons in one year, consuming an all-raw plant-based diet. Far from being preachy, the film showcases a deeply motivating human spirit and an incredible physical achievement, as well as giving a great overview of the benefits of plantbased diets for people and planet, and as a method of battling cancer. More importantly, the screening at the Orpheum will give audiences a chance to meet these two remarkable human beings in person.
3. A Plastic Ocean ZE N ITH TH E ATR E , SATU R DAY MA R C H 11
A Plastic Ocean was described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the most important films of the decade. This beautifully shot but deeply confronting film is a radical call to arms about the need to combat the devastating impacts of plastic in our environment. Everybody needs to see this film.
Transitions Film Festival [FILM] Best Of The Fest By Daniel Simons
4. There Will Be Water
5. RiverBlue
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D E N DY N E W TOW N , TU E S DAY MA R C H 14
There Will Be Water is a gripping story about the challenges of trying to give birth to The Sahara Project, an ingenious and creative technological innovation that has revolutionary potential for solving global food and water crises. You will be infinitely inspired by the genius and determination of the project’s founder, and the massive potential (and need) for innovations like this to help save the world.
Narrated by Jason Priestley, RiverBlue is a stunningly shot ethical fashion film that will make you rethink what you wear and where it comes from. The film journeys all around the world showcasing the impacts of unethical fashion and offers solutions for the future.
five minutes with John Galea, director of Superhal
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Richard 3 photo by Pierre Toussaint
ell us about the concept behind Superhal, opening in March at NIDA Parade Theatre. Hal, AKA King Henry V, is one of Shakespeare’s most popular characters. We wanted follow his story, usually told over three plays, and tell it in a single sitting, keeping the richness of Shakespeare’s language but finding a way to connect this material with audiences who might not otherwise come to see a Shakespeare play. I’m a sci-fi comic book nerd from way back, and the superhero universe seemed to me to be an obvious fit for the history plays – ‘What is honour?’ is a theme that comes up time and again in Hal’s story, and I think the idea of honour and heroism is a central superhero theme too.
Shakespeare is often considered high art, whereas superheroes thrive in Hollywood. Are superhero stories the Shakespeare of our age? [Laughs] It’s an interesting question. Even though Marvel’s MCU has reached storytelling heights not seen before in the superhero genre, I think the writing still has a ways to go before it’s on a par with Shakespeare. I would consider Alan Moore’s comics (V For Vendetta, Watchmen, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen) to be on that literature/genius
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level, although it’s always hard to compare any literature to Shakespeare for me. But in terms of relevance and popular appeal, and the mix of nobility and comedy, I think that superheroes certainly are living in the same cultural space as Elizabethan theatre did 400 years ago. Are there any clever references in the play for Marvel and DC devotees? Well, you may see a number of characters who share similarities with Marvel/DC icons – however, this is its own story, not a satire or derivative work, so they will be familiar but not immediately recognisable. You may see references where you don’t expect them; Falstaff is a good example of this. For Alan Moore fans there is a deliberate Watchmen reference in Act Two. Who features in the cast? Richard Hilliar is an acclaimed Sydney actor and director, he’ll be playing Hal. David Attrill, a veteran of the Sydney stage, plays his father Henry IV. John Michael Burdon, another Sydney stage regular both as an actor and director, will play the mighty Falstaff. And we have a fantastic supporting cast including Emily Weare, Seamus Quinn,
Amanda Maple-Brown, Emily Elise, Kieran Foster, Pascal Rueger, Beth McMullen, Catherine Davies, Jasper GarnerGore, Meghann Martini, Ciaran O’Riordan and Noemie Joumont. Should audiences expect to laugh, cry, cower in fear, or something else entirely? All of the above, but above all to wonder and have their spirit soar as they are taken to an alternative reality to question the meaning of ‘honour’. What: Superhal Where: NIDA Parade Theatre When: Tuesday March 7 – Saturday March 18
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out & about Queer(ish) matters with Arca Bayburt
arts in focus
arts reviews
■ Film
JASPER JONES In cinemas Thursday March 2
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Happy Mardi Gras, Everybody
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’m not sure who made the goofy decision to try and cram 80,000 queer outdoorsy types into Camperdown Park for Fair Day, but let me just say, it was not a gay time. Fair Day kicks off the Mardi Gras season and has always been my favourite part of it all. Usually hosted at Victoria Park, there’s ample room to roam around and take in the sights. The Camperdown Park event felt like we were all herded into a cattle pen. At one point, my friend and I decided we should visit some stalls that were set up on the path that runs parallel to the cemetery. A slight dip in the path allows you to see the entire length of it. All we saw was a carpet of bobbing heads and it was all the encouragement we needed to turn right back around and leave. There was no space to move around, and this somehow made the entire event feel that much more corporate. Why the fuck was Holden there? Why did they have a stall? They had a car parked out the front of their tent with some
milquetoast statement about how they supported equality. I mean, there’s always a corporate spectre at these things, or has been for several years now, but at least the vast expanse of Victoria Park disperses it all, so it feels less like a concentrated attack on your wallet and more of an incidental. The main stage had an interesting sound problem, in that unless you were directly in front of the stage or two metres away from the side of it, you couldn’t hear a damn thing. The puppies were great, though. The puppies are always great. There was a stall with glittered shoes. There were a lot of happy, screaming kids running around with paint on their faces and everybody seemed to be in good spirits despite the squeeze. In true Sydney fashion, however, security was overzealous and the rules about which gate to use to enter and exit seemed largely arbitrary and only worsened the congestion. I saw a security guard tackle a man to the ground because he dared take
a cup of water out of the venue. Fair Day felt less like a picnic this year and more like being slowly suctioned and squeezed through the large intestine of corporate Australia. If you were lucky you’d grab some free, poop-smeared swag as your face dragged against the clammy guts of queer consumer culture. But hey, I’ve no moral high ground to stand on. I didn’t refuse their advances, and was instead seduced by a pair of free rainbow shoelaces. And a wristband. And condoms. Also a few stickers. I would’ve taken a T-shirt too. It’s not always a bad thing, except when it is. I guess there’s a balance to be found, even when capital interest invades a selfsustaining culture. I don’t mind the free condoms, but I’m not really sure what Holden is doing in the fight for LGBTQI rights. If they could answer that, I’d be more forgiving of them parking on my fucking lawn. Happy Mardi Gras everyone.
this week… it’s all about Mardi Gras
Brendan Maclean
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come a long way baby, but there’s more to go yet. The parade kicks off at 7pm. Also on Saturday March 4, the Art Gallery of New South Wales celebrates Mardi Gras with Queer Art After Hours. Featuring performances from Blake Lawrence, Matt Format, Brendan Maclean, Cocoloco, James Welsby (Yummy)
and The Huxleys, it’s all being held against the backdrop of the Andy Warhol exhibition. DJs include Gemma and Seymour Butz. Entry is free. And on the same night, get down to The Red Rattler in Marrickville for Monsta Gras: Mother Tongue. It’s a slightly darker queer party for the Mardi Gras season, with performances from SJ Norman, Amrita Hepi, Slé and Justin Shoulder. The DJs are Sezzo Snot, Lorna Clarkson, Chunyin, Joseph Chetty, Queen G, Wahe, Yung Brujo and DJ Meta ETC. Presale tickets are available now for $20 + booking fee. A limited quantity of tickets will also be available on the door.
The bookish Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller) lives an unassuming life as an only child in the rural town of Corrigin, Western Australia. His life is turned upside down when local indigenous outcast Jasper Jones (Aaron L. McGrath) comes to his window at night, shows him the body of a local woman, and pleads for Charlie’s help in proving that he’s innocent of her murder. This small-town whodunit has whisperings of the excellent Brick, but little of the style. Director Rachel Perkins of Blackfella Films (Bran Nue Dae, Redfern Now) is known for her polish and her championing of indigenous stories, though one is more prevalent than the other here: the title character is a ghost, rarely seen but haunting every carefully composed frame.
For a film that so directly tackles rural prejudice – a conversation we need to be having in this country right now – its characters of colour have remarkably little screentime. This is, of course, down to focusing on the perspective of a white protagonist, but it’s a noteworthy compromise. Fortunately, future stars like Kevin Long (Charlie’s friend Jeffrey Lu) make the most of their moments; McGrath is compelling as Jones, a powerful screen presence. The film, novel and play have the air of an Australian To Kill A Mockingbird, replacing the stalwart Atticus Finch with a pubescent boy whose keen sense of injustice is tested by his conservative community. Miller’s Charlie is an everyman, a blank slate, and it’s only later in the film that Miller distinguishes himself as an actor capable of more than showing surprise. His surrounds are all too familiar – like Red Dog and
too many other examples, Jasper Jones approaches Australiana as a genre constraint. A powerful story is thereby muted, robbed of some of its potency, because it looks and sounds too much like every other film coming out of the country. Name one Australian film in which Toni Collette isn’t somebody’s frustrated mother, or Hugo Weaving a rambling madman, misunderstood. That said, the cinematography is indicative of our great local talent, as are the quality performances across the board. Had Perkins displayed more of her personal flair, this may have been one of the best Australian films of the year. As it is, it’s a compelling narrative executed by numbers, and a sign that, like the people of Corrigin, we need to look closely at ourselves and see what most needs changing. David Molloy
five minutes with Brentley Frazer, author of Scoundrel Days
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our memoir Scoundrel Days is out this March. Can you introduce us to the premise? Scoundrel Days is the story of the boy I once was running away from everything everyone ever taught him and seeking the truth for himself. It’s about growing up on the wrong side of the tracks in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. It’s the story of the broken people I encountered and the shattered dreams. It is also a story about road tripping and taking too many drugs and drinking too much and driving too fast and waking up with strangers in strange beds. It’s also a love story about the poetry that can be found in everyday life if you look hard enough. You’ve had works published as far back as 1992. How long has this memoir been planned? I started writing poetry and stories in primary school right through high school and I started having some success with publishing in the early ’90s. I began writing Scoundrel Days in 1993 but decided I hadn’t lived enough so I lugged the manuscript around the country, working on it until 2010 when I sat down and spent a year writing a draft. Then I decided that I didn’t know enough about writing novels so I applied to write the book as a PhD project so I could get a solid few years to work on it in a supportive environment. Essentially I had this book planned for well over 20 years. Does one have to believe they’ve led an extraordinary life to write a memoir? No, but having some adventures to relay engages your readers a little more effectively than no adventures. This is also part of the premise of Scoundrel Days – if no adventures happen to you, make your own. Are you setting out to shock or surprise your reader, or simply to entertain? There’s a difference? Seriously though, feeling shocked or surprised is entertainment, but no, I never deliberately set out to shock. While working on the book it wasn’t my MO to do anything more than engage the reader, to take them for the ride right up against the windscreen. Who were your main influences in your writing? Writers who shaped my life include Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Henry Miller, Jean Genet, Jack Kerouac and Andrew McGahan. What: Scoundrel Days More: uqp.com.au
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Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras photo by Katrina Clarke
On Saturday March 4, head over to Oxford Street (or Flinders Street) in Darlinghurst to watch 10,000 glittery queers march in celebration of liberation and equality. Now in its 39th year, Mardi Gras means different things to different people – but it is undeniably an event for celebration with an ever-present political undercurrent. We’ve
Adapted from a successful book and play, Jasper Jones is a well-crafted, timely treatise on small-town prejudice and its macrocosmic implications that quickly falls victim to the ‘Australian film’ genre.
Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK STRAND OF OAKS Hard Love Dead Oceans/Inertia
Everything changed for Timothy Showalter when he released Heal, the hefty breakthrough album that took his project Strand Of Oaks around the world.
xxx
Hard Love expands on Heal’s autobiographical nature, as Showalter battles the wild excesses of his dream and the reality of his decisions. It’s an overall deeper reflective mood, but by no means is he wallowing. First single ‘Radio Kids’ is a punchy admittance that he is not as far removed from his chartseeking counterparts as he once thought. The psychedelic tones of the whole album whirl through ‘Salt Brothers’ especially: the guitars practically weep through the speakers, going places that Showalter possibly couldn’t with words. ‘Everything’ pushes further with enough Southern-fried menace it’s almost tangible.
The tender, raw ballad ‘Cry’ showcases an artist willing to drop his guard and expose a fragile being. It’s one of the most intimate and honest moments on the record. ‘Rest Of It’ is a solid reminder that rock’n’roll is about having fun, containing a shoutalong chorus and a solo that screams for a live stage. ‘Taking Acid And Talking To My Brother’ closes the album in grandiose but endearing style, with an eightminute behemoth that takes you on a wild, swirling journey of an attempt to process thoughts of loss, purpose, mortality and family. Hard Love is an honest, humble and cohesive reflection of a man trying to understand it all. Each song is both a consolation and celebration of life lived completely. Iain McKelvey
“Hard Love expands on Heal’s autobiographical nature, as Showalter battles the wild excesses of his dream and the reality of his decisions.”
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE MORRISONS The Morrisons Independent
Bringing those good ol’ country feels right into the city, Sydney’s own The Morrisons harness a wickedly fun and cheeky spirit in their self-titled album, an all-out assault of banjo, harmonica, fiddle and washboard. Effortlessly sliding between fastpicking numbers like ‘Whiskey On The Brain’ and ‘Sugarcane’ – featuring some furious puffing on a harmonica and rich vocals from singer James Morrison – to the more desolate yet wholesome reflections like ‘Melina’ and ‘Good Christian Man’, which capture the subtle graces of guitarist Miles Fraser’s technique, The Morrisons
inoculate city slickers to the sound of country. Fusing traditional stories with a lonesome spirit, this album captures all the sweet notes of the American South with an obvious and prideful Australian character. Closer ‘Southern Flavour’ brings it all home in more ways than one – it will leave
you breathless at its close. On the evidence of these kneebendin’, toe-tappin’ gems, you’ll be rewarded for taking the opportunity to witness The Morrisons perform the album live on their upcoming tour. Anna Wilson
“The Morrisons captures all the sweet notes of the American South with an obvious and prideful Australian character.”
FIRST DRAFTS Unearthed demos and unfinished hits, as heard by Nathan Jolly THE VINES – ‘GET FREE’
T
he classic origin story of The Vines involves two bored McDonald’s workers dreaming up a band inspired by equal parts Beatles, Nirvana and Supergrass – in between making soft serve cones. In reality, The Vines began life in Craig Nicholls’ bedroom in Hurstville, where he would make dozens of demo recordings on a cheap digital recorder, building little sonic worlds which were only tied together thematically by his singular vocal ability – leaning on guttural yelping as much as it did on syrupy, sun-drenched harmonies.
These early Vines demos contained every song bar one from their first two albums, and attracted Nicholls’ management team, his overseas label, and excited producer Rob Schnapf – who would steer The Vines’ Highly Evolved and Winning Days records. Schnapf produced four Elliott Smith albums, and ran a label called Bong Load. It was a perfect fit. The Vines made a number of demos for their first hit ‘Get Free’ throughout the years, ranging from boom box garage demos to this rather fully formed recording, which could have been released in its own right had the band not initiated a bidding war, signed to an American major label, and sold millions of copies of its debut album. In this early incarnation, the song spiders into existence, a throbbing drum beat and a palm-muted rhythm guitar fighting against a manic lead part for dominance. Then the main riff kicks in, and it all becomes quite recognisable. thebrag.com
The “move outta California” hook at the end of the chorus is yet to be written; in its place a barrage of gobbledegook that works almost as well. (Nicholls is great at gobbledegook – see the verses to ‘Outtathaway’ for more evidence of this.) The “when it’s breeding time” bridge is a tightly wound Beatlesesque section in the fi nished version of ‘Get Free’, but here it’s the part where the song purposefully topples over, an insane guitar solo quickly strangling the track into near-silence, before a lone cowbell and Nicholls’ possessed yelp works to straighten things out again. Nicholls’ vocal is, as a whole, more subdued throughout, despite the more freewheeling instrumentation – and it would have been tempting to go with this more heavy-lidded version of the song. But Schnapf knew he was sitting on a potential hit, and tightened the arrangement, killing the breakdown and both the strangled intro and outro, opening the song with that now-iconic riff and punching in and out within two minutes. Listening to The Vines’ early demos, you get the feeling this was a band that could have been huge if only the right people listened. Luckily, in this case, that’s exactly what happened.
“The classic origin story of The Vines involves two bored McDonald’s workers dreaming up a band inspired by The Beatles, Nirvana and Supergrass.”
Listen to the original ‘Get Free’ demo at thebrag.com. BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17 :: 21
bar
OF
ADDRESS: 33-35 DARLINGHURST RD, POTTS POINT PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9368 7333 WEBSITE: POTTSPOINTHOTEL.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: MON – SUN 11:30AM-LATE
TH
EK
POTTS POINT HOTEL
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FEATURE
FOOD + DRINK
A Guide To
Cheap Eats BY JADE SMITH
Lovers of tight-arse Tuesdays and their equally thrifty Wednesdays, rejoice! For between $1 and $3, you can now stretch the shrapnel in your pocket to cover a range of tasty foodstuffs to keep you satiated while scrimping and saving at the same time. These four Sydney establishments run killer food specials, so you know just where you need to be on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to rake in some delicious deals. Tell us about your bar: Leading the charge in the rejuvenation of Kings Cross, the Potts Point Hotel boasts a brand new fit-out, designated dining space, separate bar area and outdoor seating. With good food and drinks in a relaxed setting, it’s the ideal place for a casual dinner or drinks with friends. What’s on the menu? The menu is best described as modern smokehouse. Meats are smoked daily with native woods for up to eight hours and include sticky beef spare ribs, Carolina pulled pork shoulder, Kansas-style buttermilk chicken and grain-fed Riverina Angus beef brisket. If it’s snacks you’re after, tuck into the burnt ends with Wasabi BBQ sauce, Southern crispy calamari, chipotle mayo and green onion or smashed avocado, jalopeño, witlof, cashew and pickled cucumber. If you’re a grill lover, order the 450 gram T-bone with garlic soy and
Sriracha, 250 gram Angus flank steak with shiso butter or the pork cutlet with ginger, scallions, brown sugar and sake. Prefer something lighter? Start with the grilled watermelon, tiger prawns, pickled daikon and Ponzu butter followed by smoked trout salad with kipfler potato, watercress and cumin mustard dressing. The menu is available daily for lunch from midday and dinner from 5:30pm. The dining area accepts reservations for dinner. Care for a drink? Rollo Anderson, formerly of The Rook, is the man behind the bar. His drinks list features an impressive boutique beer offering with 16 beers on tap and 40 bottled. If cocktails are more your style, sip on something tasty while you learn a little Potts Point history. The cocktails are named after infamous Potts Point identities and include twists on classics such as the Carlotta Collins (with Tanqueray, Aperol, ruby grapefruit and salted rim), Tilly’s Razorblade (with Havana Club 3, lime, honey and cayenne pepper) and the Rum Rafferty (with Bundaberg Small Batch, orange, clove and dark chocolate). Highlights: Enjoy a long, lazy brunch from 11:30am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The PPH big breakfast is a hangover cure straight from heaven with fried eggs, sausage, Texan toast, maple bacon and roast tomato. Wash it down with a few Bloody Marys and you’ll be good to go for round two! The bill comes to: Main meal $25 + cocktail $18 = $43 approx.
The Soda Factory SU R RY H ILLS
The first place to deposit all your change is the Americana-themed dive bar The Soda Factory in Surry Hills. There’s already so much to love about this venue, from live music to karaoke, movie nights and a kick-arse American dinerinspired menu, but on Tuesday nights, Dollar Dogs reign. For just $1 each, you can get a choice of three hot dogs including the famed Frank Sinatra, with fancier counterparts from $2-3 including the likes of the Yoko Ono and the Al Capone. When your meal is cheaper than the side of fries, you know you’re doing well.
El Camino Cantina photo by Jane Kelly
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FOOD + DRINK
REVIEW
In Sydney
from
$u1p
Johnny Wong’s Dumpling Bar DAR LINGHURST
Next on the lineup is Johnny Wong’s Dumpling Bar, perfect for your Darlinghurst nights. Located just above Kinselas, Johnny Wong’s is home to a wide variety of dumplings and buns from Taiwan. Get there on Wednesdays and be treated to $1 dumpling specials from 6-11pm. Here, they come in servings of five for $5, so turn up with a mate, grab a few plates, and enjoy a special that will keep your stomach and wallet happy.
The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room SY D NEY CBD
Feeling a little fancy? Well then, step into The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room in the CBD. Forget about your crippling student debt, or the general cost of living, and feel like royalty with their oyster specials. $1 oyster hour happens every Wednesday from 6-7pm and bookings are suspended for the hour, so you just need to front up and, at times, be prepared to queue. But as this special also coincides with the 5-7pm happy hour with $5 house wine, beer and spirits, it’ll be well worth the wait.
Cairo Takeaway N E WTOWN
BY JESSICA WESTCOTT
I
’ve tried a lot of cuisines. French, Guatemalan, Brazilian… and just about every Thai restaurant that has ever turned its name into a pun. It’s been a while since I truly thought, “Huh. Well I’ve never seen that before.” Until now. Egyptian food?
Yeah, I know. I felt the same way. It’s that feeling of, “I feel like I should have had this before, but I’ve never seen Egyptian food in Sydney. Is it a thing?” Turns out it’s a thing. And Newtown’s curiosity is well and truly out to play. Cairo Takeaway is modestly hidden away on the corner of that part of Enmore Road that comes after Oporto. And I mean hidden – despite the line of waiting customers I manage to walk past directly in front of the shopfront, twice, without seeing it. But the glass facade leads to a small, busy and vibrant restaurant serving its take on Egyptian fare. Small, round wicker tables dot the sidewalk; it’s a game to not knock them over (or your drinks!) as you take a seat. Inside, spinach falafel balls buzz in a giant vat of oil, while waiters bring out huge plates of colourful vegetables and dipping sauces, and giant steins of coloured drink. The diner has the vibe of a fish and chip shop crossed with a fancy kebab house. And the revellers love it, each squeezing their way through the tiny space while holding a charcoal chicken pita wrap with pickles and toum tightly in their fingers, presumably heading towards the Cow & The Moon gelato shop just up the road. I sit and sip the sugarcane juice that has been placed in front of me, and consider my surroundings. Soon, two oversized partners of mezze-style pickings are brought out, and the table again feels just that little bit too small and unsteady. Cairo Takeaway is famous for its street-style fare – the falafel rolls quickly sell out at $8.80 a pop. The menu offers a fantastic mix of vegan
El Camino Cantina T HE ROCKS
For those with an extra dollar to spare – or anyone in need of some rockabilly at The Rocks – there’s always El Camino Cantina. With Tex-Mex chic matched by a ’50s rock’n’roll interior – complete with a jukebox and food served out of the trunk of a Cadillac – this cantina is like no other. Taco Tuesdays is when you’ll want to be here most, with $2 tacos all day. Boasting a choice of chicken, beef or a special weekly taco, not to mention the trademark complimentary corn chips and salsa for your table, this is definitely a hit.
“
The diner has the vibe of a fish and chip shop crossed with a fancy kebab house. And the revellers love it.
and vegetarian-friendly recipes, plus lamb kofta for the rest of us. We go for the vegetarian mixed plate: the cauliflower is an immediate standout. Nutty and moreish, it’s the kind of food you wish your nonna knew how to cook so you could have it in your life more. The garlicky toum is a fantastic side; added to pretty much anything on the plate, it gives a sharp punch of flavour and makes the more bland elements (I’m looking at you, Egyptian spinach lasagne) come to life. The colours are really vibrant, and you feel like you are eating art. Same goes for the meat platter. Each morsel has its own unique place on the platter, but the charcoal chicken is a real winner winner chicken dinner. Everything is sprinkled with paprika or mixed with an aioli, but honestly, if you chuck it all in a bit of pita (a bitapita to be precise) it’s a delicious feed. And it’s cheap. The crispy onion-laden traditional bowl of koshari is enough to feed two at just $14. Granted it’s just lentils, rice and pasta, but the mix of spiced and hot sauce make it closer to a carbohydrate hug. Cairo Takeaway is small, and still finding its feet – but the lines don’t lie. It pushes the Egyptian cuisine that few have ever tried in Sydney into the spotlight, and deservedly so. And the joint is right up the road from the Enmore Theatre, promising a great meal to line the stomach. Go on, try something new, and stop being in de-Nile (I had to.)
Add the above to your weekly budget, eat responsibly, and enjoy the benefits of good food and good finances. For between $1 and $3, a wealth of opportunity awaits. More: facebook.com/cairotakeaway
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PRICE PER MAIN:
$: $0-10 $$: $10-20 $$$: $20-35 $$$$: $35-50 $$$$$: $50+
Where: 81 Enmore Rd, Newtown
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snap sn ap
up all night out all week . . .
VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT
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live reviews What we’ve been out to see...
WARPAINT
Sydney Opera House Saturday February 25 Hit YouTube and search for Warpaint’s ‘Disco//Very’. The four-minute clip will instantly reveal a lot of what you need to know about the LA four-piece: they’re full of attitude, cool AF and were obviously far from the back of the queue when good looks were being dished out. Musically, they make sassy, electrotinged indie and lyrics like “Don’t you battle, we’ll kill you / We’ll rip you up and tear you in two” suggest they don’t suffer fools gladly. It’s also obviously apparent that one woman has a little something more than the others; the camera loves bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg and her energy spills out of every frame. And so it was, on a drizzly evening, inside the Sydney Opera House. Lindberg’s contagious energy – not to mention her propelling bass work – was an unceasing joy in an otherwise lacklustre show. Main vocalists and guitarists Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman stood out front, their voices alternating between angelic harmony and demonic wailing. (Both could sing well when they wanted to, Kokal in particular proving she could play it straight when she emerged alone for an encore of ‘Baby’.) Yet eyes were often drawn to the right, where Lindberg stood on a raised platform with a huge monitor behind her, writhing and jigging around and generally seeming to enjoy herself. Lindberg’s parts gave heart and soul to songs that might otherwise have been hard to connect with. ‘Whiteout’ was excellent only because of the injection of funk provided by Lindberg and birthday girl (and former Sydney resident) Stella Mozgawa’s compact drums. On ‘CC’, in which Lindberg chants “Breathe in me”, her bass is a lightning counterpart to menace and melancholy not unlike Andy Rourke’s often undervalued work on The Smiths’ best tracks. A far from vintage performance, but great to see an unquestionable star steal the show from the back of the stage. David Wild PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
ANIMALS AS LEADERS, PLINI Metro Theatre Sunday February 26
When asked if they would be attending Animals As Leaders’ gig at the Metro Theatre, a fellow music journalist replied, “No, I don’t go to AIM” (the Australian Institute of Music). Ultimately, it’s their loss – while the barb was tonguein-cheek, it overlooks the distinctive emotional space that this kind of progressive metal can create. One need look no further than this Sydney show to see the draw of the genre: long before the headliners took the stage, a packed Metro Theatre greeted local guitar wizard Plini. For
LIVE AND LOCAL PARRAMATTA Parramatta Saturday February 24
The residents, businesses and musicians of Parramatta came together on Saturday for a fantastic community event with the purpose of proving to the higher political powers – and indeed Sydney residents at large – that live music will never wilt in the face of the lockout laws. Live And Local Parramatta set out to showcase a diverse range of Western Sydney artists across
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a Sydney crowd to rock up early is almost unheard of, but the 24-year-old’s reputation clearly precedes him. His music is warm video game nostalgia, a salve to old Metroid fans. On a distinctive, hyper-gainy electric guitar with no discernible headstock, his fi ngers drew out landscapes, creating a vibrant and tangible space. Behind him, a similarly prolifi c collective of m usicians – including the astonishing Troy Wright on drums – carved out their own stomping grounds in Plini’s aural worlds. The crowd was all indulgent smiles and gently nodding heads – and the occasional shout-out to beloved wah-pedalling bassist Simon Grove. Even with all this love, Plini would be the first to acknowledge that his brand
mixed-use venues in the CBD, ranging from the conventional – like restaurants and bars – to less traditional spaces, such as boutiques and salons. An afternoon of varied entertainment kicked off in Centenary Square with a performance by the Live And Local Choir, a group specially formed for the occasion and led by The Voice star Darren Percival. With great enthusiasm, Percival and his choir engaged the gathering crowds in a round of song, triggering a pattern of interaction and fun that would be found in the city for the rest of the day.
of instrumental prog rock wouldn’t exist were it not for the infl uence of Animals As Leaders. To see them live is to witness true masters in action; the kind who have devoted their lives to the perfection of their instrument, and who can wring from it unprecedented sounds. Guitarist Tosin Abasi is unparalleled – his fi ngers fl y across the frets with such speed, it seems he’s barely touching the strings at all. And yet, every note is precise and clear, layered into a heady djent mix that gets the pulse racing. The single-minded organism that is Animals As Leaders defi es belief. How Abasi, guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka could ever structure and sustain such complex
Live And Local’s concentrated venues made it very easy to walk from one to another, and to catch the many different styles of music and performances on offer. If you were leaving Jamie’s Italian after the wonderful (and the day’s standout) blues rock performance from Simon Meli, and heading to the University of New England campus for an electric performance of keys and vocals from The Sons Of Fitzrovia, you were likely to soak up a few other performances along the way, unable to avoid the steamy Latin swing of Son De Caña at Coco Cubano, or the titillating oom-pa-pa of The Glorious
compositions, let alone play them for 90 minutes straight, is beyond understanding. But technical profi ciency alone – as that other critic believed – is not enough to draw a crowd. Animals As Leaders have a special energy to their ostensible showing-off that makes them humble and engaged. Their audience locks in to the emotional space they create, and every shift of tempo and phrase of arpeggiated two-hand tapping is marked by the movement of the crowd. They, too, know every note. Animals As Leaders are for anyone who has ever wanted to mosh at a Bach recital – mathematical profi ciency made emotionally resonant and metal as fuck. David Molloy
Sousaphonics as they roamed Church Street. Though the weather was at times unpleasant, the sun could have been shining for all the excitement and joy felt throughout the afternoon. Parramatta’s Live And Local initiative demonstrated a great strength of community and revealed an eclectic mix of musical talent in Western Sydney that will surely set a precedent for other such (and much-needed) events in locations right across greater Sydney. Anna Wilson
thebrag.com
Kore Productions presents:
Featuring Zach Goldfinch, Jacob Barn and Kailesh Reitmens Produced by Kyle Stephens
24th March - 1st of April Factor y Theatre - The Terminal 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville Price range $15 - $25 $5 charge when bought at the door on the night
PLUS EXTRA SHOWS 23rd, 24th (2 shows), 25th (2 shows) On Saturday we will be joined by the beat bang theory to play with Days of our life Cabaret
Funny. Unethical. Slightly Gay.
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www.factorytheatre.com.au | www.koreproductions.com.au
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live reviews What we’ve been out to see... PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
DESCENDENTS, NURSERY CRIMES Enmore Theatre Friday February 24
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY Sydney Opera House Thursday February 23
It’s been a long time coming. From Manning Bar to the Enmore, and now the big leagues: Explosions In The Sky at the Sydney Opera House. It’s a fitting venue; stately, ceremonial and jutting into the sky as its sails simultaneously shimmer across the harbour. As such, there seems to be something reverential about the occasion, brought about just as surely by the reverence with which these unassuming Texans treat their music. They are aware of the power in their pedals and nurture it with due care as it aches and builds. Over the years of following Explosions In The Sky as they birthed a cult, popped their heads overground into soundtrack town and then went on to become the last post-rock gang in town, I have always been in awe of the sheer amount of judicious restraint they are able to demonstrate as they build these towering monoliths of sound. Patiently and fastidiously, they play an almost religious game of reverse Jenga out of complementary lines stacked confidently on top of one another, each fibre of the frame a fragile, vibrating bone. There is little in the way of ego or posturing. Everything is in service of the songs, but when a sufficient amount of storeys have been stacked onto these skyscrapers,
restraint morphs into abandon and you best strap yourself in. Swaying like pendulums, heads bowed and entranced, they are dwarfed by the sound. And so are we. Widescreen endeavours like this always conjure landscapes, and yet Explosions manage to evoke great swathes of distance while still being deeply intimate. A pulsing curtain of light jets upwards from the lip of the stage, opaque whites and deep reds rendering the band both angelic and demonic as they engage in their amplifier worship with twin AC30s stacked and set to stun. Highlights are spaced and paced as they dip into their now-enviable catalogue. ‘First Breath After Coma’ and ‘Your Hand In Mine’ possess a demolishing beauty. A new standout from The Wilderness LP, ‘Disintegration Anxiety’, encapsulates their entire rise and fall in a succinct (for them) four minutes, giving the evening the adrenaline it needs and inspiring some brave boys to bop, unshackled from their seats. ‘The Only Moment We Were Alone’ follows to finish. It has always been their masterpiece and tonight it proves so. From pin-drop silence to deafening crescendo it enthrals completely until the kill switch is kicked, the lights go up and I’m honestly left dizzy. I know I’m not alone.
“This one’s from 1989,” says Nursery Crimes vocalist Phil Rose, pacing around a stage he and his bandmates could have only ever dreamed of back in the day, as they prepare to strike up ‘All Torn Up Inside’. Another wisecrack – “Taylor Swift was conceived to this one” – and they’re off again, sharing their melodic punk stylings with surprising swiftness for a band that hasn’t played live in roughly a decade. One would suppose it doesn’t hurt having one of the best punk drummers in the land, Frenzal Rhomb’s Gordy Forman, behind the kit for this run of shows. Perhaps the key takeaway, however, is just how well the songs of Nursery Crimes have aged. 20-plus years on, there’s still a vitality and an exuberance to what these guys do, which makes them not only a perfect foil for tonight’s headlining act, but a rare treat for Australian punk fans – particularly for those who may have been too young to see them the first or second time around. Those that were, of course, are busy slamming away in the first few rows, both reliving some glory days and making a few of their own for good measure.
We’re verging on 40 years of Descendents. Milo Goes To College has well and truly graduated. Everything Sucks is legally allowed to drink both here and in America. Even Cool To Be You has just hit its teens and started to grow hair in really weird places. Across the years, however, the perennial punks have accumulated obsessives from generation to generation, all sporting Milo tattoos and screaming along to every last word. Tonight’s show spans 38 songs, two encores and a selection from all seven of their studio albums. 2016’s Hypercaffium Spazzinate gets the lion’s share of the set, seamlessly weaving its way between the band’s classics and holding substantial weight in their company. Bill Stevenson is drumming up a storm, powering through his fills and holding down the fort in only the way he can. Up front, Milo Aukerman dons a Camelbak and rants about Trump the way only an old punk can, equal parts practical and pissed off. As the band plays its eponymous anthem to close out the main set and a throe of bodies crowd-surf their way to the front, there’s a feeling that Descendents could genuinely keep doing this shit forever. Let’s hope they do. David James Young
Andi Lennon
PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@seventhstreet.media
pick of the week
For our full gig and club listings, head to thebrag.com/gig-guide.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Camp Cope
Camp Cope + Cable Ties + Cat Heaven + Scabz
SUNDAY M A RC H 5
Newtown Social Club, Newtown. Friday March 3. 8pm. $18.
Melbourne’s homegrown DIY punk trio Camp Cope have captured the imagination of the country across a big 12 months, and they’re only getting better.
Factory Theatre
Ska-BQ
PVT
Melbourne Ska Orchestra + Project Collective Ska + Black Bird Hum WEDNESDAY MARCH 1
THURSDAY MARCH 2
Big Thief + Gabriella Cohen Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $37.
Princess Nokia + Sampa The Great + Chanel Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $25.
The Preatures + Ngaiire Manning Bar, Camperdown. 6pm. $40.
James Vincent McMorrow + Moreton
Sibling duo Richard and Laurence Pike and their bandmate Dave Miller are back with a new album, New Spirit, and a homecoming show that’s set to light up Oxford Street.
The Irish songwriter returns to the sails following a triumphant soldout slot at Vivid LIVE, with his full band and new album We Move coming along for the ride.
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. Friday March 3. 9pm. $28.70.
Killswitch Engage + Fallujah
Pixies
Twilight At Taronga – feat: The Living End + Gabriella Cohen Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 6pm. $81.
Dead Letter Circus Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $35.
Harts Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $35.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney. Tuesday March 7. 8pm. $59.
Road Manly Beach, Manly. 5:30pm. Free.
Kurt Vile
FRIDAY MARCH 3
Fatback Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 9pm. Free.
Harts
PVT + Jack Grace + Willaris. K
SUNDAY MARCH 5 Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7pm. $82. Twilight At Taronga – feat: Kurt Vile + Mick Turner Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 6pm. $81.
SATURDAY MARCH 4 Frankie Cosmos + Body Type Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $22. Hermitude + Elk
Carus Thompson + Nathan Gaunt Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 2:30pm. $22.99.
TUESDAY MARCH 7 Nathaniel Rateliff and
The Night Sweats + C.W. Stoneking Enmore Theatre, Enmore. 7:45pm. $86. Pixies Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 6:30pm. $71.30. Thunder Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $86.
the BRAG presents
TURIN BRAKES
Newtown Social Club Monday April 10
TREVOR HALL
Newtown Social Club Wednesday April 12
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MILES ELECTRIC BAND
Enmore Theatre Thursday April 13
NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL 2017 Exhibition Park, Canberra Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17
CORINNE BAILEY RAE Metro Theatre Sunday April 16
NIKKI HILL Newtown Social Club Monday April 17
THE STRUMBELLAS Oxford Art Factory Monday April 17
ST PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES Metro Theatre Wednesday April 19
thebrag.com
Melbourne Ska Orchestra photo by Ian Laidlaw / PVT photo by Mclean Stephenson
4pm. $40.
James Vincent McMorrow
brag beats
FEATURE
CL SMOOTH T
CL Smooth photo © FRB Photography
he weary voice of CL Smooth’s manager melds with a buzz of activity and studio static. “He’s just wrapping up in the booth and he’s totally into it,” she tells me, slightly frazzled. It’s obvious, though we’re thousands of miles apart and speaking through the impersonal vessel of a mobile phone, that Smooth is not a man to come running when he’s in the zone. “That’s him recording now,” she adds, putting the call on loudspeaker. Quite why I’m the lucky one to get a taste of what goes on when Smooth takes to the booth, I don’t know, but his fl ow is impressive. “Roll it back,” instructs another voice, this time the producer, as the poor manager says, “I’m tapping on my watch at him.” There’s a tone of reluctance, but Smooth fi nally replies: “Nah, it’s time to talk.” The legendary US rapper has unwittingly lived up to his reputation as an uncompromising artist before our interview has
even begun – and when he does start speaking, he affirms that first impression of his work ethic. “I’m just working on fi nishing up the new album,” he says. “We’ve been in rehearsal, recording right now, and I’m starting a new project with Pete Rock.” Rock is a long-time collaborator, partner and friend to Smooth, and their connection runs deep. “I think we have something beyond friendship, beyond high school,” Smooth agrees. “We have a creative bond that other people don’t have in other walks of life – on a creative level he knows you and complements you so well, and it’s been a pleasure to work with him.” Together, Smooth and Rock scaled the summit of hip hop back in 1991, following the release of their debut EP All Souled Out. Their breakout track ‘The Creator’, crafted around Smooth’s crisp voice and Rock’s complex and obscure soul breaks, was noticeably lacking in profanity. With the albums Mecca And
“I PERFORM LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW, MORE THAN WHEN I WAS A YOUTH.” thebrag.com
A Man Without A Care By Anna Wilson
The Soul Brother and The Main Ingredient following in 1992 and 1994 respectively, they secured a place in history.
“I DON’T DO EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE “It’s been ASKawesome,” ME TOSmooth DO, says emphatically. “I knew it would be positive because we rarely get BUT THANKFULLY out to see the people. For a lot of people, we gotta be accessible so MOST PEOPLE they get to see us. And the more we work, the more people will see us because they know we’re active ARE NORMALLY in touring.” IMPRESSED.” The reunion tour wouldn’t be the 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of their debut album and the peak of Smooth and Rock’s notoriety as collaborators. To celebrate, they’ve reunited to perform around the world, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
colossal celebration it is without an appearance in Australia, marking Smooth and Rock’s first performances here in their entire careers. However, Smooth is almost dismissive about the milestone. “I don’t really think about things like that,” he says. “I really don’t think about the reason it took so long or I wouldn’t be interested in going over. I think I enjoy the moment and partaking in the experience and hoping they [the audience] enjoy the show and I get invited back.”
Just as with his touring and musicmaking, Smooth seems to be in no particular rush as we speak – he’s a man without particulars. It’s a character he’s developed over time – he’s learned a few things along the course of his career, and it shows in his performances. “I guess that’s the difference between me as a youngster and the maturity of me knowing it’s a business,” he says. “I wanna leave everything out on the stage – I wanna give them the maximum, because the experience of 25 years, it’s not just a number, it’s a monument of the culture of my music. It signifi es maturity of myself and where it started – I take pride in that and I perform like there’s no tomorrow, more than when I was a youth. Now it’s a whole lot different – I’m presenting it as a man, not a youth.” Smooth is certainly prideful, though not in an arrogant sense. Here stands a man who is quietly refl ective of himself. He looks back on his younger self and how his career has developed in time with an odd tone of acceptance: when he’s asked his opinion on himself and Rock being described as “one of the most infl uential and legendary hip hop groups of all time”, he is largely sceptical. “It
“THE EXPERIENCE OF 25 YEARS, IT’S NOT JUST A NUMBER, IT’S A MONUMENT OF THE CULTURE OF MY MUSIC.” doesn’t mean anything,” he says. “I can’t pay attention to that right now – if I’m caught up in that, that’s like reading a paper and saying, ‘That’s you.’ “I don’t look at it that way – the good, the bad, the peaks and the downs, giving people insight. Any man is just like us: whether he’s up or down, all that matters is through that creativity, he’s whole.” Who: Pete Rock & CL Smooth Where: Metro Theatre When: Thursday March 9 BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17 :: 29
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Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Alex Chetverikov
The Four Best
Radio Shows
About Dance Music In Australia
I
like to romanticise the thought that necessary limitation is a good thing – that the general effort of spending hours in used record stores thumbing unknown titles amid the endless Kamahl records and rock reissues is always going to be fruitful and rewarding, regardless of whether one finds that dusty groove or discount delight.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that DJs are working; that they have a job, that many of them spend countless hours listening to records. That they reveal themselves and their character as much through the nuance of their music selections. That there is a necessary social exchange between performer and audience in shared experience.
Crate digging (and, to a much lesser extent, its online equivalent) emphasises the pleasure of work, the pleasure of patience, the pleasure of commitment and the pleasure of unpredictability. There is, in fact, an associated labour with this pleasure; a pleasure that is then passed on from DJ to audience. It’s the quintessential labour of love principle.
Digital radio is one avenue which, above many others, ensures this expression and exchange is endlessly accessible. Largely free and often community-based, the distinctly romantic and intimate appeal of radio is, for the most part, not lost, and I’ve selected a handful of local programs below that come highly recommended.
Sunset with Simon Caldwell
Smoke And Mirrors with CC:Disco! (PBS FM)
(FBi Radio)
Simon Caldwell is an old head with a young heart. A highly respected DJ, perennial workhorse and resonant industry voice, his Monday Sunset session has one hand firmly pressed to the modern pulse while the other pays homage to his rich and varied influences.
CC:Disco! has featured a slew of impressive local and international guests on her program – Greg Wilson, Horse Meat Disco, Frank & Tony and Harvey Sutherland among them – throwing down two hours of funky goodness every Friday night. It’s ever-reliable for that feelgood boogie fix.
Pure Space with Andy Garvey (FBi Radio)
There’s something a little bit exciting about themed radio shows. Do you ever really know what you’re going to get? Andy’s cosmic bent is an underlying mood for her ever-enlightening traversal through the wider palette of house and techno. Aside from her exceptional taste, she’s behind the FBi Dance Class program, providing a comprehensive mentoring platform for young, aspiring female DJs.
Anything on Bondi Beach Radio
BBR is an essential outlet for Sydney-based and Australian DJs. Its four residents are instrumental in establishing a program packed with regular weekly shows and special guests live and direct from studios in Bondi and Kings Cross.
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Prince Of Denmark’s sprawling and immersive cerebral dancefloor epic 8. It’s a dubby, dancey monolith. Also, revisit the back catalogue of Glasgow house legend DJ Q, who rather unfortunately now shares a name with a popular grime/bassline producer. While many might know him for his unforgettable ‘We Are One’ from the early ’90s, releases on the Filter label reflect his refined ability for sampling.
RECOMMENDED FRIDAY MARCH 3 Andy Garvey Goodbar
SATURDAY MARCH 18 Answer Code Request The Bunk3r
30 :: BRAG :: 702 :: 01:03:17
FRIDAY MARCH 24
Front Left 0.5: Minimalism Inner West warehouse location TBA
SATURDAY APRIL 1 Terry Farley Ivy
SATURDAY APRIL 15 Boys Noize Metro Theatre
FRIDAY APRIL 21
Prince – A Tribute by Late Nite Tuff Guy Metro Theatre
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