Brag#711 by The Brag Magazine

MUSIC, FILM, COMEDY + MORE

POND

BLISS N ESO

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in this issue

free stuff

what you’ll find inside…

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

The Frontline

6-7

Back To Business

8-9

Dappled Cities are back with a fifth album, and they’re looking forward to lighting up Vivid Sydney

Pond

Allah-Las

12-13 Bliss N Eso have fought off their demons and are better than ever, Bala, Piperlain

14-17

14-17 The Death Of Prince, One Year Later: What Fan Culture Means In 2017

“I appreciate there’s a recreational side of [cannabis], but there’s also the side that does benefit people.” (20)

8-9

“We get nothing but love and appreciation from the fact that we have battled certain demons.” (12-13) 18-19 Blur vs. Oasis: When Music Turned Into Sport 20

Hemp Health & Innovation Expo brings cannabis culture to the masses

BLISS N ESO One of the biggest hip hop acts in Australia, Bliss N Eso, are back with a sixth album and a massive national tour to boot. MC Bliss (Jonathan Notley), MC Eso (Max MacKinnon) and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai) have experienced no shortage of ups and downs across their long career, and they talk about slaying their demons in the BRAG this week. Meanwhile, you can see them performing tracks from their new album Off The Grid – out now through Illusive/Flight Deck – live on their Australian tour, including at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday June 28.

Arts reviews, Game On

22-23 Potts Point Hotel, The 50 Best Coffees In Sydney: Part Five 24

Off The Record, Out & About

Album reviews, First Drafts

26-29 Live reviews, Grenadiers, Name The Classic Song 30

We’re giving away a double pass to the Sydney show. Enter the draw at thebrag. com/freeshit.

Gig guide

the frontline with Chris Martin, Harriet Flitcroft and Nathan Jolly ISSUE 710: Wednesday May 3, 2017 PRINT & DIGITAL EDITOR: Chris Martin chris.martin@seventhstreet.media SUB-EDITOR: David Molloy STAFF WRITERS: Joseph Earp, Nathan Jolly, Adam Norris NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Tyler Jenke, Brandon John ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHER: 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: BnJ GIG GUIDE: gigguide@thebrag.com AWESOME INTERN: Harriet Flitcroft REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Arca Bayburt, Lars Brandle, Chelsea Deeley, Matthew Galea, Emily Gibb, Jennifer Hoddinett, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Anna Rose, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Aaron Streatfeild, Augustus Welby, Jessica Westcott, Zanda 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

SURRY HILLS FESTIVAL RETURNS Surry Hills Festival will return in 2017 to celebrate one of Sydney’s most vibrant suburbs. The springtime event is set to attract some 60,000 punters to a series of free and family-friendly events around the precinct, spanning Ward Park and Devonshire Street, Crown Street, Shannon Reserve, laneways, pop-up spaces and more. As usual, there’ll be a litany of live music on the day, plus food, art and local stories. Applications are now open for bands, artists and vendors to get involved, and video makers, artists and performers are also invited to apply for Double Take, a three-week projection and pop-up installation display in the heart of Surry Hills. Surry Hills Festival 2017 takes place on Saturday September 23, 10am-10pm. Entry is free by donation.

HARRY POTTER AT THE ORCHESTRA AGAIN The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is continuing its journey through the years at Hogwarts with another instalment of its film concert series this year. Following the huge demand for tickets to SSO’s Harry Potter And

The Philosopher’s Stone concerts, which took place last weekend at the Sydney Opera House, the orchestra will return to perform the score of Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets from Wednesday October 4 – Friday October 6. John Williams’ iconic Chamber Of Secrets score provided the soundtrack to the duelling club, flying cars and a mysterious house elf, so the opportunity to see it recreated live is not one to miss for any Potter fan. Tickets go on sale 9am Friday May 5.

FINDERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS The design/clothing/housing Finders Keepers markets will relocate to The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve as they reach their tenth anniversary this year. The markets will take place over the Mother’s Day weekend, with live music performances, food stalls and the very best of Australian art and design for sale. Stalls featured include Frankie Magazine, Capi Drinks and a number of debuts including leather goods from Woodlander, jewellers Juno&Ace and Kate Sale, cashmere blankets from Maple Tree and oh-so-cute

The Tommyhawks

stationery from Ginja and Galina Dixon. Entry to the market is $2 for adults and free for children; they will be open from 5pm on Friday May 12, and 10am on Saturday May 13 and Sunday May 14.

THE BRUTAL SIDE OF BERNARD FANNING Bernard Fanning may have only just released a solo record last August, but he is already back with the lead single from his forthcoming Brutal Dawn album, which is out Friday May 26. ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ continues Fanning’s flirtation with ’70s soul music, as he explained in a press release for the new single. “I was listening to Bobby Blue Bland’s ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’, and I loved the way the Philly strings gave it a lot more melody and power without making it beefy. When we recorded it we were deliberately trying to keep it from rocking too much so we replaced what were horns, with strings and it did the trick. Clare Bowditch helped on the weird minory backing vocals which helps it all sound big, without being heavy. It was a bit of an arm wrestle this song, but I love where it ended up.”

The Tall Grass

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@seventhstreet.vc PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 follow us:

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THE TALL GRASS ALBUM LAUNCH

THE TOMMYHAWKS TAKE A SWING Perth punks The Tommyhawks are in town this week to share their sharpest of songs with Sydney music lovers. One of those is ‘Bedroom’, the first slice taken from the band’s latest EP, This Is Not A Desert Island. The Tommyhawks have only been together for around three years, but already they’ve played more than 20 festivals across Australia. They’re a band that must be enjoyed live, so be there at Frankie’s Pizza on Thursday May 4 or Meatstock Festival at Sydney Showgrounds on Saturday May 6.

Two of Australia’s most esteemed cult songwriters, Peter Fenton and Jamie Hutchings, have joined forces for a new collaborative project. The Tall Grass have released their debut album, Down The Unmarked Road, with Fenton and Hutchings sharing vocal duties with a little help from guests like Laura Jean, Jess Locke, Chris Colquhoun and Jeremy Craib. Now, The Tall Grass are launching their album with a full band in tow at Leadbelly on Saturday May 6, alongside Adam Gibson and The Ark Ark Birds.

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From your ﬁrst day at SAE, you’ll start creating in world-class facilities, on the latest software and equipment, all under the guidance of our expert lecturers – discover how you could bring your creative career to life at our Info Night.

INFO NIGHT. SYDNEY CAMPUS. THUR 04 MAY 6PM – 8PM.

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Back To Business Music Industry News with Lars Brandle

WHO WILL ROCK YOU?

breaking biz The titans of live music and social media are testing a meaner, leaner concert promotion tool. According to The Verge, Facebook is developing a feature that will allow artists, managers and promoters to better manage tour-related Facebook events. If an artist is, say, on a multi-date trek, there’ll be separate Facebook events relating to those shows

(plus extra events for meet-andgreets and club dates). Through the new feature, these shows can be grouped together and managed more efficiently. Red Light Management, which manages acts like Dave Matthews Band and Alabama Shakes, is currently testing the feature with Facebook.

Entries are now open for Britain’s Mercury Prize. The shortlist will be revealed at a launch event on Thursday July 27, and the big prize will be dished out at a ceremony on the night of Thursday September 14. Only albums recorded by British or Irish artists are eligible for the big prize, which was won last year by grime artist Skepta. Organisers are taking submissions until Friday May 19.

Nervo

POST-POP CELEBRATION He’s just turned 70, but he’s still got a lust for life. Punk legend and indestructible septuagenarian Iggy Pop has signed a new global licensing deal for his music and has been made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French government. The award, which is the country’s highest cultural honour and given to those who’ve made a “signifi cant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance”, was presented by the French Consul General Clement Leclerc in Miami l ast week. In a big week for Igg, he’s signed with Artist Legacy Group, a joint venture with Sony Music, for a new “global brand management initiative”.

Ariana Grande

MOUSE TRAP

Disneyland Paris has a plan to keep the older kids happy – a one-day EDM festival. The theme park will throw open its gates to 10,000 party-goers this July 8 for the inaugural edition of Electroland. Steve Aoki and Aussie duo Nervo lead the bill. If you ever wanted to cut shapes with Donald Duck, now’s your chance. court last year declared there was not a sufficient case to bring to trial, but the appeals court has overruled that decision and now ten event organisers and city workers will be held to account.

HEAR THE FUTURE Creative types, find your inner force this Star Wars Day. The new $12 million, cutting-edge SAE Sydney campus is opening its doors for an info night on Thursday May 4. The SAE’s expert academic team will be on hand to show off the facility’s toys, which include a Neve Custom Series 75 console, multipurpose film studios, cyclorama sound stages, a green screen studio and postproduction edit suites. Entry is for two hours from 6pm. Pitched as Sydney’s largest dedicated creative media education institute, SAE is located at 39 Regent Street, Chippendale, next to Central Station.

WIGHT LISTED

CROSSING BORDERS

Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, OneRepublic and Duran Duran are among the performers behind the wheel of the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix music programme. Concerts will take place over three days from September 15. For the likes of Ariana Grande and The Chainsmokers, the GP show will mark their first in the city-state.

departures Kerry Turman, bass player with Motown vocal group The Temptations, was found dead in his hotel room after a performance in Missouri. He was 59. According to the AP, coroner John Clifton says an initial autopsy indicates Turman died of natural causes, though a full report is some weeks away. Turman was a member of Roy Ayers’ band in the ’70s and joined The Temptations in the ’80s.

Amy Shark

ALTRUISM IN THE GRASS No doubt inspired by Patti Smith’s generosity, Splendour In The Grass has launched a fundraising initiative to assist with the flood recovery efforts in Northern New South Wales. 50 special Flood Relief Gold Passes for this year’s Splendour are being released for auction on splendourinthegrass.com until this Friday May 5. The xx, Queens of the Stone Age and LCD Soundsystem are the headliners for the Friday July 21 – Sunday July 23 fest.

THE BIG STAGE A German appeals court has ordered a trial over the tragic crush at the 2010 Love Parade Festival in Duisburg, reversing a decision from a lower court last year. Ten people indicted over the disaster must stand trial, according to an appeals court in Düsseldorf, which said there is “sufficient probability” of convictions. 21 people died and more than 500 were injured when they were crushed in a packed tunnel which served as the only access point to the outdoor techno fest. The Duisburg state

Live Nation’s buyout of the famed Isle Of Wight Festival has hit a snag. Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether the deal would lead to a “substantial lessening of competition”. The ever-acquisitive LN announced in March its purchase of a controlling stake in the festival through LN-Gaiety Holdings, its UK joint venture with impresarios Denis Desmond’s Gaiety Investments. Isle Of Wight has origins dating back to 1968 and has been a regular event since Solo Music Agency owner John Giddings revived it in 2002. LN owns more than 85 festival brands worldwide, including Australia’s Splendour In The Grass and Falls fests, and the UK’s Reading, Leeds, Wireless and T In The Park.

ASHANTI TOWN Organisers of Fyre Festival, a legitimate contender for the title “shittiest festival experience ever”, are still planning to give it another crack in 2018. The first-time festival, taking place in the Bahamas, filled up your news feeds over the weekend as thousands of wealthy young partygoers shared their horror stories from the nowinfamous disaster zone. Festival co-owners Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule

CHART GEEK

Amy Shark can take some comfort in the knowledge it took an all-time blockbuster from Ed Sheeran to beat her to number one. Shark makes her mark on the ARIA Albums Chart for the first time with Night Thinker, which opens at number two this week, just behind Sheeran’s Divide, which has topped the survey for eight weeks. Shark is due a number one – her song ‘Adore’ missed out to Flume’s ‘Never Be Like You’ for top spot on the most recent triple j Hottest 100 poll. Also this week, Sheeran extends his recordbreaking chart reign into a 15th week on the ARIA Singles Chart with ‘Shape Of You’. In the UK, British dance-pop trio Clean Bandit snatch a third number one with ‘Symphony’ (Atlantic/Warner Music), featuring Zara Larsson, and in doing so deny Sheeran a 15th week at the summit. Divide still managed to overhaul the midweek leader, Steps’ Tears On The Dancefloor (Steps Music), to grab another albums chart title. xxxx

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movers and shakers

now say attendees, who forked out up to US$12,000 for the non-event, will receive “free VIP passes to next year’s festival”. Exactly how the pair will lure performers – or the public – back to a toxic brand which is both a source of mirth and rooted in incompetence remains to be seen. Our favourite tale comes from event planner Chloe Gordon, who bailed before everything burned. Wannabe promoters everywhere, take heed.

FINAL WORD Skinny white kids with guitars, step aside. Hip hop is the undisputed champion of the US singles chart right now. On the latest Billboard Hot 100, ‘rap’ songs make up half the tally, a feat not seen in four years. Kendrick Lamar is ruling with ‘Humble’, the number one song on the weekly survey and one of five hip hop tracks in the top ten. And for the record, Lamar’s album Damn. is the leader of the Billboard 200 right now.

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Jack White has signed a global multi-year agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group covering his entire song catalogue, including his works with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, plus solo songs, collaborations and future projects. Through the new arrangement, UMPG will work with White and his Third String Tunes and Peppermint Stripe Music publishing companies to “develop creative and commercial outlets” for his new projects and existing songs. UMPG says the pact marks the first time a single publisher will administer rights around the world for the American artist’s catalogue. Keith Hauprich is now BMG’s most senior legal and business affairs exec in North America. NYC-based Hauprich is promoted from deputy general counsel to general counsel and senior vice president, business and legal affairs, North America, reporting to Zach Katz, BMG US president, repertoire and marketing. Hauprich is credited with driving a bunch of key deals with AMC Networks, Activision/Blizzard Studios, Hasbro Studios, Netflix and others, and he

Jack White

led the music company in its copyright battle against the ISP Cox Communications. In that case, BMG won a US$25 million jury verdict and more than US$8.5 million in costs and disbursements. Hauprich formerly served as general counsel for Cherry Lane Music Publishing Company, Inc., prior to BMG’s acquisition in April 2010. Max Richter is the first signing to Decca Publishing. The

German composer has inked a long-term, global deal with Universal’s new publishing company, which launched last December under the leadership of its UK-based head Natasha Baldwin. Richter’s signing to Decca will complement his recording projects on Universal Music’s Deutsche Grammophon label, whose recent releases include his eight-and-a-half-hour-long Sleep album (which sold more than 100,000 copies) and his

new album, Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works. Richter’s work can be heard in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island, the Oscar-winning sci-fi film Arrival, HBO’s The Leftovers and across many films, series and plays. At launch, Decca Publishing pledged to work with Universal Music Publishing Classical on “appropriate projects” and synchronisation opportunities involving their respective composers and repertoire.

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Striving For Something New

BY ADAM NORRIS

or over 15 years, Dappled Cities have been striving for something new. Across four albums (plus one B-side collection) and countless gigs at home and abroad, they arguably found it, too. But that’s the thing about ‘new’: it’s a curve that keeps shifting, and you can never be too complacent in its company before it scurries away again.

Now arriving at their fifth full-length album, the appropriately titled ||||| (Five), and an epic spectacle-happy gig at this year’s Vivid Festival, Dappled Cities are set to once again show us what makes them so engrossing; why they’re a strobe-lit beacon of contemporary pop. Plus, Dave Rennick

is a first-time uncle – which, given my own recent uncling, is a new experience for us both. I propose instead of a First Wives Club, we create the First Uncles Group. FUG. “We can be FUGgers!” Rennick laughs. “What do FUGs do? They just go out together and get wasted, they have no responsibilities. You sit around and talk about other people’s babies. It’s FUG Life.” Indeed it is. It seems that the primary role of an uncle is to showcase the child all the behaviour their parents would rather not encourage. Cool Uncle cares not for bedtime! Of course Cool Uncle will buy you that six pack! They’ll also be full of

stories and insights into music and nightlife, and here Rennick can outshine most. For the last decade of its life, the Hopetoun Hotel in Surry Hills was his second home, and proved the launching pad for Dappled Cities’ first two albums – not to mention those of countless other bands. “I was a piece of furniture there,” he says. “I also lived literally next door. I moved three times, and each time it was within a block of the Hopetoun. They couldn’t get rid of me.” Nobody knew it at the time, but the Hopetoun’s closure in 2009 turned out to be the start of a long line of local venues going under. There’s a lot of gloom and despair about the Sydney music scene

“We have the means to really go crazy, and that’s totally what we’re going to do. 8 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

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COVER STORY

with a gorgeous video, but proves the band isn’t stuck in a romanticised past. Dappled Cities keep their business wheels greased, but only so their creativity can keep evolving. “There’s definitely been times we’ve made decisions based purely on what we think will make us more famous,” Rennick says, and bursts out laughing. “I think it can be a bit of a flawed approach. I don’t think that necessarily leads to making the best music, and that ultimately is my role in this whole weird world. But certainly in terms of staying relevant, that always crosses my mind. We’re releasing our sixth record – how are we going to make it so that I like it personally, and then see other people like it? “But that ’70s thing … I guess the best way to describe it is late-’70s pop-rock. We were really going deep in that. I think what drew us to it, it’s music made by bands, and more specifically musicians in the bands. You’d get Bowie walking in with these songs, and he’d have the most macking bunch of session musicians, and yeah, he’d have an idea where they’d go and would have some riffs, but the nuances are created by having the actual band there together. “Talking about staying relevant, something we obviously look at is the rise of producers at the moment, which is awesome. All of these laptop producers. We saw this happening, and well, that’s not us. I see it as a fundamentally different art form, so it leaves us to question, ‘Who are we?’ And the answer really is, we’re a band! And what do bands do? Oh, that’s right, they get into the room with a song and fucking play together and try not to overthink it.”

“There’s definitely been times we’ve made decisions based purely on what we think will make us more famous. It can be a bit of a flawed approach.” Though many of Dappled Cities’ new songs found a debut at their Chippo set a few weeks back, Vivid will provide the first major outing for Five, and like all Vivid gigs it will do so with panache, showcasing a time in their career of comfort and creativity and laser lighting. “You’re always collaborating with people, and we’re at a point in our career where we’d rather collaborate and let someone else bring [something] and let that shine, rather than be too heavy-handed ourselves. And that comes up with both video clips [for ‘Stone Men’ and ‘That Sound’], and the work we’re doing on the Vivid show. “It all comes down to collaborating with awesome people. Being Vivid, obviously we’re going to be focusing on a substantial visual component. And it all sort of ties into the cover of the record. The artwork we’re using on the record is by an artist called Paul Juno, from California. He’s an abstract painter, and then the layout itself has been put together by a Sydney-based design agency called Studio Days, and the content that we spoke about, it has to be that stark, kind of cold feeling against a colourful, flowing colour scheme. That’s the concept we’re going to be bringing to life somehow. today, but Rennick has yet to throw in the towel. “I’ve got a slightly more optimistic point of view. I certainly take issue with the lockout laws. They’re obviously incredibly hypocritical and just plain stupid and short-sighted and satisfying the agenda of some Satan-worshipper. But as far as the music scene, I definitely see change, and I see a place like Surry Hills becoming gentrified and not the creative hub it once was. “But then you see it popping up elsewhere. Marrickville is really flourishing, other venues are starting to open. We played a show at the Chippo Hotel the other month. I’d never heard of it, but I walked in and, whoa, there are still really cool venues opening up all the time in good locations. So I’m optimistic.

“The other thing – and I have to say this delicately – a business is a business, and if it isn’t running well, then it’s going to shut down, and leave opportunities for other businesses to open. The Lansdowne is a classic example. It’s been closed down several times, and always gets reopened. That’s happening again now, which is really exciting. I think if you’re a venue you really need to stay clever and stay relevant. Apply good business sense, and then you can serve the music scene, and everyone walks away happy.”

“The beauty of doing this is that we have the means to really go crazy, and that’s totally what we’re going to do. I think it’s going to be the best show of Dappled’s career.”

Rennick is the first to admit that the same applies to musicians themselves. Five stands in the tradition of the hyper-colour ’70s scene of Roxy Music and David Bowie, all sex and soul, but it’s not a nostalgic record. The new single ‘Stone Men’ is a great song

“Ha, I’ll start work on a little coat of arms!” he laughs. “Catch you later, FUG buddy!”

I think it’s going to be the best show of Dappled’s career.” thebrag.com

Before Rennick wanders back to work, eyes on the not-too-distant prize of the City Recital Hall at Angel Place, he casually mentions his work on the side as a graphic designer. It seems an ideal opportunity to get our fledgling ‘movement’ off the ground and running.

What: ||||| (Five) out Friday May 5 through Chugg Music/ MGM With: Red Riders Where: City Recital Hall When: Sunday June 4

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FEATURE

“We don’t take the whole thing very seriously because there’s not really anything to take seriously. This is music. It’s noise. It’s art.”

Pond Take The Weather With You By Benjamin Potter

itting your 30s is a huge milestone for anyone. The financial struggles of youth are hopefully nothing more than a memory, and the spontaneous partying you’ve kept up for well over a decade fades once you realise it takes three days to recover after a big night of beers with your mates. Ultimately, the 30s are a time for reflection. Pond drummer Jay Watson says it best: “It’s easy to pull off being a goof when you’re 21, not 31,” he laughs. For psychedelic rockers Pond, who have been on a tiring schedule of non-stop album tours all over the world since their formation almost ten years ago, it’s this idea of maturity that sees them feeling more comfortable

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“We take Pond very seriously, but we’re also adults making noise for a living,” Watson laughs. “I hope we’ve matured, yeah. But I also think we don’t take the whole thing very seriously because there’s not really anything to take seriously. This is music. It’s noise. It’s art. But it’s not a cynical outlook. The position we’re in now didn’t come from thinking like that. You know, this doesn’t happen to everyone, so in that regard we’re extremely lucky, and I think we kind of have to take it seriously.” As luck would have it, Pond – fronted by the effervescent Nicholas Allbrook – have become one of Australia’s most influential contemporary bands both here and overseas. The Weather is their seventh studio album in ten years – a mind-bending trip that takes the constraints of genre and smashes them to pieces with maniacal experimentation and vivid psychedelia from fleshedout synthesizers. “There’s lots of parts on this new record that go all over the place,” Watson says. “Weird

funky bits, weird ’70s rock bits, right up to modern R&B, and you know, some parts are just completely electronic. I guess it’s more synth-based this time around, because that’s exactly how we wrote it. A lot of the time we were using keyboards, or even our laptops. We still use guitar quite a lot, but instead of just strumming through the chords all the time, we used the guitar more like pepper and added it in later. “But we also don’t really listen to much guitar music any more, I guess – it’s mostly stuff that’s made with computers and synthesizers. You know, I think Nick and Jamie [Terry, bass] almost exclusively listen to rap music and modern R&B. I’m still stuck on my old synth records, but it all goes into the pot, you know? “I think there was definitely a concerted effort to make it sound more futuristic, and it was done deliberately so. I think we just get a kick out of making a smorgasbord of styles and sounds without thinking about it too much.” Of course, Pond haven’t left their roots behind completely, and their success has been built upon a number of factors.

Watson readily admits that one of those factors is the band’s close relationship with Tame Impala frontman and brains trust Kevin Parker. Watson not only shares stages around the world with Parker when he’s touring with Tame, but also credits Parker with being a creative stronghold who helps shape Pond’s sound and overall vibe. “Having Kevin there for advice is great, and it’s also free of charge,” Watson laughs. “He’s mixed the last few Pond records, and produced as well, but sometimes I don’t really know where that line is drawn because he just has a hand in everything. He’s really invaluable. “He’s very good at it from a technical level and a creative level. So with Pond, I guess the challenge is to use both those qualities as much as we can. We disagree on creative stuff quite a lot, but we almost never disagree on technical and sonic stuff. You can hear it in the output, and I wouldn’t have anyone else having a hand in our stuff the way that Kev does.” While Pond’s touring schedule has been expansive over

recent years, Watson explains the band has just enjoyed the longest break in its musical career, and is feeling refreshed and excited to get new tunes out on the road. This year, Pond will even be playing one of the most revered festivals in the world, Primavera Sound in Barcelona, to crowds that Watson says have only gotten bigger and more diverse as their sound expands. “I think it’s pretty equal everywhere – maybe a bit smaller in America,” he says. “England seems to be pretty crazy, South America and Mexico are the same. But I don’t really think we could ask for anything else rather than to be equally popular all over the world. “Primavera is a good one; I love Barcelona. We’ve kind of had our longest break in years, which is probably like a month. It’s much more fun touring when you’re 100 per cent behind what you’re touring, you know? Not to say we haven’t been before, but we’re just really eager to show everyone what we’ve got.” What: The Weather out Friday May 5 through EMI/Universal

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Pond phtoo by Matt Sav

“I don’t really think we could ask for anything else rather than to be equally popular all over the world.”

in their own skin than ever before.

Allah-Las

FEATURE

A Record High By Michael Hartt

lmost a decade into their existence, Californian jangle merchants Allah-Las are about to make their first sojourn to Australia. The LA quartet, who released their third album, Calico Review, last September, will be playing a string of shows down the east coast this month. 2017 has already been a year of solid touring for the band, including a 25-date US trek with Aussie star children The Babe Rainbow in tow. As Allah-Las bassist Spencer Dunham explains, their tour with the Byron Bay natives gave them a good chance to get some local info on where to surf. “We start off [our tour] in Byron Bay, and they said they’d take us around,” he says. “So once we land, I’m sure they’ll show us some breaks.” Dunham, drummer Matthew Correia and lead guitarist Pedrum Siadatian met while working at the Hollywood branch of record wonderland Amoeba Music. With the addition of Miles Michaud on second guitar and vocals, Allah-Las began playing shows around Southern California in 2008. From 2012’s self-titled debut, through 2014’s Worship The Sun and onto Calico Review, Allah-Las have put their deep musical knowledge to use, producing material that

emphasises a love for ’60s garage from both sides of the Atlantic, as well as ’80s indie and their Cosmic American forebears, among others. Each new release has seen Allah-Las broadening their sonic palette with denser arrangements and more instrumentation. Dunham says the evolution across the three albums comes out of the group’s want to not continually repeat itself. “I think you need to try to break new ground, whether it’s a good idea or not, because you need to try and challenge yourself and do something creative. I think if you try and take everything off that’s new and different, you end up making something that’s bland and boring. It’s kind of like painting the same picture over and over again. You want to try new things just for the sake of experimenting.” While they haven’t started writing new music to any great degree at this stage, Dunham thinks the next Allah-Las album might see the band taking yet another different approach. “Since the record came out, we’ve been touring, so we haven’t had a whole lot of time to get together and collaborate. We’ve been trying to write and jam on some new stuff to

try and break up the monotony of just playing the same old things. “We have talked about going back towards a more stripped-down rock focus, because sometimes when you get into a studio, you want to continually add layers of different instruments – stuff they only have in the studio like a Hammond organ or a harpsichord – but when you play live, they can only be played on some kind of artificial keyboard set-up. As nice as that is for the recording process, I think we’ve had to come to terms with how hard that can be to recreate when we’re playing live.” It’s this stripped-down approach that Australian fans will see when the band heads our way. However, this is more for logistical reasons, rather than an artistic decision. “Because it’s our first time in Australia, we’ll only come down as the four of us,” Dunham explains. “Usually, we’ll have someone play keys and someone play percussion. We’re going to try and keep the set focused towards the first record because that has songs that’ll work with just the four of us. We’ll play songs off the second and third records too, but it’ll be more of a garage four-piece rock’n’roll set, rather than some of the more composed songs the last couple of records have.”

“You need to try to break new ground, whether it’s a good idea or not, because you need to try and challenge yourself and do something creative.”

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As well as their Allah-Las duties, the quartet and a handful of friends take turns producing mixes for Reverberation Radio. The weekly podcast gives all involved a chance to show off their deep musical nerdom. “We try not to use any of the same songs twice,” says Dunham. “We try to be competitive, [but] not in a bad way. It’s just a group of friends trying to come out with something a bit different each week and to have a little bit of competition with each other. “I’m making one for next week right now and I’m in the process of looking for things online, listening for things on the radio, trying to hear a new artist and maybe exploring things by that artist. It really just comes from finding things in every possible way and trying to make a great mix.” Having been born out of a record store, it’s unsurprising that the band’s quest for music continues when it goes out on tour. You’ll be sure to find Allah-Las crate-digging when they hit our shores. “Each record shop has its own personality,” Dunham says. “When you’re in a new city, maybe there’s a record you can find there that in Los Angeles is maybe more expensive or more popular. It’s definitely fun to shop around for new stuff.” What: Calico Review out now through Kemado/Mexican Summer Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday May 17 – Thursday May 18

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FEATURE

FEAT

Piperlain In Mourning By Joseph Earp

ebecca Voorn-Knight always knew her home life was unusual. “I grew up in a very unpredictable household where my mother was often emotionally unavailable,” the Piperlain singer recalls. “While I knew something was wrong with [her] from a young age, I was never told she was mentally ill until I worked it out myself.” Voorn-Knight’s mother had schizophrenia. The mental illness made her unpredictable, emotional and vulnerable, so she relied upon her daughter to keep her grounded and safe. As a result, Voorn-Knight lived a life full of the kind of struggles that other young carers will recognise instantly: she often felt alone and disconnected, and struggled to reach out to others when she needed to. She couldn’t talk to friends about her situation for fear they might judge her, or, perhaps more devastatingly, that they might simply fail to process what it’s like to look out for the person who is meant to be looking out for you. “I was not allowed to talk about [my mother’s illness] outside the family due to stigma,” Voorn-Knight explains. “It made it difficult for me to open up to others and to trust people at face value. I was also often drawn into my mother’s emotional drama, making it very difficult to live my own life freely.”

Now that fraught emotional context has been channelled into a record: Mother Mourned, a devastating, tragically beautiful concept album. Yet although the music draws strongly on Voorn-Knight’s own personal experience, it is not simply a blow-by-blow recount of her childhood – it also touches on the life of

“There are emotions in the album that we’ve never spoken to our families about, which they may find hard to hear.” 12 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

Benjamin Knight, the band’s other half and a young carer like Rebecca. “When Ben and I started collaborating on music projects, we discovered that we both grew up caring for seriously ill mothers,” Voorn-Knight says. “Ben’s mother had multiple sclerosis … She was diagnosed with MS when he was just seven years old and she passed away just before his 21st birthday, so he watched her deteriorate before his eyes. When [we talked] we realised that while our experiences were different, they were both highly emotional. We decided to express that emotional journey through music by writing the concept album.” Of course, that thematic weight makes Mother Mourned nothing if not an emotional listen – the record is clearly born of pain, full of confessional lyrics and understated, quietly devastating instrumentation. But the album isn’t merely some long emotional slog, or one unending series of gut punches – there is something inherently cathartic about it too. Something is gained by the time the record comes to a close; something is resolved. “My mother passed away in 2013 and the album was recorded at The Grove Studios on the anniversary of her passing away in 2014,” Voorn-Knight says. “So for me the emotion was very raw but the experience was very cathartic and continues to be so.” Voorn-Knight did feel some trepidation about releasing such a personal album, and was concerned that those close to her might find it a difficult listen. “There are emotions in the album that we’ve never spoken to our families about, which they may find hard to hear. I’ve had friends say to me how shocked they were by the album, as I don’t come across as someone who has that amount of anger.” Yet more than anything, Voorn-Knight hopes that the record will do some good for the other young carers out there – that they might connect with it; that it might help them feel even a little bit less alone. “I hope we can provide some insight into the range of emotions that young carers can experience but may be afraid to share openly,” she says. “We want to teach young carers that they’re not alone.” What: Mother Mourned out now independently through Bandcamp

Bliss N Eso Slaying Their Demons By Adam Norris

hough Bliss N Eso released their first EP back in 2000, they had already been working on their hip hop talents for years. Having met in high school, the trio – MC Bliss (Jonathan Notley), MC Eso (Max MacKinnon) and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai) – have since won ARIA Awards, toured the world, and pulled off what was the highest-selling Australian hip hop tour to date back in 2009. Their sixth studio album, Off The Grid, has just landed, and with a title like that it’s easy to imagine the guys living in some bunker up in the woods, all wearing feral cats for clothes, eating sticks, and convinced that helicopters are trying to read their minds. If the world did go sideways, I ask Notley, and they had to live off the grid, how would Bliss N Eso fare?

doing the same old same old really easy, and going off the grid to us meant thinking a little bit outside of the box.” To that end, it has long been a staple of Bliss N Eso’s career – and hip hop in general – to enlist other talents to help take songs in fresh directions. Of the three singles that Off The Grid has so far produced, we’ve seen guest artists Gavin James, Thief and Lee Fields. Each brings something unique to their respective songs, and I wonder how far into the recording process the band decided which direction to follow.

“Not too shabby!” he says with a chuckle. “I’m good at the old hunting and gathering. I haven’t exactly been stockpiling food and all of the essentials like some people – I’m not quite ready for the nuclear winter. But I think I’d be alright. I’d just have to stay away from civilisation, because I think things would go pretty nuts pretty quick.

“You know, it happened at different times,” Notley says. “We never sat down at the beginning of the recording process and said, ‘Yeah, we want X, X, and maybe X.’ It was much more organic. First of all, when you’re first recording a song, sonically you don’t know where it’s going, so as we recorded, we’d be singing along ourselves and start to think, ‘Now, whose voice would just sound amazing on this?’ We stumbled across Lee Fields back in Chicago, and thought he was just amazing. It was really just like connecting the dots.

“But that title really came from, well, there was some level of wanting to go off the grid and get away from everyone for it, but mainly it was trying to get to a certain mental state. You don’t need to run off into the woods exactly, but you find yourself

“Some of the things also just fell in our lap. We originally had Thief singing the hook on ‘Moments’, but that got into Gavin James’ hands, and he loved it. We’d never heard of him at that point, but he has an amazing voice. In the end he literally

“We get nothing but love and appreciation from the fact that we have battled certain demons, especially Eso.” thebrag.com

Bala

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FEATURE

Human Flesh By Joseph Earp

ver the last few years, the question of punk’s contemporary credentials has become an oft-discussed issue. Indeed, some have argued that the art form went out of style back in the ’80s; that it has become nothing but a washedout shadow of its past self, no longer containing either fire or fury. But those already trying to close the coffin lid on punk would do well to check out Spain’s Bala. The vicious two-piece, an uncompromising act comprised of Anxela Baltar and Violeta Mosquera, are a counterpoint to all those ready to argue punk is in stasis. There’s nothing apologetic or half-measured about their music – and given they have released songs with titles like ‘Human Flesh’, how could there be? Bala are far from being pumped-up poseurs – rather, they are one of the most thrilling rising acts on the worldwide punk scene. “Our idea when we start composing records [is] simply to do something loud and powerful,” Baltar explains. “We have no greater pretensions – we only know we want to thunder. The rest we leave in the hands of the producer.” The result is a record like Lume, an unforgiving assemblage of garage rock riffs and brutal, unsophisticated pleasures; all glazed with blood, gore and four-chord choruses. Indeed, although Bala’s sonic homages are evident – they have clearly spent equal time before the altars of both the Ramones and Black Sabbath – it’s also apparent from very first listen that they also draw a great deal of strength from horror cinema.

landed in Sydney and within two hours we met him in the studio and recorded it.” In recent years, Bliss N Eso have struggled with – and surmounted – certain demons. MacKinnon found himself on a particularly slippery slope with alcohol, while Notley faced struggles with that staple of the music scene, the ol’ jazz cigarette. It’s something they have referenced in their songs before – listen to the first few lines of ‘Choof Choof Train’ and you’ll see what I mean – but these days, that landscape of excess is very different. “For years, years, I resisted,” Notley says. “But now I’m completely off it. It’s weird. It mixes with some personalities well. Eso is a little bit ADD, he’s such a creative guy who’s always thinking. And if you’re like that, well, I think you’re a little bit hyper anyway and it can put you on a good plain. But if you’re more reserved, which is more me, it just bums you out. I got pretty unproductive and pretty lazy. It was just getting in the way of having fun, to be honest, so I stopped it. “It was more of a social thing, especially when you’re on tour and it’s just everywhere. But the boys certainly still partake, DJ and Eso, that’s their thing. Eso has moved on from the alcohol now, which is a great thing, and I’ve moved on from the weed. As you grow up, you do face a bit of a change of pace.” You also face a changing audience, but such is the strength of Bliss N Eso’s relationship to their fans that when their image began to change – as they recognised and moved away from their particular demons – the fans never drifted. “I think the fans are proud of us because of that, and if they’re not, well, they’re not

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“We get emails from people every week from people who battled their own demons, and we certainly can’t claim to have solved anything, but we have helped people.”

There’s something distinctly Mario Bavaesque about a song like ‘Colmillos’ – something that brings to mind black-gloved killers and Giallo blood splatters. “We both love cinema,” Baltar says. “Somehow I

think horror movies can reflect our sound very well.” That love of the ghoulish is also reflected in the band’s truly grotesque music videos. “Each of our videos has a special story. ‘Human Flesh’ was the first and we really enjoyed recording it. Then there is also ‘Freedom Is’, which is animated. We love it. We also have a video for ‘Joan Vollmer’, which is a reminder of our visit to UK. And the most recent, ‘Colmillos’, is the first single from Lume – and that makes it very important for us.” Yet in many ways, it’s clear that no matter how much they might love their videos, Bala’s real driving force is playing live. Each of their anthemic choruses was clearly written to be screamed back by an adoring audience, and they take care to make their shows as powerful as possible. “At the moment we only have two records and both last a few minutes, around 20, so it’s not too difficult to craft a setlist,” Baltar explains. “Now what we do is play Lume from start to finish and then play the four or five songs that we like the most from Human Flesh, our first album. We like our concerts to be short and intense. We try to start and end with a really powerful song, and in the middle we play a little bit of everything.” At its heart, constructing a good setlist is just a way of respecting your audience – and giving back to the people who love them is Bala’s modus operandi. “We find it very important to have direct contact with the people who listen to us,” Baltar says happily. “After all, we owe them all.” What: Lume out now independently With: The Lockhearts, Bottlecap, La Mancha Negra Where: The Bald Faced Stag When: Friday May 5

real fans. We get nothing but love and appreciation from the fact that we have battled certain demons, especially Eso. He went through a massive sea change, and that was not easy. He talks about it on the new record, and I don’t want to talk about it too much since it’s his story. But he goes into it on the record, and I like sharing that stuff about our lives with our fans. “We get emails from people every week from people who battled their own demons, and we certainly can’t claim to have solved anything, but we have helped people. If you can help through sharing stories, well, that’s what it’s all about.” What: Off The Grid out now through Illusive/Flight Deck Where: Enmore Theatre When: Wednesday June 28

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FEATURE

WOR DS BY JOSEPH E A R P ILLUS T R AT ION BY A M Y SUMMER

hey all remember where they were when they heard the news. For the Australians, the stories go pretty much the same way: they woke up, groggily scrolled through their Facebook feeds, and found themselves met by a thousand versions of the same story. He had died overnight Australian time, so it was different from when David Bowie had passed away in the afternoon. That story was a rumour before it was fact – a digital whisper, easily dismissed as gossip by the optimistic. But this was different. The sources had already been confirmed. Prince was dead. “I felt almost a little bit silly to be so sad about it,” says a long-time Prince fan named Martin. “You don’t expect to be cut up when the musicians that you love die – or it kinda feels weird when you do. Why should it even matter, really? You’ve never met them and never spoken to them or anything. There’s no reason at all to be sad really, when you think about it. You don’t know these people. But also, you kinda do.” It’s a sentiment many Prince fans share. For them, he was no stranger. Some had seen him in the flesh only a few months earlier on his Piano And A Microphone tour of Australia, a sold-out string of surprise shows that saw him croon his way through his back catalogue for hours. How could it be that he was there, onstage, and then six weeks later, gone forever? How can someone be so vibrant, and colourful, and alive – and then suddenly not? “I know there are many people who don’t quite understand how it is possible to grieve for someone so deeply when you didn’t actually know them personally,” says Juliet Letteri, a Sydney musician and DJ who performs under the name Black Cashmere. “But I can’t control this connection.” Letteri considers herself lucky: she didn’t have to find out about the death via Facebook. “I woke up on that Friday morning and noticed my phone wasn’t where I left it beside me,” she says. “My mum came in the room with my phone in her hand, sat on the end of the bed and told me that she had bad news. She took my phone while I was sleeping as it kept flashing from all the calls and messages. She wanted to be the one to tell me that Prince passed away.” Parents played a vital supporting role for a number of other fans too. Richard Lewis, an American with an enviable collection of Prince memorabilia he has been amassing since the age of 11, called his mother’s voicemail when he heard the news. “She has been dead for a year,” he says. “But I really just felt like I had to hear her voice. I felt silly, but I did it anyway … When I was a little boy, she used to dance with me around the living room to ‘Purple Rain’. That’s the first thing I thought of.” Ruby, a young musician from Spain, read the news on Twitter, threw her phone across the room, ran to her father, lay in his lap and sobbed. “He thought something really terrible had happened,” she says. “He was going, ‘Who hurt you? Who hurt you?’ with his voice all scared. I couldn’t even say anything to him. I was crying too much.”

Some fans had to call in sick from work. Lloyd, the admin of a low-level Prince fanpage on Facebook, told his boss he had pneumonia, lay in bed, and polished off an “entire tub of cookies and cream ice cream”. LaRon DeRousselle, a Prince impersonator, spent the day at home, “watching reactions and celebrity commentaries” on television. Less lucky was Stephanie Prade, an American Prince fan and self-confessed introvert who was already sitting at her desk when she heard emergency personnel had been spotted outside Paisley Park, Prince’s Minnesota headquarters. She told her boss she needed to leave. “In my heart, I knew it was Prince’s time,” she says. She drove back home, let herself in and sat by the telephone. She prayed a little too. One can imagine Prince would have appreciated the gesture – he was devoutly religious, so full of faith that he once requested one of his concert films open with the words “JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD” emblazoned in big white letters across the screen. But although she prayed, Prade knew what was coming. And eventually, it did. “I remember my mum called me, asking me to stay wherever I was so she could pick me up. I told her I was OK, but just needed time to be alone.” Prade spent the rest of the day crying. She couldn’t calm herself down, no matter how hard she tried – not even when she limped back to work, not even as her colleagues tried desperately to console her. Eventually, it got so bad that she had to drag herself over to the hospital to get some shots to placate herself. Getting there was a trial – she had been crying so much her eyes were swollen shut. Yet despite how hurt all these fans felt – despite how deep the pain went – Prince was not exactly an easy man to mourn. He was fiercely protective of his privacy; mistrusting of the internet; and, it must be said, more than a little unusual. He wasn’t some static object to be eulogised and wept over. He was a complex series of contradictory parts, a sexed-up Republican convinced the world was being secretly controlled via chemtrails who nonetheless composed some of the most touching and sensual music of the last 100 years. People who loved and missed him couldn’t even share their favourite songs on Facebook: diligent about copyright violation, he had long worked to scrub YouTube of almost all his material. Those who wanted to honour him on their timeline only had a handful of live appearances to choose from – either a fiery performance of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, a tragically truncated rendition of ‘Purple Rain’, or a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ that Prince had tried to suppress for years. There was no way to stream his music online either. He resented such platforms, considering them just another way for music execs to take more than what they were owed. As a result, fans were forced out to record stores – only to find that most shops had already sold out of his entire back catalogue.

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“After his death, friends and colleagues didn’t say, ‘Hey, this is who Prince was,’ they said, ‘Look, we knew Prince personally and we still couldn’t tell you who he was.’” compelled to come down to Cafe Lounge in Surry Hills tonight, even though it took considerable effort to swallow down her anxiety and even just loiter here out the front. She had to, because she had to come and listen to Prince’s music on the one-year anniversary of his death. She had to be near people dancing to his songs, even though she herself did not feel like she could join in. She just wanted to watch. She just wanted to feel it. “Oh, she knows!” the Prince T-shirt man says, grinning, pointing at Julie. “She really knows. I bet she knows all the songs. Do you?” “It was really weird,” says one shop owner. “There was just this very specific rush – everyone was looking for Prince albums and nothing else. People couldn’t hear [the songs] any other way.” Then there were the anecdotes. We have come to expect them now: those stories cooed to us by late-night TV show hosts, carefully designed to help us grieve someone we never really got to know. And although Prince was honoured with his fair share of these posthumous narratives, they were different. They weren’t like the tales of striking generosity that came to light after the death of George Michael, for example, or the toe-curling sagas of chemical extremity that Lemmy’s passing prompted from those who knew him. The stories about Prince weren’t as much uplifting as they were deeply, strikingly odd. These were tales concerning impromptu, highly competitive ping pong games, asides about snarky put-downs at highprofile events, and gossiped glimpses of The Purple One’s mythic capacity for shade. Even when they were funny and impressive – even when they made us feel better about losing Prince – these weren’t Spielbergian tales kissed closed with happy endings. These odes were downright Lynchian; bizarre shaggy dog stories that sounded too surreal to be true. After his death, friends and colleagues didn’t say, “Hey, this is who Prince was,” they said, “Look, we knew Prince personally and we still couldn’t tell you who he was.” Prince didn’t make any more sense to us after he died. After all, who is going to be so stupid as to say Prince was nothing more than the 57-year-old man who passed away alone at home after a fentanyl overdose on Thursday April 21, 2016? No, death didn’t shatter Prince’s myth – it forced it to expand.

Julie smiles awkwardly, mumbles something non-committal, and lights a cigarette. She has that look that a lot of Prince fans have – a look that has hardened and intensified after his death. She looks as though she is carrying around a pleasant, private secret – as though she has been quietly told that heaven is real, that we’re all going there after we die, and that everything, no matter how dire it might seem, will be alright. She looks as though Prince wrote all that music just for her. Prince is private for a lot of people in that way. Although his fans are always eager to acknowledge that his music is universal – how else could you explain his record sales or his massive crossover appeal? – there is still something about him they feel the need to protect. They do not always reveal everything when interviewed; they always leave little gaps in their explanation. “I don’t know what I would have to say to you,” says one anonymous fan when I approach them for an interview. “I wouldn’t say anything except I love him and I always have. There is nothing else that I would say.” Inside Cafe Lounge, Letteri is DJing. She is dressed as Apollonia, the co-star of Prince’s 1984 film Purple Rain. Letteri’s hair – long, dark – sits on her shoulders, and she dances with her hands screwed up into tight little balls that bob back and forth in circles around her head. It’s only early, so she is getting through the slightly more obscure cuts first, blasting the likes of 1986’s hidden gem ‘Anotherloverholenyohead’. A few people are up the front, dancing; over the next hour, their number will quadruple. Letteri looks very happy. “I love it when I meet other Prince fans,” she had told me a few days earlier. “I love meeting people who have the same connection to him as I do. I feel as though his true fans really ‘get’ him. It’s this beautiful thing we all share – we just get what he was about and what he wanted us to all feel. He was this musical genius who made music that you couldn’t help but fall in love with.” Letteri’s love story began at the tender age of nine. “The earliest memory I have of [falling in love with Prince] was at dance school. During class, the teacher was preparing us for a new routine and the song was ‘Cream’. Even though I was already familiar with Prince’s music at the time, that was the song that made me want to dig deeper into the rest of his discography.”

he music is so loud it drifts out onto the street, where two men in their mid-30s stand drunkenly discussing it.

“Even these songs, even songs that nobody knows, they are still good,” says the taller of the pair, a cigarette dangling between his lips. He begins jabbing at the slightly faded, stretched Prince T-shirt he is wearing; prodding away at the enigmatic smile slapped across the centre of the artist’s face.

Admittedly, Letteri is a little unusual in that respect. A lot of Prince fans don’t have an origin story at all. Many admit – with a sense of disappointment – that there was no one point where they suddenly found themselves obsessed; no magic moment they can remember when that first spark of love caught. Prade, for example, feels like Prince has always been there for her – as though he is as essential and commonplace as the oxygen she breathes. “I was born in 1978 so I was maybe four months old when his first album For You came out,” she explains. “My parents loved all types of music. I was just attached to Prince’s music for some reason. I always thought of him as a family member.”

“This man was absolutely, absolutely a fucking genius.” “Right,” says his friend, who wears a crumpled suit and stares down at his feet as he speaks. Even when no one is addressing him, he nods randomly and tipsily at nothing in particular. “I don’t even know this song, never heard this song before, but look – I’m dancing,” says the Prince T-shirt man, jiggling aimlessly. “It’s ‘Shockadelica’,” a woman standing nearby says awkwardly, perhaps embarrassed to be butting in. Later, she tells me that her name is Julie. She says she doesn’t drink – that she would usually do anything to avoid going out to bars like this by herself. But she felt

Others simply heard his music in a restaurant, or were recommended a song by a friend. “I was first introduced to Prince in 1991,” says DeRousselle. “It was the release of Diamonds And Pearls that got me in. There was a show on BET called Video Soul that I watched nightly and I was instantly mesmerised by that song. It remains to this day one of my favourites.” Of course, such stories are notable precisely for their ordinariness. That’s often the way it goes. When we fall deeply for musicians – when they become a part of us, something that we must physically carry – we can forget that from the outside, such adoration seems strikingly mundane. All the physical symptoms of our obsession seem

“I began embodying The Purple One shortly after his death … The timing just seemed undeniably right.” – PRINCE IMPERSONATOR LARON DEROUSSELLE

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Remembering the floppy discs Prince sent out so the media could type his new name BY N AT H A N JOLLY In 1993, Prince died for the first time, and in his place rose an artist with an unpronounceable name: a graphic that blended the male and female symbols into one unified logo, quickly known as the ‘love’ symbol. It was intended as a “fuck you” to his label Warner Bros., which refused to release his flood of new music at a rate that pleased him, but it also caused major headaches for the numerous media outlets and employees who were now tasked with somehow communicating this name change without any audible cues nor fonts with which to do so. Enter the now-legendary Prince floppy disc, which was sent by Paisley Park to all media outlets, along with an instructional letter. The disc contained a font with only one figure: the love symbol. The best section from the letter is laughably aggressive: “The is now the artist’s legal name and should be used whenever referring to him in print. However the first time he is referenced in a story, you may wish to use the phrase ‘ (the artist formerly known as Prince)’ to avoid confusion. Thereafter please use the font.” “[The disc] just seemed like a logical thing to do,” Chuck Hermes, who worked as a graphic designer for Paisley Park, told NYMag last year. “Everybody was having a hard time. He didn’t even want us to be calling him Prince in person. Part of it was, there was this glyph, this symbol that we didn’t know how to pronounce, and he wasn’t giving us any clues. “So we had to start communicating, we were just writing the symbol freehand. It started out as we just did it for ourselves. We needed some way to be efficiently communicating with this name that we couldn’t type on a keyboard.” To mess with people further, the Love Symbol Album, which Prince put out months before announcing the name change, featured the lead single ‘My Name Is Prince’. By 2000 he had reverted back to his birth name, answering only to ‘The Artist Formerly Known As Prince’ or simply ‘The Artist’ until then. RIP Prince Rogers Nelson – a stone cold genius, no matter what you happen to call him.

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FEATURE

Sydney DJ Black Cashmere

“Two Paisley Park personnel told me to move on, like they were nervous about something. They didn’t know I was secretly praying in every room I walked in.” – PRINCE FAN STEPHANIE PRADE

passive and idle. Perhaps we buy the artist’s records, maybe we put them on at a party, or talk about them a little too much over drinks. But we don’t really do anything. We just listen. Nothing really changes when you fall for a musician, except of course, everything does; you never feel the same way ever again. Music just wanders into our life, requiring nothing but that we listen, and then sometimes – not always, but sometimes – it simply never leaves us. Indeed, it’s that selfsame ordinariness that makes us do extraordinary things for the musicians we adore. Driven by the desire to prove our love to others, we tattoo ourselves in lyrics, wear branded shirts till they literally fall apart across our backs, travel miles and pay hundreds of dollars to attend shows – and we do it willingly. So when it comes to Prince, it follows that fans have gone to all sorts of lengths in order to prove their love. Some, like Lloyd, pour hundreds of hours into moderating and curating online Facebook memorial pages. Some, like Lewis, scour Discogs and eBay, searching for The Purple One’s rarest test pressings and assorted shreds of memorabilia. And others, like DeRousselle, literally hand over their body to their idol, becoming breathing, walking tributes to him. “I began embodying The Purple One shortly after his death,” DeRousselle says. “As a musician and performer I had already been covering his songs with my band. During the time of his passing I became increasingly inspired by him and devoted myself to bringing the passion and creativity of all that he created to my stage performances. The timing just seemed undeniably right.” Then there’s Paisley Park. For Prince fans, the Minnesota estate is a kind of cultural Mecca. Getting there is its own ultimate test of faith – a way to definitively prove your willingness to sacrifice time, money and energy for your idol. Of all those the BRAG interviewed for this story, Prade was the only one who made the trip during the artist’s lifetime. It wasn’t easy, either. “I was having financial problems at the time so I asked a bank to help me,” she says. But the bank did not see the purpose of granting a loan simply so a Prince fan could see the artist’s headquarters. It denied her request. “I remembered the lender telling me, ‘Oh, there’ll be another time, honey.’ I screamed, ‘No, there will not!’ I hung up and cried.” Eventually, Prade’s husband and her mother managed to cobble together the money she needed to afford a full-blown Prince pilgrimage. She bought VIP tickets to two of his shows – consecutive nights on the Piano And A Microphone tour – plus return flights, rented a car, and set off for a “totally surreal experience”. It turned out to be one of the happiest weeks of her life. It was snowing on the night of the first show. “I had never seen snow before,” Prade says. Inside the theatre lobby, she found herself surrounded by other Prince obsessives – all of them smiling at each other, chatting, sharing stories. Prade, feeling a little nervous, hung back and watched. “I have always been a people watcher,” she says. But even without joining in, she slowly started to feel something she had never felt before. “I listened to all the accents, watched what they wore and smiled to myself. I finally knew what it was like to be surrounded by people who loved Prince as much as I did.” The shows were, as Prade had expected, magical. On the first night, she sat on a lavender pillow on the floor at the front of the stage; on the second, she hung around the back. “I saw his fro bounce up and down a few times, and saw his face when he got up,” she recalls. “But I am so short, mostly all I saw was his dangling feet stomping through his sets.”

Prince photo courtesy Warner

Still, that was enough. More than enough, in fact. She cried (“More crying!” she admits, a little embarrassed), danced and sang. It was perfect. The next day it was time for the tour of Paisley Park, the final stop on the pilgrimage. Led around by the guide – a fellow Prince fan who Prade had sometimes spoken to on the internet – she drank in every inch of the estate. She saw The Purple One’s twin studio spaces; the so-called Space Room where he would sit and watch television; his rehearsal rooms; and the long corridors he padded about in, dressed in his trademark purple bathrobe. In each space, Prade waited back a little, letting the rest of the tour group walk ahead. Before long, she began attracting the attention of the guards. “Two Paisley Park personnel told me to move on, like they were nervous about something. They didn’t know I was secretly praying in every room I walked in. I was whispering prayers and thanking God for the opportunity of a lifetime.”

thebrag.com

afe Lounge is filing up. A group of elderly women are sitting in the corner, bopping along and chatting happily. A tall, middle-aged woman is loudly singing along with the music, while her boyfriend flicks through his phone, head down, embarrassed. Letteri has moved onto the classics now – ‘Cream’, the song that started it all for her, makes an appearance, and a loud cheer goes up from the dancers at the front. There are a few Prince T-shirts here and there, but the costumes don’t appear too complicated – that is, not until a nervous-looking man in his mid-20s enters, clad in a fullblown, handmade Prince outfit. He has gone to every conceivable end to make this costume; the detail is astonishing. He wears a headband pulled tight above his eyes, a thick purple coat, tight black pants, and there, perched on his thin, spotty neck, is an impossibly white silk ruff. Everyone turns to look when he walks in. The man assesses the crowd, his girlfriend by his side, notices no one else has gone to half the effort he has, and turns a deep shade of red. He does not smile. For the rest of the night he sits over in the corner, out of sight, sipping beers and nodding awkwardly at all the people throwing him impressed nods. He is, in many ways, what I had come to Cafe Lounge to see. Although I am a Prince fan – as

committed and dedicated as some – I approached this article with embarrassingly cruel intentions. My aim from the outset was to go full Gonzo; to submerge myself in the insanity of fandom, to poke not-so-gentle fun at those who go to extreme lengths to honour their idols. I wanted to see a man in a Prince outfit get largely ignored by a crowd made awkward by his dedication; to see love for musicians gone kookily wrong and weird. And I did this, apparently, without much self-awareness. Because I have never dressed up as Prince (to be perfectly honest, I doubt I could fit into tight enough pants) – because I have never cried on the phone to the bank while trying to raise the money to see the man in the flesh, because I have never tried to sing his songs, or set up a fanpage in his honour – I always assumed I was exempt from the weirdness of fandom. I always assumed that my love was cleaner; more sensible; easier to bring up in polite conversation without embarrassing anyone. All I did was write about Prince. All I did was listen to those albums endlessly, till my records scratched and warped and I had to replace them, then replace them again. But I was wrong. Fandom is, by its very definition, extreme. It makes us do mad things – it consumes us, and it makes us blissfully ignorant when it comes to the judgement of others. It makes us hang back in rooms we are not meant to hang back in and say a prayer to God for letting us get so close to a man who doesn’t even

know that we exist. It makes us cry, again and again and again, because a complete stranger has been taken from us. It makes us mournful and it makes us strange. And it is, in that way, and for precisely that reason, beautiful. That is what we talk about when we talk about Prince. We’re not talking about the man, or his music. We are talking about that odd, deeply private thing that connects a room full of people in a bar on a Friday night, all of them listening to the voice of a man they have lost from their lives. We are talking about the thing that we cannot put to words – the thing that makes us turn away prying journalists, convinced that not everyone will understand us. We are talking about connection – and not connection to a song like ‘Cream’, or to a stranger on the front cover of an album we have poured over since we were 11. When we talk about Prince, we are talking about connection to each other. Letteri is onto the good stuff – the songs everybody knows; songs that everyone has heard a thousand times, full of lyrics so oftrepeated that they are seared onto the tongue. The room is packed with dancers. Letteri is still bopping along, her hands still up near her ears, moving back and forth. The man in the Prince outfit gets up to grab a drink, and passes through the thronged circle of dancers. They part for him, cheering. And he turns, nodding, a deep, embarrassed smile cut into his face, offsetting the fading crimson in his cheeks.

“When we talk about Prince, we are talking about connection to each other.” BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 17

Nothing defined the Britpop era quite like the feud and subsequent chart battle between Over two decades on, the beef is still remembered as the defining moment of a musical the world alight back in the ’90s.

Blur vs oa

When Music Turn B Y Z AC K Y U S O F

18 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

Britpop Rising: A Feud Begins “Everyone in the country knew who Oasis were now. They might never have had that exposure if Blur hadn’t given it to them.”

provocative quotes from both camps and a lot of media hype. At a party held by Oasis’ label Creation Records to celebrate ‘Some Might Say’ getting to number one, the feud got serious when personal insults were flung by Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher at Albarn and his then girlfriend Justine Frischmann, frontwoman of Elastica. “I went to their celebration party just to

say ‘Well done,’” said Albarn at the time. “And Liam came over and, like he is, he goes, ‘Number fookin’ one!’, right in my face. So I thought, ‘OK, we’ll see…’” Albarn, who was well known for his fi erce competitive streak, rose to the provocation and took up the gauntlet thrown down by his aggressive Mancunian peers, setting in motion a Britpop battle

that would soon captivate a nation fast falling under the spell of all things music – much to the delight of the English press. They lapped it up, hyping the beef into national headline news: Blur’s artsy London intellectuals against Oasis’ indie rock populists. The scene was set.

– ALAN MCGEE (CREATION RECORDS BOSS)

April 1995 in the UK saw mouthy Mancunian upstarts Oasis sitting pretty at the top of the English singles chart with their first number one single ‘Some Might Say’. The fact that an uncompromising rock’n’roll outfi t like Oasis – whose 1994 album Defi nitely Maybe had become the fastest-selling debut album of all time in the UK – were number one in the charts was confirmation that the Britpop phenomenon was fast becoming the hottest musical ticket in the country. Oasis may have been number one at the time but Blur – led by their charismatic frontman Damon Albarn – were the scene’s creative leaders. Having swept all comers aside at the 1994 Brit Awards thanks to the runaway success of their third album Parklife, Blur had completed their transition from indie outsiders into mainstream teen idols and were enjoying life as the biggest band in the country. After being initially supportive of each other, a growing resentment between the two Britpop heavyweights began to develop as 1995 progressed, fuelled by

Blur – ‘Country House’

“Blur had completed their transition from indie outsiders into mainstream teen idols and were enjoying life as the biggest band in the country.”

“For an event that went on to define the Britpop movement, it’s ironic that both bands ended up being far from in their best form with the singles they put out.”

thebrag.com

Blur and Oasis. movement that set

FLASHBACK

s. asis ed Into Sport

Head To Head “So much was made in the media of posh southern kids and rough working class northerners. It was ridiculous, as none of the Blur boys came from those places. It was more a clash between art school traditions and Oasis’ classic British R&B.”

planning to try to avoid a clash of release schedules, contrary to popular belief that the whole record battle was rigged and planned in advance. In the end, it was decided by both parties that Blur would release their single after the Oasis single to maximise the market for both groups, as they shared a lot of similar fans. However, things did not pan out that way.

– MICK SMITH, BLUR PUBLISHER

“The plan, if there was a plan, was that Oasis would have a number one then we would, or vice versa, and they wouldn’t clash,” explained Andy Ross, head of Food Records at the time. “Our lines of communications were pretty rock solid. But then, for some unexpected reason from our point of view, they brought forward their single by six weeks ahead of schedule. That threw us into complete confusion.”

With both bands primed to release singles from their forthcoming albums, Food Records and Creation – Blur and Oasis’ record labels respectively – set about meticulous

Oasis had their single, ‘Roll With It’ ready to drop on August 14, 1995. Originally, Blur’s ‘Country House’ wasn’t even due to be the first single

from their fourth album The Great Escape, but having debuted the song at a recent huge outdoor show at London’s Mile End where it went down a storm, Blur selected it for release. And with competition and rivalry very much on their minds, the Blur camp decided to switch their release date to coincide with Oasis’ song, going for broke and setting up a dramatic head-to-head battle with their arch-rivals. For an event that went on to define the Britpop movement, it’s ironic that both bands ended up being far from in their best form with the singles they put out. ‘Country House’ was a throwaway novelty song that Blur subsequently went on to shun for years, while Oasis were similarly dismissive of ‘Roll With It’, rarely featuring it in their live set after its release. But at the time, quality tunesmanship was not high on the agenda. Rather, it was all about who would get to number one. The Britpop chart war was in place and the battle was about to commence.

One Winner: The Aftermath “I think they [Oasis] are a great band and that this is the defi ning Britpop moment. It’s not Blur vs. Oasis, it’s Blur and Oasis against the world.” - ALEX JAMES, BLUR BASSIST (SPEAKING IN 1995)

In the week leading up to the official chart rundown on Sunday, Blur versus Oasis was the hot news ticket on a daily basis. Figures showed that it was the best seven days for UK singles sales in a decade. The nation, it seemed, was completely caught up in the race for number one and the media predictably went into hysterical hype mode, casting the face-off as a modern-day Beatles versus Stones, with the story even making the six o’clock news in England. In the end, ‘Country House’ outsold ‘Roll With It’ by 274,000 copies to 220,000 amid claims that Oasis’ sales were hit by faulty barcodes. History has it that Blur had won the battle, but Oasis – given the colossal 21 million copies sold of their album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? worldwide, along with their two nights at Knebworth in 1996 playing to a quarter of a million people – ending up winning the war. Over the following months, Britpop would end up being a major cultural phenomenon, thanks in large part to the Blur versus Oasis rivalry bringing the movement to the attention of a nationwide audience. In the end, the feud reached its undignified nadir when Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher expressed his wish that Albarn and Blur bassist Alex James would “die of AIDS” – a nasty end to a musical tussle that captured the imagination of a nation.

Oasis – ‘Roll With It’

thebrag.com

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending. Fast-forward to the present day, and Blur are still playing together, while Oasis are no more. Damon and Noel are friends who share the stage occasionally and collaborate together in the studio, as they have done recently on a track for the new Gorillaz album. One can even imagine the two bandleaders reminiscing fondly over a beer today, looking back to the time when their feud had music lovers in the UK and beyond caring so passionately that it forced everyone to pick a side. ■

“Over the following months, Britpop would end up being a major cultural phenomenon, thanks in large part to the Blur versus Oasis rivalry.”

Choose Your Weapon:

BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 19

arts in focus FEATURE

■ Theatre

HYSTERIA Playing at Eternity Playhouse until Sunday April 30

hen a motley crew of young, angry playwrights kicked off the In-YerFace movement at London’s Royal Court in the ’90s, they dramatically changed the face of theatre both in their own country and abroad. Some of those writers spoke beyond time and place; others, like Terry Johnson, used old forms to varying degrees of success. Hysteria, in the mould of farce, saw huge success in 1993, but on today’s stage functions mostly as a museum piece.

Renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (Jo Turner) is about to retire for the night when his practice is invaded by three figures: Jessica (Miranda Daughtry), a manic young woman demanding immediate treatment; Freud’s surly companion Yehuda (Wendy Strehlow); and the eccentric surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (Michael McStay), wishing to be analysed by a man he sees as a hero. It seems fitting that this production should share a timeslot with Griffin Theatre Company’s The Homosexuals, Or ‘Faggots’ – Declan Greene’s modern farce maintains the madcap buffoonery of the form and uses it to powerful effect, shocking the audience with a hard line of questioning that speaks to its lives outside the theatre. Susanna Dowling’s production of Hysteria, on the contrary, parades its dated style and themes as if attempting to woo STC’s subscriber base. It plays like a neurologist’s take on Fawlty Towers, blending goofy slapstick and complex psychoanalysis to create something not quite as compelling as either. The decision to stage the show is questionable; failing to excise

Hemp Health & Innovation Expo [EXHIBITION] The Next Big Thing By Sam Caldwell

ollowing the legalisation of medical cannabis in Australia last year, and the current moves to figure out the necessary regulations around cannabis, it’s not uncommon to hear folks say things like, “Cannabis is on the up and up,” or that it will be “the next big thing”.

“I appreciate there’s a recreational side of it, but there’s also the side that does benefit people.” 20 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

The fact is, though, it only takes a glance overseas to see that cannabis is already a huge industry worldwide, despite its relatively slow growth in Australia. This massive hole in the Australian market was noticed by Michelle Crain, a 26-year veteran in the hydroponics industry. “I’ve travelled the world and been to a tonne of events overseas in America, including Spannabis [A Spanish trade expo with over 25,000 annual attendees], and I thought, ‘God, we’ve got to be at that time in Australia, surely, where it’s becoming more acceptable.’” For Crain, the issue is a little more personal than the hundreds of millions of dollars waiting to be injected into the Aussie economy from cannabis. She is a cancer survivor, and has used cannabis to combat nausea and to induce appetite (“It worked wonders,” she says). Now, Crain is celebrating the return of the Hemp Health & Innovation Expo (HHI), which enjoyed a highly successful debut

in Sydney last year. While many of the huge expos around the world focus on one specific aspect of cannabis (hemp, medical, recreational or hydroponics, for instance), Crain says the scene is so small in Australia that such an event needs to a bit more broad. “I appreciate there’s a recreational side of it, but there’s also the side that does benefit people,” she says. “It can’t just be about hydroponics or medical cannabis, though. It’s got to be about the whole plant.” This means the 2017 edition of HHI will be about far more than just medical marijuana. It’s also about hemp – a variety of cannabis with a myriad of other uses including skincare, food, building products, biofuels and much more – and it will be a more interactive experience than just listening to speakers. “Over the two days, people will be able to get involved and will be able to help build a hemp wall,” says Crain. “A lot of people are going to be able to get their hands dirty.” Leading the construction of this giant hemp wall will be hemp expert Klara Marosszeky, who joins a long list of presenters including “America’s favourite vet” Dr. Gary Richter (“He’s been treating pets with cannabis,” says Crain) and Tim Harding of Hi-5 fame, who is MCing the event (“He’s right into the medical cannabis thing because it’s helped his daughter”).

Alongside the broad talent roster– which also includes politicians, activists and medical doctors – Crain intends for the event to project “more of a festival vibe”, featuring roving entertainers, interactive games and more. But with so many aspects to the cannabis plant, what sort of person actually attends such events? “It’s so hard to answer that,” Crain says. “[Last year] there were elderly couples; Mum, Dad and the two kids; the 18-to-30-year-olds. I couldn’t say there was any demographic that was more or less present – I was really surprised at how many elderly people came out.” While the cannabis scene Down Under may have a long way to go when compared to what we see overseas, such a broad audience only demonstrates its huge potential. And the appetite down here is growing, with another HHI Expo scheduled this year in Melbourne. In the meantime, Sydneysiders can enjoy a weekend full of cannabis celebration at Rosehill Gardens this month. Sam Caldwell is the publisher of Australia’s premier cannabis lifestyle outlet, Dopamine. What: Hemp Health & Innovation Expo 2017 Where: Rosehill Gardens When: Saturday May 27 – Sunday May 28 thebrag.com

arts review

arts in focus

game on Gaming news and reviews with Adam Guetti

Interview: Prey’s

Seth Shain

With Prey releasing on Friday May 5, we ask the game’s lead systems designer Seth Shain about the chances of a sequel and how to get into the games industry…

the text’s most outmoded moments is indefensible. Dalí, little better than a caricature, is lambasted for being a “Spaniard”, and constantly refers to himself in third person like a verbose Pokémon. Arguments for the dramaturgic justifi cation of this do little to make his presence any more enjoyable, nor qualify his bizarrely shifting attitudes towards Jessica. Turner’s Freud is more complex, naturally, but one can’t help but feel the playwright’s snide sense of superiority to one of the more important psychoanalytical fi gures of the 20th century seeping through the pages of the text. Nor does Freud’s intelligence render him immune to bogglingly inept decisions across the course of the play, or a preposterous eye-roll-inducing buggery gag. Had the text been savaged as comprehensively as its figures, it may have proven potent – Jessica, as the play’s true moral compass, speaks to the

■ Comedy

ROMESH RANGANATHAN

diagnosis of ‘hysteria’ that still plagues outspoken women to this day. (Ask Van Badham, or any other female social commentator.) It may also have come in under two-and-a-half sodding hours. But her message is lost in the tomfoolery that surrounds her. Casting a woman in Yehuda’s role is fi ne, but doesn’t really add anything. Even Anna Gardiner’s exceptional design feels like little more than, well, set dressing. So, too, the underused and beautifully crafted video projections – fl ashy, but hardly grounded. Independent theatres aspiring to the efforts of the Royal Court should emulate its model, not its material. Kill the old forms, herald the new. Freud is dead. Dalí is dead. Hysteria is dead. What our stages need is bleedingedge analysis of the living audience, and not an autopsy.

David Molloy

arts review

Reviewed at the Factory Theatre on Tuesday April 25 as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2017 In some ways Ranganathan’s humour is similar to Dylan Moran’s, in that he can slip into the character of cranky curmudgeon quite well and performs jokes that are equally personal, observational and political. In doing so, Ranganathan gives you the sense that he’ll make the perfect grumpy old man in years to come.

omesh Ranganathan is a comedian whose tongue is placed so firmly in cheek that it threatens to come out the other side. This English comedian of Sri Lankan descent performed his debut Sydney comedy show to audiences who may be familiar with his work thanks to TV spots on Live At The Apollo and Would I Lie To You?, plus his starring role in the television series, Asian Provocateur. In Irrational, Ranganathan delivered an hour of tight and polished standup where he approached a range of different topics in such a different and oblique way that it really made you laugh and think. He joked about agreeing with the UK’s equivalent to our own One Nation, as well as extolling the benefits of joining ISIS. It was a head spin to put it lightly.

thebrag.com

In the space of 60 minutes, Ranganathan had us laughing at his “three-day angry walk” through Disneyland Paris, his belief that Gogglebox is one step up from looking in a mirror, and that one time he was so horrifi ed by his refl ection in the morning that he self-deprecatingly called himself “a chocolate pudding abomination” and apologised to his wife, who subsequently accepted. Romesh – whose first name is actually Jonathan – is charming and makes his anecdotes, stories and asides seem so effortless, especially when he delivers them in such a comfortable, deadpan style and then adds the cheekiest of grins to top it all off. While some people may say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, in the capable hands of Ranganathan, it can prove to be so much more.

The original reveal of Prey 2 was talked about for years after it had dropped off the radar. Was there any pressure to retain that original vision? No, there was no pressure. In fact, instead of starting with the name Prey and building a game that carries forward any DNA, the opposite happened. We built the game we were excited to build, which at a high level we referred to as a “space dungeon”, and because there were some high-level themes in common with the original, we adopted the name Prey. How critical is environmental storytelling in helping to support a core narrative? It’s critical for establishing the world within which the narrative takes place. Without little stories embedded within the world, I think the core narrative would feel hollow. For example, in a game about saving the world, you need a world worth saving before you can be motivated to save it.

A lot of detail has been placed into Prey’s world. Do you hope you’re laying down the groundwork for more games to take place within this universe? I honestly can’t answer because I honestly don’t know. We’re still focused on shipping Prey at the highest quality level possible and we’re only just starting to discuss what comes next. Prey and Dishonored naturally share quite similar traits, so what qualities do you believe define Arkane Studios? My direct answer to this is that Arkane makes first person immersive simulation games. “Play your way” is core to our design philosophy. We have other values like this, such as, “Say yes to the player,” [which] means that if a player expects something to behave a certain way and it doesn’t, then we have work to do. There are an incredible number of people trying to get into game design, so what advice or experience can you share with those trying to make their mark? Make games and get over yourself. Let me unpack that a bit. The first part is obvious – if you want to be a game designer, design games. It’s that simple. You just need to get started. The democratisation of

game development has arrived. One way to go is to get involved in active mod communities for games like Skyrim and Fallout. In fact, we hired several of our level designers out of the Thief mod community. Alternatively, there are tool packages like GameMaker Studio that will let you create something entirely new with no development experience. Seriously, look how many amateur developers have crafted hit indie games with that tools suite! It may be a while before you’re leading a design team or directing a project, but that’s the result of building a career – nobody starts there. The second part of this, “get over yourself”, is my way of saying that you need to learn to leave your ego at the door. In a healthy design culture, it is the job of the designer not to bring the best ideas, but to recognise the best ideas and shepherd these through implementation. The best ideas can come from anywhere: programmers, artists, producers, interns. The most important skill a designer can have is listening. Listen to the people around you. Listen to your players and players of other games. Experiment and recognise failure, adjust, retest and know when to move on and try something else.

Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy: The Telltale Series, Episode 1 – Tangled Up In Blue (PS4, XBO, PC)

icensed video games designed to coincide with the release of Hollywood blockbusters tend to be pretty rubbish – a fact so well known it’s almost up there with death and taxes. With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 now hitting screens across the globe, however, Marvel has tried something a little different – entrusting its franchise to adventure game master Telltale Games. The result is Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy: The Telltale Series, a five-episode tale that borrows your favourite heroes, but won’t ape their most recent quest. As a result, the series’ debut episode, Tangled Up In Blue, may feature Star-Lord, Rocket and friends, but don’t expect them to retain similar personalities (or voice actors) from the films. If you’re a Guardians fan, it’s a little disappointing to discover, but it does allow Telltale a bit of flexibility, which is made apparent in the episode’s most shocking moment, which completely departs from the MCU. That’s not to say you won’t be indulging in enjoyable space shenanigans. Episode 1 sees the Guardians discover a powerful artefact at the start of their tale, paving the way for a ruthless new enemy to make some serious attempts at obtaining it for herself. In typical Telltale fashion, however, pure action and spectacle will often make way for a number of interactive dialogue-heavy sequences that cover things like the potential romance between Peter and Gamora, as well as Rocket’s increasing desire to leave the team entirely. They’re not without merit, but how dramatically your choices actually influence events further down the line remains questionable. Still, as an introductory chapter, Tangled Up In Blue does well to pique your interest, even if it doesn’t make the most of the available material. With four episodes to go, here’s hoping Telltale can power up its thrusters and make this an adventure worth remembering.

Natalie Salvo

BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 21

FOOD + DRINK

FEATURE Cafe2u

THE 50 BEST COFFEES IN SYDNEY Part Five: Western Sydney Y

’all know what time it is. Over the past month we have been ruthlessly delineating the caffeine boundaries of our fair city, on our way to awarding the best coffee in each Sydney suburb.

Last week we tackled the Inner West, so it seems like the rest of Sydney should be a walk in the park. Enjoy the last ten locations in our countdown of the 50 best coffees in Sydney, and catch up on the full list at thebrag.com. WESTMEAD

BY JESSICA WESTCOTT

PicNick View Shop 6, 163-171 Hawkesbury Rd BLaKC Cafe at the Library

PARRAMATTA CBD

Re-branded and undergoing a swap from Toby’s Estate to Campos (a wise move, in my opinion), this place has picked up a cult following in this hospital town. Very popular around 8am.

Kafeneio Shop 7, 180 George St

VILLAWOOD

A strong, consistent brew in smaller cups, served by a witty bartender who knows her beans. Expect Mecca coffee and incredible customer service, plus latte art that would put Melbourne to shame.

The Woods Pantry 5A 824-850 Woodville Rd

XS Espresso 9A/2 Windsor Rd

An easy pick for number one in the suburb. This place is gorgeous. Campos, again (I know, but it works), and the boys at the machine look like they mean business. I have a soft spot for cafes that weigh their grinds; it means they’ve figured out a formula that works and they’re sticking to it. Well deserving of the morning crowds.

While I have had some sub-par lattes here, for the most part it’s a pretty decent shot. The brekkie menu is delightful and the staff are so lovely that if your shot of Campos is burnt, they’ll redo it and fall over themselves apologising. Their freak-shakes are bonkers though; maybe go for one of those.

BLaKC Cafe at the Library 80 Rickard Rd

NORTH PARRAMATTA

GRANVILLE

Espresso On South 45 South St Campos again, but this time we have a winner. Superb beans with a mild finish; very drinkable. The baristas are up for a laugh while you wait, too.

FAIRFIELD/YENNORA

Cafe2u Fairfield St It’s a coffee cart, yes. But a quality one. “Caffeine induction efficiently administered” is a quote from my dad, which essentially means they deal out good joe on the fly. Cafe2u comprises a husband-and-wife team who love to chat about your day while you sip away.

BOSSLEY PARK/WETHERILL PARK

Little Creations Patisserie 6/57 Mimosa Rd This little cafe used to be a continental cake shop, which has now morphed into its current form: selling its own home baked “little creations”. Try the excellent, if mild, ristretto. XS Espresso

22 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

BANKSTOWN A fantastic new spot at the library – and coffees are just $3 a pop! The blend is quite dark; a walnutty chocolate kind of dark. No acidity from the pull either, which was a nice surprise.

ROSELANDS/PUNCHBOWL

The Coffee Emporium Shop G064, Centro, Roselands Dr There are really only three cafes in this area, which led to this one winning. The coffee is fine, but I would recommend – if you have the time – to drive north, as The Coffee Emporium is nothing to write home about. The burgers are pretty decent, however.

REVESBY/PADSTOW

Coffee By GW 1 Selems Pde Single origin Guatemalan beans are lovingly tendered in this Western Sydney jewel of a cafe. And the coffee is super smooth – give-me-a-bucketof-this-stuff smooth. On hot days the cold brew is a lifesaver; fruity and delicious and served with coconut milk on the side. I wish I lived in Revesby so I could fuel up here every day. The Woods Pantry

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REVIEW

Potts Point Hotel

PRICE PER MAIN:

$: $0-10 $$: $10-20 $$$: $20-35 $$$$: $35-50 $$$$$: $50+

P OT TS POINT

BY BRII JAMIESON

he gastropub trend has well and truly arrived. You know it’s a thing when Kings Cross has its very own, a new entrant to the enigmatic gastropub market: the Potts Point Hotel. The Potts Point Hotel has long been one of the centres of Sydney nightlife as The Sugarmill. But with the lockout laws impacting on businesses across the district, the old Sugarmill has had a dining upgrade and been relaunched under a new name. One of the hallmarks of the Potts Point Hotel is its list of specially crafted cocktails, all inspired by and named after local personalities of Kings Cross. Take, for example, the twist on the classic Tom Collins, reimagined as a Carlotta Collins: it’s named for Carol ‘Carlotta’ Spencer, AKA The Queen of the Cross. The cocktail menu is made up of seven signature creations overall, and reads more as a tribute to the history of Kings Cross, cementing the Potts Point Hotel as an important part of the cultural narrative of the area.

FOOD + DRINK

Strangely, our entrées come out 20 minutes apart, without explanation or apology. Having said that, my vegetarian partner’s entrée is genuinely exceptional: the smashed avocado, a fascinating take on a classic guacamole, served with witlof leaves instead of tortilla chips (it sounds far too ‘health goals’ but is so delish and worth ordering). We also choose the spicy fried chicken, which is unfortunately not spicy at all. For the main course, our waiter recommends a selection of the meats from the smoker, but my vegetarian date has only the option of a portobello burger. My signature house smoked brisket is served American barbecue style, with a side of cornbread and pickles, but misses the mark by coming out to the table cold. The burger, however, is well thought out, with interesting textural elements of eggplant and onion rings – something even meat eaters will enjoy.

The real hero of the Potts Point Hotel is its sides. The coleslaw is one of the best I’ve had, made with a light buttermilk ranch dressing that’s so good we genuinely consider licking the bowl clean. It’s also worth going to the Potts Point Hotel just for the grilled corn: it’s served covered in parmesan, lime and chilli, and is the most moreish dish of our night. The strangest experience of the visit comes part way through our meal, when the dining room becomes the setting for Tranny Bingo. We’re always up for a good time, but it does seem at odds with the gastropub aesthetic the Potts Point Hotel is positioning itself towards. This is a venue in transition, but it’s on its way to a competitive offering. Where: 33-35 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point When: Mon – Sun 11:30am-late More: pottspointhotel.com.au

During our visit, we order a Marty Sharp Shandy, which is the Potts Point Hotel twist on a lagerita, and a Witches Julep, a take on a classic mint julep. The shandy is incredibly sweet, and lacks the carbonation that the lager should bring to the table. The julep, however, is incredible, and freely poured. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll likely have to give this place a miss. With only one vegetarian entrée and one main, there’s a distinct lack of options for the discerning vego in your life.

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The coleslaw is made with a light buttermilk ranch dressing that’s so good we genuinely consider licking the bowl clean. BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 23

out & about

brag beats

Off The Record

Queer(ish) matters with Arca Bayburt

The Queer Fight Against Culturally Determined Self-Esteem Levels

“I

still feel like a creep for liking girls,” my female friend said to me the other day. She’s 28 years old and has been out since she was 15. Her family have been accepting and supportive, her friends haven’t treated her differently – all things considered, her coming out was not as traumatic as it could have been. So why does she feel like a predator for having samesex attractions? Unsurprisingly, a lot has been said about this issue throughout social forums full of women who dig other women. The standout theory right now is that we’ve all internalised the male gaze, which is seen as predatory and creepy, and because we’re women, we’ve been on the receiving end of this gaze, which can often feel predatory and creepy. Being gay women, however, puts us in a strange position. There is nowhere in our culture where I can learn about how to look at or size up a woman that isn’t objectifying, or that doesn’t somehow subscribe to the more damaging behaviours of the male gaze. As gay women, we have uncomfortably inserted ourselves behind those eyeballs instead of in front of them, and it can make us feel unworthy. The good news is, being a massive creeper isn’t about liking someone, it’s about entitlement. If you

feel entitled to somebody else’s body with or without their permission, you’re a predatory shit. So – your gay-as-all-hell attraction is not evidence of some inner rot that will repel other women once they’re aware of it. It’s natural and largely neutral in how it develops (it’s not like it asks you permission). Attraction develops without our consent; we can choose to do with that what we will. It’s important to remind ourselves that we don’t exist in a vortex of perversions, and that being attracted to someone is not the same as violating them. Not even in the same universe. Along with theories of the male gaze and how much of a crap fit it is for a woman looking at other women, it would be remiss of me not to talk about the perception of deceit, a cornerstone of shame. While we’ve got a society that is ill-suited to our desires, we make it work. We make do with what we’ve got. At the same time, to exist in this world we – usually – must first deceive. As a closeted person, you’ve got to pretend to be straight and do the hetero hop until you feel it’s time and/or it’s safe for you to come out and be who you are. During this closeted phase, your crushes will come and go, usually

“BEING ATTRACTED TO SOMEONE IS NOT THE SAME AS VIOLATING THEM. NOT EVEN IN THE SAME UNIVERSE.” unrequited, because y’know, you don’t wanna blow your cover. So you’ve got all this guilt and shame slowly building up with every stolen glance at a pretty girl or sexual fantasy you conjure up that isn’t hetero-certified. You of course would assume that your sexual attraction to somebody will repulse them because you aren’t normal and how dare you suggest that they aren’t normal either. Also, the idea that you are objectifying them when you have no right (because of not being heterosexual) to do so is a big weight on your shoulders. All this amounts to the feeling of, “I’m not worth loving or being loved, because I’m a predator and a creep.” It’s bullshit, and it’s easy to say that it’s bullshit, but harder to feel that it’s bullshit. This is something I’ve struggled with for years. I still have the odd gross feeling bubble to the surface now and then, and must remind myself that I ought not to feel creepy just for liking someone. I’ll save that particular self-criticism for when I’m hiding in the bushes out the front of my crush’s house at 2am.

this week…

for the diary…

On Sunday May 7, head over to Sydney Park in St. Peters to celebrate Family Pride – International Family Equality Day. Much like Fair Day, this event is a fete meant to celebrate all the possible combinations of the queer modern family. It’ll be a great opportunity to connect with other community members and politicians who will be in attendance. There will of course be plenty to do, with marquee stalls, live music, arts and crafts and other entertainment goodies. This event is hosted by non-profit organisation Rainbow Families. Admission is free.

On Sunday May 14, get down to the Stonewall Hotel on Oxford Street for an endless parade of Eurotrash-tastic music and good vibes with a live viewing of Eurovision 2017. The party will be hosted by the beautiful Tora Hymen, and dressing up and singing along is basically mandatory. Entry is free.

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Also, on Saturday May 20, Heaps Gay is throwing a BYO Private Warehouse Party. There are no lockouts, with intimate party vibes and BYO whatever you want. Music from Melbourne’s Sugar Fed Leopards alongside local pals Luen, Nic Kelly and Smithers, plus art, drag and performances by Lucia Hayes, Akashic and Matt Grant. Tickets are presale only and with a limited capacity, you’d better grab ’em soon.

Dance and Electronica with Alex Chetverikov

Dietrich Mateschitz

he recent comments made by Red Bull CEO Dietrich Mateschitz on a host of social issues, including refugee policy, reignited an interesting ethical dilemma. Red Bull is of course one of electronic music’s greatest champions – among its invaluable projects, it features regular radio programming, the fantastic Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) lecture series, exhibition spaces, and an artist residency in Detroit. While I’m at odds with Mateschitz’s views across the topics in question, an inclusive environment is one in which different opinions should be respected (provided they aren’t inciting hate or violence, of course). Certain large-scale electronic music publications have made a rather spurious case by taking Mateschitz’s comments out of context, in turn igniting something of a furore in their comments sections, and for good reason. I was pleased to see Dutch DJ and former Trouw resident Patrice Bäumel encouraging the freedom of ideas and expression. Let’s also look to the positive examples set by Paula Temple, Jam City, Dave Clarke, Underground Resistance – they don’t ignore the constructive, tangible energy and message that music can embody, or its ability to be a driver of real grassroots change, for example. They respect it and relate it to the world around them. In a previous column I also made reference to several crucial voices in electronic dance music and their

invaluable contributions to the dialogue; DJ Sprinkles and Black Madonna among them. We respect these artists because they don’t divorce themselves from the overall effect of music. They embrace the possibility of music, the ramifications of music, and its significance beyond being a recorded collection of sounds. To posit this discussion in a broader sense: can electronic music be separated from politics? The gentrifying nature of EDM’s rise in popularity has certainly done its best to divorce the music from a meaningful public dialogue. We might first need to distance ourselves from the trivial two-party bollocking that undermines the essence and definition of politics to appreciate what this means. Politics is inherent in the way we live our everyday lives, and invested into individual and community. I think we need to get over this idea of politics as being a big no-no; or “keep the damn politics away from my dancefloor, I wanna lose myself in the groove”. Go right ahead, no one is policing your ability to have a good time (just kidding). Music is the product of a person, of an identity, of a series of beliefs and structures that cannot be simply waved away, or ignored for that matter. It is an extension of what makes up a person. It’s important that we recognise every artist, whether major or minor, and empower one another with the idea that it is normal to share your thoughts and have them heard.

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Danny Krivit

One of disco’s most beautiful and essential heroes, Danny Krivit, and his two volumes of masterful disco/soul/funk edits. He has a remarkable ear for respecting the original compositions while offering his own take, and I highly recommend both compilations. Plus, Chico Hamilton’s The Master LP, which is more or less rock band Little Feat throwing down some Latin grooves with Hamilton’s backing keys. That might not do it justice; it’s incredibly relaxing music that sits in the midground rather than the background.

RECOMMENDED THURSDAY MAY 4

End Notes VIII: Neo Soul Cake Wines

SUNDAY MAY 14

The House of Mince

Turns 6 – feat: Boris & Volvox TBA warehouse

FRIDAY MAY 19

Ratio Launch Night The Bunk3r

SATURDAY MAY 20

Motion #32 – Disco Hollywood Hotel Mad Racket – feat: Gemma Marrickville Bowling Club

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK SAN CISCO The Water Island City/MGM

San Cisco return for their third studio album with fun, relatable tunes, but this time they have a different direction in mind. The Fremantle indie pop-rockers keep things short and sweet in this release, with concise and catchy songs that get their message across through repetitive hooks. There’s still the same carefree style fans know and love in tracks like ‘Hey, Did I Do You Wrong?’, addressing topics like relationships and looking out for friends.

But while San Cisco have always had undercurrents of an ’80s influence in their sound, it seems they’ve committed further to their fresh take on the genre in The Water. ‘SloMo’ brings to mind the cheesiness of Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ while ‘Kids Are Cool’ delves unashamedly into funk-pop and ‘Make Me Electrify’ explores disco. Glorious synth riffs shine in ‘Waiting For The Weekend’ and ‘The Distance’, while ‘Did You Get What You Came For’ is one of the more challenging tracks, dipping a toe into psychedelia. San Cisco have established a clearer sense of identity, and it

shows in The Water’s polished collection of danceable songs that you can easily listen to over and over. Erin Rooney

“While San Cisco have always had undercurrents of an ’80s influence in their sound, it seems they’ve committed further to their fresh take on the genre.”

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK ALLDAY Speeding Onetwo

In a recent interview, Adelaide born and bred Allday revealed his desire to work only with people he admires, and to never make music based on album sales or Spotify plays. After one listen to his second LP, Speeding, it’s immediately clear he’s achieved both wishes. Recorded in LA, while staying true to his signature style, Speeding sees Allday rap his mellow yet meticulous musings about love and life for millennials. He is a master at his craft, but it’s undeniable that this 12-track album is only richer for its ingenious collaborations. Melbourne’s Japanese Wallpaper shines on the iridescent single, ‘In Motion’, while up-and-coming songwriter Gracelands’ sultry vocals on ‘Codeine 17’ complement Allday’s relaxed tone flawlessly.

Elsewhere, electronic producer and vocalist Nyne features on ‘Sides’. The hypnotic beats and repetition have a mesmerising effect, and cement her reputation as one to watch. The album closes with two tracks penned with the help of Brisbane’s brightest rising star, Mallrat. ‘Baby Spiders’ sounds like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day, juxtaposed with lyrics of love, loss and heartbreak, while the distorted vocals on ‘Ultramarine’ add to the unexpected scale and texture that are consistent throughout this assured album. Natalie Rogers

“He is a master at his craft, but it’s undeniable that this 12-track album is only richer for its ingenious collaborations.”

FIRST DRAFTS Unearthed demos and unfinished hits, as heard by Nathan Jolly BLUR – ‘PARKLIFE’

San Cisco photo by Ebony Talijancic

t’s funny to think of ‘Parklife’ existing in demo form, seeing as it skates so close to novelty song status that it seems like something bashed out in a burst of studio spontaneity then kept as a bit of throwaway fun. But no, in late 1993, when Blur began work on what would become their third studio album, they were dead serious in their efforts to compile a critique of contemporary English society, a topic they had touched upon on their previous record, the subtly named Modern Life Is Rubbish.

The song is more loose and fun in demo form. It’s hardly a song I’ve thought of as containing a central guitar riff, but the demo version really accentuates this crunchy, rather wonky guitar part. Albarn handles the cockney spoken word verses, which were thankfully given to British actor Phil Daniels in the complete version; his British squareness is completely missing from Albarn’s rendering, which sounds closer to a Russell Brand caricature – the result being less cartoon chirpiness, and more a smug geezer you’d wanna slap.

lyrics are intact, although Albarn did remove the pointless “It’s all about taking a brisk stroll through the park” line towards the end – a bit too on-the-nose, even for Blur.

“When our third album comes out, our position as the quintessential English band of the ’90s will be assured,” Damon Albarn crowed at the time, arrogance being a major hallmark of the Britpop movement that was then sweeping the world. The political meaning of ‘Parklife’ became lost around the time it was adopted as a football anthem, and Noel and Liam Gallagher taunted Blur as Oasis beat them for the Best British Album BRIT Award, singing “Shite-life” and “Marmite” in place of the title.

In an alternative world, this roughedup version would have been an indie hit, its quirkiness balanced by the looser instrumentation. There are a number of exciting elements that were polished out during subsequent recordings: a keyboard trill towards the end of the chorus really lifts the “they all go hand in hand” section in a way that is sadly missing from the more ornate finished version. Same with Alex James’ rather aggressive, bouncy basslines which cut through and drive the demo in a way that is missing in the final cut. All the

Listen to the original ‘Parklife’ demo at thebrag.com.

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In the end, Albarn may argue more meaning, but even his tale of writing the song sounds fittingly pedestrian. “I came up with the idea for this song in this park,” he explained. “I was living on Kensington Church Street, and I used to come into the park at the other end, and I used to, you know, watch people, and pigeons.”

“The political meaning of ‘Parklife’ became lost around the time it was adopted as a football anthem.” BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 25

live reviews & snaps What we’ve been out to see...

GROOVIN THE MOO 2017 Maitland Showground Saturday April 29 Some three hours and 40 minutes away from home, the Sydney attendees at Groovin The Moo in Maitland emerged blinking from the bus into the most glorious weather imaginable. Huge shout-outs to the enterprising locals who’d whipped out a barbie and cheap bottles of water, ready for the slavering all-aged crowd on arrival. With its ethos of inclusivity, GTM attracts a broad array of punters, and the resulting fashion spectacle is dizzying, if not haunting. “I’ve seen so many butts today!” one attendee commented, seemingly bewildered. Other keen festival bingo fans quickly ticked off exposed buns, miles of cleavage, glitter on every surface, full-body Spiderman costumes, the traditional bovine onesie, and the hot item of 2017 – leather tassels. Over on one of the dual main stages, triple j Unearthed winners Introvert managed to garner a healthy crowd as they finished their set with their signature song ‘It Is Too Late’, to one of the most generous applauses of the day. Soon after came L-Fresh The Lion, accompanied by a live band and a wild child hypewoman in the guise of Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. Is there anything better than hip hop with live instruments? L-Fresh seasoned his grooves (and dance moves) with Punjabi accents that got the crowd jumping, declaring his work an act of protest that registered instantly. Perth’s Methyl Ethel (named for frontman Jake Webb’s alter ego) played confidently

to the expanding audience, thanks in large part to Webb’s unassuming charisma and natural talent, which has taken their music from behind closed bedroom doors and home recordings to every capital city in the country. Over on the main stage, Allday grabbed the attention of every screaming girl in attendance, sneering at technical fuck ups between smooth, disaffected rap tracks. For some straight-up cognitive dissonance, K. Flay followed him with dark, distorted R&B; not content with a lone DJ, she upped the distortion by throwing electric guitar in the mix, and refused to be ignored. Melbourne indie outfit Northeast Party House stayed true to form, delivering a solid set with a nod to ’90s punk (a cracking cover of Blink 182’s ‘Dammit’), and ARIA Award winner Montaigne held her own on the Cattleyard Stage. Then came the feelings: Against Me! (in Wil Wagner’s words, “The greatest fucking band in the universe”) performed with every scrap of their legendary fire. ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’ is the kind of song you roar through tears, and it lit a fire that lingered in the heart through the train ride home. On the contrary, Britain’s Architects – the day’s heaviest act – may have overdosed on testosterone. Here, the all-ages pit got ugly fast, and security leaping in to remove belligerents faced a veritable war zone. Despite a formidable array of stage tech, the mix did not do the djent ragers justice, and they took it out on festival staff with characteristic hostility.

‘Death To The Lads’ could not have been more timely – The Smith Street Band’s Wagner would hug everyone in the pit before bashing a single skull. Instead, he thanked a suited-up fan for “finally dressing up and showing us a bit of fucking respect”, with a huge laugh. Sadly, filling in for the sick Tash Sultana, Amy Shark’s less propulsive songwriting got lost in Wagner’s wake. The Jungle Giants’ rollicking indie-pop provided an ideal soundtrack as the sun set over the showground, and fans were treated to the first live performance of their latest single ‘Feel The Way I Do’. Next up, celebrated German outfit Milky Chance (with their touring band in tow) didn’t disappoint as they played a heavily acoustic set of new music from their latest album Blossom, plus a few of their older hits. At the Moolin Rouge stage, Loyle Carner slayed his set with humility and charm to spare. This kid’s going places – be there when he does. He may have even joined the throng for Pnau’s impromptu bush doof, and if he didn’t, he missed the biggest dance breaks of the day. Now a trio with the inclusion of Sam Littlemore (Nick’s brother), Pnau were joined onstage by the outstanding vocalist Kira Divine (“All the way from the USA!”) for their slew of dance party anthems: ‘Embrace’, ‘Wild Strawberries’, and their latest single ‘Chameleon’. Meanwhile at The Plot, Olympic basketballer turned professional beat spinner Liz Cambage turned up the heat, while the boys from the Blue

Mountains, Thundamentals, blew the roof off the Moolin Rouge big top. Oh, and sorry, Against Me!, but the title of “greatest band in the world” has already been (self-)claimed by The “Motherfucking” Darkness. This band is perfection – never more so than when leading thousands of punters in horrifi c ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ karaoke. “You need to be louder than whatever that shit is,” jeered Justin Hawkins. That shit was Snakehips, for the record. The surprise of the night was The Wombats, who overcame yet more technical issues before delivering a thrilling, high-octane set that one wouldn’t have expected from the guys who did ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’. But no one outshines Violent Soho, who facilitate ocker mosh pit heaven without fail every time. This time, toilet paper flew left, right and centre as the Brissie boys lived out a dream by pulling Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson out of the crowd to belt ‘More Than You Are’ – a Maitland exclusive, and the perfect aperitif to cap off the evening. The locals watched on gently amused as the snaking line of revellers made their way to the buses for that long ride home. It’s an annual ritual for them now, after 14 years of Groovin. And with a lineup this strong, who knows what kind of sounds will be flattening the landscape in years to come? David Molloy and Natalie Rogers

speed date WITH

JESSE COULTER FROM GRENADIERS because of the terrain. They flew us there – we stayed at the house of a great local muso named Grant who showed us around the place, the venue looked after us far more comprehensively than a band like us deserves to be looked after, and we had an amazing night playing to the 50 or so locals at the pub. It was something not a lot of bands get to do and was pretty unforgettable.

Current Playlist Recently, have really been digging anything fast with jangly guitars – so Meatwave, The Peep Tempel, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Royal Headache, Thee Oh Sees, et cetera. Midnight Oil are a perennial favourite – whenever we get stuck writing a song, I always try to ask myself, “What would Rob Hirst do?” Driving favourites are The Budos Band, Mastodon and The Traveling Wilburys. A couple of us saw Strand Of Oaks the other night, who neither of us had heard previously but who were truly awesome.

Your Profi le Hi, we’re Grenadiers and we’re looking for something fun and non-committal. We sound a bit like you might expect a really great, tight rock band to sound after they’ve had too many daiquiris to play properly, but just enough to be really quick with puns and dad jokes. Apart from honing our moderately enjoyable pub/punk rock sound, we enjoy

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stopping at cliffs to throw stones, touring the budget hotels of Australia, and fine buffet dining. In our fans, we’re looking for someone forgiving, and someone who can look beyond the surface to the kind, vulnerable soul lying just beyond the brash and boorish exterior.

Keeping Busy We’ve been spending a

lot of time recently setting up gear, pulling the best possible sounds, arguing for a while and then packing said gear up again. We fi nd it’s great practice for writing new songs, which is something we also try to do when possible. In fact, we’ve just fi nished a new full-length album, which will be out later this year, and fi lmed a video at Gillman Speedway for our song

‘Suburban Life’, a delightful number about mowing your lawn in Speedos and re-appropriating Gatorade bottles.

Best Gig Ever A gig that will always be close to all our hearts was in Nhulunbuy, AKA Gove, in Arnhem Land. It takes about 40 minutes to get there from Darwin but about 18 hours to drive the same distance

Your Ultimate Rider We’re simple men with simple needs. Just a few beers, some Scotch, soft drinks, sandwiches, a few Fabergé eggs, some Ming vases to drink from, a hot air balloon (with pilot of course), a kiddie pool filled with extreme sour Warheads… just the basic stuff. Where: The Chippo Hotel When: Friday May 12

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opiuo

rare finds second birthday

28:04:17 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

ALCEST, GERM, THE VEIL Manning Bar Thursday April 27

Though it went unacknowledged, Thursday night’s relocated gig acted as the unintended eulogy for one of Sydney’s late, great venues, and the former home of shoegazing. Newtown Social Club, we hardly knew ye.

hampered, however, by an unappealing frontman – Che deBoehmler’s listless baritone read less ethereal than anaesthetising, his guitar work patchy. They aim to be so many genres at once that their defining post-Cure aesthetic is lost in the wash.

Still, if ever the ‘blackgaze’ fan base had a natural place of shelter, it would the Manning Bar, the same venue that’s been championing The Bird’s Robe Collective and the extended post-rock family. Amusingly, Manning may not be used to a crowd as calm and reserved as this – its security were certainly overzealous with the more drunkenly rapturous punters.

Germ fared better, with a sound hewing closer to Deafheaven than the headliners. As it stands, this critic is convinced that Germ’s downcast black metal makes them better suited to the studio, as their performance is almost in absentia. The instrumentalists – all five of them – take “shoegazing” very literally, even in the absence of pedals. Frontman Tim Yatras has a potent scream indeed; if only he’d perform with it, instead of vanishing between the words.

Opening act The Veil themselves seemed rather introverted, quietly making their way through their set as the growing crowd gently encouraged them. Their prog-heavy classic rock approach was

Through the crack between closed curtains, Neige’s ghostly fingers emerged; it seems he was as eager to break the cocoon between Alcest and their audience as we were. Six

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29:04:17 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

years is a significant gap, and the band acknowledged the time lost by touching on its entire back catalogue, leaving no stone unturned. To see Alcest play is to drift untethered into hypnotised bliss, as the quartet conjure and curate waves of sound with masterful control. Therein lies the difference between Neige and those who’ve walked in his footsteps through the genre he spawned – whereas the opening acts quickly got lost in their own creations, getting high on their own supply, Alcest remain anchored as they unclip you, the listener, from your own corporeal form. With a gig like this, too much is never enough. The absence of Kodama’s ‘Untouched’ was notable, but so many glorious memories filled its void – ‘Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde’, celebrating its tenth anniversary, and strong representation from Écailles De Lune including the “dumb song about

the ocean” ‘Sur L’océan Couleur De Fer’. Every track from Kodama elevated the atmosphere in the room – it is the most gleaming expression of Alcest’s intentions yet, and perfectly suited to a live set. With the Manning Bar’s excellent acoustics and a clearly talented engineer on the dials, the already formidable breakdown of ‘Oiseaux De Proie’ became tidal, crashing against us with just the right amount of force. Longtime drummer Winterhalter has redefined blast-beating, restraining its assaulting qualities to foreground its myriad textures; with Zero’s elvish harmonies and Indria Saray’s calm, grounding presence, the band has never felt better. Alcest closed with ‘Délivrance’, a fittingly introspective track that reminded us of who we were before we arrived, and to what new state we ourselves had now been delivered. David Molloy

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live reviews & snaps What we’ve been out to see...

ANDREW BIRD

keys and loop pedals with equal skill. But his dual first loves went hand-in-hand – the violin and the whistle that makes his namesake seem so perfectly fitted.

Sydney Opera House Saturday April 15 How the indie folk genre’s most beloved introvert made it on to the Sydney Opera House main stage is a mystery, but we can be forever grateful it happened after a gentle, joyous Saturday evening spent with Andrew Bird. Ostensibly touring in support of Are You Serious, Bird took the opportunity to cover the breadth and depth of his 20 years’ recording, lifting from his time with Bowl Of Fire alongside the new records’ highlights, and a few covers for good measure. Bird’s prolificacy goes without saying – across the night, his fingers alighted on guitar strings, glockenspiel mallets, piano

For opener ‘Hole In The Ocean Floor’ and later ‘Weather Systems’ (the night’s closer and its deepest cut), Bird took to the stage alone, looping over himself in ever-complexifying, baroque patterns. It’s hard enough as a listener to keep every thread he weaves in focus; how Bird himself conjures up and maintains such labyrinthine compositions solo is beyond belief. A glance around the stage and a confused gesture indicated his guitar hadn’t yet materialised, cutting through the serious atmosphere as Bird’s wry sense of humour often does. When his band finally came to the stage, diving into ‘Capsized’, they proved a

perfect match. Drummer Ted Poor summoned up serious Whiplash vibes with his impeccably controlled playing, and guitarist Steve Elliott saved Bird from overlooping with exceptional vocal harmonies. The band took on Bird’s humour osmotically, keeping the whole evening light and warm. Establishing themselves as poster boys for Americana, Bird and band also dipped into the well of country music – a taste of Bird’s album of Handsome Family covers, ‘My Sister’s Tiny Hands’, invoked the requisite misery of the alt-folk scene, while a surprise take on Neil Young’s essential ‘Harvest’ poured like honey through the confines of the Concert Hall. The man’s strength has never been in banter, which Bird avoided for the most

part, feeling the need to explain himself only in the absence of Fiona Apple (for the duet in ‘Left Handed Kisses’, in which he played both roles using “dramatic blocking”) and before the self-effacing deconstruction of ‘Are You Serious’. He hardly needs conversation, given his potency as a storyteller. He sells every emotional movement with conviction, and behind his diffident exterior is the erudite lyricist, undercut with a sly wink. Leaving the valleys of the young, despite his protestations, has only strengthened Bird’s songwriting and power as a live performer. Fingers crossed he can talk Fiona into joining him the next time he flies back our way. David Molloy

he said she said WITH

ou’re a former host of Inthemix Sunset on FBi Radio, and now a regular on the Ibiza club scene. Has there been one secret ingredient in achieving your goals? If there is one thing, it’s confidence. Confidence in your abilities and having that swagger knowing that you can rock the shit out of any party, with class. There are many secrets to the game; however, only a chosen few will ever be given the keys. How important is education – formal or informal – in setting yourself up for a career in music?

MO’FUNK

Learning is by far the most important factor in the journey. I have never stopped and never will stop taking notes on the biz. The music industry and music itself is forever evolving and I have only scratched the surface of what is out there. One thing I will say that is most important, educationwise, is to listen to your heroes and people you look up to. Check YouTube for interviews, check documentaries, or if you ever get the opportunity to meet them, don’t be afraid to ask legit questions, because if you are really about this game, then the real ones can sense other real ones. Listen and learn from the people

you admire, follow in their footsteps and take it even higher. Who have been your most supportive peers in the Australian scene? The most supportive peers in the Oz scene are the guys that I grew up with on the DJ circuit. I started DJing back in 1999 (a young 17-year-old), so I have seen many come and go; however, there are still a number of legends still involved, so shout out to all my late-’90s and 2000s DJs and promoters still killing it. Is Ibiza as insane as we think it is? Yes, yes it is. This will be my tenth year out there and I have seen a lot of crazy shit, it just depends how far you want to take it. I love the place for its all around beauty, the beaches, the sunshine, the music – it’s a mecca for music lovers, so get your asses there if you haven’t already done so. How optimistic are you about the future of Sydney musical talent? There will always be talent, we just need to be given outlets to express that talent! We are all going elsewhere to get our fix, so promoters, please stop playing the safe game by feeding the public the same generic radio-style trash. There are way too many cookie cutter venues and parties going on right now – dope DJs who play dope music are hardly anywhere to be seen. I know there are talented young guys and girls out there, there really just needs to be hot parties and venues for them to shine. Mo’funk is a graduate of SAE Sydney. SAE’s brand new Sydney campus is hosting an info night on Thursday May 4. Find out more at sae.edu.au.

28 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

songwriters’ secrets WITH

The First Song I Wrote Super embarrassing – I copped a lot of slack during high school for it… it was callled ‘Ladybird’. I wrote it about a girl who I made up some fairytale-like fantasy about when I was around 15. I’m having a good laugh about it now though.

The Last Song I Released ‘Listening’, released about a month ago now. I recorded this song with Jan Skubiszewski (John Butler Trio, The Cat Empire, Illy). It’s a track from my upcoming EP to be out mid this year. It was inspired by being grateful and realising how lucky I have been to have the parents and upbringing that I have had. It’s like an “I owe it to you, Mum and Dad” scenario. This was probably the most experimental piece on the EP in regards

JOSH CASHMAN

to instrumentation and production.

Songwriting Secrets There’s no real proper way that I write. Songs come naturally in times of emotion. I cannot write about made-up scenarios – everything I write is real and comes from a deeper part of me. I can struggle with words, so writing songs sometimes helps me portray a message to someone or a situation.

The Song That Makes Me Proud ‘Patience’ is a song of mine that I’m proud of. It’s reached a larger audience than I could imagine, and set up some amazing opportunities overseas for me. Every now and then I hear it on the radio, or a TV show, or in a shopping centre. I see the song as a bit of a milestone of my

early career so far.

The Song That Changed My Life ‘Ocean’ by John Butler was probably the biggest influence that got me inspired to make music. I would have been 12 years old; soon after I got a guitar and would practise for hours every night until I could play it. I would then play it at every second assembly at school (sorry CCS). The most recent would be ‘Let It Happen’ by Tame Impala. Lyrically it is something I relate to more than any song I’ve heard in the past five years, and the perfection of production and instrumentation behind the words is mesmerising and it’s easy for me to get lost in almost a meditative state.

With: River Blue Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Thursday May 4

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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

BOOKER T. JONES PRESENTS THE STAX REVUE Metro Theatre Thursday April 20

History has always snapped at the heels of Booker T. Jones. The ground-breaking rhythm and blues outfit Booker T. and The M.G.’s were one of the first racially integrated bands to gain fame during the early ’60s. As a musical prodigy as well as a meticulous organiser and collaborator, Jones contributed to the flowering of some of the best blues and soul artists to grace the United States – the band even played a mournful set on the night of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis. Entering the Metro Theatre for this Bluesfest sideshow, Jones was smiling and sincere; a grandfatherly presence in a sharp suit. The show paid tribute to Stax Records, which oversaw the rise of artists such as Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Sam & Dave. Accordingly, the setlist moved between iconic soul numbers and instrumental tracks from The M.G.’s, the latter of which elevated Jones’ trademark organ melodies. As the band cycled through 20th century musical landmarks, ‘Respect’ veered more toward Otis Redding’s original version than Franklin’s. ‘Soul Man’ was predictably punchy and thoroughly danceable. However, with blasting horns and booming vocal power, the band’s cover of Sam & Dave’s commanding ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’’ was probably the standout.

Of course, the energy surged when the band played Jones’ enduring hit, ‘Green Onions’. With the heady charge of the organ and the crawling bassline, the infectious rhythm of this tune remains timeless. Jones wrote the song as a teenager, and it has since passed through many iterations (for instance, The Blues Brothers Band’s accelerated version with Dan Aykroyd’s Cold War-era rant over the top). In this way, it’s both a piece of history and a template for musical experimentation. While Jones is the undeniable centrepiece – the glue holding the band together – the other performers were showcased generously. Drummer Darian Gray broke into a rap during the instrumental opener, catching the audience somewhat off-guard. And guitarist Ted Jones (Booker’s son) ripped into a solo as ‘Green Onions’ climbed to a close. These dynamic twists and alterations cut through an otherwise genre-bound set of songs, firmly rooted in the ’60s and ’70s. Nonetheless, Jones’ reimagining of the Stax repertoire was a rare opportunity to see a true legend in action. Annie Murney

name that song What famous song from the ’90s is this illustration depicting?

Submit your answer at facebook.com/thebragsydney. thebrag.com

ART BY KEIREN JOLLY BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17 :: 29

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.

Loyle Carner

Polish Club

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. Thursday May 4 – Friday May 5. 8pm. $23.10. Australia’s most exciting two-piece band invites you to come party at a sweaty and intimate Oxford Street show.

MONDAY MAY 8 Oxford Art Factory

Loyle Carner

Milky Chance

The Wombats

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point. Monday May 8 – Tuesday May 9. 9pm. $69.90. The Liverpool lads back up from their Groovin The Moo appearances with a dancefloor-friendly indie rock set at the Concert Hall.

8pm. $46. WEDNESDAY MAY 3

The Hideaways Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 9pm. Free.

Sweet Jelly Rolls Surly’s, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free.

New Venusians + Godriguez + Robongia Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 8pm. $13.30.

The Forresters + Fallon Cush + PJ Orr Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.

THURSDAY MAY 4 Dillon Francis + 4B Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $72.50. Fuzzface – feat: Skullsquadron, Raave Tapes, Fabels Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Indigo Aisles + Liv + New Venusians

Out Of Nowhere Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. $uicideboy$ Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $47.20.

FRIDAY MAY 5 Bala + Bottlecap + Le Mancha Negra + The Lockhearts The Bald Faced Stag, Leichardt. 8pm. $23.60.

Bob Evans

Enmore Theatre, Newtown. Wednesday May 3. 8:15pm. $69. Germany’s finest electronic folk duo Milky Chance are touring the Antipodes off the back of their new album Blossom, which has established them as far more than a flash-in-the-pan prospect.

Pnau

Boogie Blues Band Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7. Desecrator + Hidden Intent Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

MONDAY MAY 8 Bob Evans + Bree De Rome Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $27.90.

8pm. $20.

The Glamma Rays Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $10.

Wifey Leadbelly, Newtown. 8:30pm. $14.30.

James Reyne The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $55.

SATURDAY MAY 6

The Tall Grass + Adam Gibson and the ArkArk Birds + Christine Jane

Jack Biilmann & The Bronze Whalers Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 9pm. $10.

the BRAG presents

The Meltdown Venue 505, Surry Hills.

Pnau Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $45.50.

feat: Lady Cool + Amanda Easton + Joy Yates + Liza Ohlback + Dahlia Dior + Liz Tobias Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8:15pm. $79.

Leadbelly, Newtown. 6pm. $19.90. Yellow Claw Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 8pm. $63.90.

SUNDAY MAY 7 Dave Orr Band + Chorizo Slim & The

Snakehips Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $55.30.

TUESDAY MAY 9 Architects + Ocean Grove Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $59.90.

Sophisticated Ladies: A Tribute to 100 Years of Ella Fitzgerald –

SAN CISCO

Enmore Theatre Friday June 2

San Cisco photo by Ebony Talijancich

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus + Young Lions Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $45.40 Skydreams – feat: Setec + Imperial Broads + Okin Osan + Spirit Faces The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

30 :: BRAG :: 711 :: 03:05:17

Milky Chance + Amy Shark

The Wombats

DAPPLED CITIES City Recital Hall Sunday June 4

thebrag.com

Off The Grid is out now through Illusive/Flight Deck. Bliss N Eso play the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday June 28.

CAM KNIGHT +++++

CO HOST OF UNREAL ESTATE, CH 9. SEEN ON JUST FOR LAUGHS SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, ABC’S SOUL MATES, WHAM BAM THANKYOU MA’AM, HOW NOT TO BEHAVE AND BACKSEAT DRIVERS.

“WILL HAVE YOU IN STITCHES” - THE ADVERTISER

+++++

“KNIGHT STANDS ALONE AS THE MASTER OF ALL MASTERS” - LAST LAUGH

++++ / 1

“WILL LEAVE AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION” - HERALD SUN

17TH – 21ST MAY, 9.30PM (8.30PM SUNDAY) ENMORE THEATRE TIX: WWW.CAMKNIGHT.COM.AU

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@miss1emon