Brag#723 by The Brag Magazine

IT'S A TAKE-OVER!

BLEEDING KNEES CLUB

CAMP COPE WAA X JEFF OCK T S N E S RO

SKEGSS

+ MUCH MORE

.9 TO TURN TO P

5 PULL-OUT POSTERS

RUBY FIELDS

SITE MAP

BAR FIRST AID FOOD TOILETS

PRETTYY PRETYYYY PRETTYYYY PRETTY GOOD... STAGE 8PM

SKEGSS 7:15pm - 8pm

7PM 6PM 5PM

HARLEM 5:50pm - 6:30pm

2PM 1PM 12PM

FUNKHOUSER STAGE

GOONS OF DOOM 3:10pm - 3:50pm RUBY FIELDS 2:10pm - 2:40pm JESS LOCKE 1:10pm - 1:40pm

SPACE STAGE

8PM

CAMP COPE 6:30pm - 7:15pm

YETI CALZONE 6:55pm - 7:25 pm WHITE BLANKS 6:10pm - 6:40pm

BLEEDING KNEES CLUB 5:10pm - 5:50pm

BLISTER & WASH 5:25pm - 5:55pm

6PM

BODY TYPE 4:40pm - 5:10pm CROCODYLUS 3:55pm - 4:25pm ISRAELI CHICKS 3:10pm 3:40pm FRITZ 2:25pm - 2:55pm

5PM

WAAX 1:40pm - 2:10pm

FRIPPS & FRIPPS 1:40pm - 2:10pm

2PM

TOTTY 12:40pm - 1:10pm

LOST TROPICS 12:55pm - 1:25pm

1PM

PACIFIC AVENUE 12:10pm - 12:40pm

12PM

JACUZZI BOYS 4:30pm - 5:10pm

4PM 3PM

SET TIMES

JEFF ROSENSTOCK 3:50pm - 4:30pm COLLEEN GREEN 2:40pm - 3:10pm

HILL TOWN 11:40am - 12:10pm

11AM

7PM

4PM 3PM

11AM DOORS 11:30AM

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BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 3

C O N T E N T S 4 :: BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17

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in this issue what you’ll find inside…

“[Your] music can be skitz, but if you’re an arsehole it completely sours your sound.”(8-9)

Editor’s Foreword

6-7

Skegss reveal too much about South American sex shows

8-9

The rapid ascent of Ruby Fields, plus her take on the lineup

Camp Cope talk ending violence at gigs

Lost Tropics, Goons Of Doom

24-25 WAAX paint their way through Wild & Weak

Harlem do everything they can to dodge our questions

26-27 Shots Fired: SOTS Take On Yours & Owls

Jeff Rosenstock

Bleeding Knees Club interview The Pinheads

The 12 Types Of People You See At Almost Every Gig

Album reviews, Find The Gear!

15-22 Posters! SOTS + Skegss + Camp Cope pullouts

Your Choice: making shitheads accountable

30-31 Snaps (SOTS 2015)

“Really rich companies lazily pigeonholed us, but their big corporate budgets helped us buy more beer.” (12)

Live reviews from the archives

33-34 Gig Guide

editor’s foreword David Molloy weighs in on why the mag is looking… a little different this issue.

s you’ve surely guessed from the explosion of colour that is this week’s cover of The BRAG, we’ve been subject to a (only slightly hostile) takeover. Our will is no longer our own – we are now little more than slaves to the hivemind that governs Sutherland’s biggest little music festival, Sounds Of The Suburbs. And I, for one, welcome our new hectic overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted media personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to party in their carpark of curated chaos. We’re stoked to be supporting our mates in Sutherland as they notch up their momentous fifth festival with the biggest event they’ve staged yet, featuring a lineup of 25 amazing bands from Australia and abroad, plenty of art and artists besides, and enough food and drink to drift you into a cosy weekend coma. In celebration, we’ve given them run of the issue – this whole edition belongs to the artists of Sounds Of The Suburbs 2017! That means plenty of tasty content from Skegss, Camp Cope, Bleeding Knees Club, WAAX, Harlem and so many more. We dug into the archives and found these band’s best live moments (as seen by BRAG’s contributors); selected a few choice records from the festival headliners for review; lifted our snaps from SOTS of old; and curated the best interviews we’ve conducted with this year’s lineup. And for the time-pressed, we also asked Ruby Fields to give a one-word review of every damn artist here. Oh yeah, and there’s three incredible giveaways going; not the least of which is TWO TICKETS to head to Sounds Of The Suburbs – and you hold the key to winning them in your sweaty palms. (There’s more info about that on page 9.) Sounds Of The Suburbs 2015 photo by Ashley Mar

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For readers craving our traditional fortnightly content, thebrag.com is still the place to be – all of our regular columns (including Out & About, Off The Record and Game On) have gone up online as usual, along with fresh new artist interviews (Violent Soho!), reviews, news and video.

ISSUE 723: Wednesday August 23, 2017 PRINT & DIGITAL EDITOR: David Molloy david.molloy@seventhstreet.media NEWS DIRECTOR: Nathan Jolly STAFF WRITER: Joseph Earp NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Tyler Jenke, Brandon John ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant FRONT COVER ARTWORK: Jack Irvine PHOTOGRAPHER: Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Josh Burrows - 0411 025 674 josh.burrows@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 COORDINATOR: Anna Wilson gigguide@seventhstreet.media REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Arca Bayburt, Lars Brandle, Tanja Brinks Toubro, Alex Chetverikov, Max Jacobson, Emily Gibb, Emily Meller, Adam Norris, Holly Pereira, Daniel Prior, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Anna Rose, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Aaron Streatfeild, Augustus Welby, Zanda Wilson, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address Level 2, 9-13 Bibby St, Chiswick NSW 2046 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Carrie Huang - accounts@seventhstreet.vc (02) 9713 9269 Level 2, 9-13 Bibby St, Chiswick NSW 2046 DEADLINES: Editorial: Friday 12pm (no extensions) Ad bookings: Friday 5pm (no extensions) Finished 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

Back To Business readers can find all the latest industry news at theindustryobserver.com. And, of course, our Sydney gig guide is wholly intact, because there’s nights to fill between now and Sunday September 3. This city never sleeps, no matter what Berejiklian would have you believe.

DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email george@seventhstreet.vc

Shit’s about to get skitz, ay.

PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204

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BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 5

F E A T U R E

“Some dude just emailed us for the New Caledonia thing ... The whole time we were going, ‘When is this guy going to shank us in the neck?’” 6 :: BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17

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Skitz, Shanks And São Paulo Sex Shows Emily Gibb digs into the bizarre international experiences of Byron Bay’s loosest units.

en Ben Bograil, Toby Cregan and Jonny Layback of Skegss are sinking beers on a warm August afternoon at the Courthouse Hotel in Newtown, ahead of one of their few rehearsals for a national tour starting in Adelaide the next day.

The boys deserve a breather, following on from some hectic tours in locales as disparate as Brazil and New Caledonia. “The two most random places in the world!” agrees bassist Cregan. “That was bizarre. As random and weird as it sounds, some dude just emailed us for the New Caledonia thing. We went over there and he put us in this flashy hotel. We were just tripping out. The whole time we were going, ‘When is this guy going to shank us in the neck?’ “But we were playing these fucking random little gigs in restaurants,” he continues. “They’re hell dorky, so the music they like is too. They just didn’t get what we were doing and they wanted us to play for like three hours or something.” He cackles. “Yeah, full proper sets, like a jazz band or something.” “We can’t even play more than 40 minutes,” says drummer Layback bluntly. Their time in Brazil was equally odd. “Yeah, we played two parties and they were both skitz,” Cregan enthuses. “One was in a warehouse underground in São Paulo,” says guitarist and vocalist Bograil. “They do live sex shows there – but ones that are like performance art,” Cregan explains. “You go there and it’s in this like concrete room – it smelt gross when we went down there to check out the venue. The guy was saying, ‘Oh yes, they come down here and this is where they have sex!’ They put the stage where the people literally lay on the concrete and fuck in front of all these people.” Cregan still seems a little taken aback.

As for future overseas tours, Layback seamlessly suggests Fiji, although the reality is that less tropic and much more conventional European shows are on the cards for the next year. On the local front, the trio are now deep into their first national tour, one that will have the group wrapping up in their hometown of Byron in September. Wollongong’s Yours & Owls Festival follows in early October, with the band returning to the lineup after playing last year. Not much will be different this time in the ‘Gong, though they admit they have altered their opinions on what playing to a young audience entails. “Jimmy from the Dumb Punts actually filled in for me last year, because I couldn’t go,” says Cregan. “We’re fucking the same, except Jimmy’s not going to be there. I’ll be playing the bass not as good. “It’s so good playing to the kiddies,” he laughs. “I used to not want to play to the kiddies at all. Like the first time we were playing an all-ages show, I pictured all the kids this big.” He motions to about half a metre off the ground. “I just thought they were all little fucking idiots, and then I got there and the kids were so into it. Grown-ups suck compared to teenage people.” Cregan continues, on a roll now. “Heaps of kids from Sydney are asking us to play an all-ages, so I think we’re going to do one in summer. We would’ve done ’em in every state [this tour], except it’s hard to get all-ages venues and stuff. It’s unfair for the kiddies.” (They went ahead and did that earlier this year, running a bunch of “kiddies only” shows including the raucous Spaghetti Fest at Oxford Art Factory with fellow SOTS artist Ruby Fields – ed.) On the subject of their next Sydney gig, Layback is blunt when asked why revellers should get there early to catch Verge Collection and Dumb Punts. “’Cause they’re better than us.” There’s laughter all round.

“’Cause they’re better than us!” Cregan repeats with his infectious cackle. More serious, Bograil praises the pair of acts. “Vergies are such a tight band and their songs, even if you’ve never heard them before, they’re real easy to listen to. They’ve got heaps nice songs. Dumb Punts are all real close friends, but the coolest people you could ever be friends with, ’cause they’re just so stoked and just have funny banter between ’em. [They] bounce off each other the whole time.” As the boys’ schooners are emptied and taken away, we approach the subject of a typical gig and what to expect. “Um, like, you just start,” Bograil says free of irony. “Hopefully everything works … we sometimes have tuning problems.” “Technical difficulties,” Layback adds, before Cregan sums it up. “A typical Skegss gig is like: get too drunk beforehand to play, then play terribly; fucking me and Benny will go out of tune for a little bit, maybe have a fi ght, kick my pedal over, hit someone in the head with my guitar, tell everyone we have small dicks and then leave.” They all laugh. “We don’t have to be drunk to tell everyone we have little dicks,” Cregan continues. “But I think that’s like from my point of view. If you come to one of our shows, it could potentially be fun. Even though we’re not going to be the most technically sound band you’ve ever seen.” “We have the most hectic fi ghts,” Bograil fi nishes, smiling the smile of a proud man. This article was fi rst printed in The BRAG in August 2016.

Skegss photo by Francisco Tavoni

“A typical Skegss gig is like: get too drunk beforehand to play, then play terribly; fucking me and Benny will go out of tune for a little bit, maybe have a fight, kick my pedal over, hit someone in the head with my guitar, tell everyone we have small dicks and then leave.” thebrag.com

BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 7

F E A T U R E

Ruby Fields: Seeking A Real Job The self-described “average chick” goes back and forth on the big issues ahead of her career-boosting SOTS set. ou were busking at age 13. What propelled you to do this at such a young age – are your parents musical, or performers?

I loved Grease as a kid and my first attempt at singing was serenading a waiter with ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ when I was four. Maybe [it] would’ve worked if I wasn’t four? My parents were always into music but never played, so I started to pick up guitar when I was a grom and just taught myself, and then I started busking. Didn’t take long before I was playing in bars in Wollongong and then Sydney when I was about 14. I just fi gured it’s better to start straight away so that by the time I was 18, I could actually play good shows; I’d have a bit of experience under my belt. ‘I Want You’ blew up fairly immediately on Unearthed. Talk us through that day: how you reacted to it all, how people reacted to you, and how it changed things for you. It was sick! Just waking up from a sleep and having my notifi cations blowing up and realising there’d been a really awesome reaction to my song. I guess it was relieving that my old teachers and parents could relax a little, knowing I’d done something with myself that worked out. Excited as I was, I was immediately thinking about

following the song up, making sure I kept doing my best to keep people involved. It was hectic (and still is) getting messages from strangers about the song. Also couldn’t believe that all in the same day triple j played it, I sat in the car with some mates and it was a really cool moment. I remember thinking a few months earlier that it’d be crazy to ever be on the radio, and all of a sudden my song was getting played pretty frequently. Pretty huge. I did my best to take it in stride but be stoked on it all, so it hasn’t changed too much, except now I have insane opportunities that I didn’t before. What’s the rest of the year looking like for you – music-wise, life-wise, and TV-binge-wise? I’ve got some really sick festivals to play – obviously super keen for Sounds, I feel a real personal attachment to it. I used to have to sneak in; it’s on home grounds, my best mates organise and play it, and it’s always an incredible day full of beer and good times. Way too keen to be involved. Apart from the fezzies and visiting new places, we might have a tour up our sleeves. Besides that, I’m hanging to fi nally buy a Landy and drive to the NT for a while on my own (or potentially with a pooch). Good to have some time

to yourself doing new and challenging things. Might move out. Might buy a new dog. Might get an actual job. Lots of “mights”. TV-wise... currently watching Rick & Morty and Game of Thrones, hanging for True Detective Season 3, then binging Archer. Which musicians do you admire, or hope to model your career after? Which aspects of their careers do you most admire? Obviously I’m a huge fan of Courtney Barnett. Her vibe and her lyrics are just untouchable. She still plays to local bar crowds where she’s from and I’ve never heard a bad word from someone who’s met her (haven’t had the pleasure yet). I just think she’s super humble and inventive and I admire her a lot. Also really back Zac Carper from FIDLAR – he’s super personable and so fun to hang with, and really wants to get into your stuff when you show him. FIDLAR really inspired a lot of the songs I’m hoping to put on my EP. I think the most admirable part of someone’s career is their attitude. Yeah, their music can be skitz, but if you’re an arsehole it completely sours your sound and eventually no one will respect it. So it’s super important to keep your feet on the ground and have good morals.

8 :: BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? This is tricky because I surround myself with legends and hear good bits of advice every day, but a combination of advice from my bassist (Brad Heald) and another good mate is to just relax around new people, sit back and while being involved, just take in the details and observe. Basically, don’t act like a dickhead and be a good listener. Can’t speak for Ruby + eight beers but I usually try my best to abide by that and make good mates. That, and my manager told me to “find someone who treats you like a collab, not a feature”. I’m good for now, thanks anyway, Girg. If this whole music thing went away tomorrow, what would you want to do with your life, career-wise? I’m super into art, so I’d be pursuing the magazine industry as a graphic designer (which is what I’m already doing). I dabble in it with the legends at Surfing World and would love to either work there, or at Monster Children. Both sick, creative magazines I’ve read for a long time. Non-creatively though, I’d love to be an engineer. Every Christmas my old man and I build a model of something. Wiring, woodworking, building; I really dig all of it. I’m also obsessed with space, so if I went through years of study, maybe something to do with that? What: Prettyy Pretyyyy Prettyyyy Pretty Good… Stage When: 2:10pm – 2:40pm

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xxx photo by xxx

“[Your] music can be skitz, but if you’re an arsehole it completely sours your sound and eventually no one will respect it.”

“It was relieving that my old teachers and parents could relax a little, knowing I’d done something with myself that worked out.”

Got It In One Ruby Fields Describes Each Act On The SOTS Lineup In One Word

WIN SOUNDS OF THE SUBURBS TICKETS! Sutherland’s about to shake with the Sounds Of The Suburbs, now bigger than ever with a huge lineup of 25 bands plus art, drinks, food and more. But you know that already. Not only have they taken over Sutherland Carpark with their antics, they’ve also taken over this issue of The BRAG – which, of course, has its perks…

Body Type

“SICK”

ou’re a busy person, and your time is important. You don’t have time to be pissfarting about, Googling every damn act appearing on every stage while you’re trying to soak up the buzz of Sounds Of The Suburbs. And we get that.

Thanks to the festival, we have TWO SOTS TICKETS to give away, and you have everything you need to get ‘em right in your hands. To enter, take a snap of the mag’s cover and post it on Instagram with the hashtags #thebrag and #sots – we’ll find you and pick our winners!

F R E E S H I T

Fortunately for us, so does Ruby Fields, the 18-year-old singer/songwriter/ overachiever, and she’s been in the trenches with these folks before. Here’s her insider’s take on every muso at SOTS 2017. (NB: Fields was pretty humble in assigning herself a description, so given her streamlined linguistics here, we’re going to assign her “EFFICIENT”.)

Skegss: BEERS Camp Cope: DOPE Harlem: PIONEERS Jacuzzi Boys: STEAMY Bleeding Knees Club: BLOODY Jeff Rosenstock: GENIUS Colleen Green: DRIVE-Y Goons of Doom: MYTHICAL WAAX: ON Sloan Peterson: FLARES Jess Locke: SUNNY Body Type: SICK Sloan Peterson

Wash: HONEST Blister: OK Fritz: SKITZ Totty: WHOLESOME Crocodylus: STIMULATING Hot Local Israeli Chicks: HOT White Blanks: DECADENT Fripps & Fripps: NIPPLES Pacific Avenue: DENIM Hilltown: GROMS Lost Tropics: STICKY Yeti Calzone: HUGE Colleen Green

“FLARES”

“DRIVE-Y”

Fripps & Fripps

“NIPPLES”

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BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 9

F E A T U R E

“When I used to go hard in the pit my mind was always on protecting myself rather than just enjoying the music.”

Camp Cope: Boys Are Not More Entitled To Music Than You Are Holly Pereira and Camp Cope frontwoman Georgia Maq talk about the effort to end gendered violence at gigs. Trigger warning: this article contains discussion of physical and sexual assault.

years of my life. I’m grateful for that for the exposure, but once you see it for what it is you can’t ignore it.”

The fact of the matter is that women often fear for their safety in a crowd, spending more time ensuring they don’t get hurt or touched inappropriately and less time enjoying the show. “I’ve found when I used to go hard in the pit my mind was always on protecting myself rather than just enjoying the music,” says Maq.

n the eve of the annual Poison City Weekender, Camp Cope released a video titled It Takes One: a campaign aimed to address the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault at live shows. The message they want to convey is simple – it only takes one person to hinder another person’s safety, and one person to stand up and make a difference. Speaking to the band’s singer Georgia Maq, it becomes clear that they are approaching the issue from a number of different angles – as musicians, as gig goers, and (most importantly) as women who love music and want to see their safety prioritised. Maq admits that the extent of the issue wasn’t immediately apparent to her, but once she became aware of the culture, there was no looking away. “When I first started going to bigger punk shows I just kind of accepted that you’d come out of it with heaps of bruises, surrounded by men,” she says.

10 :: BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17

Maq recalls a moment with bandmate Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich that made the issue clear to her. “We were up the front getting knocked about during The Hard Aches and Kelly said to me, ‘Boys are not more entitled to music than you are,’ and that always stuck with me. I should be able to go up the front and enjoy myself and not get hurt or groped. People who are saying that this doesn’t exist or that the issue isn’t that bad clearly haven’t had to experience it for themselves.” The issue once again hit close to home for the band when a group of men obstructed people from getting to the front of the crowd. “It was during our show at Crowbar in Brisbane.

It was this moment that made Camp Cope decide to use their platform to start conversations around safety at shows – and through this, It Takes One was born. Maq emphasises the importance of involving men in these discussions, with the likes of triple j’s Dom Alessio, Jules Rozenbergs from The Bennies, and Tyler Richardson from Luca Brasi featured in the It Takes One video. “This is an issue that strongly effects women but women shouldn’t be the ones to fix it,” she says. “We can’t do it alone. Hopefully this starts a conversation and gets people to come out and say, ‘This happened to me at a show and I’d like the issue addressed so it doesn’t have to happen to anyone else.’ “Men need to realise, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t jump around and rub myself on girls. Maybe I should be that one who does something to stop it.’ For bands it’s important that if they see it, they call it out and be like, ‘If you can’t act respectfully, you go home.’ People need to be taught to not doubt women; to

While the initiative specifically encourages people to call out harassment and assault at gigs, what Camp Cope are highlighting is an issue that effects the music industry as a whole. “I think the punk community has a lot of problems but we’re slowly working them out,” says Maq. “The conversation’s starting and people are listening. We’re always striving for change and striving to be more progressive and more inclusive. Those who are listening are doing a fucking great job.” Maq sums up the ultimate purpose of the campaign perfectly, stressing the importance of changing the perception of what’s considered acceptable at a show. “We’re not taking this anymore: this is not going to be the norm. The norm is going to be that people are equal and people get treated with respect. It takes one – be that one! If everyone does it, then we’ve got positive change. Be the change you want to see in the world.” Be good to each other at Sounds Of The Suburbs 2017 – if you see something, say something. And if you have experienced sexual assault or abuse and would like to speak to a professional, please contact 1800respect.org.au. Where: Funkhouser Stage When: 6:30pm – 7:15pm

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Camp Cope photo by Ian Laidlaw xxx photo by xxx

“But then I realised, ‘Wait, I keep getting beaten up every time I want to be up the front and see my favourite band. I shouldn’t have to get hurt.’ Once you realise that, moshpits become a really political thing. I’d go to shows that’d be all men and I wouldn’t blink an eye. When I started thinking about it, I realised how exclusive it was and how this boys’ club does exist. I played shows as a female support to an all-male lineup for two

“I love music. I just want to enjoy it and people who prevent other people from enjoying it are fucked! It should be about the music: it’s about supporting bands and supporting the community. I want to leave a show going, ‘Fuck, that band was awesome,’ rather than being like, ‘Someone touched me inappropriately, I’m questioning my self worth and whether I should have dressed differently’.”

“I said to the crowd, ‘OK, all the girls and non-binary people to the front,’ and there was a group of boys who wouldn’t move. They took what I said as, ‘Oh, I’m being oppressed,’ because when you’ve been on top for so long, equality feels like oppression. These girls in the crowd were yelling to me saying, ‘There’s these people who don’t want to be here,’ so I was like, ‘Right, you move back, or I come in there and I move you back,’ and they got kicked out.”

listen to women. If someone says ‘that guy groped me’, instead of being like ‘where’s the proof?’, automatically be like ‘this patron is feeling unsafe because there’s a person that groped them’ and remove the offending person.”

he said she said WITH ALEX

BLACK FROM LOST TROPICS

ou’re one of the first acts to play the festival on the day – why should punters check out your set? Our live sound is completely different to our studio recordings. Our sound has evolved lately into something you can’t just box into one category. One minute we’ll be playing a rock’n’roll track you can mosh with your mates to; next minute we’ll get a little psychedelic on you and bring up the dance vibes. Sounds is a big festival in our local scene so we’ve got a real special set ready [that] we’re excited to share. You’ve been selling out shows in Cronulla recently, have you changed your live set much in preparation for the festival? We’re changing our live set up big time. Our keyboard player Riley has really stepped up for this one – he’s starting to turn into our own little Freddy Crabs! I don’t want to give too much away, but we’re incorporating some sexy new synth, which allows us to make our set a bit more atmospheric. We’ve been planning a big step up in our live show for Sounds, and all the pieces are coming together smoothly. Looking back on your past year, what’s something you never saw yourself doing that you did?

Woah, there’s a lot of things! I think the biggest in my eyes would be when we sold out our first Inner West headliner in less than a day. If you had’ve told me that the boys and I would do that a year ago, I would’ve laughed and called you crazy. A bit of conversation has revolved around the way you

blend pop with groove and psychedelia. What’s your secret? The idea of blending psychedelica and pop comes from my undying love for Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala) and strong influence from the Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band record. I know they primarily worked almost half a century apart, but they’re two acts that showed me that

psychedelic music and pop are genres that meld together ever so well. If you could give first-time punters one piece of advice for Sounds of the Suburbs, what would you say? Go on a bit of an adventure, discover some new music you might not have heard before.

five things WITH VAUGHAN

DEAD FROM GOONS OF DOOM

Growing Up Parents of the Goons Of Doom forced upon the band a wide array of musical influences. Everything from Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens, Slayer, Sex Pistols, Sade, Easybeats, Madonna and Boston Blackie’s Bonzer Boys. You can hear them all in every song we write.

Q + A

My main piece of advice to any punter would be to keep an open mind, and try to see as many bands as you can. You never know, you might find your new favourite band at the fez! Where: Space Stage When: 12:55pm – 1:25pm

Q + A

Inspirations The bands that inspired us to start our band were Ween, The Mouldy Peaches, Jonathan Richman, Mammal, TDAATEC, The Hellmen and The Val Dusty Experiment. The first time we heard The Pod by Ween, everyone pretty much lost their shit. 3. Your Band We met on the first day of school and have been best friends ever since. So we grew up with a lot of the same musical tastes. We made a surf film called Doped Youth and bought a bunch of instruments from Cash Converters to use as props. After we finished filming we plugged ’em in, thrashed around for three hours and told everyone after that we were the best band in the entire world. None of us could actually play but that didn’t stop us from taking it all over the world for the next ten years.

The Music You Make We’ve made four albums, with the latest being Kill The Band. Our first album, The Story Of Dead Barbie & Ghost, was produced by Matt Strong from

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Custard, which was rad, and our second album I Hate My Hair And I Wanna Die was produced by Indra and Dallas from the Ground Components. Revenge Of The Goons was produced by Ray of Sunshine [Raymond] Lalatoa from Fait Accompli and he ended up joining the band. The latest one, Kill The Band, was all Pauly Bianco (formerly of Dogbuoy) and it’s a full-on party album recorded with guys from about

eight sick Aussie bands including Wolfmother, The Vines, Sherlock’s Daughter, Red Riders, Resin Dogs, Mylee And The Milkshakes and more. It’s been our favourite to record, for sure.

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene in Sydney is super strong, and maybe sometimes it doesn’t get the love it deserves. Between FBi and all

the city venues there is always an option to see someone new who’s totally ripping. In saying that, though, the Northern Beaches scene is at an all-time low. There are limited venues and the kids have nowhere to cut loose to live music. At our last local show the bouncers kicked out half the crowd before we were three songs in, and then ripped the power out of the wall and banned us for life. It’s the fifth time it’s happened and

all ’cause a few kids jumped on stage. Nobody was being violent or causing any shit. The Northern Beaches need to have more faith in the youth, man, because shit is fucked right now.

Where: Prettyy Pretyyyy Prettyyyy Pretty Good... Stage When: 3:10pm – 3:50pm

BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 11

F E A T U R E

Harlem: Hostages In A Fortified Pigeon Hole The three-piece seemed determined to remain shrouded in mystery, with frontman Michael Coomers sticking to the shadows – until we got to bassist Jose Boyer.

hat happened to you guys between ‘Hippies’ and now? Many assumed you had split up, was this the case? Coomers: As with most philosopher poets, there comes a time where you reject family and comfort to unearth personal enlightenment. Alone in our respective forests, each of us published into the ether of Spotify and YouTube, songs of ourselves. Curtis released work for his group Grape St, Coomers for Lace Curtains, and Jose for Las Rosas. Boyer: You know in movies when a mass kidnapper is caught? And all the hostages are released and they know they’re fi nally safe but they still come sprinting as fast as they can out of the dungeon in their tattered clothing? When we came home from our last tour it was like that – we all just ran from the van screaming and crying, and then years later our kidnapper called and said, “Do you want to go to Australia?” and we were like, “Yeah sounds great,” so looks like everything’s cool now.

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You guys came up at a time where there were a lot of acts doing a similar lo-fi garage thing. Was this to your benefi t, or do you think it meant you were lazily pigeonholed? Coomers: Pigeons are extremely successful birds; if we benefi ted from being in one of their fortifi ed nests (however lo-fi), it would be ungrateful to complain about it. Boyer: We came up at a time where there was so much lo-fi garage happening that a very hi-fi car company decided to sponsor every garage band that existed. They gave a ton of money to a bunch of broke 25-year-olds with guitars in hopes that they would help them sell cars. They

fl ew everyone out to a big festival they did in Portland, Oregon, and gave us these ridiculous t-shirts to give out for free on tour, which we actually just tossed in the dumpster of each venue at the end of the night. Most of the people that came to our show got picked up by their mom or older sister or everyone piled into some ancient Honda, so with all our garage rock might, we probably helped sell about 1.5 cars. What I mean is, really rich companies lazily pigeonholed us, but their big corporate budgets helped us buy more beer and stay in hotels with pools in them. Not exactly a win-win, but not exactly a lose-lose. Oh, the company was Scion. Are there plans for a new album at all? If so, please spill. Coomers: We have been working on songs but no imminent plans for a release. Can you spill desire? Boyer: Maybe we’ll talk about it while we’re cruising around Australia stroking every marsupial we can get our hands on. Curtis and Coomers have been working on some stuff, and I bet it’s really good, and I have started playing the bass again, which I don’t do anymore! But I don’t think that constitutes a plan. We all live really far from one another and Coomers is in school. I am about to go on tour with Las Rosas for the next long while and Curtis has been getting lots of tattoos. And maybe one of them says something like “Jose Go To Hell” with a shamrock next to it, so when I see it I will be kind of annoyed probably, and decide I don’t want to go to the trouble of writing bass

lines for a guy who wants me in Irish hell. Seemed at first like it was going to be a big YES right? But then my answer went real negative so then it seemed like more of a NO. So there you go. I have spilled the boring beans. Speaking of beans, Coomers and I were just texting back and forth about soups. Turns out we share the historical viewpoint that soup, coffee and tea, while all individually huge contributors to culture throughout civilization, have also had an added benefi t of providing clean boiled water for people to drink. Some people believe that when boiled beverages began to replace alcoholic ones as the main clean water source, people began to benefi t from not being constantly hammered, and the spread of ideas became much easier (caffeine all in there) and led to the fl ourishing of certain ideas such as democracy (going really well these days) and may have even ignited the French revolution(s). One really big tea freak was the Buddha himself, who was so into meditation that he didn’t want to bother sleeping between meditation seshs, so he literally cut off his own eyelids. Coomers told me. Super crazy though because as the severed lids fell to the ground they (magically maybe) became tea leaves. Not sure if he drank his own eyelid tea or this was for his disciples to drink, or maybe it was more of an allegorical thing he had going. Anyway. This is where we’re at now. Thank you for asking. What: Prettyy Pretyyyy Prettyyyy Pretty Good… Stage When: 5:50pm – 6:30pm

thebrag.com

xxx photo by xxx

“Pigeons are extremely successful birds; if we benefited from being in one of their fortified nests (however lo-fi), it would be ungrateful to complain about it.”

Between now and Hippies, I did lots of things. As Coomers said, I have a new band. But also, I moved to New York City, started going to lots of museums, had an entire long term relationship from start to fi nish, did some touring as a drummer, learned to surf, forgot how to surf, learned a bit of yoga, forgot most of the yoga, learned to cook really well, got too busy to use all my expensive cooking tools, became a bartender, stopped drinking, started running, started drinking again, quit running, started smoking weed again, started my own skincare company, began talking to my sister on the phone all the time, quit washing my hair (it’s much better for you), and became obsessed with miniature objects such as dollhouse accessories. Also my sense of smell has become crazy good. I can smell a banana right now. There are no bananas in the room.

Jeff Rosenstock: Yeah, We Cool David James Young chats with the lone punk about going solo, Bomb[ing] The Music Industry, Smith Street Band and Forrest, Victoria.

or the better part of his adult life, Jeff Rosenstock raged against the machine as part of the biggest little DIY punk band on the planet, Bomb The Music Industry! The collective was not so much famous, but certainly well known for things like releasing all of its music for free, touring relentlessly and featuring a constant rotation of members – it was, after all, conceived as ‘the band anyone could be in’. After the group’s split in 2012, however, Rosenstock found himself at a loose end. It was from here that he took the initiative to start going solo – well, sort of, anyway. “Like most things that I end up doing, it ended up being completely accidental,” says Rosenstock, in between takes of recording at his home studio. “Right after Bomb broke up, I was talking to Sean [Bonnette] from Andrew Jackson Jihad. He had this tour planned, and he was going to ask Bomb – but, obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. I suggested going out on my own with them – just as Jeff Rosenstock, just playing songs, nothing to do with Bomb. He agreed to it, and it lit a fire under my ass. I had all these half-formed songs that I’d been working on, and that inspired me to finish them and get them ready.” In March 2015, Rosenstock released We Cool? – the second album to

solely bear Rosenstock’s name, and a follow-up to the tastefully titled I Look Like Shit from 2012. The record features full-band arrangements as performed by a group of friends who also join Rosenstock on tour to perform We Cool? live. This, he points out, is one of the new freedoms he has discovered and subsequently embraced as a ‘solo’ act. “I think the liberty of putting out music under your own name is that you can make any kind of record you want. I made this full-band album, but I can go out to the woods and make an acoustic album. I can do some weird, experimental shit. It’s just my name – I don’t have to put it out under any other pseudonym or anything like that.” Months after the release of We Cool?, the first screenings began for Never Get Tired: a documentary about Rosenstock himself, and by extension, the life, times and death of Bomb The Music Industry! Created and directed by independent filmmaker Sara Crow, the project was crowdfunded, raising over US$30,000 and premiering in Rosenstock’s native New York City in July 2015. It’s since been shown in theatres and DIY movie nights across the world – including a screening in Melbourne – and the subject himself is blown away by the fact that something like that could even exist in the first place.

“When we were first approached about doing it, I just couldn’t believe that anyone would care about my band enough to want to make a documentary about it. You don’t think that anyone cares about what you’re doing when you’re still holding down a job while trying to tour, trying to make rent for the month, trying to get the booking agents to call you back about the next tour … When a stranger just comes into your life and says they want to make a movie, you’re just like, ‘What the fuck?’ “There are parts of it I get mortified watching – especially with other people around when I’ve attended some of the screenings. The parts where they get the really surly, angry side of me on tour – I don’t like anyone seeing that side of me. I will say that I do love watching that first part, from when we were kids and we were first starting out. I know it’s a dumb thing to say, but I really can’t believe how young we all look.” Rosenstock has toured Australia a number of times over the years, making his two-year absence after the final Bomb The Music Industry! tour in 2012 all the more noticeable. Last year, he undertook a whirlwind tour of the east coast in just 14 days, taking with him long-time friend Chris Farren (disguised as Antarctigo Vespucci) and none other than Melbourne upstarts Camp Cope.

But Rosenstock spent a more prolonged period in the country back in 2014, when he worked as producer on The Smith Street Band’s acclaimed third album, Throw Me In The River. Recording took place in Forrest, a small town in regional Victoria where both he and The Smith Street Band will return for a huge show at the local pub, The Wonky Donkey, called A Weekend At The Wonk.

F E A T U R E

“Of all the places in Australia, Forrest is the hardest one to explain to my friends back home,” laughs Rosenstock. “I’m going to show my bandmates this weird little town out in the woods where I spent a month making an album. Where I’m from, doing anything away from New York is weird. Even going to make a record a couple of hours out of town is seen as weird. The other side of the fucking planet, though? They’re like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I’m going to miss Smith Street a lot on this tour, but I’m so glad it’s happening – and that Weekend At The Wonk is happening, too. We’re so stoked to see everyone, man.” This interview was first published in The BRAG in March 2016.

Where: Funkhouser Stage When: 3:50pm – 4:30pm

“Like most things that I end up doing, [my solo career] ended up being completely accidental.”

“When a stranger just comes into your life and says they want to make a movie, you’re just like, ‘What the fuck?’” thebrag.com

BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 13

Brandon John sits back and acts as scribe while two punk bands test their journalism skills

BRAG’s Day Off: Bleeding Knees Club and The Pinheads interview each other

that’s happened in the van? There’s a coupla things – once we had to push a car out of a ditch that a lady had crashed in the middle of nowhere, and she was pretty unresponsive. Like, she wasn’t hurt or anything, but kind of spoke as if she was an alien still learning how to be a human. We’ve had a couple microsleep scares, a lot of wee wees in different vessels and some vomits. Honestly, we mostly just listen to alien/UFO/mystery/folklore podcasts and drink service station coffees. Have you ever seen this guy who was nicknamed ‘Pinhead’? Whatcha think about him? Yeah, Schlitzie, the famous sideshow performer and actor in ‘Freaks’. Apparently he loved dancing, singing and performing for people, and he sounds like he was a real cool guy.

F E A T U R E

ho invented the pineapple pizza? Which Aussie venue is a “bogan den”? And what’s the scariest thing that’s happened in the tour van? All fine questions, asked and answered by two of our fave Aussie fans as Bleeding Knees Club prepare to grace the stage at Sounds Of The Suburbs 2017.

Earlier this year, with BKC back on the road for their first tour in quite a while, we thought we’d check in with the lads and see how things had been tracking since the release of their latest EP, Chew The Gum. When we realised they were taking Wollongong upstarts The Pinheads on the road with them,

The Pinheads interview Bleeding Knees Club

Who made your Facebook tour promo vid? It’s skitz, so tell me more please? Adam Sandler directed it. It’s probably his best movie since Happy Gilmore. Also, I met the singer from Nickelback, and he appeared in it for $100 and a pair of cowboy boots. I heard Chew The Gum on the radio. Is there another EP or album on the way? When’s that comin’ out? Yeah we just did an EP… it’s out now on the internet. And currently working on our next album. Who’s your favorite Pinhead? And why? I reckon Patrick from Spongebob is my favourite Pinhead. He has a pretty pin-shaped head. Lives under a rock too, which is pretty mad. I wish I had a friend like Patrick.

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we thought hey – let’s kill two birds with one stone and see how they’re going with the release of their own debut album, Second Coming. In the end we just left them to their own devices, and next thing you know they’ve interviewed each other. With most of the questions dealing more with thoughts on Spongebob and pizza rather than music, we’re already taking notes on our interview technique – including a nice twist on the old ‘where did you get your name from?’ fallback. (Oh, and while The Pinheads aren’t joining us with their presence at SOTS 2017, you should give Second Coming a spin, out now through Farmer & The Owl.)

Do you guys eat pizza? Is pineapple acceptable on pizza where you’re from? I think most of the other Pinnies like it on their cheese disc, but apparently a lot of people don’t… I’ve eaten a pizza once. I’m not really into mixing fruit with my savoury meals; like, mango on chicken is fucked. But I’m not against the pineapple pizza. It’s weird that you all like it. I want to meet the first guy who put pineapple on a pizza. I bet he was a nutcase. Last time I think I saw you, Alex, was when we played at Miami Shark Bar (which we are playing on this tour) with Skegss and Wash. That was a pretty sinful night. Do you think this will be repeated? Yeah that was a real good night. I reckon it’s impossible to not repeat it. The Shark Bar is a trap. You lose your mind in that bogan den.

Bleeding Knees Club interview The Pinheads

Did you get your band name from The Pinheads band in Back To The Future? If not, or if so… where would you go back in time to, and what would you do? I think we mainly thought the name suited us pretty well, all having very small heads, and the fact it was from BTTF was a plus because the trilogy is amazing. The name mainly came because every time someone lost a game of bowling every week they had to have the name ‘pini’ the next week – everyone was ‘pini’ at some point, but we can all become peaky. It would be cool to go back in time to see dinosaurs roaming; also, if you could transport to an actual PLACE and time to go to famous UFO encounter sites and see what really happened. I’m guessing you dudes tour in a van ’cause you have 1000 members. What’s the weirdest thing

I’ve seen Jezz play with his shirt off a bit. Sometimes naked. He’s pretty ripped. What’s your diet like? How do you stay in shape? Are you vegan? On tour we live off the yellow diet, it’s the only way. Any food that’s yellowish in colour is part of the diet – Jez mostly eats KFC doubles when they’re around, and if they aren’t in season he orders the deconstructed double – really need the power food to put on a good show. And yeah, some members are vego but that doesn’t really matter because a lot of non-meat products are also yellow in colour once deep-fried. Have you seen that video of the Butthole Surfers at Lollapalooza, firing a shotgun at the crowd? If not, you should… it kinda reminds me of your live show. What are some of the weirdest/best things you’ve done at a show? Just watched it, pretty skitz. I hope no one ever brings a gun to a Pinis show – or any show really. Jez bit someone once who was being annoying, so we got banned from that venue. Jimbo’s put his head through his snare a couple times. Jez accidentally jumped off stage at Yours and Owls festival and landed on a photographer’s head/camera, which knocked him (the photographer) out. Crowds at our shows usually go more primal squeal than us and stuff usually gets broken, but it’s almost always by accident and it kinda sucks, ‘cause we always have to buy new gear – but you can’t stop people from expressing themselves, and we love the people that love our music and shows.

What: Chew The Gum out now through Inertia Music Where: Funkhouser Stage When: 5:10pm – 5:50pm

thebrag.com

PHOTO - CARLES MEDINA

PHOTO: Ian Laidlaw

SPACE 44, CODE ONE, BRASS MONKEY & TONE DEAF PRESENT SPACE 44, CODE ONE, BRASS MONKEY & TONE DEAF PRESENT

Your Choice photo by Ian Laidlaw / Sounds Of The Suburbs artwork by Jack Irvine

“Ultimate responsibility falls on those who commit these [violent] acts to begin with – it’s your choice, and no-one else’s.”

F E A T U R E

Your Choice panel, from left: Jessica Ducrou, Jadden Comerford, Helen Marcou, Paul Piticco, Rhett McLaren and Sally Mather

Your Choice: Bringing accountability to the mosh pit Brandon John reports on the new initiative to stamp out assault and abuse at Aussie gigs

ecently, a panel of music industry heavyweights banded together to announce the launch of Your Choice, a music industryfocused campaign to stamp out assault and abuse in Victoria’s music scene by raising awareness of the ingrained cultural issues and lack of personal accountability that are the root of the problem.

Helmed by SLAM co-founder and Vic Sexual Assault Task Force member Helen Marcou, the group included Corner Hotel/Northcote Social Club Music & Marketing Co-ordinator Sally Mather; Secret Sounds/Splendour/ Falls CEOs Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco; UNIFIED CEO/ founder Jaddan Comerford; and The Hills Are Alive co-owner and artist manager Rhett McLaren, all of whom will be lending their voices and expertise to the campaign going forward. (While the initiative was devised and led by Victorian industry fi gures, there are both plans and hopes to see the program adopted nationally, and its core tenets can be immediately adopted on a personal level – ed.) The message behind Your Choice is that while artists, venues, staff and music events all have a role to play in stamping out assaults at music events, the ultimate responsibility falls on those who commit these acts to begin with – it’s your choice, and no-one else’s. The main purpose isn’t to simply push for stronger regulations for music events or more severe punishments for offenders – it’s to steadily encourage a genuine cultural change in the music scene and the wider community, rather than force one through outside intervention.

As Pittico pointed out, there’s ultimately no way to regulate people’s behaviour at every turn, and the most effective approach will be to make it clear to everyone the personal responsibility that rests on them for their own behaviour. McLaren praised campaigns such as Camp Cope’s It Takes One and its work with Laneway Festival as having moved the needle significantly, as far as awareness of the issue is concerned. He pointed out that, in addition to its own initiatives, Your Choice hopes to draw attention to and amplify various grassroots efforts being made at this very moment by venues, artists and events all across the state. While awareness and self-policing is the first goal, the team is also in talks with local government on other ways to drive change. The initiative has already launched an eight-venue pilot program to help provide security staff with the training they need to more effectively handle assaults, and particularly cases of sexual abuse. With around 75,000 security staff employed across the state, it’s a small but important step, and it’s hoped that the results of the program will drive more widespread adoption. Another point was made regarding workplace protection for artists who, like gig-goers or venue staff, are often subject to verbal or physical abuse.

“Don’t hide the ugly – bring the ugly out, and we can deal with it.” thebrag.com

Workers in most other industries have these protections in place, but performing artists often aren’t so fortunate, and the goal is to improve life across the board for everyone involved in the industry, at every level. As Comerford noted, this is one of the most serious issues facing Australian music; one that the entire music community is unanimous about, and is prepared to work together on, with all notions of competition left at the door. For now, Your Choice is still in its early stages, but with an impressive array of names and organisations driving it, and a supportive music community in the wings, it seems poised to give the awareness and accountability surrounding the problem a serious shot in the arm. And, if the campaign proves as effective as we all hope it will, Your Choice may even be able to expand to work in other areas like sport, which are also plagued with violence and assault. So far, hundreds of industry names, from artists and labels to venues and festivals, have signed on in support of Your Choice, and the hope is that this will be a long-standing organisation. To help fly this flag, you can find out more and lend your voice at the Your Choice website, or show your support on their Facebook page. “Don’t hide the ugly,” Rhett said, neatly summing up the approach driving Your Choice. “Bring the ugly out, and we can deal with it.” Read more about the Your Choice initiative at your-choice.net.au – and show your support by not being an asshole at Sounds Of The Suburbs. BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 23

FEATURE

WAAX: Wild & Weak At The Movies Marie De Vita responds track-by-track to the post-punk groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest EP

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thebrag.com

“For this visual track-by-track, I’ve taken inspiration from movies and TV shows to represent each song. I’ve used a really strict colour scheme with POSCA pens.”

risbane post-punk band WAAX have just released their new EP, and rather than deliver a simple track-bytrack, vocalist Marie De Vita has instead given us handdrawn artwork to represent each song. ‘Wild & Weak’

This song is about reckless pursuits – so the first thing that came to my head was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. That movie totally encapsulates wildness and weakness. I drew Raoul Duke as a lady because I thought it would be interesting to imagine the story through a woman’s perspective.

2. ‘This Everything’

I picked Sideshow Bob from the episode ‘Cape Feare’ of The Simpsons. ‘This Everything’ is about feeling surrounded, overwhelmed and backed into a corner. You feel like you’re unable to move forward and you continuously step into toxic situations – hence the rakes. I don’t know – it just metaphorically describes how I felt.

3. ‘Same Same’

I thought Girl, Interrupted was a revelation. The character Lisa Rowe was in a cycle of being detained, repeating the same behaviour and then escaping, only to then repeat the same thing again. This character represents being stuck in a behavioural pattern which she was unconsciously addicted to, which is essentially what ‘Same Same’ is about.

4. ‘Nothing is Always’

This song is about making peace with your inner Yoda or having a conversation with someone wise. It’s about learning to have faith in that you can turn things around. So I drew Yoda from Star Wars.

Wouldn’t 5. ‘You Believe’ This song is about reflection on what you’ve been through. I thought that Forrest Gump was a great representation of what the song is – I guess looking back and accepting what you’ve been through kind of forms who you are. The Wild & Weak EP is available now through iTunes, SoundCloud and Spotify. thebrag.com

BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 25

Shots Fired

SOTS go toe-to-toe with Yours & Owls online

yoursandowls: A couple of posters to a couple of events that are both way better than @soundsofthesuburbs

Tyler Jenke reports direct from the war zone as two music festivals cross Instagram accounts.

ounds Of The Suburbs and Yours & Owls are two Aussie music festivals that have managed to procure some pretty awesome bands between them. However, it looks as though there might be a war emerging between the two festivals, with the both of them taking to social media to fan the flames of discontent. With Sounds Of The Suburbs set to hit up Sydney’s Sutherland Shire on Sunday September 3, and

Yours & Owls set to take place in Wollongong on Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1, it might not seem like the festivals are in direct competition with each other – but a closer look at the festivals’ social media pages seems to indicate that there’s some bad blood between the two. The first indication of trouble seemed to come to light on Wednesday June 14, when Aaron Girgis, founder of Sounds Of The Suburbs, posted an Instagram video which featured issue #717 of The BRAG with its Yours & Owls cover story being burned. (We never forget – ed.) “Sounds Of The Suburbs news coming soon,” the post read. “Yours & Owls keep ya mags out of Cronulla.” From there, it all seemed nice and quiet until Thursday July 6, when Sounds Of The Suburbs took to Facebook to ask a question of Yours & Owls. “Hey whats the address of your office,” the post began. “So we can sort a SOUNDS OF THE SUBURBS billboard out the front of it.” Ouch. Only a few days later, Yours & Owls responded with an Instagram post aimed at Sounds Of The Suburbs. Featuring a picture of a post with both a ripped Yours & Owls poster, and a poster for another of their events, Last Frost, their post read: “A couple of posters to a couple of events that are both way better than Sounds Of The Suburbs.” Not long after, Sounds Of The Suburbs responded. “We might donate a small % of our sales to help you guys get glasses,” they said. “You

soundsofthesuburbs: We might donate a small % of our sales to help you guys get glasses. You realises your posters are ripped don’t you?

yoursandowls: Yeh that top ones about as ripped as the people who buy @soundsofthesuburbs tickets will be 26 :: BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17

thebrag.com

soundsofthesuburbs: Can not wait for @yoursandowls festival this weekend yoursandowls: Love ya !!!

yoursandowls: This couldn’t be more real @thebragmag @soundsofthesuburbs - H♥TE you guys realises your posters are ripped don’t you?” Not ones to hold back, Yours & Owls hit back with a classic, “Yeh that top ones about as ripped as the people who buy Sounds Of The Suburbs tickets will be.” The same day, another Facebook post was made which featured someone from the Yours & Owls team taking another shot at Sounds Of The Suburbs. “They might be the younger adopted step-cousin of Yours & Owls we try not associate with at Christmas,” the post began. “But they got Camp Cope & Jess Locke playing in sutho and that’s pretty cool wit me. Grab a tikko if you can, they’ve asked us for all the help they can get.” Soon enough, Sounds Of The Suburbs responded with “We love how hard you work. If you ever want a job paying more then minimum wage hit us up always a place for you here!” This of course resulted in another response from Yours & Owls in which they simply said “Paying your bands in beer & sausage sizzle doesn’t count as ‘above minimum wage’.”

yoursandowls: Still don’t know how they call SOUNDS OF THE SUBURBS a festival, but I guess they gotta think positive...#fakeittillyoumakeit soundsofthesuburbs: @soundsofthesuburbs news coming soon. @ yoursandowls keep ya mags out of Cronulla.

Days passed between exchanges, but another incident finally arose when Sounds Of The Suburbs shared an image of a defaced Yours & Owls sign, saying, “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer festival,” before tagging Yours & Owls’ Facebook page. At the end of the day though, there’s a solid chance that this whole back and forth is just in good fun. After all, Sounds Of The Suburbs’ founder, Aaron Girgis, also manages Skegss (who played at Yours & Owls last year) and Ruby Fields (who is set to play Yours & Owls this year). So it looks like this could just be a friendly rivalry between the two. We reached out to Sounds Of The Suburbs, though they refused to comment. Upon reaching out to Yours & Owls, they simply asked, “What’s Sounds of the Suburbs?” At this time, it appears the dust has settled somewhat, with no clear victor emerging. ■ thebrag.com

soundsofthesuburbs: Couldn’t have happened to a nicer festival... Yours & Owls Festival BRAG :: 723 :: 23:08:17 :: 27

Types Of People You See At Almost Every Gig

F E A T U R E

We run through a list of the familiar faces we’ve been seeing in the mosh.

10.

THE HECKLER Talking at concerts is bad enough, but disrupting the performance and disturbing the band or artist is like taking that level of discourtesy and turning it up to 11. If you think you may be a heckler yourself, we have only this to say to you: believe it or not, but the musicians are at work up there, even if they’re not getting paid for the gig. Don’t heckle. And if you do, do it from home.

show any sign that they’re having a good time. It’s likely they got dragged to the gig by their partner or best friend – or, if you’re at a One Direction show, their daughter. They perch themselves in one spot like a gargoyle crafted to make everyone around them feel real awkward. 12.

THE WHITE DUDE WITH DREADS

aving attended more than our fair share of concerts, we recently began feeling a tremendous sense of déjà vu whenever we headed out to catch a show. It was almost as if we were seeing the exact same people at every single gig.

Just think back to any show you’ve ever been to, then think back to the show before that: notice any patterns among the crowd? We thought so. Naturally, the faces in the crowd will differ from genre to genre, scene to scene, but a few tropes persist. To that end, here’s our list of the 12 types of people you will see at almost every concert. 1.

THE SCALPER

THE #1 SUPER-FAN

THE COP

They were the first to show up, they’ll be the last to leave. They’ve donned their well-worn band T-shirt and have the one they purchased at that particular gig hanging out of their back pocket.

This is the person that, for whatever reason, feels the need to police everybody’s good time. They’ll reprimand anyone they feel is being a little too boisterous and cordon off certain areas of the mosh as their own special safe zones.

Pictured: the worst person alive. You’ll usually see this particular specimen before you even enter the venue. He’s always lingering just outside, trying really hard to not look like a scalper, but somehow you can just tell. You hope that some good samaritan will notify the proper authorities about this criminal and dole out the proper justice, but you never do – and that’s why he’s always there. 2.

THE UNOFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER While media outlets like yours truly send professional snappers down to shows to photograph them for you, this guy or gal has taken it upon themselves to ensure not a single bead of sweat on the singer’s face goes undocumented.

They’ve staked out some prime real estate right at the front of the stage, they know every single word to every single song, and they can mime the drums to each track better than the actual drummer can.

You only think this is how you look. Not even close. Just no. BONUS! 13. Or in the theatre. Actually, no, don’t do that. 11.

THE STATUE

Though we have security guards for that and people for the most part look out for one another, The Cop is ever-present at gigs. Oh well, their heart is in the right place. Godspeed!

THE TOO OLD FOR THIS CRAP GUY/GIRL

THE OUTPOST

You’ve seen this person at every gig you’ve ever been to and usually reacted to them with scorn or ridicule for their lack of enthusiasm; maybe you’ve thought to yourself, “That’ll never be me!” Well, we’ve got bad news for you: it almost certainly will be. Once you hit a certain age, you just wanna sit down, enjoy the music and not lose teeth in a mosh pit. But remember, once upon a time this person went even harder than you, so they have nothing to prove 6.

THE NEVER TOO OLD TO PARTY GUY/GIRL

So. Very. Still. There’s always at least one of these at every concert and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a giant stadium show or a small gig at your local pub. You can recognise him or her by their furrowed brow, their crossed arms, and total unwillingness to

THE FUCKWIT Why does Your Choice exist? Why do Camp Cope have to call people out at their sets? Because of this guy, drunkenly exhaling abject sewer breath into the faces of underage girls, groping strangers or starting (legit) fights in the mosh pit. This person is the reason we can’t have nice things. We list these other dozen stereotypes tongue-in-cheek – they’re annoying, sure, but they’re mostly harmless. These guys, though, ruin the whole damn experience of live music. So don’t stand by – speak up. Ensure that everyone around you can have the loose, awesome time you’re having. Never, ever tolerate The Fuckwit. This article first appeared on Tone Deaf.

Hodor. This is the person that perches themselves on top of someone’s shoulders and then remains there for the rest of the performance like they’re on Bondi Rescue. No one really minds if you get up on someone’s shoulders to take a pic or enjoy a song or two, but this person is oblivious to the fact that punters behind them can’t see and are getting increasingly pissed off.

They usually opt for the phone rather than the professional camera equipment and can be seen contorting themselves into all sorts of awkward positions trying to take the perfect snap. Somehow, they never run out of battery life.

THE I GOTTA GO GUY 3.

THE ‘I GOT A LITTLE EXCITED & AM WAY TOO DRUNK’ GUY/GIRL This is probably their first night out in a really long time. You know, work’s been really tough lately and they’ve been looking forward to this show for months as a chance to finally unwind. Maybe they’re not even rocking full-time work yet; studying can be a bitch, too. They’ve figured it’s the weekend and it’ll help them forget about the salt mine for a while. That’s why they’re shirtless, covered in sweat, beet-red, and garbling the lyrics to their favourite song at the top of their lungs.

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The sad thing is it’s never actually Steve Buscemi Remember how we mentioned your fate is almost certainly that of The Too Old For This Crap Guy/ Girl? Well, there are exceptions to the rule and there’s one at every gig you attend. This is the guy or girl who’s probably sporting a grey hair or two and has a few lines in the face, but seems to be going harder than everybody else in the venue – even punters half their age. At a youth-oriented fest like SOTS, you’d think you’d see less of these mid-30s folks – but then again, the allure of reliving one’s youth can become overwhelming…

AKA The Leaves-Before-TheEncore-To-Beat-The-Crowd Guy. We don’t know where this person is in such a rush to get to, but you’ll usually see them checking their watch towards the end of the set and eyeing the exit during the closing song. Festivals fi t these dudes like a glove – strict timetables, no encores, no fuss. They’re not really interested in hearing predictable encore songs or witnessing some extended jam over the band’s biggest hit – they just want to not wait in a line to exit the venue and wait for hours in traffic. Meh, we can’t blame them.

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reviews We revisit our takes on records by Sounds Of The Suburbs artists...

A L B U M S

CAMP COPE

BLEEDING KNEES CLUB

WAAX

There are at least two very distinct sides to Melbourne indie punk trio Camp Cope. One is bruised and broken, while another is defiant and angry, and it’s this juxtaposition that makes their debut record so captivating.

Despite the absence of co-founder and creative stimulus Jordan Malane, Alex Wall has ploughed ahead to record the first Bleeding Knees Club release since 2013.

Brisbane’s rockers WAAX crank up the amps on their new EP Wild & Weak, delivering tuneful indie rock with a lot of heart and a punky snarl. With up-front chunky guitars, fantastic production and a powerhouse vocalist belting out strong sing-along melodies, the blend of catchiness and heaviness comes easily to the band.

Camp Cope Poison City

Centred around singer-guitarist Georgia Maq’s social commentary and her take on relationships, misogyny and the degradation of working life, this eight-track effort delights and demands attention in equal measure. Single ‘Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams’ is a good starting point and could read as an audacious statement that’s antiTrump and everything he stands for, while ‘Lost (Season One)’ finds Maq railing against the middle of the road. It’s refreshing to hear a band making statements rather than platitudes, and the singer doesn’t hold back with her often brutal lyrics. ‘Flesh And Electricity’ is a prime example (“I could look at you naked and all I’d see would be anatomy / You’re just bones and insecurity, fl esh and electricity to me”), but it’s all carried out with a vulnerability that makes you believe she’s trying to convince herself more than anyone else. It’s not all heavy-themed Debbie Downer-ing either; pop culture and television aficionados will find much to enjoy, with sneaky references to The X-Files, Twin Peaks and Lost peppered among the barbs. Like a dowsing rod pointing to primo tuneage, Poison City Records have done it again.

Chew The Gum Inertia

But this is no part-time effort. In recruiting new members (Michael Barker, Gio Alexander and Nick Leighton), Wall’s output is held together by the same set of devices – those garage pop tropes that have stood him in good stead throughout his career. Chew The Gum possesses a sense of surface-level familiarity, but on top of that, retains a distinct energy. Sonically, the EP plays like a smorgasbord of exuberant Nuggets-style raucous and jugular tones that waver along the peak of the ’90s, owing as much to the classic Californian skate-punk sound as they do to The Beach Boys. The EP clocks in at just over ten minutes, and even though Bleeding Knees Club do short tracks well, each song really is as long as it needs to be, the brevity never strained or surprising.

Wild & Weak Independent

The five tracks on here fuse tasteful influences from the ’90s and early ’00s alternative rock scene and execute them in a way that gives WAAX a distinctive sound. The highlight, ‘This Everything’, pulls from the same ’90s alt/ grunge crop that spawned Violent Soho, and the song ‘Same Same’ is reminiscent of the guitar work of early Bloc Party, with very modern production and energetic performances. The drums and guitars are undeniably heavy and bring explosive instrumentation and strong grooves, particularly on the title track. Vocalist Marie De Vita brings lots of character to these songs with her powerful voice, rasping when she reaches the higher notes of her register – a captivating feature that brings out the punk roots of these tracks.

From the rambling vocals that swell across guitarscuzzed pools in ‘Cyber Doom’ to the buoyant layers of longing and reflection in ‘Sun House’, the overarching feeling is one of sparkling bliss.

This is a very high-energy release of infectious songs to jam out to, that will no doubt inspire obscene amounts of air-guitaring.

Kiera Thanos

Max Jacobson

Paul McBride

“It’s refreshing to hear a band making statements rather than platitudes.”

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What we were doing in 2015. All photos by Ashley Mar.

s n a p s

sounds of the suburbs 2015 27:09:15 :: Cronulla

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find the gear

ART BY KEIREN JOLLY

Can you find the all the items hidden at Sounds Of The Suburbs?

Share your answers at facebook.com/thebragsydney. thebrag.com

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live reviews The BRAG looks back on the defining live sets that burned the names of these Sounds Of The Suburbs artists into our brains.

Bleeding Knees Club and White Blanks Hudson Ballroom, Friday May 19 2017. We might be up in the big smoke of Sydney city this evening, but both of our opening acts proudly call the leisure coast of Wollongong home. First up are White Blanks, a trio that are rambunctious and exuberant in their delivery of garage-dwelling indiepunk. Vocalist/guitarist Marcus Aiello gets so excited during one song that his nose starts bleeding. He rectifi es it by shoving in a tissue, and we’re straight back to the joyful noise of whirring guitars and hammering drums. It’s a sweaty mess of swungabout instruments and throat-tearing choruses, and it’s executed with just the right amount of grit. Who’d have guessed that of all the bands to make a comeback in 2017, one would be Gold Coast punks Bleeding Knees Club? Frontman Alex Wall unexpectedly revived the name late last year with a brand-new lineup – and, although former partnerin-crime Jordan Malane is missed, it’s a real trip to hear these songs again after so many years.

“Vocalist/ guitarist Marcus Aiello [of White Blanks] gets so excited during one song that his nose starts bleeding.” Tonight’s show is well and truly sold out, and it’s not long before the entire thing descends into chaos. Bodies spill on and off the stage, while beer is splashed all over pedal boards and mic stands get knocked over. The security guards are having a field day, trying to kick out surfers while three more take flight off the side speakers. All the while, Wall and co. are powering through a mix of choice cuts from their recent Chew The Gum EP and songs from the early days. The new lineup is tight in its execution, but it’s never at the expense of the songs’ unkempt energy. By the time they’re sloppily covering ‘Tubthumping’ by Chumbawumba and setting the whole thing ablaze with fi nale ‘Bad Guys’, it feels like all the years this band was absent have passed in a matter of seconds.

Skegss Oxford Art Factory, Friday June 16 2017. Skegss are becoming pretty adept at putting on some mind-blowing shows lately, as anyone who has witnessed one firsthand can attest to. However last night’s show might have just set a new standard for a Skegss live show, with a world-renowned artist opening the show and some pretty crazy antics happening throughout. As you may be aware, Shepard Fairey is in town right now to headline this year’s Vivid Ideas program. Fairey, well known for his street-art artworks, and perhaps best known for his ‘Andre the Giant Has a Posse’ stickers, and Barrack Obama ‘Hope’ posters, has also been making waves

Oxford Art Factory, Thursday December 10 2015. By the time WAAX arrived a kind of reverent silence had taken hold of the place. These guys’ reputation proceeds them – they have been described as a “terrifying” live presence – and the tension was palpable as lead singer Marie De Vita gripped the microphone by its neck and began to sing.

De Vita proved to be a compelling presence. Discarding the stage the way

Fairey also decided to delve into the world of Aussie rock last night, as he helped Skegss kick off their second of three sold out shows at the Oxford Art Factory by performing a DJ set, which by all accounts was just as phenomenal and creative as you would expect. Somehow though, the show got even crazier as it went on, with Aussie artist Jack Irvine jumping into the audience to crowd surf on top of one of Fairey’s acclaimed artworks. Just try not to wish you were there to witness it. Chris Martin

David James Young

WAAX

Though proceedings started deliberately slowly, it wasn’t long before the kindling took. With five members crowding the stage, the band seemed like so much flesh in so little space, and their close proximity to one another added a claustrophobic intensity to the surf-punk and hair-metal-indebted tunes.

while in town for creating his largest artwork to date, visible in George Street in Sydney.

a snake sheds its skin, she lunged out at the ill-prepared audience, her voice a pained, hoarse howl. Every line she sang seemed like an uneasy combination of threat and prayer, but even though her tone fluctuated wildly, she never allowed things to dip into all-out hysteria. At times, De Vita’s expression and pose seemed almost parodic; her arms clasped behind her back, she seemed like a sociopath

posing as a saint. But despite the sadistic scheme of imitation going on, what proved to be most striking was the band’s ultimate honesty. WAAX and De Vita lie in order to tell the truth, and by the time they had smashed their new single ‘I For An Eye’ into a fi ne dust, every shred of artifi ce had been torn away. The veil had come loose. The band had been revealed. Joseph Earp

“At times, [WAAX’s Marie] De Vita’s expression and pose seemed almost parodic; her arms clasped behind her back, she seemed like a sociopath posing as a saint.”

“The show got even crazier as it went on, with Aussie artist Jack Irvine jumping into the audience to crowd surf on top of one of [Shepard] Fairey’s acclaimed artworks.”

“Bodies spill on and off the stage, while beer is splashed all over pedal boards and mic stands get knocked over. The security guards are having a field day, trying to kick out surfers while three more take flight off the side speakers.”

Camp Cope Manning Bar, Thursday May 11 2017. There was a palpable shift in the room when Melbourne’s Camp Cope took to the stage. Georgia ‘Maq’ McDonald still couldn’t quite believe her audience knew every single one of her lyrics; after every song, she giggled with disbelief at the rapturous applause. Bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich distinguished herself as the melodic backbone of the band, but as always, it was Maq’s emotional delivery that carried them. This band is a generational phenomenon, and their fans are already doing everything they can to lift them up … Unexpectedly, [headliners Against Me!] pulled a few covers out of nowhere, with [Laura Jane] Grace covering The Mountain Goats’ ‘Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton’ as a solo encore (perfectly mimicking John Darnielle) and Camp Cope’s Maq joining in on The Replacements’ ‘Androgynous’. As she sang with Grace, Maq’s face shone – in the abandon of her dancing, we could glimpse this young woman’s dreams becoming reality in front of us. David Molloy

Camp Cope Metro Theatre, Wednesday January 4 2017 It took Camp Cope exactly 35 minutes to completely sell out of merch once the doors opened, such is the passion their audience brings to the table. From the opening bass notes of ‘Done’, the crowd was hooked into the entire set, singing along at every opportunity. Blasting through the majority of their selftitled debut album, as well as recent single ‘Keep Growing’, Camp Cope were in fine form for their biggest show to date. In between songs, Georgia Maq was as quiet as a mouse, but during the tracks she stood loud and defiant. This was a hell of a set that confirmed why Camp Cope are one of the best up-and-coming bands in Australia today. Spencer Scott

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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@seventhstreet.media

Skegss

You can now submit your gig and club listings, head to thebrag.com/gig-guide. Sydney Soul Weekender

Shelly’s Murder Boys + Matt Lamb Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7 Tex, Don And Charlie Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $50 Vincent Gardner Quartet + Belinda Munro Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $33.50

SUNDAY AUGUST 3

Cnr Merton St/Flora St, Sutherland

Sounds Of The Suburbs

Skegss + Camp Cope + Harlem + Bleeding Knees Club + Goons Of Doom + Jacuzzi Boys + Jeff Rosenstock + Ruby Fields + Waax + Body Type + more 11:30am. $74.50 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23 Anna Of The North Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 7:30pm. $30

Donna Amini + Chris Neto + Visiting Aliens Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7 Tex, Don And Charlie Factory Theatre,

Marrickville. 8pm. $50

Violent Stones Valve Bar, Ultimo. 8pm. $10

THURSDAY AUGUST 24

Little Brother + Blue Velvet + Doll Holidays Brighton Up Bar, Sydney. 8:30pm. $16.50

Dalmacia + H + Sally Jones + The

Amy Shark

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. Thursday August 31, Friday September 1 and Sunday September 3. 7:30pm. $38.15 The Gold Coast’s golden girl is back to soak up your adoration. And lots of it, too – she’s near-booked out three concurrent nights at the Oxford Art Factory.

FRIDAY AUGUST 25 Audiopaxx 5th Birthday Party feat. Akouo + Amastro + LDRU and more Home, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $29.60 Big Way Out Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi. 9:30pm. FREE The Brewster Brothers Leadbelly, Newtown. 6pm. $34.70 Ed Kuepper The Bunker, Coogee. 7:30pm. $35 King Social Hudson Ballroom, Sydney. 8pm. $13.80 Oxjam’s F**k Poverty feat. Acrolysis + Reaper + Vodvile and more Valve Bar, Ultimo. 9pm. $10 Richie Kotzen Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $70

Sydney Soul Weekender

Venues across Sydney. Friday August 25 – Sunday August 27. 7pm. $20 p/day. The Off Broadway Hotel, Manning Bar and Soda Factory each play host to a night of funky Northern Soul grooves three nights running. The funk shall be within you. Trophy Eyes + The Hard Aches + Trashboat + Rumours Metro Theatre, Sydney. 6:30pm. $34.80 UNDER Cntrl 3rd Birthday feat. Adi Toohey + Polographia +more Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $15

SATURDAY AUGUST 26 Black Cab // LTR ON Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 11:30pm. $23.30 Drop Zone: The Cosmic Dimension feat. Activist And Jorgo, Acidtrixx and more Valve Bar, Ultimo. 10pm. $15

Frankenbok Bald Faced Stag, Leichardt. 8pm. $15 Head In A Jar + Cundalini’s Revenge + Inebrious Bastard and more Valve Bar, Ultimo. 8pm. $10 James Norbert Ivanyi + Dyssidia + Genetics + Adaptors Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $16 Jonathan Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7 King Curly Leadbelly, Newtown. 6pm. $22 Oliver Dollar + Phlegmatic Dogs + Roland Tings Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.90

School Damage + Tim & The Boys + Sachet Vic On The Park, Marrickville. TBC. FREE Tempus Sun + Marvel Music Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $12 Triplex Knox Street Bar, Chippendale. 8:30pm. $10 Where Folk Meets… feat. Mem Davis & The Kindred Spirits and more The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills. 8pm. $10

SUNDAY AUGUST 27 Classic Album Sundays: Michael Jackson, Off The Wall

Jen Cloher

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. Friday August 25. 8pm. $25 On the back of her incredible new self-titled record, Melbourne’s suburban heartbreaker promises an intimate evening with her gratingly honest songs.

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Jen Cloher photo by Tajette O’Halloran Photography

Amy Shark + Fractures

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Skegss photo by Jack Bennett - Life Without Andy

pick of the issue

Have a gig or club listing to get in The BRAG?

Sarah McLeod (Sydney Guitar Festival) Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $25

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free stuff

send your listings to : gigguide@seventhstreet.media

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2

The Jungle Giants

MAUDIE

Alma Orquestra Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50 Direct Hit! + Nerdlinger + The Great Awake Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $27.50 Hawthorne Heights + River Oaks + Sienna Skie Bald Faced Stag, Leichardt. 7pm. $43.40 The Protestors Django Bar, Marrickville. 9pm. $17.90 Tony Lanez Big Top Luna Park, Milsons Point. 6:30pm. $89

The Jungle Giants + Heaps Good Friends Enmore Theatre, Newtown. Friday August 25. 7:30pm. $43.55

The bubbles ain’t buried in this jungle – this is as bright and poppy as it gets. Lighten your step at the Enmore as the Giants test out their new material.

World Bar, Kings Cross. 5pm. $15

Valve Bar, Ultimo. 2pm. $10

Darlinghurst. 8pm. $23.20

Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $32.90

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30

Fight Ibis + Wolves In Fashion Marley Bar, Newtown. 8pm. FREE

Interstellar Overdrive w/ Doctor Robot, Dweeb City and more The Townie, Newtown. 6:30pm. FREE Julian Banks Group + Shanti Fire Django Bar, Marrickville. 8pm. $22.90 Kid Zr0 + Arbor View + Five Ash + Shang

Orbotetski feat. Larry Orkin Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 9:30pm. $10 Renée Geyer Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $42.90

THURSDAY AUGUST 31 Badgirl Garden Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. $5 The Courtneys Oxford Art Factory,

Renée Geyer Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $42.90

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1

Giffen + Timothy James Bowen Django Bar, Marrickville. 8pm. $17.90

Chase The Sun Leadbelly, Newtown. 8pm. $25

Kehlani Big Top Luna Park, Milsons Point. 7:30pm. $69.90

Crocodylus + Cosmic Flanders + Rosa Maria + The Links Waywards, Newtown. 7:30pm. FREE

The Klezmatics + David Krakauer & Ancestral Groove Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $75

Hammond Showdown Django Bar, Marrickville. 9pm. $27.90

Motion 002 feat. Loge21 + Everest + Fedo Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 9pm. $30 The Nature Strip + Bernie Hayes Quartet Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $22.90 Orbotetski feat. Larry Orkin Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 9:30pm. $10

Based on the true story of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis, Maudie features superb performances from Academy Award nominees Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. It was a hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival, and it hits our screens on Thursday August 24. Thanks to Transmission Films, we have 10x DOUBLE PASSES for Maudie to giveaway! To enter, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and submit your details.

UBISOFT

WAAX (DJ Set) Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 11pm. FREE

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3 Fight Ibis + Jacuzzi Boys Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. FREE Moustache Gracias Django Bar, Marrickville. 8pm. $22.90 Orquesta La Luna Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $22.90

Enough has been said about the Nintendo Switch having too few titles at launch. High time, then, to bump that library up a notch with the most unexpected crossover since Ed Sheeran and Game Of Thrones. It’s Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – a dynamic turn-based combat simulator in which everyone’s favourite plumber joins forces with the lunatic Rabbids to save the Mushroom Kingdom. Thanks to Ubisoft, we have 5x COPIES of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle up for grabs! To enter the draw, head to thebrag. com/freeshit

The Preatures

The Hoodoo Gurus

Enmore Theatre, Newtown. Saturday September 2. 7:30pm. $49

Fist Full Of Rock: Hoodoo Gurus + You Am I + Jebediah + Adalita Enmore Theatre, Newtown. Thursday August 31. 8pm. $100

The rockin’est night there ever was – the Gurus have already told us that You Am I aim to reign supreme, and when two giants of Aussie rock collide on stage, who wins? You do. Don’t miss this lineup.

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The indie-pop-rock of The Preatures meets the grungy garage of Polish Club? Like chips dipped in chocolate, it’s the meeting of flavours you never knew you wanted.

For our full gig and club listings, head to thebrag.com/gig-guide. thebrag.com

The Preatures photo by Ashley Mar / The Jungle Giants photo by Ashley Mar

The Preatures + Polish Club + Hair Die

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 – because at SAE, we believe to be job ready, you need to know the job.