The Brag #394

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on, down and around town. With Nathan Jolly and Cool Thomas

five things WITH WADE FROM WOLF

& CUB

Inspirations The Music You Make Dad had a pretty good jukebox that used We’re writing a new album right now, 2.

4. these little coins you needed to buy over the and recording it in a studio called “The Ibis bar. Galaxy coins. The jukebox had three albums that I remember playing: Oasis’ What’s The Story Morning Glory (which was huge at the time), The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Orange, and Edith Piaf’s Greatest Hits. I put on an Oasis song with my galaxy coin and Andre the chef was all like, “Ah kid, this is shit, it’s too commercial man...you’ll learn... this is shithouse commercial crap...you need this shit right here!” And he put on the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song ‘Full Grown’.

When Jon Spencer said the word ‘fuck’ it was so loud, I loved it. It was like Jon was saying fuck to me! The next year, Andre took me to the Big Day Out and we watched Jon Spencer say fuck really loud in the Hordern - and then rock and roll truly had its hooks in me.

Growing Up When I was about eight, still in primary 1. school, my dad ran into the classroom and dragged me out, muttering something to my teacher like, “Something’s wrong! Gotta take Wade! Be back tomorrow!” I freaked out, thinking something was wrong. He took me

to the bar/venue that he owned, next door to where Cafe Pacifico is in Sydney now. I played pool with these two old guys with long hair all afternoon, and all these people kept taking photos. My dad said, “Son, you will thank me for this one day.” The two old guys were Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Thanks, dad.

Your Crew I play in a band with three of the 3. strangest cats you’re ever likely to meet.

I love them equally and totally. We have this thing, it’s called full disclosure. If you don’t have it with your friends then you’re at the wrong party, man.

Nest” - which is actually just in my dad’s garage. I built it when I joined this band so that I had an excuse not to move from Sydney to Adelaide. The live show is bush doof, so expect bush doof, and bush doof your head off when you get there. Think about it.

Music, Right Here, Right Now What do I think of the scene? Ahhh 5. dudes... What did Marlon Brando think about Marilyn Monroe? Exactly... it doesn’t matter.

The obstacles for some musicians can include getting a Canadian and American VISA, which I’m having trouble with right now due to a criminal record. For the best music in Sydney I go to Adelaide, get them, and bring them back to Sydney and set up in the Ibis Nest... (Only because my dad’s jukebox isn’t there anymore.)

With: Magnetic Heads, Step-Panther Where: Purple Sneakers presents Last Night @ The Gaelic Club When: Friday January 14

GILGAMESH LAUNCH

BDO – BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!

Well, we’ve poured over the wording, the syntax and countless legal do cuments, but we just couldn’t find a catch.

It seems that if you have a ticket, or are planning to buy a ticket to the Big Day Out on January 27, you can bring a friend along… For free. Really! No ballot, no bullshit, just buy a ticket the normal way, and make sure you have your guest with you at the ticket point. Two for one, or eight for four. Seems January 27 is the real Australia Day!

PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com EDITOR: Steph Harmon steph@thebrag.com 9552 6333 ARTS EDITOR & ASSOCIATE: Dee Jefferson dee@thebrag.com 9552 6333 STAFF WRITER: Jonno Seidler NEWS CO-ORDINATORS: Nathan Jolly, Cool Thomas, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Dara Gill SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Wesley Nel, Rosette Rouhanna, Patrick Stevenson COVER DESIGN: Sarah Bryant SALES/MARKETING MANAGER: Blake Rayner 0404 304 929 / (02) 9552 6672 blake@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9552 6618 les@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Sara Golchin - (02) 9552 6747 sara@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Conrad Richters - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance) INTERNS: Liz Brown, Rach Seneviratne REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Binns, Joshua Blackman, Mikey Carr, Benjamin Cooper, Oliver Downes, Max Easton, Tony Edwards, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Lucy Fokkema, Mike Gee, Andrew Geeves, Thomas Gilmore, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Alex Lindsay Jones, Andy McLean, Amelia Schmidt, Romi Scodellaro, RK, Luke Telford, Caitlin Welsh, Beth Wilson, Alex Young

M.I.A

THE BEARDS ARE BACK

South Australia’s all-star, all-bearded superband The Beards are coming back to Sydney to play The Sandringham in Newtown. You can expect to hear a set of songs exclusively about facial hair, including the YouTube smash ‘If Your Dad Doesn’t Have A Beard, You’ve Got Two Mums’. Yarns from the band’s experience at the World Beard and Moustache championships in Alaska should also feature in great bounty…

These guys are the real deal, so if you have a beard, make your way down to the VIB section at the front come February 4. BYO facial hair.

You too, lady.

HANGING WITH MR. KUEPPER

Ed Kuepper is one of those guys that strangers in pubs will namecheck as the best songwriter in Australia ever. Possibly they are referring to his work with The Laughing Clouds or The Saints, or maybe they are talking about two of his million classic solo albums - say, Electrical Storm and Today Wonder. In a neat segue, we can report that Kuepper and his longtime musical partner Mark Dawson are planning to tour about, playing those albums over two awesome sets March 25 at the Basement.

Tickets available now through feelpresents.com

Proving true that old adage “get a gypsy and a cat in the same box-shape room, and the people will come in droves”, Gypsy & The Cat’s album launch at Oxford Art Factory is dangerously close to selling out at time of print. The album is the blissfully wonderous Gilgamesh, the launch is on Thursday, and you’d better hurry if you want tickets... Go!

RETURN OF THE WAIFS

Six studio albums, two live albums, ARIA Awards and over half a million albums sold. For the first time in two years, The Waifs are hitting the Aussie roads this February. They’ll be at the Enmore on the 26th, Civic Theatre in Newcastle on the 27th and The Northern in Byron on the 28th.

40 + 1

We love Sum41. They called their album All Filler No Killer, then bookended it with ridiculous hair-metal songs. They got the guitarist from Slayer to play a tapping solo in their song for the Spiderman soundtrack. They freestyle rap in the face of a confused elderly Asian man in one of their clips. And after they play the epic Soundwave Festival on February 27, they’ll be at the Metro on March 1. Tickets are on sale from this Friday January 14.

Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 153 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9552 6866 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Staff of The Brag.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121

Hungry Kids Of Hungary

AUSTRALIA DAY ON THE ROCKS

DEADLINES: Editorial Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Art Work, Ad Bookings Thursday 12pm (no extensions) Ad Cancellations Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? email distribution@furstmedia.com.au or ph 03 9428 3600.

Queens Of The Stone Age

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Queens Of The Stone Age are one of those bands that are so good live that no matter how you approach it, it’s impossible to argue the case. And why would you want to, especially considering how quickly you’ll be disproved? The band have just announced a Sidewave (Soundwave sideshow) for March 2 at the Enmore. This will be one of the biggest rock shows of the year. Tickets on sale January 14.

Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...

6 :: BRAG :: 394 : 10:01:11

QOTSA SIDEWAVE ANNOUNCED

Did the Sydney Festival first night whet your appetite for huge free festivals?

Well, Australia Day should really be renamed Sydney’s Day of Free Aceness, with the welcome news that a huge ten-hour free music festival will be taking place at The Rocks this year.

This isn’t a ‘local church fete’-type music festival either - it’s a damn fine line-up.

Cloud Control, Katie Noonan and The Captains, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Andy Bull and 70 more acts will be playing. That is pretty much all of the bands in Australia, yeah? We’ll see you there.

thursday 13th january

Factory Records special

mick jones urby johnny segment monkey genius

free entry

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rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on, down and around town. By Nathan Jolly and Cool Thomas

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

JACK CARTY

. Growing Up I grew up in Bellingen, on 1 the Mid North Coast of NSW. It

One Thousand Origami Birds, launching in early March. Some songs were engineered and produced by New Yorkbased producer Kramer.

was a good place to be; there’s a really wide mix of people and experiences there, but everything happens within the context of a small, safe and supportive community. My dad sang in an a capella choir called The Spangled Drongos, and my mum played guitar and listened to everything from Neil Young and Oasis to Vivaldi. I remember banging on congas at a folk festival when I was about four years old…

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I love the fact that some

Inspirations If I look at the ‘Top 25 Most 2.

Played’ list on my iPod this week I am seeing a recurring pattern featuring Bob Dylan, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, Paul Simon and pretty much anything involving Benjamin Gibbard. They all share an inspirational eloquence in their storytelling and an astounding breadth in their creative outputs.

You My middle name is Patrick and I am 23 3. years old. I hate the term ‘singer-songwriter’ (though I suppose it is fairly accurate), and though I am a ‘solo artist’ it takes the help, expertise and kindness of a lot of people to help me get my music out there.

The Music You Make I play contemporary folk music, which 4. is weird because those two words are an oxymoron. I like to tell stories with my lyrics, about things like travel, struggle, hope, simplicity and love. My EP Wine & Consequence won the 2010 MusicOz award for Singer-songwriter Of The Year. I’ve just finished recording my debut full-length,

of my favourite artists like Leroy Lee, Rescue Ships, King Tide, Hell City Glamours and Isaac Graham - live and work right around the corner from me. It makes for a really strong local community that I really enjoy being a part of (Leroy played banjo on my upcoming album, for example). Despite the talk of venues closing, you can still go see live music in Sydney every night of the week if you want; there is a definite call for live Australian music from a very passionate and attentive crowd, and I think that is rad.

Where: Playground Weekender, Wisemans Ferry When: February 17 – 20 More: Fridays at the Bondi Pavilion, from January 21 until February 4

Kool & The Gang

PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER

Ok, here’s the plan for Playground Weekender. Get a pen. OK, so I figure first we go into Kool & The Gang’s backstage area and tape them doing warm-up harmonies. Then we have a conversation with the guys from De La Soul, which we will also record. Ditto with Kate Nash. By now, we have our female and male spoken word vocals, and harmonies. Then we convince Tim Rogers to show us some chords, which we will also tape; one hour later on Garage Band and we have our first number one single.

Oh, also, you will have to win one VIP double pass for the four days (Feb 17-20), plus a copy of Doves’ The Best Of and Tricky’s Mixed Race for the car trip... But it’s easy. Simply email us with the name of one other act on the massive line-up, and you could win!

TUMBLEWEEEEEED!

If you speak to anyone from Wollongong, they will tell you about the glory years of footballer Rod Wishart. Change the subject slightly and they will tell you that the music Tumbleweed made when they were signed to Waterfront Records was by far their best. At this point you can interject with, “Actually they have a new compilation out containing everything they released on Waterfront. In fact, the original lineup has reformed, and are touring - launching it Friday January 14 at The Metro, with The Meanies supporting.” At this point, he will steer the conversation back to Wishart, quietly kicking himself for not being up-to-date.

PRIMUS & THE MELVINS

Mountain Man

MOUNTAIN MAN THIS WEEK

A troupe of girls calling themselves Mountain Man makes about as much sense as a group of dudes calling themselves Girls. And much like Girls, Mountain Man are awesome (despite sounding totally different). Expect moving, melodic and intimate harmonies that would make NME swoon when you catch Mountain Man at The Spiegeltent as part of the Sydney Festival ,on Thursday January 13 and Friday January 14. Get your tickets through the festival website - sydneyfestival.org.au

You like your bass guitar to sound like someone has let off a bunch of motor-powered pogo sticks in a small fibreglass room; your girlfriend likes her music to sound like how goopy, sludgy tar feels - and you both want to hang out on February 28? Never fear! Primus and The Melvins will be playing at the Enmore – the day after they hit Soundwave 2011. Can I get a hell yeah? Tickets on sale January 14.

Perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

THE NOW NOW FESTIVAL

Ten years and going strong, the NOW now Festival of Spontaneous Music is back.

Between Jan 21 and 28, Sydney will witness some incredible improvised and experimental music across a huge range of genres.. The legendary Splinter Orchestra, Yan Jun, Alan Courtis, Magda Mayas and The Thing will be performing among many, many other international and local artists. Events will be happening at the Red Rattler and Serial Space, and the full program is available online at thenownow.net. Bring your thinking hats.

SONNY & THE SUNSETS

Step-Panther

WOLF AND CUB AT LAST NIGHT

Poor Purple Sneakers. They threw such an amazing launch for Last Night (like PS, but with bands) the other week that they’ll never be able to back it up. Except - wait, what’s this? (*handed a press release from off-camera*) Stop press! This Friday January, 14 Wolf and Cub are headlining, Magnetic Heads and Step-Panther will kick the night off, and the whole thing is only $10. Get to the Gaelic early - first 100 payers get a free schooner of Carlton Dry.

Thursday March 10. Write it down. Mistletone have announced the first ever Australian tour for San Fran’s Sonny & The Sunsets, supported by the equally awesome Kelley Stoltz (who it turns out drums for the former).

This night of indie-pop goodness will be going down at GOODGOD Small Club – with tickets on sale through Moshtix.

BARONS OF TANG @ THE ANNANDALE

It isn’t often you hear the words “Latin and Gypsy” in the same band description as “double kick blast beats” - but then again, it isn’t often that seven piece ‘gypsy deathcore’

Os Mutantes

OS ENMORO

Cobain liked them, Beck likes them, and anyone with ears and an appreciation for music from the ‘60s (read: the best era for music ever) will attest that Os Mutantes’ arrival at the Enmore Theatre on March 9 will be an amazing thing.

Best Coast are supporting, so if you also like cute girls singing about cats, weed, summer and heartbreak over a ‘60s girl group wash, then this gig will fit the bill perfectly.

(look for that genre next to ‘grunge’ in your local record bar) band The Barons of Tang tour - and from all reports, the description is apt. They’ll be playing the Annandale on Sunday January 16, with support from Captain Stu, Captain Kickarse and Slimey Things. What is this, a naval variety show?

THEE OH SEES

I was in Annandale, minding my own business, when an elderly lady handed me an orange and assured me that no other wordly possession or feeling could ever compete or rhyme with it. So I began eating the orange and soon realised the orange had grown larger than the mouth I had been putting it in. I also realised it must have been spiked with acid. So I entered the nearest watering hole to straighten my head, and had my mind blown by the most psychedelic bill of the year - California’s Thee Oh Sees, Total Control, garage scuzz-merchants Straight Arrows and Dead Farmers, and sweet psych-pop group Songs. Oh yeah, and this all happened in the future - this Saturday January 15, from 8pm at the Annandale Hotel. It was strong acid.

“He’s a hunter for a lonely heart, in the season of the sun” – BEACH HOUSE 8 :: BRAG :: 394 : 10:01:11

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dance music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

DAN MANGAN

BRENDAN MACLEAN & TOM BALLARD good, dance-inducing gay-pop that requires zero inhibitions. Everything from GaGa to Ellis Baxter to Robyn to 5ive and then back to GaGa. The Music You Make BM: In my non-deck-related life I am a 4. singer-songwriter. Think Ben Folds meets Boy George. My latest track, ‘Practically Wasted’, made the Rage Top 50; YouTube that shit.

But when I’m with funky-fresh-good-timesprovider DJ Tom Ballard, it’s straight up pop irony. I mean do I really like Willow Smith’s ‘Whip My Hair’? Maybe.

5.

Growing Up BM: I remember ABBA, and massaging 1. my aunt’s feet for 20c a piece. I think Right Said Fred was played at some point too. This is how we ended up here.

TB: The first single I ever bought was Jackson Mendoza’s ‘Venus Or Mars?’ Does that answer your goddamn question?

2.

Inspirations BM: Before each set I like to look at a picture of Prince for 20 minutes. This provides

me with the zest required to physically launch a mass of wallflowers onto the dance floor. All my other inspirations are Pokemon related.

I’m not even joking.

Your Crew TB: My DJ-crime-partner Brendan 3.

Maclean is all hot stuff blasting over the decks like a bad-ass demon with fingers of steel that don’t quit no matter what or how. Is that enough hype? Good. We tend to agree on most things, and by “most things” I mean feel-

Music, Right Here, Right Now TB: Live music seems to be suffering some setbacks at the moment, with a whole bunch of venues struggling to stay alive; but then I guess that’s also prompted a really nice outpouring of love for the live scene in response. I think the Oxford Art Factory is a great place to see interesting artists in a relatively intimate environment. The band who lives next door to me is not good and should not be encouraged.

Who: Tom Ballard & Brendan Maclean With: Mailer Daemon, Scully Boo (Special TV Themes Set!), Kill The Landlord and MORE. Where: ROBOPOP @ Underground, downstairs at The Oxford Hotel, 134 Oxford St. When: Saturday January 15

Dan Mangan, aside from having a name that sounds like dropping a fridge-freezer down apartment steps, is kicking all kinds of goals in his homeland of Canada. His second album Nice, Nice, Very Nice sat at #1 on the iTunes Canada Singer/Songwriter chart for nearly six months straight (no doubt pissing Bryan Adams off), and to celebrate the Australian release of the album, he and a full band are touring here, with special guests Matt Corby, Andy Bull, Nicholas Roy and…. Holy singer/songwriter! We have two double passes for the January 14 Oxford Art Factory show and two copies of the album to give away. To get one of each, email us with the fourth guest playing on the line-up.

STANTON WARRIORS

Open your social diary to January 22, and mark a space after “elevenses with the pater”, because Chinese Laundry are throwing their second garden party, hosted by those party-starters, DJ production and remix-gurus Stanton Warriors. The genre wars of 2010 that saw house, hip hop, electro and funk each gather in opposing corners refusing to speak to each other have been well and truly shattered, because Stanton Warriors will be mixing up a heady blend of all four for four entire hours. That’s longer than Titanic - and infinitely most entertaining. Plus, unlike Titanic, there is room on the door for two (you and a friend). To win a double pass simply email us with the name of one of the fellas behind Stanton Warriors.

live diary: “Great day at Theatre. People, noises, music, spaces, inspiration, unlikely direction...

Shepherd’s pie, meat with a hat, Hamlet in the dark. Walking alone with the river, taking air with luminous boats.” More stream-of-conscious than overly descriptive; sounds like the lyrics from an Underworld track, really!

BOUNDARY BONDS WITH...

OIZO AND JUSTICE UNITE

Rahzel

Mr. Oizo and Justice’s Gaspard Auge will release a full-length version of their soundtrack to Oizo’s recent film, Rubber. The film is about a killer tyre – seriously – and the soundtrack is due for release on February 13. According to Ed Banger boss Busy P, whose label will be releasing the record, the score is evocative of cult director/soundtracker John Carpenter, who “has long been an influential artist for many of the Banger stable.” Although in Rubber the pair traverse a number of genres, “it’s all held together by the sort of baroque synthesizers that made Carpenter and [collaborator] Alan Howarth famous.”

NICK CLARKE, PONCHO

Tell us about Poncho?

Poncho is a silly, weekly music television show on the net - the first season starts this month. Music TV is stale and shit, so we’re doing something different.

ROBOPOP

PLATFORM HIP HOP FESTIVAL

Now in its fourth year, the Platform Hip Hop festival is headed to CarriageWorks for a month-long extravaganza in March. The focus will stretch beyond music to traverse dance, street art, photography, film and hip hop theatre, punctuated by performances from ‘serious playas’ from the international hip-hop stage.

Rahzel (AKA the Godfather of Noyze), Supernatural and DJ JS-1 will unite for a one-off performance as The Magnificents on Saturday April 2, while you can also catch Korea’s B*Boy Blond, Poe 1 from the US and Germany’s B*Boy Storm as part of the event. Full program details are available atplatformhiphop.com.au.

UNDERWORLD SCORE FRANKENSTEIN

Seminal dance duo Underworld will reunite with Danny Boyle to score his production of Frankenstein. The music will only be for a theatre piece that will run at London’s National Theatre in 2011 - a unique project considering Boyle (the director of Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire) usually works in the film medium, and Underworld are very cinematic themselves.

Underworld frontman Karl Hyde wrote in his

Robopop returns from its New Year sojourn on Saturday January 15 at The Underground, located downstairs at 134 Oxford St. The DJ lineup includes triple j’s Tom Ballard and Brendan Maclean, Mailer Daemon and an all-TV-themes set from Scully Boo. There will also be sets from Kill The Landlord, Buzz Killington, Ping Pong Tiddly and Can-Do Coconut, and you can procure half-price entry before 11pm merely by emailing robopopclub@ gmail.com.

CEE LO OUT OF GVF

In Good Vibrations news, Cee Lo has withdrawn from his performance at the forthcoming festival.

An official statement espoused, “On behalf of Jam Music, we can confirm that Cee Lo Green has been invited by the Recording Academy to perform live at the Grammy awards in February.

Unfortunately this means he will no longer be available to appear at the 2011 Good Vibrations Festival as originally planned.” But with a lineup that still includes the likes of Faithless, Phoenix and Nas, there’s no need for any overly-dramatic despair.

MOUNT KIMBIE

UK bass duo Mount Kimbie will be making their Australian debut in March 2011, to play GoodGod Small Club on Tuesday March 9 with support from Seekae and the Future Classic DJs. With a sound that has been described as “post-dubstep”, the London-based duo made their mark with twin EPs on Scuba’s Hotflush Recordings, prior to dropping their debut LP Crooks & Lovers. The release traversed hip hop,

Stanton Warriors

STANTON WARRIORS @ GARDEN PARTY

Renowned DJ, production and remix outfit the Stanton Warriors headline Chinese Laundry’s Garden Party with a four-hour set on Saturday January 22. Having made their mark at the forefront of the breaks scene, the Stanton Warriors have ensured their longevity by encompassing a diverse mix of house, hip-hop, electro and funk in their sets, while their remixes are similarly indicative of their eclectic sonic sensibility, with reworks of Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Chicken Lips, Freeform Five and even the Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’ all listed on their production CV.

jazz, techno, ambient and post-rock influences, earning rave reviews in publications like Vice.

Mount Kimbie have taken their guitar-enhanced performance the world over, even playing in Berlin’s clubbing colosseum Berghain, and should work well in the confines of GoodGod.

How did you get it up and running?

We quit our old gig at Beat TV, borrowed some start-up money off some friends and set up an office in Dan’s (the other presenter) front room. He’s the only one that owns a house, because he got a gigantic payout after getting hit by a car in the US, spending a month in a coma and allegedly sustaining cognitive ‘head injuries’. I say allegedly because the head injury is usually a convenient disclaimer when he’s say, forgotten to bring our tent to an interstate festival, or guzzled a lazy 10 tabs of LSD. “Oh, it’s the head injury.” Bullshit it is.

What’s the best aspect of Internet TV? Restrictions placed on conventional music TV by networks, advertisers and censorship mean that its blandness is completely at odds with the visceral music it covers. Being on the internet enables us to do both the music and the audience justice by making it engaging, confronting and a bit weird.

If you could create any TV show in the world what would it be?

I’d like to attach microscopic cameras to a dozen $2 coins. They all leave the mint at the same time and are followed and filming for a year or so.

Coins get around pretty rapidly, at random and have access to weird and interesting places and people that most of us don’t.

“Let’s go on pretending that the light is neverending, we still have the summers to be good to one another” – BEACH HOUSE 10 :: BRAG :: 394 : 10:01:11

Peace Music, niche productions, the edge & 3D World present

THIS WEEK

(20 years live - PERFORMING DE LA SOUL IS DEAD)

NICHE PRODUCTIONS THE OPERATIVES & FOREIGNDUB PRESENT

DJ MARKY

BRA

& STAMINA MC

SUPPORT

FOREIGNDUB

SPIKEY TEE

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FRIDAY 21 JANUARY MANNING BAR TICKETS ON SALE NOW: MANNINGBAR.COM, MOSHTIX.COM.AU AND ALL MOSHTIX OUTLETS DJMARKY.UOL.COM.BR NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU THEOPERATIVES.COM.AU FOREIGNDUB.COM

special support from the us

prince paul local support

dizz 1 + DIALECTRIX (LIVE AV SHOW)

(OBESE RECORDS)

THUR.10.02.2011 ENMORE THEATRE

Tickets Now on Sale through ticketek.com.au

Peace Music, Niche Productions & Max proudly present soul legends

I& tions, FB roduc P e h Nic

SPA are proud to pre

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12 PIECE STAGE SHOW

{USA}

SUPPORT BY

ELEC RE I P T R M I E C MIK AH E CORB IC ETT & MISS M

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FRIDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2011 ENMORE THEATRE Tickets Now on Sale through enmoretheatre.com.au

SAT URDAYY 19 FEBRUAR M Tic kets on

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on – myspace.com/mayerhawthorne – st

koolandthegang.com • facebook.com/pages/Kool-the-Gang • peacemusic.com.au • nicheproductions.com.au

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 11

free stuff

dance music news

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

he said she said WITH

STACEY FROM GLOVECATS

some time. I work for SOHO Bar & Lounge, as the promotional manager.

We play bass-heavy tunes; it’s all about the bass for us. In our live sets, we aim to keep the intensity up, so that you keep on dancing from the word go. At the moment we’ve been getting into Magnetic Man and Flux Pavillion. They’ve been producing some proper badman tunes.

I

grew up in New Zealand, in a small town called Tokoroa. My favorite childhood memory would definitely have to be the games of rugby that used to go down, where literally it was like 30 on 30. Coming from a typical New Zealand family, everyone played music, and the guitar would usually come out at family get togethers. At school I studied music, and I was in a couple of cover bands.

My favourite musicians of all time are Eric Clapton, Bob Marley and Crowded

House, because of their voices and unique style. I remember hearing Bob Marley tunes throughout my childhood, as they were always pumping in the background - definitely the soundtrack to my growing up. What inspires me most about a musician is their uniqueness.

I love hearing an instrument or voice which has its own special signature style.

We are Glovecats. We consist of two radical dudes (Stacey Butler and John Glover). We’ve both been DJing round the scene for quite

Usually when someone begins a sentence with “G Love”* it ends with “you should really get your life together.” (*phonetic joke warning) All undergraduate joking aside, G Love and Plutonic recently collaborated on a project that mashes hip hop and blues like it ain’t no thing. This project is called Moonshine Lemonade, and considering blues is the moonshine element, it seems our recent ‘Lemonade abuse in hip hop circles’ exposé was on the money. The two of them are playing a special show together at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday January 15, and we have two double passes to give away. To get your hands on one, email us with the name of one track off the album.

The music scene forever changes, and at the moment it is as healthy as ever. With so many different genres catching the ear of so many different crowds, it’s now easy to make the music you want to make and develop a following for it. I think musicians have to overcome the promotional side of the scene first to get somewhere these days, though; after that, I guess it’s all smooth-sailing. The best thing about the dub scene in Sydney is that it’s still fresh, and has a massive future.

I just recently saw Chase n Status, Nero and Subfocus destroy the garden at Laundry. After that day, you could tell how big the scene is getting - and it’s only gonna get better.

Who: One Love Presents Dubstep Invasion mixed by Kid Kenobi & Glovecats is out now Where: Glovecats and friends at The Wall When: Every Wednesday @ World Bar

projects with 9th Wonder (Verve Remixed), Jazzanova and Masters At Work of late.

Presale tickets are available through thebasement.com.au.

Mark Pritchard

G LOVE X PLUTONIC

MF DOOM TOUR

Masked New York rapper Doom, aka MF Doom (real name Daniel Dumile), will tour Australia for the first time in March. As Zev Love X, Doom formed the group KMD in 1988 with his younger brother DJ Subroc and Onyx the Birthstone Kid, and achieved considerable success before

G Love Subroc was tragically struck and killed by a car in 1993, causing Doom to retreat from the scene for a number of years. Upon his return, he unleashed a series of successful solo albums as Doom, Viktor Vaughn and King Geedorah, and a string of much-vaunted collaborations with Danger Mouse as Danger Doom and Madlib as Madvillain - not to mention Sniperlite alongside J Dilla and Ghostface Killah.

Doom will play The Metro (not The Forum as previously reported – apologies!) on Wednesday March 23, with presale tickets online now.

Caribou

THE BENJI PRITCH DOUBLE

Benji B and Mark Pritchard will play a double-bill set at Tone on Thursday January 27, with KoolAde providing support. Hailing from the UK, Benji B draws on house, dubstep, hip hop and funk influences in his sets, and his popularity has allowed him to host his own show on BBC Radio 1, following on from a certain Mary-Anne Hobbs. Pritchard meanwhile is well-known to Sydneysiders for his regular spots at Void, and his production projects Harmonic 313 and Global Communication alongside Tom Middleton.

QUARION

Quarion is the moniker of Swiss-born DJ and producer Yanneck Salvo, a figure who has attracted comparisons with everyone from Derrick May to 4hero for sets that traverse hip hop, nu jazz and techno. Quarion rose to prominence via his memorable melodic take on Sydney producer Jamie Lloyd’s ‘May I?’ on the Future Classic imprint, so it’s appropriate that he will be playing for the local brand at The Civic Underground this Saturday January 15. Far from a one-track wonder, Quarion has also crafted the cuts ‘Karasu’ (which was heavily endorsed by the likes of Âme and Dixon) and the tribute to Mad Mike, ‘The Light’, which led to him touring with Detroit luminaries Theo Parrish and Omar-S - a glowing endorsement if ever there was one.

HENRIK SCHWARZ

The man known to industry insiders as ‘the Schwarzenator’, Germany’s Henrik Schwarz, returns to Sydney to play The Beck’s Bar for Future Classic this Thursday January 13.

Schwarz has toured recently alongside Âme and Dixon as part of the live trio A Critical Mass, but is also known to put on a rollicking live show on his lonesome, as anyone who was in attendance at his gig at The Civic last December will attest to. Schwarz ‘broke through’ on the back of his sublime DJ Kicks compilation, and has since crafted a succession of memorable remixes, such as a rework of Omar’s ‘I’m Feeling You’ and DJ Hell’s ‘The Angst’. Frank from Âme commented that Schwarz plays Ableton “like an instrument”.

Tickets to see the Schwarzenator do his thing are available online now.

ROY AYERS

Niche Productions welcomes back Roy Ayers and his band to Sydney for a show at The Basement on Sunday February 20. A seminal figure in the world of music, fusing funk, soul, disco and afro with politics and style, Ayers is revered for his jazz output in the ‘60s and his R&B band-leading of the ‘70s and ‘80s. He remains as relevant as ever (well almost) after collaborations with Erykah Badu and remix

FOUR TET & CARIBOU

Tickets are still available for the Four Tet and Caribou double-header at The Metro on Thursday February 17. Both artists are in town for Playground Weekender, and are touring off the back of landmark albums released last year. Canada’s Caribou (formerly ‘Manitoba’), the brainchild of Dan Smith, purportedly sets out to create “dance music that sounds like it’s made out of water rather than made out of metallic stuff like most dance music does” with recent LP, Swim. Having spawned a fresh remix LP that features reworks from James Holden, Junior Boys and Gavin Russom, Swim followed the almost Brian Wilson-esque influences that were apparent on the preceding Caribou album Andorra, while the latest single ‘Odessa’ garnered crossover success via radio airplay. Not to be outdone, Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet has followed up his There is Love in You album with a serene remix of The XX, and returns to Australia following a performance at Sydney Festival a few years back.

“I was sitting on a rock, just waiting for a key to sleep inside the house of old serenity” – BEACH HOUSE 12 :: BRAG :: 394 : 10:01:11

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adventurer Alvin Sputnick come to life in the hands of Tim Watts.

This year, Sydney Festival brings together a line-up of the world’s most exciting established and emerging storytellers, across the fields of dance, theatre, film, music and visual arts. There are big stories – John Malkovich recreating the life and times of ‘original lothario’ Giacomo Casanova, or Rick Miller’s hilarious ‘cubist portrait’ of the life of Jesus; and small stories – Rosie Dennis exploring life in the housing commissions of Minto. There are true stories – infamous drag queen Bette Bourne recreating the drama of his life on- and off-stage; and fantastical ones – Todd Browning’s classic Dracula, screened to the strains of Kronos Quartet and Philip Glass.

If you like your stories musical, then you can sit at the feet of master storytellers like Paul Kelly and Emmylou Harris - or swoon to the new guard, with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Owen Pallett, Gotye, Villagers and our cover stars, Beach House. For intimacy you can't go past Live, a film installation which will put you in a virtual one-on-one with Gareth Liddiard, Jarvis Cocker or provocateur Peaches, among many others.

Lovers of the bite-sized story should head along to About An Hour, short performances at budget-friendly prices, where they can hear comedian Mike Birbiglia (featured on This American Life) share awkward personal anecdotes and romantic misadventures; or see intrepid underwater

In the pages below we share some of our most anticipated events from the festival, and uncover hidden gems. It’s just a slice of the festival, however; for the full program, get along to sydneyfestival. org.au - and stay tuned to the BRAG over the coming weeks…

By Nathan Jolly

A

lex Scally, the male half of Beach House, is relaxing at his home in Baltimore after an entire year of touring and promotion. 2010 went by in a whirlwind for the duo after they released their third record Teen Dream - an album which garnered critical adulation from all corners, and had cemented its place in end of year lists by late January.

The leap from Washington indie label Carpark to much-larger-indie Sub Pop thrust the band onto the international stage, and saw them play over 150 shows across America and the UK. In a few weeks they’ll be in Australia for a series of dates, many of which have already sold out. How have the band dealt with this seismic shift in fortune? Well, according to Scally, there hasn’t really been a change at all.

“It hasn’t changed in the sense of how busy we are,” he tells me. “It’s changed more in what we do. We’re lucky enough to have a manager now, which means we spend a lot less time answering emails, and get to spend a lot more time being creative. But to keep up with the demand that we’ve had this year, people asking us for shows and such, we’ve had to keep very, very busy.”

Throughout the conversation, Scally seems keen to stress that theirs has been no flash-in-the-

pan success. Beach House have enjoyed a slow burn, which included two prior albums: the eponymous 2006 debut, and the follow up, Devotion. Both albums were heavy on atmospherics, boasting a haunted sound that echoes Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins. Teen Dream expands upon the palette offered by the first two, while losing none of the lonely beauty that their music possesses; a natural evolution, echoed in the success the band has enjoyed. Their headsdown approach to touring seems to be working. “It’s just grown. There was never a ‘whoaa’ overnight kind of shift, that’s not how it is with us,” Scally explains. “I mean, we toured over 100 shows with every record, we did 150 shows this year, so it’s always been the same with us we’ve always toured very hard with each record. It’s not that different now; we just get to play nicer places with nicer sound systems.”

And a larger fanbase. Though he claims not to be able to sum up the average Beach House fan, Scally does offer up an interesting cross section. “It’s mostly college-aged people, and it’s always been like that. I can’t really tell much about the people, it’s always the same sorts; there are young girls who just believe in Victoria [Legrand, vocalist] really intensely, there are gay men who are ready to lay down their lives for us, then there's the cute couples - and there’s also one dude who comes alone and knows every word. And there’s older people

something different. We visited the set - a house in Maroubra due for demolition - a couple of times before filming started. There was some loose direction about the sort of things that were needed, and then we just went into the studio and tried some different possibilities. After every day or two we would send some stuff over to the team and ask them what they thought. They didn’t use a lot of music, but what they used worked really well.”

By Andrew Geeves

W

hat do you call an album which was composed alongside the film that inspired it, if only a fraction of the album is heard in the film? “I guess you can say it’s a response to the film, composed with the intention of being a soundtrack," says Lloyd Swanton, bassist from Sydney band The Necks. "It’s just that the nature of the production didn’t require that much music.” Anyone familiar with the improvisational stalwarts’ twenty-three-year oeuvre won’t be too startled by the playful sense of the enigmatic which emerges as 14 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

Swanton discusses The Necks’ 1998 album, The Boys. Later this month, a performance by The Necks will precede the screening of the film which inspired the record, Rowan Woods’ motion picture of the same name. It's happening as part of Sydney Festival’s ‘A Night at the Quad: Music & Movies’ series – a five-day program which will also feature Decoder Ring (Somersault), The Pilgram Brothers and Alex Lloyd (the world premier of Mad Bastards), Kev Carmody (One Night The Moon) and Archie Roach (The Tracker).

So how did this somewhat unique soundtrack, for want of a better word, come into being? “Robert Connolly, the [film's] producer, was first onto it,” Swanton tells me. “We were chuffed that he wanted to try

The comparatively short duration of most tracks on The Boys album seems out of character for a group of musicians renowned for toying with an idea for the better part of an hour.

“We had to compromise,” Swanton explains. “That was simply a decision that Chris [Abrahams, pianist] and I made... The samples that we gave to the team went for about 20-30 minutes each; two of those would make an album. So if we had half a dozen ideas that we liked, were we going to do three albums? The decision was a single disc CD - and so, apart from the [shorter] themes for The Boys, I think the pieces are usually about 10 minutes long. We felt that was long enough to give the sense of [each] being a typical next piece given the speed at which we normally move, without taking up too much disc space.”

Any fan of The Boys expecting to hear a direct replication of the film’s music at ‘A Night at the Quad’ should be warned, however. “I’ll just stress, if anyone’s expecting us to

too, who like The Beach Boys... so it’s a nice mix.” What Scally classily manages to omit is the fact that Jay-Z and Beyonce have been spotted at their concerts this year; then again, he may be filing them under the 'cute couples' category.

this and this and get a manager,’” he says. “People [in Baltimore] just do it, and make it, and don’t think, ‘How’s this going to get out to the world? How are people going to see it?’. They don’t take the initiative as much.”

Scally is also well-versed on their “vibrant and intense” Australian audiences; the band played here in 2008. “Australia reminded me a lot of Baltimore, actually, in that it’s full of a lot of amazing people, but remote. People don’t try to get out of there, and people in the rest of the world really don’t know exactly what’s happening there. It exists outside all of the mainstream crap.”

Having played over 350 shows in the past four years, Beach House certainly don’t fall into that category; only after their Australian visit will the band get a chance to slow down. Scally seems unconcerned as to what the next phase will hold for Beach House. “We finally have some time off, so we’re just going to write and get excited. Who knows how long it will take; it may take three months, it may take three years,” he says. “Whenever we get enthusiastic, that’s when we will make another record.”

The comparison is apt. Like Australia, Baltimore has a thriving music scene, which can unfortunately prove to be too insular. Bands like Animal Collective and Beach House have made the leap out of the confines of their city, but Scally insists that a lot of great music is going unheard. When he lists a trail of criminally-overlooked acts (Celebrations, Adventure, Zomes), a level of frustration is evident. “People in Baltimore don’t have the kind of savvy that people who move to New York have, that say ‘ok, I need to do

What: Teen Dream is out now through Mistletone Where: Beck’s Festival Bar (with Parades) / City Recital Hall When: January 26 / January 27

be playing music from the film, it’s a misapprehension. We’ll be performing the way we always perform, which is a completely free improvisation that we’ll conjure on stage.”

confident that the system we had devised worked most times, [and we felt] we could handle the pressure of an audience, so we started performing live.”

The Necks have built their solid live reputation on exactly these types of completely free improvisations. It all sounds good in theory, but surely there must be certain strategies that guide the conjuring process on stage? “There are, but they’ve never been articulated,” Swanton answers.

Whereas hours of communal practice might be required for more conventional bands, The Necks have a slightly different approach. “We’ve never really rehearsed, because there’s nothing to rehearse," Swanton says. "We all practice our instruments and we’re all busily engaged in trying to further our understanding of music - but we see no need to get together.

It’s actually more special if we don’t rehearse. A couple of times when we’ve gone into the studio to record an album, we’ve decided to get together first to try out a few ideas but I don’t think we’ve even done that for about 10 years. We tend to go in cold to the studio these days.”

“The only real rule per se is that one person starts. That’s something we established right from the beginning.

We found it’s better to start with one voice and then the others join in, regardless of whether they thought that idea sucked or not. If something has been set up and it feels comfortable, the question on everyone’s lips is, ‘How long do we stick with this before we take it somewhere else?’ Generally, the rule of thumb for me is if it ain't broke, don’t fix it. If it feels good, just keep playing it. Eventually human error (or just mad inspiration) hits and starts to take it somewhere else - either quite dramatically, or very gradually.”

A group of talented performers riding the wave of the moment sounds like the perfect recipe for live audience exhilaration, so I'm surprised when I learn that The Necks never intended to perform publicly. “We workshopped for about six months in private, and were quite adamant that we weren’t going to do it in public. But we were

Holding precise expectations for The Necks’ Sydney Festival performance seems pointless given the idiosyncratic way in which they produce music, but don’t despair: the lure of an inimitable Necks show - seeing what happens when accomplished musicians and acclaimed creatives embrace improvisatory moments - is cause enough for excitement.

What: A Night At The Quad: The Boys With: The Necks will perform live before the film Where: The Quad @ Sydney University When: Friday January 21, 8pm

Owen Pallett photo by Ryan Pfluger

By Amelia Schmidt

“I

t’s so boring,” Owen Pallett sighs, as he laments the chores of the day. “I’m just doing some scoring for some short films being put together by The New York Times…

Today I did Natalie Portman, and when I get off the phone I’ll do Matt Damon.” Wow, that does sound terrible, I think. I’d hate to live in Toronto, writing film scores for the world’s top publication, featuring celebrity actors and directors; scoring orchestral music for the likes of Grizzly Bear and The National; all the while touring my complex, wonderful and globally acclaimed music... Not for me! No thank you!

“I try to be very selective when I’m doing the film scoring stuff,” continues Pallett. “I try to do stuff with either directors I really like, or very well paid gigs - and this is kind of a combination of both.” He’s talking about Fourteen Actors Acting, directed by fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø and featuring top Hollywood talent performing one-minute long narratives - Tilda Swinton, Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco and more are also on the bill with Portman and Damon.

Pallett’s score will be performed by the Czech Symphony Strings. “I mean it’s not the best money, but considering it’s just taking me a week to score movies and then I’m going to Prague to conduct it, it’s a pretty fun gig, really.”

For Pallett, this is one of a myriad of projects that he’s turned his talented hand to over the last few months. “The offers kept coming in and I’d just take on different things,” he explains. “I just did a little something for Grizzly Bear about a month ago, and I also did something for the National a little while ago – I used to just sort of keep my door wide open, and I’d take any gig that came along. I still try to maintain a do-what-youcan policy with my clients, because I’m more interested in making good records than a pile of cash.”

And good records he sure is making; his latest album Heartland floored audiences with its complexity and stunning orchestral beauty.

But having your fingers in as many pies as Pallett means having to prioritise the bountiful opportunities and creative pursuits. “Getting to work on Heartland was delayed by a year, just because of all the gigs I had as a scorer,” he explains. “I kind of vowed that I wouldn’t get so involved with [scoring] until I put out a few more records.”

Heartland took a long while to properly formulate and produce – although the result has been worth it. “I sort of conceived the idea in mid-2006, but I didn’t really start to knuckle down and write anything for it until March

2008 - which was quite annoying.” In 2006, Pallett posted on his message board, asking fans to give their opinion on the record’s title.

“A weekly paper in Toronto picked up on that post, and decided that that [the album] would be out very soon, like 2007!” Pallett laughs.

“And of course I didn’t even start writing it until the year after then - and not even recording it until late 2008! So yeah… it was kind of a long process.”

Fair enough though; it was a pretty ambitious project, and he was mostly working alone.

“Most of the time when people get involved with [a project so large], they sort of have a team assembled; they have a personal assistant, a producer, an engineer, and all that kind of stuff. I didn’t really have anybody.”

The project was further complicated because of the scope of the record’s concept.

Heartland is an album-length narrative of a protagonist in a Dungeons And Dragonstype universe, ruled by a god-figure called, naturally, Owen. “I embraced the theory behind Dungeons And Dragons as my own fate, just to approach [it with] a songwriter’s voice,” he explains. “I was interested in writing from the position of a theist, and singing songs that I felt were a perspective of someone who believed in an afterlife and higher power.”

Lofty concepts to be sure, but the majority of media attention has still been focused on the D&D side of things, which Pallett seems to resent a little. “I kind of used the imagery of Dungeons And Dragons as a metaphor because I thought that it would be entertaining,” he admits. “But that was a very small factor in the making of [Heartland], yet the record tended to be kind of written off as the ‘Dungeons And Dragons record’...

"People can talk about it however they want.

I think I spent much more time working on the concept [than they give me credit for], but I don’t feel like I have to have a slideshow demonstrating all the different working parts.”

As a stand-alone project, Heartland does lack explanation; kind of like trying to follow a fantasy book without a map. But that hasn’t stopped the praise. “I really respect Pitchfork and I think they have some very good writers,” Pallett says, when I bring up the hefty scores he’s been getting online, “but I don’t have any interest in the rating system, as I don’t think it reflects the way I personally listen to music.

I kind of listen to an album or don’t listen to an album, and I typically feel that most music is quite equal; it’s not like Kanye worked any harder than I did on my record, or than M.I.A. worked on hers.”

What: Heartland, and Pallett’s latest EP, A Swedish Love Story, are out now on Domino, through EMI Where: The Famous Spiegeltent When: January 19 (7pm), 20 (7pm), 21 (5:30pm)

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:10 :: 15

Music

By Tyson Wray Nothing short of a legend in the German deep house scene, Henrik Schwarz is arguably one of the most passionate pioneers of electronic music today. Beginning his career as a DJ over two decades ago, Schwarz’s infatuation with music has only grown, as his reputation as a true musical romantic has flourished. At the conclusion of yet another magnificent but frenzied year, he reminisces about the path he took at the end of 2009.

“I took a step back and contemplated bigger projects for myself, stepping back from all of my remixes,” he tells me quietly. “During the whole year, I worked on quite a lot of projects.”

The projects included one with the Chamber Music Orchestra; Schwarz transcribed his pieces into notes, and arranged them for the orchestra.

“Now we’re ready to make them into recordings – we’ve already played a few concerts, which is quite exciting.”

He’s also recently finished an album with Norwegian jazz virtuoso Bugge Wesseltoft, set to come out this year. half-finished a new solo record, and released a few 12-inches. “It’s been a good year,” he tells me, quietly. “It may look quiet from the outside, but many things have been happening in here.”

By Bridie Connellan Incessant touring, a killer debut album to promote, and a huge cache of artists begging for a remix seem to have taken their toll on Essex-born Derwin Panda (aka Gold Panda), as he’s an hour late for our interview – I’m told that the producer is feeling poorly. “What?" he asks, when I inquire after his health. "Am I better? Was I ill? What was wrong with me?” Sprung! Turns out, pandas are simply forgetful creatures… “Someone told me about this ages ago like, ‘Hey, you’ve got an interview in a week.’

A week?! I was never going to remember that.”

His fast-paced comprehension of time is unsurprising. In just over a year, Gold Panda has collaborated with the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Bloc Party, Telepathe and HEALTH, and signed with Ghostly International - the US label heralding experimental cats like Matthew Dear, Mobius and Skeletons. His debut album Lucky Shiner was recorded over a single Christmas break, spent at an aunt and uncle’s countryside home.

“Oh yes, Daisy, Daisy the dog,” he laughs, when I ask if he had help.

“I had to look after her for two weeks - and she was just such a good distraction from the music.

It was just me, this house, and the dog, and every ten minutes she was demanding pats or football.” With music that features so many uniquely-structured samples within experimental, syncopated loops, it’s a wonder his furry companion didn’t end up a featured artist. “I’ve sampled her before, but it’s actually really difficult to get the right timing,” he says. “She’ll make an amazing sound but you won’t be recording, and to make her do it again is virtually impossible. When they bark it’s a bit boring - but that weird noise when they yawn, it’s actually quite something.”

Softly-spoken and modest, the producer claims large influence from his time spent living in Japan, and studying at the University of London’s School of 16 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

Oriental and Asian Studies. But still, when it's suggested GP’s fresh sound mirrors Japanese innovation, the humble Brit is somewhat doubtful. “I don’t know.

I thought my music sounded less advanced compared to other people,” he muses. “I mean, I was inspired by the way Japan looks - the buildings and the repetition within towns, the streets, how the structures fit together and the beauty of slate and colour.

"There’s definitely a big Japanese influence in there, but as for being ahead of anyone else, I’d say my sound has more of an older, new wave, electronic feel to it, like some of the melodies found in parties in the 90s.” Panda hails from Essex, the most 90s-laden town this side o’ Manchester, but he claims that the plethora of BlurProdigy-Sqaurepusher love that emerges from the UK county isn't indicative of something in the water. “I think it’s just boring,” he says bluntly. “Essex is just rubbish. It’s no Ramsay Street, not that level of creativity... It’s just bland.”

If his hometown is bland, his music certainly isn't, with twitchbeat infectious folds of electronic love sending blogs and reviewers into forays of lavish praise.

But there’s one aspect of Gold Panda's show that he believes warrants no acclaim: That Panda Hat. “Oh god. I tried to get another one, but it’s impossible; I got it in Tokyo ten years ago.

I’m not wearing it anymore, and I’m definitely not wearing it on stage when it’s 40 degrees,” he tells me. “I kinda wish I hadn’t worn it now. I guess at the time I thought my live show was so boring that maybe if I wore a hat, people would enjoy it.

“It’s frustrating now. I wanted my music to be quite intelligent, you know? And by wearing a panda hat I just made it the opposite,” he sighs. “Gold Panda is just a name... I don’t know that much about gold, or pandas.” With a slight grin in his Brit words, the man behind the Panda admits the only alternate to his moniker was another coloured animal: we could have all been bopping to Pink Worm.

With: Djanimals & kyü Where: Beck’s Festival Bar When: Friday January 14

The idea of new material from Henrik Schwarz induces salivation from any well-versed lover of electronica.

Whether original or remixed, Schwarz is renowned for his intricate and meticulous productions, as his style continues to evolve. “At the moment I’m super interested in anything acoustic, in a way. I’m interested in acoustic instruments as a sound source and then how I can use my computer, and what I can do with this sort of sound source," he tells me. "You could say I’m trying to bind

the electronic world with the acoustic world.”

As a live performer, Schwarz is revered for his transcendent sets, effortlessly merging the worlds of house, techno, jazz and soul. Continuously searching for augmentation and expansion within his music, Schwarz’ live performances are dynamic and energetic, encompassing his many years of experience as a performer, and his raw and vibrant love of music. “I don’t know what the difference between myself as a performer and a producer really is,” he says. “I put a lot of energy into both.

Of course as a producer you need to focus at some point, but when you play live it has to be a balance between total freedom and still knowing what you’re doing. You have to take high risks on stage, but I also have to think that the audience is very open, and able to follow and enjoy the risks, when the music just happens in the moment.”

Returning to Australia for his second visit (following a brief yet mesmerising string of shows in 2009), Schwarz shares his expectations for the upcoming performances. “I’m hoping this time

it’s a bit more relaxed,” he laughs.

“Last time I was on Australian ground I was only there for 48 hours, and I was literally rushing from one gig to the next.”

Schwarz says that it’s difficult for him to predict what will happen during any one set. “I’m always reacting to what’s coming to me,” he explains. “But there will be quite a bit of new music. From the technological side, I'm currently preparing something new at the moment - it’s not 100% finished yet though, so I’m not sure if I can integrate it... There will certainly be differences from my last shows in Australia, but I don’t plan to change things too dramatically. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s changed down there, and how the reaction to my music may have changed. I’m really looking forward to coming and playing there again.”

What: Future Classic presents: Henrik Schwarz Where: Beck’s Festival Bar When: Thursday January 13

By Andy Campion

N

aked half-snake-half-human devil worshippers cavort with a giant white worm as we enter the world of DJ Harvey. He and I talking over Skype, sharing a slice of Bram Stoker’s ‘Lair of the White Worm’ - and an obsession with cult horror films. Having followed him from the get go, it’s exactly the entrée I’d expect from a man of humour and wit, laced with a little intrigue. More so, it seems consistent with his own cult status, entertained by the best of contemporary culture – within music and beyond.

The story begins with Harvey’s Black Cock record label (replete with rooster motif) which introduced him through a series of neatly-executed early ‘90s disco edits. Presented in an irreverent, nay, playful manner, like all good edits they do enough, but not too much. “Edits are a great way to ruin a record,” he consolidates, “not make a record!”

On the back of these records he began travelling as a DJ, and over a couple of years was drawn to Venice Beach, LA, where he fell in with the likes of skater Tony Alva.

“I have always been into skating – passionate, if not a great skater. That world was definitely a contributing factor in moving to Venice and in turn, working with those guys was a way to keep in touch with that world.”

And then, DJ Harvey disappeared. In the eyes of much of the music world he stopped travelling and releasing for a decade, taking a long hiatus as an international DJ. Amidst the rumour and conjecture, his reason was simple: as an overstay in the US, he couldn’t risk leaving the country.

Instead, he busied himself with a habitual schedule of American dates.

“I’d do this monthly ‘circuit’ consisting of San Diego, LA, San Fran, NY, Detroit, Chicago, Phili and Hawaii.

Typically focused on cities rather

than specific clubs,” he tells me.

“More recently, I’ve been taking flights from NY to Europe. It’s five hours from the West Coast to the East Coast, then five hours from there to anywhere in Europe. Compare this to 13 dates over 14 nights in Japan, and you can see how that’d be [more] comfortable.”

During this time he also struck upon localised projects in his sphere of interest. He provided the soundtrack to accompany Alva’s coast-to-coast exhibition, DJ-ed at Spun’s annual MoMA show and served as a creative director at thirtyninehotel in Hawaii. He chuckles a little at this: “It’s a blank space - call it a canvas if you like - with a really good sound system. It’s one of those places for ‘likeminded people’. Jazz bands, discos, seminars… you get the idea.”

Harvey is the first to admit he’s never been that prolific in terms of output; he thinks instead that timing has been good to him. “There’s been no disco revival in my world for the past two decades,” he scoffs. “That thing just blips on to the hipster scene every couple of years; part of

a new generation working out that everything they like has been done before. The sonics change as the technology gets updated, but it all just goes ‘boom, boom’. If the rhythm moves you, it’s dance music – and that’s the thing!”

A drummer before he was a DJ, more recently Harvey’s tried his hand at different musical projects; he plays almost every instrument in his Map of Africa side project (with Thomas from Run n Tug). “It’s OK,” he labours. “There’s was no concept behind that, we just thought, ‘Let’s see what happens if we try to make some music together.’” His most recent outing, Losussolus, takes the view that less is more. “We’re using modern instruments and technologies in a project that’s fresh for the dancefloor.” With that then, Harvey is back. But of course, he never really went away now, did he?

What: PICNIC presents: DJ Harvey & DJ Garth Where: Beck’s Festival Bar When: Saturday January 15

By Andrew Geeves

“W

herever people want to go and have fun, that’s where Matt & Kim make sense,” declares a super exciteable Matt Johnson, the male namesake of New York duo Matt & Kim. Describing Johnson as ‘eager’ is to do the man somewhat of a disservice. Cross a child’s Christmas Eve excitement with a puppy’s unwavering, tail-wagging affection, add a large dose of unconditional positivity and you have something close to Johnson’s disposition. As he chats from hometown Brooklyn, Johnson’s implacable enthusiasm is to be expected given the unabated exuberance of Sidewalks, the pop-punkindie couple’s recently-released third album.

In one exhale, Johnson describes how Sidewalks marks the first time he and his partner Kim have ventured back into the studio since recording their previous album, Grand, in his childhood home in Vermont.

Working with notable producers like Ben Allen (who produced Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion) suited Matt & Kim’s genre-bending tendencies, while allowing them to spend more time thinking about songs and less time thinking about technical tedium such as “how the hell to make a snare drum sound like a snare drum”. Johnson reports that the couple are resoundingly satisfied with the end product.

“We put in painstaking effort to make sure that we were proud of every single song on there and for different reasons. The feedback has been great . . . It works as an album”.

Having graced our shores last April for Popfrenzy Afloat, Matt & Kim are returning for a Sydney Festival performance in January, before working the Big Day Out circuit. Although Australia may be a country that Johnson feels Matt & Kim have made less headway in than the States, he’s quick to add that it is still a territory that feels “very positive”. “People are ready to have fun and get wild. That’s what we like at our show. It seems like Australia likes to have fun.

“When we were in Brisbane we played at this public area where there was a pool but it was pouring rain, and it was going to get cancelled so we decided just to squeeze everyone in to the women’s locker room and bring half the PA in there”. Although it sounds closer to hell on earth, Johnson’s carefree demeanour seems immune to the frustration this experience might evoke in ordinary mortals... “It was a good time,” he enthuses.

“It was my first and only bathroom that I’ve ever played in - so I’ve been proud of that”.

It’s just as well that Australian audiences are amenable to a bit of fun, as it’s something in which Matt & Kim are well practiced. If they’re not having food

thrown at their white-clad bodies (‘Yea Yeah’), wilfully abandoning their clothes in the middle of Times Square (‘Lessons Learned’) or squeezing into impossibly tiny spaces (‘Daytime’) in their film clips, they’re being accompanied by a fully-decked-out marching band or giving impromptu covers of R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition’ or Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’ on stage. I’m just keen to know how two people can have so much damn fun all the time. “Well, I think the secret is that being in a band and playing music is fucking fun!” quips Johnson. “I don’t know why there are so many people who play music for a living that look like they’re in so much pain. This is one of the most fun jobs I could ever think of”.

But even the most fun job must sometimes be trying when you’re working 24/7 with your partner, right? “Any other relationship I’ve been in, we would have murdered each other many years ago. But for some reason, Kim and I really see eye to eye on everything and we’re best friends,” Johnson assures me. “I don’t why it works, but it just works . . . it’s an ideal situation”.

As glad (read, moderately envious) as I am that Johnson gushes proud, happy enjoyment about everyone and everything that he’s ever encountered, I’m battling a rising queasiness associated with feeling trapped in a Brady Bunch, rose-colouredlenses kind of parallel universe… Surely there must be something that makes Johnson see red. Well, as it turns out, there are two things. With Thanksgiving a recent memory, Johnson fesses up that “it is basically impossible to not make vegetarian gravy taste awful” - and I’m impressed he has the ‘a’ word in his vocabulary. Another, more topical annoyance is pretension.

“What I don’t like is when musicians are contrived”, Johnson admits. “Like, you can tell they’ve strapped the guitar on and stood in front of the full length mirror and they’ve put on their too-cool face, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s the look for stage.’ I just wanna vomit a little when I see that.” Good, vomit.

That’s more like it.

Johnson, on the other hand, doesn’t seem contrived; by the time the interview has closed, I’ve realised that his affably unassuming and genuine nature balances out the rhetoric he espouses - rhetoric that might, to the cynical ear, sound like vacuous, strengths-based, positivepsychology twaddle. Matt & Kim’s infectious verve seems hard to fake, and Johnson’s ardent sincerity arguably demonstrates that he is more than just a hyped-up lacuna of press release buzzwords. Way to demonstrate extreme life enjoyment, you guys. Bring on the live shows.

What: Sidewalks is out now on Liberator Where: Beck’s Festival Bar When: Friday January 21 More: BDO 2011, January 26 & 27

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Tregloan. A successful director and designer in her own right (she’s nabbed five Green Room Awards and a Helpmann Award) Tregloan was drawn to collaborating with Legs on the Wall on a project that embraces all things vaudeville, sideshow, theatrical and challenging.

Bigger Than Jesus (CANADA)

By Simon Binns Rick Miller is a classic jack-of-all-trades: a comedian best known as the host of American comedy show Just For Laughs, and for his rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ using 25 of the most annoying voices in show business, which achieved viral fame via YouTube; a collaborator of contemporary theatre luminary Robert Lepage, with whom he created the ninehour epic Lipsync (Sydney Festival 2009); and the creator of high-tech solo shows such as MacHomer, a one-man mash-up of Macbeth and The Simpsons (Sydney Festival 2010). He’s also done high-class musicals, straight plays – and just for kicks he has two architecture degrees, and is fluent in three languages. This year the Canadian polymath is returning to the Sydney Festival with Bigger Than Jesus, another cult hit on the festival circuit.

Bigger Than Jesus had its genesis ten years ago. “I was playing Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, I was approaching the age of 33 (the mythical age when Jesus is said to have died) and I realised that after growing up Catholic and not having gone to church for fifteen years, I still knew the entire mass by heart,” recalls Miller.

At the same time, President Bush was bringing church and state closer than ever. “This is the most powerful man in the world still talking about Jesus in a very potent way, and I thought there’s something here to be explored.”

Miller developed the work over a number of years with the help of director Daniel Brooks (another Lepage protégée). They decided to use the Catholic liturgy as the spine of the play - “It’s a kind of play in itself that’s existed for 1700 years,” Miller points out. Through a process of research and improvisation, the pair tried to

My Bicycle Loves You

By Liz Schaffer create something tangible out of the mass of ideas swimming around their heads.

The result of all this effort is a 70-minute “cubist portrait” of Jesus that moves from its liturgical base through a variety of different performance numbers that each show a different perspective on the Messiah. Incorporating a live-feed video camera and a large screen, Miller brings these different characters to life, presenting rational, preachy and irreverent approaches to perhaps the most controversial man of the past 2000 years.

Not one to shy away from his skills, Miller will be doing both a German and French performance of the show in its Sydney run. “It’s very important for people to hear the liturgy in the language that’s most familiar to them, so they can go through the same realisation I did: that they know half the words by heart.”

When: January 18-29 Where: Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company More: sydneyfestival.org.au/bigger

Inspired by the freshly restored Corrick Collection - a set of black, white and handcoloured Federation-Era films created by a family of vaudeville performers - My Bicycle Loves You is a concoction of music, magic and effects devised by the Sydney-based ‘physical theatre’ company Legs on the Wall. Hoping to tap into the wonder that accompanied the films when the Corrick family screened them in the early 1900s, Legs on the Wall have created a dream-like world where conventional logic holds no sway.

My Bicycle Loves You focuses on seven characters (drawn from the Corrick films) living in an apartment building - including Salima, who thinks she’s a cat; Brian, who can’t escape the feeling he’s growing bullhorns; and Louisa, who has somehow fallen out of time. Theirs is a world where gravity wields no power, dreams and reality intertwine and love is all you need to surmount death.

“It’s a really exciting and different concept,” says designer and co-deviser Anna

Driven as much by physical performance as narrative, the creative team only had a loose script to work from in rehearsals. “We kind of had a group of elements and we can bring some of them in for one scene and all of them in for another, or one or two of them in for some other scene,” Tregloan explains.

“We could work out those combinations as we went along so [the design] needed to have that flexibility, to allow the show to grow.”

Similarly, Tregloan’s set design was created with the physical restraints of the performers in mind. “This piece requires a wide open parquet floor so a built-up set with lots of stairs or levels wasn’t really an option.” The result (which replaces stairs with canvases, rustic accessories and film projections) has a distinctly vaudevillian look, syncing perfectly with the historical context.

The title My Bicycle Loves You also pays homage to the Corrick Collection. In one of the films, The Shortsighted Cyclist, a bikebound delivery boy who breaks his glasses spends the next five minutes riding off bridges, into holes and around unsuspecting pedestrians. After discovering that performer Tom Flanagan had perfected a few nifty bike stunts, director Patrick Nolan decided to incorporate this story into the narrative.

“The title has the same sense of whimsy an craziness that the films have,” adds Anna. “My Bicycle Loves You – it captures the fun.”

When: January 11-15 Where: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay More: sydneyfestival.org.au/bicycle

A Life In Three Acts

By Dee Jefferson t the risk of cliché: Bette Bourne is a character; larger than life; totally Over The Top. My interview with him is both bizarre and convoluted, traversing the pleasures of hot tea served in Royal Stafford chinaware (“Queens always have tea in camp cups,” he explains cheekily), pussycats, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Withnail & I - and the more pragmatic virtues of ‘street tactics’ (aka avoiding gay bashings).

A

The Red Shoes

By Simon Binns The life of an actor is not for everyone. The endless auditions, the constant rejection, the need to smarm and charm agents and directors. For Mike Shepherd, the last straw was being rejected for a Levis advertisement.

“Not even my arse was good enough,” he laughs. With both his front and backside failing to find fame, he returned home to Cornwall and started Kneehigh Theatre. 30 years later, with the company applauded at home and abroad, he’s having the last laugh.

“It started out with group of itinerant people an electrician, a farmer and a thrash guitarist - who got together in an empty building in Cornwall,” Shepherd recalls. “They were all sorts of very good instinctive talented people, but not actors.” The company cut its teeth with site-specific productions in locations as varied and improbable as primary schools, gunpowder works, cliff tops and woodlands.

These outdoor venues gave great scope for experimentation, with the ability to stage action far away, as well as scarily close.

“The work was wild and elemental and that’s exactly what The Red Shoes is.”

Kneehigh’s production reworks Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale about a vain young girl whose infatuation with a pair of red shoes leads her to abandon her ailing mother in favour of dancing the night away at a party. Unfortunately for her, the

(U.K.)

shoes take over and never stop dancing. “ [Andersen] was a bit weird; by the end she has her feet chopped off and has to undergo a life of servitude to go to heaven,” say Shepherd. Moving away from the themes of vanity and faith, director Emma Rice has focused on the role of women, and the challenges they face when diverting from their gender normative path. “In ours, she finds her own way and does go to heaven. Emma made it quite personal.”

Besides being a character, Bette is also a pioneer of London’s gay rights movement of the ‘70s – and these two factors combined are ample justification for Mark Ravenhill’s entertaining 2-hour biographical piece, A Life In Three Acts.

Ravenhill, who is best known as a proponent of Britain’s ‘In-yer-face’ theatre movement (along with peers Sarah Kane and Anthony Neilson), met Bourne ten years ago during a National Theatre workshop for his play Mother Clap’s Molly House. Their working relationship developed into a close friendship, which lead Ravenhill to propose an unusual project: over a few weeks he would interview Bourne about his life and career; the conversations would be transcribed; the transcriptions would be shaped into a theatre piece – a celebration of Bourne’s on- and offstage life, and its intersection with the vibrant gay culture and civil rights movements coming out of London’s Soho district.

(U.K.)

Soho Theatre in 2009, is staged as an interview between Bette and Mark (playing themselves) with some song-and-dance interludes from Bette – all accompanied by projections of photos from the era, from personal snaps to archival material, and production shots of Bette’s infamous drag troupe, Bloolips. Due to illness, Ravenhill has been replaced in the Sydney Festival season by Australian actor Mitchell Butel – which obscures the personal connection at the heart of A Life In Three Acts, but doesn’t change the fact that this is absolutely Bette's show.

Bette (née Peter) grew up in post-war East London and, along with figures like Quentin Crisp, became a key proponent of a new type of masculinity - one that rejected the butch bravado of WW2 veterans. In one sense A Life in Three Acts is a case study of a generation of young men whose fathers returned from the war bitter, angry and estranged from their families. Beaten by his dad, and inspired by London’s ‘swinging’ 60s, Peter went on to reject his father’s expectations off an unambitious working-class life, and instead decided that he was “destined for the theatre!”

Bourne’s ambitions were vindicated, as it turns out, by a career that saw him do Shakespeare at the Old Vic, treading the boards with Ian McKellen, among others. Life really began, however, when he joined the Gay Liberation Front, dropped out of mainstream theatre, formed a seedy drag squat/commune, and took up the name Bette (pronounced Betty).

The resulting play, which premiered at London’s Condensed into just two hours, Bette’s life has the makings of great theatre – by turns entertaining, enlightening, hilarious and profoundly moving. To read the quirky transcript of the interview, head to brag. com – but it’s no substitute for experiencing the Bette in the flesh and live, darling.

With dancing instrumental to the story, the show’s musical component is vital. As well as compositions from Stu Barker, another Kneehigh regular, there’s a soundtrack that should have something for everyone – from Offenbach and Wagner to Jurassic 5. Throw in some traditional Cornish clog dancing, and you’ve got an anarchical, electricallycharged fairytale for the modern age.

“We create work with a lot of freedom; we don’t take a play off a shelf and sit around making notes and drinking coffee,” Shepherd asserts. “It’s a bit like cooking we started mixing ideas together and Emma began crafting. The work may be raw, but it’s also very precise.”

When: January 18–30 Where: York Theatre, Seymour Centre More: sydneyfestival.org.au/red

When: Until January 16 Where: Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company More: sydneyfestival.org.au/life

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2 Dimensional Life Of Her

to one of my drawings was, ‘It looks like you’ve just scribbled on her face!’” Fleur laughs. “She was literally implying that if I took that scribble off the page there would be a real face underneath it. I love the way she saw the scribble as being irrelevant. She saw a person in that thing.”

visual arts Peaches

In contrast, Fleur talks about the sixty or so of her pen-drawn faces (scaled from palm-size up to 3x6m) that are hanging in the Australian Credit Union head offices in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Some of the employees, she says, after several months of walking by them, only then realised that what they’d been passing by all along were the lineaments of a portrait.

By Anthony Coxeter

T

he incompleteness of certain impressions, and the way we go on with them, or despite ourselves, ‘complete’ them, is something Fleur Elise Noble talks at length about as we sit in her humid, wooden-floored studio in Brisbane. We are here to discuss her touring theatre-piece 2 Dimensional Life of Her, a drawing-based intercourse of projection, stop-motion animation, puppetry, and performance – and like the show itself, our conversation straddles the vanishing line between the products and processes of her artistic creation.

Fleur is in the midst of an anecdote: “All the scribbly little drawings I do (and I’ve been doing them since I was fourteen), I’ve probably drawn, literally, millions of these [scribbly] people –” The small drawings she is referring to are wiry, dark, loosely formed and, to me, uncomfortably austere. Each is as if a human visage has been forgotten and, through persevering scribbles, half-recovered; as if a regression of the human archetype had left, in memorandum, innumerably many, and rough, recollections.

“I was just printing out a whole lot of stuff at a friend’s house where there was this little eightyear-old, and – like I was pathetic – her response

These equivocations and misunderstandings are deeply interesting to Fleur, not least because Fleur, as an artist, is frequently subject to these equivocations and misunderstandings herself. Her art is thus, as she would have it, a style of inquiry; her creations themselves tend, on their own, to peer back into the mysterious creative effort that produced them. One handhigh marionette during 2 Dimensional Life of Her, for instance, memorably slams his barelyfeatured face into sheets of paper spread across the ground, creating wry self-portraits.

Fleur’s originality, not to mention her intrepid versatility with different mediums, reminds me of a point I was near enough to hear the Australian painter John Olsen make recently: that the true spirit of the avante garde lies not in any fashionable junction to ‘make it avante garde’, but in saying to oneself, as Fleur so very naturally does, ‘let’s try this’.

When: January 9–13 Where: Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre More: sydneyfestival.org.au/2d

“I

’m always thinking about neighbourhoods,” says Sydney-based performance-maker Rosie Dennis; we’re talking about her latest work, but the sentiment might apply to her recent body of work, which uses personal and community histories to explore everyday aspects of modern life: in Fraudulent Behaviour it was the role of lies; in Downtown it was the role of public space.

Rosie started writing her latest piece when she was living in Waterloo, a suburb with a high proportion of public housing. More than most urban dwellers in the modern age, Dennis knew many of her neighbours, and used their stories, as well as her own anecdotes and observations, to create a performance that she describes as “simple, accessible” - based around what happens in six apartments within a public housing tenement, as their residents face the prospect of being relocated.

Driven to New Pastures was first performed as a ‘work in progress’, at Chippendale’s Fraser Studios. Soon afterwards Rosie was commissioned by Campbelltown Arts Centre

to adapt the project for Minto, a Western Sydney suburb that has a similar demography to Waterloo: an ageing population and a high proportion of public housing (more than 90%).

Rosie spent four weeks in Minto, attending community groups, and getting a feel for the place. “I met a lot of people, had a lot of cups of tea,” she says.

Rosie has an uncanny knack for drawing a grin from the most reluctant face, both on and off the stage, but in Minto she met her match in 72-year-old local June Hickey. The two met at the Minto Mob Walking Group, and immediately hit it off. With their friendship developing as Rosie was in the process of drafting and redrafting her piece, she finally decided to give June a formal role in the production. Hickey responded with reserved excitement, saying, “I’m 72, I’ve got arthritis, but if you think I can, Rosie”; and of course, Dennis responded with a smiling, “I think you can”.

Like most of Dennis’ works, Driven To New Pastures is both text-heavy, drawing from oral history collected from Minto residents, and movement-based – June and Rosie have three separate dance numbers, in fact. At their debut,

in a Church Hall in Minto, the two shared cake with their audience within the intimate setting.

When asked how this might translate to a traditional theatre space, Rosie is positive - “a relationship can transform a space”.

Driven To New Pastures isn’t about Waterloo or Minto; rather it’s about the significance of home and the importance of neighbours. Ultimately the personal trumps the communal, however; what makes this piece so special is what it reveals about Rosie and June, and their unlikely yet transformative friendship.

When: January 11-16 Where: Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre More: sydneyfestival.org.au/driven

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer

By Bridie Connellan f idle hands are the devil’s tools, Tim Watts is practically Messianic. Crafting his able palms into an imaginative, endearing and awardwinning character, this Perth-based theatrical auteur is back on Australian soil this month with two paws very firmly on deck to introduce the sweetest little guy this side of the Pixar lamp: Alvin Sputnick.

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A fusion of original hand puppetry, animation, mime, projections, and an inspiring blend of live and recorded music, The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer is what happens when Watts put his mind to exploring “enduring love and the end of the world”. Clearly it’s edifying stuff, with the show fresh from performances at the Delhi International Arts Festival, New York International Fringe Festival, Perth’s Blue Room Theatre, and Adelaide Fringe Festival - having bagged a host of awards in the process.

Bearing an unmistakable resemblance to the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, Watts’ story concerns inquisitive deep-sea voyager Alvin Sputnick, and his quest to retrieve the lost soul of his wife from the bottom of the ocean.

Our setting is a future planet Earth where 20 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

science has failed, and the ratio of land to ocean is ever-dwindling.

“One major inspiration was my trip to the Great Barrier Reef a few months before we started making the show,” says Watts. “It frightened me so much. There’s something that is just terrifying about being all alone in that massive expanse - but then there’s something I quite like about being reminded how small I am.”

The trip triggered something of a scribbling compulsion for Watts. “I started doing drawings of this little guy on a completely blank page with just a few bubbles trailing off, swimming next to a giant whale, just to be reminded of how tiny, tiny, tiny we really are.”

The character of Alvin is one of the show’s most compelling aspects, and Watts accounts for this partly by the ability of puppets to engender an emotional engagement. “Human beings have this great need to imbue things with life, so we’re so great at giving things life and personality,” he suggests.

At the same time, Watts was acutely aware of the difference between conveying feeling and conveying plot, and decided that animation would be his prime mode of creating a narrative.

By Caitlin Welsh

W

e’ve all found ourselves at gigs in recent years, cursing as we duck and sway to get glowing iPhone screens out of our sightline; our inner codger grumbles about enjoying the moment, and how they’ll never watch it anyway. Melbournebased director and video artist Jasmin Tarasin may have found the antidote to that experience with her new video exhibition, LIVE. LIVE features twenty solo musicians, captured in intimate footage by Tarasin as they perform one song, in one take, with a maximum of one instrument, against a bare background. Examining and celebrating the strange dualities of live music performance – the intimacy and alienation, the mutable borders between the personal and the aesthetic –the project features an intimidating roster of musical talents.

Driven To New Pastures

By Georgie Meagher

Live

“It wasn’t just another technology just for the sake of it, or another gimmick. Quickly it becomes apparent that multimedia is serving a function in the telling of the story.”

The other star of the show, of course, is Watts – or rather, his hand. “I’ve always kind of mucked around with little hand movements, like those little boots that you put on your fingers,” he says.

“The trick is coordination, particularly teaching your hand little disco moves.”

The internationals range from cult heroes like Jarvis Cocker and Peaches to critical darlings like Jim James (of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk) and Wainwright siblings Rufus & Martha; local favourites from Dan Kelly and Sarah Blasko to Kram and Laura Jean rub elbows with veterans Jimmie Little and Kim Salmon. “I just wrote to them,” says Tarasin simply. “It’s kind of a rare request, to be part of a collaborative art exhibition; it’s not like a request to perform at a gig or do an interview, so most of them were really into it.”

As she travelled Australia, the UK and the US to film the artists, Tarasin was both floored and moved by the performances. “It’s a quite naked thing to do, being in a room performing to one or two people. That’s quite an amazing experience to pull something out when you haven’t got the crowd to feed off,” she admits. “There were a few that were really spontaneous that I really enjoyed. Warren Ellis’s performance was incredible - it brought tears to my eyes.

Julian Hamilton from the Presets did an acapella version of ‘My People’ and that was really quite intense.”

The experience of the full, hour-long show can, and should, be a fairly intense one for audiences. Tarasin worked with lighting and installation designer Bruce Ramus, a veteran of tours for Bowie and U2, to create the space. With four silent rear-projection screens showing four different performances at all times, visitors don wireless headphones (like the ones used for Silent Discos) and choose which to hear. There are also individual booths for “one-on-one” encounters – an experience that all visitors, whether they share a passion for live music or not, may find startling.

“I think it’s really rare when you’re in a crowded venue… to just experience the art of that person who’s performing,” Tarasin says. “[In the LIVE footage] you can see every skin crack and pore… To experience the intensity of that - it’s kind of the ultimate gig.”

When: January 18-23

When: January 13–23

Where: Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre

Where: Lower Town Hall

More: sydneyfestival.org.au/alvin

More: sydneyfestival.org.au/live

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The Decemberists x Ten ByYears x On By Oliver Downes

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n the world of Colin Meloy, mythic characters stride gargantuan across wild, untamed landscapes, seeking (and occasionally receiving) love while being undone by malign authority, inner flaw or other tragic circumstance. Unlike so many songwriters of note, the Decemberists’ scoundrel-in-chief has built his band’s reputation not on soul-baring angst but by spinning grand narratives set to raucous and insistently good-humoured folk-rock tunes.

That said, there’s a definite tendency for the guy not to get the girl - and for the pair of them to wind up fish food.

“I guess I just have kind of a penchant for tragedy,” explains Meloy from his home in Portland, Oregon, ahead of the release of the group’s sixth LP, The King Is Dead.

“The pathos of life in a narrative is more interesting to write about. I find protagonists who are either tragic or have a kind of core vulnerability tend to be more dynamic and interesting to me, rather than just singing about myself,” he says. “[There are] plenty of vulnerabilities there too, but none that I’m really interested in singing about.”

“I feel like everything I do musically is indebted to R.E.M. - I think I just wear it a little more on my sleeve on this record.”

At best, Meloy’s approach has produced rambling yarns that are at once sophisticated parables, laden with delightfully erudite flourishes, while being instantly accessible foot-stomping singalongs. Think the Victorian sea-shanty kitsch of ‘The Mariner’s Revenge Song’ from Picaresque (2005) or the retelling of the titular Japanese folk story on The Crane Wife (2006), with Meloy revelling in rolling ballads that sometimes extend in excess of ten minutes.

This predilection for the grandiose reached its logical apex with the band’s last album, The Hazards Of Love (2009), a sprawling hourlong rock opera complete with key characters voiced by vocalists including Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket). For many, however, Meloy had perhaps bitten off more than he could chew; the songwriting often failed to match the album’s lofty ambitions. But he doesn’t seem too worried. “I think that every time that we’ve made something big, the point [has been] to make it overblown. I think that that’s what’s sort of clever about it, kind of funny, to toy with bigger and bigger horizons …

It’s just toying with genre, toying with approaches, creating new signifiers, different places, different people, using the trappings of older kinds of music. I think we are prepared to do that in a little more subtle way this time around than we have in the past.”

Fans overwhelmed by the excesses of Hazards will be pleased that The King Is Dead sees The Decemberists scaling things back, each song being its own self-contained entity, with only one exceeding the five-minute mark. Taken as a whole, the collection seemingly reflects more modest aspirations on the part of Meloy, with the theatrical gestures of past releases giving way to more straightforward folk-inflected indie that self-consciously pays homage to one of the songwriter’s formative inspirations, R.E.M. “I think that they’re one of the bands that first helped me create my own musical outlook,” says Meloy of Michael Stipe & Co. “Them and The Replacements and Husker Dü and The Smiths - those are the bands that were incredibly influential for me, not only in discovering what music was like, but what kind of person I was and my own desires creatively,” he continues.

“Inevitably, I feel like everything I do musically is indebted to R.E.M. - I think I just wear it a little more on my sleeve on this record.”

Indeed, the album even features a member of R.E.M.. Guitarist Peter Buck contributes to three songs, including rootsy first single ‘Down By The Water’ - although ‘Calamity Song’ pays more obvious homage, with its unmistakable mix of drivingly upbeat melody and apocalyptic lyrics.

Meloy is enthusiastic about working with one of his idols. “He’s a really sweet, kind man, and works very quickly, professionally, and is a really fun guy to be around. I first met him in 1991 when I was 16. I snuck into The Crocodile in Seattle after a My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo show, and R.E.M. were in town – I think they were mixing or mastering Automatic For The People – and Michael Stipe and Peter Buck were both in there. I bought a glass of red wine for Peter Buck and chatted with him. He didn’t remember that exchange, but he still treats me very nicely.”

As well as its back-to-basics approach, The King Is Dead also marks the ten-year anniversary since the release of The Decemberists’ first effort, the 5 Songs EP, back in 2001. With a decade of music-making under his belt, Meloy seems ready to let the band sit on the backburner for a while in order to pursue other creative avenues. “Having been at this now for ten years, it’s been pretty constant in what we’ve done creatively - but there are other things I’d like to do. I’m not putting The Decemberists away completely but I would like to step away, take a longer time away from the band and focus on other things.”

Such as? “Certainly working on something with theatre, but I’ve also been working on a series of books with my wife Carson, who does all the illustrations for the band. We are working on a series of illustrated novels and the first one, Wild Wood, comes out [this] year. That’s probably where my head will be for the foreseeable future, after the touring cycle is done.”

What: The King Is Dead is out January 14, through EMI

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Guilty Simpson

Phat Kat

Sounds Of Detroit II By David Edgley

Sounds Of Detroit I By David Edgley

P

hat Kat is the elder statesman of Detroit hip hop; a Motor City pioneer who laid the foundations of the genre in what has become one of the most innovative and respected locales for rhyme slingers and beatsmiths. Years before anybody had even heard the name J Dilla (let alone committed to memory every kick and snare that he laid out on the MPC pads), he and Phat Kat were a group known as 1st Down. “When we were in the studio recording, it was always a lot of smokes and jokes,” Kat says fondly. “Dilla was a very funny guy.” Thanks to a chance meeting with Guru & Premo while Gabgstarr were on tour in 1995, the two got signed to Payday Records and dropped the forgotten 12-inch ‘A Day Wit The Homies,’ becoming the first local Detroit act to land a major label deal. That’s how deep Phat Kat’s roots are in this game.

But hold up, we’re skipping ahead here. How did the kid known as Ronnie Watts get it into hip hop originally? “It was 2am and it was the early 80s. I was watching the video show ‘Soul Beat’, and I seen the Whodini ‘Freaks Come Out At Night’ video,” Phat Kat says.

The clip inspired him to become and emcee, following that pivotal moment, he went on a steady diet of Run-DMC, Whodini, Rakim, KRS One, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and the Fat Boys. Phat Kat was born. “After that, I knew that my calling was hip hop.

There is no other feeling like being on stage rocking, with people reciting your words back to you.”

Though 1st Down didn’t last long, Phat Kat maintained a close friendship with Dilla, MCing on many of his finest beats over the years. Much like the great producer, Phat Kat’s music bleeds the hard streets of Detroit, a place the man reps to the fullest. His last album Carte Blanche communicates the very essence of his home town, featuring production and bars exclusively from the who’s who of the Motor City. “Yeah, I wanted to keep [Carte Blanche] all Detroit and bring the Detroit

reality of life in my music. I have to include what I know and see in my music all the time.”

That’s why you get a heartfelt MC who can rap honestly about his troubled relationship with his father in one breath, and then be tossing molotov cocktails at your crib in the next. He ain’t a preacher; more a wise uncle telling you how it is.

sound to the world, the way I hear and see it.” A fellow Detroit MC he’s worked with for years is former Slum Village member, Elzhi.

“Elzhi is like the younger brother I never had, so it’s like working with family,” he explains when asked about why they decided to come together as a group, under the moniker Cold Steel. “We just finished our Cold Steel European tour. To the fans - the full length LP is coming in 2011.”

Having dealt with a lot of label and industry bullshit over the years (getting lost in the Payday shuffle, Barak not pushing his debut The Undeniable and Look Records folding), Phat Kat’s now working for himself. He’s established his own label, Money Truck, and calls a spade a spade when it comes to the shady dealings of the industry. Recently, he called into a Detroit radio show to verbally berate Slum Village member T3 on air, about fucking over the Slum Village legacy. “Elzhi ain’t fucking with you, don’t do that to the fans, keep it real,” he told T3, going on to ask the artist to be honest about the fact that Slum Village was finished. It’s a chapter in his life for which he does not repent.

“Barak Records and T3 was the cancer to Slum Village, and it’s spread throughout the crew,” he spits emphatically. “That’s the bottom line.”

And how can you argue that point with a man who’s about to bring his legendary career full circle? Phat Kat is planning on working with Dilla’s son Illa J, under the moniker 2nd Down. “Yeah Illa J and myself talked about 2nd Down, but we haven’t started recording yet. Illa J - call me!

Let’s knock it out!”

With: Guilty Simpson, Dizz1 & Friends, Seekae DJs and Cold Crush DJs Where: Sounds Of Detroit 2011 Tour @ Tone When: Saturday January 22

His conviction and passion has driven countless respected artists to reach out to him, and there’s been some amazing collaborations over the years. There’s Dilla of course, with whom Guilty built a strong connection, and who he remembers with a smile. “I’d recorded a song over one of Dilla’s tracks that I really wanted him to hear, so I’d been trying to get him on the phone for a few weeks,” Guilty recalls. “When I finally caught up with him, I told him I was trying for a while to reach him, to let him hear this song. He told me he was mixing and simply put, he said, “You can’t be a slave to that cell phone, man. Especially when you’re working.” That was the realest thing ever to me. So many are slaves to technology – it’s sick.”

“I

think it’s the changes the city goes through in a year’s time,” answers Guilty Simpson, when asked what makes the hip hop from his hometown of Detroit so distinct. “The harsh winters, blazing summers and everything in between. The music has the heart of winter in it to me, if that make sense.

The cold dark element, the beauty of the struggle and grind of the winter.”

It’s an analogy that pulses through Guilty’s music. This is an MC living at the coalface, constantly laying down his thick workman-like drawl in order to paint everyday stories from Detroit in vivid monochrome detail. Lyrics as unforgiving as a Michigan blizzard; blue-collar hip hop. Most of us first heard him spitting on the Jaylib track ‘Strapped’ back in 2003.

It was followed by plenty more guest verses, but we had to wait until 2008 for his first full length to drop. Ode to the Ghetto came out on Stones Throw (thanks to a hook up from Dilla), and was backed up by the exclusively Madlib-produced OJ Simpson. Both LP’s gave us Guilty laying his gritty soul down on the cold streets in calculated bars.

“Everything I write is me, me, me. But the world isn’t about me - not all the time at least,” Guilty laughs. “So I try to include the

Then there’s collaborations with Dilla’s west coast musical equivalent, Madlib. Guilty says he works so well with Madlib because “he understands who I am, and respects it. He has so many layers of production; I just pick the line I liked the most, and go from there.

He’s a sick producer; it’s not difficult to make dope music with him.”

Then there’s the super group that everyone is waiting to hear from, Random Axe - a project involving himself, Duck Down legend Sean P, and producer of the moment Black Milk. Since details of the project dropped, fans have been impatient to hear it - but then rumours surfaced that the entire LP was lost, when Milk’s computer crashed. So what actually happened? “Not ALL of it [was lost], but a LOT of it was deleted,” Guilty admits, sounding slightly amused. He tells me it will be out in the first quarter of the year. “What we did after the stuff got deleted crushes the previous [tracks] anyway.”

Add to this impressive list a planned collaboration with long-time friend Jay Electronica, and an intention to move into production as well, and it seems that Guilty Simpson is looking at punching the hip hop clock for years to come.

With: Phat Kat, Dizz1 & Friends, Seekae DJs and Cold Crush DJs Where: Sounds Of Detroit 2011 Tour @ Tone When: Saturday January 22

G. Love & Plutonic How To Make Moonshine By Max Easton

P

hiladelphia’s G. Love and Melbourne producer Plutonic Lab aren’t the first two artists you’d free-associate with the word ‘collaboration’ - but they’re about to be all over your radio. Next month comes the release of Moonshine Lemonade, a pan-Pacific side project which came to fruition based on only a half-serious intention. “This thing has just been a crazy trip,” asserts G. Love, down the phone from the States. “I was down there on tour and me and Plutonic met and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do some shit - send me some beats and I’ll see what I can lay down on it’… And he actually DID send some beats, and I actually DID lay some shit down on it,” he laughs. “It just happened on a vibe, y’know, no pressure…

All we knew was that we wanted to make something unique.”

G. Love’s place in roots folklore inspires confidence in his claims of originality. Arguably ushering in the dominance of early 00’s roots and surf-folk, after debuting Jack Johnson’s ‘Rodeo Clowns’ on his record Philadelphonic, he’s toyed with splicing blues and hip-hop for over twenty years. He tells me that Moonshine Lemonade is the most straight out hip-hop album he’s approached, and one that he sees as a perfect fit for our island home. “People in Australia are always ready for new, creative shit; the underground stuff, stuff that isn’t quite as polished as all the commercial hip-hop that’s so popular in the US. In Australia I think

G. Love

there’s a lot more room for independent hiphop to do really well, and I think we will really do well in that vibe.”

With G. Love’s resonator guitar and Plutonic’s beats, unique is not just a word that G. Love drops repeatedly throughout the interview; it’s inherent in the process at the core of the album’s creation. “Pluto would send me some beats, but they wouldn’t be hooked up like beats - they’d really be hooked up like a song,” G. Love explains. “They had changes in them and little melodic breakdowns, which was pretty unique writing for those tunes.”

While G. Love wrote some rhymes specifically for the record, others he pulled out of his old crates to match to the new beats, breaks and hooks. “It really was a collaborative songwriting process; we were just letting it fly, and it all just happened.”

It’s G. Love’s job to talk up his work without abandon, but with such enthusiasm it’s still hard not to feel like he’s sitting on something golden. “I’m feeling really great about this record,” he tells me emphatically. “When I was putting this together, I was jamming every night on my tour bus, and if we were having a tour bus party I’d be rockin’ this shit, not even telling people what it was, just to see how people were reacting to it, and it was pretty hot… It’s a real hip-hop record, but it does have some real low-down dirty blues in it. Me

Plutonic and Pluto just hit a spark, and I think people are gonna hear that.”

Having released over a dozen albums in 15 years, G. Love has been prolific - but he’s never quite dropped that album. In the States, his hip-hop and blues genre-splicing resulted in a promotional dead zone – he ended up being released from his first major label deal. After swapping over to indie label Brushfire Records before starting his own, Philadelphonic, G. Love is one of the finest examples of the modern day independent artist. So with such history and experience, his enthusiasm about Moonshine Lemonade is a pretty strong sign of its likelihood for success; he all but guarantees it. “I’m really feeling it, man. I’ve made a lot of records in my time and some of them have been big hits and some of them not so much, so you just take the good with the bad and keep producing… And I think this time we really made something special.”

Who: G. Love & Plutonic What: Moonshine Lemonade is out in February, through Casadeldisco Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday January 15

“Two feet in the sand, we’re still finding Peter Pan to make things stay the same.” - JINJA SAFARI 24 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

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The Original Wailers x Sharing By x The Love By Hugh Robertson

T

here are few figures in popular music more iconic than Bob Marley. Even today, nearly thirty years after his death, he and his family dominate reggae music in a way that no other artist does in any other genre.

Recently I’ve begun to think that this is hugely detrimental to reggae as a genre, as there is really no room for anyone else to break through and make their name. This year’s Raggamuffin festival is a perfect example; legends like Jimmy Cliff playing alongside the new guard in New Zealand’s The Black Seeds, and all involved having to work twice as hard to get half as much attention.

In any other genre, Al Anderson would be a household name. After the core trio of The Wailers (Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) broke up in 1974, Anderson joined the newly formed group Bob Marley & The Wailers, and played lead guitar on classic recordings like ‘No Woman, No Cry’, ‘Exodus’, ‘Jamming’ and ‘One Love’. Basically, although he won’t talk himself up, Anderson is The Dude. The Man. Probably the most significant guitarist in the history of reggae, and probably in the Top Ten Most Important People in

Ryza : Def Tonez Zwelli : Flash Hubbard $15 before 11pm & $25 after

SATURDAY JAN 15TH

MOWGLI(DEAD FISH, ITA) (BODYROCKERS ) KAZ JAMES KID KENOBI SIMON COYLE HOSTED BY MC ADAM ZAE $15 BEFORE 10PM & $25 AFTER

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the history of the genre. And yet I’ll bet my life savings that you have never heard of him before - a damn shame, because not only is he a terrific guitarist and a walking history of reggae, but he’s also a pretty cool guy.

He’s just turned 60 but looks and sounds half his age; when I get him on the phone, he’s just come out of the surf at Santa Monica beach. A deeply spiritual man, Anderson is a practicing Buddhist, with a Zen-like approach to what he calls ‘the people’s social revolution’, which revolves around “pot smoking, good social living and good healthy metaphysical thoughts towards my friends”.

And, unsurprisingly, he’s deeply philosophical about the long shadow of the man he describes variously as being “like Buddha”, “a mountain of a figurehead” and “saintly, on a very high level”.

“We all felt that we were part of his life”, Anderson begins about Marley, “but we were ignored. And I always wanted to talk to The Beatles about... being isolated in such a huge band, where somebody was not so important as the others. Bob was always the most important figure - he was a mountain of a figurehead - and he was always the temple point that you saw first. And we had no problem with that. But years later, we wanted to do our own records, and sing our own songs”.

FRIDAY JAN 14TH

JEFF DRAKE : MATTTT CLUB JUNQUE : SPENDA C KING LEE : TOM YUM

“I always wanted to talk to The Beatles about being isolated in such a huge band. Bob Marley was always the most important figure.”

It strikes me as a little odd that the group that Anderson has put together call themselves ‘The Original Wailers’, considering that none of the original trio are in the group. Misleading at best, I thought, and potentially a bold-faced lie aimed solely at selling a few more tickets. But before I can even ask about the name of the group, Anderson explains it in the most beautifully holistic, spiritual way that I can’t possibly argue with. “I was assigned by Chris Blackwell [legendary Island Records impresario] to get the guitar thing happening with reggae music, so that it would be recognisable in the world ... and to unify The Wailers again,” he explains. “And I thought that if I could play guitar with three songwriters like [Marley, Tosh and Wailer], then I’m there... The reason why we call ourselves the Original Wailers is because I had the opportunity to work with them, and it is a great feeling to know that they are inside of me when I’m playing this music”.

Reading it now, I’ll acknowledge that this justification could seem like disingenuous nonsense, but hearing it from Anderson’s directly, you can’t even begin to doubt him. Anderson isn’t faking it – he was there, man. “I played their music, I’ve lived with them, they’ve cooked for me, I know all their children, and I’ve known pretty much everything about them for the past thirty years of my life,” he tells me. “And that completely changed me as a musician. I came to Jamaica playing rock, jazz and blues, and just became so involved with their lifestyle, their language, the food they eat. I became a part of their society and they turned me into the musician and the person that I am today.”

Essentially, Anderson tells me, all that The Original Wailers are asking for is a little bit of acknowledgment - but mostly, they just want a chance to play their music, old and new. “I want you to know that the world’s greatest drummer, Carlton Barrett, never got any credit at all,” he says. “Or Earl ‘Wya’ Lindo, Bob’s early arranger and keyboard player, who arranged ‘I Shot The Sherriff’, and who wrote ‘Redemption Song’, but never gets mentioned.” As for the shows, Anderson can hardly contain his excitement. “I’ve got a lot of friends in Mary J. Blige’s band,” he explains, “and friends in Jimmy Cliff’s band. And so it’s going to be a great thing for me to come and make music with some friends. I hope I won’t just be playing my own stuff – I want to get in a jam with Jimmy, or Maxi Priest, or someone. I’m hoping to go back on stage. I’ll be there; I’ll be ready.

“That’s my most important thing for this year,” he continues. “To get to Australia, play my music, and play some music that everyone’s really familiar with from the Wailers. And just be a part of the light that’s transcending to the people of Australia.”

With: Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest, Mary J. Blige, Sean Paul, The Black Seeds, Ky-Mani Marley and The Red Eyes Where: Raggamuffin 2011 @ Parramatta Park When: Friday January 28

WHO WILL BE STANDING HIGH ON THE PODIUM AS THE NEWEST COMEDY HERO? Check out NSW’s newest comedians sweat it out in heats for a chance to appear in the RAW Comedy National Grand Final EACH GIG COMES WITH A GOLD MEDALIST MC

Sydney – MC Sam Simmons (Mon 10 Jan) Heats: 10, 17, 24, 31 January, 7, 14, 21, 28 February 8.30pm The Comedy Store Book now! 9357 1419 or comedystore.com.au Byron Bay – MC Mandy Nolan Heats: 21 February, 7 March 8pm Pandanus Lounge, Byron Bay Services Club Book now! 6685 6878 or byronbayservicesclub.com.au Newcastle – MC Tom Ballard 26 February 8pm Book now through at the Civic Theatre Box Office, any Ticketek outlet or call 4929 1977 www.ticketek.com.au Wollongong – MC Cam Knight 1 March 8pm Illawarra Performing Arts Centre Book now! 4224 5999 or merrigong.com.au

FOR MORE INFO VISIT RAWCOMEDY.COM.AU DON’T MISS THE LAST WEEK OF FLiCKERFEST! Flickerfest returns in 2011, celebrating 20 years as Australia’s premier short film festival with 100 of the best short films from Australia and across the galaxy!

CLOSING NIGHT

TICKETING

AWARDS, SCREENING & PARTY SUN 16 JAN 2011

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IN COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS SHORT DOCUMENTARIES GREENFLiCKS Environmental Shorts FLiCKERUP National Youth Competition

SHORT FILM SHOWCASES BEST OF COMEDY SHORTS STAR WARS TRIBUTE PROGRAMME FOR FULL PROGRAMME DETAILS, GO TO FLiCKERFEST.COM.AU

WORKSHOPS FROM SHORTS TO FEATURES – A JOURNEY WITH AUSTRALIA’S HOTTEST NEW FEATURE FILMMAKERS!

20TH INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 16 JANUARY 2011 BONDI PAVILION, BONDI BEACH, SYDNEY FLiCKERFEST.COM.AU

SEASON PASS $130/$115 3 SESSION PASS $40/$35 SESSION TICKET $15/$13 WORKSHOPS $15/$13 FLiCKERUP $5 KIDS/$10 ADULT/$20 FAMILY CLOSING NIGHT PARTY $35/$30 (PRICES INCLUDE GST BUT NOT BOOKING FEES) ALL SESSIONS APPROX. 100 MINS LONG AND RATED 15+ (EXCEPT STAR WARS TRIBUTE PROGRAMME, FLiCKER KIDS & FLiCKERUP – SESSIONS RATED G)

FLiCKERFEST IS AN ALL-WEATHER EVENT.

FESTIVAL INFORMATION 02 9365 6888 OR FLiCKERFEST.COM.AU BOOKINGS 1300 306 776 OR MCA-TIX.COM.AU

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arts frontline

free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com

arts, theatre and film news... what's goin' on around town and more...

brushstrokes NOYES

INTERVIEWED BY HOLLY

ORKIN

influenced how you’re going about directing For A Better World?

The images are great because it’s a radio play, so they’re really photographic or cinematic. My sense of when I’m making it is that I’m really making images on the stage. What’s exciting to me is that if I can make photographic images on the stage and then drop the text in over it, it’s more like live art and less like a traditional dramatic story. In a lot of theatre the text is privileged above everything else and I think in this we’re trying to make it on par with the image and the sound and the lights as well.

Pier Carthew, Kade Greenland, Meredith Penman, Alexander England, Fleur Dean in For a Better World.

T

he worlds of sci-fi, horror, military or even action tend to be a bit too heavily reliant on a special effects budget to make it onto the stage; nevertheless, For A Better World, by Roland Schimmelpfennig (German for moldy penny), is a rag-tag collision of sci-fi, sex, sweat and uniforms that’s currently taking Griffin Theatre's SBW Stables stage by storm.

The press release provocatively proclaims, ‘War. Aliens. Bikinis. This is not a festival show.” Director Daisy Noyes has collected various creatives from her nomadic life (she originally hails from New York) to help her smash together disciplines, and create something out of this world.

Tell me about your show!

It’s sort of a genre theatre piece, which is hard to find. It’s a war/sci-fi/futuristic action movie, but it’s a play! That’s what attracted it to me at first, I went “wow, I’ve never read a play like this before”.

But it turns out that it’s actually a radio play, which is why it’s so crazy because in a radio play, actors only have to say things, they don’t actually have to do them. Then I thought, this would be so much fun to direct! Because there are so many totally impossible images. There’s this scene where this women turns into this alien while she’s having sex!

Quite an image! You’re first practice is photography though isn’t it? Has that

VOTE SMACS

Voting for FBi Radio’s Sydney Music, Arts & Cultural Awards closes this week – January 12 – so stop fence-sitting, and let your fingers doing the walking over to smacawards.com/vote to check out the intimidating lineup of nominees, and cast your vote in the ring. There are 13 categories this year – including a newbie for Best Film Clip – but as usual, because this is ‘just the arts section’ of the BRAG, we’re feeling most belligerent about the competition for Best Artist, Best Arts Event, Best Collective, Best On Screen, Best Performer, Best Major Arts Festival, and Remix The City.

The SMACS will go down on January 20 at the National Art School campus, see you there.

RAW COMEDY HEATS UP

TRASH HUMPERS

From the same cinema that brought you late-night screenings of Tommy Wiseau’s so-bad-it’s-good melodrama The Room, and the writer-director behind Kids, Gummo, Julien DonkeyBoy and Mister Lonely, comes a ‘midnight movies’ season of Harmony Korine’s latest film, Trash Humpers.

It’s good news if you’re into watching sinister hobos in freakish facemasks smash things and hump trash; or maybe it’s an “excoriating attack on the American Dream”? Or maybe it’s “the future of American cinema”? Or “a new kind of horror”? You decide. All we know is, we’ll be at Chauvel Cinema at 11pm this Saturday January 15. And possibly the next few Saturdays after that... chauvelcinema.net.au

FIRST DRAFT X FOUR

While most of the Sydney galleries are still in a Christmas-cake coma, First Draft are swinging out of the 2011 corner with style, re-opening this week with a showcase of four exciting new artists, including Tarron Ruiz-Avila, who trades in small-scale dream-like collages; COFA MFA student and painter Jorge Araujo, with his series Trans Australian; Laura McLean’s print installation High Seas, which continues her interest in socio-political issues; and Elizabeth McCrystal’s intriguingly-titled photographic series I got confused with the T shirt. Opening at First Draft on Wednesday January 12, 6pm.

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Sydney heats for RAW Comedy, Australia’s biggest open-mic comedy competition, kick off this week. Anyone who has earned less than $500 from performing comedy is eligible to compete, using five minutes of new, original comedy material. Heats are being held during January, February and March, with winners advancing to the state finals in March. The final showdown happens at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April. Registrations are STILL open, and only close when the heats are filled. Visit rawcomedy.com.au To find out more, and register for heats held on January 10, 17, 24 and 31 at the Comedy Store, Entertainment Quarter.

Bright Young Thing by Stef Mitchell

Speaking of - I’m sure they’d be a lot of room for flashy tricks in this script; is it going to be a theatrical effects extravaganza?

We decided against doing any big technological stuff; we wanted to go more lo-fi because this play, well, there’s aliens and stuff like that and if you’re doing a film you could make them look really realistic... but because we’re on this tiny stage I just wanted to go really lo-fi. It’s more about the human body and the fears of the human body turning into something gross. There’s also this intense fear of sexuality, which is a big theme in the play.

The only way to tell if an alien has infiltrated the ranks and passing as human is to have sex with them because at the moment of orgasm they can’t hold the disguise. It’s crazy and hilarious but it’s also pointing to this theme in the show that is about transformation and how we yearn for it in our lives.

What: For A Better World, Dir. Daisy Noyes When: Until January 29 Where: SBW Stables, Kings Cross More: griffintheatre.com.au

BURLESQUE ROYALE

Featuring a who’s-who of the local and international scenes, and held in the plush red-and-gold Art Deco orgasm that is the State Theatre, Burlesque Royale offers to transport punters back in time to glamour’s heyday, in an explosion of feathers, strategically-placed fans, sequins and satin. With international headliners including Immodesty Blaize (UK), Miss Exotic World 2009 Kahlani Kokonuts (USA), Michelle L’Amour (USA) and New Orleans' Queen of Burlesque Perle Noire, attendees can expect nothing less than incredible production values and showmanship. On the homefront, some of BRAG’s favourite ladies are taking the stage, including feisty partners-in-crime Lauren La Rouge and Holly J’aDoll. Meanwhile, duelling magicians Mada & Vegas will bring their ‘cabaret noir’ touch to the proceedings. It all goes down on January 22, so for the full line-up and ticket details, head to burlesqueroyale.com.au

SHORT+SWEET THEATRE

Born in Newtown in 2002, Short+Sweet (aka ‘The World’s Biggest Little Play Festival’) now spans Australia and parts of South-East Asia, presenting a large and eclectic lineup of plays under 10 minutes. Over the next two months, Short+Sweet Sydney will present 170 works in two parallel venues: Newtown Theatre from Wed-Sun for eight weeks from January 5; and The Parade

FLICKERFEST 2011

Did you miss our Flickerfest bonanza in the last issue? Shame on you. How will we possibly distil this year’s massive lineup of shorts films into this tiny little column?

The basic breakdown is: there’s a strand to suit every mood, from the best awardwinning International and Australian shorts to documentaries, ‘Green’ flicks, a tribute to the ‘new guard’ of Polish filmmakers, and a George-Lucas-approved session of short Star Wars tribute films – including a rare screening of the infamous ‘70s homewareinspired Hardware Wars…

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the choice, our sage advice is this: don’t judge by the titles, and do bring your sense of adventure.

Whatever session you go to is going to have gems (we know this because we did the hard slog of trawling through the entire program for you, remember?).

Flickerfest runs until January 16 at Bondi Pavilion. Because we love you, and we love film, we have ten double passes to a session of your choice (excluding the Closing Night) up for grabs. To get your hands on one, email us with your name, mobile number and session of choice, including date and time. www.flickerfest.com.au

Theatres (NIDA) from Tues-Sat for three weeks from February 8. The festival, which features independent judges as well as audience voting, climaxes at the Gala Finals on March 11 and 12.

With contestants comprising a mix of students, amateurs and professionals, this is about as much of an adventure as your likely to find on Sydney’s stages this year… shortandsweet.org

WITHNAIL & I

Dear Pluto do vintage fashion sales, markets and Monday movie nights... oh my! If you got to the BRAG bakery early this week and are reading a fresh copy, then tonight’s film (Jan 10) is odd-ball classic What’s Eating Gildbert Grape, which neatly summarises the sexiest parts of '90s cinema: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliette Lewis. But since you’re probably a useless uni student or languishing artist who can barely get out of bed before Wednesday, we’re giving you next week’s program too – which is one of our Top 5 Films: Bruce Robinson's Withnail & I. Set in the seedy rear-end of London's 60s, this black comedy follows the drug-fuelled misadventures of two struggling actors. It's thoroughly bent, stars Richard E. Grant, and will make your squalid sharehouse seem like a precious patch of paradise. Monday January 17, 5A Wilshire Street, Surry Hills. Doors open at 7pm, film starts at 8pm. Entry by gold coin donation, BYO drinks and cushion(s).

ABSOLUT FINALE

Having lavished art on the walls of Sugarmill’s stairwell for the last 18 months, Dialogue PR will hold the final instalment of the ABSOLUT Stairwell Gallery project this week.

With a lineup comprised of every artist who has taken part in the series, the brief for the show was a piece of art featuring the ABSOLUT bottle. All the resulting works will be for sale on the night, and the artist whose work raises the top bid will also win the proceeds of ALL other sales on the night, to create their own solo show. We imagine this could get tense. Artist include Shannon Crees, Cara Stricker, Stef Mitchell, BENNETT, Lisa Zhu, The Movement, Pedestrian, COFA, the IT Collective, HOBO, JUMBO and Arnie Arnold. To check out the heat, head along to Sugarmill at 6pm this Thursday January 13. The exhibition will continue until February 28.

For a Better World photo © Daisy Noyes

WITH DAISY

The External World by David O'Reilly

Film & Theatre Reviews What's hot (or not) on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

Arts Snap At the heart of the arts Where you went last week (or so).

simon lovelace

PICS :: TL

Cher and Christina pout meaningfully at each other in Burlesque...

18:12:10 :: Blank Space Gallery :: 374 Crown St Surry Hills

■ Film

■ Theatre

Released January 6, 2011

Until January 16 / Wharf 1, STC

Burlesque is a form of performance art that mixes parody with adult entertainment. Saucy and fun, burlesque traditionally involves singing, mime, dancing and comedy, as well as striptease. Bearing this in mind, Burlesque is perhaps the most inappropriately titled film of recent times.

Lacking humour and titillation, this musical bears more resemblance to a Pussy Cat Dolls music video than a Dita von Teese show.

It is often said that theatre is about stories, and with A Life In Three Acts this couldn’t be more true. The show is essentially an edited transcript of a conversation that legendary actor and drag queen Bette Bourne had with Mark Ravenhill a few years ago, traversing the remarkable life that Bourne has led. It is a series of stories about his personal life, his career and his politics, all of which are the same subject.

Skilfully crafted by Ravenhill (who also directed the piece) the show takes you on journey from WWII England right through to ‘80s New York, finishing with the present day.

Audiences expecting a cinema experience akin to Paul Verhoeven’s so-bad-it’s-good masterpiece Showgirls are going to be disappointed. Where Verhoeven went overboard on the kitsch, Burlesque’s writer/director Steven Antin (who, incidentally, is the brother of Pussy Cat Dolls’ creator, and has directed several PCD music videos) has pulled back completely on the ‘adult’ themes. The film’s M rating is probably unnecessary; under-15s will have seen more risqué content watching Video Hits on Saturday mornings as they tuck into their cornflakes.

Burlesque’s storyline sees smalltown waitress Ali (Christina Aguilera) head to the big smoke (LA) to make her dreams of becoming a singer a reality. There she comes across The Burlesque Lounge, owned by Tess (Cher). Enchanted by this strange and glamorous club and its staff and entertainers, Ali talks her way into a job as a cocktail waitress. Befriended by bartender and struggling musician Jack (Cam Gigandet), Ali is determined to make it on the stage.

Aguilera makes a perfectly adequate actress, but lacks the natural charisma needed to drive a film. Cher, as the ‘mentor’ figure, has a certain amount of charm - but not enough to sell the awful dialogue she’s been lumped with. Alan Cummings and Stanley Tucci phonein their performances as club host and stage manager, and still prove to be the highlights of the film.

The real problem with this movie - aside from its tone and lack of burlesque content - is the ‘musical’ aspect. You can excuse a weak storyline (it's almost expected in a film like this) but it is unforgiveable to have a completely forgettable soundtrack. The musical numbers, over-produced Bob Fosse knock-offs, are actually quite boring and leaving the cinema you’ll be hardpressed to remember a single song.

A LIFE IN THREE ACTS

Due to some poorly-timed gallbladder mishaps, Ravenhill wasn’t able to be in Sydney to perform his side of the conversation; he is replaced by Mitchell Butel, who does a fine job of asking the questions that Ravenhill once asked. The staging is very simple – a red carpet, coffee table and two chairs giving the sterile appearance of a chat show – with Butel’s script in hand, and Bourne’s on a music stand. Behind them is a screen onto which photos are projected. The slim set design is complemented by the ability of Bourne to fuel our imaginations with his stories. From an all-boys public school to a drag commune in London, to the ‘fondle park’ in Amsterdam, Bourne is constantly setting the scene and filling it with colourful characters from his life.

Although both performers are working with a transcript to guide them, the performance rarely feels staged, with the words seeming to simply provide a guide for Bourne’s anecdotes. Transgressions and tangents are kept intact, and Bourne obviously loves playing with the live audience in the room and moving away from the page. The result is an enthralling look into not only this remarkable man’s life, but also London’s queer culture. A great start to this year’s Sydney Festival.

sofles

PICS :: TL

BURLESQUE

16:12:10 :: LO-FI :: L3, 383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 93113100

Arts Exposed What's on our calendar...

Henry Florence A Life In Three Acts

What should have been a camp triumph of singing, dancing and suggestive humour has sadly been over-sanitized and completely dumbed down. It’s hard to see how Burlesque will possible please any of its intended audiences.

Beth Wilson

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

The Paper Mill Presents...

UNE FÊTE DANS LE PAPIER Opening Night January 11, from 6pm

Une Fête dans le Papier (trans: A Feast in Paper) is the “rhizomatic coming together of two artists’ practices eventuating in excessive celebration, bittersweet in its intimacy with tragedy.”

(Not for the faint-hearted, clearly.) The artists are Penelope ‘Red Rattler’ Benton and Alex 'First Draft' Clapham, and the press release continues by dropping references to Versailles and Marie Antoinette, Basquiat… Where it gets really interesting, however, is the part about building a ballroom out of cardboard, in which the two artists will hold an extravagant dinner party, to which all the rest of us are invited - to watch, not eat - until such time as the leftovers shall be thrown open to the public. Curious. It’s something to do with the intersection of food, art and environmental health, and we’re definitely seeing you there. thepapermill.org.au BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 29

live reviews W hall a t night w e ' vout e ball e e week n t o s. .e.e . . . up

FIELD DAY 2011

PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL

The Domain Saturday January 1

Glenworth Valley December 29 – January 1

With the sweaty, sunburned skin of ecstatically-writhing humanity prevalent enough to intimidate even the most intrepid of festival/Mardi Gras goers, welcome to Field Day 2011.

Setting up our tent under exactly zero shade, an arms length from the questionable toilets and opposite the throbbing Dub Shack, was really our own damn fault. But such is the beauty of Peats Ridge that even sleepless nights, pincered between pounding dub and suffocating heat, couldn’t dampen our spirits.

Taking respite from the heat inside a giant inflatable igloo, A-trak is making the masses move by scratching across samples of Kris Kross’ ‘Jump’ and Kanye West’s ‘Power’. “Let me see those hands, let me see ‘em” he requests, via nifty looping of DJ Ace’s ‘Crowd Motivator’ - and thousands of hands gleefully obey. A fiveminute ‘technical difficulties’ mid-set break bothers nobody.

Day one started with the uplifting alt-country of Broken Social Scene's Jason Collett.

Sitting cross-legged and contemplative and letting his songs drift over you was the perfect ease-in to the festival; heading from that to Washington on the mainstage felt like falling out of a hammock into a shiny pop film clip.

Coming off a huge year, the crowd she pulls is huge, and the proportion who know all the words, astounding.

In Micky Mouse dungarees and fluoro, Marina Diamandis a.k.a Marina & The Diamonds is all energy and '80s white girl ghetto chic. ‘Girls’ is met with bemusement more than reveling, but Diamandis is unfazed. She attracts more onlookers with relentless boogying to ‘Hermit the Frog’ and ‘I’m Not A Robot,’ before stating “I learnt a new word today – “Bogan”! Who here is a bogan?” The unified cheer of the steadilyincreasing crowd indicates a majority response in the affirmative, instigating mild fear for her wellbeing - but in a pivotal, rapport-consolidating moment, Diamandis declares “So am I!” before launching into a slightly pitchy ‘Obsession’. By the time ‘Shampain’ and ‘Hollywood’ come around, Diamandis has worked hard to ensure that, bogan, fauxgan or otherwise, we’re all having fun.

After Horrorshow and Papa Vs Pretty, we were all set to dance - but got Angus & Julia Stone instead, who played a wonderful, tight set surrounded by a typically whimsical stage show - hot air balloons and clouds, atmospheric lighting and the backdrop of the beautiful valley at night. But the crowd grew restless midway through - wouldn’t it have worked a little better at sunset?

By mid-afternoon of day two the water had run out at our campsite. Showers were closed, toilets would not flush, and the air was ripe. What happened to the ‘state of the art facilities’, Peats? After a swim in the suspiciously brown creek, we made it to Jonathan Boulet and Hungry Kids Of Hungary - a double-up that proved again how much the local acts were killing it over internationals. This was never more obvious than when UK troubadour Lightspeed Champion followed up on the main stage.

Clad in a creepy long wig and tasselled jumpsuit, Dev Hynes delivered a Hedwig/ Bright-Eyes hybrid, stabbing the bleeding heart on his sleeve with melodramatic lyrics like “we kiss and I’m sick in your mouth...”

The beatboxing promise of Beardyman is calling – and ‘promise’ is apt, because, although crammed with live-vocal looping, Darren Foreman’s breaks-oriented set is centered more on mixing than his live beatboxing prowess. The incorporation of audience-requested dubstep on ‘Sydney Fuck Yeah Beautiful Girls Terrifying Spiders’ demonstrates Foreman’s impressive improv capabilities…

With a decade on the gig circuit, Decoder Ring deliver one of the tightest shows you’ll find. Their atmospheric, building cuts were the perfect backdrop to the setting sun, as were their now-infamous visuals: wild stallions fighting in the surf. Since when do pretty horsies get so bitey?

A blonde Mohawk-crested suit of inflatable breasts with dolls head nipples is straddling the decks being wheeled out on stage.

Surprise, it’s Peaches, with a DJ set and an intergalactic freak show performance troupe. As a snarling, champagne-spitting über-banshee dominatrix, Peaches brings the party. With Dizzee Rascal and Blur amongst harder eurotechno beats, her mixing is as disconcertingly average as her set is mindblowingly theatrical. The pack of all-Aussie alphamales next to me aren’t exactly loving the statuesque gothic drag queen thrusting around stage vomiting purple glitter and stripping off his fifth pair of underpants, but they’re talking about it whilst continuing to dance - so maybe Peaches is advancing her stated aim of problematising gender?

The legendary Built To Spill bear sole responsibility for inordinate number of beards on display at Peats. Their first time downunder in their fifteen-year career, the set was dappled with enough old tracks to mollify their rabid fanbase. Doug Martsch was in high spirits, pulling back on some of the noodly solos but putting the rest of the band to good use; when their set clashed with that of PVT, happy were the remaining group of diehards.

PVT’s Church With No Magic material is strong – ‘Window’ tore the tent apart – but it’s the older Pivot tracks that really turned us into a throbbing, pulsing mass amidst the smoke and silhouettes. “This is one of our 'post rock' songs,” mocks Richard Pike, in the lead up to ‘O Soundtrack My Heart’. “It goes out to all those wankers who hate it when we sing.”

Ten enormous Marshalls form the backdrop for a fittingly high-octane set from Sleigh Bells. Alexis Krauss’ vocals are initially lost in the oomph of Derek Miller’s noodling, but they pull through eventually. The crowd respond ambivalently, demonstrating a strong preference for heavier numbers like ‘Tell ‘Em’ and ‘Riot Rhythm’ over the more mellow tones of ‘Rill Rill’ and ‘Run The Heart’.

Most of day three - New Years Eve was lost scrounging for shady refuge from the blinding sun. The best you could find at 2pm was at the stages themselves.

If you like big, soul-filled voices, infectious energy, huge charisma and a woman who knows how to work her booty, then you would have been watching Sydney’s Ngaiire.

Meanwhile, over at the Chai Temple, we melted across beanbags as Emma Davis melted on stage: “Can I go now?” she asked after the first song. “It’s just soooo HOT!” Emma’s banter is as sweet, personal and cute as her songs.

SH & DJ.

30 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

peats ridge festival

29:12:10 - 01:01:11:: Glenworth Valley

PICS :: TL

Eventually the sun went down, and the costumes came out - and Peats punters sure know how to fancy dress. Circus, burlesque, fairies and farmyard animals were out in force for Cloud Control, who pulled the biggest and most fanatic crowd of the day. But the new year arrived during Trentemøller's beefed-up, full-band set.

All that was missing, in fact, was the actual ‘countdown’ part. The half-assed announcement from one of his back-up band was about as anticlimactic as their massive build-ups, which never quite achieved the kind of ecstatic breakdown you were expecting. Dirty Danish teasers.

With rockstar posing and new track ‘Bumble Bee’ sounding irritatingly similar to that Crazy Frog ‘song’, Art vs. Science underwhelm... ‘Parlez Vous Français’ incites mass hysteria of course, but the shallowness of sound and the overindulgence in the track’s breakdown reiterate that popularity and quality are not always synonymous... As Public Enemy would say, don’t believe the hype.

“It’s not the size of the stage that counts, it’s what you do with the motherfucker,” announces Chuck D - and he, Flavor Flav, DJ Lord and seven other crew members prove his point, by tearing through a Fear of a Black Planet-inspired set.

The veteran performers give a stellar performance with ‘Fight the Power’ and ‘Brothers Gonna Work It Out’ as standouts.

Flavor Flav ends the night on a serious note, encouraging us to “fuck racism and separatism, to achieve power through unity.” Given the harmony with which the diversity of performers and attendees have coexisted today, he might have almost been preaching to the converted.

Andrew Geeves

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

Marion Bay December 29 – January 1 Wednesday. With the Day-Glo pop of Tim & Jean bleating adorably up from the Valley Stage, I formed an instant spiritual connection to the crunchy crack-spheres known as Kofta Balls. I introduced my Falls-virgin boyfriend to the glory that is Sitting On The Hill With Food Watching The Valley Stage, until The Cool Kids made sitting seem absurd. I will never, ever tire of seeing them bring ‘88 back. Apparently we missed an incendiary set by The Living End that night, but no regrets – we were down in the Village, laughing so hard at Randy that my poffertjes nearly came up again. Cursing puppets are endlessly entertaining, and Heath McIvor’s puppet stand-up (hand-up?) is sheer motherfucking genius. Then back up to the Valley for Peaches’ DJ set – lacklustre, but she was wearing a jacket of giant boobs with baby doll heads for nipples, so nobody cared.

On Thursday we squeezed into the Grand Theatre for a quadruple whammy of local Next Big Things: the delightful Jinja Safari, then a kickass set from Big Scary that found astonished new fans in the hordes packing in for Boy & Bear. The latter aired their stately cover of ‘Fall At Your Feet’ for a rapturous singalong, before the Jezabels capped it all off with about ten rapturous singalongs.

The best bit of Public Enemy’s set was Flava Flav getting the whole crowd to scream “Fuck separatism!” So many syllables, so much weed.

My other personal highlight from the day was Paul Kelly’s gorgeous, crowd-bonding greatesthits set – from ‘Dumb Things’ to ‘To Her Door’, the man could do no wrong.

The 31st dawned hot and windy, and we joined the Nap Party in the shade tent; Cloud Control’s dreamy harmony-nuggets were halflost in the wind, so we retreated to the cooler Grand for Charlie Parr’s wise, superlative bluegrass-blues. The Morning Benders played an under-attended but near-flawless set – Chris Chu might look twelve but he’s a guitar-fuzz hero with a killer falsetto, and their shimmering cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ was perfection.

We wandered down to catch the choice end of Tame Impala’s set, and position ourselves front and centre for The National. I nearly skipped them for fear of obnoxious crowds Ruining My Band, but I’m so glad I got that stick out of my bum. They were spectacular. Matt wandered the stage like a holy man between verses, screaming in tongues; when he forged his way into the crowd, people clawed and fought to touch the hem of his sharply tailored garments.

The always-on-form Rapture and a mechanical Joan Jett cranked out their festival anthems dutifully – singing ‘I Love Rock’n’Roll’ in a crowd is, admittedly, enormously fun – before Sleigh Bells came on and demolished everything: expectations, eardrums, probably a few possums. They don’t so much make music as plug a Marshall stack into fun, sex, life, fury - and far away from the dumb flurry of a Sydney NYE, it’s the simple things you appreciate.

TIM ROGERS The Vanguard December 21

Everyone has that figure in their extended family; the mysterious drunkard uncle. The one you haven’t seen for five Christmases, who has all the stories you want to hear. The one who formed one of Australia’s most loved bands of last generation, toured the world and played a solo Christmas show at The Vanguard. Yeah… That one. Tim Rogers, from revivalist strutters You Am I, standing silhouetted against a red velvet curtain with guitar in hand. Tonight it’s Uncle Tim on stage, telling the stories you’re not supposed to hear at your age, wrapped up in clever rhymes and pretty melodies.

After twenty years touring the globe with You Am I’s 60s-inspired rock'n'roll discography, it’s when you see Tim Rogers solo, at his most revealing, that you can really appreciate what that band have done. Standing alone in purple velvet with guitar in hand, he tells tales of touring struggles in the States, abuse in Berlin, black eyes in London and heartache in Australia; all hypnotic, nostalgic and serenely beautiful. Yeah, he may miss a lyric or forget a chord (reminding himself to consult Davey Lane next time around), but you’re not there for a tight and rehearsed demonstration of ability. It’s Uncle Tim, the charming, melodic bush poet you’re after, and that’s the man you’re smiling at for 90 minutes, as you stand up behind the Vanguard dinner tables.

Songs like the memoriam ‘Paragon Café’ are especially tragic on a cool night at this time of year, its feeling of loss and memory brought to life with Rogers’ earnest performance.

Meanwhile, lover’s ballad ‘Who Takes Who Home’ manages to flutter the heartbeat more so than it ever did back in its time on the You Am I setlist. His superb cover of Paul Kelly’s ‘Buffalo Ballet’ is the most welcome of all his Christmas covers, and his manner in general (faultlessly whispering “bless you” halfway through a chorus after a sneezed interruption) keeps that smile planted firmly on your face.

At the set’s end, he sums up Christmas-time in all its retrospective glory with his departing thank you, which I’ll let close as it did on the night; “Thank you most of all to Sydney; the city that gave pimply Timmy Rogers the little no hoper - the chance to do something with his life; who lost a lot of friends along the way, but gained a whole bunch more.” [Cue standing ovation.]

Max Easton

gorillaz

PICS :: AM

FALLS FESTIVAL

16:12:10 :: Entertainment Centre :: 35 Harbour Street, Darling Harbour 9320 4200

GORILLAZ

Sydney Entertainment Centre Thursday December 16 This review is long overdue dear Braglings, but it’s probably a good thing I didn’t write it sooner. A resounding waft of smugness would have permeated the entire thing, making it sound post-coital rather than postgig. Now that it’s had time to settle and stew, I can control myself from using tired phrases like “AMMMMMAAAAAAZZZZZING” and “OMGAWD” and “LUV U DAMON,” and can instead write deeply insightful things like “HOLY SHIT Y’ALL THAT WAS LIKE THA BEST GIG EVVVVVA”.. See what I mean?

a brass band from Detroit, an orchestra from Syria and a host of real-voice MCs and singers - the concert was alive with energy, and the joy of countless people all contributing to create a seamless performance that exuded charisma and originality. It’s not often you experience a collective of musicians perfectly adept at pop, soul, hip hop, rap and rock, but Gorillaz, helmed by Damon Albarn (be still my beating heart), have found the point where all these genres intersect and interact with each other - that’s why it’s not difficult to find flow and common ground between ‘Rhinestone Eyes’, ‘Superfast Jellyfish’, ‘DARE’, ‘Clint Eastwood’ or ‘Feel Good Inc.’

That variety is also what made this such For reals though, if you had read BRAG even an exceptional show. The audience was so once during my tenure as editor, you’d have diverse and responded to so many different known that I really, really love/d Gorillaz. songs, dancing and singing with abandon, I put them on the cover nearly four times before the universal excitement felt by and was actually sort of devastated - in my everyone when ‘Feel Good Inc’ played, and own deeply selfish way - that they finally had the Ent Cent bumping like nobody's announced their first tour of Australia after business. It was a similar story for ‘Dirty I’d shuffled outta the streetpress biz. The Harry’, ’19-2000’ and ‘Stylo’. expectations that I had for this gig were high – I have watched so many of their live shows :: TOM LEY MAR ) :: ASHmyself HON CHO D basically I had resigned to the :: fact LEV Y (HEA by the almighty power of torrentSthat I knew : TIM SON JAY VEN STE ICK OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER ROS ETT E ROU PATR :: NA HAN that Gorillaz were never going to come to I could expect brilliance.

Gorillaz delivered :: NS MUN IEL TRA MON TE :: DAN Australia – the flight is too long, the band and then someAN - hosting BUI the most exciting, :: SUS LIER COL is too big, I’d tell myself – but like countless varied, uplifting and plain fun show of recent other heroes who’ve visited our shores, it memory. really was worth the wait.

With more than 35 people collaborating Kirsty Brown including De La Soul, Bobby Womack,

Caitlin Welsh

THOSE DARLINS

The Annandale Thursday December 16 If you just saw a band blend punk, country, blues and 50s rock'n'roll into one majestic melting pot, do you have to call it rockabilly?

And when they all end up being really cute young girls, does that mean I have to mention The Runaways? And what’s with all the rhetorical questions?

These are queries which all land in your head when you’re at a gig that defies probing musical analysis. Yeah, maybe I did begin the night standing at the especially stank-smelling side of the Annandale, frowning as I tried to figure out the night’s rock-revivalist roots, but that didn’t last long – I was pretty much shaken out of it when the head of Jeff the Brotherhood’s guitarist was buried in my crotch during his solo (true story).

The Brotherhood drove through a fiercely energetic set, evoking the feeling of a mistaken venture into someone’s bedroom as they rocked out in front of the mirror.

Jamin Orall solos across the bar three songs into their set to 80 people; they drink, holler, cuss, all disproportionate to the number of revellers present. Jeff the Brotherhood turned all the modest supportband clichés on their head and gave it to

the Annandale like the discipline of an overeager nun - and if you can come up with a better way to introduce the main attraction, I’d like to hear it.

With a rapidly condensing crowd anticipating their arrival, Those Darlins arrived with a wink, nod and a blistering opening that condensed 60 years of rock history into three minutes. Nikki Darlin’s wild-eyed vocals evoked more than just a Little Richard, blending the good-time origins of rock'n'roll with that unmistakable don’t-givea-fuck punk aesthetic. At times they were undeniably in country-western territory; at others, they were in pure punk grounds, before throwing down swing-inspired 50s rock. Varied, frantic and relentless, Those Darlins filled the void within your music collection with booze in hand and smirks on face.

The moment you put your critical ears on and try to analyse the roots of Those Darlins, you’ve missed the point entirely.

Call them rockabilly, call them three Joan Jett’s fronting The Beach Boys, whatever…

Just don’t bother showing up for Those Darlins if you’re not there to get loose. It’s all about the good times, and if you get that misconstrued, they’ll push you out of the venue faster than they’d drink you under the table.

Max Easton

16:12:10 :: Annandale Hotel :: 17 Paramatta Rd Annandale 95501078

PICS :: TL

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 31

snap sn ap

little dragon

PICS :: TL

17:12:10 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711

priory dolls

PICS :: RO

oaf xmas

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up all night out all week . . .

17:12:10

:: GOODGOD :: 55 Liverpool St. Sydney 92673787

wham!

PICS :: DM

16:12:10 :: Melt :: 12 Kellett St, Kings Cross 93806060

big village xmas

17:12:10 :: Tone Venue :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills PICS :: AM

hot damn

23:12:10 :: Qbar :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245 32 :: BRAG :: 394: 10:01:11

PICS :: TL

01:01:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

) :: ASH LEY MAR :: DAN IEL S : TIM LEV Y (HEA D HON CHO OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER :: NA MUN NS :: ROS ETT E ROU HAN

snap sn ap

sfx

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up all night out all week . . .

cell block 69

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18:12:10 :: St James Hotel :: 114 Castlereagh St City 92618277

zombie disco squad :: GOODGOD :: 55 Liverpool St. Sydney 92673787

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norfolk launch

02:01:11

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18:12:10 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711

17:12:10 :: The Gladstone Hotel :: 115 Regent St Chippendale 96993522 ) :: ASH LEY MAR :: DAN IEL S : TIM LEV Y (HEA D HON CHO OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER :: NA MUN NS :: ROS ETT E ROU HAN

sfx nye

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purple sneakers

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15:12:10 :: The Norfolk Hotel :: 305 Cleveland St Redfern 96993177

31:12:10 :: St James Hotel :: 114 Castlereagh St City 92618277 BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 33

It was the year that brought us Wikileaks, the iPad, Willow Smith and chillwave. We Nielson, Tony Curtis, Salinger and McQueen; but hey you guys, we got a double rainbow.

2010

Steph Harmon Top five Australian albums?

Faux Pas - Noiseworks kyü - kyü Parades - Foreign Tapes Sia - We Are Born Super Wild Horses - Fifteen Top five international albums?

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Wherever Holy Fuck - Latin Jonsi - Go Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Menomena - Mines Worst album of 2010 Die Antwoord’s $0$ was terrible, everyone.

I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear ‘Ready To Start’ by Arcade Fire. Each Friday night for months this song stopped me from fashioning A2 print-outs into a rudimentary noose, and strangling anyone who came too close.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear anything

Jonsi

The Jezabels

Editor

from We Are Born. The album made my top five - but settle down, radio.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

PVT, kyü, Songs and the New Weird Australia nights... Also, any show which featured the new Richard In Your Mind lineup; add SPOD, Shady Lane and a track like 'Make It Chill', and shit gets real.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

Dirty Projectors at the Metro.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Yeasayer at the Metro was horrific. Matching wife-beaters, cocky attitudes and Chris Keating hideously trying to channel MJ. Judging by the reviews, my opinion wasn’t shared by all - but I still had to line up for a cab mid-set, so...

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Big Sound in Brisbane, followed by Valley Fiesta.

The embodiment of why I

love Australian music and the industry around it.

Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011?

Royal Headache are awesome, Jezabels are long overdue for what’s coming to them, and Seekae have a new album coming out.

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

The café that opened round the corner from my house.

Shortlist has the best coffee, muesli and avocado-on-toast in Sydney. Hands down.

Top three films of 2010?

Animal Kingdom, Fish Tank and Up. My lists are alphabetical, by the way.

Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Liveworks at Performance Space. 'Hold' by David Cross blew my tiny little mind, and the 'Re-building Lab' from I Can Draw You A Picture was like craft time in pre-school, but with added apocalypse.

Arcade Fire

2010 highlight?

The phonecall from Adam Zammit in February, telling me I got the job. The details are fuzzy, but I think I swore at him for a while... That, and Jonno Seidler's face at the Runaway screening, because I didn't know that expression was even possible.

2010 lowlight?

The slow realisation that my Friday nights would be spent not at every free gig of my wildest dreams, but on deadline in the office, doing a find/replace on 'sophomore'.

Also, it turns out typos are actually PAINFUL when you see them in print.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Laneway Festival, Golden Plains and the sideshows of both, interviewing Craig Finn (please?), and spending another year at the BRAG with the best team and writers ever. And trying to reduce my coffee intake. Dramatically.

Jonno Seidler Top three Australian albums?

Miami Horror – Illuminations Washington – I Believe You, Liar Parades – Foreign Tapes Top three international albums?

Foals – Total Life Forever Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can Worst album of 2010?

M.I.A - MAYA

Dee Jefferson Top three Australian albums?

- kyü Parades - Foreign Tapes Cloud Control - Bliss Release Top three international albums?

Owen Pallett - Heartland Jonsi - Go Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz Worst album of 2010?

Lil Wayne - I Am Not A Human I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear ‘All Of The Lights’ by Yeezy. For a while there I had nothing but babes, bling and drive-byshootings on my mind. I am so gangsta.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear ‘Ready To Start’ by Arcade Fire. We may have overplayed this.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act? kyü at Paddington Uniting Church – the music, the venue, the incredible energy on stage, and an adorable choir made of fellow Sydney musos. Can you 34 :: BRAG :: 294 :: 10:11:11

Kanye West

Arts & Associate Editor

feel the love?

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

Joanna Newsom at the Sydney Opera House. Say what you will, Joanna is a tiny harpplaying treat, and her live performances wrap my heart around her little finger.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

The Editors at The Metro in January. That tenth encore, which my ‘reviewer ethics’ obliged me to endure, made me want to strangle my brain with my own intestines.

Best visual arts event in Sydney?

Art & About 2010 Top three main stage productions: Hamlet - Shaubühne for Sydney Festival Long Day’s Journey Into Night - Sydney Theatre Company August: Osage County Sydney Theatre Company Favourite new Sydney discovery?

Berta. Amazing and affordable

impromptu Italian feasts in Slurry Hills.

Top three films of 2010?

Inception, The Social Network, Blue Valentine Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Sydney Festival. They always pull rabbits out of their bag.

2010 highlight?

Interviewing Cate and Andrew about STC 2010 and 2011.

2010 lowlight?

The Harry Potter juggernaut; when will it die?

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Seeing The Antlers and Bear in Heaven at the Annandale; Laneway Festival; camping at Playground Weekender; new Coen Bros, Aronofsky and Miranda July films; seeing Jacqueline McKenzie and Miranda Otto tread the boards at STC; seeing Chekov’s Seagull for the first time, directed by Benedict Andrews; soup-related shenanigans.

I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear The Jezabels’ ‘Mace Spray’.

Every time I hear this I think about how many times in 2010 Jake Stone raved about this band in his Facebook status updates.

And Jake hates pretty much everything.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear Taio Cruz’s ‘Break your Heart’.

I’m only gonna break, break break, break break your face.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

Art vs Science at the Bacardi Express finale in Sydney. Summoning the spirit of the Fresh Prince, the

Staff Writer

boys had everyone from the train - including La Roux - on stage for an epic dance-off to ‘Boom! Shake The Room’.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

The Swell Season at Sydney Opera House. Just like their film Once, but even more amazing - former lovers Hansard and Iriglova turned the entire Opera House into a mass of quivering jelly. Quietly, unabashedly stunning.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Doves at The Metro. The drummer was hopelessly out of time - so much so that it pained us to stay, and my brother and I made an early exit.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Splendour In The Grass. It didn’t rain, like, at all, and there was more talent than your average Coachella.

Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011?

The Preachers, WIM, Papa vs Pretty Favourite new Sydney discovery?

Low Bar. You can smoke undercover, drink imported beers, ogle good-looking

kyü

hipsters who don’t eat enough food, and listen to fantastic local music all without paying a cent.

What’s not to love?

Top three films of 2010?

Animal Kingdom, Kick Ass, Inception Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Yayoi Kusama at the MCA. Find me someone who didn’t take a photo of themselves in there on their iPhone. I dare you.

2010 highlight?

Kanye West’s hour-long Q&A session after his exclusive Sydney screening of Runaway. We got to have an apoplexy over ‘Lost In The World’ before any of y’all.

2010 lowlight?

What the fuck is going on with The Hopetoun, ey?

Also, CDs being phased out by record labels; the clue is in your title, guys.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Finally, new albums from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age. Viva la 90s!

Parades

dodged a financial crisis, elected a woman, and couldn't get rid of Oprah. We lost Leslie Team BRAG talks the highs & the lows of 2010, and what this new year will bring...

Tony Edwards Top three Australian albums?

Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Do Anything Go Anywhere Tuka - Will Rap For Flatwound - Super Space Dope Funk Top three international albums?

Onra - Long Distance Aloe Blacc - Good Things Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer Worst album of 2010?

I thought Kode 9’s DJ Kicks pretty much abandoned the ethos of the entire series, which was a shame.

I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear Aloe Blacc’s ‘I Need A Dollar’.

People’s asses were poor in the US in 2010, and if you believe what you read, there’s not much hope on the horizon still. Blacc turned those people’s day-to-day reality into good, soulful pop music.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’. Pretentious piano refrain, self-indulgent lyrical content, potty-mouth, lowest common denominator themes. West has made some OK music in his time, but 2010 was a serious low point for the US rapper.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

Opiou @ Island Vibe Festival,

Soul Sedation

Stradbroke Island. This Melbournian DJ/producer forced me to revise my approach to dance music.

His sound is kinda like if the Plump DJs were raised on a diet of western Victorian doof, but edgier, and broader in its scope.

gap in Sydney for venues (not just club nights), with a distinct music policy.

Top three films of 2010?

It seemed like everything I watched this year had Colin Firth in it, not quite sure how that happened. He’s generally pretty damn good.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

I missed the Electric Wire Hustle album launch, but I heard it was the gig of the year.

Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Bon Jovi at the Hordern Pavilion.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Going to We Love Sounds, and being told to “f*ck off” by a police officer who had assumed his crowd control responsibilities extended to verbally abusing ticket-buying patrons. No manners, these pricks...

2010 highlight?

The emerging profile of Wikileaks and (to a lesser extent) Julian Assange.

Even though he’s been exposed as a bit of a tosser, what the organisation is achieving seems vital for the future health of our rapidly deteriorating political systems.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Playground Weekender topped my list this year for raucous fun. The crowd brought their A-game once again, and it wasn’t as hot as ’09. Remember kids; if there’s no tents, it’s not really a festival.

2010 lowlight?

The Labor Party squandering all their positive post-Howard momentum only to fall back on centrist politics. Once again leaving us with that taste of what-could-havebeen…

Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011?

Flatwound, Joyride & JujuMana.

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

Tone. Filling a much needed

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

The tail end of the Sydney Festival, Playground Weekender, Rainbow Serpent, Island Vibe and Subsonic. As Floyd Beck once sang so poetically, “party is the solution”.

Chris Honnery Top three albums?

Raudive - Chamber Music Caribou - Swim Four Tet - There Is Love In You Top three mix compilations?

James Holden - DJ Kicks Agoria - Balance 016 Dinky - Music Libre Top Australian album?

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear Superpitcher’s ‘Rabbits In A Hurry’. I didn’t realise what a gem this was until Superpitcher played it on Halloween. Pure, uncut druggy hedonism!

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear Tensnake’s ‘Coma Cat’. A clear case of ‘too much of a good thing’ - though I’m not sure it was ever that much of a good thing to begin with.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

Tame Impala at The Enmore wins by default, as this was the only Australian band I saw live this year; disgraceful, I know.

Top three international albums?

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Wavves - King Of The Beach MGMT - Congratulations Worst album of 2010?

Vampire Weekend - Contra Cee Lo Green

Richard In Your Mind

Caitlin Welsh Top three Australian albums?

Dan Kelly - Dan Kelly’s Dream Cloud Control - Bliss Release Big Scary - The Four Seasons Top three international albums?

Menomena - Mines Gayngs - Relayted The Morning Benders - Big Echo Worst album of 2010?

Altiyan Childs (one assumes) I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear Delta Spirit’s ‘Bushwick Blues’.

I have bullied so many people into loving this band.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear ‘The Time’, by the rancid corpse of the Black Eyed Peas. The same will.i.am who shat out this total foreskin of an alleged song once also uttered the words, “Money is a drug / and MCs is on it”. Shame, sir.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

Richard In Your Mind’s album launch at Spectrum – an imperfect, cuddly, mystic party, all warpaint and white boy funk and talking blues.

Tame Impala

Staff Writer

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

Delta Spirit’s support set at Ben Kweller, Factory Theatre.

I’m not a crier, but I teared up during ‘Vivian’ (and then again when they sold out of t-shirts before I could get one).

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Rogue’s Gallery at the Sydney Festival. Todd Rundgren and (a clearly off-chops) Liam Finn were highlights, but they couldn’t save this moist, limping shemozzle.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Nothing stood out for me, although apparently that’s only because I missed Meredith. Laneway Sydney needs to work out some of the kinks in the new venue to really shine.

Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011?

Fishing, Guineafowl and Cameras.

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

Black Wire to Common Ground, on Parramatta Road.

Physical-music emporium, licensed all-ages gigs, volunteer-run, a free-roaming mutt. Give them your love.

I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear Best Coast’s ‘Boyfriend’, because it distills the sun, surf & cats vibe of the year. Plus, she’s cute.

Top three films of 2010?

Inception, Easy A and Scott Pilgrim. I heard that the Facebook movie was good too. #mustgotomorefilms #genYmuch

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear Foals’ ‘Total Life Forever’ again, because it’s a steal from ‘Into Your Arms’, and I’m pretty sure it’s not credited as such.

Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

The Sydney Festival continues to win my love with great artists in great venues (excepting the sterile Angel Place), breadth, depth and sheer commitment to getting this ridiculous city off its arse and into some art.

Top 2010 gig from an

2010 highlight?

“Being nice is the shit ... working on being a doper person #ITSAPROCESS" – Kanye West. Also, Tony Abbott not being PM. 2010 lowlight?

That JB Hi-Fi’s profits increased by 26% between July ‘09 and July ‘10. Support your local independent record store.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Golden Plains, potential visits from Cake (MAKE THIS HAPPEN) and the Boss, Steve Fielding fucking off out of the Senate, and getting an IKEA in Tempe.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

A tie between Superpitcher’s performance on the Subsonic Halloween boat cruise and Carl Craig at D25, to round the year off in grand style.

Top three Sydney clubs to watch out for in 2011?

Play the promoter, not the venue! Anything involving Subsonic, Mad Racket, Finely Tuned, Future Classic, Reckless Republic, Picnic and HaHa will again be worth checking out this year.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

The Subsonic Music Festival by a mile. Amazing production, lineup, atmosphere, crowd, crew… a distinct world-class dance music festival on par with anything you could experience abroad - and it’s only a few hours drive from Sydney.

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

The revamped GOODGOD Small Club: welcome back GGSC, you were missed.

Nathan Jolly Top three Australian albums?

Clare Bowditch and The New Slang - Modern Addiction Tame Impala - Innerspeaker You Am I - You Am I

Tim Levy Top three Australian albums?

Washington - I Believe You, Liar Birds of Tokyo - Birds of Tokyo Richard In Your Mind - My Volcano Top three international albums?

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles Susan Boyle - The Gift Worst album of 2010?

Kid Rock’s Born Free. I actually haven’t heard it, but I can imagine it to be really bad.

I’ll get happily nostalgic about 2010 when I hear DOF’s ‘Codo’ - a track ahead of its time, for my time…

Happy nihilism at its best.

I will murder someone if I ever have to hear anything by

Dance News / Deep Impressions Top three films of 2010?

Fantastic Mr Fox A Single Man The Social Network Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

The Berlin Schaubühne production of Hamlet at the Sydney Festival.

2010 highlight?

The predicting power of Paul the psychic Octopus - may he rest in peace!

2010 lowlight?

The recent treatment of Julian Assange.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Considering the likes of Michael Mayer, Carl Craig, Moodymann and Superpitcher have all toured over the past few months, the ongoing ascension of the Sydney club scene.

And from a personal point of view, kicking various antisocial addictions.

Rock News

Australian act?

Smudge’s best-of album launch; or any gig where Clare Bowditch sang and told jokes.

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

Shady Pines, because life is a saloon.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

MGMT. They used the 90-second breakdown during ‘Kids’ to disassemble the drumkit. Psychedelic AND efficient.

Top three films of 2010?

Gilmore Girls Season 3, Veronica Mars Season 3, Boy Meets World Season 5.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Everyone moaning at MGMT because they dared to play new songs on the tour for their new album.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Laneway Festival; that’s what a festival should be like. Not too crammed, nobody shirtless or dressed in matching outfits plus gozleme, Daniel Johnston and The XX. Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011?

The Maladies, The Laurels, Ten Thousand Free Men…

Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Sydney Festival Opening Night.

2010 highlight?

The fixation on dreamy, surfpop. Plus how angry everyone got at the Lost finale.

2010 lowlight?

Oprah, Bon Jovi, U2, Muse and Linkin Park being in our country at the same time.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

2Pac’s new album, Michael Jackson’s new album, Elvis’ latest duets and more best of releases by The Smiths.

Head Photographer the Bieber.

Top 2010 gig from an Australian act?

Metals & Box Wars at Spectrum.

Top 2010 gig from an international act?

Errr – so many. DâM-FunK at the Basement. Being engulfed in super hi-fi heavy bass is a beautiful thing.

Worst 2010 gig experience?

Some snobby, sloshed hi-heeled hussy tripping over in a club and breaking my flash in two, and not even apologising.

Argggh!

Favourite new Sydney discovery?

The new liquor licences, which have enabled compadres to open their own bars and pubs around town.

Top three films of 2010?

Four Lions, Inception, The Social Network.

Best Sydney arts/cultural event of 2010?

Underbelly Festival. Interesting venues with skewiff art ideas.

2010 highlight?

Too many, but my Tokyo mission was out of control.

Aussie music festival of 2010?

Playground Weekender; a very civilised and funny festival.

2010 lowlight?

Missing a shoot with the Prime Minister.

Top three Sydney artists to watch in 2011? idea idea, Cloud Control, Deep Sea Arcade.

What are you looking forward to in 2011?

My website being finished.

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 35

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week

The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60 (+bf) 9.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malleys Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel free 9.30pm

JAZZ

Dave Blenkhorn Organ Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12 ROCK & POP

THURSDAY JANUARY 13 Gareth Liddiard

Sydney Festival Live Opening Night

Gareth Liddiard, Sarah Blasko, Kram, Laura Jean Sydney Town Hall $45, 7pm

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel free 9.30pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Dan Mangan (Canada), Andy Bull, Spookyland Brass Monkey, Cronulla 7pm Dave White Duo Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6.30pm Gemma The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Goddog, The Walking Who, Pixelated Pirates, Spectacles Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $10 8pm Jager Uprising: Bonney Read, Dirty Little Immigrants, Vacations, The Deltorers Annandale Hotel $8 7.30pm Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Super Wild Horses, Jack Shit Beck’s Festival Bar $48 (+bf) 8pm JP O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm King Fallen, Suite Nonchalant, Helpful Kitchen Gods Valve Bar, Tempe $5 7pm Kitty Daisy & Lewis The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf) 7pm Sideshow Wednesdays: The Paper Scissors, Chicks Who Love Guns, The Foreign Objects Beach Road Hotel, Bondi 8pm Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60-$65 (+bf) 9.30pm Two Minds Scruffy Murphy’s free 11pm

The Go Set Annandale Hotel $12 8pm Blonde Sovereign Beach Party The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+bf) 6.30pm Book of Ships (Melb), Where’s Jerome, Ballads, Boatfriends Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $10 8pm Chicks Who Love Guns, Aeons, Pilots Candy’s Apartment, Kings Cross $10 Dan Spillane & Mark Da Costa Dee Why Hotel free 8.30pm Di Solomon Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 7pm Emmure (USA), Shinto Katana Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $29.60 (+bf) 8pm Gypsy and the Cat, Georgia Fair Oxford Art Factory $17 (+bf) 8pm Heath Burdell Greengate Hotel, Killara free 8pm Sydney Festival Live opening night: Gareth Liddiard, Sarah Blasko, Kram, Laura Jean Sydney Town Hall $45 7pm Mandi Jarry Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm Matt Jones Miranda Hotel free 9pm Matt Price Northies, Cronulla free 9.15pm Mess + Noise Lunchbox Series: Gareth Liddiard Sydney Town Hall free 12.30pm Nicky Kurta Green Park Hotel, Darlinghurst free 7pm OMG Scruffy Murphy’s free 11pm Pete Davies Newport Arms Hotel free 7.30pm Sam & Jamie Trio Maloney’s Hotel free 9.30pm Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60 (+bf) 9.30pm Steve Tonge The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 9.30pm The Suspects Marble Bar free 8.30pm We Knew When She Landed, The F’ing C’s, Violet Pulp, Louisiana Hot Club Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm

JAZZ

Angela Little, David Hylton Raval, Surry Hills $13 (+bf) Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

JAZZ

MONDAY JANUARY 10 ROCK & POP

Arrested Development, The Last Kinection, DJ Nock Toth, DJ The Thief Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks $48 8pm Cambo O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Replikant Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel free 10pm Sarah Paton The Observer Hotel free 10pm

JAZZ

January-Walter Lampe Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Emmylou Harris (USA), The Red Dirt Boys State Theatre $90-$110 8pm Songwriters Sessions Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills free 7.30pm

TUESDAY JANUARY 11 ROCK & POP

The Affordables, Thackerbeat, Cherry Cab, The McMenamins Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm BNO Rockshow Scruffy Murphy’s free 11pm Kitty Daisy & Lewis The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf) 7pm Matt Jones The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA

Three Wise Monkeys The Sandringham Hotel Victor Valdes 505 Club, Surry Hills $10-$15 8.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Brillig The Vanguard, Newtown $12$15 6.30pm Kronos Quartet, Wu Man (China) State Theatre $65-$75 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

[V] Live: Children Collide,

THURSDAY JANUARY 13

ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Beat of the Bush: Handsome Young Strangers, Jack Flash,

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Mountain Man (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hype Park North $35 (+bf) 7pm

FRIDAY JANUARY 14 ROCK & POP

Altiyan Childs The Cube, Campbelltown $40 7.15pm Andy Mammers Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6pm Black Diamond Heart Club Crows Nest Hotel free 11.15pm Brad Johns Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Brown Sugar Marble Bar, Sydney free 9.30pm Covernote Blacktown RSL Club free 8pm Crash Avenue Peachtree Hotel, Penrith free 9pm

Dan Magan (Canada), Andy Bull, Spookyland Oxford Art Factory $15 (+bf) 8pm Dave White + Luke Dixon Kirribilli Hotel free 8pm Devine Electric, Robody’s Fool, Virginia Killstyxx Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Drew McAlister The Grand Hotel, Rockdale free 5.30pm FBi Night: Gold Panda, Djanimals, kyu, Dan Zilber, Ro Sham Bo Beck’s Festival Bar $38 8pm Hello Cleveland PJ Gallagher’s Parramatta free 8.30pm Hip Not Hop Adams Tavern, Blacktown free 8.15pm I Am Apollo Brass Monkey, Cronulla $14.30 (presale) 8pm JP Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 9pm Killers Show Scruffy Murphy’s free 11pm La Dispute, To The North, Between the Devil & the Deep, Hira Hira Annandale Hotel $19 (+ bf) 6pm Lies N Destruction – Guns N Roses Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 10pm Littles Lovers, Vacations P*A*S*H* @ Q Bar $10 8pm Los Lobos (USA), Victor Valdes Trio Enmore Theatre $59-$69 8pm Luke Robinson Parramatta RSL free 5pm Mandi Jarry Macquarie Hotel, Liverpool free 4.30pm Nicky Kurta Novotel Homebush free 5pm Original Sin INXS Show The Cube, Campbelltown $10$15 7.15pm Philip Glass (USA), Kronos Quartet State Theatre Sydney $55-$65 7.30pm, 12am Purple Sneakers: Wolf & Cub, Step Panther, Magnetic Heads, PVT DJs, M.I.T., Ben Lucid, Fantomatique, Minou Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $10 Replika Penrith Hotel free 10pm Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60-$65 (+bf) 7.30pm, 9.30pm The Snowdroppers Vault 146, Windsor $18.40 (+bf) 8pm Super Driver Customs House Bar, Circular Quay free 7pm Thee Oh Sees (USA) The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville $25 8pm Tumbleweed, The Meanies, Dropping Honey Metro Theatre $28.70 (+bf) 8pm White Brothers Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 8pm Zoltan PJ Gallagher’s, Drummoyne free 9pm

JAZZ

50/50: Toot Toot Toots, Dirty Vintage The Vanguard, Newtown 8pm Earth Wind and Fire Tribute Show: Doug Williams South Sydney Juniors, Kingsford 8.30pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Jeremy Rose Chiba Band, Carl Morgan Quartet, Ben Panucci 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 8.30pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: The Drip Hards, Kris Wanders Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $15 (+bf) 7pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival:

“Kick up the dust when you lost all you trust, screw up your face but don’t let it go to waste” – JINJA SAFARI 36 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com A Day At The Valve: The Great Awake, Blancanvas, Seaweed, Jack Nash, Professor Malakai, Amodus, Centered Self Valve Bar, Tempe 1pm Deep Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 7.30pm Doc Neeson Coogee Diggers 8pm Dora D Band Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill free 8.30pm Fallon Brothers Brewhouse Marayong, Kings Park free 7.30pm Funpuppet Peachtree Hotel, Penrith free 9pm Girls of Rock Scruffy Murphy’s 11pm free Happy Hippies Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free Holly Miranda (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf) 5.30pm Josh McIvor Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Jungle Kings Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 8pm Leadfinger Cabbage Tree Hotel, Wollongong free 9pm Let’s Stop Let’s Rock: Rikki Organ Workers Blacktown $5.50-$7.70 7.30pm The Liberators Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Love Generation: The Seventy’s Show Penrith Panters $18 7.30pm Mandi Jarry Greengate Hotel, Killara free 8pm Matt Jones Del Rio Riverside Resort, Wisemans Ferry free 7.30pm Next Best Thing Seven Hills RSL free 8.30pm

Steve Barry Trio, The Denominators Raval, Surry Hills $15 (+bf) 7pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Sun Chasers Collective, Tim Clarkson Trio Macquarie Hotel free 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 5pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Mountain Man (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $35 (+bf) 5.30pm

SATURDAY JANUARY 15 ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers PJ Gallagher’s Drummoyne free 9pm Ben Finn Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Bondi Junction free 8.30pm Big Way Out Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 10pm Black Diamond Heart Club Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay free 9pm Black Label The Factory Theatre, Enmore 8pm Bno Rockshow Crows Nest Hotel free 11.15pm Caramel Kirribilli Hotel free 8pm Chase the Sun, Cass Eager & The Velvet Rope, Claude Hay Beaches Hotel, Thirroul free 5pm Dave McMaster Penrith Panthers free 8.30pm Dave Stevens The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 5.40pm

The Paper Scissors

Nite Shift Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm The Paul Kidney Experience, The Gruntled, The Escapes Town & Country Hotel, St Peters free 8pm Plutonic & G Love (USA) Oxford Art Factory $34 (+bf) 8pm Radio City Cats Marble Bar free 10.30pm Rebecca Johnson Band Maloney’s Hotel free 10pm Rob Henry Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel free 4pm Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60-$65 (+bf) 7.30pm, 9.30pm Steve Tonge Northies, Cronulla free 8.45pm Steve Tonge The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 4pm Summer Sounds in the Domain: Los Lobos (USA), The Real Mexico The Domain free 8pm Super Massive The Beaches Hotel, Thirroul free 8.30pm Take 2 Newport Arms Hotel free 7.30pm Thee Oh Sees, Total Control, Straight Arrows, Dead Farmers, Songs Annandale Hotel $25 (+bf) 6pm Tumbleweed, Dropping Honey Mona Vale Hotel 8pm We Are The Champions: The Queen Tribute Show Blacktown RSL Club free 10pm You Am I Manly Fisho’s $25-$30 8pm Zoltan PJ Gallagher’s Parramatta free 8pm

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PURPLE SNEAKERS presents FRI 14 JAN

SUNDAY NIGHT

SAT 15 JAN

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

LAST NIGHT ft WOLF & CUB + PVT (DJ SET)

MISSNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE FINALS COMING SOON

FRI 21 JAN

LAST NIGHT

SAT 22 JAN

FORGET EDEN

FRI 28 JAN

LAST NIGHT BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 37

guide send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

JAZZ

Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Briana Colishaw Quintet, My Goodness McGuinness Macquarie Hotel free 9.30pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Dereb the Ambassador, The Felas Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $15 8.30pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Matt Kegan Trio, Simon Ferenci Quartet, The Fantastic Terrific Munkle 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 7pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: The Swinging Blades with Kim Lawson & Jane Irving, Eastside Radio DJs The Excelsior Hotel free 3.30pm Kristin Berardi Band, Translators Raval, Surry Hills $15 (+bf) 7pm Lah-Lah’s Musical Wonderland The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $15 (+bf) 10am, 11.15am

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Charlie Parr (USA), Daisy Tully The Vanguard, Newtown $25 (+bf) 6.30pm

SUNDAY JANUARY 16 ROCK & POP

3 Way Split Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm Andy Mammers Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Thee Oh Sees

Antoine O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 4pm The Barons of Tang, Captain Stu Band, Slimey Things, Captain Kickarse & the Awesomes, Rockethead, Violence in Action Annandale Hotel $15 5pm Betty Airs, Mother and Son, Hannah Matysek Petersham Bowling Club $10 3pm Broken Hands + guests Valve Bar, Tempe 5pm Carl Fidler The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm The Champagne Sundaes Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 1pm Dave White Duo Northies, Cronulla free 2.20pm Fiona Leigh Jones Duo Harbord Beach Hotel free 6pm Holly Miranda (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf) La Dispute, To The North, Nice Guys & Mere Women The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville $22.45 (presale) all ages 4pm Matt Jones Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 4.30pm Mr Percival Camelot, Marrickville 7pm Nicky Kurta Mounties, Mount Pritchard free 2pm Release The Hounds, Seaweed, Dubious Company, Mother Of Pearl Valve Bar, Tempe 1pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 6pm Skyscraper Northies, Cronulla free 6pm

Smoke & Mirrors: iOTA The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $60-$65 (+bf) 9.30pm Sunday Chill: Take 2 Newport Arms Hotel free 3pm White Brothers Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free White Brothers PJ Gallagher’s Parramatta free 8pm Zoltan Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel free 4pm

JAZZ

Jazzgroove Summer Festival: The Jazzgroove All Stars Macquarie Hotel free 8pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Julien Wilson Quartet, Hit!, Sandy Evans Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 8.30pm Jazzgroove Summer Festival: The World According to James, The Sousaphonics Redfern Town Hall free 10.30am Jazzgroove Summer Festival: Subterraneans, The Alcohotlicks, The Debonair Gentlemen Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $15 6pm Lah-Lah’s Musical Wonderland The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $15 (+bf) 10am, 11.15am Samba Mundi, Zohar’s Nigun Raval, Surry Hills $15 (+bf) 7pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Sunday Sounds The Apple Store free 3pm Wu Man (China) The Great Hall, University of Sydney, Camperdown $44-$49 5pm

gig picks

up all night out all week...

Los Lobos

MONDAY JANUARY 10

Emmylou Harris (USA), The Red Dirt Boys State Theatre $90-$110 8pm4

TUESDAY JANUARY 11

Kitty Daisy & Lewis The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf) 7pm

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12

Sideshow Wednesdays: The Paper Scissors, Chicks Who Love Guns, The Foreign Objects Beach Road Hotel, Bondi 8pm

THURSDAY JANUARY 13 Gypsy And The Cat, Georgia Fair Oxford Art Factory $17 (+bf) 8pm

Mountain Man (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hype Park North $35 (+bf) 7pm

FRIDAY JANUARY 14

Dan Mangan (Canada), Andy Bull, Spookyland Oxford Art Factory $15 (+bf) 8pm FBi Night: Gold Panda, Djanimals, Kyu, Dan Zilber, Ro Sham Bo Beck’s Festival Bar $38 8pm Philip Glass (USA), Kronos Quartet State Theatre Sydney $55$65 7.30pm, 12am Purple Sneakers: Wolf & Cub, Step Panther, Magnetic Heads, PVT DJs, M.I.T., Ben Lucid, Fantomatique, Minou Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $10 Tumbleweed, The Meanies, Dropping Honey Metro Theatre $28.70 8pm

38 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

SATURDAY JANUARY 15 Plutonic & G Love Oxford Art Factory $34 (+bf) 8pm

Summer Sounds in the Domain: Los Lobos (USA), The Real Mexico The Domain free 8pm Thee Oh Sees, Total Control, Straight Arrows, Dead Farmers, Songs Annandale Hotel $25 (+bf) 6pm You Am I Manly Fisho’s $25-$30 8pm

SUNDAY JANUARY 16

The Barons of Tang, Captain Stu Band, Slimey Things, Captain Kickarse & the Awesomes, Rockethead, Violence in Action Annandale Hotel $15 5pm Holly Miranda (USA) The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North $45 (+bf)

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club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Freestylers

FRIDAY JANUARY 14

Chinese Laundry, Sydney

Freestylers (UK), Ryza, Def Tonez, Zwelli, Flash Hubbard $15 before 11pm, $25 after

MONDAY JANUARY 10 Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Arrested Development, The Last Kinection, DJ Nock Toth, DJ The Thief $48 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Mondays Ooh Face, Hot Carl and friends free 9pm

TUESDAY JANUARY 11 Xxx Valve Bar, Tempe Underground Tables DJs Ato, Myme, Gee Wiz The World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic Karaoke Djs Cris Angel, The Cosmic Explorer, Bad Honour (Neon Hearts) free

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12 Coolabar, Sydney Latin Dance Party Coolabar DJs $10 9.30pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Presents Bradford Street Solo Art Exhibition, XOS, DRC free 8pm Wentworth Hotel, Homebush Uni Night DJ Nicky M, Dream One free 8pm

THURSDAY JANUARY 13 Arthouse Hotel, Sydney Mojito Central Dante Rivera, DJ Vicco free 9pm Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Future Classic Presents Henrik Schwarz, Future Classic DJs $28 8pm

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi The Camera Club DJs 8pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Salsa On The Rocks DJ Dwight ‘Chocolate’ Escobar free 8.30pm Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills V.I.P. Thursdays Tikels, Moto, J Lyriks, Naiki, Rkayz, Mistah Cee 8pm Home Nightclub, Sydney Unipackers Flite, IKO, Uncle Abe, Scotty G, Big Dan $5 8pm The Oxford Hotel Buzz Richard Savvy and Ben Drayton free 8pm The World Bar Teenage Kicks Mick Jones, Urby, El Mariachi, Johnny Segment, Monkey Genius free

FRIDAY JANUARY 14 Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill DJ Retro free 9pm

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Neon Nights Graz, Kato, Nina Las Vegas, Magic Happens 8pm Beck’s Festival Bar, Sydney Sydney Festival Gold Panda, Djanimals, Kyu, Dan Zilber, Ro Sham Bo DJs $38 (+bf) 8pm Blackbird Café, Sydney Nuendo, Veeo, Jay-P free 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Freestylers (UK), Ryza, Def Tonez, Zwelli, Flash Hubbard $15-$25 10pm Civic Hotel, Sydney CBD Beef + Bread + Butter Presents Nicone, Acid Mondays, DJ Schwa, Garry Todd, Kimi Polar, Jamie Lloyd $15-$20 9pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Johnny Vinyl, Strike free 8pm Favela, Potts Point Zen Nathan Cryptic, Nick Arbor, Antony Carpena, VLN, Zac Slade, Chris Lord, Matt Rowan, Shan Noble, Lyndsay Le Strange, Krish, Fotedar, Nic Side, IVAN & Spoon $18.20 9pm The Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills Purple Sneakers Wolf & Cub, Step Panther, Magnetic Heads, PVT DJs, M.I.T., Ben Lucid, Fantomatique, Minou $10 Good God Small Club Front Bar, Sydney Rip it Up! Rae Le Hero, Roberto de Roque free Home Nightclub, Sydney Oh My! Wolf $5-$15 Home Rooftop, Sydney Sublime Filte, IKO, MC Sugar Shane, Peewee Ferris, Losty, Arbor, Hard Forze, Big Dan, Ravine $20-$25 11pm Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown DJ Michael free 8pm Manning Bar, University of Sydney Low Society Dubsep Presents Datsik (Canada), Typhonic, Gabriel Clouston, Kirean Helmore, Low Society DJs, Sariss, Sam The Chemist, ForeignDub $20$25 9pm Oxford Art Factory Late Show: Friday I’m In Love free 11.45pm Tank, Sydney G Wizard, Def Rok, Troy T, Eko, Lilo, Jayson, Losty, Ben Morris, Matt Nukewood, Charlie Brown, Oakes & Lennox, Venuto, Adrian M Tao Ultra Lounge, Sydney Tao Fridays DJ Husky, Yogi, DJ Marc Us, Dan Copping, DJ Agey, Frankie Romano, Phil Toke free 9pm Wentworth Hotel, Homebush Wentworth Weekend Warm Up Wentworth DJs free 8pm Woodport Inn, Erina Inthemix Sounds of Summer Act Yo Age 9pm The World Bar MUM The Spirits, Wayphaser, Neon Knights, Saloons, Unity Floor, Kempsey, I Am The Agent, DJs Walkie Talkie, The Cosmic Explorer, Sammy K, Mush, Tacos, Loneworl & Dimes, Jack Shit, My Melody $10-$15 8pm

DJ Harvey

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Mowgli, Kaz James, Kid Kenobi, Simon Coyle, Jeff Drake, Mattttt, Club Junque, Spenda C, King Lee, Tom Yum $15-$25 9pm Civic Underground, Sydney Adult Retreat Quarion, Session Victim $23.30-$30 10pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Danni Presti, DJ Simon Neal free 8pm Empire Hotel, Darlinghurst The Temple Alex K, Sunset Bros, Outsource, Rata, Steve Play, Andre Jay, Dk1, Wilz, Frantic, Benino G, Blinky, Scotty O, Nick Nova, Danny P, Rath free 9pm Enmore Theatre Inthemix Presents Shpongle $77.10-$92.10 7.15pm Home Nightclub, Sydney Homemade The 808s, Aladdin Royaal, James Saxman, Matt Ferreira, Hannah Gibbs, Venuto, Dave Austin, Great Dane, Flite, IKO, DJ Selz, Uncle Abe $20$25 9pm Ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy Presents Ember Graham Cordery, Cadell, Tass, Adam Jacob, Mark Matthews, Paul Hatz, Robbie Santiago & Liam Sampras $15-$20 5pm King Street Wharf Sailors of the Caribbean – Sydney Harbour Boat Party DJ Phat Dee $40-$55 8pm Live @ The Wall, Ball Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt Eight By 8ight Xanthopan, Kavoorka, Dane Austin, Andosound, The Autohoare, mystery guest DJ $15 9pm Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown George B free 8pm Oxford Art Factory Plutonic & G Love’s (USA) $37 8pm

Soho, Sydney Inthemix Sounds of Summer Hook N Sling 10pm Woodport Inn, Erina Bounce Bang Gang DJs, The Immigrant, Wolfpack, Cheap Lettus, Chris Lawrence, Jake Mexon, Delicious, Sultan, Mozzie, Ajay, Bioweapon, GLB Crew, Juzzy Raver, Krip $15 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! Ajax, James Taylor + MC Shureshock, Kato, Rob Kay $15-$20 8pm

SUNDAY JANUARY 16 Beach Road Hotel Rex Room, Bondi The Sunday Nice Up Red Bantoo, Antibody, Bentley free 6pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Sun-Sets Strike free 4pm Fairfield Showgrounds The 2011 Summerbreak Under 18s Music Festival Timmy Trumpet, DJ Willi, KCB, DJ Nino Brown, Bioweapon, toneshifterz, Weaver, Suae, Tenzin, Matt Nukewood, Steve Frank, Charlie Brown, G-Wizard, Troy T, Joey Kaz, Nemz, Billy B, Alex Borello, Sax on Legz, MC Deekay $35 3pm Home’s Terrace, Sydney Spice After Hour Club Bjorn Wilke, Schwa, Murat Kilic $20 5am Penrith Panthers Sunsets On The Terrace 2 Faced free 2pm The Roxy Theatre, Parramatta Memories Six Fingers, Kistiano Carroll, Charlie Brown, Banzel, DJ Regz 2pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Fortune Disco Punx free 6pm Act Yo Age

SATURDAY JANUARY 15 Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Picnic Presents DJ Harvey (UK), DJ Garth, Kall, The Loin Brothers $28 (+bf) 8pm Blackbird Café, Sydney Nuendo, Veeo, Jay-P free 9pm

“I promise to keep ambition and drive and all that shit on one side and keep one side just for you” – JINJA SAFARI 40 :: BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11

club picks up all night out all week...

Arrested Development

MONDAY JANUARY 10

Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Arrested Development, The Last Kinection, DJ Nock Toth, DJ The Thief $48 8pm

THURSDAY JANUARY 13

FRIDAY JANUARY 14 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Neon Nights Graz, Kato, Nina Las Vegas, Magic Happens 8pm Beck’s Festival Bar, Sydney Sydney Festival Gold Panda, Djanimals,

Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Future Classic Presents Henrik Schwarz, Future Classic DJs $28 8pm

11 12 13 14 15 16 *

Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

Djanimals

kyu, Dan Zilber, Ro Sham Bo DJs $38 (+bf) 8pm

SATURDAY JANUARY 15 Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Picnic Presents DJ Harvey (UK), DJ Garth, Kall, The Loin Brothers $28 (+bf) 8pm Civic Underground, Sydney Adult Retreat Quarion, Session Victim $23.30-$30 10pm

Red M Jackass 3D* MA15+ The Last Airbender 3D* PG Diary of a Wimpy Kid PG The Town MA15+ Despicable Me 3D* PG

No free list Doggie Night

Centennial Park Tickets at moonlight.com.au or at the gate.

Gates open at 7pm, screenings at approx. 8.15pm

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 41

snap

wham

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

cargo nye

PICS :: AM

26:12:10 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

BLACK SWAN DOUBLE-PASSES

One of the most anticipated films of 2011, Black Swan is a visceral psychological thriller from visionary director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream). Set in the rarified world of a New York City ballet company, the story revolves around two ballerinas competing for the lead role in an upcoming production of Swan Lake: the emotionally frigid and sexually repressed Nina (Natalie Portman), and provocative newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis). Together, they embody the Swan Queen's dual nature: the innocence and grace of the White Swan, and the guile and sensuality of the Black Swan; but there can be only one leading lady.

A terrifying journey through Nina’s psyche and her obsession with perfection, Black Swan is an intoxicating mix of sex and psychodrama, intrigue and horror.

TO ENTER: Black Swan opens on January 20. Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox we have ten in-season double passes up for grabs; to get your hands on one email freestuff@thebrag.com with the name of its male lead.

42 :: BRAG :: 394: 10:01:11

06:08:10 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958

all i want for xmas

PICS :: AM

GIVEAWAY

garden party

PICS :: AM

W

IN

!

31:12:10 :: Cargo Bar :: 52 - 60 The Promenade King Street Wharf 92621777

17:12:10 :: Qbar :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

) :: ASH LEY MAR :: DAN IEL S : TIM LEV Y (HEA D HON CHO OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER :: NA MUN NS :: ROS ETT E ROU HAN

Deep Impressions Underground Dance and Electronica with Chris Honnery

This week: - Wed 12th Henrik Schwartz

L

Welcome back dear reader, and congratulations on surviving the New Year carnage. But it ain’t over yet. This Thursday Henrik Schwarz plays The Beck’s Bar, while on Friday, Bar 25’s Nicone headlines The Civic Hotel with support from The Acid Mondays - before we cut back to The Beck’s Bar for DJ Harvey on Saturday. A sure case of no rest for the wicked, so let’s hop to it.

Matt Edwards (aka Radio Slave) will be playing a set at Nevermind on Tuesday January 25. Edwards absolutely tore the floor apart at the warehouse bash he played for Deep As Fu*k circa January ’09, and anyone who missed that memorable bash ought not to let this shot at redemption slide. While the Rekids label boss is recognised for his output across a range of monikers, including Quiet Village alongside Joel Martin, his work as Radio Slave is generally crafted with the darkest crevasses of the dancefloor fi rmly in mind; listen to the Radio Slave remix of Minilogue’s ‘Space’ as a reference point.

This will be four hours of thumping, sweaty techno for true techno fiends – a fine way to celebrate Australia Day (eve).

A producer who is maligned almost as much as he is adored, Jay Haze will apparently be releasing his last record in February. Titled Love=Evolution, the record – if it is the house and hip hop producer’s last – marks the end of a career that’s spanned several phases of contemporary dance music, and featured a plethora of different labels and aliases, including Fuckpony. (But please don’t judge him for ‘The Heater’!) Love=Evolution will be released on Contexterrior, one of many labels Haze owns, and purportedly “highlights Haze’s longheld interest in different sounds and cultures, and is ultimately a culmination of the many projects and ideas he has explored in the past.”

Chemistry returns to The Civic Underground on Friday January 21 with a headline slot from Germany’s Dave DK, a fellow who has notched up a series of noteworthy releases on Sasse’s Moodmusic label. The night will be something of a Moodmusic label showcase, with Melbourne’s deep house connoisseur Mike Buhl – a chap who has also released on the label – spinning ahead of a strong local cast including Carlos Zarate and Yokoo. While downstairs will be about deep grooves, upstairs will offer a counterpoint with the disco sounds of Kali and the Loin Brothers. Presale tickets are available through Resident Advisor.

After an extended absence, German producer Rajko Müller, aka Isolee, has made a welcome return to the production fray over the past year. On the back of remixes of Ripperton and Onur Ozer, Müller has recently dropped a new single on the Dial imprint, The Fantastic Researches Of Yushin Maru (the Yushin Maru being an actual Japanese whaling harpoon ship that undertakes whaling operations in the Southern Ocean). The two-track EP is a precursor to the new Isolee full-length album, Well S pent Youth, out this month on DJ Koze’s Pampa Records. The LP will arrive nearly six years after his last full-length album, We Are Monster, and is apparently psychedelic and full of analog sounds, as well as “fit for both home listening and club soundsystems” – apologies for such non-descriptive

platitudes, but there’s no other information that’s currently available about one of the more alluring LPs set for release in coming months...

Now one for the heads: German electronic artists Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer have teamed up for another experimental album as nsi., titled Sync. It sounds about as [wonderfully] weird as one would expect from an album that has track titles like ‘# * = <’ and ‘+ • ø >’. Sync carries the subtitle "24 pieces for drum machine and sequencer", and that’s essentially what it is: two-dozen musical sketches made on an arsenal of analog gear. Each track is named after the devices that were used in its creation, with a different symbol denoting each instrument. nsi.’s total setup on the album is as follows: a Doepfer modular system (+), an EML 400/401 synth (#), an Eventide Time Factor delay pedal (*), a Korg Mini Pops 7 (=), a Korg MS 20 (•), a Makenoise Maths module (<), an MFB Dual LFO module (ø) and a Roland CR 78 drum machine (>). Uber-nerdy indeed, but certainly worth a listen for anyone with a penchant for ‘sophisticated’ electronica – hopefully you, if you’ve read this far!

Tobias Freund

Gallery Burlesque Live Art and Burlesque - Thurs 13th -

Tone Thursdays Free entry, cheap eats, great beats - Fri 14th -

la cumbia borracha Latin vibes - Sat 15th -

Zouk Sydney’s Premier French LOOKING DEEPER THURSDAY JANUARY 13 Henrik Schwarz The Beck’s Bar

FRIDAY JANUARY 14 Nicone The Civic

SATURDAY JANUARY 22 Cobblestone Jazz The Beck’s Bar

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5 Damian Lazarus AGWA Boat Cruise

Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com.

Caribbean event - Sun 16th -

Heavy Trance www.tone.net.au facebook.com/tonesydney twitter.com/tonevenue 16 Wentworh Avenue, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (02) 9287 6440 BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 43

snap sn ap

hot damn

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

teenage kicks

PICS :: RO

24:12:10 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

teenage kicks

PICS :: AM

16:12:10 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

hopscotch launch

PICS :: RO

24:12:10 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

sunburnt

PICS :: AM

25:12:10 :: Bondi Beach :: Campbell Parade Bondi

44 :: BRAG :: 394: 10:01:11

gorillaz after party

PICS :: AM

18:12:10 :: Club 169 :: 169 Oxford Street 93317729

16:12:10 :: Cargo Bar :: 52 - 60 The Promenade King Street Wharf 92621777 ) :: ASH LEY MAR :: DAN IEL S : TIM LEV Y (HEA D HON CHO OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER :: NA MUN NS :: ROS ETT E ROU HAN

BRAG :: 394 :: 10:01:11 :: 45

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bondi sounds

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up all night out all week . . .

united colours xmas

PICS :: RO

26:12:10 :: Cream Tangerine :: Campbell Pde Bondi 93008471

space ibiza

PICS :: AM

18:12:10 :: GOODGOD :: 55 Liverpool St Chinatown :: 92673787

PICS :: RO

starfuckers

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18:12:10 :: Club 77 :: 77 William St Kings Cross 93613387 46 :: BRAG :: 394: 10:01:11

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01:01:11 :: Moore Park :: Moore Park

26:12:10 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 ) :: ASH LEY MAR :: DAN IEL S : TIM LEV Y (HEA D HON CHO OUR LOV ELY PHOTOG RAP HER :: NA MUN NS :: ROS ETT E ROU HAN

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