The Brag #406

BENI CASSIAN SUNDAY 10TH| 6PM

NEON NIGHTS

Frequent action violence and mature themes

IN CINEMAS AND

APRIL 7

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 3

4 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

Get a

real

job Feeling a little uninspired at work or feel a career change coming on?

Graphic design could be just what you’re looking for.

It’s a growing industry and everywhere you look you can see the work of a graphic designer, even this ad that you’re reading right now.

Imagine getting paid for something you love doing every day!

Learn graphic design fast The good news is you don’t have to study for 2 or 3 years nor do you need any prior experience. At Shillington College you can study for three months full-time or one year part-time and graduate with a professional portfolio and an in-depth, practical knowledge of design theory and the Adobe Creative Suite.

Our courses are well planned, continually adapted to the times and presented by passionate professionals and, as a result, our students are getting top design jobs.

The next full-time course runs from 30 May to 26 August meaning you’ll graduate ahead of the rest.

Find out more at our open day Friday 15 April, 6-7pm Accreditation Certificate IV in Design CUV40303 Provider Registration No.- 3527

L3 50 Margaret St, Sydney 02 9299 1166 www.shillingtoncollege.com.au 3YDNEY s -ELBOURNE s "RISBANE s ,ONDON s -ANCHESTER s .EW 9ORK

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 5

rock music news

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Nathan Jolly

he said she said WITH

AZMARINO FROM DIAFRIX

I

come from a big family, which is the case for most Africans. Family and music have always been a big part of everyday life; no matter where you go you’ll always hear the sound of the drums, from a minivan to the barbershop to the veggie market drum sessions. At family gatherings there is always a cousin that knows how to play the guitar, and the whole family is singing and dancing.

The Diafrix crew is myself and Momo, with our producer Ptero Stylus and DJ Surrender. Momo and I met in 2002 or 2003 at a hip hop workshop, found out we had similar music tastes and decided to team up - and everything fell into place from there. We actually have pretty rewarding jobs that relate directly back to our music - we mentor young musicians in our community; basically we run music workshops, and teach kids the basics of writing songs, performing, producing etc. We give them an outlet to be creative, and to develop themselves as musicians and people.

We have been performing for over seven years, so we’ve had many opportunities to play with some of our favourite artists, like Public Enemy, Redman and Method Man, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli and Slum Village. You can learn a lot from those artists, sometimes without even talking to them - just by the way they act, and how many security guards they’ve got! You can work out if they’re divas or real humble people.

We seek inspiration from everywhere, not only music. We are inspired by people’s stories. We listen to a range of music, as we come from different places, but we’re digging on everything from K’Naan to Black Milk to Nneka to Wiz Khalifa.

We are a hip hop-based band that mix shit up with a heap of other genres. Lyrically, we always stay relevant to our own lives, so you’re not gonna hear any bullshit. We’ve recorded all over the place, but generally it’s at Ptero Stylus’ studio at Melbourne’s Hope St. Warehouse (a pretty big place for warehouse parties here!). Our live show has a pretty

Bat For Lashes

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 WRITERS: Jonno Seidler, Caitlin Welsh NEWS CO-ORDINATORS: Nathan Jolly, Cool Thomas, Chris Honnery

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, Amelia Schmidt, Romi Scodellaro, RK, Luke Telford 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 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.

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6 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

The music industry is in a good place, in regards to Australian hip hop. Every year new artists are breaking through and making noise.

It’s in a good enough place for us to put out a song like ‘Simple Man’ with Daniel Merriweather, and get love for it - and for other artists to take similar risks. We’re not crazy familiar with local Sydney venues, but we’re playing with Tinie Tempah at Oxford Art Factory at One Take on Thursday, and we’re back for Bruno Mars a week later!

What: ‘Simple Man Ft. Daniel Merriweather’ is out on iTunes With: Tinie Tempah (UK), DJ Izm (Bliss N Eso), Kato, Joyride & Mailer Daemon Where: Illusive presents One Take @ Oxford Art Factory When: Thursday April 7 More: Tickets available only from your mobile, at moshtix.mobi

YELLOW CONNECTION

Melbourne psych band Love Connection have already supported Toro Y Moi, Belle & Sebastian, Micachu & the Shapes and The xx, so by now they’ll be far too jaded to be as excited as we are about the news that they’re supporting Texan art-pop group YellowFever on their Australian tour. It hits Red Rattler in Marrickville on April 28.

NZ APPEAL

Rose Quartz music blog has released a digital fundraiser compilation to benefit victims of the Christchurch Earthquake, and although you can download it from rosequartz.blogspot.com for free, they’re urging you to donate via the Red Cross link on the page - coz that’s kinda the point. The compilation features unreleased songs from Thurston Moore (!), Monopoly Child Star Searchers, Wet Wings, and Shocking Pinks, new material from Dolphins Into The Future, Sun Araw, Mount Pleasant and Coasting as well as Christchurch artists With Moths, Spelunks and Secrets

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Dara Gill SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Niki Bodle, Michael Howlett, Innerstyle, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Thomas Peachey, Rosette Rouhana, Tom Tramonte 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 GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Conrad Richters - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance) INTERNS: Liz Brown, Sigourney Berndt

loose format, and you can expect to hear a heap of different styles of music; hip hop, reggae, roots, breaks, dubstep, soul - you name it.

VIVID LIVE LINE-UP ANNOUNCED #SWAGLOVIC

While our city gets prettied-up by Vivid Sydney, with light installations, art projections and a series of cutting-edge forums and presentations held from May 27 - June 13, Vivid LIVE will take over the Opera House. Modular founder Steven “Pav” Pavlovic has curated this year’s program, and boy oh boy is it a good ‘un. Bat For Lashes, Spiritualized, Sonny Rollins, Chris Cunningham, Superbien, Yo Gabba Gabba and blog superstars Wu Lyf and Odd Future are just some of the names set to take part; we interviewed Pav about how you book a thing like that, and where the hell that Avalanches album is… Page 15.

CARUS THOMPSON ALBUM & TOUR

IT’S ALRIGHT, MA (I’M ONLY BLEEDING)

In the tradition of Shakespeare, The Bleeding Knees Club are using profanity to appeal to the masses on their ‘Who The Fuck Are The Bleeding Knees Club’ tour. They’ll be posing that rhetoric and slightly ironic (or Alanic, possibly? Irony is hard...) question on April 30 at FBi Social at Kings Cross Hotel. Tickets are only $8, too!

The Middle East

Carus Thompson has played with everyone from Dave Matthews to Damian Rice, and after a few trips to the UK he’s coming back to Australia to launch his sophomore solo album, Caravan. You can catch the Perth-based singer songwriter at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla this Friday; the Great Northern Hotel in Newcastle this Saturday; and the Vanguard in Sydney this Sunday April 10.

PARADING

Purple Sneakers’ Last Night is obviously where to be this Friday April 8, what with Parades swinging by to play as part of their East Coast tour, in support of their new single ‘Water Stories’. Brisbane four piece Little Scout will apparently be playing “tunes so sweet they’ll rot your teeth,” so we can only advise you proceed with caution, and stay safe.

(Gaelic Club, $10.)

SNOWMAN

It’s a tale as old as time. A Perth band records two albums which receive critical acclaim, and then amidst the glory and chaos the rhythm session moves to Iceland and starts a family.

The forthcoming third album from Snowman is titled Absence and may very well be the band’s last ever. It’s out April 22 through Dot Dash, and track five is called ‘Δ’.

THE MIDDLE EAST ALBUM & TOUR

The Middle East will finally be unleashing the grammatical nightmare that is their debut album I Want That You Are Always Happy on April 8, and it turns out that even in these post-internet days, bands are still required to lug gear around the country in support of their records. Good for us, though; we get to watch the band play on June 17 at the Metro.

And after hearing their new stuff at Golden Plains this year, BRAG is quietly confident that this should and will sell out fast... Tickets go on sale Friday April 8.

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BALL PARK MUSIC STRANGE TALK BOY IN A BOX STEP-PANTHER

Wash Your Face in Orange Juice with legendary kid’s performer

Peter Combe All ages school hols matinee at 11am 1300 GET TIX (438 849)

and the

Newspaper Mama Band Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst Fri April 15, 18+ show Doors 8pm

DJS SWEETIE & SHAG (FBI)

THURSDAY 12 MAY

5)& ("&-*$ $-6# t %0034 01&/ 1.

For more info join us: www.facebook.com/BenShermanAU

Bring your toffee apples, newspaper hats and sing along with Mr Clicketty Cane, Newspaper Mama, Toffee Apple, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Juicy Juicy Green Grass, Chopsticks, Tadpole Blues, Jack & the Beanstalk, Baghdad, Saturday Night, Spangle Road, Tell Me the Ti-i-ime Please, Syntax Error and many more.

The songs that a million Australian kids grew up on!

Tickets: $24 (+BF) from 1300 GET TIX (438 849) or moshtix.com.au Support: Vaudeville Smash, The Preachers

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 7

rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Nathan Jolly

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

ZOE FROM EMPERORS Your Band Emperors formed about a year ago; 3. we’ve all been friends within the Perth music community for quite some time. Adam and Greg write the songs, Dane and I add the rhythm and harmonies (make them sound good).

The Music You Make Rock with a pop edge, Replacements 4. meets Built To Spill with a dash of Pixies. We recorded our EP with Dave Parkin at Blackbird Studios in Perth.

5.

Growing Up My dad has played guitar FOREVER - he 1. was in bands when he was young. We used

music and play in a band if I hadn’t been brought up with so much music in my house.

to play Crowded House songs together in the garage; I’d always sing the harmonies.

He bought me my first acoustic guitar when I was 13 and I still have it now. My parents had reasonably broad musical tastes - I would listen to their vinyl of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Queen and Deep Purple. My dad loves Zeppelin and my mum loves the Allman Brothers so it was a pretty varied musical upbringing. I honestly don’t know if I’d be as heavily into

Inspiration Kim Deal, David Bowie, Beck, Trent 2.

Reznor, John Reis, Jon Chapple. They’re all

K.D DOWN UNDER

People often reference k.d (lowercase) lang’s showstopping version of Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ (pretty sure it’s his, riiiiiight??) at the Winter Olympics, but completely neglect her version of ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch’ on the Christmas episode of Glee. Attempting to redress this balance, k.d is heading to Australia this November to perform this, and possibly even other hits, at two shows at the State Theatre. Tickets go on sale April 18; patience is a virtue.

amazingly talented people that I admire. I remember listening to The Downward Spiral for the first time when I was 14 - and as a pissed off teenager it was the most incredible thing I’d ever heard... I still love the record now, and Nine Inch Nails are still one of my favourite bands.

VANDA AND YOUNG HAVE MONEY FOR YOU

Vanda and Young know quite a lot about songwriting, having slung out a series of classic Easybeats tracks in the late ‘60s - which we all know was roughly ten years before the ‘60s actually arrived in Australia. So if you fancy yourself as a songwriter, the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, with its $50,000 worth of prizes (trip to London to record with name producers, APRA tickets, Song Summit passes, cash etc), is possibly the best

Birds Of Tokyo

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene in Perth at the moment is brilliant - the only problem is a serious lack of live music venues. There are plenty of fantastic bands who want to play, but not enough places for them to do it! The best thing is that everyone knows each other - it’s rare to play a gig where you don’t have a bunch of awesome musicians to hang out with in between sets. Some Perth bands that are really awesome to see at the moment are Injured Ninja, Grim Fandango, Sugar Army and Mongrel Country - all of them play incredible live shows.

With: The Walking Who and Ed Worland Where: Wolfden Live @ Phoenix Bar When: Friday April 9

competition for you to enter. Not your local pub’s battle of the bands, this one. Applications are open til May 31 - google it. And c’mon, songs aren’t that hard. ‘Yesterday’ sounds pretty easy.

Fantine

FANTINE

Fantine is the newest indie electro songstress to arrive on the Sydney scene, and already the girl is making an impression. With a pedigree that reads like the lost princess Anastasia (Fantine was born to a Russian father and Dominican mother, moving between Russia, The Dominican Republic, Perth and finally Sydney), Fantine’s culturally diverse upbringing is reflected in her music. Fantine will be celebrating the release of her debut single ‘Rubberoom’ at GOODGOD Small Club on Wednesday April 6, and BRAG has five double passes to giveaway. So if you want to get along and catch this indieelectro-Russian-princess, tell us which Russian capital she was born in.

Blue King Brown’s Natalie Pa’apa’a

GAY PARIS & THE DEVIL

The fact that Gay Paris’ tour ‘Kickstarting The Devil’ sounds like a bad Japanese approximation of a Mötley Crüe slogan only strengthens my resolve to make sure I don’t miss these sleazy rockers when they hit The Vanguard on May 21. Juke Baritone and The Good Ship are supporting, and if you can’t wait til then, Gay Paris are playing The Vanguard on April 15 too, in support of The Beards.

DAPPLED CITIES 4 FBI

The official launch party for FBi Social and the Kings Cross Hotel happens this Friday April 8, and if free entry and the knowledge you’re supporting a great community radio station isn’t enough incentive to come along, keep in mind that Dappled Cities, Midnight Juggernaut DJs, Canyons, Andy Bull, World’s End Press, Belles Will Ring and The Laurels will be playing live. And it’s free! Holy shit!

SURRY HILLS FEST

This weekend (April 9), the Surry Hills Festival erupts in the centre of our city (Shannon Reserve and Ward Park), and the big “Bring No Alcohol” warnings indicate that the council are well aware this is the exact type of event that would inspire merrymaking... As for live bands, there will be Jinja Safari, Fishing, Domeyko/ Gonzales, Lanie Lane, Step Panther; as for live dogs, there will be a dog show! Races include small doggy dash, medium doggy dash, large doggy dash and open doggy dash.

BURLESQUE AT 34B

This weekend, 34B is hosting ‘Welcome to Razorhurst’; a huge burlesque night themed around the exhilerating underworld of vice that took over Surry Hills to Paddington during the depression, “as the dreaded Razor Gangs fought over control of prostitution, drugs and alcohol”. A solid theme, and a huge lineup too, with performances from Imogen Kelly, Lola The Vamp, Bay Blue Bergman, Donna Dynamite, and more. Tickets are $20 through Moshtix.

BIRDS OF TOKYO

Once Birds Of Tokyo had convinced their manager that Cockatoo Island was a real place and not just a conveniently avian-themed fantasy land, they signed on to play an exclusive gig there on May 27, as part of the Debit MasterCard Priceless Music series. These tickets will be limited and are only available for purchase with a Debit Mastercard, on April 28 via mastercard.com.au/music.

GUINEAFOWL AND BALL PARK MUSIC

Guineafowl and Ball Park Music are doing one of those co-headline tours, and this one has a name: ‘The Super Computer Tour’. You can catch them at the Kings Cross Hotel for FBi Social shows on Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24.

Tickets are $12 +bf through OzTix. Get on it.

WORLDWIZE!

After spending countless years blowing larger acts off stages across the country, Blue King Brown have come to the realisation that maybe they should be headlining, and are embarking on their very first national headline tour this May. In a stroke of luck, they also have an album to launch - Worldwize (Part 1: North & South). They’ll be in Sydney on June 4 at the Metro, with special guest Diafrix along for the ride (assuming they carpool.)

“The smell of Sunday in our hair... You ran on the beach with Kennedy flair” - KD LANG 8 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

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BLUESFEST TOURING PRESENTS RAUL MALO The former lead singer of The Mavericks (‘Dance the Night Away’). Get ready for a Tarantino-esque journey through latin, jazz, blues and rock & roll, driven on with clean guitar and pulsating rhythms.

Raul Malo has a voice to die forand a wicked sense of humour – it’s a night not to be missed!!

Sydney: The Basement - Sun 17th April

Tickets: www.thebasement.com.au (02) 9251 2797

Sydney: Lizotte’s, Dee Why - Mon 18th April Tickets: www.lizottes.com.au

MICHELLE SHOCKED A self-styled “Sophisticated Hillbilly”, Michelle Shocked is a world wandering singer/songwriter and guitarist. With 12 albums and 24 years of performance to her credit, Michelle is a storyteller of the highest order. This April, let her engaging tales of the contrasts, toils and successes of life transport you to another time.

Sydney: The Basement - Mon 18th April Tickets: www.thebasement.com.au Dinner/Show Packages: (02) 9251 2797

Sydney: Lizotte’s, Dee Why - Tue 19th April Tickets: www.lizottes.com.au

Sydney: The State Theatre - Sat 23rd April (WITH BUFFY SAINT MARIE) Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

THE DOUBLE BONE-ER TOUR

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

FISHBONE

The young, new ‘King of Brass’ – Shorty took out an unheard of FIVE awards in the ‘Best of The Beat Awards’ in New Orleans – and narrowly missed out in this year’s Grammys. Bono and Lenny Kravitz love him (fair praise indeed!!).

LA cult ska-punk band Fishbone – longtime Aussie favourites – share the bill. Dancing shoes, energy drinks, OK… let’s get physical – this night sure will be rockin’!!

Sydney: The Metro - Tue 19th April Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.metrotheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

IRMA THOMAS SOUL QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS

Her songs, that voice, this Grammyaward winner will show you why she is one of soul’s finest performers – and long- serving talents. ‘You Can Have My Husband – But Don’t Mess With My Man’, ‘Breakaway’ and so many more… This is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ musical experience!

Sydney: The Factory - Thurs 21st April Tickets: www.factorytheatre.com.au or Enmore box office (02) 9550 3666

DEREK TRUCKS AND SUSAN TEDESCHI BAND WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND

SPECIAL GUESTS TOOTS & THE MAYTALS WITH LUCIANO AND THE JAH MESSENJAH BAND AND WARRIOR KING AND BONNIE CASEY

Direct from Jamaica – the ultimate reggae party Reggae legend TOOTS & THE MAYTALS (‘Pressure Drop’, ‘54-46’, ‘Monkey Man’) is joined by the Roots Reggae Saviour ‘The Messenjah’ LUCIANO, Reggae leader WARRIOR KING and award-winning newcomer BONNIE CASEY. Gonna be a mixed beats journey through ska, rocksteady, dancehall ragga and reggae. The very best is coming to this Reggae Rising!

Sydney: Enmore Theatre - Sat 23rd April Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.enmoretheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC

A modern day guitar god, Derek Trucks reminds us how expressive guitar can be. With his wife, skilled singer Susan Tedeschi in the mix, expect a performance equal parts chemistry and virtuosity. Playing in April, they will be supported by acclaimed funk/ soul guitarist Robert Randolph and his Family Band.

“Ain’t no funk like P-Funk!”. One of the original “brothers from another planet”, George Clinton is the undisputed grandfather of P-Funk and the Purveyor of some of the funkiest music of all time.

With his Parliament Funkadelic band in tow, this April, George returns to land the funk mothership and show us how to get down. 26 P-Funk All Stars in a three hour mara-funk-athon!

Sydney: Enmore Theatre - Thurs 21st April Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.enmoretheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

LEON RUSSELL WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

LITTLE FEAT

Iconic arranger, producer and genius songwriter, Leon Russell is responsible for many classic songs: ‘A Song For You’ (The Carpenters, Ray Charles), ‘This Masquerade’ (George Benson), ‘Hummingbird’ (BB King) and the classic ‘Delta Lady’ (Joe Cocker) – made particularly famous in Leon’s ‘Mad Dogs & Englishman’ Tour and movie.

His latest CD Union, a collaboration with Elton John, has seen a resurgence to fame for this rock legend. See for yourself in April, when he performs here with special guest support from Californian blues/rock cult legends, Little Feat.

Sydney: The Metro - Sun 24th April Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.metrotheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

TIM ROBBINS AND THE ROGUES GALLERY BAND

Sydney: The State Theatre - Fri 22nd April Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

Best known for his acting role in The Shawshank Redemption, lesser known is Tim Robbins’ lifelong relationship with music and song-writing. On tour with his six-piece band The Rogues Gallery, he tackles a heady blend of folk, country and rockabilly. In April, come witness the other side of “Andy Dufresne”.

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

MICHELLE SHOCKED AND KEV CARMODY The foremost Native American performer of our time. Heavily covered by many of music’s greats, Canadian folk singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has spent a lifetime questioning norms, along the way giving voice to the dispossessed indigenous people of the Americas. In concert, Buffy Sainte-Marie will be joined on stage by Michelle Shocked and Kev Carmody. This kind of lightning rarely strikes twice.

Sydney: The Basement - Thu 28th April Tickets: www.thebasement.com.au Dinner/Show Packages: (02) 9251 2797

Sydney: The State Theatre - Sat 23rd April Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

WARREN HAYNES

AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND

FUNKY METERS

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

JOE LOUIS WALKER

The “Founding Fathers of Funk” The Funky Meters is the modern day incarnation of The Meters, a benchmark in African-American music.

From the late 1960s to today, this trio have moved hips across the planet and have always been the go-to session band in N’Awlins playing with Patti LaBelle, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer and many more. The Funky Meters bring un-cut funk to us, for one sweaty night only!

Now this IS an ALL STAR BAND: Guest vocalist RUTHIE FOSTER; TERENCE HIGGINS (Nora Jones, Black Crowes, Dr John); RON HOLLOWAY (Allman Bros, Gil Scott-Heron); RON JONSON (Panjea, New Monsoon); DANNY LOUIS (Gov’t Mule, Stockholm Syndrome).

Special guest is blues guitar legend JOE LOUIS WALKER.

Sydney: The Metro - Wed 20th April

Sydney: The Factory - Sat 23rd April

Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.metrotheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

Tickets: www.factorytheatre.com.au or Enmore box office (02) 9550 3666

TRINITY ROOTS Transcendent at their peak, Trinity Roots live is a spellbinding experience.

Titans of the New Zealand music scene of the early 2000s, following a series of phenomenally received summer reunion shows, in April, Trinity Roots will bring their hypnotic blend of roots, psychedelica and soul to our shores for some highly-anticipated shows.

Sydney: The Metro - Fri 29th April

Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au 132 849 or www.metrotheatre.com.au (02) 9550 3666

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST WWW.BLUESFEST.COM.AU (02) 6685 8310 BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 9

dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

CAMDEN

never gave birth again. My academic father, who seems disconnected to the point of autism, had his ideals that “Asian children must learn classical piano”. In our house there was always vinyl of Brahms, Debussy and Nina Simone, yet somehow the first album I ever bought was Mariah Carey’s Music Box. Inspirations I was born in insipid Canberra, but I 2. became human in London. In Mile End,

I earned myself a copy of À Rebours by Huysman, watched Singing in the Rain and first heard the Smiths. From there I studied 80s indie like a teenage boy memorising his first porno magazine. The Smiths, Wedding Present, Stone Roses and Orange Juice filled my nostrils with the feeling that social outcasts can make music too. Years later I discovered that appearance is probably as important as talent, i.e. The Strokes and The Libertines.

Your Band ‘Camden’ is myself, the slender, self 3. loather, narcissist, and romantic; an amazing

1.

Growing Up My career started when my mother gave birth to me 26 years ago in Canberra. She was so disapproving of the results that she

BLISS N ESO

drummer [Murphy James] who has the ability to scare people with a twinge of his face; a bassist [Kasper Kiely] who is sickly pleasant, which is very unpleasant indeed; and a T-shirt wearing, foul-mouthed, boorish guitarist [Dave Rodriguez], who is my opposite. He’s a talented musician, he’s butch and he’s likeable.

The Music You Make Camden produces a sound that’s a 4. mixture of guitars, detachment, dance and pop-poetry. Recently we finished two tracks, ‘Students’ and ‘Please Don’t Hold Me in Your Arms’, at Big Jesus Burger studios (BJB). Our producer was Evan McHugh, who’s worked with Jet, Dead Letter Circus, and Gold Fields.

Sounding nothing like those bands, you would think Evan may not have been the obvious choice, but he’s the band’s best decision yet.

Music, Right Here, Right Now Firstly why do Sydney-siders love 5. acoustic folk music? It’s so meek, like watching an ex-girlfriend stick band-aids over her blisters. Secondly, have bands forgotten the art of lyrics? What a waste.

Have something to say, make comments, ask questions. Make audiences dance, drink, and laugh; but most importantly, think.

So I make a pledge, for all those who do not belong, who find the world vacuous, disgusting; look beyond the irony, listen to Camden and fall in love again.

What: ‘Handsome Ransom’ is out now on Major Label Where: Ching-a-Lings, Darlinghurst When: Tuesday May 10

MAX COOPER AT GOODGOD F.R.I.E.N.D.S. DJ/S

Subsonic returns from its post-festival slumber to host Englishman Max Cooper, with the aid of the Shrug crew, at GoodGod Small Club this Saturday April 9. Cooper is a producer who has attracted plenty of praise of late; he’s a figure who’s on the cusp of ‘breaking through’ (that’s if he hasn’t already), and hence his debut tour of Australia couldn’t have come at a better time. Forget the jaded geriatrics going through the motions behind the decks in sad self-parody; Cooper should arrive down under full of exuberance and rearing to go.

For any Max Cooper neophytes, the man was a genetics research student before he was lured

Hip hop extraordinaires Bliss N Eso are about to embark on their next tour, which should already have you in some type of excitement-induced fit. They’re being supported by Horrorshow and Big B and have already sold out Hordern Pavilion - so we were relieved when they announced a second all ages show set for the following night, on May 28, which will go on sale on Monday April 11. Luckily for you, dear reader, BRAG has two double passes to give away to the second night. If you want to get your hands on one of them, just let us know the name of Bliss N Eso’s latest album...

THE MIDDLE EAST

Folk pop favourites The Middle East release their debut album, I Want That You Are Always Happy, this Friday April 8, and will be trekking around the country to celebrate - with a stint set for June 17 at the Metro. Winners of the triple j Unearthed award, the band has been seen at all the best Aussie festivals, and a few of the best music blogs to boot. Given that their debut EP, Recordings of The Middle East, came out way back in 2009, it’s been a long time between drinks but it’s been worth the wait. Wanna find out for yourself? BRAG has two signed copies of I Want That You Are Always Happy to give to our lovely readers, if you can just tell us the name of a band member.

into the hypnotic vortex that is electronic music.

‘Above ground’ remixes of Portishead and Hot Chip’s ‘I Feel Better’ have introduced him to a wider audience in recent times, and it may come as a surprise to many of you to find out that he’s actually been plying his trade for a decade, and has released on over twenty different labels, including the hallowed Traum imprint. Support on the night will come courtesy of Marcotix, Trinity, MSG and Dave Stuart, as Subsonic returns to the intimate confines of GoodGod after the memorable affair that was last year’s ‘No Frills Techno’.

LADI6

WE HAD PARTIES

The 5th annual We Had Parties bash will take over The Gaelic Club on Easter Sunday April 24. Themed ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, the fiesta features several well-known local party crews combining powers in honour of the Easter bunny. Representatives from Last Night (aka Purple Sneakers), Mum, Girl Thing, Teen Spirit, F.R.I.E.N.D/S, Ghetto Blaster and P*A*S*H will be taking over two arenas. Advance tickets can be purchased online for $20.

VIVID LIVE 2011

The lineup for this year’s Vivid LIVE Festival has been announced, featuring a selection of international and local artists performing at the Sydney Opera House from May 27 – June 5. Stephen ‘Pav’ Pavlovic, the founder of the Sydney-based Modular label and brand, has curated this year’s event, and his fingerprints are all over the program; see the presence of the likes of Gavin Russom (more on that in this week’s Deep Impressions), Cut Copy, Tame Impala and Architecture in Helsinki. Aside from the Russom gig, the other electronic music jaunt (I have to ostensibly tailor this to ‘dance music news’, remember) that stands out is that of Spiritualized, performing their celebrated 1997 album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space on Friday May 27, with the aid of some 30 other artists on stage, including a gospel choir and orchestra… Tickets will be on sale for all Vivid LIVE performances as of this Tuesday April 4, through vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com; for more, flick through to find a feature...

RED RACK’EM AT RACKET

Described by Gilles Peterson as “not being able to put a foot wrong right now” – and this was a recent statement, so the ‘right now’ is, like, now – Danny Berman aka Red Rack’em aka Hot Coins headlines the next Mad Racket bash, on Saturday April 23 at Marrickville Bowling Club. Berman has built up a following through a string of releases on labels like Tirk, Untracked, Home Taping, Undertone and his own Bergerac imprint, through which he released his critically acclaimed debut album, The Early Years.

In addition to his own productions, which traverse a sonic palette of house, techno and disco influences, Berman has crafted remixes for Tricky, Joubert Singers, The Revenge and Ron Basejam, and I’m told his ‘Smugglers Inn’ radio show/podcast regularly pulls in thousands of listeners around the globe. As ever, you can grab tickets ahead of the gig through the dance music bazaar that is Spank Records on Bourke St.

LADI6

New Zealand’s first lady of hip hop, Ladi6, will perform at The Gaelic Club on Saturday April 16, courtesy of the Niche Productions crew. Getting her start with seminal all-girl crew Sheelahroc, Ladi6 dropped her debut solo album Time Is Not Much in 2008, a record that was produced by Fat Freddy’s Drop’s DJ Mu and later released by UK label BBE. She’s recently unveiled her follow-up offering, The Liberation Of…, an effort that has gained rave ‘hometown’ reviews in the New Zealand media and is set for release in Australia in May. Ladi6 will be supported in Sydney by compatriots Electric Wire Hustle, a trio who combine heavy head-nod beats with soul vocals and pulsating basslines courtesy of an array of bass, drums, keys and sequencers and samplers; heterogeneous sonic frequencies, dude.

“Release yourself upon me. Free the hounds of chastity. Unleash your sexuality on me” - KD LANG 10 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 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

FANTINE

M

y father was a geologist and my mother a teacher. Singing was something I did as a child to entertain myself and my family. My dad sometimes thought it was a little too much and would ask me to pipe down, but my grandmother used to always tell me to ignore that, and encouraged me to sing and dance. I considered music a hobby well into my university days.

The music that inspires me isn’t always the music I listen to. I love to listen to Bon Iver and classic jazz sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

I like the sound Ronson created in his album Version, and it was such fun listening to some American contemporaries including Cee-Lo Green and Janelle Monae.

As a solo artist I guess the only permanent member of my band is me. But there are two tiers in my band: the people I like to write with and those I like to play with. At the moment, some of the favourite people to include in the band line up would be Tim McArtney on bass, Steve Lamante on drums, Beau Golden on keys, Peter Gabrielides on guitar and Rosie Henshaw to help with some backing vocals.

My sound is a quirky concoction, it’s a bit electro, a bit moody, a bit soulful. Let’s

face it, without good songs there’s no point for a band. I went on a writing tour to the US and UK in the middle of last year and co-wrote with ex-pat Ben Lee, and a whole stack of really cool writers. My debut single ‘Rubberoom’ was co-written with Londonbased electro producer Alex Gray. Locally, I had the pleasure to co-write and share the stage with Space Invadas for more than a year; working with Katalyst on Space Invadas third single ‘Super Sweet’ was brilliant, and singing alongside Steve Spacek in front of 5000 fans at Splendour was a highlight of 2010 for sure.

There are fewer and fewer venues that accommodate original, left-of-field bands.

I suppose it’s easier and more cost effective to have a DJ for a venue; it seems to be what punters want these days... Original artists are going back to basics by working live to create a fanbase, one person at a time. Recently, during my support slot for Electric Empire at Oxford Art Factory, I realised that venues do get filled, and people still want real music and that inspired me.

Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Wednesday April 6

smack of Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere?), and the cover art has been painted by renowned science fiction illustrator Jim Burns.

MOVE D

After selling out their first show within a week, Bliss N Eso will play an additional Sydney performance at the Hordern Pavilion on Friday May 27. It’s been a mammoth twelve months for one of the country’s biggest hip hop acts, encompassing a #1 ARIA debut, a platinum album, international touring, headlining slots on some of the country’s biggest festivals, and main stage Big Day Out performances. As with the sold out Saturday night gig, the newly-announced show will be an all ages concert that also boasts support from local lads Horrorshow and Big B from the USA. Tickets go on sale at 9am Monday April 11.

FARINA RETURNS AGAIN

San Francisco’s jackin’ house stalwart Mark Farina returns for his annual Australia jaunt over Easter. Renowned for his Mushroom Jazz parties, and compilations released on OM Records, Farina has always been a favourite down under, which should again become evident when he plays a set at Ivy Pool Club on Easter Monday, April 25 - which this year doubles as Anzac Day. The tour supports the seventh addition to the Mushroom Jazz series, which hit shelves late last year. Soulmag said of the release, “Overall, Mushroom Jazz

compilations are never a disappointment, and this latest instalment is a testament to that.”

YACHT

YACHT will release their second album for DFA, Shangri-La, on June 27. The core duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans recorded the album with their regular collaborator Bobby Birdman at the Marfa Recording Company, Jackpot! Studios and in “temporary living quarters” in Los Angeles. As its title suggests, Shangri-La is an album concerned with the attainment of utopia (doesn’t the whole thing

Machine’s ‘Most Blogged Artist on the Planet’; not bad when you consider who he’s up against [EVERYBODY!]. This weekend you have the chance to see whether the hype is indeed justified.

JAPAN FUNDRAISER

FINAL SUPAFEST TICKETS

Levins fired up for this expletive-laden press release that somehow made it past BRAG’s censors – incompetent fu*ks [heyyyy…. – ed.].

Here it is reproduced in full! “Halfway Crooks is that party lots of people like that happens once every two months. Now that makes very little sense to me. If people like something then why would it happen so infrequently? That’s dumb.

If these asshole promoters knew shit about shit they would stop being dickhead millionaires and make this shit happen more often. Like every month or something.” Well, the good news is Halfway Crooks is now officially monthly. The core triumvirate of Captain Franco, Levins and Toni Toni Lee will be pushing hip hop party jams from 10pm this Saturday at Phoenix Bar, and if they replicate any of the combative ’tude oozing from the abovementioned presser, it should be quite a night out indeed. $10 entry fee, and good luck if you try any of that ‘I’m on the guestlist’ garbage.

DROP THE LIME

BLISS N ESO ANNOUNCE SECOND SHOW

WA-based troubadour Carus Thompson has been trotting the globe to record his latest album, Caravans. Despite its name, Carus assures us this is not simply an album of road songs, but also represents how he feels having arrived at this point in his life (a metaphorical caravan, if you will).

To celebrate this release, Carus is hitting the road again, and hitting it hard. BRAG has two copies of the album Caravans as well as two double passes to see Carus when he plays The Vanguard on Sunday April 10.

If you feel like you need a good dose of Carus in your life (and who doesn’t?) tell us which metaphorical vehicle would represent your life.

You ain’t a fan of deep grooves until you’ve heard David Moufang, aka Move D, in action. Moufang has always been a prodigious talent, combining jazz, funk, techno and house influences in his releases on labels such as Running Back, Warp and Smallville over the past fifteen years. With a vast catalogue of eclectic records at his disposal, Moufgang will be sure to extract the most from the Civic’s renowned soundsystem when he plays an epic five-hour set for Adult Disco this Saturday. As McInnes remarked after one too many at the pub the other night, “The ‘D’ is for deep, and the music... that’s for moving to!” Get lost in the deepness this Saturday from 10pm at The Civic Underground; presales $15, through Resident Advisor.

With Supafest 2011 nearing sell out status in Sydney, a new General Admission seated area has been created to allow for a final release of tickets that are now on sale. The lineup for Supafest is stacked with a surfeit of world-renowned hip-hop and RnB drawcards, including Timbaland, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, New Boyz, Benny D, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Taio Cruz, Bow Wow, Game and Fat Joe along with local artists Israel, Miracle and DJ Nino Brown, who will all be representing at ANZ Stadium come 1pm on Saturday April 9.

Bliss N Eso

CARUS THOMPSON

NYC heavy bass posterboy Luca Venezia, aka Drop The Lime, will spin at Chinese Laundry on Saturday night. Venezia is the head honcho of the Trouble & Bass label, and has been responsible for anthemic cuts like ‘Hot as Hell’, ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘Sex Sax’. Apparently Venezia was Hype Wax Motif

Tone nightclub hosts a fundraiser for Japan on Sunday April 10 which will boast a veritable who’s who of Sydney DJs all spinning for a good cause. Mad Racket’s Simon Caldwell, Space is the Place’s Prize, DJ Silvio of the Loin Brothers, 2Ser’s Trevor Parkee, George Kristopher and Luke Le Mans are among those representing, with all proceeds from the night to be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.

Doors open at 5pm, and entry will be acquired through a $20 minimum entry donation, with greater amounts urged and appreciated.

HALFWAY CROOKS GOES MONTHLY

WHAM! FT WAX MOTIF

Wax Motif is launching his new ‘Shimmy Shake’ EP at Wham! at World Bar this Saturday. Mr Motif won the Mad Decent/ Nike/PRGz remix comp in ’09, and his first release on Sweat It Out, ‘Conga Junk,’ garnered support from artists such as Brodinski, Kissy Sell Out and Breakbot. We’re told this latest one should do similar business on the dancefloor – and there’ll be plenty of such business at Wham! come Saturday, where Motif will be flanked by the likes of Raye Antonelli, James Taylor + MC Sureshock, Johnny Rad, Ember, Telefunken, Adam Lance, Matt Weir, Say Whut?!, D* Funk, Scuba Scu, Rigs & Rads and Mike Who. Doors at 8pm.

“I’m a shadow since you’re gone... just a shadow in the dawn that breaks in the sand” - KD LANG 12 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 13

The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Industry Music News with Christie Eliezer

Lifelines Born: Daughter Kikki Bo, to singer songwriter Damien Leith and wife Eileen.

Born: Daughter River Jane Hamilton Noonan, to Brendan Noonan of Melbourne band The Stabs and his partner Kat Hamilton.

Dating: Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons, and Never Let Me Go actress Carey Mulligan.

Charged: Perth police charged a 22-year old man over an August 29 incident at a Northbridge nightclub. They say a woman was indecently assaulted in a toilet cubicle by the man who was employed as a cleaner at the club.

In Court: Charlie Gilmour, adopted son of Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour, will stand trial over his part in the recent London student riots, which protested a rise in university tuition fees.

In Court: A Texas prosecutor suggested that Willie Nelson can resolve marijuana possession charges by agreeing to plead guilty, pay a fine, and agree to sing ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain’ before the court. (He later said the singing bit was a joke.)

BIRDS OF TOKYO JOIN VILLAGE SOUNDS

Birds of Tokyo have joined Byron Bay-based Village Sounds booking agency, joining a roster that includes Bernard Fanning, The Vines, The Grates, Washington, Art vs Science and The Middle East. Agent Evan Davis said, “Having been a huge fan since day one, I am thrilled to be working with the band.” Davis is contactable at evan@villagesounds.com.

AMIN GIVES FREE LEGAL PACK

The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) has released a free legal pack to help equip artists and the music industry with basic legal knowledge. It covers record deals, band agreements, management contracts, dealing with booking agents and venue contracts, plus publishing, syncs, re-mixer and producer agreements. There is also advice on setting up a business, GST and what to claim when preparing tax returns. The pack was developed in consultation with the industry, and with assistance from entertainment law firm Simpsons and financial services company Moneypenny. MusicNSW Executive Officer Eliza Sarlos, whose organisation developed the resource on behalf of AMIN, says the project recognises how important it is for artists and biz workers to look at issues before they sign any contract. But she adds, “These information sheets are by no means a substitute for professional legal advice.” The Pack can be downloaded from www.amin.org.au

Sued: Britney Spears and her father are being sued by brand marketing company Brand Sense, which claim they brokered a deal in 2004 for her fragrance line (which got them 35% commission) only for the duo to get a new deal elsewhere for US$10 million.

Busted: US rapper Rick Ross, for possession of marijuana after cops detected marijuana fumes coming from his Shreveport, Louisiana hotel room.

Died: Former triple j and Radio National presenter and writer Tony Barrell, 71.

Died: New York DJ and urban radio personality DJ Megatron, 32, shot in his chest while going to a neighbourhood store at 2am.

BIGGEST MUSIC MARKETS TAKE HAMMERING

called Recording Industry In Numbers 2011. It revealed that the value of the global recorded music market fell by over 8% to US$15.8 billion (Australian $15.3 billion). Physical sales fell by 14.2% to $10.4 billion - but at least the annual loss is getting smaller; it was $1.7 billion last year compared to $2.4 billion in 2007. Digital sales grew by 5.4%. to $4.6 billion and account for 29% of all recorded music revenues - but they’re still not living up to expectations.

After massive rises (37.2% in 2008, 11.7% in 2009), digital growth has slowed down significantly – but the rise of digital services could encourage consumers to come over to the legal digital market. The US and Japan accounted for 57% of the global decline, and Australia was down 12.4% after being up 4.3% the year before. Only three countries went up: South Korea (which has strong antipiracy laws) was up 11.7%, India up 16.5% and Mexico up 0.9%. Meantime, record labels found new revenue streams; they grew 4.6%, to US$851.2 million; sharp growth was in the US (up 27.9%) and Germany (up 18.5%). And France’s “three strikes and you’re out” Hadopi law saw a 53% decline in illegal file sharing.

BEYONCE PARTS WITH DAD

The world’s two biggest music markets - the US and Japan - took a hammering last year from digital piracy, while the UK slipped from third place to fourth. These findings are from a report by International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI)

Beyonce has split with her manager Matthew Knowles, who is also her father.

No reason was given, but the 29-year said she was “grateful” for everything he’d taught her. Knowles began managing Beyonce in her mid-teens, when she was part of Destiny’s Child. But the other two members, Kelly Rowlands and Michelle Williams, complained that his decisions were partial to his daughter.

THINGS WE HEAR * Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, which drew 150,000 over three days this year, will hold an event in Sydney as part of a global rollout that includes Seoul, Sao Paulo and Ibiza. * Daryl Somers still trying to get Hey Hey back on air, but admitted on Facebook he’s not having a roaring success. * Cyndi Lauper endeared herself to Brisbane by agreeing to perform at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art for a dinner organised by Tourism QLD and Tourism Australia, to raise money for flood victims. Lauper donated her fee to the QLD Premier’s Fund. She also kept referring to QLD premier Anna Bligh as the Prime Minister… * Lady Gaga received a nice present on her 25th birthday: she became the first

VANDA & YOUNG COMP RETURNS

The Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition is back for a second year, courtesy of APRA|AMCOS. With an entry fee of $50 AUD per song, all proceeds will go to support Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia, which uses music’s participatory nature to heal people (www.nordoff-robbins.com.au). The winner gets a $50,000 prize, including $20,000 cash, business class travel to London, co-writing sessions, studio time and musical instruments.

See www.vandayoungsongcomp.com for full details – the deadline is May 31. Megan Washington won the last one, in 2009.

HOW MUCH WILL ‘DOWNUNDER’ COST?

What now for the Men At Work’s ‘Downunder’ and ‘Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree’ saga, after EMI lost its appeal last Thursday? The trial judge, Peter Jacobsen of the Federal Court, will now work out how much ‘Kooka’ publisher Larrikin Music should be paid in penalties. The figure was causing debate in the biz last week; some claim it could be up to $20 million, others call that “ridiculous, way over the top”. Larrikin wants 5% of royalties from six years (now 9.5 years, since it filed suit). In its 14-strong appeal, EMI argued that the ‘Kooka’ riff was a play on ‘Down Under’’s Australiana lyric, and that it was ages before the similarities were reported.

Former Larrikin boss Norm Lurie, who initiated the case, was sailing in the Greece islands last Thursday.

ROADSHOW AGREES TO AUSTEREO SALE

Village Roadshow last week formally accepted Southern Cross Media’s offer for its 52.5% stake in Austereo. After that, Roadshow’s 32-year involvement in the radio industry is over. SCM and Austereo heads have been meeting to work out the new management structure of the merged company. SCM now has four stations in the Brisbane/ Nambour area. It will sell off its Sunshine Coast’s SEA FM and MIX 103.5, and keep Austereo’s 4MMM and B105.

CASHLESS CONCERT ARRIVES

PayPal, Moshtix, Illusive and EMI have joined forces to bring the first ‘Cashless Concert’ to

person to have nine million Twitter followers. * America’s Best Buy chain paid $14 million for 1.6 million copies of Guns N’Roses’ Chinese Democracy on its release. But the CD stiffed, selling just 614,000 copies in the US. Now Best Buy has price-tagged it at $1.99. * Doing media in America, 28-year old actress Abbie Cornish startled journos by revealing she wants to cut a hip hop album in America. They didn’t know she got into club dj-ing and beat mashing at 17; in Australia, she occasionally performs with her ex-boyfriend Kid Lyrical’s crew, under the name Dusk. * Newcastle’s Kurri Kurri 50s festival (rock and roll, 350 vintage cars, beehive and slicked ducktail hairstyles) drew 40,000 people (it was 30,000 last year), and four couples renewed their vows before the stage.

Australia. It takes place this Thursday April 7 at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory. Fans use their mobile devices to access tickets to the show through Moshtix’s mobile site. They pay via PayPal, and have their tix scanned from their mobile at the venue. The show, the first of Illusive’s ‘One Take’ pop-up parties, is headlined by UK rapper Tinie Tempah, with Melbourne duo Diafrix, DJ Izm, and an array of top Sydney DJs in support.

ADELE EQUALS MADONNA’S RECORD

Adele has matched Madonna’s record with nine weeks at #1 in the UK album chart - the longest for a female solo artist. For three of the last five weeks, Adele’s 21 album was at #1 and her debut album 19 was at #2.

She also has three singles in the Top 40, with ‘Someone Like You’ at #1. She recently became the first living artist since The Beatles to have two top five hits in the UK single and album charts simultaneously.

WANNA INTERN AT WORLD BAR?

The World Bar in Kings Cross is looking for a dedicated party person to join them a couple of days a week unpaid, and aid in the marketing of their busy, varied venue.

You get experience, perks, and it could lead to more within their business. You’ll help to execute elements of their new membership scheme, promote their new website, manage their social media campaigns and assist the Marketing Manager. Email grant@ theworldbar.com for more information.

FIRST THE ANNANDALE, NOW THE LYRIC

In the same week that the Rule Brothers put the Annandale Hotel up for sale, the Foundation Entertainment Group (FEG) put in a bid to buy and run The Lyric Theatre in Star City in Pyrmont. FEG runs the Capitol Theatre; both the 2000-seater venues are rivals. Major musicals and theatre promoters say that having the venues under one management would allow it greater power to get shows. If the NSW Casino Liquor and Gaming Control Authority gives it the green light, FEG will take over in July 2012.

Come work with us!

The Brag is seeking a new Advertising Sales Junior to add to our energetic and youthful team!

A fantastic opportunity exists for the right person to join one of Australia’s leading music titles.

car allowance adds to a great package with all the usual benefits.

A knowledge of and passion for of all things Sydney bars, clubs, pubs, music, entertainment is essential.

Applicants with sales experience and/ or existing contact base who can hit the ground running are preferred.

Plus, you get to work in a cool, inner city location with one of Australia’s foremost youth marketing companies and publishing teams.

A retainer and generous incentives are offered, commensurate with experience. A mobile phone and

This is an excellent opportunity for the right, self motivated and hard working person to break into the music industry!

Got what it takes?

Email resume and cover letter to jobs@furstmedia.com.au The Brag is part of Peer Group, Australia’s foremost youth marketing company and Furst Media, Australia’s biggest streetpress company

“Say that I was the only one to be sober / In a room with the jinx and an idolized lie / And say that your energy was made in a vacuum / With a spiraling fortune screwing your high” - DAPPLED CITIES 14 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

Vivid LIVE 2011

x By x Steven Pavlovic on Vivid, Modular, and the odd future of music… By Steph Harmon

A

s a showcase of international music and performance, Vivid LIVE is the crown jewel of Vivid Sydney, the city’s three-year-old annual festival of light, music and ideas. So the announcement in December that this year’s program would be curated by Steven ‘Pav’ Pavlovic, founder of Australian tastemaking label and touring company Modular, caused quite a stir.

Such a stir, in fact, that online buzz in the lead-up to the lineup announcement led to several of the headline acts being ‘uncovered’ the night before the press conference last week - but although the leak was the kind of thing that publicists dread, it doubled as a reassuring sign that Sydney cared.

As curator, Pav follows the mammoth footsteps of Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and Brian Eno - but when I catch him in the aftermath of the lineup announcement, he insists that he didn’t feel any real pressure. “At first I thought they were asking me to perform there, which I was incredibly nervous about. If it was that, then it would have been terrifying. And weird!” he laughs. “But it’s not – someone’s just asked me to program a series of shows of things I like, and that’s not a hard thing to do. There’s tonnes of things I like.”

Pav is the first to admit that his tastes are broad: from the ever enthralling Bat For Lashes (making her Australian live debut) to sonic-legends Spiritualised, performing Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space; from acclaimed French design team Superbien, who will use 3D digitalmapping technology and projections to transform the Opera House sails, to cult director Chris Cunningham’s audio-visual performance art project. Old-timer Sonny Rollins, ‘the Saxophone Colossus’, will be celebrating his 80th birthday, while new-comers Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All and WU LYF are representing an avantgarde that’s bubbling up from the underground.

For the kids there’s Yo Gabba Gabba, the hip children’s show that’s down with Pitchfork; and of course it’s Modular, so there’s a bunch of club nights planned – lead by The Avalanches DJs, 2ManyDJs, The Crystal Ark and Club Kooky.

Pav has made his name through exceptional taste and an uncanny ability to pinpoint the cultural zeitgeist; Opera House were understandably open to any ideas he had for Vivid LIVE. “I was actually really surprised,” he says. “They were like, ‘Do whatever you like. This is about what you’re interested in; it’s about you giving us a snapshot of where you and your brand is at.’” A brave brief, to be sure - and while acts like Bat For Lashes and Spiritualized are sure to be crowd-pleasers, Pav’s booked in some controversy, too. “I first came across Odd Future around October last year,” he says. “I started watching all the stuff they’d put online – there’s a tonne of it, you know?

They’re really active in that space, and I find it really intriguing.”

Odd Future’s rise has been as fast-paced as it’s been widely-documented. The L.A-based hip hop collective of 17-23 year olds has already released eight albums, four mixtapes and some arresting clips – all available for free download and pumped

incessantly through pretty much every social media outlet out there. With lyrical themes of ultraviolence, rape, murder and homophobia, Odd Future trade as much in shock and gore as in genuine talent and electrifying charisma. Is Pav worried about how they’ll go down at a venue like the Opera House? “I’m pretty sure that show is gonna sell out in a heartbeat. There’s just so much interest in those guys,” he says. “Obviously there’s some pretty questionable lyrics from a PC point of view… but I would reserve any judgement I had about that kind of stuff until I’d seen more.

“There’s this whole kind of mystery around what they’re doing,” he continues. “I don’t think for one moment that they’re five uneducated guys from the hood just talking shit, you know? I’m pretty confident that they know exactly what they’re doing. All the way along, everything that they’ve executed – all of the tours, all of the online video stuff, all of their blogs, all of it – it’s pretty on point.

It’s not random; it all seems actually well thought out.” Tyler The Creator’s been confirmed to appear, but Pav couldn’t give me any more details about which other members were coming down – and of course, one of them’s gone missing altogether…

“Nobody knows where Earl [Sweatshirt] is,” Pav laughs.

s g u r d e s Do you u e out ? r ’ u o y n e wh

Manchester’s WU LYF are another act who are infamous for remaining elusive and misleading the industry that’s chasing them. “Both acts just have this healthy disrespect for the music business,” Pav says, “but then, they’ve never really had to play that game, you know? …No matter how clever you are in your marketing or the way you go about building your brand, if there’s nothing behind that then it’s going to go nowhere.

And both WU LYF and Odd Future stack it up with pretty fucking awesome music.”

Also on the bill are a bunch of Modular’s own acts – ten all up, including Tame Impala, Architecture In Helsinki, Cut Copy, DOM and a DJ set from The Avalanches, Pav’s first signing. Under fire for allegedly using the festival as a platform for his artists, does he have anything to say to the critics? “Yeah – what the fuck d’ya think?” he laughs. “They asked me to program an event because they like [my taste] - well, probably 90% of what I like I end up working with … so of course it’s going to have a strong representation from my roster.”

Before I hang up, I have one more question: where the hell is that Avalanches album at, please? Pav laughs again – he’s used to this one.

“Well, they’re going to be having a finished-in-thestudio party with us in May, so I’d say it’s going to be some time this year. I’ve heard it from one end to the other.” …And? “You’re asking the wrong person. I think they’re the most creative people this country has ever seen.”

What: Vivid LIVE is being held at the Sydney Opera House from May 27 – June 5 More: vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com

Researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre would like to speak to people who use drugs when they party. Face to face interviews will be conducted between March and May. The interview takes around one hour and is held at a convenient location for you. Interviews are anonymous and confidential.

You will be reimbursed $40 for your time.

Contact Laura on (02) 9385 0407, email nswedrs@unsw.edu.au or sms details to 0404 786 677 (you do not have to use your real name).

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 15

L

ast year was a sweet one for Michael Franti - and man, did he deserve it. In August 2009 his appendix burst mid-yoga pose, sending him into hospital, and bringing on a few weeks of terror. The inflamed organ had been waylaying him before and after gigs for some time but as his (literal) bubble burst, Franti actually believed the end might be near – and for a positive, eternally optimistic chap like him, that’s saying something. In an odd twist of fate, as he lay on the gurney waiting to be opened up, the track ‘Say Hey (I Love You)’ from his Jamaican-born, Sly & Robbieproduced record, All Rebel Rockers, was breaking into the Top 20 charts; the first time in his 25-year career that a song of his had enjoyed this kind of commercial success.

Test results in, appendix out: an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude struck the singer, musician, poet and activist, and his next collection of songs poured forth. In true Franti style, he took the new material out on the road with longtime musical family, Spearhead, to give it to the people. Recording sessions took place in hotel rooms, locker rooms and backstage areas along the tour route, and these new songs of hope and joy became Michael Franti and Spearhead’s seventh studio album, The Sound Of Sunshine. Released in February 2010, the record is exactly what the

title suggests - beach party music about good friends and good times - and indicated it was time to keep touring. And that’s essentially what Michael Franti and Spearhead spent all of last year doing.

And it didn’t stop there. Michael Franti is bringing his new material to Australia for a string of shows, including a slot at the 22nd Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest. The bill of artists announced for the festival was epic, and keeps getting bigger: Grace Jones, Warren Haynes, Clare Bowditch and Frank Yamma were among the most recent additions to the now six-daylong festival, with a line-up of over a hundred that already included ZZ Top, Ben Harper, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Derek Trucks, Jethro Tull, Elvis Costello, B.B. King and of course the legendary Bob Dylan. As a songwriter and poet, Franti is certainly looking forward to catching Dylan’s set. “Oh yeah,” he rumbles, “I mean anybody who’s ever tried to write a pop song in the last 30 years owes something to Bob Dylan. He’s somebody who really brought poetry, a healthy dose of irony and, you know, songs about social change, social issues, and put them right next to songs about how much he loved his girlfriend. It’s just amazing to think that he’s still on the planet. He seems like such a heroic figure - he’s one of those people that it’s amazing to be living in the same time

as. I’ll be able to tell my grandkids that, yeah, I actually saw him play a show.” He pauses, presumably in awe. “You know, I wish I could say that about the Beatles and Bob Marley.

I did see Run D.M.C. though - there’s the fab four right there,” he laughs. “I saw James Brown too - there’s the fab five. I saw him in Perth once, actually. It was great.”

So, Franti has some previous experience with being in the presence of greatness then?

I’d wager James Brown would be almost as daunting as Bob Dylan… “We played a show in an outdoor park out there,” recalls Michael, of the Perth event. “I didn’t really spend any time with [Brown], except to see him walk on the stage. He just walked past me.” Evidently, that was enough for Franti. “The show was incredible, you know. He gave everything he had on stage every time out there. He was a real inspiration for me on tour. I do the same thing - I give it all every single time I go out there, no matter if I’m standing on the corner with my guitar or playing at a festival with tens of thousands of people.”

Franti admits it’s more than just a great performance that he’s trying to create. “My goal every time we go out on stage, or every time we do a show, is to create a habitat for happiness to occur. For us, that starts the second we get off the bus and walk into the hotel, or walk into the venue, [and lasts] til the second that we leave and get back on the bus at the end of the night. Everybody that we meet is important and special to us.” It’s a sentiment that any longtime fan of Michael Franti and Spearhead know to be true, and it finally seems that the rest of the world is catching on - all because of a

little song called ‘Say Hey (I Love You)’. “In the States in the last two years we’ve had something happen that we’ve never had happen before. We had this single become a huge song on the radio, in the movies and on TV everyday,” he says. “After 20 years of making music we’d never really had a bona fide hit song, and most of the people who listened to the song were like, you know, teenage kids between 11 and 15 years old. We saw on YouTube that that was the greatest demographic of people who were viewing that video, and it’s brought a whole new generation into our shows.”

I admit to Franti that I was introduced to Spearhead 15 years ago, by my then eightyear-old next-door neighbour. We chat on about the wonder of the “entry point” into music – how people find their way “in” to certain artists, and how they go about discovering new music. “I love that, too,” he says. “And then we’ve got people who’ve been with us for a long time, who bring their kids to the shows. We have little kids from four and five years up to adults in their 60s and 70s and we love it like that.”

What: Sound Of Sunshine is out on Liberation Where: Enmore Theatre (all ages) When: Sunday April 24 More: Michael Franti and Spearhead are appearing alongside Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Jethro Tull, Washington and more at the huge Bluesfest, held from April 21 – 26 in Byron Bay.

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BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 17

Foo Fighters Back And Forth And Back Again By Jonno Seidler

I

t was the feet that gave out first. Watching the secret Foo Fighters gig at Sydney’s Goat Island, their first set on Australian shores since 2008, my soles were starting to get real sore. It was then that I realised day had turned into night, and the band were still relentlessly powering along. Somewhere down the line, a small promo set had mutated into a monster three-hour marathon. “Three hours and four minutes,” clarifies bassist Nate Mendel when I meet him and bandmate Taylor Hawkins at their hotel a few days later. “That was actually the longest set we’ve ever played.” Their set the next night, at Sydney Uni’s Manning Bar, lasted for roughly the same amount of time - so how the hell do they do it? Seven albums and 16 years in, The Foos are certainly not young guns anymore. Blonde drumming dynamo Hawkins likes to compare the band’s relentless performance regime to a workout: “It’s turning into a bit of a macho thing. You know, endurance. It’s sort of like getting in shape and going to the gym, seeing how far you can push yourself,” he laughs. “You definitely reach a point where you start losing some of your facilities. But also you start breaking through walls – mental as well as physical.”

The training has certainly paid off; Foo Fighters are back in a big motherfucking way this year. This week they release their new album Wasting Light, and in a few months their first feature documentary Back & Forth comes out, helmed by Oscar-winning director James Moll. After that, they’re returning to Australia to blow the roof off what frontman Dave Grohl affectionately labels our “super mega domes or whatever the fuck they’re called.”

Back & Forth illustrates that downtime is not a luxury the Foo Fighters have had a lot of in their careers. It’s a revelatory gem, as Moll probes each band member to find out just how intense it is being part of one of the world’s biggest rock and roll acts. “We’d do these crazy interviews in front of the camera that would last a really long time, and he’d just break us down to talk about things that normally we can skate over,” says Hawkins, whose London overdose in 2001 is discussed candidly for the first time, as well as his clashes with Grohl, when the frontman left the band to drum for Queens Of The Stone Age on Songs For The Deaf. “You’d give him [Moll] diplomatic answers and stuff, but he wouldn’t let you get away with it.” Mendel, whose former band Sunny Day Real Estate features heavily when the film focuses on the early days of the group, agrees. “Instead of getting ‘What was it like to record with Butch Vig?’ it’s ‘How did you feel when William [Goldsmith] left the band?’” Although Hawkins admits he finds it uncomfortable to watch, he concedes that, “The best documentaries are the ones where they get under the skin. Unfortunately, it was our skin this time.”

But before the new film comes the new album.

Wasting Light is important for a number of reasons, not in the least because it marks the recording debut of the newly minted Foo Fighters five-piece. Original guitarist Pat Smear, ex-Germs and Nirvana, is back in the saddle after almost a decade, bringing the distortion and madness that defined the band’s earliest releases. “I’m not an outgoing person,” says Mendel, “so I do like having Pat on my left side, because he’s doing his thing and everybody’s looking at him and I can just relax and play music.”

“Three hours and four minutes - that was actually the longest set we’ve ever played. It’s turning into a bit of a macho thing. You know, endurance...”

Produced by Butch Vig, of Nevermind fame, the album was recorded entirely in Grohl’s Virginia garage – on tape. It’s a move that allowed the band’s approach to be more elastic (“I’m writing stuff on the fly now, and I like it way better,” says Mendel), and shifted the emphasis away from studio gloss and back towards what made them love playing in the first place. With a bipolar history of going from the basement to the studio and back again, scrapping entire albums (One

By One) and changing line-ups, the only thing Foo Fighters like to keep consistent is the quality of their output. “Obviously you want to have an interesting story for the record and the fans,” says Mendel, “but you also want to keep the band interested and keep everyone on their toes.

It’s constructed in a way, ‘How do we make it better and interesting and different?’”

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW Includes your favourites “Come Around”, “Veronika” and “I Can Show You”

LIMITED EDITION 2 DISC DIGIPACK with acoustic and remix tracks also available u ?

www.timandjean.com.au

TIM & JEAN TOURING 3 0 T H A P R I L – OX F O R D A RTS FAC TO RY 18 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

It certainly shows; new songs like ‘Rope’ and ‘White Limo’ are some of the most relentlessly hard-hitting tunes the band has cut since the ‘90s.

Their renewed approach also comes off the back of a saner touring schedule, to coincide with the fact that most Foos are now also fathers. “We used to do four week, five week tours of Europe.

Twice,” says Hawkins. “Now we do maximum two or three weeks and then spend some time at home. It seems to work better for us, as people.”

They’re also playing more intimate club gigs than ever before, “which is great, because it means we’ll be really fuckin’ hittin’ hard when we get to the stadiums.” The band now also rehearses for a week without Grohl, to get themselves super tight before heading out on the road. “We drilled ourselves without him, which meant he could sort of walk in to a readymade band. It wasn’t intended that way, it just sort of happened.” So look out for Foo Fighters, they’re well-oiled and ready to beat their previous record. Just make sure you stretch out those calves before you hit the venue.

What: Wasting Light is out April 8, through Sony; Back & Forth is coming soon.

Live at Productions PRESENTS

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Friday 8th April

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x BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 19

Dappled Cities Back In Action By Steph Harmon

“W

hen you look around and see what’s happening to our old stomping ground, Surry Hills and Newtown, seeing all the venues shut down thanks to inept social planning and so on – it’s a bit disappointing.”

Although I spoke to him over a fortnight ago, these words from Dappled Cities’ Dave Rennick couldn’t ring more true this week. Last Monday, The Annandale Hotel confirmed its muchrumoured sale; its owners, Matt & Dan Rule, hadn’t found the investors they needed to keep jumping over the hurdles that have been flung in their path for over ten years. The announcement followed another recent spate of local live venue upheavals, from the Raval’s closure to the sale of the Excelsior; a trend that’s been a media focus since the Hopetoun shut its doors in 2009.

After spending over a decade on the Sydney circuit, Dappled Cities have seen the city at its best and its worst - and Dave doesn’t seem too hopeful about the current state of affairs. “It doesn’t feel that good,” he says. “It’s a bit shortsighted of the powers that be... And it’s that way from local organisations right up to the federal government, who are just a pack of idiots.

I can’t see Australia growing up any time soon.”

Not only do Dappled Cities have the wisdom of years to draw from (Dave, Tim Derricourt, Alex Moore and former-Dappled member Hugh Boyce were only 15 when they formed their first band, Perriwinkle, in 1995), but they can make some pretty damning cross-cultural comparisons now, too. Their second album, 2006’s Granddance, sat perfectly in the Arcade Fire- and National-fuelled blogosphere, drawing enough international acclaim that Dappled could embark on US tours, pick up a label, and relocate to New York for six months.

“It was very exciting for us,” Dave says, “but we’re learning that it’s a long journey. We never wanted to do the Vines or the Jet thing, and we made a point of it. But we’re discovering that we actually opted instead for a really long, drawn out, slow process.” I mention that there’s more longevity in a slow burn anyway, and he laughs; “Well, one would hope.”

Dappled Cities have set their sights further than America, too; last year, following the 2009 release of the dark and epic Zounds, they set up shop for four months in London. London and New York are pretty fruitful grounds, musically – and after discussing the ups and downs of Sydney’s music scene, I ask how the better half live. “Maybe not the better half,” he counters, diplomatically, “but certainly the more developed motherland; the lands that we’re trying to emulate here. But yeah, I guess seeing that and then coming back does kind of make you wonder… All that said,” Dave continues, sparking up, “we’re still very much a Sydney local band. We have all our ties and roots here, and we love playing at home.”

It’s not the end of the world after all; one venue closes, and another opens up. Next week, Kings Cross Hotel and FBi Radio are officially launching the twelve-week trial of their brand new pop-up live music venue, FBi Social. The venue, which inhabits the second level of the pub, will be programmed on rotations: Thursday nights will be booked by regular FBi shows like New Weird Australia, In The Pines and The Bridge; Fridays will be dance nights, courtesy of Two Thousand, Pedestrian and regular promoters; and on Saturday night, it’s all about the indie bands - so far they’ve lined up Guineafowl, Pikelet and DZ Deathrays amongst others. And Dappled Cities will be headlining the massive free launch party on Friday.

“We’re trying to do a full set entirely of the new repertoire... The mantra for the next record is to make it really short and tight and to the point.”

It’ll be the first time Dappled have played since Halloween last year, right at the tail-end of their touring cycle for Zounds. Since then they’ve been busy working on the new album, so with this latest gig announcement comes the promise of a preview.

“We’re trying to do a full set entirely of the new repertoire, and not play any of our old songs,” Dave says. “I mean, I think we’ll have to play some of our old songs, but that’s the ambition...”

They have the whole album all written and demoed already - “We’re now choosing a producer out of a shortlist,” Dave tells me, and I’m audibly surprised.

When Zounds was released, Dappled made no bones about the trouble they had recording with American producer Chris Coady. “I think our experiences with producers in general have finally taught us that we don’t want one. Or need one,” Dave said in an interview with The Vine last year.

When I remind him of that, he laughs. “Yeah. Look.

One last roll of the dice, see how we go, you know?

We’ve never had a positive experience with a producer… But we also don’t want to make a really bad-sounding record.”

The new release came together from “a big psychedelic jam demo session” a year ago in Los Angeles. “All the songs came out ten or twelve minutes long, and our label at the time was very unimpressed.” Dappled’s three-album deal with Dangerbird ran its course with Zounds, and they haven’t yet signed another, although their manager promises they’ll be announcing a new label soon...

“The mantra for the next record is to make it really short and tight and to the point, so we had to throw away a lot of [the initial jams],” Dave continues.

“Zounds was kind of dark and epic… the whole record was very exhausting. So yeah, we’re going to go for a lighter touch this time.”

With: Canons, World’s End Press, Belles Will Ring, The Laurels, Midnight Juggernauts DJs, Andy Bull and more Where: FBi Social @ The Kings Cross Hotel When: Friday April 8 20 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

Tim & Jean Coming Around By Jonno Seidler

T

im Ayre is more than likely the world’s worst ambassador for Dominos Pizza. In a tale that has now become folklore, he and bandmate Jean-Christophe Capotorto (let’s just call him ‘Jean’) binged on the stuff and drank a ton of Pepsi while recording their first hit single, ‘Come Around’. “We were just high on that shit and eating fuckloads of Dominos pizza, which is probably the worst pizza - but fuck it’s great, you know what I mean?” Tim & Jean put their debut record out last week, so it’s safe to say they’ll need a better diet plan if they’re considering writing more songs in the future. “Yeah,” laughs Tim, “We’ll run 100 metres - once a month. Or we’ll just spend more time with our parents, who know how to cook us good meals.”

Like the beverage they love, Tim & Jean’s Like What is full of brilliantly-crafted sugar bombs, a few of which have already been circulating the airwaves for months, garnering them the title of ‘Perth’s answer to Passion Pit.’ But it’s a bullshit, lazy categorisation of a duo whose skill set encompasses the best of jazz, rock, reggae and dance - and Tim is quick to point out that there’s a lot more happening with the band, as fans will discover during the upcoming album tour. “I used to play in a blues band before and I throw in heaps of different shit, which I really enjoy playing live. Our manager was cool with it; everybody’s there to hear some pop tunes, but I can mix it up a bit.” Last year, Tim opened the band’s shows with a jazz number performed solo on piano, which impressed anyone who went there expecting pop without depth. “It went down really well,” he laughs. “Nobody threw anything at us.”

diaphragm it’s coming out a lot fuller,” he says.

“With falsetto, you have to push far more to get the same impact.”

As they head back out on the road to swag out their new collection of tunes, Tim already has a template for how he wants the band to ultimately sound. “I saw an old video of Lynrd Skynrd from the 70s, and there were four chicks - must have been like their wives or something - in the back on this riser just singing the harmonies, and the band’s singing too, and everything was so raw. I’m pretty sure their gear was terrible, too. It would be nice to get to that level where you can just pull it out like that.”

Perhaps if they drink enough Pepsi, Tim & Jean will transform into a classic rock band – but in the meantime, they’re just happy to have the kids Coming Around to their shows, and singing along in high voices. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

What: Like What is out now through Universal Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday April 30

Red Floor Productions & Drum Media presents

At 17, Jean is the baby of the pair, which means that Tim (now 21) has the enviable task of moulding him into his own image. “It’s great, I got to feed him a whole lot of soul records and funk and grunge and watch him soak that all up and incorporate it into his playing,” he says. “It’s almost like more organic writing, because when we cut the album he was really young and just hadn’t listened to that much. There was nothing really informing how he wanted to write, he wasn’t worrying about anything like that.” It’s possible that his mentor also introduced him to Dominos during this period...

Tim admits that the sudden attention on the group (which now includes three extra touring members) was incredibly strange at first. “We weren’t really thinking of what we were doing when we first got together,” he says. “It’s not like we wrote songs worrying about how we could get it onto high rotation on triple j or whatever.”

While Tim knows lots of bands who have business plans in place for each next project they do, he confesses that he and Jean had next to no idea. “For us, we’re going to try and get the songs better live, and differ them from the record. That’s pretty much the start and end of our strategy!”

“My grandad was a classical opera singer and he taught me when I was little. The falsetto thing sort of comes more from being inspired by Jeff Buckley and Elliot Smith, but that’s really difficult to do live.”

Like What has been finished since about halfway through last year, but Tim can’t believe how quickly the release date has come; “It’s almost like being pregnant; you’re excited but it’s like, ‘Something’s coming out!’” Mixed

by John O’Mahoney in New York, the record saves the best tunes for last, like live favourite ‘Afrika’ and the 80s-happy ‘Solina’, definitely more Temper Trap than Passion Pit if you’re big on categorising. One thing that certainly sticks out is Tim’s use of falsetto, which is more often that not double-tracked, and inspired by a very different movement to the noughties synth-pop they’re often bundled in with. “Singing wasn’t always my strength,” he says. “My grandad was a classical opera singer and he taught me when I was little. The falsetto thing sort of comes more from being inspired by Jeff Buckley and Elliot Smith, but that’s really difficult to do live.” Tim says his sound guy has saved his life on a few occasions and is “essentially, part of the band”, helping to mix his vocals to sound as fat as they do on record. “When you sing with your

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The Gum Ball is the ultimate bush party held on private estate just ust two hrs hr north of Sydney, 1 hr west of Newcastle at Belford, Belf lford d, Hunter H Huntter Valley Valllley NSW. N NSW SW. Gates open 4pm Friday 29th April. Roll in, set up camp, kick back relax, music fires up at 6pm and runs until midnight. There’s a late night silent disco to keep the vibe bubbling, g until Saturdayy when it kicks off again aggain nice and cruisy around breakfast, 10am sharp.

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Because Gum Ball’s a limited capacity festival with BYO, onsite camping, awesome food and market stalls, a family friendly atmosphere(bring the kids!) some big big warm warm fires ffir ires es and a nd some ssom omee of Australia’s Aus Austr tral alia ia’ss (and ((an and d NZ) NZ) best bands, it’s really hard to go past it as a true festival for the people.

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Tickets are selling fast so best not leave it too late, you don’t want to miss out this year.

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Check out the website for full info on this years event.

www.thegumball.com.au BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 21

Toots & The Maytals

Kora

Let The Pressure Drop By Mike Gee

Mean As, Bro By Andrew Geeves

T

he word ‘legend’ is bandied around way too often in the music industry, but on his occasion, it’s deserved. Toots Hibbert, frontman of Toots & The Maytals, is one of the seminal figures of reggae. His 1968 single, ‘Do The Reggay’, is credited with inventing the word - and his career stretches an epic 47 years. He was friends with Bob Marley, won a Grammy in 2005, holds the record for the most number one hits in Jamaica (31), and he’s still making music: their 27th studio effort Flip and Twist was released last year, a new R&B album comes out this year, and there’s a reggae release set for 2012.

ean azz” seems a distinctly New Zealand-ish way for Laughton Kora to summarise his opinion of Australia.

Kora are currently back in the studio recording their second album as they gear up for another tour down under and, reading the answers sent back from Laughton and his brother Fran, the immature schoolboy in me is feeling guiltily satisfied that trans-Tasman expressive quirks are retained in the transition from spoken to written word. Australians are mean azz… bro.

“M

cementing Kora’s performance style. “Those crazy four-hour shows really set the foundation for how the boys are today.” Being in a family can sometimes be tough – and so can being in a band. So I’m curious to know, do the two ever collide? “Of course there are times where we might butt heads, but shit sorts itself out pretty quick,” Fran says. “Lick a few wounds, and get on with the job. The best thing about playing in this band is that we almost have a telepathic form of communication.”

Laughs aside, Kora’s output demands they be taken at a level of greater seriousness than caricature. Comprising the four brothers Kora - Laughton, Fran, Stuart and Brad - plus Dan McGruer, the Whakatane-based reggae/dub/ roots/beats quintet officially formed in 2003, releasing the Volume EP in 2004 and a selftitled debut album in 2007. They visited our shores for the first time in 2005, and have since then been all over – England, Scotland, Japan and Singapore, with a plan to head to the States this year.

Citing diverse influences that range from Iron Maiden to Toto via Daft Punk and Michael Jackson, both Fran and Laughton are coy about allocating their music a specific genre. “People should come to a live show and make up their own mind,” states Fran. Having previously been described as fusing elements of metal, rock, hip hop, dub, reggae and jazz, it’s understandable that the closest Laughton will come to classifying Kora into a particular genre is “hard hitting grooves with four-part harmonised vocals.” For him, it’s about producing music of a particular quality, rather than an easily identifiable sound. “It’s got nothing to do with genre,” he says. “Our old man taught us to play everything and anything with a high standard of musicianship”

But they still call New Zealand home. “New Zealanders are really down-to-earth people. We have the greatest country in the universe!” Fran enthuses, before acknowledging the impact of his Maori heritage. “Being Maori has a strong influence on everything I’ve done. Without sounding like a hippy, Maori are very spiritual people and feel their way through things. To me, there is a certain spirit that’s embedded into things that we do well.”

Raised in a musical household, performing music together is second nature for the Kora brothers. “We didn’t decide to be in a band, we were forced,” says Laughton. “Our old man is an old-school muso and had us playing on stage since I was six. He was hard on us, too. Miss a note during a lesson and you’d get slapped.

But there was always respect for the music, a real sense of discipline.” But their father’s respect for music seemed to outweighed his respect for licensing laws… “My dad would get cold looks from venue managers because we were all playing in these pubs under age. We had to hide behind the speakers and drums,” recalls Fran. But the early days were formative,

Through their catalogue, Kora have demonstrated that they’re not afraid of combining this musicianship with a bit of politics, too. “I wish there was a better connection between musicians and politicians,” muses Fran, “but there’s not. Musicians write whatever they want and politicians do whatever they want.” So why write music with a political message then? According to Fran, it’s to give people the opportunity to decide about things for themselves. “How the message is delivered is the key, and for me it has to be open, so people can make up their own minds.”

With: CW Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, The Vasco Era, The Bamboos, Space Invadas, Resin Dogs, Custom Kings and more Where: Gum Ball Festival @ Belford, Hunter Valley When: April 29 – 30

Toots is at home in Kingston, Jamaica. It’s 8pm and this softly-spoken 66-year-old is struggling to be heard, and to hear the questions coming his way. The phone line to Jamaica is typically bad and, as a result, the conversation veers between sublime and comical - but enough filters down the wires to underscore the man’s massive career. He laughs at the suggestion that he’s a survivor in an industry where long careers aren’t the norm anymore. “1964 - it was great year. That’s when I started. I always thought I’d last this long. Music is life.”

Inspired both by church (“I had to go church with my parents when I was little; I grew up in the church from baby to big guy”) and the artists he heard on the radio back then (Elvis Presley, Brook Benton, James Brown, Ray Charles and Mahalia Jackson trip rapidly off his lips), Toots & The Maytals formed in the 60s, and didn’t take long to make their mark.

In 1966, they won the first Jamaican Independence Festival Popular Song Competition with ‘Bam Bam’. “That was cool,” he says. “I was a hit.” It was only the beginning - bigger hits would follow, like ‘Do The Reggay’, ‘Pressure Drop’, ‘54-46 That’s My Number’, ‘Sweet And Dandy’, and ‘Monkey Man’, the latter being their first international success.

Those songs had a second life a decade later, when punk and ska took over England. The Specials covered ‘Monkey Man’, The Clash recorded a monster version of ‘Pressure Drop’, and Bob Marley included the band in the lyrics to ‘Punky Reggae Party’. “It was really good they recorded my songs, because they went all over,” Toots says. “A lot of people who maybe hadn’t heard of them before were introduced.” As for Marley? “Bob was a good friend. We grew up together. He was a nice person, a very nice person. We talked. We made jokes together. We sang. He was cool and nice and warm and musical. It was a terrible shock when he was killed.”

Toots & The Maytals broke up in the early 1980s, as reggae waned on the international market. The Island Records years - the label to which many of the greats were signed including Marley, Toots & the Maytals, Linton

Kwesi Johnson, Lee Perry, The Heptones, Augustus Pablo, Jimmy Cliff and many more - brought reggae to the world in the 1970s, but that fervour had faded the following decade.

Another ten years on, and Toots and the band bounced back - and they’ve been playing for 20 years since. It was all capped by that Best Reggae Album win at the 2005 Grammys for True Love, an album on which the group recorded earlier hits alongside guests like Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Keith Richards, No Doubt, Ben Harper and Bonnie Raitt. “Aah, that was cool,” he says. “I worked with the famous people. They were all nice. It was fun - and I got a Grammy. That was cool, man.

Very cool. I have it in my house.”

A woman calls him out in the background, and he says something about “doing it again, brother” - but the bad line consumes it. It doesn’t matter; the legend is intact. Toots is cool, man. Very cool.

What: Flip & Twist is out now Where: Bluesfest in Byron Bay with Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Michael Franti, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Grace Jones and loads more When: April 21 – 26 Sideshow: Saturday April 23 @ The Enmore Theatre

The Ovals Throwing Shapes By Bruce Laird

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rogressive rock - tainted by the excesses of Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and even Genesis - can be a dirty form of rock’n’roll nomenclature. But for Tadhg Neal, guitarist and vocalist with Melbourne psych/prog band The Ovals, it’s not a term to be ashamed of. “The whole basic definition tends to be more related to metal,” Neal says. “The music is more classical - it has movements. With our music we’re very careful about note selection. Our keyboardist did classical piano - but I’m just trained in the desert,” he deadpans.

The Ovals formed around seven years ago, the product of an initial musical partnership between Neal and keyboardist and vocalist Dave Kalkman. “I started jamming with Dave on keyboards in a shed devoted to the cultivation of dried flowers,” Neal says. He and Kalkman had grown up together, though Neal admits it took a while for the musical relationship to be consummated. “We had an on and off relationship when we were growing up,” he says.

“Dave’s father used to make us fight against each other.”

The Ovals’ earliest incarnation was playing “punk rock - “a lit bit Who-ish” - before the band’s first bass played was dismissed and

they veered toward their current psychedelic aesthetic. In 2009, The Ovals issued their debut release, Innerspace, and this year they’re following it up with the Into The Eyes Of Those Who Sleep EP - a title which reflects the band’s lyrical indulgence in philosophical observation.

“The title comes from a Nietzsche quotation,” Neal explains. “We always like to start with a general philosophical idea - putting meaning into our songs is very important. At the moment, we’re preoccupied with Nietzschean ideas,” Neal says. Into The Eyes Of Those Who Sleep ties in with the band’s observations on the difficulty in transcending the institutional and discursive structures of contemporary society. “There’s a general hard mentality among society today,” Neal muses, “and it’s hard to rise above it. It’s important to rise above that, and to stare into the eyes of the dead.”

Neal’s description of the band’s philosophical position invokes the Nietzschean reference point at the core of Into The Eyes... “If The Ovals are anything, we’re the sheep away from the woods,” Neal says. “We know where the food is, and we’re happy to leave the others to eat.”

The Ovals took a set of songs into the studio which were notionally finished, without the intention to explore and bend them. “All of the songs on the EP were written before we went into the studio,” Neal says. “But it took a long time to get them where they are now.” It’s not surprising, then, that they revel in the opportunity to explore the structure and content of the tracks when the band plays live. “There’s a different energy in a live performance,” Neal says. “The songs we’ve written are carefully structured, and we certainly try and get that across when we’re playing live.” Visuals are another important aspect. “Our manager does a lot of the lights for us, and the visual projections,” he explains.

“Sometimes you can get stoned and listen to music and you can pick your personality apart.

We like the idea of doing that live.”

Within any prog psyche outfit lies the potential for head-up-the-fundament pretension. At what point does exploration mutate into self-indulgence?

“It’s in the music that’s made,” Neal explains.

“We don’t think our music is self-indulgent or pretentious. I suppose you can never really get rid of pretension completely, but we’re certainly not being arrogant.” After all, he says, The Ovals are still on a journey of musical exploration; there’s always more to learn. “We want to keep growing as a band. We want to write songs that are scarily good.”

What: Into The Eyes Of Those Who Sleep is out now With: Zeahorse and Dark Bells Where: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery Bar When: Friday April 8

“A tackle with a familiar response was my call to burn inside and alone / smoke rises up to the sun and carves a fold in everyone dancing in the fire” - DAPPLED CITIES 22 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

THE NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE IN STORES & ONLINE 08.04.11 WWW.OBESERECORDS.COM

WWW.TWITTER.COM/PEGZONE

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Tim Robbins And The Rogues Gallery Band

The Stor

The Story Teller By Alasdair Duncan ou know him best from movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Bull Durham, but Tim Robbins has recently been spending his time touring as a folk musician.

The back cover of his debut album features an arresting photograph of the artist as a young man; the sepia-toned shot shows Robbins, barely in his teens, holding onto a guitar and staring directly into the lens, an expression of unknowable defiance on his face. “That picture was taken backstage at the Gaslight Café, which was a pretty legendary club in Greenwich Village,” Robbins tells me. “Dylan started there, Bruce Springsteen played there, and Phil Ochs.

Everyone at some point passed through the Gaslight.”

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Tim’s father Gil Robbins was a member of ‘60s folk group The Highwaymen, so from a young age, he was exposed to music of all kinds. “One of my first memories in life is of seeing dad perform,” he tells me. “I don’t remember where it was - I know we took a long drive to get there - but The Highwaymen were a pretty popular group, so he toured a lot.” Robbins credits these experiences with shaping him as a musician.

“I went through a lot of different phases after that,” he says. “I discovered The Beatles, then after that Motown, then punk rock - but folk has always been the music I come back to.”

Tim Robbins sees himself, first and foremost, as a storyteller – it’s what he’s been doing for years through film and theatre, and he sees musical performance as a natural extension. “I’ve performed in all these different mediums,” he says, “but I don’t see them as separate entities.

I see them as a part of the same discipline; the idea that you go out in front of an audience and tell them stories. It’s a real honour to do it, and I’ve been having a great time doing shows. We did a tour of Europe in the fall with the band, and I have to say I enjoyed that more than I ever enjoyed sitting around on a movie set.”

I ask Robbins if moving into live music, a different style of performance, has required any sort of adjustment, but he insists that with an established comfort zone as a theatrical performer, singing for a crowd was no big thing.

He came to this realisation in 2004, when he and his then-band opened for Pearl Jam on the ‘Vote For Change’ tour of America. “Stepping out onto the stage in a 25,000-seat venue, you have to take a deep breath and live in the moment, and accept this as a new reality,” he says. “You say to yourself, ‘I have a choice here. I can either get nervous about this, or I can live in my skin and revel in it.’ As a long-time ham,” he adds with a laugh, “I decided to revel in it.”

“Stepping out onto the stage in a 25,000seat venue, you say to yourself, ‘I have a choice here. I can either get nervous about this, or I can live in my skin and revel in it. As a long-time ham, I decided to revel in it.”

The self-titled debut from Tim Robbins And The Rogue’s Gallery Band is a collection of nine rambling, Americana ballads in the tradition of Tom Waits. The record was produced by the legendary Hal Willner, whose credits include albums with Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson and Marianne Faithfull; Robbins tells me that Willner was instrumental in shaping its sound. “I gave Hal a collection of songs and asked him to tell me honestly if there was anything there, and he picked the nine that he thought worked well together,” Robbins says. “He believed in me, he had a plan and he had musicians all lined up, so I went on a journey with him, I trusted him.”

The Rogues Gallery band, put together by Willner, is a ragtag bunch of musicians from around The UK. “Some have played with bands you would know in the past, like The Pogues and Bryan Ferry,” Robbins says, “and some are just great studio musicians. What’s really special about these guys, though, is that they have soul, based in a generosity and openness and lack of ego. When we did the album, we had two days, and nobody knew what would happen; if we’d end up with one song or two or what. I essentially just went in and played them a tune on my acoustic guitar, and they and Hal would then suggest things about the arrangement, and what instruments would suit. They brought a lot of heart to the process.”

Throughout his film career, Robbins has been a consistent advocate for social justice, throwing his support behind various political causes - something his folk music idols like Woody Guthrie famously did through song. Though his debut with the Rogues Gallery Band largely skirts the political in favour of the personal, I wonder if Robbins envisions a future for himself as some kind of firebrand political songwriter.

“Well, you’re right in that there’s really not much of that on this album,” he laughs.

“I do love a good protest song, but for this debut, I felt what I wanted to do was tell stories, and reflect a little bit on people I’ve met, experiences I’ve had... I think maybe the third or fourth album will be the barnstorming protest album.”

What: Tim Robbins And The Rogues Gallery Band is out now on PIAS/Liberator Where: Bluesfest in Byron Bay, with Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Jethro Tull and loads more, from April 21 - 26 Sideshow: Thursday April 28 @ The Basement 24 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

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brushstrokes WITH PIP

BRANSON (34B BURLESQUE)

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ust off your razorblades, and get ready to channel your inner Tilly Devine: 34B Burlesque is taking a dark turn, with Welcome To Razorhurst, a tribute to dangerous 1920s-era Darlinghurst. Airing their vices on the night are hot Australian burlesque export Imogen Kelly, 34B regulars Lola The Vamp and Baby Blue Bergman, the explosive Donna Dynamite, rising star Electric Dreams, and Venus Vamp. There’s theatre, there’s cabaret, burlesque, and MC duties from Christa Hughes – this is going to be a very special 34B Burlesque. We caught up with Pip, the founder and promoter, who has been scheming and dreaming this special party for a long time…

When and why did you become interested in Razorhurst as a 34B theme?

The incredible City of Shadows book and the photographic exhibition at the Police and Justice Museum blew my mind. Beautiful sepia photos of crime scenes from the 1920s and 30s in Sydney – everything seemed so odd and genteel yet the photos were often so brutal.

I thought it had a strong mix of desperate romance and deep danger…

Why has it taken so long to come to fruition?

I tried a few times, but wanted to do it properly – get the right mix of performers and create the right atmosphere, with performances that match the depth of the theme. It just took a while to get everybody I wanted on the right date!

What are you doing on the night to create the Razorhurst vibe?

Obviously it starts with the performances. There will be a little more narrative than usual - tales of debauchery, brutality and excess. There will be projections of images from the period

SUITE SYNERGY around the venue and subtle shafts of light to create the ‘noir’ feel. The decoration will be in the Speakeasy theme – plus the venue itself, Q Bar, is an old warehouse pool hall in Darlinghurst.

What could be more perfect!

How did the theme influence who you picked for the line-up?

Performers like our MC Christa Hughes know how to draw a gag or an exciting moment out of the most curious and odd little ideas, and have a sense of ‘classic’ cabaret about them. Imogen Kelly is one of the finest and most refined burlesque performers in the world and her ideas often come from older forms of theatre or vaudeville. Lola the Vamp has the feel of a silent movie ingenue or a naughty postcard from turn of the century so she fits the era well.

How is this night a bit different from the regular 34B Burlesque events?

As a theme I guess it’s a little darker than your

ordinary burlesque brouhaha, so I wanted to have performers and shows that were able to tread the line of 1920s and 30s ‘entertainment’ with a hint of the ‘madness’ of the period. There will be songs from Christa, visuals and stories, but it will also be innovative – and damn sexy!

How or where can punters get costume and vibe inspiration for the night?

Go to a bookstore and look at City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948. There’s also a fantastic Razorhurst website that gives you an intro to each character in the area and period…

What: 34B Burlesque: Welcome To Razorhurst When: Saturday April 9, 8.30pm Where: 34B Burlesque / 44 Oxford St Darlinghurst Tickets: $20 GA pre-sale / $25 on the door / reserved tables $30pp (min 3p) through moshtix. com.au

The best of old and new come together in Suite Synergy, the premiere work from Mod Dance Company, freshly formed and dedicated to creating accessible new Australian dance works. With acclaimed choreographer and former Sydney Dance Company director Graeme Murphy as their Chief Patron, Mod have kicked off with a work choreographed and directed by Murphy, taking cuts from two of his most popular SDC works from the 90s. The result is a fusion of live music and dance, and featuring four musicians (including Michael Askill, a founding member of seminal Australian percussion ensemble Synergy) and 18 dancers – from bright young things, to Sydney Dance Company alumni.

Suite Synergy runs from April 6-9 at the Lyric Theatre, Star City. Thanks to Mod Dance Company, we have five passes up for grabs, to the performance on Thursday April 7, 8pm. To get your fingers on one, tell us the name of one of the dancers (hint: read our story on page 30!)

Larsen’s video hosted boardgame. If you liked Nightmare and Atmosfear as a kid, hop along to Firstdraft Gallery this Wednesday April 6 at 6pm to check this one (and three other shows!) out.

AWFULLY WONDERFUL

SEMI-PERMANENT 2011

Semi-Permanent is the Australian mecca for creative souls; run by the Design is Kinky crew, who also publish the covetable EMPTY magazine, S-P brings together a line-up of the most exciting, cutting edge creative talent from Australia and abroad, in one mega line-up – from graphic designers to photographers, illustrators, filmmakers, creative and design agencies, and everything between. This year Aussie hero Reg Mombassa sits alongside quintessentially ‘Hollywood’ production designer Annie Sperling; illustrator Seb Lester nestles next to Sydney VFX pioneers FUEL; and the slick fashion photography of London snapper Kayt Jones rubs shoulders with the surreal images created by Portland fishermanturned-photographer Corey Arnold (as pictured above). That’s just six out of a 12-strong speaker list, with each set to share their creative process with YOU on the weekend of May 13-14, at Darling Harbour’s Exhibition Centre. Be smart, and snap up an early bird ticket before April 15. semipermanent.com

Performance Space has been hibernating, but they’re back in business from April to May with a season of cultural adventures entitled Uneasy Futures. Opening on April 14 is Awfully Wonderful – an exhibition that explores science fiction’s visions of the future. Our curiosity is especially piqued

by Adam Norton’s Mars Gravity Simulator (its titillating promise encapsulated in the title), and Hayden Fowler’s living diorama, which he will himself inhabit, playing the role of ‘Earth’s last survivor’. We’re also a bit excited by the prospect of the Sydney premiere (?) of the newly-restored version of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, including previously excised scenes. The future is bright. For the rest of the Awfully Wonderful line-up see performancespace.com.au

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL

The Sydney Film Festival will flash its film knickers this week, with Festival Director Clare Stewart giving us a peak at some of the program highlights on Monday April 4. We’re wondering whether they may have secured the Foo Fighters doco, by Academy Award-winning director James Moll; or Sundance winners Happy Happy, a Norwegian film about a sex-crazy housewife, and Like Crazy, an indie rom-com that stars our cinematic crush Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone); or Bela Tarr’s Berlinale Silver Bear-winner, The Turin Horse… We’d also lay good money on Miranda July’s newie, and cross our fingers for Terrence Malick’s Tree Of Life. Dare to dream, and watch the skies on Monday April 4 for signs of Sydney Film Festival life… sff.org.au

SPLENDID ARTS SPACE HAPPENS

Imagine you’re the ruler of your own planet, in a solar system far, far better than ours.

Obviously you’re very wealthy, and don’t have to work – so you pass the time in typically extravagant space-lord games with your neighbouring overlords, including that one where you see who can orbit their planet the quickest without getting stabbed by a jealous alien, side-swiped by an asteroid, or sucked into a black hole. Along the way, you learn Important Lessons about yourself, the world, and your fellow sportsmen… This is what we imagine it might be like to play Space Happens, Kenzie 28 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

PACT in Erskineville are having a ‘Splendid’ info session this Monday evening, April 4, from 6-7.30pm, where artists interested in participating Splendour In The Grass’s performance program, Splendid, can get info straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth. If you already missed it (doh), all you need to know is: Splendid, is currently seeking young and emerging artists (under 30 or in the first 5 years of practice) across visual arts, theatre, dance, design, installation, architecture, digital media, sound, text and other creative pursuits to dream up ideas and create work for the Splendour festival, and be part of their incredible Splendid Arts Lab, where you get mentored and more… Hop over to splendid.org.au

After Findhorn by Kylie Banyard

SECOND NATURE

Opening on Tuesday night at The Paper Mill is the group show Second Nature, featuring nine artists who specialise in “representing the natural landscape as a fictive departure from perceived reality.” Carefully chosen words. Thereafter it gets a bit murky, but the show has been curated by hot young painter Belem Lett, who won the 2010 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (a $25,000/three-month residency in Paris. Bastard.), and whose abstract paintings and gorgeous use of colour is underpinned by his interest in the disjunction between how landscapes are idealised in art, and how we remember them in our minds-eye… Besides Belem, the line-up includes Kylie Banyard, Seth Birchall, Tanya Chaitow, Wenmin Li, Peter Nelson, Chris Ross, Marilyn Schnieder, Paul Williams. April 5 – 23 at The Paper Mill, Angel Place.

DOODLE ART

A fondness for under-age doodling is the inspiration for The Doodle Archive, a new art project co-curated by artists Dan Reisinger and Bridie Connell. Having put out a massive call-out for doodles from current and former students and doodlers, they’re presenting an projected installation of the best doodles at a launch party this Thursday April 7, in the Gallery of Oxford Art Factory. It’s sponsored by ABSOLUT, so we’re expecting well-lubricated doodles. Doors open at 6pm, with live sets from local bands Cogel and The New Brutalists at 8.30 and 9.30pm, respectively. To check out the archive, see doodlearchive.tumblr.com

SLURRY HILLS FESTIVAL

Until now, the only reason to go to Surry Hills Festival has been the ‘Funky Pet-Wear’ stall – but hold onto your tiny dogs, because they’ve just added a Sustainable Food showcase, featuring demonstrations by local chefs Jane Strode (Bistrode), Mark Jensen (Red Lantern), and Daniel Johnston (Full Circle Project / Vini) – plus an icecreammaking demo with the fellas from Serendipity Icecream… Samples, anyone? The demos will be held in the commercial kitchen of the

Surry Hills Library & Community Centre (the swish new building that looks envirofriendly) on Crown Street. Oh yes, and there are bands playing elsewhere – Step-Panther, Fishing, Jinja Safari, Domeyko/Gonzalez, etc.

Saturday April 9 from 9.30am, we’ll meet you at Shannon Reserve, okayz? shnc.org/festival

VIVID SYDNEY 2011: OMFG

Vivid Sydney, the annual festival of ‘light, music, and ideas’, officially launched last week. While most people are still talking about OFWGKTA, Bat for Lashes and Spiritualised, in the arts section we like to pretend that music doesn’t exist – so all we heard was “blah blah blah 15-FOOT FLAMELAUNCHERS, blah blah blah LASERS.” Afterwards, we read fine print and realised that some of our personal heroes have made the line-up: French design powerhouse Superbien, who get to play with 3D laser-mapping technology and light projections on the Opera House sails; visionary filmmakers Chris Cunningham and Tom Kuntz; and childrens’ TV series Yo Gabba Gabba (YouTube that now). There’s also light projections across the city, and the massive, aforementioned flameprojector frenzy in Campbell’s Cove. Vivid Sydney runs May 27-June 13 but tickets are on sale NOW! http://vividsydney.com/

Why Shit So Crazy?

Reggie Watts photo by Noah Kalina

The unpredictable comedy stylings of Reggie Watts. By Peter Neathway

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utting a Reggie Watts performance into words iss like retelling a dream. You know no ow it was wonderfully surreal, but tthe he language barely exists to explain ain it.

Nevertheless, I can safely say tthat hat the last occasion I saw Reggie e Watts took the trophy for most misunderstood performance ever ver at the Sydney Opera House – e even ven above John Malkovich. It was the Dangerously Funny comedy dyy showcase at the 2009 Festivall of Dangerous Ideas. Taking the Concert Co oncert Hall stage, Watts launched into o an informal academic lecture, skipping pping through three or four accents in n quick succession, and speaking ng g as if the mic was cutting out every very second word; he then walked calmly calmly to the side of the stage, crouched hed behind the speaker stack, and continued his speech for a minute nute or two from there – before returning in ng to centre stage, and segueing without th hout explanation into his closing routine utine (probably the best hip hop satire irre song ever), entitled 'Fuck Shit S Stack'. tack'.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg eberg for this comedian-musicianperformance-artist-writer-beat b boxer; oxer; an artist who blurs categorical g boundaries, b oundaries, and whose showss are

stream-of-consciousness feats off stream so shifting loopshiftin personae melded with lo ooppedal-based acappella compositions. pedalsitions.

Perhaps Perha his greatest talent, however, ow wever, is his endless ability to improvise; isse; you will w never see a repeat show ow from Reggie Watts. In fact, when R en BRAG last talked to the him, Watts Watts said,"I said," don’t prepare anything outside outside of the show, so I just turn up and an nd perform." perfor Bearing Bearin all this in mind: what can ca an audiences expect from Watts when audien when he returns to Sydney in May, with his ret show Why Sh*t So Crazy? “Well, ell, I don’t know what they’ll see. They’ll k he ey’ll see I guess whatever’s happening ning at the time tim they come to the show. w. But it’ll be fun,” says the comedian.. “And I’ll keep kee their best interests at heart.” heart.”

The title ti Why Sh*t So Crazy is inspired inspire by Reggie’s recent CD/DVD D/DVD release releas of the same name. How ow w on earth does one capture the essence sssence of the free-form shifting randomness mness of Reggie Watts? “I just did, like, Reg ke e, three nights, in different venues, s, of me kind kin of going and doing a show, show, and we w just edited between them, em, and that th was great. I love that, I think that’s the best wayy to capture what p what I do.”

any moment, them going, ‘I’m so m o sorry, we need you…ah...we need ne eed you to leave. We just needed yo you ou as a placeholder until the real opener plac ener showed showe up.’ [But] they were very ry accepting, and they were awesome.” accep some.”

What Reggie does has created da legion of Australian fans, whose se e addictions have been fed by addict five tours in two years – FODI,, to Sydney Sydne Festival and Sydney Comedy Come Festival in 2009, Brian n Eno's Luminous line-up, and a Mullumbimby sideshow; however, Mullum ver, Watts' Watts cancelled tour last year sent them into withdrawal. “I’m t coming comin back to make up for it,”” he apologises – “it’s a make-up call.” apolog all.”

And the th cancellation wasn’t without withou exceptionally exceptional nal circumstances – Watts was booked circum oo oked as the official opening act for Conan Conan O’Brien’s O’Brie 30-city, sold-out Legally ally Prohibited from Being Funny on Prohib n Television tour. The impetus and Televis nd d name of the tour was the resultltt of O’Brien O’Brie and Jay Leno’s Costello/ lo o/ Howard-esque stoush over the Howa e 11:35pm 11:35p Tonight Show timeslot, ott, which saw Conan resign, leaving in ng him contractually prohibited from hosting contra osting any other TV show for nine months, ot onths, but not no from performing live.

“The tour was amazing,” says Watts. t Watts.

“It was great to get comfortable e and go, ‘Oh ‘O this is ok, this is the reality, ea ality, theyy didn’t make a mistake.’ I thought d hought g I was a mistake. I was expecting expectin ng at

Midway Midwa through our chat, the phone line goes quiet. He’s gone ne to the other line. “That was another other interviewer calling,” he says. We’ve intervi We e’ve barely got started, and I suspect ecct he’s trying to move it along. “I’ve just st got a few w more questions,” I say. “I can only take Watts ta 65 more questions,” W atts replies. replies We continue.

Watts is based in Williamsburg, g, Brooklyn, but the road is a lifestyle Brook sttyle for this thi constantly-touring performer. orrmer.

In fact, fact it was touring that led Watts Watts to his muse: the Line 6 DL4 Delay elay Modeler, a device that allows Reggie Mode Reggie to layer laye his incredible vocal creations. ea ations.

“It models delay pedals, so I didn’t mo id dn’t have to t take this big Roland RE101 E101 space echo (which is like this b big ig tape loop lo machine) to go on tour,” ou ur,” says Watts.

“I really liked how itt W sounded sound and it was real fun to use; and then th over time I started using siing the loop loo function on it – and then he en I started start fucking g around on it byy myself, myself, and trying this brand off like

performance art that’s just me. And perfor then I started integrating it more, and doing beats and beat boxing, and that’s sort of working out.”

Watts actually started in music, and transitioned to comedy as a tr career six or seven years ago. With a constant schedule of tours, and a cons Comedy Come Central pilot in the pipeline, it's clearly working out for him. cle When I suggest that all this sounds like a big step-up from his role as 'Mutantzoid Underling In Bar' in Steel 'Mutan of Fire Warriors 2010 A.D., Watts laughs. laughs “It’s true. I was a really shitty extra in i a really shitty sci-fi movie.

It’s these the guys that make these selfdescribed shitty sci-fi-slash-fantasy descri movies, movie and so they asked me to be a part. part I was like, ‘Sure’. I wore this most stupid costume, you couldn’t s even tell t it was me; I have a gas mask on.” He pauses. “It’s awesome.”

What Reggie Watts – Why Sh*t What: So Crazy?

C When: Thursday April 14 & Friday When April 15, 8pm Where: Virgin Mobile Metro Wher Theatre Thea More: sydneycomedyfest.com.au More

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WIN!

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ust like those colourful little packages of goodness that you chewed as a kid, the annual Gum Ball is a massive musical treat packaged into one weekend, in a stunning location within the Hunter Valley. Yum. Featuring its biggest line-up yet, this year’s Gum Ball will see over 20 acts throw down alongside delicious food, market stalls, campfires and the kids mega playground – from legendary bluesman CW Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, and Maori dub-rock powerhouse Kora, to Melbourne blues rockers The Vasco Era, deep funk pioneers The Bamboos, hip hop pioneers Resin Dogs, and Space Invadas, Lanie Lane, Eagle & The Worm, and Papa Vs Pretty – plus oodles more. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also raising funds for the good peeps at the Black Dog Institute, who advocate for research into depression.

The Gum Ball takes place on Friday April 29 & Saturday April 30, at Belford (2.5 hours north of Sydney). We have two double passes up for grabs – if you wanna get your hot little hands on this treat, email freestuff@thebrag.com with the name of one other band on the line-up! www.thegumball.com.au BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 29

Suite Synergy photo by Michelle Grace Hunder.tif

Me Pregnant!

[THEATRE] Nick Coyle channels his inner sea-monster. By Dee Jefferson

W

hen, at the end of last year, Nick Coyle was offered an April slot at the Old Fitz Theatre, he said yes without thinking; it’s currently Sydney’s most highly-regarded indie stage (after the demise of B Sharp) so it seemed like a bit of a no-brainer. He was also in a pretty good mood, having just come off the back of a successful Fitz season of his all-female tragicomedy Rommy.

“When you finish something, you’re like, ‘Doing things is easy. Of course I’ll be able to do another show in no time! When? A few months? Where do I sign? But then you wonder whether you’ve made a really big mistake.”

He’s only half joking… His show opens in a week, and things feel a bit chaotic. “In my diary – which I laugh at now – it says: Finish the script by December; workshop the script in January; rewrite the script in February, and then do showings all through March. Premiere in April.” He pauses, smiling ruefully. “I finished the script yesterday.”

Me Pregnant! is a one-man show about a young woman who is attacked by an amphibious sea-monster, who then swaps lives with her, so that he lives in her town, and she lives under the sea… It’s written, directed, co-produced and performed by Coyle, and will be the first time he has gone solo.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” he admits. “I This is what Nick Coyle looks like...

also feel like as a director, because I’m always bossing actors around” – he pauses dramatically, for the 433 to pass (noisily) – “I should also stand in their shoes, and suffer the way they do, so that I can be like, ‘Listen, I know you want to kill yourself; but when I was doing a one-man show, I turned to…crystal meth.’”

Although Coyle never went to NIDA (and doesn’t plan to), and probably spent more time at Sydney Uni Dramatic Society (SUDS) than lectures (he never quite finished his arts degree), Coyle isn’t actually a stranger to performing: he’s one third of the comedy troupe Pig Island (Simply Fancy; The October Sapphire), and a regular of the Cab Sav performance nights. More recently, he played holographic twin brothers in Some Film Museums I Have Known at the Old Fitz, and cameo-d in several shows at the Imperial Panda Festival (including a rather slinky number for Man Up: A Night of Male Impersonations, involving a ladies wig and a stuffed monkey).

The title ‘Me Pregnant!’ came from the brain of fellow Pig Islander Claudia O’Doherty.

Beginning with the title, Coyle worked backwards to fill in the characters, and then the story. “I thought it was funny, a one-man man show called Me Pregnant – and also, it’s just so full of possibilities: you don’t know anything, really, except that someone’s pregnant, and they don’t have a great grasp of English. So I thought it was ambiguous enough to be interesting, and enticing.”

When Coyle says that what he’s most afraid of (theatrically speaking) is being boring, it’s hard to imagine: if he can make a fruit salad into an epic quest (Simply Fancy), and a near-death-experience into a magical romp along the shore of the subconscious (Hammerhead is dead), then he’s probably got a few tricks up his sleeve.

But there’s more to the appeal of his postPig-Island works, Hammerhead and Rommy, than wildly imaginative flights of fancy, and charismatic performances; it’s Coyle’s flawed, vulnerable, and constantly-striving characters who leave a lasting impression, after the laughter dies. “Well, that’s good to hear,” Coyle shrugs. “Coz that’s what I want, when I see something – I love to laugh as much as the next guy, but I really want to empathise. I think that for me, the most powerful moments in the theatre are when you’re just stricken with empathy.”

What: Me Pregnant!

When: April 5 – 23 Where: Old Fitz Theatre / Woolloomooloo Tickets: Rocksurfers.org

Suite Synergy

[DANCE] Graeme Murphy draws from his past, and looks to the future. By Lou Pardi

T

ravelling the world with renowned choreographer Graeme Murphy as his rehearsal director, Brett Morgan often considered how popular Murphy’s pieces, which often combined dance with live music, were overseas – and the contrast with their reception back home in Australia. The seed of an idea was planted: to make contemporary dance more accessible to Australians. Almost a decade later, that idea is about to blossom.

The missing link in Morgan’s plan was Mod Dance Company, co-founded in 2009 by three business savvy ladies who were passionate about working with talented Australian dancers and musicians to produce accessible new dance works. Morgan crossed paths with them through a chance recommendation by fellow Sydney Dance Company alumnus Teagan Lowe, and the rest is history.

For their premiere season, Mod Dance Company have mined their shared histories, drawing from two of Graeme Murphy’s most popular productions during his stint as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company: Synergy With Synergy (1992) and Free Radicals (1996). Originally conceived by Murphy as collaborations between SDC and the percussion ensemble Synergy, both works were structured in such a way that it was relatively easy to excise particular movements to incorporate into the new work.

The resulting work is Suite Synergy, choreographed and directed by Murphy, and featuring four live percussionists, led by acclaimed composer and musician Michael Askill (a founding member of Synergy), and an 18-strong company of dancers, ranging from hand-picked new talent to Sydney Dance Company alumni.

“It’s challenging for the dancers,” admits Morgan, who is also performing. “[It’s] very sexy to look at, also quite physical sometimes, very sensual. It runs the whole gamut of emotions: sometimes it can be sad, you’ve got comedy

A Cut Above [THEATRE] Anita Hegh takes Sydney by storm, once stage at a time. Simon Binns

F

ew theatre actors can boast the kind of success that Anita Hegh is currently experiencing. Whilst a slew of television gigs keep her regularly on our screens, she’s been an almost constant fixture on Sydney’s main stages over the past few years – from Benedict Andrews’ The City to Iain Sinclair’s Our Town (both on STC’s main stages), to B Sharp’s Beyond the Neck…

Following on from the unmitigated success of Belvoir’s 2011 main stage season debut, The Wild Duck, Hegh is currently in rehearsal to take on Cut which opens their downstairs season. After that, she’s teaming up with Andrews again for The Seagull, before crossing town to share the stage with Cate Blanchett in Sydney Theatre Company's production of Gross Und Klein.

Anita Hegh is the first to admit that this is indeed an extraordinary streak of good fortune. “It’s a bit of a dream year… I keep pinching myself,” she smiles.

Originally from Sydney, Hegh found herself adopted by Melbourne for several years after starting work on the hit TV show Stingers.

“Growing up, people always said to me, ‘Are you from Melbourne? You just seem like a Melbourne girl’ – then I got down there and went, ‘Yes! This is why.’”

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After getting caught-up in television, it was another downstairs Belvoir show, Iain Sinclair’s Killer Joe, that brought her back to Sydney. “I’d lived in Melbourne for 10 years, and I ran into Iain and he said ‘do you want to come and do this play?’ And that got me started in the scene here.” It was from here than Hegh's dream run began.

With memorable performances like the nurse in Benedict Andrew’s stark production of The City and the Quaker in Tim Maddock’s Like A Fishbone, Hegh has made a name for herself by finding poignant details in unusual language.

“People keep saying to me, ‘There’s something about you that’s haunted’ – so I’m kind of finding that after being 'Television Girl', people now think ‘She’s spooked’; it’s good to play with the darker shades,” she muses.

Following in that vein, she’s taking the lead in Cut, a new one-hander from Australian playwright Duncan Graham. Originally written as a six-part play, the roles were melded into one – but the fragmentation remains. “It’s like a David Lynch film,” explains Hegh. “The piece is kind of playing with suspense and what suspense is, and what’s the best way of creating it – without running around going ‘I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.’”

Cut follows the story of a female flight

attendant involved in an ambiguous game of cat-and-mouse. “There’s this game that she’s playing with this man, and you don’t know whether he’s stalking her and a threat to her, or whether she’s luring him.”

As with Graham's plays Ollie and the Minotaur and one long night in the land of Nod, Cut is infused with mythology – in this case via Greek goddess Atropos, one of the three Fates, and traditionally an ender of lives. “The air hostess is a kind of conduit for this god who indiscriminately goes ‘That’s it, your life’s over,’” Hegh explains.

Taking the helm is director Sarah John, a long-time collaborator of Graham’s (most recently with B-Sharp’s production of Ollie), and an old friend of Hegh. “[Sarah]’s the perfect creative mind,” the actress enthuses.

As the first downstairs production since Ralph Meyer’s shake-up of Belvoir, and the debut of a new Australian play, Cut looks set to be another memorable production for Hegh.

“I always associate this space with the energy of new work so it’s good to be doing something that’s really new.”

What: Cut by Duncan Graham When: April 7 – May 1 Where: Belvoir Street Theatre – Downstairs More: www.belvoir.com.au/cut

in this show, we’ve got flamenco dancing – so there’s a whole range of different styles. It’s hard to put it in a box.”

“What’s beautiful about Graeme is that most dancers that he likes to use, he sees all of them as soloists," Morgan explains, "[so] I tried to choose dancers who I think would all be soloists in their own right. The trick is for them to try and dance all together – all different shapes and sizes – but it makes their personalities very interesting and that I think comes across to the [audience].”

Although Murphy is an acclaimed veteran of our dance scene, Mod Dance represents one of his as-yet-unrealised dreams: a fully independent, privately funded dance company, that provides a slate of work for a workforce of talented Australian dancers and musicians – who might otherwise be lost to jobs overseas. “He couldn’t believe it [when I told him],” Morgan recalls.

“We’d tried, but never… It all comes back to [Mod co-founders Linda Alescio, Nadasha Zhang and Michelle Grace Hunder], who have got the energy and the passion and the drive – and are really cluey when it comes to business.

They’ve made it happen, and the marketing campaign and the initiatives that they’ve taken have really opened the door for us.”

At the end of the day, the success of Murphy and Morgan’s dream, and the Mod Dance Company, will be their ability to sell their vision of contemporary dance to the general public – and the proof will be bums on seats. Morgan, however, is encouraged by the success of shows like So You Think You Can Dance. “Our choreography is just as accessible as that, so we need to get in there. It’s inspiring, because [TV] has sort of generated a new life for dance.”

What: Mod Dance Company’s Suite Synergy When: April 6 - 9 Where: Lyric Theatre, Star City More: suitesynergy.com.au

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Arts Snap

Film & Theatre Reviews

At the heart of the arts Where you went last week.

What's playing on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

■ Film

HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER Opens April 7

the peel

PICS :: TL

In the third feature from Russian writerdirector Alexei Popogrebsky, we’re invited to delve into the world of meteorological research in the Russian arctic. Cheery?

Well no, but that was never the point; an entire, frostulent world is built pebble by pebble, salted trout by salted trout.

cabinet

PICS :: RR

23:03:11 :: Slide Bar :: 41 Oxford St Darlinghurst 8915 1899

26:03:11 :: The Red Rattler :: 6 Faversham St Marrickville 9565 1044

Recent graduate Pavel Danilov (Grigory Dobrygin, who smoulders in a very Russian way) has been posted to a meteorological station in the Arctic Circle to work over the summer with Sergei Gulybin, (veteran actor Sergei Puskepalis), collecting data. While Sergei‘s almost ‘Germanic’ personality suits the dry routine of their work, his young co-worker has a far more relaxed and carefree work ethic.

Needless to say, the two don’t exactly click.

The daily routine – collect data, input data, relay data (over an old CB radio—trust us, you’ll dream their contact code ‘Archym Fairy’ afterwards) – is boring, but with these two, never predictable. When Gulybin takes a clandestine fishing trip, Danilov agrees to cover for him. A devastating message is relayed over the CB to Danilov, regarding a serious accident and Gulybin’s family. Fearful of the older man and the consequences of ratting him out, he makes every possible excuse to delay the moment when their contact will insist on speaking to Gulybin. Employing spectacularly poor judgement, Danilov does not relay the fateful message, inexplicably fearing that he as messenger will be shot. Gulybin eventually discovers the truth and what ensues is a terrifying, slow, painful game of cat and mouse.

The performances from the two leads as Danilov becomes increasingly desperate and Gulybin increasingly murderous are worth the ticket-price alone. Some truly beautiful moments can be found in this film, both in terms of emotional resonance as well as the cinematography. Your patience will be rewarded, but at 124 mins and with very little orchestral scoring this is indeed the slow boat to Russia.

Katia Nizic ■ Theatre

THE BROTHERS SIZE

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Until April 16 / SBW Stables (Griffin)

25:03:11 :: LO-FI Collective :: Floor 3, 383 Bourke St Surry Hills

Arts Exposed Our hot tip for your week...

Sydney Dance Company

SHARED FREQUENCIES Until April 16 / Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay This is the hype ticket of the moment, and you can believe the hype. With a track record of delivering strikingly beautiful choreography, Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela also has a great eye for talent, regularly commissioning leading international choreographers to work with SDC. In this double bill, Bonachela presents his own new creation, LANDforms (which is leaving audiences in blissed-out tears), and a new piece by soughtafter Italian choreographer Jacopo Godani, renowned for his challenging, rule-breaking choreography. Set to the techno-glitch of German electronica outfit 48Nord, Godani’s Raw Models is like an intoxicating hybrid of Blade Runner and ballet: the stuff that android-death-machines dream of. If you can afford the ticket, go. sydneydancecompany.com 32 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

When director Imara Savage (Fool For Love – B Sharp, 2010) decided to mount the Australian premiere of The Brothers Size, she took on a massive challenge: besides securing the rights to one of the hottest properties on the international theatre scene, by prodigious new talent Tarell Alvin McCraney, it’s a formally challenging piece, with three African American characters… You can’t get much more challenging than that in Sydney. It is to her immense credit, therefore, that she has pulled it off – and in exquisite form. I cannot wait to see what this talented young director will do next.

With a simple haze of lighting suggesting the moist warmth of the Louisiana bayou, the scene is set for a complicated ‘love triangle’ between the mechanic Ogun Size (a stand-out performance by NIDA ’05 graduate Marcus Johnson, originally from Los Angeles), his younger brother Oshoosi (bright young indigenous actor Meyne Wyatt), and Oshoosi’s former prison-mate, Elegba (Anthony Taufa, NIDA ‘09).

Recently out of prison, Oshi has come to stay with his older brother, and straighten his life out. However it’s not easy being a ‘person of colour’ in the Southern States, let alone one with a criminal record; while Oshi has the best intentions in the world, we nevertheless feel that circumstances, and ‘the Law’, will conspire to put him behind bars again before too long. When his former prison-buddy Elegba (named after a West African spirit of mischief) turns up, we are just as suspicious as older brother Ogun.

The Brothers Size is a portrait of brotherhood – both familial, and more broadly conceived as the bond that unites ‘non-white’ people. What really grabbed me was McCraney's exploration of the push and pull between siblings – an older brother trying to look after his younger sibling, and a young man trying to live up to his older brother’s expectations, while beating his own path. Deep-seated resentments are explored, loyalty is tested, and decisions have to be made.

The form of McCraney’s script suggests an exploration of the storytelling mode: the players’ lines include stage directions (e.g.

ELEGBA: “Elegba enters, Singing: Come on go with me… Ogun stands watching.”), and are often configured rhythmically, like drums – which is how Savage lays them out. The cumulative effect, for the audience, is the sensation that we might actually be sitting around a campfire, having a story re-enacted for us. With our imaginations thus activated, the set is entirely bare, save for an outer perimeter of floor lights.

This piece requires both technical precision and musicality from its actors, which these three deliver in spades. Most importantly, they have incredible stage presence, unselfconscious and comfortable in the skins of their characters; adept comedians who know how to deliver the wisecracking humour that laces the script. In one of the play’s most enjoyable scenes, Ogun and Oshi mime to Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ – they’re goofing around, but boy can these fellas move. The Brothers Size are heading towards trouble, and we know it – but boy is it an enjoyable ride.

Dee Jefferson ■ Theatre

US

March 22 – 26 / PACT Us is a party, a party for 20-somethings from Melbourne who come together to share stories, jokes and a few Carltons (for the trivia of course). Recalling Ontroerend Goed’s superb Once and for all we’re going to tell you who we are so shut up and listen (Sydney Festival 2009), Us is Melbourne ensemble Grit Theatre’s manifesto for who they are and how they live. A deeply personal work, it is an engaging hour of performance that crosses a broad spectrum of theatrical expression.

The play begins in hyperrealism mode.

Performers enter the space to join the party, grabbing a beer and having a chat.

No conceivable attempt is made to project to a “theatrical” volume, instead we simply watch as the party unfolds, growing and growing as a seemingly endless supply of people emerge from backstage.

Throughout this section, there are a couple of theatrical moments, but for the most part, we are flies on the wall.

Halfway through, the mirror breaks, and the ensemble goes into theatrical mode, going through a series of movements from swapping clothes, to violently running at each other, to literally yelling noise at the audience. After these moments of climax, the piece settles again, with the ensemble gathering under a blanket for a torch-lit get together, before eventually spooning each other to sleep on the one mattress.

Some of the attempts to break the realism were a bit clunky and the decision to place the work in Sydney rather than in Melbourne, where the ensemble is proudly from, was a little curious. The piece is titled Us not ‘you’ and its strength came from the unabashed “this is who we are” attitude, so the attempt to place the work in a Sydney context was unneeded, with my joy coming from watching these performers be themselves.

It’s messy, and it’s dense and there’s a bunch of ideas that don’t really work. But it’s young, it’s visceral and it’s passionate – three qualities our theatre needs more of.

Henry Florence

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

DVD Reviews When good comedies do bad... (AKA: Why Mainstream Sucks)

CYRUS

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Released March 16 After its premiere at the Sydney Film Festival last year, I was excited to see Cyrus open in Australian cinemas: an indie rom-com with a dark twist, made by mumblecore mavens Mark & Jay Duplass (The Puffy Chair), and with three certifiably awesome leads. The basic premise: when socially inept mid-40s divorcee John (John C. Reilly) meets the incredibly sweet, sexy and single Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party, he falls for her instantly. She falls for him, too. There’s just one problem: her socially maladjusted 21-year-old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Cyrus doesn’t want to share Mom with anyone else.

Hill does a good brand of psycho: shades of insane begin to appear and slowly flourish to hilarious effect. Reilly, meanwhile, channels an older and less attractive version of Seth Rogen in Knocked Up: the shrek to Molly’s princess. Tomei is a single mom with a heart of gold, as per her Wrestler and In The Bedroom roles. Actually, the performances are quite nuanced, and while these three have proven comedy chops, this film delivers an unexpected emotional payload. Its only major flaw is a horrible shooting-style that inexplicably favours quick mid-shot zooms, and distracts from the performances.

In the end, Cyrus went straight to DVD. The general wisdom in these cases is that if an American film tanks at home, the Australian distributors will either push it straight to DVD, or (if they are contractually obligated to release it cinematically) they dump it into cinemas without any publicity, to cut their losses. In this case, it was probably a case of insufficient ‘star power’, and the marketing nightmare of a film that isn’t quite funny enough to be a hit comedy, or profound enough as a piece of emotional realism.

closing date

THE SWITCH

All entries must be received by 20 October 2011 and be accompanied by an entry form

Roadshow Entertainment Released March 17 The Switch opened weak in America in August 2010, after which it was unceremoniously dumped in Australian cinemas in October, with minimal publicity and no media screenings. Unsurprisingly in these conditions, it underperformed – arriving without much fanfare on DVD several months later. Jennifer Aniston usually gets bums on seats, so the US box office was unusually weak (for example, The Bounty Hunter did roughly twice as much on its opening weekend); and Jason Bateman is no slouch in the comedy stakes. What happened? I suspect the quirkiness that makes this rom-com great are also what made it hard to market.

Bateman and Aniston are Wally and Kassie, long-term besties with a distant romantic past – a brief relationship that didn’t work out, possibly because he's a neurotic, socially akward, vestwearing man child... Fast-forward, and Kassie, still single and looking at a rapidly-diminishing biological window of opportunity, decides to take the unconventional route of using a sperm donor, and raising a baby as a single mom.

“What’s wrong with my sperm?” asks Wally – only half kidding. With his fuzzy romantic feelings for Kassie slowly coming into focus, Wally gets wasted at her ‘insemination party’, and switches his own sperm for the donor’s. He wakes up with no memory of the night. Kassie gets pregnant, moves inter-state, and the two don’t see each other for another 7 years – when she moves back to New York, bringing Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) – her hyper intelligent and unusually neurotic son…

You can guess what’s going to happen – a love triangle with the supposed sperm donor (a teutonically handsome Patrick Wilson), leading to a shocking revelation. But it’s an funny script, with quirky characters, immensely satisfying comedic performances, and great chemistry between its leads. Shoulda, coulda, woulda…

national cannabis prevention and information centre (ncpic)

short film competition The National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) Short Film Competition gives young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years the opportunity to showcase their creative talent and express their thoughts and ideas about cannabis and its negative impact upon sporting performance.

brief

The film can be in any style or genre (i.e. drama, comedy, documentary, science-fiction, etc.), but must creatively explore the issues associated with how the use of cannabis may impact negatively on sporting performance.

prize money

There will be one national winner selected with prize money offered of $5,000 for the designer of the winning entry. There will be two runner-up prizes of $2,000 each.

To download the entry form and for more information, please go to: http://ncpic.org.au/go/film2011/ or call (02) 9385 0208

Dee Jefferson Dee Jefferson

Street Level With Leigh Rigozzi

T

here’s a co-op of print fetishists in St Peters who own a mystical machine called the RISO RP3700: a super efficient, affordable, single-colour, stencil-based printing press that uses paints instead of toxic toners and inks, and produces no dangerous fumes.

Hard to argue with that. And the Rizzeria crew want to introduce you to their little friend: from April-June they’re residents at The Paper Mill, running a series of courses in Risographic printing. We asked Leigh (who is also a member of Blood & Thunder) to fill us in.

Who are (and what is) the Rizzeria collective? We are a group of people who collectively own a RISO printing press. We love to print all manner of books, zines, flyers and other material on our press. We also make the press available to people in the community via an open print studio every Saturday. Anyone can book on our website to use the press with one of our volunteers supervising.

What are your backgrounds as individuals?

We’re a disparate assortment of artists, activists, designers, musicians and nerds.

People come to the Rizzeria to print anything from editioned ‘fine art’ prints to album covers to cookbooks to anarchist zines. Quite a few of us are also involved in other artist-owned printing partnerships around Sydney, such as Blood & Thunder and the Big Fag Press. We are always open to new people becoming involved in the project and bringing a fresh perspective on the types of activities we could perform as a group.

What prompted you to start it up? A few years back we learned about this particular form of printing and got very excited about it. We borrowed the money to buy it from an assortment of artists, then slowly paid them back over the course of a year.

What is so special about the RISO RP3700?

It’s a stencil press, which is a high-tech version of the old mimeograph machines that people used before photocopiers. Basically, when you send information to the printer it makes up a stencil somewhat reminiscent of a silkscreen.

Then, as the drum turns, it squeezes ink through the screen and makes an impression on the paper. We have 9 different colours to

mix and match, and the machine can handle an amazing array of papers, from newsprint to box board.

What’s first up in your Paper Mill residency?

We’re giving a workshop on poster making, in which we’ll get you acquainted with the printing process and give you the opportunity to print an edition of 20 two-colour posters on the press.

What other projects are on the radar in 2011 for the Rizzeria crew? We’ll be continuing to run our open print studio on Saturdays throughout the year. Also, keep an eye out for our printing cousins Blood & Thunder. They have a similar RISO press to ours as well as a letterpress, and will be publishing some very beautiful books throughout the year…

What: Rizzeria’s poster-making workshop When: Saturday April 9, 12-5pm Where: The Paper Mill, Angel Place (CBD) Tickets: $80 conc./$100 full.

More: rizzeria.com / thepapermill.org.au

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 33

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK J. ROCC

Some Cold Rock Stuff Stone’s Throw The prospect of an instrumental album from a hip hop turntablist is usually one to make you up and run for the hills - but then, J. Rocc is an instrumental turntablist. The third member of Madlib, frequent DJ for the late J Dilla and genuine mainstay on the hip hop scene, his pedigree announces itself before he does.

He’s got Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and half the rap world giving him shout outs just for an introduction. J.Rocc is most definitely the host with the most.

This record, devised entirely of beats and grooves, is like listening to a cult rap album with the vocals turned down. With live drum samples, jazz bass, sirens, old wartime radio samples and enough swagger to drop anyone’s jeans down below their waist, Some Cold Rock Stuff is phenomenally wellexecuted and demonstrates a breadth of styles

and knowledge far beyond what most producers achieve across their entire discographies. Whether it’s the menacing trip hop creep of ‘Stay Fresh’ or the swing band-sampling push of ‘Party’, complete with syncopated horn and snare stabs, there’s just so much going on here. …And that’s before you get to the Mystery Disc, which starts the madness all over again without giving you a tracklist. In true collectible style, J. Rocc cut three different versions of disc two and sent them out at random, so every experience varies, just like a live show might. Spinning the whole thing from top to tail has the undeniable effect of making the listener craft rhymes in their heads, which is how real production should always happen. It’s fresh, it’s real and it’s inspiring to say the least. Even without words, it speaks volumes.

Jonno Seidler

MIKE NOGA

THE VACCINES

KAROSHI

DESTROYER

The Balladeer Hunter Other Tongues

What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Columbia/Sony

Sleepwalker Other Tongues

Kaputt Pod/Inertia

As drummer for The Drones, Mike Noga lent the band their stilted beats and rhythms, adding to the darkness that coats their strange perversions. It’s appropriately strange then that he made the move from the kit to the acoustic so genially; evolving from the beaten counterpart to Gareth Liddiard’s otherworldly screeches into something distinctly beautiful and calm.

In The Balladeer Hunter, Noga has taken a dip into folk-country pleasantries, coming up for air with a husky moan in the creation of something completely his own. It’s rarely anything you’d expect from a member of The Drones; the soaring strings backing ‘Rothko’ are a far cry from the twanging electrics of his band, as he approaches something more traditional.

The hooks that lie within the bounced chorus of ‘The Cold Year’ present Noga’s knack for a tune, with a wailing harmonica cutting alongside his rolling melody and alt-folk backing.

He moves further into folk territory on the introduction to ‘Eileen’, its fiddles overwrought by crunching piano notes that distort the folklorica with the subject’s heartbreak. Meanwhile, ‘Piss On A Butterfly’ is a lyrical accomplishment (“hold me up like a picture frame and blow me out like a final flame, because a lonely man forgets nobody’s name”), making up for the dull plonks of the ensuing ‘Walk With Me.’ This is beautiful alt-country fare as well-placed as any release in the genre this year - and while it’s excruciatingly short at just 30 minutes, these are 30 minutes well worth your time.

Mike Noga may be a long way from The Drones on The Balladeer Hunter, but it’s a more than welcome move.

Jordan Smith

What did you expect from The Vaccines indeed? Although this London four-piece has been together for less than a year, they’ve already attracted astonishing levels of hype - and have written, recorded and released their debut album in less time than it takes to create an entire human being from scratch. How’s THAT for perspective?

To the credit of everyone involved, What Did You Expect… doesn’t come across as a rush job. The production sounds awesome, full of depth and a resonance that makes everything sound tremendously significant. And while the music itself is nothing particularly new or exciting, they manage to find enough unclaimed territory at the centre of a Venn diagram of Jesus & Mary Chain, Morrissey and Joy Division to hold your interest over the course of the 35 minutes. The only real indicators that this album was rushed out are the lyrics, which are mostly unremarkable but occasionally quite bizarre. I’m not sure what “Put a wetsuit on/Come on, come on/put a wet suit on” is supposed to mean, but singer Justin Young manages to make it seem full of import.

And it might just be that I haven’t cared about Interpol or Bloc Party in five years, or that The Strokes have finally disappeared up their own asses, or that The Killers only ever wrote five good songs, but I’m perfectly happy to listen to good, solid indie rock. The Vaccines approach it all with vigour and a tremendous sense of enjoyment that pushes it from “generic and dull” to “unremarkable but enjoyable”.

The Vaccines are formulaic, sure - but it’s a pretty damn good formula. And there are worse things in the world than a lessthan-successful imitation of Antics.

Hugh Robertson

It can be difficult to avoid words like shimmering, skittering, and ethereal when talking about acts like Sydney's Karoshi; this style of electronic pop is so evocative that ducking the standard clichés about iciness and dreamstates is like trying really hard not to think about polar bears. The usual descriptors do serve a purpose though, because they instantly tell you what to expect: delicate threads of guitars looped around spindly, off-kilter drum fills and grainy electronics, with the occasional wafting, wistful vocal and synth mirage pervading everything. The rise and rise of Seekae tells you all you need to know about the growing local appeal of this particular mood, and Karoshi are here to reassure you that the inevitable wave of inferior imitators is still a ways off.

Frontman Beres Jackson, along with brother Dave on drums and a couple of bit players here and there, has created a gorgeously textured and sophisticated pop record. Comparable in ambition and variety (if not scale and execution) to Apparat’s 2007 masterpiece Walls, or maybe the lovechild of Decoder Ring’s album Fractions and their Somersault score, the brothers Jackson maintain a distinctive and consistent mood throughout Sleepwalker while never allowing the music to slacken or become repetitive. Opener ‘Bones’ features some particularly fine, unobtrusive percussion from Dave, trickling over itself until the gentle, TRON-sound-effect swoop of the synthesiser drops. They wisely follow this with the highly-approachable title track which would sound like a lullaby, with the falsetto caress of the vocals playing off a bell-like keyboard, but the twitchiness of the arrangement contrasts with the stately pace, to form an uneasy mood that ends unresolved.

Dan Bejar’s work outside of The New Pornographers has never made many ripples on this side of the pond. More’s the pity, as Destroyer - the loose conglomerate of musicians that take the whimsical Vancouverite as their guiding star - boasts a back catalogue that sits easily amongst the best indie of the last decade. With Kaputt, Bejar has solidified his dark horse reputation with a tribute to the synth pop-pushers of yesteryear that’s part slicklyproduced love letter, part withering reappraisal, and never less than totally absorbing.

Kaputt is not littered with the sounds of the 70s and 80s – rather, they form its basic building blocks, with Bejar taking the tropes of the era (right down to the synth washes and sax licks half-remembered from some latenight repeat), and reforming them into something new and remarkable. Thus the spirit of the Pet Shop Boys hangs over ‘Savage Night At The Opera’, while the bland inoffensiveness of Kenny G-style sax is harnessed in service of Bejar’s weirdly compelling musings on US race relations in ‘Suicide Demo For Kara Walker’.

Elsewhere, the seen-it-all sleaze of an Altman or Cassavetes film hangs heavily; ‘Chinatown’ and ‘Downtown’ conjure amphetamine-enhanced eyes meeting across dimly-lit dancefloors, over which Bejar seems to wander with aloof detachment, gesturing towards the absurdity of it all with an elegantly raised eyebrow. It’s nostalgic, in a drippingly ironic, Donnie Darko sort of way. ‘Sounds, Smash Hits, Melody Maker, NME / all sound like a dream to me’ he cries on the title track, at once lamenting and passing wry comment on a vanished time, while indulging in some of the music industry-kicking for which he is noted.

Like The Stooges, or The Velvet Underground, the Dolls’ significance came many years later when bands like Blondie, Television and The Ramones picked up where they left off musically, and “glam metal” bands like Kiss, Poison and Mötley Crüe sold a tonne of records with a dumbed-down take on their style.

Only two original members remain, but the Dolls are still mostly doing the punked-up pop-soul they’ve always done - albeit with a bluesy number (‘You Don’t Have To Cry’) and a couple of reggae-ish tracks (‘Baby, Tell Me What I’m On’ and ‘End Of The Summer’) reflecting David Johansen’s genre-hopping output in past years.

Johansen’s voice is sounding a lot like Futurama’s Bender these days, and much of the bite has gone from Sylvain Sylvain’s lead guitar - but what they’ve lost in youthful exuberance is made up for in subtler, more nuanced ways. ‘Kids Like You’, especially, is a lovely slow-burner built around a tired old organ and a gently sliding guitar, perfectly capturing the world-weariness of the song itself.

Lose yourself in this meticulously crafted melange.

Cass French

Oliver Downes

Hugh Robertson

This Brisbane punk band has a big dick.

It’s the sort of dick that’s lacking in restraint, and eagerly casts itself out to prowl the streets and cause a general ruckus. On their second record, they’ve let it loose on an angry crawl filled with the sprawling sound of noisy guitar punk.

The guitars are mean and vicious, and buzz out sharp splinters of wrenching, stomping noise. But it’s not lazy and

Slug Guts, fuelled by alcohol and talent, have produced a brilliant album. They’re talented, but would probably prefer you

34 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

I’d always thought that New York Dolls were Malcolm McLaren’s ‘other band’, all image and no substance – as if punk hadn’t been co-opted into a commercial concern right from the very start. But you only need the first ten seconds of their 1973 selftitled debut to hear that they sit more readily alongside Bowie or Bolan – even The Stooges, whose destructive energy was always paired with dashes of the Spector/Motown R&B of their hometown Detroit.

This is a quietly beautiful debut; I hope to see them set their sights on the truly epic next time around.

whiny; the guitar patterns are intricate, meticulously arranged, and each line cuts through to the spine and bends you to its will. The anger, desperation and amplified prurience of the guitars is escalated by the dark, drawling vocal delivery of the lead singer. Drenched in self-loathing and meanness, he sings about a mean world with mean people in it doing all manner of mean and dirty things. “I’ve been hangin’ in the pisser again and I know all the things that they’re doing in there…”

Howlin’ Gang Sacred Bones

Dancing Backwards In High Heels 429 Records/Universal

It’s not ‘Personality Crisis’, to be sure, but in their latest release New York Dolls manage to combine their old and their new in a way that many of their generation have failed to do: successfully.

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SLUG GUTS

NEW YORK DOLLS

didn’t mention it. The image they present is one of belligerent insouciance, and notions of skill and discipline are probably aesthetically incompatible with the ‘I’m so drunk and fucked and on the dole’ manner in which they comport themselves. One final word: the closing track ‘Angie’ presents perhaps the only moment of tenderness on the album, and what a moment it is. The song is frankly stunning in its beauty and power, and elevates the album into the territory of greatness.

Howlin' Gang is the sound of a band on the prowl for ultra violence and a bit of the old in-out in-out - and it's worth every penny.

Duncan Idaho

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

MF DOOM - Mm.. Food THE CHURCH - Starfish ORBITAL - The Bedroom Sessions

WEEN - Chocolate & Cheese TAPES 'N TAPES - The Loon

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 35

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last night

PICS :: INN

up all night out all week . . .

zombie walk

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26:03:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 92642666

34B Burlesque party profile

dead letter circus

PICS :: RR

25:03:11 :: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687

It’s called: 34B Burlesque: Welcome to Razorhurst It sounds like: Danger! Romance! Intrigue!

Performers: Imogen Kelly, Lola the Vamp, Baby Blue Bergman, Donna Dynamite, Venus Vamp, Electric Dreams, MC Christa Hughes, DJ Jack Shit Sell it to us: 34B delves deep into the dark, desperate and romantic world of 1920s-30s East Sydney; a world populated by characters such as the warring madams Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh and blood thirsty gangsters Guido Calletti and Frank ‘The little Gunman’ Green. Part theatre, part cabaret and total visual feast - this is 34B Burlesque as you have never seen it before!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: a host of new vices!

Crowd specs: Gangsters, madams, cops and sly groggers, boudoir bombshells and shonky businessmen, cheeky streetwalkers and cocky grease-headed bruisers Wallet damage: $20 GA pre-sale / $25 on the door / reserved tables $30pp (min 3p) through moshtix.com.au Where: 34B Burlesque / 44 Oxford St Darlinghurst When: Saturday April 9 - 8:30pm

25:03:11 :: Tijuana Cartel @ Tone Venue :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 92676440 36 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

laneous & the family yah 26:03:11 :: Annandale Hotel :: 17 Paramatta Rd Annandale 95501078

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dust tones

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26:03:11 :: Hyde Park :: Elizabeth St Sydney

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FBi Social

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up all night out all week . . .

mum

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24:03:11 :: Kings Cross Hotel :: 248 William St Kings Cross 93319900

25:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 :: MICHAEL HOWLETT :: S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NA OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER PEACHEY :: ROSETTE ROUHAN MAS THO :: NS MUN IEL DAN :: INNERSTYLE :: ASHLEY MAR

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 37

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

OH MERCY, GOSSLING

LUKA BLOOM

Oxford Art Factory Friday March 25

Enmore Theatre Saturday March 26

It’s assumed that watching a rapper with a metal mask, in the whitest room alive, brings with it a certain amount of cred.

Similarly, the many noise gigs I attend are both painfully trendy and ball-sappingly arousing. In a logical progression it made perfect sense, then, to spend a chilly Saturday eve with mia madre watching one man, with a guitar, and precious little else.

Folk music is not hip. In a world of backbending laptop jockeys, many consider folk the domain of the old and safe. And Joanna Newsom, in spite of her amazing hair and WIRE certification, does not glitch-hop make. Utterly aware of how young I was at the Enmore this particular evening, I decided that immersing myself in the tins of alcohol available at the bar, whilst attempting to maintain a jovial smile for my mother, was the only possible course of action.

And then Luka Bloom came on stage.

Performing without a band or any backing musicians, Bloom disarmed and then charmed all gathered at his feet.

Reflecting that he had first visited the inner west some 20-odd years ago, he honestly stated that this was “just like coming home”. As the man gently chided the latecomers, I put down the can and surrendered myself to a night of smiles and laughter – maintenance free. The audience were regaled with the origins behind many of their favourite tracks, and the absence of other performers was hardly noticed as punters’ singing voices lifted to the top of the stately venue.

Whilst requests were being fielded from the audience, Bloom revealed that a gentleman present, Allan, had emailed him nine months prior to request a song for his lady Mel. And then re-emailed.

Seven times. Following a delicious rendition of the Bob Dylan classic ‘Make You Feel My Love,’ the main man stated that “if she doesn’t go home with you tonight [after that] – I’d gladly fill in”. Good lord I hope the pun was intended.

Last time I saw Oh Mercy’s Alexander Gow onstage, he was unintentionally slagging off a sponsor for an awards ceremony, while their marketing manager sat grimacing in the front row. His face erupted into a sympathetic, guilty expression worthy of an eight-year-old upon realising - and you just had to love him for it.

Tonight, half the population of Sydney was sweating their balls off at the frenzied Foo Fighters secret-ohma-gawd-Grohl-havema-bearded-babies Manning Bar gig, so the atmos at OAF was wonderfully serene.

Kicking off the third instalment of their Great Barrier Grief tour, the similarly sold out Oh Mercy proved the perfect counterpoint to the rock thrash happening just suburbs away, and sent folk-pop waves of goodwill all over the shop. Gossling, the brainchild of Helen Croome, proved a rather darling little support, bringing her sweetened condensed milk of a sound to a relatively chillaxed crowd. With tracks like ‘He Knows My Love’ and ‘Paper Boat’, this Victorian chanteuse bounced her Julia Stone/Joanna Newsom tresses and melodies around the room with more charm than a tulip in a teacup – hearts soared, a little bit at least.

Oh Mercy’s charismatic frontman greeted onlookers in a loved-up pseudo loungeroom jam, inviting the audience to lose a little bit of themselves in his amazing floral shirt

and cheery repartee. The jaunty jangle of this crew’s killer riffs and head-side-side up-tempo melodies bathed the lofty space in a cheeky magenta hug, celebrating the established OM sound as the show-and-tell began. With the newbie record Great Barrier Grief in tow, Gow and friends proceeded to please the somewhat distracted crowd with some fresh sounds, alongside a somewhat under-appreciated round of semi-familiar riffs like ‘Hold Out Your Hands’ and ‘Stay, Please Stay’. I was under a constant impetus to both wolf whistle and tell the murmuring audience to kindly shut the fuck up; a large bout of the showcase was lost underneath a vuvuzela hum of conversation and loud bouts of ‘SHHHHH’. But for those paying attention, the string of new numbers proved that the band’s musical prowess can only skyrocket from here.

The highlight of the set was the warm loveliness of ‘Keith Street’. Released late last year, it brought attention back to the upbeat acoustic folk-rock grounding of the Dylanloving frontman. Filling cups with suburban rain, accenting jaunty beats with slapping rimshots, and going to school with broken noses, this wonderful piece of acoustopop was the highlight of Gow’s beautifully curated little set, reminding ears and eyes of Oh Mercy’s sincerity and cleancut no-nonsense songmanship; a blissful snorkel inside someone else’s Great Barrier Grief. I’m sorry, Dave Grohl was in Sydney? Shrug.

Bridie Connellan

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: Tom Tramonte

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF, JAMES PANTS, JONTI DAN (FORMERLY DJANIMALS), EDSEVEN

The long-awaited Australian debut of MF DOOM took place before a sold-out Metro, the atmosphere of the venue as good as any I’ve ever experienced there.

I shouldn’t have been surprised – the man know as Daniel Dumile is the closest thing we’ve got to a real super villain, releasing close to twenty albums in twenty years under almost as many aliases, and infamous for sending lipsynching body doubles to perform gigs in his stead. And despite assurances that the man himself was going to be there, there is genuine tension in the air as hundreds of anxious fans pack in tighter and tighter.

Somewhat anticlimactically he walks on stage in trackpants, a jumper, and his trademark mask, and with almost no fanfare whatsoever. But the crowd makes up for that, roaring their welcome to the man of the hour. And he wastes no time, ripping through ‘Accordian’, ‘ALL CAPS’, ‘Curls’ and ‘Figaro’ before any of us know what’s going on.

Like his music, the show itself is understated – no grandstanding or self-promotion, no string sections, no laser show, and no stopping tracks to demand the crowd get more excited: instead, DOOM smashes through his set and makes us more excited. And it’s a raucous crowd, with people joining in on these incredibly wordy and complex rhymes, throwing their hands in the air at the start of every new track, and generally giving the impression that they have all been waiting twenty years for this moment. With such an enormous back catalogue nearly everyone was going to miss out on their favourite song, but with so many terrific tracks getting an airing it was hard to be disappointed.

Hugh Robertson

more complicated and intricate structures as he wishes.

James Pants then took to the stage, and pretty much just threw his balls down on the decks. The man was a beast; from mixing beats to playing drum pads and percussion like some sweaty shaman mid-ritual, there was no pause in his performance. I can’t say I’m overly familiar with his work, but to quote Tyler The Creator in a recent interview, “he’s a white guy who makes real nigga music” and that pretty much sums it up. His rhythms and basslines just sank into you; dancing was no longer a conscious action, it was a reaction.

The Basement Saturday March 26

I have a rule when going to see hip hop, to get as far out on the ledge of intoxication as possible without falling off - and trying to remain precariously balanced there for as long as possible. The logic behind this is that, moreso than other genres, hip hop is best enjoyed when

experienced almost as some kind of pagan ritual. If you’re not sweating and teetering on the brink of epiphany, you’re just not doing it right; and if you’re trying to but you’re just not feeling it, the artist ain’t doing it right.

There was no such problem tonight; I haven’t danced that much since ecstasy came into fashion.

The whole night was organised by Stones Throw, the seminal LA record label that brought us the work of Madlib and J Dilla amongst others. The label is run by Peanut Butter Wolf and boasts both James Pants and Jonti Dan as signings – so it was pretty much a sure thing that this night would be

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: Rosette Rouhana 38 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

The Metro Theatre Tuesday March 29

Full marks also go to Big Ben Klingon, DOOM’s offsider and hype man for the evening. Instead of imposing himself on the show he keeps his involvement to a minimum, stressing rhymes and lines that needed to be emphasised and only stepping in to amp up the crowd when the main man needs a break. He gets the best line of the night, too, when he turns to the crowd and tells us how lucky we are to be here, and how we should all feel like we’re getting our money’s worth.

“All these other rappers have choruses and shit”, he screams, “But do you realise you’re getting rhymes straight through?”

A massive cheer goes up – I think we realise.

In response to calls for him to play ‘Gabriel’, Bloom was forced to apologise by stating that there were long, boring technical reasons why it could not be performed. Noone really minded as we filed out into the street, with mother stating that: “even though they were serving canned alcohol, I think that man gave us a truly splendid night”.

Benjamin Cooper

DOOM

one of the most swagged out events of the year so far. Coming on after Edseven’s tasty smooth beats, Jonti Dan delivered the best performance I’ve seen him give, but this time as a solo beatsmith. While he was joined twice by James Domeyko from Domeyko/ Gonzalez, who lent his delay-addled sax and vocal styles to the proceedings, most of the set was just solid beats, expertly mixed into one another without the usual addition of live drums and guitar Jonti brings to his shows.

Far less ambitious than other shows I’ve seen him play since he lost the band following Falls Festival, it was nevertheless interesting and engaging. With his most stripped-back approach to performing so far, Jonti has found a solid base from which he can build

Last on was Peanut Butter Wolf, stepping up to the decks at some ungodly hour in the morning and showing the crowd why he is considered one of the best hip hop DJs in the world. His set, which opened with the alwaysincendiary James Brown, was really a VJ set; Wolf mixed and matched videos from a huge load of artists, jumping from MF Doom to Wu Tang to everywhere else.

His set was seamless; it’s easy these days to disregard DJing as a pursuit best left to sad scenesters like myself, but watching Wolf made if more than apparent that there is indeed a craft, even an art, to being a good DJ.

Michael Carr

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live reviews

up all night out all week . . .

What we've been to see...

The Big Top, Luna Park Monday March 28 “We are Motörhead . We play rock’n’roll.”

And the hammer came down. The breath was crushed from my chest, my ears began to ache, my nose felt like it was going to bleed; such was the sonic force of Lemmy’s mighty trio.

There’s no other band like Motörhead.

There are a lot of loud, even louder (although it’s hard to image how) bands, but there is no band with such imposing power. Motörhead will always blow its audience away - and thirty-six years into their career, they are now an institution. The faithful came in their finest glad rags to worship. Rock uniforms, exquisitely created - or just black. Tee and jeans and boots; young and old and in-between. You wanted to race around with a camera taking pictures of Motörhead's worshippers; Lemmy’s flock.

And they were remarkably well-behaved.

A bit of mosh down the front, but mostly reverence. A lot of head nodding, and foot stamping. Motörhead only know three speeds: medium-fast, fast, full throttle.

The set list went as far back as 1982’s Iron Fist and 1983’s I Got Mine through to selections from their 20th album, The World Is Yours. There was the obligatory Phil Campbell guitar solo and a brilliant Mikkey Dee drum solo - but really, it was all about Ian Lemmy Kilmister.

Founder of sonic assassins Hawkwind, and founder of this lot, Kilmister in his trademark hat and boots, microphone tipped up under his nose, is inescapable.

The man has presence; he controls. And he doesn’t even do that much, except growl out the lyrics (most unintelligible) in that unmistakeable gravelly voice, wisecrack through his intros, flick his wrist at a time change, and keep the bass sledgehammer solid.

At some stage, loud got louder - 24 hours later I still can’t hear properly - but you know what? I had more fun than I’ve had at dozens of concerts in the past few years. Motörhead put a smile on your face - maybe because the skin is being forced back. You feel young again, like the first time you fell in love with rock and roll. And you know why.

Mike Gee

usher

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MOTÖRHEAD

26:03:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93323711

foo fighters 25:03:12

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aston shuffle

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26:03:11 :: Q-Bar :: 34-44 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93601375

:: Manning Bar :: @ Sydney Uni City Rd Chippendale 95636107 BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 39

The Minor Chord

The all-ages rant bought to you by Indent.net.au and Janette Chen

ALL-AGES GIG PICKS

Y

outh Week has already dug its heels into our event landscape this week, decorating it with some of the brightest up-and-coming artists around; but before we look at the details, a quick reminder that the YAPA grants deadline is also this weekend. The Youth Action Policy Association (YAPA) recently announced the return of their Youth Participation Grants program, which funds community-based projects and events that are run by young people aged 9-18. Inspired by the ensuing youth week events? Well get your idea on paper and your application for $3,300 in by April 10.

(USA)

An exciting addition to Youth Week for those in Western Sydney is the Wheelie Bin Beat Boxes, which will feature in a number of events. Made from recycled wheelie bins, these mobile music-stations can connect to your iPod and laptop, enabling you to perform with electronic instruments, as well as beat box, rap, mix and sing. You can register online to find the closest bin at www.youthweek.nsw.gov.au For some more hands on creativity, Pine Street Creative Arts Centre in Chippendale is continuing their smart ARTS festival of youth arts this week, with drawing classes on Monday, a mini youth film festival on Thursday, and ongoing workshops. Check them out before a rocking weekend unveils. pinestreet.com.au On the north, there’s a full weekend of festivals on offer – and all for free! We’re talking more than 15 bands, over just two days. Make it a day of hardcore on Saturday, as Melbourne’s five-piece Carpathian rocks out St Leonards Park at Shorefest. Playing alongside them will be Resist Records labelmates Break Even, who recently returned from their European tour. Throw in Sydney’s own Hand Of Mercy, metal band Northlane, Minneapolis post-metal group Lungs, Stolen Youth and The Driftwood Theory, and you’ve got a full day of rock. Be sure to rest up, so you can do it all again on Sunday.

The annual YouthFest returns to Dee Why beach this Sunday April 10, wrapping up Youth Week for 2011 – and testament to their great programming history, this year the festival is headlined by The Jezabels. Fresh from sell-out tours across Australia and the US, and having thoroughly charmed our airwaves with their graceful vocals and moody indie pop (and all this before they’ve released a full-length album), the Jezzies are on the Must-See list for 2011. Accompanying them are Sydney rockers Papa vs. Pretty, who are no doubt as excited as we are about the release of their debut album in May. This young rock band has been attracting audiences young and old across the country with songwriting skills well beyond their young age. Besides these treats, you can catch the delightfully quirky indie pop of locals Lime Cordiale, Banditos of Funk, pop/rock quartet Static Silhouettes, Left of Veto and Elodie Quintard & Marley Benz. And if all that wasn’t enough reason to go, there’ll also be market stalls and youth info available for perusal.

SATURDAY APRIL 9

Shorefest 2011 feat. Carpathian, Break Even, Hand of Mercy and more St Leonards Park, North Sydney Hopscotch Festival feat. The Mission in Motion, Envy Parade, Stone Parade and more Bruce Purser Reserve, Rouse Hill

SUNDAY APRIL 10

Youthfest feat. The Jezabels, Papa vs. Pretty, Lime Cordiale, Banditos of Funk, Static Silhouettes, Left of Veto and Elodie Quintard & Marley Benz Dee Why Beach The Burbs present: Rock against the Beast feat. City Lights Fade, Swing From A Treelight and more Bowman Hall, Blacktown

Papa vs. Pretty For those a little bit further out in the Hills, the Hopscotch Festival, a Hype youth centre initiative, is showcasing some of Sydney’s best independent bands this Saturday April 9. Headlined by indie rockers The Mission in Motion and Envy Parade, the day will feature a whole host of local heroes, including Stone Parade, Miramar, Red Fire Red, The Presence, Red Remedy, Denham Reagh and Monks of Mellonwah. It’s all happening at Bruce Purser Reserve, Rouse Hill, from midday til 7pm.

Bowman Hall in Blacktown hosts Rock Against the Beast this Sunday April 10, presented by The Burbs and featuring a night of hard chords and alternative rock, with City Lights Fade, Swing From a Streetlight, Modern Error and more.

Get $5 tickets from Bam Bam Music in Blacktown before the show – otherwise it’s $10 on the door.

Indent is hanging out at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre all week with Youth Rock – Australia’s biggest band competition, and one that can claim Silverchair, Hayley Warner’s band Bleached Academy and last year’s Powerage as success stories. Indent is hosting band workshops with the finalists during the day before they take to the stage each night to battle it out. The final is happening this Saturday April 9, but if you’re in the area stop by any night from Wednesday to check out the next big things in Oz rock.

For all these stories and more tune in to FBI 94.5 every Wednesday from 5pm with Kate and Eva, when The Minor Chord gets a voice.

The Jezabels.

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Send pics, listings and any info to minorchords@thebrag.com 40 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

Remedy

More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

My Morning Jacket

CAGED BEAST

While Iron Maiden just seem to get bigger by the year – new album and world tour or not – some from their past aren’t exactly living the dream despite. Former Maiden singer, Paul “The Beast” Di’anno, has been locked up for six months for claiming almost $68,000 in welfare that he wasn’t entitled to. Ouch!

STOOGES SPILL

The Stooges’ cup continues to runneth over, and spill all over the damn joint. We already mentioned their coming live album from the recent (re)Raw Power tour, and now later in the year there’ll be a DVD to go with it. That’ll be the third live DVD since the band first reformed however-many years ago. These guys are shaping up to give Iron Maiden a run for their money when it comes to endless product releases.

FUCKED UP

Toronto’s Fucked Up sure are aiming high with their new album, David Comes To Life, which is due on June 7. If the title sounds kinda highbrow, that’s because it is. You see, it’s a rock opera concept effort type thing that clocks in at 78 minutes with 18 songs – and it better be pretty damn good.

That type of duration is way past our usual attention span of around 20 minutes.

RIP JOEY RAMONE (AGAIN)

Sheesh! Has it really been ten years since Joey Ramone passed away?

RECORD STORE DAY

As usual there’ll be plenty going on for Record Store Day on April 16. Among the treats is the limited-edition reissue of Nirvana’s ultra rare Hormoaning EP – and Fucked Up are planning to put out a compilation of bands that don’t exist, from the place that isn’t on the map, that’s the setting for their new album... Too much time of their hands, these blokes.

Former White Striper Jack White is in on the RSD action too, with his Third Man label reissuing The White Stripes’ first two seven-inchers from 1998, ‘Let’s Shake Hands’ and ‘Lafayette Blues’. Expect goodies from the likes of Mastodon as well.

MY MORNING JACKET

They’re The Band for the new generation.

That’s the glorious My Morning Jacket, of course – and they release their new album, Circuital, on May 31. Like the marathon length of their shows, it’s been a while between drinks. Their last effort, Evil Urges, came out in 2008.

SIDESHOW WEDNESDAYS

UNDERLIGHTS + DANGEROUS

WEDNESDAY 8PM

APRIL 6TH

ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Visqueen, the more-brutal-than-thoust 2007 exorcising exercise by NYC noise power trio Unsane (which, suitably, came out on Mike Patton’s Ipecac label). We’re embarrassed to say that we’d forgotten how uniquely and savagely powerful these guys are. In a broad sense they’re kinda like a skewed punk version of High On Fire, but with an air of claustrophobia that can only come from the bowels of a huge city. But even that falls well short as a decent descriptor. Singer and guitarist Chris Spencer really sounds like a man in 500 types of pain simultaneously, while Unsane as a unit take sonic bludgeoning to the level of pure gristle art, without even trying. They stand alone. They do Unsane music. Pain rock-and-roll, if you like.

Lifer stuff; the soundtrack for receiving a prison tattoo; rock that doesn’t need cookie monster vocals and white face paint to attempt to be unsettling. The last track is the eight-minute-plus instrumental ‘East Broadway,’ which sums up exactly what we mean about the stench of the low end of the city that hangs over these guys like a lead shroud. That might or might not be a drum loop throughout, but the only ‘solos’ over the lumbering main riff are urban and subway noise. This is one hugely recommended album. Also spinning is ADM by New Zealander noise annoys twosome, Snapper. It’s a primal, electro, money-making, shakin’ thang, with (you’d swear) an at-times-highlystrung Tom Waits on vocals. But it ain’t, of course.

TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS The Holy Soul are playing their first headliner show in quite a while to test out a few new songs bound for their next album.

It’s on April 29 at the Excelsior show and the support acts are ridiculously good, with the great pairing of Kim Salmon and downbeat queen, Leanne Cowie from The Scientists along with the amazing Dead China Doll opening up.

Sonny Rollins Vivid LIVE is back this year at the Opera House, between May 27 and June 5 – featuring, among plenty of other things, legendary jazz saxman Sonny Rollins, in only his second trip to this country in as many years in his long, long career. He’ll be appearing on June 2. Spiritualised are the other biggie for us, and they’ll be doing their classic Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space in its entirety with a choir and orchestra on May 27 & 28.

Melody Black have their debut single ‘Pretty Ugly’ available on iTunes with an accompanying video up on YouTube. They’ll be at Hermann’s Bar on April 9 to celebrate the release with support from Horrorwood Mannequins and Virginia Killstyxx.

There’ll be an after party at Venom Club afterwards.

On April 17 The Baddies are at the Sandringham for three sets from 4pm until 7pm, and it’s free.

Oh and why don't you come say hi at www. facebook.com/remedy4rock

PAPER PLANE PROJECT

+ BURN + BENTLEY

THURSDAY 8PM

APRIL 7TH

Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays.

All pics to art@thebrag www.myspace.com/remedy4rock BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 41

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

pick of the week

MONDAY APRIL 4 ROCK & POP

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

JAZZ

ROCK & POP WEDNESDAY

Jim Gannon Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Matt Jones The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Two Minds Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Unherd Open Mic: Derkajam Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 8

Dappled Cities

Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst

FBi Social / Kings Cross Hotel Launch: Dappled Cities, Midnight Juggernauts DJs, Canyons, World’s End Press, Andy Bull, Belles Will Ring, Kirin J Callahan, Magnetic Heads Duo, The Laurels, Tortoiseshell, Pluto Jonze, Spooky Land, Tyson Koh, Splash Mountain, Count Doyle, Smokey La Beef, Softwar, Slow Blow, Shag, Milli Von Ill, Domeyko/Gonzalez DJs free 8pm

Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm

Ambre Hammond, Tom Ward 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm Jazz @ The Wall Live at the Wall, Leichhardt free 6pm The Longest Running Nightclub Act On Broadway!: Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf)–$68.80 (dinner & show) 7.30pm Open Mic & Jazz/Latin Jam Session: Daniel Falero, Pierre Della Putta, Phil Taig, Rinske Geerlings, Ed Rapo El Rocco Jazz Cellar, Woolloomooloo free 7pm Robert Susz & the Continental Blues Party Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

DinkiDiAcoustic: Dave Tice, Peter Miller-Robinson, Jill Waters, Stu & Max The Hive Bar, Erskineville free 6pm Songsalive!: Hayley Legg, Russell Neal Kellys On King, Newtown free 7pm Songwriter Sessions Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills free 7.30pm

TUESDAY APRIL 5 ROCK & POP

The A Band, Forenzic, Violence in Action, Hinterlandt Tone, Surry Hills $10 8pm Adam Pringle and Friends Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs Bar free 8pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 8pm Looking Through A Glass Onion: John Waters Penrith Panthers 7.30pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Songsalive Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Soup Groove Session Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills free 5.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Tuesday Night Live: Drover Mad, Camera 4 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm

JAZZ

Jazzgroove: The Michael Griffin Quintet, Simon Ferenci 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm

City & Colour (Canada), Hey Rosetta (Canada) Enmore Theatre $63 8pm sold out Songsalive!: Apostrophe, Jesse de Rooy, Laurie McGinness, Tanya O’Gorman, Ben Osmo, Nikki Thorburn, Russell Neal Dee Why RSL free 6.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf)–$50 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Pave Leclair Old Manly Boatshed free 8.30pm Songsalive!: George Czender, Pete Loveridge, Dennis Smith, Carolyn Woodorth Blaxland Tavern free 6.30pm Songsalive!: Hayley Legg, Gavin Fitzgerald! , Hugo Yap, TAOS Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm

x

APRIL 6

ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Ben Ottewell, Jackson McLaren Notes Live, Enmore $31.15 7pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7pm Fantine Goodgod Small Club, Sydney 8pm HiddenAce, Spangled Mistress, Lions & Kings, Monii Excelsior Hotel $10 8pm Jamie Lindsay Northies, Cronulla free 7.30pm Kinetic Method Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 5pm Live & Local: Hunter & King, Kate Gogarty, Ella Freestone, Drey Rollins Band Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $13.50 7pm Mark Wilkinson Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Nag Champa Marble Bar, Sydney free 9.30pm Philip Ricketson Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs Bar free 8pm The Oceanics Brass Monkey, Cronulla 7pm Open Mic Night Down Under Bistro free 7.30pm Reckless Duo Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6.30pm Sideshow Wednesday: Dangerous! (SA) Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Streetlight Manifesto (USA) Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $31 (+ bf) 8pm YourSpace Muso Showcase Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Youthrock Sutherland Entertainment Centre 6pm all ages

JAZZ

Kristen Berardi Band 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Pot Pourri: The French Revue, Leo Gardiner The Basement, Circular Quay $12 (conc)–$15 8.30pm Sunset Jazz: Sydney Uni Jazz Society Hermann’s, Darlington free 6pm Victoria Jacono, Guiseppe Zangari St James’ Church, Sydney free 1.15pm

THURSDAY APRIL 7 ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers Northies, Cronulla free 9.15pm Ben Ottewell, Jackson McLaren The Basement, Circular Quay $27.50 (+ bf)–$42 (at door) 9.30pm Chris Connolly Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Cotton, Cotton Keays & Morris Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Dave White Duo Dee Why Hotel free 8pm Hue Williams Lane Cove Club free 7pm Imperical, Necrofeist, Hell Itself, Under The 8 Ball Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Injured Ninja Vs Skylazer, Meniscus, Underlapper, The Lander Configurations Excelsior Hotel $10 8pm Little Lovers, Lyyar, The Fabergettes Annandale Hotel $8 8pm Live & Local Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 8pm Mandi Jarry Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm Matt Price Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Michael McGlynn Greengate Hotel, Killara free 8pm Nicky Kurta Green Park Hotel, Darlinghurst free 7pm Noliver Fig Down Under Bistro free 8pm Oreana, Set At Ease, Fluid Exchange, Blackened They Rise Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $10 8pm Pianoman The Loft, Darling Harbour free 6pm Ric Herbert Woollahra Hotel free 7.45pm Sarah Paton O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm The School Doodle Project: New Brutalists, Cogel Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Steve Tonge The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 9.30pm Stormcellar Old Manly Boatshed free 9pm The Suspects Marble Bar, Sydney free Truth Corroded Spectrum, Darlinghurst 8pm Youthrock Sutherland Entertainment Centre 6pm all ages

JAZZ

Bella Kalolo (NZ), Milan Ring, JC, Ayesha Notes Live, Enmore $23.50 (show only)–$45.90 (dinner & show) 7pm

“To say you’ve heard the Vision Bell, means that everything you say is what I’m looking for…” - DAPPLED CITIES 42 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com The Blues & Roots Revivial Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7.30pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why RSL Club free 7pm Mucho Mambo 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Ivonne Strahoski The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf) 6.30pm

FRIDAY APRIL 8 ROCK & POP

50 Million Beers Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville 9pm All Star Duo Northies, Cronulla free 5.30pm Andy Mammers Penrith Panthers free 6pm Angie Dean Greengate Hotel, Killara free 5pm Anton Korytnyi Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Armchair Travellers Club Rivers, Riverwood free 9pm At The Hop Rockdale RSL Club free 7.30pm The Bandits Duo Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 8pm Barnstorming Penrith Hotel free 10pm

Ben Finn Adams Tavern, Blacktown free 8.15pm Black Diamond Heart Club Crows Nest Hotel free 11.15pm Brad Johns Parramatta RSL free 5pm Break Even, Carpathian, Hand Of Mercy Annandale Hotel $15 8pm Brown Sugar Marble Bar, Sydney free 9.30pm Carl Fidler O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 8pm Carus Thompson, Yanto Shortis Brass Monkey, Cronulla $13 (+ bf) 7pm Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Jordan & the Original Six The Factory Theatre, Enmore $49 (+ bf) 8pm Creo, F.R.I.E.N.D/S DJs Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Cross City Traffic Camden RSL Club free 8.30pm Dan Lawrence Northies, Cronulla free 9pm Daniel Lissings Crows Nest Hotel free 6.30pm FBi Social / Kings Cross Hotel Launch: Dappled Cities, Midnight Juggernauts DJs, Canyons, World’s End Press, Andy Bull, Belles Will Ring, Kirin J Callahan, Magnetic Heads Duo, The Laurels, Tortoiseshell, Pluto Jonze, Spooky Land, Tyson Koh, Splash Mountain, Count Doyle, Smokey La Beef, Softwar, Slow Blow, Shag, Milli Von Ill, Domeyko Gonsales DJs FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst free 8pm Dave White & Luke Dixon Kirribilli Hotel free 8pm

David Agius PJ Gallagher’s Drummoyne free 10pm Deep Duo Robin Hood Hotel, Waverley free 9.30pm Distant Thunder Freeway Hotel, Artarmon free 8pm Double Whammy Mosman RSL Club free 7pm The Dudes Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club free 8.30pm Godswounds, Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, Cities of the Red Night, Nick Szentkuti Baroque Bar, Katoomba $10 9pm Happy Hippies Trio Commercial Hotel, Parramatta free 7pm Heath Burdell Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6pm Hip Not Hop Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill free 8pm Hue Williams Lane Cove Club free 7pm Jerrico, Vangate Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 8.30pm The Jezabels, Ernest Ellis, We Say Bamboulee Metro Theatre, Sydney $20 8pm sold out Jimmy Bear Brewhouse At St Mary’s, St Marys free 9.30pm Jimmy Eat World (USA), The Jewel & the Falcon Enmore Theatre $68.70 7pm Josh McIvor Novotel Homebush, Homebush Bay free 4.30pm JP Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 9pm Kafe Kool Ryde Eastwood Leagues

Club, West Ryde free 8.30pm Kissteria Pioneer Tavern, Penrith South free 9pm Knievel, Halfway, Silent Feature Era, Jackie Marshall Notes Live, Enmore $18.40 (+ bf) 7pm Last Night: Parades, Little Scout, Particles, PhDJ, Randall Stagg, Ben Lucid, Kill The Landlord, Rigs & Rads Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $10 8pm La Vista Petersham RSL Club free 8.30pm Mandi Jarry Macquarie Hotel, Liverpool free 4.30pm Mark Travers Castle Hill RSL Club free 9.30pm Matt Jones Collingwood Hotel, Liverpool free 4.30pm Matt Price The Grand Hotel, Rockdale free 5.30pm Mimesis, Takadimi, Zoe Elliot The Eastern Lounge, Chatswood $14–$16 7pm MUM: Bang Bang Boss Kelly, Ed Worland, Places People, Big Dumb Kid, Jack Colwell & The Owls, I Am The Agent, Toy Temple, Michael Finlay, Swim Team DJs, Nude DJs, Gatsby, 10th Avenue, Hetro Life Partners, Seabas, 16 Tacos The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Mushu, The Bell Parade, Julia & the Deep Sea Sirens The Vanguard, Newtown $12 (+ bf)–$47 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Nicky Kurta Town Hall Hotel, Balmain free 9pm

Jinja Safari The Ovals, Zeahorse, Dark Bells Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Rob Henry Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Ron Ashton Regents Park Sporting & Community Club free 7.30pm Sam & Jamie Show Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel free 7pm Sarah Paton, Dave Stevens The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Saturday Night Divas Bankstown Sports Club free 9pm Scott Hawkesbury Hotel, Windsor free 7.45pm The Script (Ireland), Tinie Tempah (UK) Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park $67.20 (+ bf) 8pm Seattle Sound Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 10pm Sleepwalks, Woollen Kits, Unity Floors, Sweet Teeth

Blackwire Records, Annandale $6 7pm Star Fucking Hipsters (USA), AC4 (Sweden) Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $40 (+ bf) 8pm Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute: Mal Eastick Vault 146, Windsor 8pm Totally Unicorn, Let Me Down Jungleman, Pure Evil Trio, We Lost the Sea The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville $10 7.30pm all ages Welter, Terry Serio & The Bluebird of Happiness, The Thylacines Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $12 8pm Winter Station, Handsome Young Strangers, Mr Bee Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Wolfden Live: Emperors, The Walking Who Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst $10 Youthrock Sutherland Entertainment Centre 6pm all ages

WWW.THEGAELIC.COM

06 Apr

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

PRESENT

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

LAST NIGHT

fri

08

WED 06

Apr

MAR

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:15PM - 1:00AM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

FRI 08

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

09 Apr

SATURDAY NIGHT

Apr

PURPLE SNEAKERS & LAST NIGHT PRESENT

PARADES “WATER STORIES” SINGLE LAUNCH LIVE: LITTLE SCOUT(BRIS) + PARTICLES THERE’S GOOD ROCKING TONIGHT

SAT 09

SUNDAY NIGHT

APR

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

7PM - MUSIC & MOVIE TRIVIA

THE GUN RUNNERS + CHRIS DUKE & THE ROYALS EASY COMPANY

sun

10

MAY 16TH

STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO

MAR

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

WRESTLING

TUESDAY ROCKSTEIN

JELLY

PURPLE SNEAKERS

07 Apr

sat

5@5 $10 STEAK & 12-3PM ALE TUE- FRI $5 PINTS

OPEN 10AM- 4AM

wed

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTER + TWILIGHT RHYTHM BOYS WES PUDSEY & THE SONIC ACES + THE DREY ROLLAN BAND

SUN 10

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

APR

GIRL MOST LIKELY +

ENTRY FREE

MAXINE KAUTER

#/-).' 3//.

SAT 16 APR

,!$)

SUN 17 APR

$!7. (%)34

THU 21 APR

,)44,% "53(-%.

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 43

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

JAZZ

Betty Boop Boho Nights Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7.30pm The Conscious Pilots 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm D.I.G. Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $38–$78 (dinner & show) 7pm Jazz at 77: Rebekka Neville Trio Grace Hotel, Sydney free 6pm Jive Bombers Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Bondi Junction free 8pm Johnny Rawls & The International Blues Conspiracy (USA) The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$20 9.30pm SIMA: Mark Isaacs Trio The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Cafe Carnivale: Maria Yiakoulis, Mandie Vieira Eastside Arts, Paddington $22 (member)–$28 8.15pm Holly Throsby Clarendon Guest House, Katoomba $25 (+ bf)–$67 (dinner & show) 7pm Pave Leclair Hotel Gearin, Katoomba free 7.45pm

SATURDAY APRIL 9 ROCK & POP

2 Of Hearts Ryde Ex-Services Club free 9pm

44 :: BRAG :: 406 : 04:04:11

Alphamama Marble Bar, Sydney free 10.30pm April Sky Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm The Aussie BBQ Annandale Hotel $15 4pm Ava Torch & The Boybirds The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+ bf)–$39 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Bad Sneakers Campbelltown RSL free 8.30pm Barnstorming Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown free 9pm Barry Manilow, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Sydney Acer Arena, Sydney Olympic Park $132.28 (silver)–$172.98 (gold) 8pm The Beatnix Dural Country Club $25 (member)–$27 (non-member) 8.30pm The Belligerents, Convaire, 1929 Indian Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Ben Finn PJ Gallagher’s Drummoyne free 10pm Big Bozza Band, Ugly Bitch, The Lockhearts, The Great Awake Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Bigshot, The Elton Jack Show Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, West Ryde $15 (member)–$18 8pm Bon Chat Bon Rat, Andras Fox & Sui Zhen, Moon Holiday, The Lockwoods, Wedding Ring Fingers Tone, Surry Hills $10 8pm Cambo Castle Hill RSL Club free 8pm Caramel Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham

Hills free 9.30pm Carl Fidler, Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 4pm Celebrating Local Music: Great Apes, Ghosts, New Brutalists, The Dead Rabbitz, Lani The Procrastinator, Modern Error, Soiled Earth Annandale Hotel $8 4pm Chartbusters Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL free 10pm Class of 59: Lonnie Lee, The Class of 59 Band State Theatre, Sydney $65– $75 8pm Dan Lawrence Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany free 7pm David Agius Duo Penrith Panthers free 6pm Dead Kennedys (USA), Rust Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $49 (+ bf) 8pm Deep Trio Coogee Bay Hotel free 10pm Distant Thunder, Travelling Willabees Freeway Hotel, Artarmon $20 7pm Dora D Band Northies, Cronulla free 5.30pm Dynamic Rock Rockdale RSL Club free 7.30pm DZ Deathrays, The Rapids, Bell Weather Department, Dune Rats FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Funktion Crows Nest Hotel free 11.15pm Good Charlotte (USA), Short Stack, New Empire Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $99.90– $101.96 7.30pm Goodnight Dynamite Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 7.30pm

Heath Burdell Clovelly Hotel free 8pm Hit Machine Rooty Hill RSL Club free 8pm Hopscotch Festival: The Mission In Motion, Envy Parade, Stone Parade, Miramar, The Author, The Monks of Mellonwah, The Presence, Red Fire Red, Red Remedy, Veora, Lovers Jump Creek Bruce Purser Reserve, Kellyville $25 12pm all ages The James Lees Group Petersham RSL Club free 8.30pm Jenny Marie Lang Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Jericco, APE B.C., The Volatiles, Beaufields Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $18 Joey & the Boy Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club free 8.30pm Joseph Liddy & The Skeleton Horse, The Starry Field, Emma Russack, Quacub Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Josh McIvor Northies, Cronulla free 8.45pm Keith Armitage Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Killer Queen Campbelltown RSL $25 7.30pm KISS Tribute: Gods Of Thunder, Christina, Thiers, Siara Stone, Nut & Butter Thing Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Liz Martin Band, Informal Troupe, Gypsy Dub Sound System Notes Live, Enmore $23.50 (show only)–$45.90 (dinner & show) 7pm Luke Dixon Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm

Matt Jones Brewhouse Marayong, Kings Park free 7.30pm Matt Price Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel free 4pm Melody Black, Horrorwood Mannequins, Virginia Killstyxx Hermann’s, Darlington $15 8pm Millennium Bug Oatley Hotel free 8.30pm Money Killed Johnny, Ye Luddites Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Mozaike Bankstown Sports Club free 9pm The My Tys, Alloway, Lizzy Cross The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$22 9.30pm Release The Hounds, Tempting Eve, Overdrive Valve Bar, Tempe 2pm Rock Fan Showband Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 8pm The Script (Ireland), Tinie Tempah (UK) Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park $67.20 (+ bf) 7pm Shorefest: Carpathian, Break Even, Hand Of Mercy, Lungs, Stolen Youth, Northlane, Driftwood Theory St Leonards Park, North Sydney free 11am all ages Surry Hills Festival: Jinja Safari, Fishing, Domeyko/ Gonzalez, Lanie Lane, Tin Sparrow, Pluto Jonze, Jack Carty, Anna Chase, Step Panther, The Sirty Secrets, The Retreat, Kira Puru & The Bruise, Bhanglassi, The Cadres Ward Park and Shannon Reserve $1 9.30am

They Call Me Bruce Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6.30pm Tim Barry, Chris Wolley, Addison Burns, Isaac Graham Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughn Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Wes Pudsey & the Sonic Aces, Twilight Rhythm Boys, Drey Rollins Band Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $16 (+ bf) 8pm Wildcatz Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 10pm Youthrock Sutherland Entertainment Centre 6pm all ages

JAZZ

Brian’s Famous Jazz and Chilli Crab Night: The Hannah James Trio Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $18–$53 (dinner & show) 7pm Loni Thompson Ensemble 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm Carus Thompson

gig picks

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 5pm SIMA: Andrew Dickeson Quintet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Loosely Woven Humph Hall, Allambie Heights 7pm

SUNDAY APRIL 10 ROCK & POP

Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm Andy Mammers Duo Cronulla RSL free 6pm Cambo O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 4pm Carus Thompson, Yanto Shortis The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf)–$20 6.30pm City Lights Fade, Swing from a Streetlight, Incorrected, Modern Error, The Initiation, Another Minute Past Midnight, With Skies Below Bowman Hall, Blacktown $5 (presale)–$10 3pm Dave White Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel free 4pm David Agius Harbord Beach Hotel free 6pm Dro Carey, Angel Eyes, Hair Hotchman, Stitched Vision Serial Space, Chippendale $10 7pm

The Duchesses, Palaces, Xenograft (VIC), Godswounds, Akh-Naut (Vic), squawk!

Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $10 4pm Genevieve Chadwick Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 8pm Girl Most Likely, Maxine Kauter Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 6pm Ian Blakeney Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 2pm Knievel, Halfway, The Handsome Young Strangers Brass Monkey, Cronulla $18.40 (+ bf) 8pm Leadfinger Sandringham Hotel, Downstairs Bar free 4pm Matt Jones Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 4.30pm Matt Price Woolwich Pier Hotel free 2pm Mind At Large, Mung, Fortune Falls, Disco Is Dead Valve Bar, Tempe 3pm Mike Bennett, Rob Henry, Josh McIvor The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 4pm Mike Mathieson Campbelltown RSL free 5pm Old Skool Woollahra Hotel free 6.30pm A Psychedelic Symphony: The Church, The George Ellis Orchestra Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $73–$80.50 (+ bf) 7.30pm Ron Ashton Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club free 4pm Satellite V Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club free 4.30pm

up all night out all week...

Scorcherfest: Elisa Kate, KaChing, The Beaut Utes, Point of View, Jemma Page, Kumpanee, Scatterfly, Aerie, Danny John Trio, Fifth Fiction, Cass & Dugo, Rampant, Ulteria Motives, Sam Bucca, Suzie Connolly, Contraban, Lime Cordiale, Ute Van Camper, TeVaka, Overpass, Harbinger, Pokie Room Movie “The SCoRCHeR FeST Story”. Little Napier, Boston Shaker and Crash & Burn Annandale Hotel $20 (+ bf) 12pm Shane Flew Kammadhenu, Neutral Bay free 4pm Soul Patrol, Benny Vibes, Adam Katz Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 5pm The Tom & Dave Show Northies, Cronulla free 6pm The Underground City Blues Jam: Frank Macias The Manhattan Lounge, Sydney free 6pm White Brothers Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 1pm Youthfest: The Jezabels, Papa Vs Pretty, Lime Cordiale, Static Silhouettes, Banditos of Funk Dee Why Beach free 12pm Youthrock: Jupiter Menace Sutherland Entertainment Centre 6pm all ages

JAZZ

Shawnuff Swing Band Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, West Ryde $10 (member)–$15 3pm Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 4pm

bachelor girl

Ben Ottewell

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6 Fantine Goodgod Small Club, Sydney 8pm Fantine

THURSDAY APRIL 7 Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Jackson McLaren The Basement, Circular Quay $27.50 (+ bf)–$42 (at door) 9.30pm Little Lovers, Lyyar, The Fabergettes Annandale Hotel $8 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 8 Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (USA), Jordan & the Original Six The Factory Theatre, Enmore $50.10 (+ bf) 8pm Last Night: Parades, Little Scout, Particles, PhDJ, Randall Stagg, Ben Lucid, Kill The Landlord, Rigs & Rads Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $10 8pm The Ovals, Zeahorse, Dark Bells Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm The Script (Ireland), Tinie Tempah (UK) Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park sold out 8pm

d r 3 e n u j y a d i r F t y n e e n m d e s Sy a b e Th

Wolfden Live: Emperors, The Walking Who Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst $10

SATURDAY APRIL 9 Bon Chat Bon Rat, Andras Fox & Sui Zhen, Moon Holiday, The Lockwoods, Wedding Ring Fingers Tone, Surry Hills $10 8pm Surry Hills Festival: Jinja Safari, Fishing, Domeyko/Gonzalez, Lanie Lane, Tin Sparrow, Pluto Jonze, Jack Carty, Anna Chase, Step Panther, The Sirty Secrets, The Retreat, Kira Puru & The Bruise, Bhanglassi, The Cadres Ward Park and Shannon Reserve gold coin donation 9.30am

SUNDAY APRIL 10 Carus Thompson, Yanto Shortis The Vanguard, Newtown $15 - $20 presale (show only), $50 (dinner + show) 6.30pm

Girl Most Likely, Maxine Kauter Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 6pm A Psychedelic Symphony: The Church with The George Ellis Orchestra Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $73–$80.50 (+ bf) 7.30pm Scorcherfest: Elisa Kate, KaChing, The Beaut Utes, Point of View, Jemma Page, Kumpanee, Scatterfly, Aerie, Danny John Trio, Fifth Fiction, Cass & Dugo, Rampant, Ulteria Motives, Sam Bucca, Suzie Connolly, Contraban, Lime Cordiale, Ute Van Camper, TeVaka, Overpass, Harbinger, Pokie Room Movie “The SCoRCHeR FeST Story”.

Little Napier, Boston Shaker and Crash & Burn Annandale Hotel $20 (+ bf) 12pm Youthfest: The Jezabels, Papa Vs Pretty, Lime Cordiale, Static Silhouettes, Banditos of Funk Dee Why Beach free all ages 12pm

The Church

Tickets available at moshtix.com.au BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 45

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

club pick of the week Snoop Dogg

SATURDAY APRIL 9

MONDAY APRIL 4 Iguana Bar & Restaurant, Kings Cross The Ivys, Evil J & Saint Cecila, Luke Watson, Brad Spali, T-Rev, Sex Azza Weapon $10 8.30pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Mondays Mista Killa free 8pm

TUESDAY APRIL 5 Valve Bar, Tempe Underground Tables Myme, Gee Wiz, Benji, BC, Allstars free 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic Karaoke, Cris Angel, Pablo Calamari, Nickles free 8pm

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6

ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park

Supafest Snoop Dogg (USA), Nelly (USA), Taio Cruz (UK), Bow Wow (USA), Timbaland (USA), Busta Rhymes (USA), New Boyz (USA), T-Pain (USA), Ciara, Benny D, Nino Brown, Israel, Miracle, Game, Fat Joe (USA), Keri Hilson $189 (+ bf) 1pm

Marlborough Hotel, Newtown DJ Moussa free 11pm Sirens Nightclub, Terrigal Medusa DJ Hypnotixx $5 9pm Valve Bar, Tempe Dancehall Flavours Collaboration 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall free 8pm

THURSDAY APRIL 7 11a Oxford Street, Paddington Inhale Sweet Az Soundsystem, Jonny Faith, Typhonic free 6pm Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill Matt Nukewood free 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop Paper Plane Project free 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor Top 40 Fitzroy DJs free 9pm Home Terrace, Sydney Unipackers John Young $5–$10 10pm Manhattan Lounge Manhattan Nights DJ Greg Summerfield free 6pm Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown Illy, M-Phazes, Dialectrix, The Tounge $15 (+ bf) 8pm Oxford Art Factory One Take Pop-Up Party Tinie Tempah (UK), Diafrix, IZM, Kato, Joyride, Mailer Daemon $35 (+ bf) 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Mush, Johnny Segment free (student)–$5 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 8 Ballroom, Star City, Pyrmont Snoop Dogg (USA), Nelly (USA) $188 (+ bf) 8pm Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Alex Mac, Habitat, Shuffle free 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Morphingaz 11.30pm Bristol Arms Retro Hotel, Sydney Club Retro Club Retro DJs $10–$15 9pm Candys Apartment Liquid Sky ft Starfuckers Sohda, FNGRLCKN, Minor Delay $10-$15 8pm Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill DJ Idol free 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Meat Katie (UK), Dopamine, Athson, Filth Collins, Autoclaws $15–$20 10pm City Tattersals Club Omega Lounge DJ Greg Summerfield free 6pm Club 202, Broadway Frat House $5-$10 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Jeddy Rowland, DJ Mike Silver free 5pm Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills Last Night Parades, Little Scout, Particles, PhDJ, Randall Stagg, Ben Lucid, Kill The Landlord, Rigs & Rads $10 8pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Funktank Mike O’Conner, Fabz, Drop Dead free 9pm Gypsy Lounge, Darlinghurst Gossip Theegs, Roc Boi, FlipZ, Xile, D-Kutz, Sonny (Singapore) 10pm Home Terrace, Sydney Sublime Peewee, Losty, Nix, Bionic, Morphee $20–$25 10pm Home The Venue, Sydney Delicious Flite, I.K.O., Suga Shane $15–$25 10pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Resident DJs free 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Falcona DJs $10 10pm Le Panic, Kings Cross Box Social MYD, 3Hundreds, Sotiris, Jamie What, 14th Minute, Jordan F $10 9pm The Loft, Darling Harbour Late at the Loft Somatik, Noel Boogie, Noodles, DJ Huwston, Meem, The Swat DJs, Lippo free 10pm Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown DJ Michael free 8pm Mr B’s Hotel, Sydney Week’s End Yogi, Husky free NSW Leagues Club, Sydney Mark Lines free 5pm Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel

Fridays free 9pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Digital Mystikz (UK), Mala, Coki, Mark Pritchard, Steve Spacek, Victim, Paul Fraser $40 (+ bf) 9pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst P*A*S*H $5 10pm The Rouge, Kings Cross Shock Horror Sirius Moonlight, Calling In Sick, Jus Haus, Kid Mike $5 Sting Bar, Cronulla Electro Sessions DJ Soda, JustMore DJs, Brosman, Knocked up Noise, Matt Mandrell, Riggers free 8pm Tank, Sydney RNB Superclub G Wizard, Def Rok, Troy T, Eko, Lilo, Jayson, Losty, Ben Morris, Matt Nukewood, Charlie Brown, Oakes & Lennox, Venuto, Adrian M $15 9pm The Watershed Hotel Bring on the Weekend! DJ Matt Roberts free The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM Bang Bang Boss Kelly, Ed Worland, Places People, Big Dumb Kid, Jack Colwell & The Owls, I Am The Agent, Toy Temple, Michael Finlay, Swim Team DJs, Nude DJs, Gatsby, 10th Avenue, Hetro Life Partners, Seabas, 16 Tacos $10-$15 8pm

SATURDAY APRIL 9 ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park Supafest Snoop Dogg (USA), Nelly (USA), Taio Cruz, Bow Wow (USA), Timbaland (USA), Busta Rhymes (USA), New Boyz, T-Pain (USA), Ciara, Benny D, Nino Brown, Israel, Miracle, Game, Fat Joe (USA), Keri Hilson $189 (+ bf) 1pm Beach Palace Hotel MidPalace Saturdays Steve Frank free Benny Vibes, Adam Katz Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Bristol Arms Retro Hotel, Sydney Club Retro Club Retro DJs $20–$25 Candys Apartment Disco Disco Vengeance, Teez, Disco Volante, Wizzfizzkid vs Sweet Distortion, Knocked Up Noise $10-$20 8pm Caringbah Bizzos White Trash $10 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Drop The Lime (USA), Jus Haus?, A-Tonez, Trent Rackus, PQM, Robbie Lowe, Matttt, Club Junque, DJ Moto, Georgia & Morgan, Mike Hyper $15-$25 10pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Garden Party Danny Howells

“What does it mean to take off all our clothes and look into your eyes and say I mean it?” - DAPPLED CITIES 46 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

club picks up all night out all week...

(UK), PQM (USA), Jeff Drake, Jamie Mattimore $35 (+ bf) 2pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Anders Hitchcock free 8pm Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly Tom Piper, Kaiser, Olsen free 9pm Doctor Pong Doctor Pong Saturdays DJ Greg Summerfield free 7pm The Factory Theatre, Enmore The Herd, Joelistics $23.50 8pm The Forbes Hotel, Sydney We Love Indie Lone Wolf, DJ & Coke, Urby, Mick Jones, Miss Velveteen $10 8pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Max Cooper (UK), Marcotix, MSG, DJ Trinity, Dave Stuart $15-$25 10pm Home The Venue, Sydney Homemade Aladdin Royaal, Matt Ferreira, James SPy, Dave Austin, Flite, I.K.O., Sammy Soul, Sez, Uncle Abe $20–$25 9pm Hotel Chambers, Sydney Red Room C-Major, K-Note, DJ Mac, Troy T, Naiki, Pachero, Mike Champion $20 8pm Hurstville RSL Memorial Club Hill Street DJ free 7.30pm Ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy Residents Party Ember, Tas, Robbie Santiago, Beth Yen $15-$20 5pm Jacksons On George,

Sydney DJ Michael Stewart free 9pm The Loft, Darling Harbour Late at theLoft Somatik, Noel Boogie, Noodles, DJ Huwston, Meem, The Swat DJs, Lippo free 10pm Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown George B free 8pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Halfway Crooks Captain Fanco, Levins, Toni Toni Lee $10 10pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Phoenix Rising Dan Murphy, Johan Khoury, Mark Alsop $10 4am The Rouge, Kings Cross Le Rouge Guy Tarento, Anothony Hopkins, Dejan Sem, Chris Arnott, Micko P $10 9.30pm Tone, Surry Hills Brazilian Funk Affair – The Return! I Like It Like That Orchestra, Samba Soul Kingdom, DJ Russ Dewbury $20-$25 9pm Trinity Bar, Surry Hills 2ser DJs, Meem, Lyndon Pike, Maccy 3pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! – Wax Motif EP Launch Wax Motif, Raye Antonelli, James Taylor + MC Sureshock, Johnny Rad, Ember, Telefunken, Adam Lance, Matt Weir, Say Whut?!, D* Funk, Scuba Scu, Rigs & Rads, Mike Who $15-$20 8pm

SUNDAY APRIL 10 The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays free 12pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Brynstar free 8pm Fairfield Showground, Prairiewood Australian Beatbox Championship - Grand Final Fusion free 11am Fakeclub, Kings Cross Spice Murat Kilic, Robbie Lowe, Matttt, Tomass $20 4am Gotham, Darlinghurst Sunday Soiree Gotham DJs free 4pm The Hunter Bar, Sydney Daydreams 5am Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac free 9pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone, Undie Sundie DJs free 7pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Loose Ends Matt Vaughan free 10pm The Rouge, Kings Cross Cheap Thrill$ Barfly, J Smoove, Matt Nukewood, MC Kidd Kaos free 8pm Sweeney’s Rooftop Sundaes $10 12pm The Watershed Hotel Afternoon DJs DJ Brynstar The World Bar, Kings Cross Fortune Disco Punx free 6pm

- Tues 5th -

The A Band (UK) + Forenzics

- Weds 6th -

CDR Sessions w/ Mala

- Thurs 7th -

club picks

TV Party

up all night out all week...

Filmed live!

SATURDAY APRIL 9

- Fri 8th -

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Drop The Lime (USA), Jus Haus?, A-Tonez, Trent Rackus, PQM, Robbie Lowe, Matttt, Club Junque, DJ Moto, Georgia & Morgan, Mike Hyper $15$25 10pm The Tongue

THURSDAY APRIL 7 Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown Illy, M-Phazes, Dialectrix, The Tounge $15 (+ bf) 8pm Tinie Tempah

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst One Take Pop-Up Party Tinie Tempah (UK), Diafrix, IZM, Kato, Joyride, Mailer Daemon $35 (+ bf) 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 8 Ballroom, Star City, Pyrmont Snoop Dogg (USA), Nelly (USA) $188 (+ bf) 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Meat Katie (UK), Dopamine, Athson, Filth Collins, Autoclaws $15– $20 10pm The Loft, Darling Harbour Late at theLoft Somatik, Noel Boogie, Noodles, DJ Huwston, Meem, The Swat DJs, Lippo free 10pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Digital Mystikz (UK), Mala, Coki, Mark Pritchard, Steve Spacek, Victim, Paul Fraser $40 (+ bf) 9pm

Bon Chat Bon Rat w/ Andras Fox + Sui Zhen

The Factory Theatre, Enmore The Herd, Joelistics $23.50 8pm

- Sat 9th -

Jazz Rooms

Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Max Cooper (UK), Marcotix, MSG, DJ Trinity, Dave Stuart $20 (+ bf) second release 10pm

Brazilian Funk Affair

Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Halfway Crooks Captain Fanco, Levins, Toni Toni Lee $10 10pm

- Sun 10th -

Play For Japan

The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! – Wax Motif EP Launch Wax Motif, Raye Antonelli, James Taylor + MC Sureshock, Johnny Rad, Ember, Telefunken, Adam Lance, Matt Weir, Say Whut?!, D* Funk, Scuba Scu, Rigs & Rads, Mike Who $15-$20 8pm

Sydney fundraiser!

SUNDAY APRIL 10 Fakeclub, Kings Cross Spice Murat Kilic, Robbie Lowe, Matttt, Tomass $20 4am

www.tone.net.au facebook.com/tonesydney twitter.com/tonevenue

16 Wentworh Avenue, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (02) 9287 6440 BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 47

Deep Impressions Underground Dance and Electronica with Chris Honnery

Matthias Tanzmann

Soul Sedation Soul, Dub, Hip Hop & Bottom-heavy Beats with Tony Edwards Soul Sedation goes live every Wednesday night on Bondi FM (88.0 or bondifm.com.au). Tune in 10pm 'til midnight to hear a deep and soulful selection of the tunes covered here, and plenty more that I don't have room for.

F

riday night brings a heavy dubstep showcase to Oxford Street when lauded production duo, label bosses, and celebrated DJs in their own right Mala & Coki, AKA Digital Mystikz, take control of the stage at the OAF. This is the London-based pair’s first time touring Australia together. Tickets were still on sale through Moshtix at the time of writing, and if you haven’t got one I wouldn’t recommend waiting another second - you’ll be lucky if they’re still available when you read this. Local bass stalwarts Mark Pritchard, Steve Spacek, Victim and Paul Fraser are on support.

Dread at the controls!

T

he lineup for this year’s Vivid LIVE has been released, and one event jumped out at me immediately: analogue synth fiend - let's call him a ‘synthphile’ Gavin Russom will perform at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday May 28. The show will be a 90-minute concert and installation featuring a 10 strong collective of musicians and artists from NYC, DFA Records and LCD Soundsystem. (Russom has plenty of friends in lofty places, due not only to his production pedigree but also his technological savoir-faire – he’s built instruments for the likes of James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy, and has toured playing synths and percussion with LCD Soundsystem.) Russom is widely respected for his Black Meteoric and The Crystal Ark projects, while of late he’s delivered some delectable remixes of Caribou, The Juan Maclean and a version of Border Community’s Luke Abbott’s ‘Trans Forest Alignment’ that is worthy of being labeled an ‘epic analogue stonker’. It was a similarly distorted synth-driven epic to The Crystal Ark release from last year, ‘The City Never Sleeps’, which was simply sublime. Bringing the full Crystal Ark collective together along with dancers, lighting designers and video and projection artists, this is one you’ll want to grab a presale ticket for - and if my mail is correct then the Mad Racket lads will be joining the fray as the party stretches on afterwards, until 3am.

Davide Squillace and Matthias Tanzmann have teamed up to mix the forthcoming Circoloco compilation, collating an assortment of the cuts they’ve been pushing recently. DC10 Ibiza 2011 – The Next Level collects tracks from Audiofly – who absolutely sssssss-lammed it at the recent AGWA boat cruise and ensuing afterparties, Marcin Czubala, Nil By Mouth, Squillace himself and Tanzmann in collaboration with Dan Drastic.

And speaking of Circoloco, the international party brand is Australia-bound for a bash at Greenwood on Easter Sunday. While Squillace represented down under last time around – and did so in rollicking fashion – this time the international representation comes courtesy of Visionquest’s Ryan Crosson, UK duo Audiojack and stalwart Andrew Grant, while DFA’s Shit Robot should bring a bit of diversity to the lineup with a set that will foreseeably incorporate a range of disco, house and techno. Locals include Ben ‘Korbs’ Korbel, ‘Brendie’ Le Brond and Canyons, with presale tickets available now.

Berlin-based producer Alex Picone has finally released another record on Cadenza following the combination of 'Floppy'/'Furby' a few years back. That release was a memorable triumph, both tracks brimming with a visceral microhouse groove that made

LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY APRIL 9 Max Cooper GoodGod Small Club

SUNDAY APRIL 25 Omar-S Tone

SATURDAY MAY 14 Kollektiv Turmstrasse Tone

SATURDAY MAY 28 Gavin Russom Sydney Opera House

them standout cuts in sets from Luciano; in fact, both ‘Furby’ and ‘Floppy’ got a run on the Cadenza main man’s Bodytonic mix, which is a testament to their quality considering that mix barely breaks the half hour mark. The new EP is called Fahrenheit, and while not reaching the same heights as its antecedent entry into the Cadenza catalogue, it still offers a far more engaging take on house sounds than the vast majority of perfunctory dross currently being bandied about the deep/tech house markets. Each of the four tracks on Fahrenheit have a playful old-school groove to them which makes them highly danceable, and of the four I’d have to nominate ‘Mandarin’ as the one that I’ll most likely push in warm-up sets – it’s evocative of the 'Furby'/'Floppy' double, and strikes me as something Barem might drop in a set; considering he is one of the DJs I most admire, this is intended as high praise indeed.

The Moritz von Oswald Trio have just dropped their sophomore studio album, Horizontal Structures, and it’s a cracker, if geared largely towards the cognoscenti with its atmospheric, dub-infused minimal soundscapes. Horizontal Structures follows the Trio’s 2009 debut, Vertical Ascent, and last year’s Live In New York set, and sees the group expanding – in all but name – to a quintet. Joining von Oswald, Sasu Ripatti (who produces as ‘Vladislav Delay’ and ‘Luomo’ along with a host of other aliases) and Max Loderbauer are double bassist (and ECM recording artist) Marc Muellbauer, and on guitar, Paul St Hilaire AKA Tikiman. St Hilaire is probably best known for his vocal contributions to von Oswald and Mark Ernestus’s Main Street and Rhythm & Sound projects, but here he shows off his six-string abilities, lending a bluesy liquidity to the group’s understated percussive grooves. Fans of Villalobos and Deepchord ought to give this one a good listen.

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

48 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

ON THE ROAD FRIDAY APRIL 8 DMZ Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY APRIL 9 Brazilian Funk Affair Tone The Herd Factory Theatre

FRIDAY APRIL 16 Ladi 6, Electric Wire Hustle Tone

THURSDAY MAY 5 MURS and 9th Wonder Gaelic Club

SATURDAY MAY 28 Bliss N Eso, Horrorshow Hordern Pavilion

There’s another good swag of re-edit specialist Leo Zero’s work now available on CD, with the release of his Super Edits Vol 2. Prolific by most standards, the UK resident’s remix of Florence & The Machine’s ‘Rabbit Heart’ enhanced his international profile considerably when it was released. This release sees him reworking artists from all sorts of scenes and eras (which is essentially his calling card), including Missy Elliot, Outkast, Bowie, Al Green and The Clash. It’s a double disc - one mixed, one un-mixed with thirteen tracks in all.

You can access yet more playable re-edits with the CD version of LSB’s The Best Of Super Discoteca. It’s a collection of all the 12” LSB releases that have been doing the rounds over the last couple of years, and includes edits from Queen, Yazoo and Grace Jones.

Hospital records label head London Elektricity has been back in the studio with sublime vocalist Elsa Esmerelda.

You may remember this column banging on about their tune ‘Just One Second’ that saw a release last year - a premium slice of uplifting, vocal DnB. Well, ‘Elektricity Will Keep You Warm’ is their next collaboration, and while I’m not sure it scales the same heights, it has quality things going on with a slightly more laidback vibe.

Always digging in the archives, Soul Jazz Records have come up with yet another really special re-issue compilation. Hustle - Reggae Disco - Kingston, London, New York tracks the fusion of reggae and disco that was coming out of Kingston in the late 70s. The release showcases the Jamaican diaspora’s penchant for taking cues from US soul throughout that era, producing covers and further “do-over” versions of charting US R&B hits. The release is loaded with laidback, blissed out versions of classics like ‘Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough’, ‘I’m Every Woman’ and ‘Rapper's Delight’.

New Elefant Traks signing Joelistics is set to release his new album, Voyager,

John Legend on May 6. A Sydney-born resident of Melbourne, Joelistics brings a likeable swagger - both singing and rapping - on lead single ‘Days’. This column likes the line: “My boys said, you’ve redefined dope / plus you had the presence of mind to rock the boat.”

An absolute must listen is the John Legend cover of Adele’s ‘Rolling In The Deep’. His version is solely acapella because a voice that genuinely rich and strong just doesn’t need instruments accompanying it. The recording is available for free download on Legend’s own soundcloud channel.

X-Press 2’s Ashley Beedle has put Wah Wah recording artist Stac’s ‘Glory’ under the knife to churn out a pair of house remixes; the first is on warm up tip and the second is more of a deep, late night excursion.

Melbourne reggae figurehead Mista Savona is swinging back through town to perform a soundsystem gig alongside Vida Sunshyne at Tone on Friday April 15. Knowledgeable selectors Nick Toth, Firehouse, Foreigndub, Mike Who, DJ Ability and Bentley are all on support.

Joelistics

Send stuff for this column to tonyedwards001@gmail.com by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag.com

snap

chinese laundry

PICS :: AM

up up all all night night out out all all week week .. .. ..

26:03:11 :: Club 77 :: 77 William St Kings Cross 93613387

Digital Mystikz

party profile

starfuckers

PICS :: AM

25:03:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958

It’s called: DIGITAL MYSTIKZ - Mala & Coki - DMZ tour 2011 It sounds like: Dubstep, and only dubstep

DJs: Mala, Coki, Mark Pritchard, Victim, Paul Fraser and hosted by Steve Spacek Three records you’ll hear on the night: MalaEyez - 'VIP'; Grace Jones - 'Love You To Life (Digital Mystikz Remix )'; Coki - 'Emergency' And one you definitely won’t: Skrillex - 'Rainb ows Up My Arse' Sell it to us: Make no mistake, this will be real dubstep as it meant to be made, meant to be heard and meant to be straight South London dubstep from the depth played. No fronting, s of the underground.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Being shaken for hours by the biggest sound system in Sydney. Reggae bass all night.

Crowd specs: Serious crowd for serious music ...

Wallet damage: $40 from Moshtix (assuming there are any left when you read this) Where: Oxford Art Factory

p*a*s*h*

PICS :: TT

When: Friday April 8, 9pm

hot damn

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balls 24:03:11 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

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25:03:11 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 94 Beattie Street Balmain 87552555

26:03:11 :: Q-Bar :: 34-44 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93601375

S :: :: INNERSTYLE :: BEN KALGOVA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: NA HAN ROU OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: THOMAS PEACHEY :: ROSETTE ASHLEY MAR :: DANIEL MUNNS

BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11 :: 49

snap snap

the wall

PICS :: TL

upall allnight nightout outall allweek week...... up

wham!

PICS :: DM

23:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

26:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

party profile

ROBOPOP

It’s called: ROBOPOP It sounds like: Eargasms of rainbow-coloured pop hits exploding with flavour in your frontal lobes!

Who’s spinning? Randall Stagg, Kill The Landl ord, T-Rompf, Smithers & Burns, LL Cool G Three records you’ll hear on the night: Aaliya h – ‘Try Again’; Smash Mouth – ‘All Star’; Rebecca Black – ‘Friday’.

And one you definitely won’t: Rebecca Black – ‘Friday’.

Sell it to us: Last month’s hat party was INSAN E, bound to be bigger, better and more ball-tearing! and this month is We’re Sydney’s only exclusively all POP night!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Rainbow-co loured earwax.

Crowd specs: Skirts, smiles, silly faces and stoopid moves!

Wallet damage: $10 - hit up robopopclub@gm ail.com for special $5 guestlist before 11pm More: facebook.com/robopopclub

teenage kicks

PICS :: TL

Where: Supper Club, Upstairs / 134 Oxford St When: Saturday April 9, 10pm

secret garden festival 26:03:11 :: Secret Garden Festival 2011 :: secret location 50 :: BRAG :: 406 :: 04:04:11

PICS :: TL

24:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 :: NIKI BODLE :: INNERSTYLE :: S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) ROUHANNA :: TOM TRAMONTE OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER ETTE ROS :: Y CHE PEA MAS THO :: ASHLEY MAR :: DANIEL MUNNS