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SemiPermanent CREATIVE CONFERENCES
Sydney
Corey Arnold / Reg Mombassa Annie Sperling / Surface To Air Fuel VFX / Moffitt.Moffitt Alt Group / Michael Leon Seb Lester / Kayt Jones + 2 more TBC
13th & 14th May 2011
Semi-Permanent, Australia’s most inspirational, and affordable, creative conference. A week long festival with twelve speakers over two days, surrounded by exhibitions, workshops, installations and parties.
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For more information & to purchase your tickets:
semipermanent.com
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LIVEATPRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
GAMBIT Neighbourhood Noise Tales of Abi and Adam DJ T REV
PHOENIX BAR 34 OXFORD ST
FRIDAY 15TH APRIL Another Lucas Production Design BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 7
rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Nathan Jolly and Cool Thomas
he said she said WITH TOM FROM TIN
CAN RADIO
G
rowing up I was severely malnourished. Fed only on a meagre musical diet of John Williamson, Redgum and other Australiana-themed acts, it was slim pickings in our household. Quite frankly, I’m surprised that I ended up the way I am today. I’d consider myself pretty musically open-minded now - out of adversity, rises triumph I suppose! There are more musical influences on Tin Can Radio than colours in the rainbow. More than, well, seven. Personally, I can remember the first time I heard Roy Hargrove’s album The RH factor. It completely changed the way I look at brass in music. Similarly with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, they put this fire in your belly that reminds you... remember that geeky kid in class? He’s now killin’ it! I don’t want to give you the wrong impression though, we’re not all tubas and backbeats. Skrillex is killing me at the moment, James Blake, Radiohead - anything that makes you feel something. We are five very different guys, who all share the same passion for making music. We’ve been touring for the past month in a big colourful tour bus, which has been an eye-opening experience to say the least. I
CW Stoneking
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 ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Get Better, Dara Gill. SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Maya Berger, Niki Bodle, Katrina Clarke, Alicia Cook, Mitchell Jay Hokin, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Thomas Peachey 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, Lenny Adam REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Binns, Joshua Blackman, Mikey Carr, Oliver Downes, Max Easton, Tony Edwards, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Lucy Fokkema, Max Easton, Mike Gee, Thomas Gilmore, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Alex Lindsay Jones, Peter Neathway, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, RK, Luke Telford, Rick Warner Corrections: Mike Noga review by Max Easton; Tim Robbins article by Alasdair Duncan 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.
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have grown to appreciate the art of taking a joke past the point of funny into blood-boilingly frustrating, and back into funny again. Without putting ourselves in a box, I’d describe our music as sub-minimalneo-tech-indiepop-dance-post-postdubravegaze-industrial-glitch-polka-grimecore. It’s a new scene, you probably haven’t heard of it yet... But seriously, come check it out, we do like to throw a lot of energetic musical ideas into our live shows. The Australian music scene is flourishing right now. There is so much great stuff coming up from out of the woodwork, from places you wouldn’t expect. It’s hard though; to get your art out there and recognised is so challenging for an independent band. So much beautiful new music that is completely different from anything you’ve ever heard is going under the radar because it’s not picked up by a major player in Australian music media. What: Chase The Sun, Hold The Night is out now With: Young Revelry, Big Dumb Kid, Royston Vasie, Grams, Louis London and more Where: Mum @ The World Bar When: Friday April 15
FBI SOCIAL
I prepared my outfit for FBi Social this Saturday, ironed and only slightly burnt my favourite suit, then practiced the conversations me and Agent Scully would have. Her all naive and believing in aliens, and me… just kinda into redheads. Turns out I needn’t have burnt the suit, as this is actually just the name of the new pop up venue brought to you by FBi Radio. Huh. They’ve put together another awesome lineup for Saturday, featuring Straight Arrows, Street Chant and Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, and it all happens on level two of Kings Cross Hotel, the venue FBi seem to be turning into all types of greatness. Trust Everybody!
THERE ARE RULES
GUM BALL FESTIVAL
As mentioned in previous rock news (you keep all these, right?), the Gum Ball Festival isn’t a Wonka-esque psychotropic dystopia, but is in fact a great, chilled, 2000-capacity festival at Belford, two hours north of Sydney in the Hunter Valley (assuming you know north, and drive at a reasonable pace). Kora, bluesman CW Stoneking, skuzzy garage blues purveyors The Vasco Era, Melbourne’s The Bamboos, Space Invadas, Resin Dogs and Custom Kings (whose song ‘Sunday’ should have been a smash hit) are all playing, plus loads more acts. It all happens April 29-30, and there are camping spots aplenty. And... that’s it, really. Oh, except it is BYO!!! Yup, you can bring alcomohol. Don’t bring glass though (unless you wanna be the one trying to tip three bourbon bottles into a Cottees conditioner you’ve kept in your boot for three years).
Oh Christ, The Get Up Kids are coming back out. Last time this happened I reverted back to a 16-year-old, holed myself up in the bedroom and started rebelling against the parents on whatever fictional drama I happened to be watching at the time. They are touring their excellent album There Are Rules (track two rules!) this August, and will play The Metro on August 6. Tickets go on sale this Friday April 15.
AMAZING GRACE (SIGH)
Do you remember when Grace Jones came out for Sydney Festival, and everybody went absolutely apeshit about the fact that she is a musical goddess and style icon, and we all clambered to see her live? Well, this was the appropriate reaction, and we expect a repeat dose of pandemonium on Tuesday April 19 when she drops by the Enmore Theatre.
SEEKAE +SHOWS
If you haven’t got your tickets to Seekae’s +Dome launch, you’re doing it wrong. Now that the LP has hit the streets, it should be instantly apparent to everyone that these guys have made the finest Sydney electronic album of 2011, and deserve your support. Catch them at Manning Bar this Saturday April 16, supported by Ghoul and Bardeya - you can grab tickets through the Rice Is Nice website.
CHILDREN COLLIDING, RED RIDERS COLLAPSING
Children Collide are sloppy but tight in that way that all the greatest bands are – and even if you don’t know any of their songs, you should seriously see this three-piece in action. Hey, how about this April 21, when they play The Metro as part of their tour for latest single ‘Arrows’? That works. Watch as they adopt so many blatant Cobainisms, and pull them all off with an endearing “this is awesome and you know it” confidence... If that isn’t enough, Red Riders are supporting in what will now be one of their last shows ever - they issued a little statement last week: “We’re all still the closest of friends, but just feel like the entity that is Red Riders has run its course, and rather than grind something that’s special to us into the ground, we’d like to call it quits while we can still stand proudly behind everything that we’ve made together.” BRAG will miss you, you guys!
Boy In A Box
BOY, BOX, BRITISH INDIA
Boy In A Box isn’t some piece of installation art that resulted in a DOCS investigation; it’s the moniker of 23-year-old singer songwriter Tij Priddle. He launches his debut single ‘Glitter, Gold, Ruin’ at The Annandale on April 16 (where they’re playing in support of a little Melbourne band we like to refer to as British India), and if you’ve heard his quite-lovely ‘Moon Comes Up’ song, then you will be excited right now.
KIMBRA WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
YEO
& NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE VENUE CHANGE DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, NOW AT
OXFORD ART FACTORY WED 13 APR 38-46 OXFORD STREET DARLINGHURST DOORS OPEN 7.30PM
Tickets for GoodGod, valid for Oxford Art Factory
ON SALE NOW! OUTPOST
1300 438 849 OR MOSHTIX.COM.AU BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 9
rock music news
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Nathan Jolly and Cool Thomas
five things
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI
WITH MARTHA TILSTON (UK) amazing underground musicians in England who aren’t well known, like Carrie Tree and Weston Green - whenever they play, people are just blown away. You I usually play with a nine-piece band that 3. I’ve been with for years. When touring, I try a different combination of two or three of us, which makes the live show different and quite exciting on stage each time. I love playing with my husband, who is a Brazilian percussionist. The Music You Make My live show is me and a guitar, singing 4. some songs and wearing a dress. It’s going to be a courageous, honest, intimate tour. There’s something brave about it. I want to try and take people on a journey, and weave a little bit of magic into it.
1.
Growing Up My father was Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle was my stepmum, so I grew up ‘arty’ on all fronts, really. I had six siblings and it was great fun. It was quite musical at my mum’s and we had the most amazing record collection, with artists like Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell. We just had one piano, and I taught myself how to play. I wish I could sing like my stepmum, she has a beautiful traditional Irish voice and she could write really good songs. I was around so many amazing people in the
LAST NIGHT
The press releases for Last Night are always killer - and this week’s is especially good. So good it warrants direct quoting: “You’re old enough to grow pubes and buy cigarettes for minors, so it’s time to ditch the cutesy shit and inject a little more grunt and swagger into Friday night. Slick your hair back and spray on those jeans for pint sized rat pack, Chicks Who Love Guns, coming down to punch you in the jugular with the launch of their new single ‘God, Love & Satan’.” More “ballsy blues rock” will follow, with The Rubens and Redcoats, plus a bunch of DJs. This Friday, Gaelic Club, $10, from 8pm.
PETER COMBE. FOR REALZ.
The lead up to Friday April 15 at Oxford Art Factory will go something like this. You will have gotten a ticket to Peter Combe’s show, quite ironically or flippantly or whatever - but
music world who would go in and out of the house. I also went to music festivals to listen to my dad on stage. Inspirations Growing up, my inspirations were Joni 2. Mitchell, my dad and stepmum, Simon & Garfunkel and Tori Amos. Now, I’m getting into trip hop artists like Lamb, Massive Attack, and Euro 7 (I sung on their last album). I’m intrigued by electronica and trip hop; it’s an interesting way to write. There are some
then you will start to get genuinely excited the day before. About half an hour through the set (probably during that ‘Time’ song that sounds like it belongs on The Beatles’ White Album) you will realise “holy shit, these are actually brilliant songs!” - and then you will listen in a whole different way. At around 4am, you will drunkenly spend two hours searching up and down Oxford Street for somewhere that sells toffee apples.
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
Music, Right Here, Right Now I think the music scene is amazing, and 5. it’s open wide again. It’s hard to make a lot of money as a musician, but I’m enjoying the fact that I can pay my mortgage in music. There’s so much good stuff out at the moment. With: Annabelle Kay Where: Paddington United Church When: Saturday April 16
On May 8, charismatic avant-garde indiepop kids Architecture In Helsinki are set to release their much-awaited album Moment Bends - their fourth to date and their first release under the Modular label. Having crafted the album over two years, the Melbourne band is super keen to unleash their record – described by songwriter Cameron Bird as “a record to get lost in”. Retaining the dancefloor rhythms and whimsical romanticism that characterised Architecture’s first three albums, but adding a more sophisticated kind of musical ambiguity, Moment Bends has been on high rotation around BRAG HQ since Modular sent it over a few weeks back. Seriously solid. To win one of five copies, tell us the name of their debut album.
HORRORPOPS
Demonic Danish rockabilly punk starson-the-rise HorrorPops are coming to Australia, hellbent on delivering a spectacular live set that will see your jaw drop to the floor, and the rest of you eager to pick up a copy of their new album. Kiss Kiss Kill Kill is a showcase of the trio’s mastery of a wide variety of musical styles, from new wave to ska to goth and more. They were favourites on the Warped Tour, and are set to grace the stage of Sydney’s Factory Theatre in Marrickville on Easter Sunday, April 24. To get your claws on two double passes to the show, give us the name of HorrorPops’ lead vocalist.
Guineafowl
ADALITA
Adalita’s solo album truly is magnificent. It’s full of sadness and raunch, and sounds like how a diary should read. In fact, we’re going to go out there and say it’s actually better than Magic Dirt. Feel free to send in complaint emails - we’ll just send them back with grammar/spelling corrections. We are petty like that. (Adalita plays the Sandringham on Saturday April 16. We will be there.)
Funeral Party
SOSUEME TURNS FOUR, HAS BIG PARTY.
It’s been a long four years since we all turned up fresh with bumfluff, skin-tight jeans and Pall Mall ciggies to the early incarnations of Sosueme. As we have grown up, Sosueme has been there with us, playing our favourite tune and handing us another three drinks while promising to hold back our hair and not take photos. Now, come the anniversary of its divine origin, we anxiously await a sign. “What will you offer us, O’ God of the Party?” With a clap of thunder, the clouds part. A mystical tablet falls slowly, defying gravity, floating beautifully, slowly to the ground. Peering between our feet, we silently read the list in awe... “Parades, Guineafowl, Stonefield, Redcoats, Pluto Jonze, Joyride & The Accidents, Mrs Bishop, Bon Chat Bon Rat, The Growl, Furnace & The Fundamentals.” It takes all our strength to turn the tablet over. “Saturday May 28 at Oxford Art Factory. Tickets on sale Monday April 11 from moshtix. Stay tuned for the DJ announcement.” We all know what we have to do…
IT’S A SECRET
Channel [V]’s quite brilliant series of Guerilla Gigs are back, and will hit our city with a big Aussie act on Thursday April 14. That’s all they’d tell us; to find out more, check out vmusic.com. au or their Facebook page…
NWA VS NWA
FUNERAL PARTY TOUR!
It’s a startling statistic: every evening, as 2340 groups of friends across the world drink in car parks, at least 426 bands are conceived of, 311 of which are named after Cure songs. Fortunately, most of these never make it past that evenings’ passionate planning stages but even more fortunately, our favourite new Californian DIY post-punkers Funeral Party survived this early hump, and are bringing their visceral, high-octane show to The Metro on August 5, proudly presented by BRAG. Tickets on sale April 20. Go get!
Step aside, Dre, Cube et al, and prepare yo asses to drop that fly acronym like it be hot (?), because New Weird Australia (the excellent FBi radio show/series of awesome, interesting, experimental shows like the one I’m about to mention) is quickly gaining traction - to the point where it needs an acronym, and will take yours. Especially after the Underlapper album launch next week, with Cleptoclectics vs Scissor
Lock, Edwin Montgomery and DJs Stupid Canon and Kimb Galercan. It’s happening at FBi Social at Kings Cross Hotel on Thursday April 21, and it’s $10 on the door. Your move, rappers.
YOUR MUM
Have you ever had a shit time at Mum? Doubt it. This Friday will be no exception. Downstairs will feature Brisbane indie-rockers Tin Can Radio, making their only Sydney appearance on their Chase The Sun, Hold The Night tour. They’re supported by Young Revelry (touring at the moment with Children Collide and Red Riders [RIP]), along with Royston Vasie and Big Dumb Kid in the Club Room. Upstairs will feature Grams and Louis London. The bit between upstairs and downstairs will feature stairs.
“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man.”- Much Ado About Nothing 10 :: BRAG :: 407 : 11:04:11
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dance music news
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... With Chris Honnery
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
five things WITH
ASHLEY FROM SPACE INVADAS some reason it never gets easier to answer. I think it depends on the day you ask me, but people like Nina Simone, Bob Marley and James Brown come to mind as some of my favourite artists who I was introduced to at an early age. I remember being introduced to this music well before I thought I would ever make music myself. Your Crew Space Invadas is 3. myself, Katalyst and
Growing Up I grew up in a household of music, as my 1. stepdad sold hi-fi for a living. Probably the best influences from him were things like Pink Floyd and some other Brit rock. Steve grew up in the UK going to church with his family, and was introduced to music at an early age that way. That’s quite a common question, but for 2.Inspirations
Steve Spacek. We play with a band: Alex on guitar, Ian on drums and Pat on bass. Steve and I also operate as solo artists. Myself as Katalyst, and Steve as Steve Spacek.
4.
The Music You Make We both like to make music with soul... That’s a simple way to sum it up. We both have many projects on the go at once. We have our solo projects; I have a new Katalyst record coming soon, and I’ve been
PICNIC FT OMAR-S Derrick May
One of the finest of the ‘next-gen’ Detroit techno producers, Omar-S, will play a three-hour set for Picnic at Tone on Easter Sunday. Overseeing his own FXHE Records label and crafting visceral cuts that have an organic, ‘homemade’ feel to them, Omar-S is certainly a man who is out on his own tip. His productions come across almost as snippets from improvisational sessions at his home studio, where he immerses himself in experimentations with old school technology and synthesisers, giving his music a salience often lacking in the electronic milieu of the present. Those of you who aren’t well acquainted with Omar-S should remedy that post-haste; the best destination for a pregig ‘Omaring’ is his Fabric 45 mix, which is comprised entirely of his own productions and functions as something of a ‘best of’. Presales are selling fast, with Simon Caldwell and Carly Roberts also spinning on the night.
MARK E FOR ADULT DISCO SPICE ARENA AT CREAMFIELDS
After its nascent entry into Australia last year, Creamfields festival returns this Easter with a lineup including the likes of Deadmau5, Martin Solveig and Skrillex. It’s a huge bill, and a bunch of acts I’d recommend seeing are playing at the Spice Arena, where techno titans Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Tim Green, Jordan Deck and Umek will be supported by an array of local talent. And while on Spice, the after hours institution has settled into its new home (FakeClub in Kings Cross) smoothly, with prodigious German DJ Chris Tietjen from Sven Vath’s Cocoon label spinning this Sunday morning. The doors open at 4am.
Over the last four years, Mark E has established himself as an electronic producer of note with a distinct, looping brand of mid-tempo disco and house. “Up to the end of 2009, I had a pretty successful career in interior design, but due to the global recession my hours were cut to less than half a week’s work, so instead of trying to survive and carry on there, I left and went into music full-time,” Mark says, demonstrating
releasing singles off it already. Steve works closely with Mark Pritchard, they have a new project called Africa Hitech, making UK bassorientated music. I work closely with Geoff Barrow form Portishead and we have a new project called Quakers, which is a hip hop album featuring over 30 MCs. That’s just a few of our current projects. Music, Right Here, Right Now We played in NZ last month with Electric 5. Wire Hustle. Cool cats and good sounds - keep an eye out for them. Hopefully we’ll do some shows together in Europe in a few months’ time... One of the main obstacles the whole industry faces is the way people are now consuming music. Albums aren’t as important as they once were; it’s all about the “hot right now” single and, if you look for it, you will find it for free. But that’s just digital technology making so much music accessible, so you have to move with the times - and release more singles! With: KORA, CW Stoneking And His Primitive Horns, The Vasco Era, Bonjah, Resin Dogs, Lanie Lane and more Where: Gum Ball Festival @ ‘Dashville’, Lower Belford in the Hunter Valley When: April 29 - 30
a genuine flair for talking himself up. He has his debut album Stone Breaker coming out on Matthew Dear’s Ghostly International’s subsidiary label Spectral Sound in mid-May. To give us a first-hand preview, Mark E has kindly agreed to drop by the Civic Underground to play Adult Disco on Saturday April 23 – it’ll be curtain up at the usual time of 10pm.
MASIELLO + PAPPA
Two of prog’s most enduring figures, Desyn Masiello and Anthony Pappa, share top billing for Golden Cage’s Easter Sunday bash at Soho on Victoria St Potts Point. (It seems like an eternity since that venue was used for decent DJs – wait a minute, it has been. But who could forget Michael Mayer dropping Patrick Cowley at 6am in the morning back in November ’06? Aaah memories…) Masiello is a specialist DJ who also spins alongside Omid 16b and Demi as SOS. And while the SOS Balance mix was good, it didn’t top Desyn’s own addition to the Balance series, which remains arguably the finest installment in what continues to be a highquality series. (The new mix by Nick Warren is also well worth checkin’, for fans of this sound.) Both Desyn and Pappa have been doing their thing for years, and doing it damn well. Doors open at 9pm, and with support including Dave ‘GQ Pinup’ Stuart, Yokoo and Murat Kilic, this ought to be heaving until the last beat is dropped at 6am.
Ladi6
LADI6
New Zealand’s lady of hip hop, MC Ladi6, is celebrating the upcoming Australian release of her second solo album The Liberation Of... with an East Coast tour of the country, accompanied by soul-cumpsychedelic-cum-awesome three-piece Electric Wire Hustle. Over the past year Ladi6 has been on a rollicking journey, sharing her dynamic show across 60 dates in Europe while supporting the likes of Gil-Scott Heron, Masta Ace and Mayer Hawthorne. New Zealand’s enthusiastic praise for her new release has left us eager to catch this diva’s sublime vocals live on stage... To score a double pass to see Ladi6 and Electric Wire Hustle at the Gaelic Theatre this Saturday April 16, give us the name of her first album.
BEDLAM BAR + FOOD UNIVERSITY HALL, 2-12 GLEBE POINT ROAD, GLEBE
THE PITCH
We wouldn’t describe ourselves as eclectic, but we do tick all the boxes. We’re cool and contemporary yet retro and unpretentious. There’s really something at Bedlam for everyone, with two floors offering different atmospheres; feel the vibrancy of the city on the upper level, from the green of Victoria Park to the Sydney skyline, or step back in time and relax in the lounge bar on furniture that’s probably older then you are…
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Bedlam means uproar and confusion. Our style is deliberately confused, but our direction is clear: we strive to be unique and offer a cool alternative for drinking and dining in Glebe.
LOCATION LOCATION
We’re in the University Hall Building, one of the few remaining heritage buildings in Glebe, and the sweeping sandstone walls set the tone for our lounge bar - quirky and different, just like the suburb.
DESIGN INSPIRATIONS?
LADYTRON
Liverpool synthphiles Ladytron have just announced details of their latest album to be released in September of this year, Gravity The Seducer. This will be the quartet’s first album since 2008’s Velocifero, and was recorded in the UK with Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys). The early scoop is that this album has a more dream-like quality than their previous efforts, as Daniel Hunt of the band elucidates: “Gravity The Seducer is more of a jump than the last album was, more ethereal and melodic, a touch more abstract in places than we’ve gone before, baroque ‘n’ roll. It was a pleasure to make, took us right through last summer. It’s our best record, in my opinion.” You would say that though Danny Boy, wouldn’t you?
The Bamboos
A DECADE OF THE BAMBOOS
After a sold-out celebration in Melbourne, The Bamboos bring their 10th Anniversary show to The Manning Bar on Friday May 20, with special guests The Psyde Projects and Paper Plane Project. The Bamboos are generally acknowledged as one of Australia’s leading funk and soul bands; emerging from the ‘Deep As Funk’ scene of the early-2000s, they have since forged a sound that merges elements of funk, hip hop, psychedelic and northern soul. For their 10th anniversary celebration, The Bamboos will play an assortment of tracks thought forgotten from the band’s sprawling catalogue, including their early self-released instrumental 7” vinyl tracks. Tickets at manningbar.com
We wanted to create two separate dimensions within the one space. Downstairs we have our cosy lounge bar kitted out with a mismatched array of 1970s furniture, creating a retro chic feel. Upstairs is a far more contemporary setting. We feel we’ve created a venue that’s diverse, relaxed, inviting and above all, fun.
SIGNATURE DRINK / MENU ITEM: Bedlam Blonde / Tacos
“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” – Much Ado About Nothing 12 :: BRAG :: 407 : 11:04:11
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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
MEHOW
G
rowing up, there was a big push by my parents to get into music, starting with my sister and I both being forced to learn the piano. My sister stuck with it for years and years - I only lasted three weeks before I threw a tantrum and quit. I’ve been interested in music ever since but really didn’t find my niche until I picked up djing and playing other people’s records. Taking the easy way out, some would say. I was brought up listening to lots of old records from my dad’s epic collection. His records really shaped my appreciation of all music. From stuff like Blondie to Boney M, and literally everything and anything in between. I guess it shows through in my sets though, because I really find it hard to stick to one genre. I sort of just fell into DJing as a way to share the music I love with as many people as possible. Over the years I’ve worked with many people, but at the moment I’m predominantly playing with all the cool kids at Wham! on Saturdays at World Bar. It just hits that sweet spot of having a great mix between focusing on the music and still making sure everyone has a wicked time.
Right now most of my sets are focusing on a mix of disco (old and new), house and a bit of tech. I’m really loving anything coming out by guys like Tensnake, Jacques Renault and the like. I try not to take myself too seriously. I don’t care if a track I play is five years old, as long as the crowd responds and are having fun. The music scene in sydney at the moment is really hard to pigeonhole. On one side, there seems to be an abundance of venues pushing shit music just to get people through the door and money over the bar. But there’s so many awesome smaller parties popping up, focusing on the music. Stuff like the new FBi venue that’s popped up in the ‘Cross, Sideways Fridays at 77, all the parties put on by the Picnic crew and Wham! - they’re all really doing things to put my faith back in the clubbing scene in Sydney. I think 2011 is really going to be the year where people start focusing again on smaller parties and club nights as opposed to festivals. Where: Mehow Where: Wham! @ World Bar When: Saturday April 16
EMI JAPAN AUCTION
Artists and songwriters from the EMI family have donated a huge array of memorabilia for an exclusive auction to raise funds for people affected by last month’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The first part of the auction is already underway and will run until April 15 - a second phase will take place over April 11-21. Items on offer include a pair of vintage speakers from Abbey Road’s Studio 3, five nights at Michael Franti’s yoga retreat in Bali, the Beastie Boys’ Japanese MTV award, handwritten lyrics from Brian Wilson, a 1987 Ferrari 412 as featured in Daft Punk’s film ‘Electroma’ and a limited edition Beatles Yellow Submarine Schwinn bicycle. You may also wish to bid for the MacBook used by David Guetta to create the demos for ‘One Love’, if only so you can smash it to smithereens with a sledge hammer then reverse over it repeatedly (in Mind Over Matter
Skipping Girl Vinegar
POPBOOMERANG
The folks at Popboomerang Records are eagerly awaiting the launch of Electric and Eclectic Rarities Volume 1, a compilation of 20 rare and unreleased tracks from the label’s artists – including Sydney’s folk-cumsynthy The Aerial Maps, Melbourne indie gems Skipping Girl Vinegar, old school pop-rockers Four Hours Sleep and heaps more. The launch party will take place at The Basement on Saturday May 7 and will feature a headline performance from Aerial Maps, an exclusive solo set from Skipping Girl Vinegar frontman Mark Lang, and performances from folk-rockers The Bon Scotts, indie poppers Russell Crawford And The Stickmen, and Melbourne’s melodic rock trio Celadore. We have two double passes to the Popboomerang compilation launch to give away, and each comes with a copy of the CD. To win, give us the names of three other artists (not the ones mentioned above) under Popboomerang’s roster. your Daft Punk Ferrari). All funds raised will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and EMI Group has committed to match all funds raised from the auction up to a maximum of one million Euros. Full details at stores.ebay.co.uk/EMI-Family-4Japan - vroom vroom!
FBI SOCIAL
FBi Radio is settling into the new-look Kings Cross Hotel with its FBi Social room. This Friday they’re hosting Club Future Beat, a night dedicated to the razor-sharp cutting edge of the beat scene that combines fringe and futureleaning beat collectives. The DJ lineup includes Cleptoclectics, 48/4, Monk Fly and Max Gosford, while Roleo, Tobio and Jozz Scott will be performing a joint live set. It starts at 8pm on Friday April 15 – with $10 entry.
Foreign Beggars
MIND OVER MATTER
As of this Saturday, highly touted Aussie hip hop troupe Mind Over Matter will have just released their sophomore album Just Like Fireworks, the follow-up to 2008’s Keepin’ It Breezy. ‘Rappers In Wonderland’, the first single taken from the album, saw Mind Over Matter highlighted as triple j’s Unearthed Feature Artist, and added to spot rotation on triple j and full rotation on FBi. The LP features production from Matik, DJ Ilz, Poker Beats (Hilltop Hoods), Konfuzion and Allrounda. Mind Over Matter will be officially launching the album with a show at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday April 21.
MIAMI HORROR TOUR
Melbourne electronic/indie outfit Miami Horror have revealed they’re relocating to L.A come August, but not before a final tour of their home country. Miami Horror will play The Metro on Saturday July 16 in a performance that will coincide with the release of ‘Summersun’, the fifth single from the group’s acclaimed full-length album, Illumination. Of the previous four single releases from the LP, ‘Sometimes’ proved the most successful, peaking at #2 on the ARIA charts – we wait to see whether ‘Summersun’ can go one better.
REBOTINI RETURNS
RA have broken the news that the next album by Black Strobe member Arnaud Rebotini, Someone Gave Me Religion, is due for release in May. Rebotini has spent most of his career making music as part of Black Strobe, the French outfit that began as a duo with my man Ivan Smagghe and has now morphed into a four-piece band (minus Smagghe). Someone Gave Me Religion is his first solo release in two years, and has much of the goth-inspired electro that fans would expect from Rebotini, plus an extended ambient piece, aptly titled ‘The First Thirteen Minutes of Love’. It marks the first fulllength on Blackstrobe Records, Rebotini’s new
label which launches next month. The full album will be preceded by a single, ‘Personal Dictator’ (sensing a theme here?), due out this week in a package that also includes remixes by Mixhell, Motor and The Hacker, plus an exclusive track called ‘Twilight Of Gods’.
CLARK AT TONE
Chris Clark signed to Warp Records when he was still at university and promptly released a debut album, Clarence Park, which drew comparisons with some of the label’s finest - namely Autechre and Aphex Twin. On the back of this auspicious entrance onto the chinstroker’s radar, Clark has carved out a niche on the periphery of the electronic canon courtesy of his ’08 album Turning Dragon (a release that showcased a forceful take on techno and minimalist soundscapes) and its follow-up Totems Flare, an LP that was staunchly supported by the likes of James Holden. Come Good Friday April 22, it’s all about Clark first hand, as he makes his Australian debut for Index at Tone. It’s a day/ night affair beginning at 2pm which also boasts a stellar support cast, including Planet Mu’s Ikonika, Mark Pritchard performing under his Harmonic 313 guise, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Semper Fi and Portrait, with presales via residentadvisor.net
FOREIGN BEGGARS
Some of Sydney’s eminent purveyors of global bass music - Low Society, Void and Foreigndub - have combined for the ‘Never Say Die’ Tour on Friday April 29, headlined by the triumvirate of Foreign Beggars, Skism and Trolley Snatcha over three arenas at Manning Bar, Sydney University. Foreign Beggars are a critically acclaimed rap, grime and dubstep group based in London who release their records through their own Dented Records label, and have supported The Prodigy, Snoop Dogg, Amy Winehouse, Public Enemy, Ian Brown and De La Soul. Not bad. The lineup also includes Swindle, Geilis, Paul Fraser, Max Gosford and Beans, who will be showcasing world class beats traversing dubstep, grime, hip hop and DnB from 9pm to 3am.
“Love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” – Much Ado About Nothing 14 :: BRAG :: 407 : 11:04:11
WATERMARK
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BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 15
The Music Network
themusicnetwork.com
Industry Music News with Christie Eliezer
UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING BRINGS IN ANDERSON
Universal Music Publishing Australia has brought in John Anderson as a consultant. Anderson was previously the Managing Director of EMI Music Publishing Australia, during which time he signed and mentored Men At Work, Savage Garden, Divinyls, Icehouse, Jimmy Barnes, The Veronicas, The Presets and Ladyhawke. He also created partnerships with leading global brands such as Disney, Fox Music and Elvis Presley Enterprises. At Universal he will secure strategic partnerships with brands, and sign up new writers.
EMINEM SUIT CHANGES DEALS
The lawsuit involving Eminem against Universal Music Group could change the rules, especially for older artists who signed their contracts before the digital era. Eminem’s suit, through his production company FBT, argued that his songs sold online constituted a licence (for which he’d get 50% royalties) rather than a sale (12% royalty). Already, Rick James’ estate is suing Universal, demanding 50% for all his digital downloads. Em’s digital catalogue is now worth US $20 million, but it could be up to $50 million in ten years.
WHITNALL TO HELM 2SER
Melanie Whitnall takes over as Managing Director of 2SER in mid-May; Rob Lynch will act as Interim MD until then. Whitnall was a freelance journalist and documentary producer before moving to radio at 2UE, 2GB then ABC 702. She taught and lectured at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and at UTS. She is also a former volunteer at 2SER.
MARTIN REPLACES HO AT OBESE RECORDS
Lindsey Martin takes over at the publicity desk at Obese Records, replacing Billy Ho, who is moving on to another role in the biz after two and a half years. Martin is contactable at publicist@obeserecords.com.
LANEWAY GOES TO LONDON
After expanding to NZ and Singapore, The Laneway Festival appears in London as
Lifelines Marrying: Noel Gallagher and girlfriend Sara MacDonald this summer. They have two sons. Marrying: Natalie Bassingthwaighte and drummer Cameron McGlinchey are tying the knot in October, reports the Daily Telegraph. They have an eight month old daughter, called Harper. Hospitalised: Guns N’ Roses guitarist DJ Ashba has to undergo surgery for a ninemillimetre tear in his knee ligament. Hospitalised: Bryan Ferry picked up a mysterious bug after his Australian tour on his way back to the UK, and is currently undergoing tests. In Court: James Brown’s former record producer Jacque Hollander is trying to stop his six kids from getting a share of his US$100 million fortune. He argues that the Godfather of Soul wanted his money to go to needy kids. Died: One-time Manowar drummer Scott Columbus, 54, cause unknown.
THINGS WE HEAR
The Temper Trap
* The Temper Trap, who were nominated for a Brit Award last year, are up for Best New Act for Italy’s TRL Awards. * An enraged Miley Cyrus plans to sue over a lookalike inflatable sex doll. The Finally Mylie has “three achey love holes”, and sold out in 48 hours in the US. * Demark’s Roskilde Festival raised 2.3 million Euros after getting its patrons to dress as beggars in the cities, to draw attention to the homeless. * Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream has become the first album in more than six years (and the ninth album ever) to score four #1 singles on America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. The last one was Usher’s Confessions in 2004. * Brian McFadden is angrily Twittering about reports that Delta Goodrem dumped him because she’s getting close with someone in her production team in Los Angeles. His mum told a UK paper he was returning to London to live. * Among the 500 A-listers at the champagne opening of Myer’s new store in Melbourne was “Molly” Meldrum, who recalled working there as an assistant in the clothes department. Fellow guest Natalie Bassingthwaighte was keeping mum about reports that she has signed on as judge for The X Factor. * Not content with getting Hollywood on its bill (Tim Robbins, Jack Thompson), Bluesfest also has a politician. Sunshine Coast’s harmonica blowing blueswailing mayor Bob Abbot is appearing with his band Fabulous Green Machine. * After doing a one-off show in Auckland on August 25, will Outkast’s Big Boi pop over here for a show or two? part of the Field Day festival. Laneway will program a stage at the invitation of promoter Tom Baker of Eat Your Own Ears. Earlier this year, Eat Your Own Ears and America’s Windish Agency curated a stage for Laneway.
DOES MY BUMP LOOK BIG IN THIS?
Nominations are open for the third annual National Indigenous Hip Hop and RnB Bump Awards. Both styles have categories of Best Single, Group, Album, Video Clip, DJ, Radio Show and Producer. The Bumps are held at HQ Nightclub in Adelaide on Friday September 22. See redfernrecords.com.au
CBAA ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE
The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia holds its annual conference this year between November 17 and 20 at Holiday Inn, Gold Coast. It will include plenary sessions and workshops as well as its Voxies Awards.
LITTLE RED, ADELE, GO GOLD
Little Red’s album Midnight Remember was certified gold for sales in Australia of 35,000 units, says Liberation Music. Adele’s local label XL Recordings / Remote Control says her 21 album has gone gold here too. Overseas, it debuted at #1 in 15 territories and broke chart records set by The Beatles, Madonna and The Corrs.
EMI OFFERS DEAL FOR CHICKS WITH DECKS
EMI Australia has come up with an A&R project called ‘She Can DJ’. A female DJ from Australia or NZ can score a worldwide deal with EMI, as well as attending Ibiza closing parties and an SAE course in electronic music production. Go to shecandj.com deadline is May 6.
UNIVERSAL, XYZ, CUT DEAL
Universal Music Australia and XYZ Networks have cut a deal where Universal distributes all physical and digital branded products from XYZ’s channels. They include Channel [V], Max, the Country Music Channel, The LifeStyle Channels and The Weather Channel.
GRAMMYS GET OVERHAUL
This year’s Grammys get an overhaul. 30 categories have been dumped, from 109 to 78. They include male and female vocals in pop, R&B and country. Also gone are rap performance by a duo or group, children’s spoken-word album, Zydeco or Cajun music album and best classical crossover album.
WATERMARK
ARCADE FIRE BLITZ JUNOS
Arcade Fire blitzed Canada’s Juno Awards, taking the Group of the Year (beating out Broken Social Scene, Down with Webster, Great Big Sea and Three Days Grace), Album of the Year (beating Drake, Hedley, Johnny Reid and Justin Bieber), Songwriter of the Year, and Alternative Album of the Year. Neil Young got Artist of the Year, Justin Bieber got Pop Album and Fans’ Choice.
ONLINE SINGING LESSONS
Two Australian theatre identities, Laura Hamilton and Tim Smith, have launched Vocal Alchemy, which provides online singing lessons. It covers rock to musical theatre to classical, through 32 streaming videos and 220 downloadable exercises. See vocalalchemy.com.au
S.A.M.E. TAPS MORE ACTS
The Sino Australian Music Exchange (S.A.M.E.) program is expanding. It was started last year by Sydney label tenzenmen and Sydney gallery Chalk Horse, and funded through the Australian International Culture Council. The Vasco Era, Dead Farmers, East Brunswick All Girls Choir and Digger and the Pussycats have played China. It’s now announced that The On Fires will do 20 dates over there next month, and Kiwi band Die! Die! Die! is up for 14 shows in June. The focus for the next twelve months is to bring Chinese acts to Australia. If you’re interested in touring China, go to tenzenmen.com
INDIGENOUS ARTS FELLOWSHIP DOUBLES
This year’s Indigenous Arts Fellowship has doubled to $30,000. Applicants can opt for further study or training, professional research or the undertaking of a particular arts project. See the ArtsNSW website. Deadline is Monday May 16.
DEADLINE FOR WOMEN’S ARTS FELLOWSHIP
The deadline for the Women and Arts Fellowship is 5pm on Monday April 18. The fellowship can be used for professional research or to undertake an arts project which will benefit the recipient’s professional development. See the ArtsNSW website.
TV TOURING PARTNERS WITH CHUGG
TV Touring, a new company which develops TV shows into live shows, tours and exhibitions, has gone into a joint venture with promoter Chugg Entertainment. It was set up by marketing exec Tara King, who was formerly GM of Music Channels at XYZ
Networks. Last week DMG Radio’s former Group Program Director Dean Buchanan joined as co-director. Their first tour, in November, stars global dog expert Cesar Millan aka The Dog Whisperer.
PIRATED MOVIES SEIZED
Over 10,000 pirated movie DVDs were seized after police raided a house in Meadow Heights in Melbourne. Also seized were 55 DVD burners, $6600 in cash and eleven hard drives.
AMAZON: GET OFF MY CLOUD
Amazon.com Inc’s new service Cloud Drive looks like it’s going to get them a pass to a lawsuit. It allows customers to store 1,000 songs on the Amazon server instead of on their hard drives, which they can play for free via the internet, or through phones with Google Inc’s Android software. This has enraged the record labels, who are pissed off that Amazon hasn’t licensed the tracks for streaming. Google and Apple are hiding behind the bushes to see what happens after all, they’re launching similar services later this year…
RADIO REVENUE SLOWS IN MARCH
Commercial radio experienced slower ad revenue in March, reported Commercial Radio Australia. Sydney grew 2.33% to $19.39 million and Melbourne by 1.78% to $17.626 million. The other markets fell: Brisbane down 2.33% to $9.223 million, Adelaide down 5.19% to $5.288 million and Perth down 0.77% to $7.816 million.
WANNA PLAY THE WORLD MUSIC EXPO?
The fourth Australasian World Music Expo opened applications for its showcases, held in Melbourne from November 17 to 20. Previous showcases led to offers from festivals as the UK’s Glastonbury and Big Chill, USA’s Sierra Nevada World Music, Japan’s Fuji Rock and the Reunion Islands’ Sakifo, as well as from booking agencies and record labels. See awme.com.au
CALLING YOUNG MUSOS
National Youth Week’s RockIT competition is giving young musos a chance to win a $3000 Allan’s/Billy Hyde Music voucher. Entrants need to create an original song or instrumental piece using an obscure and unexpected instrument that represents this year’s theme: “You’ll never guess what’s in it”. The theme is mixed with the National Drugs Campaign, whose message is you don’t know what’s in ecstasy. The judge is Modular founder Stephen Pavlovic. See youthweek.com
APRIL 16 FROM MIDDAY
AT T E N D T H E WAT E R M A R K E V E N T N E A R E ST YO U A N D S U P P O R T T H E Q L D F LO O D R E COVE RY. V I S I T T H E WAT E R M A R K TA B O N FAC E B O O K .CO M / B U N DY R U M F O R MO RE.
16 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
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righton beat-makers The Go! Team take an everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach to music – their albums are a sample-delic collage of old school hip hop and fuzzed-out indie rock guitars, sweet melodies and distortion, schoolyard chants and ‘70s movie soundtracks. The crucial thing about the band, though, is their dedication to putting on a cracking live show. For some electronic groups, going on tour means packing up a couple of laptops and calling it a day, but for The Go! Team, a show really is a show. And as main-man Ian Parton tells it, this can sometimes be a bit difficult to manage… “We have got a ridiculous amount of gear now,” he says, “and we keep adding instruments. On top of banjos, glockenspiels, keyboards, two drum kits, two guitars, a bass, three singers, I’ve just added a steel drum and, erm -” he pauses, “a typewriter.” I can’t help but laugh, and ask if he ever lies awake at night wondering if the typewriter is absolutely necessary... “It is getting a bit daft now,” he acknowledges. “We try to strip it back as much as we can, but with our music, it’s easy just to keep adding and adding and adding. We could travel with a ten-piece brass band and still not quite feel we’d captured it.” Of course, such an elaborate set-up means that sometimes things can go wrong. “We let our sampler pick up the slack sometimes,” Parton explains, “and it fucked up once, so
we had to run the show off an iPod instead. Thankfully we had that; we would have had to pull the gig otherwise. We’re not an unplugged operation - we need to have the samples. There are only a few times when things have fucked up like that. The first time we played Glastonbury, the whole sound desk blew up - like, literally blew up - so we were playing and the crowd were shouting at us.” The band couldn’t hear anything wrong from the stage… “We were thinking, ‘what are they shouting about?’,” he laughs. “We’ve had a few horror stories, but nothing major.” So have The Go! Team picked up any wisdom from the last ten years? “I wouldn’t say wisdom,” Parton says with a sardonic laugh. “I think our philosophy, even though we’ve never articulated it, is that unless you go for it yourself as a band, you can’t expect the audience to be into it. We live by example in a way, and we hope that our energy will translate to the crowd. If I saw a band who were just standing there looking bored I’d think, ‘fuck ‘em, I’m not getting into this.’ We try and do the opposite. The live thing is almost about release in a way - when you’re making a record, you’re constantly asking questions like, ‘Is this right? Can we do this differently?’, but playing live puts you in the moment. You can just say ‘fuck it’ and go with it.” There are moments when this commitment to energy doesn’t translate, and moments when
”ON TOP OF BANJOS, GLOCKENSPIELS, KEYBOARDS, TWO DRUM KITS, TWO GUITARS, A BASS, THREE SINGERS, I’VE JUST ADDED A STEEL DRUM AND, ERM, A TYPEWRITER...”
it absolutely does. Parton counts a Glasgow gig from a few years ago as a highlight. “It was absolute mayhem,” he says. “I don’t know what it was, but the crowd were just screaming. It’s the nearest we’ll come to Beatlemania.” On the other hand, there are times when The Go! Team haven’t connected so well with audiences - including a gig alongside Basement Jaxx that Parton is somewhat reluctant to talk about. “We’ve made some bad support band choices over the years,” he says, “and that one with Basement Jaxx wasn’t a particularly good idea.” I ask him why, and he hesitates. “The crowd were a bit too dance-y, I guess, and we were a bit too noisy.” While the two bands are not a million miles apart in terms of their cut-and-paste style of music, The Go! Team’s uncompromising approach means that commercial success on the level of Basement Jaxx has, thus far, eluded them. Parton seems a little bit down when discussing this. “We could have possibly been a bigger band if we’d mixed things a bit nicer so they’d played better on the radio,” he says with a sigh. “That’s never been a priority for us, though. It’s always been quite important to me to have that distorted, noisy dimension to The Go! Team.” Have the band’s label ever pushed them to take their music in a more commercial direction, I wonder? “No,” Parton laughs. “Historically they’ve told me to go ahead and rough it up even more!” Take their latest album, Rolling Blackouts, as an example. “I definitely like to mess around with things,” Parton tells me. “We spent thousands of pounds on recording and mixing this album, then at the very last stage we put the whole thing on cassette so we could then record it back - and that’s the version we released. Anything you hear on the finished album that sounds like old-fashioned tape hiss - that’s actually tape hiss. It was commercial
suicide, in a way. I like the idea of taking the edge off things, making it clear that we’re not trying to have number one singles or anything here. I think that makes it more exciting, to take the sheen off things. I’ve kind of got a paranoia about hi-fi.” The album features a variety of guest vocalists, from Bethany Cosentino of surf pop group Best Coast, to Satomi Matsuzaki of avant garde oddballs Deerhoof. How did Parton get them involved? “Well, it really just comes from the song,” he says. “I write a melody and then imagine what kind of voice will bring it to life. In the case of ‘Secretary Song’, I thought, well, this definitely has a Japanese flavour, and it’s about an office girl. I could imagine Satomi’s voice on it, and it was quite easy to arrange because we actually do know Deerhoof. With Bethany’s song, I knew it had a very West Coast, girls-in-the-garage kind of feel to it, and I just wanted to find a voice that fit. I ended up finding Bethany on MySpace. That was ages ago now...” The Go! Team return to Australia for a series of shows in May, and Parton is excited to be making the trip back. “Australian crowds have this really cool, ‘fuck it’ mentality of just being in the moment and not worrying too much about the hipsters, you know what I mean?” he says. “Australia was, bizarrely, one of the first places to pick up on us - really early, at the demo stage. I found out that triple j were playing the demo of ‘Ladyflash’ and I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “You got onto us really early.” What: Rolling Blackouts is out now on Memphis Industries, through Shock With: Fishing, Purple Sneakers DJs Where: The Metro Theatre When: Wednesday May 4
“There was a star danced, and under that was I born.” – Much Ado About Nothing 18 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
SEEKAE MONDAY, TUESDAY & THURSDAY Happy Hour 5 - 7pm, $5 Schooners*, $10 Jugs*, $10 Cocktails & $20 Sangria. ‘Share the Love’ - Any 2 Share Plates & 1 Jug of Beer* or Sangria for $39.
+Dome tour // April 2011
WEDNESDAY
Saturday 16 Manning Bar Sydney w // Ghoul + Bardeya
Late night @ Bedlam Lounge 9pm – late $5 Taco Plates, $5 Schooners*, $10 Jugs* & $10 Cocktails.
moshtix.com.au // oztix.com.au
New Album +Dome out now on Rice Is Nice // Popfrenzy
FRIDAY Happy Hour 5 - 7pm.
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‘Sleepless Saturdays’ Guest DJ’s til late.
SUNDAY ‘SUNDAY SESSIONS’ DJ on the Terrace. Chill out with ‘INDUSTRI3’ from 8 - late @ Bedlam Lounge $5 Taco Plates, $5 Schooners*, $10 Jugs* & $10 Cocktails. *Exclusive to Bedlam Blonde
Bedlam Bar + Food supports the responsible service and consumption of alcohol at all times.
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Children Collide Mastering The Moshpit By Bridie Connellan
H
eath Crawley is smugly lapping up the glare in his Melbourne backyard, and taking the rare opportunity to rub it in my face; I’m calling him from a Sydney that’s wrapped in a gloomy Friday cloud. “This is great, I think I’m even getting a sunrash,” he laughs. “Sitting in the yard, having a chat… I’ll swap with you at some point…” As the hard-working bassist for Aussie grunge-punk three-piece Children Collide, Crawley admittedly deserves a bit of sunshine. He’s on the cusp of yet another tour, this one for their new single, ‘Arrows’ – which he assures me is every inch the ‘Collide that sweaty punters have come to know and love. “I personally feel that this song is possibly a little bit less raucous and angsty, as opposed to a lot of our previously released songs. It still holds elements of that character, just presented in a slightly different way,” he says. The track is the third to be lifted from 2010’s Theory of Everything. “It’s nice to let a song run its course and do its thing; it coasts along before it’s time to let one of the other guys have its day.” With Crawley, vocalist Johnny Mackay and percussion-whiz Ryan Caesar, the band has garnered a rep for fast-paced pop-grunge with
a distinctly Australian fusion sound; Theory Of Everything had BRAG using “pounding punk”, “limber” and “alt-bush” in the same paragraph. In the follow-up to gunning singles ‘Jellylegs’ and ‘My Eagle’, ‘Arrows’ takes a more post-apocalyptic turn for lo-fi eeriness, with less twang, more substance, and Mackay’s tortured lyrics announcing that everything is a lie, there’s no such thing as fate, and we’re all suckers for nostalgia. Creepier still, and more pessimistic, is the accompanying clip shot at White Bay Power Station by fashionfocused directors Gemma Lee and Charlie Clausen (Blackberry Films), which features a host of kids fighting the end of the world by creating an unintelligible machine that Crawley describes as a “Something”. “I guess it’s up to the viewer to decided exactly what it is they’re creating,” he says. “I think it’s important that the clip almost balances such a pensive song and also represents itself.” With a few lineup changes here and there, Children Collide have been scooting around stages and recording studios for six years - but it only took a few gigs before audiences developed a physical reaction to their sound. Their explosive sets still trigger more than just a little mosh. “The name actually came a couple of days before the band even started,” Crawley says, laughing off the idea that the moniker was spawned from the see-itand-say-it of children literally colliding in front of the stage. “But like a cowboy troupe in the 1800s, when America might have been called ‘kids’ in the Billy the Kid-sense of the word, we are ‘children’ and we do ‘collide’.”
“We’ve never been the kind of band to drive around in our convertible together every day and get icecream...” Anyone brave enough has experienced the frenzied fury of a Children Collide pit - and it turns out that the crowd-slamming is fine entertainment from the band’s side of the room, too. “There is the occasional rough head throwing himself around and just doing it wrong, but it’s quite interesting that people do get so much joy out of [moshing],” Crawley says. “Them all slapping into each other - you can feel the energy, the positive energy coming out of their actions. We should definitely phone a psychologist about this one.”
TV ON THE RADIO NINE TYPES OF LIGHT
FEATURING THE FIRST SINGLE, WILL DO
NEW ALBUM APRIL 15TH www.tvontheradio.com AVAILABLE AT ALL GOOD MUSIC RETAILERS 20 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
So I did. According to one local Sydney shrink, the act of moshing amidst a dense concentration of human bodies is, in fact, an exciting ‘sensory overload’; the bodyslammer produces a cathartic release prompted by both frenzied sound and that weird Fight Club complex to cop a bruise or five. And Crawley agrees. “I don’t know, I get it, but I don’t know how I get it,” he laughs. “The joy just… is.” Crawley himself has been described by his bandmates as the troublemaker of the group, and he admits he has a propensity for collisions of his own... “There was a stretch there where if there were a set of stairs to fall down, I’d be headfirst,” he laughs. He’s seen a good number of emergency wards since the band’s inception, although these days his raucous pace has been somewhat slowed. “I do like to have a good time all the time - but after you’ve gotten yourself into trouble that many times it can get a little bit stale, and you become more well-trained at avoiding those situations. I think I’m still the one who gets into the most trouble though.” The band have certainly seen their share of ups, downs and broken bones - and I’m curious to know how they’ve managed to stick together. According to Crawley, it comes down to balance. “We’re all slightly different to each other, or even quite different to each other, [but] with common goals and similar tastes,” he explains. “I think after going out and doing our own thing and gathering our own inspirations and bringing them back together and putting them into the unit that we know and understand, it makes the well an eternal source of ideas. That’s how we operate; we’ve never been the kind of band to drive around in our convertible together every day and get icecream. That [concentrated relationship] can get a bit bland, and I’m so grateful for how we are. “In any relationship, people need space, people need to be able to do their own thing and come back and be able to give back more. We have our tiffs, but at the end of the day we’re with each other because we want to be.” What: ‘Arrows’, the third single off Theory Of Everything, is out now With: Red Riders, Young Revelry Where: The Metro Theatre When: Thursday April 21
British India On Rural Touring, Homespun Videos And Staying Independent By Peter Hodgson
T
he market’s become increasingly rough for album-oriented bands, so it was only a matter of time before the system swung back to the ‘50s and ‘60s. As British India, Declan Melia, Nic Wilson, Will Drummond and Matt O’Gorman have three independently-released albums to their name - but are currently out on the road supporting a standalone single, oldendays-style. ‘March Into The Ocean’ is a driving, melodic affair, that Melia says pretty much just fell into the band’s collective lap. “Bands are always saying the machinations of the music business hamper their artistic license and they never quite communicate the right thing at the right time, but we’re the opposite in this band,” he says. “We feel we’re always writing the right song at the right time. And that was the case with this... It was almost too simple. Once we demoed it and heard it back it was pretty clear that it was going to be a good one... Usually the ones we like get written pretty quickly.” The lyrics were intentionally written quickly too, for a more stream-of-consciousness feel, and the band decided to keep the arrangement itself as straightforward as possible, which Melia says was the key to unlocking the song. “It was something we were resisting, but we had to let [the song] be as it wanted,” he says. The group showed the track to their manager and producer and, without concrete plans to lay down an entire album, they decided to simply record it for its own sake, send it to triple j, and make it available as a free download. “It’s a good statement of where we’re at musically, and what kind of sounds are turning us on,” Melia says. “If you listen to The Offspring, Blink 182, Pennywise - the bands we listened to growing up - [it’s all] great melodies with hectic drumming.”
the point, we just like touring because it’s fun. We like going to these places we’ve not been before; it’s really enjoyable. Often you’ll meet a group of dudes, or you’re the guest of honour in some town. It’s a good way to see the world and a great way to spend time.” The band’s guests on the current tour are Adelaide’s City Riots and Melbourne’s Boy In A Box. Previously, British India used local support acts from the regions in which they played, but this time they felt it was time for a change. “We decided to stick to the same bands this time, because there’s too much margin for error when you use local supports,” Melia says. “We like those dudes [City Riots and Boy In A Box] and more importantly than the musical side of things is that they be cool dudes, and not be so handsome that they smoke all our bitches. And they have to be shorter than me, too.” Where: ‘March Into The Ocean’ is out now With: City Riots, Boy In A Box Where: The Annandale Hotel When: Saturday April 16
“The days of bands releasing a record once every three years and doing only two tours that only go to the capital cities has to change.” The song’s video is another homespun affair, directed by guitarist Nic Wilson. It depicts the four of them kicking back in the backyard, playing a friendly but competitive game of Scrabble. Melia says it was a much easier experience than their previous ventures into film. “Without a label behind you and all that mafia walking you through the process of music videos, we’ve found [them] one of the hardest things to do,” Melia says. “We were paying top dollar and we didn’t feel we were getting the result. And the process was not enjoyable. In an epic Beyoncéesque diva moment I said to my manager that I didn’t want to do any more clips.” The band felt they had lost faith in the concept of the music video as a promotional tool - that unless you scored big with Channel [V], it was something that would get played on Rage once or twice then forgotten. “Like everything that surrounds that song, it was quite spontaneous,” Melia says. “We just did it at Nic’s house. Nic is pretty savvy with cameras and stuff, so the Scrabble concept was something that was just easy for him to do. If you’ll notice, we’re all drinking from mugs - those mugs contained beer, so everyone was quite jolly by the end.” That relaxed, upbeat vibe seems to have paid off: ‘March Into The Ocean’ scored Ripe Clip Of The Week on Channel [V] as soon as it was released. The whole experience may even set a precedent for future clips. “That’s something else we’re probably going to keep doing in-house,” Melia says, adding helpfully: “Once again, kids, it’s something else the music industry tells us you need them for, but you probably don’t.” Our interview takes place while the band is on a tour stop in Wagga Wagga; the hard slog on the rickety regional roads of this country is something British India are well and truly practiced at. “It’s kind of an under-tapped market as far as music goes, and I’ll explain to you what I mean. It doesn’t need to be repeated that the record industry’s failing all around us, and as that decline continues - and I think it will - bands are going to have to look at new ways to make money to stay afloat. Touring, and especially rural touring, is going to be a big part of that. I ain’t braggin’ or nothin’, but I’d like to think we’re spearheading that a little bit. I think the days of bands releasing a record once every three years and doing only two tours that only go to the capital cities has to change. It’s possibly reverting back to the old days,” he says. “More to BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 21
Shane Nicholson
Kimbra
The Story Machine By Mike Gee
Taking Her Vows By Jonno Seidler
On the eve of releasing her next slice of everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pop, ‘Cameo Lover,’ the Kiwi crooner is still having a great time just figuring out what the hell’s going on. For her fans, the big question is when she’s going to stop drip-feeding us these incredible singles and drop an album already...“The album is so very close, it’s a tease for me too!” she says. “I’m very excited to share the
work that’s been done. Lots of producers have been involved including myself, Francois Tetaz and M-Phazes among others.” Part of the delay, explains Kimbra, is that she’s a chronic perfectionist; not an efficient attribute when trying to get things finished. With her debut album Vows expected to be released independently sooner than you can blink, there are surprises aplenty in store... “I’ve written all the tracks aside from some collaborations with the producers, and in terms of the lads playing on this record, there’s too many to name!” Producer Tetaz’s inclusion is particularly exciting; he’s renowned for providing ethereal soundscapes for the diverse portfolio of artists he’s worked with, including Gotye and Bertie Blackman. He’s worked on a variety of film scores too, from Wolf Creek to The Square – and he remains an enigma to many. “It was fascinating working with someone so visually focused,” Kimbra says. “He taught me to envision my songs as movies, with each chapter moving into the next, and thinking of instruments and timbres as new colours or characters - and I found this really opened up my songwriting. He likes to provoke and push artists out of their comfort zone, which I think is great. Incidentally, Kimbra reveals that she’s just finished collaborating on a track with Gotye - add this to her successful collaboration with Miami Horror on ‘I Look To You’ (frontman Josh will return the favour on her record), and her cameos are certainly proving notable. And now to the Perez thing… Though some artists may baulk at the prospect of being picked up by a man better known for his obsession with celebrity than for unearthing new antipodean talent, Perez’ boost for the ‘Settle Down’ clip only helped Kimbra’s international prospects. “Ah good ol’ Perez,” she laughs. “The plug was great for opening up opportunities and fan bases in the States; we’ve had lots of cool response on the blog circuit and it’s created a really great platform.” In fact, Kimbra’s most attractive asset may be that she’s not shy of doing anything the world throws at her. She recently played a show for retail giant Myer, for instance. “They asked me to sing from the top of a ballroom staircase and literally walk down, as the spotlight followed me, while singing the Carpenters’ song ‘Close To You’. Luckily I didn’t fall and collapse down the stairs... That wouldn’t have been so classy.” What: ‘Cameo Lover’ is out now With: Yeo, Northeast Party House Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday April 13
S
hane Nicholson tells a lot of stories. On his new album Bad Machines, primates, vampires, enchanted household tools and the odd ghost all fight for your attention. Talk to him and he tells even more - in fact, he’s the kind of guy you’d be quite happy to interview for an hour or two. This songwriter really is a story teller, and the first one goes like this… We’re talking about the great Irish singer songwriter, Luka Bloom, with whom he shared the bill of the recent Port Fairy Folk Festival. “He’s such sweet guy. I remember seeing him in Sydney years ago. I saw this show where he was on his own; it was so phenomenal I walked out of the theatre and called my manager. ‘Where’s he playing next?’ ‘Melbourne.’ ‘Great. Book me a flight.’ And that’s what’s so appealing to me about music - that one person with a guitar can do that to you. I love that we’re all out there trying to create exactly what we’ve done on the album - perfect the craft, hone our skills - but it’s elusive, and you never really get there. You never reach that goal, so you go on trying. “Artists push themselves. I was listening to [the 51-year-old, much-lauded US singer-songwriter] Darryl Scott’s A Crooked Road album the other day and there’s a song called ‘A Father’s Day’, in which he sings about everything he has sacrificed to do what he does. I was driving along in the car and tears were running down my face. I got home and played it to Kasey [Chambers, Nicholson’s wife and sometime collaborator] who was in the kitchen, and she started crying. In the song he names his children and it just makes it so personal.”
a chord. Nicholson reminds me of the late great Warren Zevon - a songwriter’s songwriter if ever there was one. Bad Machines, and the somewhat spooky characters therein, has the same rollicking swagger that characterised Zevon’s greatest songs. But while its roots are distinctly American, its soul is pure Australian. “A lot of music I grew up listening to was US country music, and Rattlin’ Bones [he and Kasey’s first album together] is such American country music. Kasey and I grew up listening to very similar music, so I’m glad some of our own [Australian] identity is there,” he says. “I’m writing with a much more creative sense of freedom now; you get to the sixth album and you start writing about characters, hammers, crazy shit. I’m really enjoying that freedom, by exploiting it. “And it takes time to start playing with songwriting. You need to be confident enough. I would never have written about a haunted hammer until now. I was laughing my head off writing that song [‘Hammer And Nail’]. It has such a frivolous quality. I’m really enjoying that freedom, and playing with language. I love finding 50 ways to say one thing, and finding the best way. “If I had to give it all away and retain just one part, I’d keep the songwriting,” he continues. “I don’t have many hobbies outside of music, other than carving. I love the idea of going to sleep at night knowing I’ve created something new that day. It’s an inexact science, but when you hit it the pay-off is…” - and for once, Shane Nicholson is lost for words.
It’s why we all listen to songs - for the stories. Whether it’s Dylan, Springsteen, Mitchell, Storer, Hynde, Lennon, Blasko, Drake, Kelly, Young or any one of the millions of others who have put pen to paper to music, it’s the process of finding a friend, a voice that strikes
What: Bad Machines is out now through Liberation
use this, this sounds sick.’ We were just going to use it as a mixtape song, just put it out for free because it was a sample and a recent one. But once we made the actual song it was like, ‘This could be pretty big.’ Everyone loved it, so we contacted Whitest Boy Alive and got their blessing to put it out.”
fans who aren’t aware of that, they’ll get to be brought up to speed on this tour.”
With: Catherine Britt Where: Notes Live, Newtown When: Friday April 15
Pez & 360 Change It For The Better By Chad Parkhill
S
ydney-based rapper 360 became involved with the Federal Government’s The Line initiative simply enough. “It really just came from Pez - he’s one of the main faces of it,” he tells me. “We’ve been making music together for years and years now, so I just wanted to get involved with the whole tour. I think what they’re doing is a really good thing.” 360 will be joining Pez and Aussie hip hop icon Maya Jupiter in a series of dates across Australia for the ‘Change It For The Better’ tour this May and June. Part of The Line campaign,
the tours’ aim is to promote respectful relationships and raise awareness about violence against women. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the pair. Their current single ‘Just Got Started’ is blowing up on Nova and triple j, with a signature riff sampled from an unlikely source; Berlin’s softly-spoken indie-disco group, The Whitest Boy Alive. “I went over to the dude who’s producing my album - Styalz - I went over to his house one day and he’d sampled that Whitest Boy Alive song, and he played it to me,” 360 says. “I was like, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to
The unusual sample indicates the diversity of the music that you’ll hear on the Change It For The Better tour; both Pez and Maya Jupiter will appear with a full backing band, a rare occurrence in the DJ-centric hip hop world. “I’ll be opening the night up, just me and a DJ,” 360 says. “Then Maya Jupiter’s gonna come on with the band, then Pez is gonna slam it down at the end. I haven’t seen Maya Jupiter perform live ever, so I’m looking forward to seeing her with the band. It’s gonna be good.” Pez is effusive about Jupiter’s talent, too. “She’s a real good person – the few times we got to meet her, we clicked really well, because she’s genuine,” he says. “She was slogging it out for hip hop over here well before it became cool, or it got any momentum. She was doing the hard yards for us, and we’re really aware of that - and I guess that for any of the new generation of Australian hip hop
Pez is also keen to be working with a band for the show. “Even if you do perform with a band in hip hop, you’d normally have a DJ running a lot of samples,” he says. “This is going to be the first time I work with a band, and it’s entirely live, they interpret the songs. It’s amazing. I had a rehearsal last night, and you just fall in love with certain songs again, the ones which maybe didn’t reach their potential in their original form. It brings everything to life. I can’t wait. “We get to go around the country and see a lot of people and connect with them,” Pez continues. “We can talk on a pretty real level; it’s not going to be pretentious shit. Just likeminded people pushing a positive message.” What: ‘Just Got Started (Ft. Pez)’ by 360 is out now Who: Pez, Maya Jupiter and 360 Where: The Harp Hotel, Wollongong / The Factory Theatre, Enmore / CBD Hotel, Newcastle When: June 2 / June 3 / June 4 More: www.theline.gov.au
“There’s a little caterpillar, sitting on your toes / Now he’s on your belly button / Now he’s on your nose” - PETER COMBE 22 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
Shane Nicholson photo by Glenn Hannah
M
elbourne-based songstress Kimbra Johnson has been popping up on radars all over the world since she moved from New Zealand and launched herself onto the music scene with considerable aplomb last year. With a swag of songs but only one publicly released single (‘Settle Down’) under her belt at that time, Kimbra became buzz-worthy incredibly quickly, no doubt helped along by personal endorsements from a wide variety of web pundits - including the notoriously finicky Perez Hilton, who featured her clip online.
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Skrillex Skrillin’ It By Jeremy Williams
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onny Moore seems upbeat when he answers the phone; it’s been a long day, but he hasn’t yet caved in. “I’m exhausted, man. I’m travelling all over Europe right now and I just haven’t slept.” The former frontman of California’s post-hardcore group From First To Last, Moore’s new project Skrillex has exploded over the past couple of years. The music is a far cry from his old style - he describes Skrillex as “a mix of dubstep, electro and glitch all thrown together” - and it’s been so successful that his only hardcore output of 2010 was guest vocals on Bring Me The Horizon’s third studio album… But as night falls over Europe, Skrillex’s global acclaim seems to be taking its toll. “We had a twelve hour travel day today. It’s just exhausting. We’ve been on trains and planes and stuff – and the shows we have to play here are also pretty late. In Portugal I had to play from 3 to 5:30, and then you have to set off somewhere else the next day. We’ve only had one day off.” Although it all sounds like complaining, his tone is upbeat. A life on the road was never going to be easy after all, and having been in the public eye since the age of 16, Moore is
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fully aware that the travel is the hardest part. “Everything else is a breeze… It’s the travelling. It’s those planes and trains that kill you,” he says. “I’ll be on a bus come the summer, so life will be really good. Life is already great, you know - but a tour bus eliminates all that shit - as you can easily spend 7 to 8 hours [in transit], depending on how far you have go.” The tour bus seems like a distant dream to him though – in the meantime it’s more long plane rides, with Skrillex headed to Sydney at the end of the month to appear alongside Deadmau5, Martin Solveig, Chuckie, Bingo Players and more at Creamfields. So how will he continue to cope with the late nights and early starts? “You just got to do it,” he says. “Sometimes, right before I have to play, I’m sleeping in the dressing room - but then it just happens, it works somehow… A lot of times I’ll be exhausted, then after the show I’ll be amped so I’ll stay up really late. That’s sometimes part of the problem, but not always. I am pretty good about it usually – I’ll just head back to my room and conk out.” His self-discipline is unsurprising, considering his history. At just 23 years of age, Moore has already been in the music business for almost a decade - he started his first punk band when he was thirteen. Unsurprisingly, he’s an advocate of the social network generation to which he belongs; rather than deriding the internet as a threat to the music industry, he insists that it’s simply indicative of a changing business model. “I think that these days, as an artist, you are more than ever independent and able to do things on your own,” he explains. The debut EP that hurled him into the public eye, My Name Is Skrillex, was a completely independent release made available for free through his MySpace. “I think that the actual world business model is changing so rapidly every day. Even back in 2004 it was changing - there was music pirating then - but just now, I think that if there is one word that sums everything up, it’s ‘independence’. You can just be really independent and do it yourself.”
“I’ve been making electronic music since I was 14 years old, doing remixes and programming. There’s this misconception that there was an overnight change where I became a DJ, which is not really the case at all.” He asks audiences to accept his genre shift from hardcore to EDM in a similar spirit of openmindedness; recently, Skrillex has been producing officially-commissioned remixes for acts like Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas and La Roux. “I’ve been making electronic music since I was 14 years old, doing remixes and programming,” Moore explains. “There’s this misconception that there was an overnight change where I became a DJ, which is not really the case at all. “Let me ask you this,” he continues. “Whether you are feeling something or taking something in - say when you listen to a different type of music or like a different band - there is no real profound change to your taste just because you choose to do something else, do you know what I mean? Even if I did decide one day to be a DJ, why should anyone deciding anything be [a bad thing]?...[In any case], I’ve been making electronic music and listening to electronic music for a long time.” In the same way that you wouldn’t place limits on a person’s dress sense, or even personality, Moore feels that as a musician it is his right to explore whatever genre he chooses. “I like that. Not just for the sake of doing it – but it’s just natural for me. Not in an egotistical way. Whatever makes me feel good, I love to do.”
With: Deadmau5, Martin Solveig, Chuckie, Simon Patterson, Derrick May and more Where: Creamfields When: Saturday April 30 Sideshow: April 29 at Oxford Art Factory
SCIENCE FICTION IN CONTEMPORARY ART APRIL 15 - MAY 14 Philip Brophy, Eugene Carchesio, Hayden Fowler, Ian Haig, Haines/Hinterding, Deborah Kelly, Jo Law, David Lawrey & Jaki Middleton, Ms&Mr, Adam Norton, Sam Smith and Simon Yates
APRIL 13 - 16 Vicki Van Hout
MAY 3 - 7 version 1.0
MAY 19 - 21 Dean Walsh And more‌ Visit performancespace.com.au Performance Space - CarriageWorks 245 Wilson St Eveleigh Book at ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 723 038
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Peter Combe King of the Kids By Caitlin Welsh the show, and realised that the ones who weren’t totally drunk just loved hearing the songs again.” A little Dutch (or German) courage doesn’t go astray; Combe concedes that at first, the older crowds tend to seem self-conscious. “People come along not knowing quite what to expect they don’t know how to react,” he says. “There’s a little bit of taking the mickey that happens at the beginning - but once the concert gets going, they just get absorbed in the songs.”
W
hen someone asks you what your first ever gig was, what do you say? Many people my age will carefully qualify it so the question becomes the first “cool” band they saw, or the first one they saw that wasn’t all ages, and fair enough - Dinosaur Jr. sounds a whole lot better than, say, 5ive (and it’s hard to call the latter a “gig” anyway). I came to the realisation recently that the first live show I ever went to was not, in fact, Blink 182 at the Entertainment Centre back in 2001. It was infinitely cooler: Peter Combe, Castle Hill RSL, ’92.
of all time, he’s now enjoying a renaissance that includes regular national tours with sold-out shows at venues like Oxford Art Factory, and Melbourne stalwarts like the Corner and the Espy. While Combe continued singing old and new material to preschoolers through the 90s, since 2007 he’s also been playing evening shows around the nation and twentysomethings have flocked in their thousands, sporting newspaper jackets and skirts, and waving a toffee apple in one hand and a Cooper’s in the other while bellowing every single word.
You might remember him (and his ersatz Hammer-pants) from such classic hits as ‘Newspaper Mama’, ‘Toffee Apple’, ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ and ‘Mister Clickety Cane (Wash Your Face In Orange Juice)’ - but in fact, Combe has more indie cred right now than the last five bands you “signed” to your cassette-only label. After a hugely successful string of self-released albums in the late 80s and early 90s, and having paved the way for one of the biggest Australian bands
“It started by accident, really,” explains the singer from his home in Adelaide. He was playing the city’s German beer festival ‘Schutzenfest’ (for reasons still lost on him) to a motley, raucous crowd. “They were quite drunk, which is what happens at German beer festivals. Someone formed a moshpit for ‘Toffee Apple’, and started crowdsurfing. After that song the crowd started surging towards the stage, and we thought, God, what is this? ... So I talked to a few people after
Researching for this interview, I hunted down some of the old tracks on YouTube. As I sat there hitting ‘Add To Playlist’ again and again, I tried to figure out what was so addictive about the songs. Combe thinks it’s the simple fact of having them burned into your brain so deeply at such a young age. “If you’re a five-year-old child, and you love a song, you don’t play it ten times, you play it 150 times - so the words are just stuck in [your] head,” he says, with the confidence of a man who’s been watching this happen for a quarter-century. “The atmosphere at the concerts is quite extraordinary; you get a few hundred young people, average age about 24 to about 26, who grew up on … all the songs, and they just love being there. And they sing really, really loudly.” So loudly, in fact, that Combe says he has to tell incredulous sound guy after incredulous sound guy to give him maximum volume on the foldback speakers. “If you’ve got 400 people singing every word, every verse, every chorus at you … you need loads of foldback to cope with that,” he says with a chuckle. Hearing this, it’s hard not to wonder if in five or ten years’ time there might be pubs full of tipsy youngsters in lurid skivvies, bellowing every word to ‘Wake Up, Jeff!’... Combe predates the Wiggles and Hi-5 by a considerable margin; even contemporaries like Don Spencer and Franciscus ‘Singing in the Kitchen’ Henri benefited from the shot in the arm that Combe’s success gave children’s music in Australia. The ABC Kids label which now dominates the market was founded to distribute his records, and now is home to the wiggly millionaires themselves. But Combe’s longevity and recent rebirth seems to have something more to it than just semiironic nostalgia; he says the only explanation he can suggest for why he’s playing now to three generations at community festivals and hipster clubs alike is that, to paraphrase slightly, he gives
“He opened the box very slowly, placed it very gently on the floor, removed his T-shirt and then, very elegantly, bellyflopped into the pizza... It was astonishing.” a crap. “As a songwriter, I’ve always thought that if you put as much effort into songs as someone like Paul Kelly, Neil Finn, Paul Simon – I always thought that, writing songs for kids, [one] should be as serious about it as they are,” he says, very seriously. “That’s always been my philosophy. I never wanna talk down to kids, I never want to patronise them. I think kids deserve the best you can possibly do.” This could somewhat account for the level of passion at a Combe gig that may be starting to rival the Gathering of the Juggalos. “I should tell you one interesting thing that happened about a year and a half ago,” he begins, with an audibly cheeky smile. “During ‘Mr Clickety Cane’, the bit where you sing ‘Bellyflop in a pizza – ERRGH, YUCK!’, this one young guy stepped out of the audience, as if it were all planned, very theatrical, and he had this enormous box with a pizza in it. He opened the box very slowly, placed it very gently on the floor, removed his t-shirt and then, very elegantly, bellyflopped into the pizza in the middle of the floor. It was astonishing.” This guy, I decide, is my new personal hero. “People get carried away,” Combe goes on thoughtfully. “If I’d seen that in the early days [of the shows] I would have thought it was the alcohol. But I know now it’s not – it’s something much deeper and much richer than that.” Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday April 15; kids show at 11am / 18+ Renaissance Show at 8pm
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& CLINT FROM DARLO FLEAMARKETS me managing a venue a few months later and I’ve been doing so for a living ever since. I’ve dabbled in music and DJing along the way and put on a few parties for kicks. Until now my interest in thrift shopping has been purely recreational but I do have a PhD in food consumption…which lead to the food stalls. Josh: I was born in Surry Hills and raised in Ireland (long story) but I’ve been back for 3 years now. My passion for music, mad production and beverages brought me to Lo-Fi and Lo-Fi Collective. What’s the last thing each of you bought at a market or thrift store? Clint: A rubber stamp with the letter ‘V’ emblazoned on it for my mum when she scrap-books and makes her own greeting cards. Awwww! Josh: It may have been smoking paraphernalia shaped like a main character from a popular cardboard-cut-out animation. Hi, mum!
L
O-FI Gallery has a new project afoot: Darlinghurst Flea Markets. Yes: markets INDOORS, so you don’t need to freeze your nuts off during winter. Running every Sunday from 2pm til late, the markets cater to all you lazy arts students and 'creative entrepreneurs' who can’t be bothered getting out of bed, but still desperately want that vintage shirt, owl necklace, or haloumi skewer… The brains behind the affair are Clint O’Hanlon and Josh Nicholas. What are your backgrounds? Clint: I cut my teeth on Oxford St as a glassie. Some serious luck and a bit of hard work saw
What was the inspiration for the Darlo Fleamarket? Josh: My lady friend was complaining about how many clothes she has and wanted to sell them at a market, a little light bulb came on in my head… Clint: Yeah, Josh really brain-birthed this little idea. The concept grew very quickly and I took on the organisation side of things. We really just intended to fill the gap left by Sydney marketeers: the night market. What stalls should we hit on Sunday? Christina and Ellie’s Fashion Emporium will have you questioning you previous fashion choices. O!Momo will be serving up delicious, hand-made nepalese dumplings. Emma-Jane
FINDERS KEEPERS
The Finders Keepers will host their sixth art and design market next month, with a delightfully circus-themed CarriageWorks set to play host to over 60 local designers from a wide array of fields. The market takes place over two days, with a festival-type vibe that includes live music, a cafe and a bar. The line-up of stalls is eclectic, with participants including resin jewellery designers itwasme, handmade womenswear label Roger+Peach, antiquarian jewellery-smith Gretta Hazel, and textile mavens Collectivism. The Finders Keepers Autumn/Winter Sydney Market runs from 6pm on Friday May 20 and from 10am on Saturday May 21, at CarriageWorks in Eveleigh. thefinderskeepers.com
puts the ‘well’ in ‘jewellery’, because when she doin’ it, she doin’ it, and doin’ it well. Sunday Bake-Sale with Kessia & Joe will be satisfying your soul with delicious vegan brownies. Cheung Ha can whip you up a cozy addition to your winter wardrobe with her unique knitted accessories. Anything spesh happening for your opening night? We’ve got Alotta Presha coming down to nice up the dance-floor and lay down some dubtastic delights from 5pm. The first 100 customers at the bar will get a complimentary sample of one of the gourmet grilled items of wonderment served up by Señor Chippy at his BBQ Especial. We’ll also be serving up cocktail jugs all day and night… What else are you fellas up to in 2011? Josh: This year I’ve been working with a good friend and hip hop MC (DeadBeat) and DJ/ Producer Peece, mixing up house, hip hop and dubstep all over the city. I’ve also been producing a hip hop album with Deadbeat, which is in its last stages and will be released mid May on Rhinoceros Music. Clint: I’m heading back to Amsterdam in July to try and get in on the bar and club scene over there. My new years resolution was to make a positive impact on Sydney before signing out; I’m hoping Darlo Flea Markets will allow me to do it in style. What: Darlo Fleamarkets Where: LO-FI / Lvls 2 & 3, 383 Bourke St (Taylor Sq) When: Weekly, kicking off this Sunday April 17 from 2pm. More: facebook.com/darlofleamarkets
Permanent is the Australian mecca for creative souls, with a line-up of the most exciting, cutting edge creative talent from Australia and abroad – from graphic designers to photographers, illustrators, filmmakers, creative and design agencies, and everything between. The line-up is 12-deep, with some of our top picks including fisherman-turnedphotographer Corey Arnold (Portland, USA), illustrator Seb Lester (UK), creative agency/ publishers Moffit.Moffit (DEMO magazine), and graphic designer Michael Leon (USA). Semi-Permanent runs May 13-14, at Darling Harbour’s Exhibition Centre. Be smart, and snap up an early bird ticket before Friday April 15: semipermanent.com
SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL! FLEXI-PASS! WIN!
Sydney Film Festival flashed its programming knickers last week with a teaser-release of 23 films from this year’s program, including three extremely exciting Official Competition contenders: The Future, by performance-artist/filmmaker Miranda July (Me, You and Everyone We Know); Greek entry Attenberg, by Athina Rachel Tsangari (producer of Academy Award-nominee Dogtooth), which won the Best Actress award at Venice last year; and the much-anticipated film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood, by acclaimed Laotian director Anh Hung Tran. Besides this, we’re looking forward to Paddy Considine’s directorial debut, Tyrannosaur; indie splatterfest Tucker and Dale vs. Evil; Sundance winner Win Win, directed by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) and starring Paul Giamatti as a high school wrestling coach having a mid life crisis; Kelly Reichardt’s newie, Meek’s Cutoff, which stars Michelle Williams; and Jody Shapiro’s satirical doco How To Start Your Own Country, about people who make their own rules – which promises to be very strange, and potentially inspiring… But don’t trust us: go to sff.org.au and pick the three films you most want to see, and why. The best answer wins a SFF Flexi-Pass, which is redeemable for 10 regular film sessions during the festival.
NEXT WAVE 2012: APPLY
This is your last week to get your application together for Melbourne's Next Wave festival. The breeding ground for a raft of indie shows recently seen in Sydney (including Some Film Museums I Have Known, Zoe Coombs Marr’s And That Was the Summer That Changed My Life, and Brown Council’s A Comedy) Next Wave is a head-start to the cutting edge of arts and performance. Which all goes to say: Next Wave 2012 is Something You Want To Be Part Of. The festival is currently calling for submissions, around the theme of art in the public realm, with the official mantra being: The space between us wants to sing… So mosey over to nextwave.org.au, and get your application shit together: deadline is April 15.
SUPER GAY FAN FICTION
EMPTY EXHIBITION
EMPTY magazine is art porn for the creatively inclined, with the kind of spreads that you want to lick. They’re flashing their talent this month with an exhibition of diverse genres, mediums and styles, from photo-realistic paintings to surrealism, street art and documentary photography. The line-up includes Erik Mark Sandberg (artwork pictured above), Meggs, Nic Plowman, Beastman, Aaron Nagel, Andrew Quilty, Karim Hamid, Tamara Dean, Christian Rex van Minnen and David Kassan. The Empty Exhibition kicks off on April 14 at aMBUSH Gallery, followed by a stint at the National Grid Gallery on April 29. Get along! www.emptymag.com
ART AT THE WALL
The Wall, World Bar’s weekly arts and creative events extravaganza, is re-launching in May, with a new artistic director at the helm. Just quietly, we’re expecting exciting things… In the meantime, they’re calling for submissions from artists of every permutation who are interested in exhibiting as part of the Wall’s weekly roster - from painting and illustration to graphics, film, and even fashion. They’re also looking for a brilliant intern – ideally an arts student who is interested in up and coming artists, online promotions and gallery curating. Contact matt@ theworldbar.com for more details about both opportunities, with subject header "shazam". 28 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
Originally part of the Imperial Panda Festival way back when, Erotic Fan Fiction has grown from a one-off evening into a perennial obsession that pops up all over Sydney (and even Melbourne!) whenever the arts threaten to become ‘tasteful’… If fan fiction is the narrative confabulations of genre geeks inventing exotic new scenarios for their favourite characters, then EROTIC fan fiction ups the filth ante. This week, Erotic Fan Fiction is back with a (long everdue) Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex Edition – with readings by Nat Randall (Team MESS), Fran Barrett and Kelly Doley (Brown Council) and Peter Polites, and hosted by the gorgeous Brian Fuata. It’s free, and takes place at the Surry Hills Library this Thursday April 14 from 9-10pm.
STENCIL + ART = $$
What_the_hells. You can win money for making stencils? If only we'd paid attention in art class… The Australian Stencil Art Prize (ASAP) is calling for entries. Now in its third year, the competition has a $2000 cash price attached, not to mention a hella lot of exposure. (You can currently find the photo-realistic stencils of last year's winner, E.L.K., on the cover of Art Monthly Australia magazine.) Artists this year can enter stencil artworks on canvas, board and multimedia surfaces. Paper and cardboard aren’t accepted. Finalists will be exhibited at Oh Really Gallery in Sydney in November. The deadline is August 1, and you can find out more, and enter online, at australianstencilartprize.com
SEMI-PERMANENT TIX
This is a heads-up for all you fine arts students, filmmakers, graphic designers, and general purveyors of creativity: Semi-
MODERN WORSHIP
Opening next week is a exhibition of new works by talented young polymath Daniel Askill, founder of Collider studio. Following up from his 2009 exhibition Artefacts from the Fifth Ritual, Modern Worship explores rituals in the modern world, through a collection of video works, stills and sculpture. The pinnacle of the exhibition is a large-scale, looping video installation that examines the role of the media in shaping and translating two recent tragedies: the death of Michael Jackson, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Appropriately enough, this exhibition will be held in the former Christian Science Church, in Surry Hills. Modern Worship opens on Wednesday April 20, and closes Sunday April 24. Besides looking like a visually engrossing and mentally stimulating show, this is also the first collaboration between Joseph Allen Shea’s Gallery AS and LO-FI Collective. Galleryas.com.au
SUCKER PUNCH ornish and Emily C ie bb A s ar st e si us A tion-hero on in Browning get their ac otion dream world. -m ow sl ’s er yd Sn ck Za
By Joshua Blackman
Z
ack Snyder’s latest visceral ra al slice of insanity is like an adolescent’s wet dream. Th The director of 300 and Watchmen iss well known for his slow-mo action io on and over-the-top visuals, and Sucker Su ucker Punch – his first original project ctt – is no exception. Drawing on video game iconography grraphy and structure without overtly announcing it, Sucker Punch tells ells the story of Babydoll, a young woman ma an plotting to escape a gothic asylum um in the 1960s after being incarcerated atted by her nasty stepfather. Staving g off a scheduled lobotomy, she devises es a method of escape that recalls both Inception’s dream-within-a-dream am theatrics and Japanese anime. These flights of fancy take her first to the sleazy world of a bordello, then th hen later into combat with giant samurai, murai, steampunk World War I soldiers, s, dragons and slinky robots. If anyone could pull off this excessive esssive madness it would be Snyder, but utt what surprised Emily Browning (who plays plays Babydoll), was how in touch he was was with the story. “I always trusted Zack Zack in terms of visuals even before we we started filming, and I wondered how how he was going to be on a personal na al level as a director – and he was amazing. azzing. I mean, he was so open to as much rehearsal as we needed. He wanted an nted to talk about the development off the t
characters as much as we wanted charac c te ed to. He was wa really open to collaboration tiion in terms term of creating the emotional na al storyline storyli for all of the characters.” s..” At the centre of the adventure are arre Babydoll’s troupe of femme fatale Babyd le e partners-in-crime: the impulsive Rocket partne Rocket (Jena Malone), the not-blonde Blondie Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the machine(Vane nehog Amber (Jamie Chung), and the A physically imposing Sweet Pea, who physic who is played stalwartly by Browning’s fellowfellowAussie, Aussie Abbie Cornish. Sweet Pea Pe ea is the senior figure of the group, the se he e one who is initially wary of the dangers ers of Babydoll’s fanciful escape plan. Babyd Says Cornish: “For me it was the C e journey journe of someone who was suppressed, someone who wass suppre surviving, someone who had put surviv utt all the fragile parts of her, the sensitive fra sitive parts of o her, deep down, locked away away where no-one could get them. And An nd then to let that bird out of the cage, ag ge, to let that tha be free and journey into the the light.” A beauty with untold amounts off bea resolve, resolve Cornish’s rise in Hollywood ood is largely larg due to her sterling performances in Aussie indies perfor (Somersault, Candy) and costume (Some me dramas drama (Jane Campion’s exquisite siite Bright Star). With both Sucker Punch Pu unch and Limitless (where she stars as Li Bradley Bradle e Cooper’s on-again-off-again aga gain
girlfriend) currently playing in cinemas, girlfrie e ne emas, and an upcoming role in Madonna’s nn na’s second secon directorial effort, W.E., it feels like l Cornish is on the verge e of superstardom. supers By comparison Browning, all grown com own up following followi her breakout role in Lemony em mony Snicket’s Snicke A Series of Unfortunate te e Events (2004), is a newbie; however, we ever, she was w no less eager to throw herself herself into the th demands – and risks – of of a big-budget studio action film. “I attempt big-bu attempt to make mak films that are different from ro om everything else I’ve done, so I love everyt ove the ov idea of o doing action,” she offers. “It’s “It’s something I’ve always been interested somet errested in, but never really thought it would ou uld happen happe for me.” Part of o the attraction was the physical hyysical demands deman of the part. The five girls irrls punch, punch shoot, kick and impale innumerable faceless monsters innum (literally, (literal in some cases – their World World War I German machine-gun fodder dd der were made to wear steam-powered m ered gas masks to get the R-rating knocked m nocked down to a PG-13 in the United States). States). To prepare for their roles the actresses pre trresses went through an intensive three-month t -month boot camp, which involved mixed c ed d martial martia arts, plus gun and weight htt training trainin with the Navy Seals. “I love the idea of training for a film, lm, of coming into the character from com ma physical physic c place,” says Cornish, who wh ho felt
Browning, however, is adamant. Brown “They’re being oppressed to some “They’ degree, but I think the whole idea of degree the film is them breaking free, and learning to fight against that, and learnin finding their own freedom in their mind, finding their own strength, sacrificing things for people and sa they love. So I actually find that that th cool and empowering an amazing, am message for girls.” messa What Sucker Punch What: When: Released April 7 When
AY W A
CHUNKY MOVE: CONNECTED
E
Chunky Move's Connected photo by Jeff Busby
All the sweat, tears and camaraderie derie were in i the name of female empowerment – one complete with empow with sexy leather corsets, swords and le d M4-carbine rifles. It was this feminism M4-ca miinism angle that was a big draw for the e film’s young stars. “I think the sisterhood oo od in the movie is really strong. Even en if they come from vulnerable places, c es, every girl has a moment when she sh he finds herself – finds her strength h h and individuality. I think that’s important individ ant for young g people to see,” says Cornish. nis sh.
Of course, it’s also true that they’re cou directed directe on their quest for freedom by a man – an enjoyably cheesy Scott Glen – who drops in to explain the and outs of the film’s extravagant ins an action sequences.
IV
G
“We would go in and warm up with w with the martial martia arts guys, the stunt guys,” s,,” adds Browning. “We would work on our Brown ur martial martia arts and fight choreography phy for a couple coup of hours, then we would ld d have a break brea and have a protein smoothie oo othie or something, and then we’d work som orrk out with the th Navy Seals and do strength en ngth training trainin for an hour or two. We would would sometimes go and do gun training somet ng or some wire work. It was about sixx to eight hours a day, all up.” h
Audiences – and especially critics (the Audien n film cu currently holds a 20% positiverating on Rotten Tomatoes) – are more divided. But even though the d film sk skirts explanations in favour of action set-pieces, Sucker Punch is a more complex beast than most are c giving credit: while it’s hard to escape the notion that it’s a simplistic feminist no fantasy viewed through the lens of a 12-year-old boy, there is complexity to 12-yea its depiction of oppressed, presumably dep sexually sexua abused women who become powerful, liberated action-heroines. power
G
WIN!
at ease eass with the physical challenges, ng ges, having grown up on an 170-acre e farm in the Hunter Valley, where e her brothers brothe taught her to shoot guns ns s and crossbows. “Usually [acting]] is so cr mental, menta and usually about research arrch and figuring things out – it’s veryy g cerebral cerebr – and then the physicality liity eventuates and you figure that out. eventu ou ut. It was interesting to start physically, in y, and train like li soldiers.”
ideon Obarzanek and his award-winning Chunky Move dance company return to Sydney next month with their latest work, Connected. Following on from their experiments in dance and motion-controlled lighting in Mortal Engine and Glow, Chunky Move are upping the ante, with an improbable collaboration with avant garde sculptor Reuben Margolin. Margolin is renowned for his kinetic sculptures, in which he harnesses the intricate mechanics of seventeenth century industrial design to reproduce nature – from the movement of raindrops and waves, to caterpillars and birds. For Connected, Margolin has created a moving sculpture that will by turns interact with and connect to the five dancers in the piece, as they use their movements to construct a larger sculpture, in real time… The cherry on the cake is a synaesthetic conconction of light and sound, created by experimental composers Oren Ambarchi and Robin Fox, and lighting designer Benjamin Cisterne. Expect to be dazzled, in every sense. Connected opens on May 10 at Sydney Theatre. We have 2 double passes up for grabs, to the performance on Tuesday May 10. To get your hands on one, tell us the name of one of the dancers. chunkymove.com BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 29
Bo Burnham
Shauntelle Benjamin stars in As You Like It
[COMEDY] From YouTube to Comedy Central and laughing all the way. By Peter Neathway
“In 2006, people didn’t really know what YouTube was, so it was kind of just on a whim that I did it, to show my brother something,” says Burnham. Traffic to his songs multiplied over 100 times when they were copied from YouTube to comedy site Break.com. “It happened so quickly and abstractly, because it was online, where it was all these giant numbers that didn’t really affect my real life,” Burnham recalls. These days it’s less about uploaded videos from the bedroom, and more about live stand-up. “I realised that’s where I want people to see my material for the first time, on stage,” says Burnham. “I don’t really want to be a sing-along comic.” Amongst his legion of fans, he’s also encountered plenty of people not singing from the same songbook, who have accused him of offensive lyrics. “It’s usually the crazy, stuck-up, liberal-minded white people that come up to me because they want to be offended. It’s actually condescending, the way they do it. I won’t pick on anyone I don’t think can take it. If you think something’s fair to joke about then you’re not condescending it, but if you think ‘oh, poor people in a
wheelchair,’ that’s offensive, you know.” This kind of criticism is something Bo shares with his key comedic influences: Richard Pryor, Tim Minchin, George Carlin, and even Shakespeare – all artists with an inspired creativity and brutal honesty. His song ‘Art is Dead’ puts himself and his contemporaries under the microscope with lyrics like ‘we’re rolling in dough while Carlin rolls in his grave’. “I was feeling all these things and I thought the least I could do is be honest with people and tell them what I actually think about this,” says Burnham. Thrown into the spotlight through the often vacuous medium of viral internet, Burnham is now using his exposure to explore the cult of celebrity from which he emerged, in a pilot for MTV. “It’s about a kid who wants to be famous, and hires people to film him in his ordinary life, so he can become famous.” “The problem with the whole American dream thing is that even people pursuing fame, that’s not seen as a bad thing. If fame is all you want – it’s just attention and money – fame is at its heart greed, if it’s for no other reason. I’m very aware of the hypocrisies of me making the show, and I think a person who is stricken with this disease is probably best to articulate it.” At this point in the conversation, it comes up that actually, Burnham is not even the biggest celebrity from his own hometown; according to Wikipedia, that honour is held by General George S. Patton, to whom a tank and a park have been dedicated by the people of Hamilton. How does Bo feel about this? “I’d like them just to take the fucking tank away," he tells me. "Just de-install the tank, that’ll be mine.”
What: Bo Burnham LIVE at Sydney Comedy Festival When: Tuesday April 26 Where: The Metro Theatre Tickets: sydneycomedyfest.com.au
As You Like It
[THEATRE] Siren Theatre put the music back into Shakespeare. By Simon Binns
T
here aren’t many directors whose bios span musical theatre, opera, main-stage and independent theatre, cabaret and even children’s theatre. For Kate Gaul, it hasn’t been a conscious decision to work so broadly. “They come to me, I’m just blessed that my tastes are so broad,” she smiles. “I started off doing mostly new Australian plays, but you can easily get pigeonholed. You’ve got to mix it up.” This attitude has worked well, with her musicals playing to sell out crowds, her children’s operas winning awards and her theatre work receiving critical acclaim. Her company Siren Theatre Co., of which she has been artistic director for over a decade now, has been a bit more focused, producing mainly new works of both Australian and international playwrights. More recently, Gaul and Siren have earned a reputation for producing exciting renditions of Shakespeare, with this year’s As You Like It being the third in three years for the company. “Look, everyone wants the opportunity to do Shakespeare,” Gaul explains. “It’s theatrically demanding, intellectually demanding, but it’s also great fun for actors and there’s a great joy in facing the challenges.” When faced with the many great works of Shakespeare’s canon, it can be hard to choose which play to tackle next, but for Gaul it was the music that drew her to As You Like It. “I wanted to keep working with [musician] Daryl Wallis, specifically with live music,” she explains. In their previous work, cost and convenience have necessitated predominantly pre-recorded sound designs. “We said, ‘if we do another Shakespeare, let’s do something where we can have the music live’ – and As You Like It has the most music.” Wallis’ background is in jazz, but the stylings of this piece are quite eclectic. “We’ve got everything from music hall, to real jazz stuff, to… can I say Radiohead?” Gaul laughs. “It ranges
Sydney Film Festival
from the broadly comic to something esoteric, Shakespeare gives you that breadth… especially when he moves away from plonky storytelling.” Wallis’ compositions will be performed live by a percussionist, a keyboard player and singer Ali Hughes, who Gaul worked with as an actor before she crossed over into music. The cast of actors is a solid mix of old and new talent, something that Gaul is quite proud of. “The really nice thing about the cast is we have quite a distinct age range and I think that brings a real quality to the production,” she explains. The younger half includes rising stars like Julian Curtis and Alice Cooper, whilst veterans Jane Phegan, Anthony Weir and Alan Flower make up some of the established talent. Taking on the lead is British actor Shauntelle Benjamin, a recent grad from the Actors Centre who Gaul describes as a “dazzlingly fresh Rosalind.” With Shakespeare it’s all about who can speak the language, as far as Gaul is concerned. “It’s mainly about who can speak the verse.” As with their previous production, Richard III, As You Like It will be performed in the cavernous CarriageWorks, a place that rarely sees this kind of theatre. “There’s no drama that takes place there, and it’s a great space for drama,” says Gaul. It’s the size of the venue that appeals to her. “I’ve always said small spaces are no good for Shakespeare, they somehow shrink the work. [CarriageWorks] is a big space, it can take a big work.” What: Shakespeare's As You Like It When: April 22 – May 7 Where: CarriageWorks, Eveleigh More: carriageworks.com.au
Miranda July directs and stars in The Future
[FILM] Artistic Director Clare Stewart Flashes her cinematic knickers. By Dee Jefferson
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arly cinematic memories have a way of shaping our palates, if not our imaginations: for Martin Scorsese, it was seeing The Red Shoes as an 8-year-old; for Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it was Star Wars. “I often feel quite on the outer, because growing up in a small country town without a cinema, that was not my experience at all,” Clare Stewart confesses. “I have some really good memories of going to Frankston to see Charlotte’s Web when I was five or six – and realising that films could make you cry.” Several times during her stint as the Sydney Film Festival’s Artistic Director, Stewart has described her trajectory as being one of ‘playing catch up’ after a childhood spent more in books than in cinemas. However she was also an insomniac, so she spent her pre-teen years sneaking out of bed to watch late-night movies on her family’s black-and-white telly – which is how she discovered classics like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, and the works of Otto Preminger. Stewart is still an insomniac, but these days she sees roughly 800 films a year. It’s her dream job, but she’s also very conscious of her role as a filter for those 800-or-so films – and the effect that has on her cinematic palate. “As you see more and more films, you become harder and harder, on a personal level, to please. I get very very excited about many films, but on a personal level it’s much harder to surprise me now.” 30 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
“On the other hand, it’s like becoming a really good chef," Stewart suggests. "You start to appreciate particular and very specific achievements and flavours, in the broader mix. It’s no longer necessary for you to be overwhelmed by the whole meal – it’s like you’re just going to hone in on one surprising and exciting new ingredient, and that’s going to be just as thrilling to you as if the whole meal was fantastic.” Stewart is describing the distinction between films like the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, which beguile filmmakers, critics and audiences alike with their combination of craft, heart and entertainment; and films like Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which screened in Sydney Film Festival’s 2010 Official Competition strand directly after winning the Palme D’Or at Cannes, and was altogether a more esoteric experience. There’s a place for both kinds of films in a public (as opposed to market-driven) festival. When I talk to Stewart, the festival has just released a ‘sneak preview’ of 23 films from the full festival program, which is released in May. Hand-picked from major festivals like Sundance and Berlin, as well as smaller affairs like Pusan, Rotterdam and IDFA (International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam), this teaser line-up doesn’t include the handful of films that
will no-doubt come straight from Cannes to Sydney Film Festival. Stewart points to the Official Competition as the ‘backbone’ of the festival – and the section closest to her programming heart. Dedicated to “new directions in film”, the Competition strand is both a snapshot of cinema's cutting edge, and a hotbed of discussion amongst hardcore festival-goers, who tend to see all 12 films, and root for their favourites in the $60,000 Sydney Film Prize stakes. Of the 23 films released last week, the three Official Competition contenders are perhaps the most exciting: The Future, Miranda July’s follow-up to Me, You and Everyone We Know; Attenberg, directed by former Cinematexas
programmer Athina Rachel Tsangari, who also produced Academy Award nominee Dogtooth; and the highly-anticipated screen translation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood – which, to the relief of many, has been undertaken by Laotian filmmaker Anh Hung Tran (The Scent of Green Papaya; Cyclo) rather than the Yanks… What: Sydney Film Festival: Preview line-up When: buy flexipasses NOW for the festival (June 8 – 19) Where: sff.org.au More: to read more of Clare’s thoughts on Attenberg, The Future and Norwegian Wood – and to see our picks of the line-up – scoot to thebrag.com
As You Like It photo by Helen Melville
A
t 20 years old, Robert ‘Bo’ Burnham is the youngest person ever to have recorded a Comedy Central Special, is represented by the same manager as Dave Chappelle, has a slate of international tours. and won the Edinburgh Fringe Awards panel prize last year. Whereas many comedians caught their first break onstage or through TV, it was YouTube that gave then-16year-old Bo his shot, via two angsty, semiautobiographical songs about sexual identity and penis size respectively: ‘My Whole Family Thinks I’m Gay’ and ‘My Little Secret’.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTED BY JOHN BELL
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Presenting Partner
BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 31
Arts Snap
Film & Theatre Reviews
At the heart of the arts Where you went last week.
What's opening on the silver screen this week.
Brighton Rock
Film
Released April 14
Released April 14
Three cheers for British cinema! With assisted funding from BBC Films, Rowan Joffe has managed to assemble the cream of British cinema for his first feature: Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Andy Serkis and Sean Harris, with relative newcomers Sam Riley and Andrea Riseborough in the leads as Pinkie and Rose (probably one of the only couples in the history of fiction separated far more by one person’s hatred and indifference than the law).
Fans of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Superbad will probably be disappointed by Paul, which takes the writing and comedic talents of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and matches them with the visual and narrative style of director Greg Mottola. But that’s not to say that this is a bad film: it’s charming, funny and entertaining, with a throbbing bromantic heart.
BRIGHTON ROCK PICS :: AM
a night of horror
■ Film
31:03:11 :: Cooper's Hotel :: 221 King St Newtown 95503461
little ease: joel dickens
PICS :: TL
Pinkie is a troubled young thug, part of a gang more commonly involved in betting schemes and petty crime than murder, until Kite (their leader and a father figure to Pinkie) is killed by Colleoni’s gang. Kite’s gang retaliates and Pinkie is ordered to seduce Rose, the only witness, which leads them down a treacherous path: he, closer to the very definition of a sociopathic murderer and she, verging on the most terrifying, misguided case of devotion. The two leads have great chemistry and play off each other well, Riseborough with ample vulnerability and Riley with equal, if not greater menace.
31:03:11 :: LO-FI Collective :: Floor 3, 383 Bourke St Surry Hills
Arts Exposed Our hot tip for your week...
Heavy Judy & Tamarama Rock Surfers present
Technically, Brighton Rock is classified as a remake, due to the very existence of the 1947 adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel starring Richard Attenborough in the pivotal role. However, this ‘remake’ invokes a real freshness in the material; Rowan Joffe’s script makes this an entirely new affair of the heart. Juxtaposing the first killing scene, under the pier, with bright images of children jumping on trampolines above, gives the film a confident, deliberate style. Renowned cinematographer John Mathieson creates an assured noir ambience; the first shots of the moonlight on a dark, shining sea add menace and a sense of foreboding that lasts. Setting the story in 1964 at a time of great social unrest in the youth culture does wonders for the film. It’s not modern (no-one’s using their grubby fingers to scroll through their iPhone contacts), but it is edgy and ripe for the drama that ensues. Entertaining and filled with memorable visuals and performances, Brighton Rock is a must see. Katia Nizic
ME PREGNANT! BY NICK COYLE
PAUL
In a playful riff on their own lives and careers, Pegg and Frost play British sci-fi fanboys Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings, on holiday in the USA for the first time. First stop is San Diego’s Comic-Con (with all the comedic potential that entails), followed by a road trip around America’s most infamous UFO sites – from Area 51 and the Black Mailbox in Nevada, to the Devils Tower in Wyoming. On the way, however, they pick up an alien hitchhiker named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), who is on the run from the FBI. Paul is a love letter to American sci-fi cinema of the late 70s and 80s, configured as a buddy-comedy-cum-road-movie. As the trio roll through America in their RV, they come across the predictable cast of weirdos: a bible-bashing, gun-totin’ fundamentalist Christian (John Carroll Lynch) and his visually impaired daughter (Kristen Wiig); a smart-mouthed waitress who’s seen it all (Jane Lynch); two homophobic red-necks; and a series of humourless (borderline sociopathic) state troopers. In amongst this we cut to the FBI agents in pursuit – the hard-ass Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman) and his incompetent sidekicks, played by SNL regulars Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio. Besides an impeccable comic pedigree, the film also benefits from genuine chemistry amongst its leads – far more than you’d expect when one of them is essentially CGI. The layers of performance and voice-work by Rogen and Lo Truglio (who doubled as Paul during the shoot) really pay off in making the alien a tangible character. On the other hand, casting someone as distinctive as Rogen may have been a mistake, making it impossible to suspend disbelief at any point. The main problem with Paul is the certain knowledge that Mottola, Pegg and Frost have done far funnier and smarter comedies apart than they have together. More than anything, this film left me with a burning desire to see the forthcoming third instalment of Pegg and Edgar Wright's ‘blood and ice cream’ trilogy. Dee Jefferson
Until April 23 / Old Fitzroy Theatre
Paul
Anyone who saw Nick's show Rommy at the Old Fitz last year, or saw him play twin holographic twins in Some Film Museums I Have Known, or saw him do his stuffed-monkey routine for Man Up: A Night of Male Impersonations, at Imperial Panda Festival, OR saw him do his 'Where's My Pudding' routine with Pig Island just a few nights later...will know to expect something surreal, hilarious and unpredictable. Get along: rocksurfers.org 32 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews
Nick Coyle in Me Pregnant! photo by Alice Gage
Straight from the skull of Pig Islander Nick Coyle, to you: 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 starring Coyle, and will be the first time he has gone solo.
DVD Reviews
BASED ON T H E CL A S S I C N OV E L BY GR AHA M GREENE
When your childhood goes to Hollywood: Exhibit A versus Exhibit B
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Warner Brothers Released April 15
I was one of the cardcarrying fan-snobs queuing up to rant about the first couple of Harry Potter films, how saccharine and Hollywood they were and how much of the delicately-stitched macro-narrative was yanked gracelessly out of the big shiny picture. I was right, of course. Studios adapt literary phenomena to tap into a wider market, and as such are never catering solely to the fan base. But as both the books and the films became the most unstoppable franchise since Star Wars, the fan base became a lot bigger. And as a response to the darkening tone of the latter novels and an ever-growing, demanding readership, the later films have been very strong. The decision to split the last book – not the longest, but the most plot-heavy – into two parts was clearly as much fan-driven as it was milking the phenomenon. And it pays off, finally, and rather spectacularly. Director David Yates, on board since film #5, has proven that letting the stories, the casting and the consistently wonderful production design speak for themselves, works. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has skilfully distilled the books’ major plot; the three leads give mature, dialed-back performances in the beautifully bleak, kids-on-the-lam scenes that form most of the story, and the animated ‘Three Brothers’ story is genuinely stunning. While it can’t help but feel unresolved – it is, after all, missing an ending – it stands by itself (and eclipses the source material) as the best Potter film yet, as unrelentingly dark as the best children's fantasy is at heart. The bar for Part 2 is set very high. Caitlin Welsh
“A masterpiece” THE GUARDIAN
+ + + + “Thrilling” THE TIMES
20th Century Fox Released March 29
The most successful adaptations are those that, first and foremost, are excellent films. You don’t need to read Cuckoo’s Nest, or Clockwork Orange, or To Kill A Mockingbird to get the full experience because the director’s creative vision is strong enough to stand alone. But the vision for Disney’s rebooted Narnia series has never been clear. The first film was limp, and sanitised for a “family values” audience, while Prince Caspian was another thing entirely – it had a great sense of humour about itself (the Caspian/Susan relationship was particularly fun) and seemed more concerned with being a fun film than anything else. And Dawn Treader changed tack entirely again. Even in the hands of the legendary Michael Apted (Gorillas In The Mist; The World Is Not Enough), C.S. Lewis’ tale of adventure and self-discovery is aimless and just a little bit dull, the adventure not particularly exciting and the self-discovery not particularly illuminating. To be fair to Apted, the book itself was probably the weakest of the series. It was too stilted, too picaresque, and the quest itself uninspiring – and all of this carries through to the film. But the film made it so much worse, condensing the important moments and expanding the insignificant moments ad nauseum. I’ve never seen another film that was so long and yet seemed totally insubstantial. The action sequences were good and Will Poulter as Eustace continues to impress, but John Anderson of Newsday put it best when he said, “there’s a deliberateness, a fastidiousness and a lack of daring and vision that marks the entire operation.” I just hope they sort themselves out in time for The Silver Chair. Hugh Robertson
Street Level
SAM RILEY ANDREA RISEBOROUGH
WITH
AND
HELEN MIRREN
JOHN HURT
FROM THE PRODUCER OF ‘ATONEMENT’ AND ‘EASTERN PROMISES’ BRIGHTONROCKTHEMOVIE.COM.AU
Check the Classification
IN CINEM AS APRIL 14 PALACE VERONA & NORTON ST, DENDY OPERA QUAYS, CREMORNE, HOYTS BROADWAY, CINEMA PARIS, EVENT MACQUARIE, AVALON CINEMAS & AVOCA BEACH CINEMAS
With choreographer Vicki Van Hout
A
Wiradjuri woman originally from Dapto, Vicki studied at the National Aboriginal Islander Dance College (NAISDA), followed by the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York. Shortly after this she joined Bangarra Dance Theatre. These days she works independently, with recent projects include Urban Theatre Projects’ critically acclaimed production of The Fence, for Sydney Festival 2010. Next up, she's opening Performance Space’s season Uneasy Futures with her new piece, Briwyant – a wordplay on the traditional Indigenous painting technique bir’yun, which uses crosshatched patterns to create the sensation of shimmering over the painting’s surface. Briwyant matches six dancers of different indigenous and nonindigenous backgrounds with a team of visual, audio and interactive artists, to create a series of vignettes that juxtaposes modern city life with ancient Dreaming… When was your first experience of dance? My first memory of dance is galloping to ‘Popcorn’ in a community hall in Warrawong. Each class finished with us laying out our best beach towels on the dusty wooden floor to practice stretches, the favourite being the seal, which involves lying on your tummy and connecting toes to head in an extreme back bend. Painful then and unachievable now. When and why did you decide to dedicate your life to dance? For years I thought I wanted to become an actor. I was living in a squat a few days a week (The Gunnery in Woolloomooloo) in-between high school studies, and a fella suggested I go to NAISDA instead. “What’s that?” I asked. “A place where you learn about your own people”, he said. So began the lifelong insatiable obsession. When did you begin developing your unique ‘vocabulary of movement’, and what was the impetus for this? I was in New York studying at Martha Graham, participating in a choreographic workshop held by two Principal dancers; one asked if any of us could create a primitive walk – I then recreated a version of a cultural stomp, which was immediately chosen. I think it was THE light bulb moment. It was when I realised my life purpose: to highlight and celebrate the inherent beauty and sophistication of our
indigenous heritage. Who have been the formative influences on your choreography, and how? Paul Saliba, my principle modern teacher at NAISDA, has been a big influence, gently persuading me to become a Graham cracker, as we Martha devotees were oft coined. He used to chauffeur drive me to his evening classes at Sydney Dance Company. He was extremely proud of us NAISDA mob. I have had the great opportunity to go to and experience dance from many different places and masters, from Yirrkala to Turkey Creek, from Bathurst, Mornington, Saibai and Murray Islands to name a few. What is the narrative for Briwyant? This work unfolds as a series of vignettes meant to be appreciated as a moving canvas, whereby I explore the possibility for the ancestral magic connected to cultural ritual that might reside in my neighborhood and in my city, Sydney. Armed with a few-thousand playing cards, two security cameras, an interactive dance software system (Isadora) and a passionate team, we have collaborated to make Briwyant, and to provide insight to another Australian perspective. It’s about my grandmother’s country, which is hot, dry and thirsty; it’s about lore/law; it’s about what you want but can’t have, and the repetition in life. What: Briwyant, as part of Performance Space’s ‘Uneasy Futures’ season (April – May) When: Wednesday April 13 – Saturday April 16, 8pm Where: Performance Space, CarriageWorks (Eveleigh) More: performancespace.com.au BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 33
Fashion, Design, Markets & Music @ Westfield Sydney’s Urban Precinct on Level One
W
ith Superdry, That Store, Capsule, Lonsdale, Sneakerology, Graniph, and way too many more to mention, the Urban Precinct on Level One of the new Westfield Sydney is already selling itself. Add to that ‘100 Squared’, the bazaar-style fashion incubator that gives young designers space in the mainstream market, and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid day of shopping right there… And now they’ve got something for the night time, too. The Audio-Technica kiosk (which offers the latest range from Japan’s number one
headphone manufacturer for you audio geeks out there) has teamed up with 100 Squared to bring live DJs to late shoppers, lending a party vibe to Level One each Thursday night; Neon Hearts and White Knight DJs are spinning from 6-9pm weekly. The team have other events planned later in the year too, including runway shows, band comps and a whole heap more! We took our photographer down to check out some of the shops, and selected a few of our favourites to give you a bit of a taste test. Being a mallrat never looked better...
STREETOLOGY 8072 8899 Right next door to the wall-ofshoes heaven that is Sneakerology, Streetology stocks urban clothes and accessories direct from Japan and around the globe. There’s a great range from designer streetwear brands like Kiks Tyo, aNYthing and Alife – and in a fun little twist, the T-shirts displayed on the racks come all rolled up in tubes, stacked in pigeon holes up and down the walls. Streetology also boasts Sydney’s largest array of 59fifty and snapback caps from New Era, the exclusive manufacturer of the official on-field caps worn by each Major League baseball team in the states. We walked away with the Boston Celtics one to the right there... Make sure you check out their range of watches too, from the classic G-Shock to the Casio calculator - depending on whether you want to throw it at a wall or do a sneaky sum.
Above: Casio G-Shock, $160 - $220
Above: New Era 59fifty caps, $60 -$65
VIA ALLEY www.viaalley.com 8246 9111 Oh man, Via Alley is just the greatest isn’t it? Designer toys? Check. Holga cameras? Check. Novelty gold pig-shaped speaker? Check. We could have spent hours just drooling over the delicious-looking Q-Pot jewellery range. The shop was started by Sydney’s Ben Hsu and co-founder Jane Lo, after a visit to Tokyo Designers Block inspired them to set up a forum to share their finds. Each year, they head to Japan and South East Asia, find the most original, creative designs and bring them back to Sydney – which means that most of what you’ll find here is very hard to get your hands on elsewhere. Although they initially set up shop online, the ‘VA Casa’ at Westfield is their third Sydney outlet, and it’s a great selection of what they have on offer. From clothes to computer cases; from designer jewellery to designer watches; from headphones to stationary.
ILLARIY 0466 247 942
Clockwise from top left: Gomez Family earrings, $29-$69; Janis Valdivia necklace and bracelet, various prices; Erika Marent cuffs, $70
Illariy means ‘shiny’ in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas – but that only gives you a hint of what to expect from the handcrafted men’s and women’s jewellery on offer. Illariy features ranges from selected artisans from all over the world, who use tricky and time-consuming techniques like mokume-gane and filigree to case unique materials like alpaca wool, cow skin, bull horn, flowers and more in sterling silver and stainless steel. Take the range from Gomez Family, for instance: miniature flowers grown in garden pots on the hillside home of the Gomez family in Central Mexico, picked with tweezers in the morning, dried, and then placed with excruciating care into sterling silver casings. Or the work of Sydney-based Janis Valdivia, who uses a 4000-year-old fine filigree technique to handcraft nature-inspired wonders in sterling silver pieces. These are all beautiful one-offs that start from just $19 – and if you’re in it for the exclusivity, they come from jewellery-designers who are so hard to find that most of them don’t have websites yet!
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Above: Q-Pot acrylic jewellery, $60$140 Below: Pig speaker, $85; Holga Blackbird Fly, $220
PLATYPUS SHOES www.platypusshoes.com.au 9223 4155 Platypus Shoes have a motto: the globe is their hunting ground, and the world’s most dynamic footwear brands are their prey. They’ve been pimping-out our feet since the 80s, so they must be doing something right. The Platypus store in the new Westfield Sydney offers a swag of cutting-edge styles from names like Vans, Converse, Asics Onitsuka Tiger, Le Coq Sportif, Palladium, Superga and Nike. No matter what you’re about – glamour, streetwear, music, art and/or extreme sports – the staff at Platypus will help you hunt down a shoe that fits. We found some pretty cute kicks for kids there, too - we take serious issue with Converse for not making reindeer-shaped hi-tops in adult sizes... What’s with that?
Above: Adidas M Attitude Logo White/Black Sequins, $160
WISE DESIGNS www.wisedesignjewellery.com
Above left: Silver watchpiece cufflinks, $95 Above right: Necklace, various prices
Matt Wise has used his studies in Gemology to handcraft unique silver and gold jewellery for over fifteen years now, and the time he’s spent honing his craft really shows. His pieces are contemporary, subtle and stylish: silver rings with intricate details; solid, striking cuffs; understated pendants with unique stones and gems; gold and silver cufflinks made from the mechanical bones of watchpieces. He’s not just a jewellery-maker - Matt Wise is an artist. Although Matt’s been selling his wares at The Rocks markets for a while now, his stall at Westfield Sydney marks the first time they’ve been set up for the mainstream. His pieces are delicate, fluid and oneof-a-kind – yet somehow, they’re still affordable.
LE COQ SPORTIF www.lecoqsportif.com.au 8246 9251 We were pretty excited to check this one out – the Le Coq Sportif store at Westfield marks the first time the legendary French brand has had its own Aussie outlet. Founded back in 1882, the label initially focused just on cladding the sport stars of track and field (it turns out these guys actually invented the tracksuit. True story.). Since then Le Coq Sportif (‘the athletic rooster’) has continued to innovate, not just in style but in marketing - they were the first brand that would sew their label directly onto fabric, the first that would create sponsorship deals with sportsmen, and the first athletic brand that would advertise on television, back in 1968. These days, the sportswear label has branched out into more of a modern French chic look, while retaining the vintage style of the 60s. The store’s layout is pretty awesome too; directly inspired by the Le Coq Sportif flagship store in Paris, they offer the freshest range of high quality urban sports apparel and streetwear for guys and girls. We’re talking hoodies, tees, gym gear, shoes, caps and of course those iconic LCS bags. And make sure you check out the beautiful limited-edition Chappelli bikes they designed too, inspired by the glory days of the Le Coq Sportif Tour de France team.
THE SHADE BOX 8246 9226 And what better way to cap off a new wardrobe than with a pair of sunnies? The Shade Box have new styles and classic pieces from brands like Prada, Gucci, Dior, Tom Ford, Carrera, Diesel, Ray Bans and Marc By Marc Jacobs – and they’re having a huge sale at the moment too. 30% off! Yes please!
From top: Dolce & Gabbana, Ray Ban, Diesel, Prada
CREDITS Words: Alex Shipman Photos: Ken Leanfore Intro Photo: Hobo Gestapo BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 35
Album Reviews
What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE MIDDLE EAST
I Want That You Are Always Happy Spunk The opening tracks of The Middle East's debut LP come as no surprise: stately instrumentation with vocals achingly close to the mic, every gentle plosive and wispy sibilant and softly-opening mouth clearly audible. ‘My Grandmother Was Pearl Hall’ instantly evokes family portraits and old wounds, the anguished subject matter of breakthrough single ‘Blood’ stripped of its resolute choruses and boiled down to naked sadness. Like a box of rediscovered old family photos, there’s so much here to unpack and pore over that it’s impossible not to love.
On ‘Jesus Came To My Birthday Party’, Bree Tranter takes lead vocals - her voice is small and honey-sweet without being twee, and suits the nostalgic-fantasy mood of the song perfectly. The playful, scuzzy guitars scratching around the
FOO FIGHTERS
THE KILLS
Wasting Light Sony
Much has been made of this album as a return to form of sorts, with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Husker Du alum Bob Mould guesting, and Butch Vig back behind the glass. Many are touting it as their heaviest album since The Colour And The Shape. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Certainly Wasting Light comes screaming out of the gate, with ‘Bridges Burning’ immediately delivering that trademark momentum. Their best moments come when they throw themselves headlong down a roaring wind tunnel of adrenaline, glee and spite; it’s glorious and badass, although the chorus feels a tiny bit dialed-back, as though they’re going for QOTSAstyle languid menace when they should be going for broke. I nitpick because it’s still the best thing on there; they should open every live show with it forevermore. In the rest of the album, nothing else approaches that energy - except maybe thrashing gem ‘White Limo’. And while Grohl’s writing used to be simple and raw as a skinned knee - remember the savage assonance of ‘Stacked Actors’, the muttered yearn of ‘Everlong’ - here he seems to have stuck to his first draft far too often (in lines like “Truth will never change the way you lie/youth will never change the way you die”.) But still, the best elements are all back in place after the ambitious missteps of the last two records. Taylor Hawkins never disappoints, pummelling the hi-hat and thrashing out terrific little fills as reliably as ever. And Grohl himself still has (probably) the best voice in rock right now, tearing bloody strips off a chorus one moment and carefully pacing out a crackling lament the next, like in 'I Should Have Known'.
Part of the issue is the record’s meticulous construction. Ever-reliant on a drum-machine rather than the real deal, Hince apparently sampled every drum in a high school storeroom to achieve the variety of sounds reproduced here, while feeding his guitar through the black box to create the digital stammers that punctuate tracks like ‘Satellite’. No expense has been spared to achieve “the look of wild living” of which Mossfield complains on ‘Heart Is A Beating Drum’, her throaty vocals hitting just the right acid-tongued pose, while being incapable of reaching the unhinged mania of, say, Amanda Palmer. This isn’t to say that the songs here are bad. It’s simply that although The Kills aren’t trying to do anything revolutionary, the formula is beginning to feel a smidge boring. ‘DNA’, ‘Damned If She Do’ or ‘Pots And Pans’ are fine tracks, but they’re kept on too tight a leash. They still have the capacity to surprise though - the nostalgia-soaked exercise in piano-based balladry ‘The Last Goodbye’ proves that behind the slick facade, The Kills are still capable of direct emotional statement.
Like a brand new pair of Chuck Taylors, Wasting Light doesn’t feel quite right yet; but I’m looking forward to wearing it in.
While it ain’t broke, a record like Blood Pressures simply can’t excite in the way that groups like The Pack A.D. or White Denim do. The Kills work hard to sound badass and end up feeling like a manufactured facsimile. Because, well, they are.
Caitlin Welsh
Oliver Downes
I Want… clocks in at over an hour, and feels a bit haphazard at times, as if it could have been trimmed and rearranged slightly better. But if you asked me which tracks I’d cut, I couldn’t make the call. The six-piece have two expressive, distinctive songwriters and performers in Jordan Ireland and
YELLE
Blood Pressures EMI Fresh from her jaunt with Jack White’s overblown experiment (and selfproclaimed supergroup) The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart is back on surer ground with The Kills’ fourth album. Perhaps a touch too sure, though; Blood Pressures is a textbook example of grimey blues-inflected garage, and the layers of filth slapped on in the studio by her longtime musical other half Jamie Hince smother any real spark.
idea of a solo towards the end add an enlivening bit of texture after a couple of acoustic tracks. There are more eclectic influences on show in the piano instrumental ‘Sydney To Newcastle’, a tottering, swooping romance, overlaid faintly with train squeals and platform announcers proclaiming ‘Next stop Wyong’, and the thundering, epic centrepiece, ‘Mount Morgan’ - a lugubrious and schizophrenic lament that nods to gypsy folk via Warren Ellis and spacious ambient-rock excursions. The coda is tacked on as a secret track, which unfurls into a menacing, borderlineabsurd ‘Great Gig In The Sky’ sax-noise freakout.
Fast forward to 2011, and dance music has tried on every subgenre imaginable. The fate of bubblegum electropop up until this point has been unknown. One might assume it was all but left for dead, but it may have been lying dormant in the hopes that Yelle would skip along and rediscover it. Their latest album, Safari Disco Club, is a glittery disco treat. The title track is tinkly and metallic, with tribal flavouring, and the rest is full of synthetic blips and beeps underlying Yelle’s smooth vocals. They’ve reworked the formula of their debut success Pop-Up, producing something that's both lighter and brighter. Julie Budet hasn’t needed to utter a word of English to earn international appeal, and perhaps that’s what keeps us wanting more. She manages to sound unassuming, yet there’s no question that she’d break necks in a karate tournament, or, better yet, an advanced aerobics step class. Yelle’s sugary native tongue makes me want to pick up French For Dummies immediately and practice my diction. Chloe Hazelwood
+Dome Rice Is Nice/Popfrenzy
Despite the denser arrangements and a new emphasis on acoustic embellishment, Seekae's sound still settles decidedly in the realm of clear-eyed electronica.
Seekae’s live show has become quite a spectacle. It fuses exhilarating live instrumentation with their signature chilly pinpoint precision electronics, a combination that adds countless further dimensions to the band’s already considerable fractured beauty. It comes as something of a disappointment that their follow up, the slyly beautiful +Dome, should dial the grandiosity down a notch. But it’s no surprise, really; the true beauty in their sound is found in its resplendent intimacy and careful detail both of which this album can brag about.
‘3’ juxtaposes melancholically supine guitar with playfully gritty electronics to create a track that hits home with more exquisite force than the reproach of a frosty lover. Early single ‘Blood Bank’ employs spectrally rearranged vocals a la Mount Kimbie over a brisk post-Dilla groove, to impressive effect. ‘Reset Head’ opens with an ominous drone and dubstep-referencing kick/drum/blip pattern, before yielding to soft-serve synths, fragile guitars and Burialesque skitters. The reverbed finger-clicks and suffocating bass in the breakdown to ‘Mingus’ hint at cavernous visions, before it all relapses into the lovely purring
The Tea Party’s Jeff Martin is yet another ex-pat that Aussies tend to claim as our own. With his Australian wife and child, he’s now calling Perth home - so it’s no surprise that he’s enlisted a couple of west coasters (namely The Sleepy Jackson’s Malcolm Clark and Jay Cortez) to fill his new band. The trademark world-music influences that were heard in the first Tea Party albums still blend effortlessly with his heavy guitar work and powerful baritone, but the point of difference on this record is his conscious decision to explore new musical territory. Whether it comes from his new surrounds in the Perth sunshine, or a decision to delve back into the old blues collection that his father raised him on as a child, The Ground Cries Out is a rootsy album. Almost half the cuts on the record see him replace his usual Middle Eastern strings with acoustic shuffling and slide guitar. With its modernised Delta style, lead single ‘Queens Of Spades’ wouldn’t sound out of place on a Xavier Rudd album, and tracks like ‘1916’ and ‘Riverland Rambler’ experiment with Rhodes keys and flittering piano licks, nestled against Mississippi blues riffage. But the standouts on the album are the tracks in which Martin stays true to the sound honed over almost two decades of songwriting. Whether it’s the SouthEast Asian influences heard in the enchanting instrumental ‘The Mekong’ or the menacing undertones of Middle Eastern-tinged ‘The Cobra’ and ‘Ground Cries Out’, it’s when he arrives back at his world music-fused rock that the album sounds its most powerful and cohesive. Jeff Martin is experimenting with an earthier sound - but this album shows he’d be better off sticking to his roots. Rick Warner
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stutter of analogue arpeggiators and contorted voices. Throughout the album, one gets the distinct impression that Seekae are connecting the dots between influences that have long been kindred spirits. Moments - most notably, the remarkable chamber arrangements riven with cathartic analogue noodling on ‘Underling’, and the gleefully counterintuitive progression from dial-tone dyslexia to moog-rattling strut on ‘Gnor’ - hint at unique foresight, but they seem to be holding back. +Dome was always going to be this good, but it feels safe to say their best work is yet ahead of them. Luke Telford
YUCK
Yuck Fat Possum/Universal
The Ground Cries Out Riverland/MGM
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SEEKAE
Caitlin Welsh
JEFF MARTIN 777
Safari Disco Club Coop/Shock Let’s take ourselves back to 2007 for a fleeting moment. A time and place where it was regular, nay, routine to come home after an evening out on the town with cigarette burns still stinging from overzealous smokers on the dance floor; you may have eye-fucked every boy and girl in the room that night, and you most certainly jerked your body around like a lunatic. That was the year of the sexed-up club track ‘Je Veux Te Voir’, a number that got us all wishing we could chant raunchy lyrics in an alluring foreign language. It was the year Yelle exploded onto the French electronica scene - and they certainly struck while the iron was hot.
Rohin Jones, and the careful, skilful instrumental experiments - whether entirely successful or not all speak to a great deal of quiet ambition.
It’s a very good thing that musical throwbacks to the ‘80s have become passé once again. It means fantastic guitar bands like London's Yuck can reach public consciousness, and disarm us with their heartfelt slackerdom. This album is drowning in awesomeness; every twist reveals new surprises and a depth of talent in the international quintet. The loud songs, like opener ‘Get Away’ and the tightly-wound ‘Operation’, seriously rock out; they’re good enough that Thurston Moore would probably love to pinch them for himself. You can do this sort of thing very well or very badly, but rather than using volume as an opportunity for poor writing, Yuck embrace their tokenistic carefree attitude while penning pop songs that just so happen to be hiding under a wall of amps. The greatest thing about this band is their diversity; not that ‘Oh, we should do a slow song now’ kind of diversity, but an actual interest in crafting strong, lasting ballads. ‘Shook Down’ amalgamates every good '90s torch song in three minutes, while ‘Suicide Policeman’ is beautifully understated in the same way Beck’s Seachange was. By the time you get to the real centrepiece, the double-whammy of ‘Suck’ and ‘Stutter’ (both of which burn brighter and more gloriously with each listen), you will be stupendously in love with this band. A record for almost every kind of mood that manages to be both relaxed and hyper-aware of its sound at the same time, Yuck could be one of the best guitar albums that’ll come out this year. This one’s going straight to the pool room. Jonno Seidler
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...
SHEARWATER - Palo Santo MEMORY TAPES - Seek Magic CURREN$Y - Pilot Talk
JAMES BLAKE - James Blake GANG GANG DANCE - God's Money
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The Minor Chord
The all-ages rant bought to you by Indent.net.au and Hannah Sellwood
ALL-AGES GIG PICKS THURSDAY APRIL 14
W
e all must be knackered after last week’s offerings of under-18s gold. Youth Week has wrapped up, leaving us with somewhat of a stagnant week – criminal considering that for many of us, it’s the first day of the Easter Holidays! Tsk. Fear not: even though the Sydney Comedy Festival is hogging the limelight this week we can salvage a couple of gig jewels. Did you catch Lime Cordiale at YouthFest last week and want seconds? The off-the-wall band will be heading a triple bill this Thursday April 14 at Live at the Wall. Cordiale’s recently released song ‘Say It’ is a smattering of auto-tune, trumpeting and theatrics (“What is this?! Avant-garde performance- or a song?!”) but their all-around bizarreness has got people swooning. Fake Wars jump on board with lyrics anyone can relate to, like the aptly named ‘Hangover Song The Kick On)’. To finish it off Nikki Thorburn will throw in her rootsy jives. Reminiscent of Angus & Julia Stone, her EP To The Place is receiving standing ovation on triple j Unearthed. Live at the Wall happens at the Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. baldfacedstag.com.au Do you remember sitting cross-legged on the carpet at kindy and singing “Wash your face with orange juice/ Fry your egg on a slippery dip”? Peter Combe is the brains behind the wacky and wonderful songs that probably defined your childhood. If nostalgia trips are your thing, you might want to head down to the Oxford Art Factory at 11am on Friday April 15, for the ‘Wash Your Face with Orange Juice’ show, to feed your inner child. Washington
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FRIDAY 15TH APRIL
SATURDAY 16TH APRIL
DIG
SUNDAY 17TH APRIL
WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL
THURSDAY 21ST APRIL + Kadey Garnet
Saturday 23 April Steve Edmonds Sunday 24 April King Tide Monday 25 April Guineafowl Wednesday 27 April Dean Michael Smith Thursday 28 April Jack Jones Friday 29 April Ian Moss Saturday 30 April Ian Moss Sunday 1 May Bon Chat, Bon Rat Wednesday 4 May Ash Grunwald Thursday 5 May Afro Moses Friday 6 May Holly Throsby Saturday 7 May The Flood Sunday 8 May The Little Stevies Monday 9 May The Foxy Hornbags Tuesday 10 May Mark Olson Wednesday 11 May Pete Cornelius Thursday 12 May Jeff Martin Friday 13 May KISS Tribute Sunday 15 May The Ritmo Arch Tuesday 17 May Mike Noga Friday 20 May GANGgajang Saturday 21 May Doc Neeson Sunday 22 May Glen Mead Wednesday 25 May Bones Atlas Thursday 26 May Jackson Mclaren Friday 27 May Mark Seymour Saturday 28 May Abby Dobson Sunday 29 May The Brewster Brothers Tuesday 31 May Pete Sot Thursday 2 June Renée Geyer Saturday 4 June Classic Rock Show Sunday 5 June Darren Jack Band Wednesday 8 June Joel Leffler Monday 20 June Kinky Friedman Tuesday 21 June Kinky Friedman Thursday 30 June Caravãna Sun Wednesday 6 July James Blundell Saturday 9 July Johnny Cash Tribute Saturday 16 July The Paper Scissors Thursday 4 August Diesel Friday 5 August Diesel Saturday 6 August Diesel Sunday 7 August Diesel Thursday 18 August Wendy Matthews
Lime Cordiale w/ Fake Wars and Nikki Thorburn Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt
FRIDAY APRIL 15
Peter Combe Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
FRIDAY MAY 6
Washington w/ Lissie & Deep Sea Arcade *New Show Added* The Metro Theatre
SATURDAY MAY 21
Hungry Kids of Hungary w/ The Chemist & Andy Bull The Metro Theatre The Metro Theatre has a few awesome all-ages shows on the horizon with limited tickets available for under18s, that may very well sell out. So consider this your heads-up! First up is Melbourne’s sweetheart of quirk, Megan Washington. Megan’s been the busiest of bees in the last six months, kicking over ARIA awards, selling out shows, wowing audiences at Big Days Out… So it’s no wonder that her most recently announced tour ‘The Tour of Laughter and Forgetting’ sold out in a snap. Did we mention it’s her last headline tour for 2011? Well, in a bout of love from Miss Megan and the Metro, a brand new and all-ages show has been added on Friday May 5 and we’re pretty sure this will sell out as well – so get in quick! Joining the lovely lady on stage will be emerging US singer-songwriter Lissie, and Sydney locals Deep Sea Arcade. Hungry Kids of Hungary are back on the road again this May. Those who made it to their November gig last year know that these guys know how to sell out a show! ‘The Final Escapade’ tour upgrades to the Metro Theatre on May 21, and yes, it’s a lovely all-ages affair. (Thanks Metro.) The Chemist and Andy Bull are jumping in the touring van with Hungry Kids, so expect an evening of glorious indie pop to warm the cockles of your heart. Groovin’ The Moo kicks off at the end of April for a tour of rural and regional shows around Australia. What does that mean for us city slickers? A whole herd (pun intended) of sideshows to get our mitts on, including UK indie trio The Wombats, playing Enmore Theatre on Monday May 9; and US singer-songwriter Darwin Deez, the following night at Metro Theatre. Make sure you get in fast, these tickets will sell like hotcakes. As always, remember to tune in to the Minor Chord every Wednesday at 5pm on FBi 94.5 for up-and-coming bands and all the latest all-ages news. If you're a muso yourself, this is your number one stop for info on grants and opportunities that can help you realise your dream!
Hungry Kids Of Hungary
Send pics, listings and any info to minorchords@thebrag.com 38 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
Remedy
More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart
JERRY LEE LEWIS
Man, you really know you’ve got some muscle when you can pull off shit like this. The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, is doing a one off show on Record Store Day on April 16 at Jack White’s Third Man Records in Nashville. The show will be recorded direct to analogue tape, with White producing. The recording will then be pressed and packaged just down the street from Third Man, and sold on vinyl exclusively at the label’s retail outlet – much the same process as when Mr Lewis recorded for Sun Records. And if Mr Lewis’ presence isn’t enough for the Third Man show, he’ll be backed by legendary guitarist Steve Cropper (Booker T and The MGs and Stax label), drummer Jim Keltner (Beatles’ solo projects, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young and more) with Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather) on bass. It’ll be the hottest ticket in many a town, we reckon.
PETE WELLS
That Pete Wells memorial show at the Sando the other day broke the house record for the downstairs bar.
STEAMING AT THE OPERA The Aztecs’ 1974 live album Steaming At The Opera House, which saw Thorpie & Co. move from the suck-more-piss chants of the Whitehorse Hotel in Melbourne to the regal setting of the Sydney harbourside landmark, has long been damn tough to find on vinyl. But now Aztec Music has put it out on CD for the first time. While it was the first time a rock band had played at the venue, it’s not as gloriously Cro-Magnonlike as the Live At Sunbury epic, with too many signs of musical “progress” for our tastes. But it’s still strong stuff, despite the acoustic bracket, and had Lobby Loyde guesting on an abridged version of the Coloured Balls’ epic, ‘GOD’. As an added bonus there’s four extra tracks: two rare B-sides and two previously unreleased tunes from the acoustic set that night.
at UndergroundGarage.com is well worth a look.
TEARS OF FIRE HOT SAUCE
Next-big-metal-things The Sword now have their own liquid spice: Tears of Fire Hot Sauce – handcrafted to their specifications in their hometown of Austin, Texas, by hot sauce artisan Brian Rush at Tears Of Joy. But it’s only one batch, and not available in stores. They are, however, offering a bottle to the winners of a comp: all you have to do is make a video explaining why your mouth must experience such an elixir. Just email a link to your video to TheSwordHotSauce@ gmail.com. Semi-finalists will have their videos posted on the band’s YouTube page, to be voted on. The videos with the most ‘likes’ will make it to the finals, where the band will choose the winners. Deadline for entry is April 20.
METAL GODS
Of all the original big three metal singers – Ozzy Osbourne, Ian Gillan and Robert Plant – only the Ozz Man has kicked major goals as a solo act. Come May 31, his first two solos slabs, 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz and 1981’s Diary of a Madman get the deluxe makeover, with a collectors' box that includes both releases on vinyl and CD, a 100-page coffee table tome, and a doco called Thirty Years After The Blizzard, plus other goodies. The doco features unseen footage of Ozzy and Randy Rhoads in 1981 and 1982, plus interviews with Lemmy, Nikki Sixx, Rob Halford, Zakk Wylde and Sabbaff’s Bill Ward. Diary comes with a bonus second CD of previously unreleased live performances featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads.
THE END OF (ROCK) HISTORY
Brother Bill Gibson raised this immortal Homer Simpson line on Facebook recently and it bears some further thought: “Why do we need new bands? Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It’s a scientific fact.” Young Bill argued that that learned analogy could be extended to 1975 – and we’ll accept that. However that excludes The Clash and The Sex Pistols, Rose Tattoo, X and AC/DC, who were yet to peak with the Let There Be Rock and Powerage albums.
UNDERGROUND GARAGE
Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show is currently celebrating its 9th anniversary in style, with Steven (aka Miami Steve Van Zandt from the E Street Band and The Sopranos) hosting a guest appearance by his Boss, Bruce Springsteen, in an interview that will be aired over the next few weeks. Steven, as you should have already gathered from us, is a garage rock nut, and the show’s site
ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Charles Mingus’ Cornell 64, a stunning live set from the great man’s tour that year with his finest band, which included Eric Dolphy (who would be dead within months). This came out in 2007, after being buried since it was first recorded and only unearthed by Mingus’ widow. Like the Live at Antibes set, for free flowing lava music it doesn’t come any better or more elevating than this and for more than two hours to boot.
TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS The Holy Soul are playing their first headliner show in a while on April 29 at the Excelsior with support from Kim Salmon and Leanne Cowie from The Scientists and openers, Dead China Doll. Grindhead Records and Agitator Records presents a Slow Burn Towards Death, featuring Mother Eel and Melbourne’s Sore on April 16 at the Lewisham Hotel. There’s a free Grindhead CD for the first few folks through the door. Also on the bill are Inebrious Bastard, Kunvuk and McLovin.
Three Toed Sloth, featuring Tom from feedtime, are doing a one-off gig on April 23 at Clovelly Bowling Club, to mark the release of their recently unearthed Against the Odds double-7”. It’ll be their first gig in over 17 years. Also on the bill as are Bits Of Shit, Brisbane’s Meat Thump, Exiles from Clowntown and Rock Boycott. Portland’s Eat Skull and Brisbane’s Slug Guts are at the Sando on April 17 with the Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys. Slug Guts’ newie, Howlin’ Gang will be launched on the night.
Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag www.facebook.com/remedy4rock
FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY, 8PM
CONICS, BINJUICE, PANAMA FREE EVENT
SATURDAY 16 FEBRUARY, 9PM
SHIMMY SHIMMY Y’ALL RAVE! RAVE! RAVE! To join a friday line-up, or book the venue contact the Venue Manager Colin Benge c.benge@usu.usyd.edu.au We also do functions and birthday bookings!
www.hermannsbar.com BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 39
live reviews What we've been to see...
SPARKADIA
Metro Theatre Saturday April 2 We’ve all heard Sparkadia’s tumultuous story by now. Widespread critical acclaim and popular support for their 2008 release Postcards, leading to a hectic touring schedule (Glastonbury, V Festival and Big Day Out) that saw them play 200 shows in just 18 months following the release of the album. Then everything went awry, and original members bowed out to go travelling, start families and get ‘real’ jobs - leaving Alex Burnett to fly the Sparkadia flag alone. Not deterred, Burnett moved to London, met up with Florence and The Machine producer Mark Tieku, ate heaps of baked beans, and recorded The Great Impression.
AN INTIMATE NIGHT WITH MODULAR: GRACE WOODROOFE, WIM, EMMA DAVIS The Basement, Circular Quay Saturday April 2
If the Vivid LIVE lineup’s shown us anything, it’s that Modular can’t be accused of not looking after their own. Tonight’s showcase for their newest additions, Wim and Grace Woodroofe, was fittingly held at The Basement in Circular Quay - a thoughtful setting made all the more ambient by fairy lights and faux vines creeping over a moodily-lit stage. A drawn out dinner service gave a late start to Emma Davis, a quietly confident songstress who had the difficult task of captivating a tangibly restless audience while still being the relatively unknown member of the lineup. Her relaxed charm suggested that she was hardly bent out of shape by the chatter, as she played through a lengthy set of vulnerably sweet material that consistently threatened to either break or bark at any moment. It was very genuine and likeable, but a little bit paint-by-numbers; the same sort of endearing folk we’ve seen from so many other Australian songbirds. On the other hand, Grace Woodroofe may just be one hell of an exception to that rule. All the way from Perth and with just one (very talented) friend pulling multi-instrumental duties, the crowd was peaking at a dull roar until her opening song shut the room up.
Woodroofe’s allure was unmistakeable, as she casually crooned and howled through an hour of wounded songs that could’ve been humbly plucked straight from the Tom Waits songbook. Her spell began to subtly wear thin before too long, but her presence and potential were respectively undeniable and exciting. WIM arrived finally, and briefly provided a welcome change of pace from the acoustic stylings of the supports. It was proficient indie rock with progressive moments, but it seemed as though WIM were building a runway for some grand revelation by playing their lesser material first. Keys, vocals and guitars (occasionally bowed) mingled the way you would expect, with a handful of outstanding moments strewn here and there. This intimate evening was done and dusted with highlights throughout - yet the punchline simply failed to arrive. Daniel Patrick
OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: Ashley Marr
RAHZEL, SUPERNATURAL AND JS-1 (THE MAGNIFICENTS), NARCISSISM AND KOOLISM
Platform Hip Hop Festival @ Carriageworks Saturday April 2 Supports Narcissism and Koolism have their work cut out for them tonight; it’s tough to play to a room full of people, but even tougher to play to an empty hall with an awkward smattering of people near the front who aren’t drunk yet. Both supports do a good job, but the audience are too few and too subdued for either of these sets to be memorable. JS-1 opens headliner proceedings with a spot of good, old-fashioned scratch
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turntablism, leaving us all glassy-eyed and slack jawed as he utilises all four limbs to twist up the classics with unbelievable timing. That’s right – the ruddy show-off even has his foot up on those decks, scratching with his stompers faster than Gen Z can text. Supernatural and Rahzel materialise on stage and the crowd suddenly compacts itself towards the now complete ‘Magnificents’ like paperclips to a magnet. It’s soon obvious that Rahzel is not the only prodigy on stage, as JS-1 and Supernatural prove themselves equally formidable components of this incredible hip hop trio. The Magnificents regurgitate stacks of hip hop classics from the likes of Pharoahe
Returning to Sydney for the first time since that British sojourn, you wouldn’t know to look at him that Burnett was considering calling Sparkadia’s sophomore album The Great Depression. London in winter is depressing as hell - but while some of that frosty moodiness inevitably creeps into the album, Burnett and ‘the other four guys on stage’ (careful not to refer to them as ‘his band’) play with such intensity and skill that they heat up even the most glacial of tracks. Listening to The Great Impression on record is nothing like seeing it performed live. With gospel singers, a guitarist, a bass and a keys man, and the sort of well-studied and keenly honed sound that belies how few times this material has been presented to an audience, tracks that are slightly reserved on the album explode into life on stage. While the band dispenses with hit single ‘Talking Like I’m Falling Downstairs’ a mere three songs into the set, that ‘what the hell are they going to do now for the climax?’ question that usually plagues such a risky move is instantly dispelled by Burnett’s obvious natural aptitude. Rarely will you get the chance to hear a guy who is so far beyond faithful to his recorded vocals – Burnett’s distinctive wavering falsetto is even more impressive when delivered to the enraptured hordes packing the Metro for the second night in a row.
That Burnett has a genuine personal investment in these tracks is what makes listening to them played out and projected to the masses even more exciting. While his passion was sometimes freakily apparent in wide-eyed moments, it was obvious that as Burnett surveyed the room, he took pleasure in the sight of hundreds from his hometown forgetting themselves and dancing like total weirdos, as they channelled the force with which the new material was delivered. A rockedout ‘Mary’ (Burnett’s self-professed favourite on the album) and chilling ‘Fingerprints’ were focal points but not highlights – almost every track in the set was imbued with the same riveting energy and verve. Returning to the stage to rapturous applause, an encore of ‘Hurt Me’ and perennial Postcards favourite ‘Jealousy’ was a telling indication of just where Burnett and Sparkadia are right now. Not entirely willing to expunge his past, Burnett has taken the best bits of that incarnation, infused them with elements of real human struggle and triumph, and crafted a cracking Sparkadia show to pay tribute to it all. Rehearsed, refined and fierce, it’s a long way from baked beans for one.
David Seidler
OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: Katrina Clarke
Monch, Cypress Hill and Notorious B.I.G - but at no point does the set feel anything but utterly original. We’re practically witnessing theatre sports, as Supernatural produces uncanny impersonations of other rappers and freestyles his way across the stage, incorporating into his rhyme whatever items the audience thrusts into his hand, without pausing for thought or even breath. Halfway through the night it’s time for a scrum of songs dedicated to ‘the ladies’ – and for the first and last time during this set I find something to complain about. Why do the tunes for ‘the ladies’ always have to be such yawnfests? Some of us ladies actually prefer dirty heavy basslines to Alicia Keys
sing-a-longs. Just sayin’. Still, all is forgiven when the human instrument steps up for his solo. A hush falls. The camera phones rise. For once I feel completely incompetent as a writer to convey to you the brilliance of what Rahzel does. Fortunately, what we do in this life echoes on the interwebz – and nearly the entirety of this beatboxing monologue is already up on youtube for your low-quality viewing pleasure. To the 99% of Sydney who missed this, we thought of you - in the dregs of a beer cup… “Since you’re holding up this cup – this cup right here – I’mma pour a little out for the homies that ain’t here.”
Jordan Smith
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snap
papa vs pretty
PICS :: AC
up all night out all week . . .
01:04:11 :: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687
doom
PICS :: MB
last night
PICS :: MJH
01:04:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 93323711
01:04:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 92642666
01:04:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700
:: :: MAYA BERGER :: NIKI BODLE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NS :: MUN IEL DAN :: MAR OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER LEY ASH :: K :: MITCHELL JAY HOKIN KATRINA CLARKE :: ALICIA COO THOMAS PEACHEY ::
party profile
mum
PICS :: TP
FBi Social
It’s called: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel It sounds like: Live indie-tronica fun… Who’s playing? Guineafowl! Sell it to us: Located across from the iconic Coca Cola sign in the Cross, FBi Social is a pop-up indie-fest with a 24 hour license, hosting a series of weekly nights programmed by FBi Radio, for an exciting 12-week trial period. Popping in to FBi Social for the Sydney instalment of their East Coast EP tour, Guineafowl will be massaging your ears with sounds from Hello Anxiety, including triple j favourite ‘In Our Circles’. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Passing out in the downstairs dive bar postgig... Crowd specs: Mix of FBi fanatics, indie lovers and weekend trash. Wallet damage: $12 on the door. Where: FBi Social / level two of Kings Cross Hotel. When: Saturday April 23 & Sunday April 24, doors open 8pm
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
“It’s nice to play with playdough, it’s nice to play with trains / Or even watch a video when it’s pouring with rain” - PETER COMBE 42 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
COOGE E FRI APRIL 15
NEIL MURRAY AN EVENING WITH
WRITER OF MY ISLAND HOME “TRIPLE SHOT OF ROCK” MONKS OF MELLONWAH + THE BLACK HEIST + CROWS FEAT FRI APRIL 29 PHIL JONES & THE UNKNOWN BLUES WITH FRANK MACIAS & LOS AMIGOS SAT APRIL 30
TONY JOE WHITE THURS MAY 5
DEREK WARFIELD & THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES SAT MAY 7 DAVE GRANEY BOOK & CD LAUNCH SAT MAY 21 Band Bookings
info@codeone.net.au - www.codeone.net.au
Tickets & info from www.coogeediggers.com.au
COOGEE DIGGERS 9665 4466 CORNER BYRON & CARR STREETS
USE ME. BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 43
snap up all night out all week . . .
RES EATEST PLEASU O OF LIFE’S GR MARRYING TW
ND MUSIC GREAT FOOD A LIZOTTE’S SYDNEY 14 APR 15 APR 16 APR 17 APR 18 APR
19 APR 20 APR 21 APR 23 APR
Lizotte’s Live & Local Uncle Jed Jon Stevens Big Biz Comedy Night featuring Kenny Graham Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson Bluesfest Sideshow with Raul Malo Bluesfest Sideshow with Michelle Shocked Diesel Diesel John Morrisons Swing City featuring Carl Riseley
georgia fair
PICS :: TL
02 9984 9933 13 APR
30:03:11 :: The Vanguard :: 42 King St Newtown 95577992
LIZOTTE’S CENTRAL COAST 14 APR 15 APR
17 APR 20 APR
21 APR 23 APR 24 APR
02 4368 2017
Peregrine Audrey Auld Mal Eastick presents Stevie Ray Vaughan Music Celebration Jon Stevens Lizotte’s Live & Local Gaynor Crawford Presents Bobby Long Diesel Diesel
LIZOTTE’S NEWCASTLE
gold fields
PICS :: KC
13 APR
02:04:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711
02 4956 2066 13 APR 14 APR 15 APR 16 APR 17 APR
20 APR
21 APR
23 APR
Lizotte’s Live & Local Newcastle Dance Collective Presents Broken Strings Bob Corbett Band Jon Stevens Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band (USA) Bluesfest Sideshow with Michelle Shocked Nate Armsberry & Band Album Launch Doug Parkinson
Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why
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Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber
Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton
lizottes.com.au
jurassic lounge
PICS :: TL
Calling all artists for Live and Locals! Contact events@lizottes.com.au
29:04:11 :: Australian Muesum:: 6 College St, Sydney 93206000
SIDESHOW WEDNESDAYS
SINGER-SONGWRITER CONTEST GRAND FINAL Catch some of the hottest new musical talent in Sydney, including Andy Wood, Dan Usher, Dan Crestani, and Tanya O’Gorman in a battle of lyrics and melody.
SOUL IN THE BAR
Relax with a meal and a drink in our Macquarie Place bar and enjoy the cool sounds of soul music from Stax to Daptone and all stops in between.
THE IDEA OF NORTH
Four distinct voices – one unique sound. Australia’s most acclaimed singing ensemble is back – brimming with new stories and new songs. One of the best vocal jazz groups in the world.
DOMINIQUE FILLON (FRANCE)
M. Fillon is an extraordinarily gifted French jazz pianist, composer and arranger, who effortlessly combines and transcends genres. Join him and his ensemble for a remarkable night of piano magic.
GHOSTWOOD
+ STICKY FINGERS WEDNESDAY 8PM
APRIL 13TH
GANG OF BROTHERS
Sydney’s famous guitar-maestro family, the brothers Martinez, combine to provide a night of earthy, grooveheavy, ass-shaking dirty rhythm-and-blues. On hell of a Friday night.
RAUL MALO (USA)
The former front man of alt-country legends The Mavericks is now out and about on his own and kicking butt big-time. A must for blues and Americana fans.
www.thecameraclub.com.au
photo by Sergio Villalba
PAPER PLANE PROJECT PRESENTS
MICHELLE SHOCKED (USA)
A true pioneer of alternative music, this extraordinary and ferociously independent artist is a perennial favourite, loved for hits such as Come A Long Way and On The Greener Side.
‘WE STAND SIDEWAYS’
+ BURN + BENTLEY A SURFING PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION Showcasing photographers featured in STAB
THURSDAY 8PM
We Stand Sideways presents the all inspiring work by a group of global surf photographers. Hand-picked by the creative folk at STAB magazine the show features images snapped by the world’s leading surf lensmen. From the Canary
that’ll make you wanna put one foot in front of the other and start sliding.
Wednesday, April 20: ................................... FERNANDA
TAKAI (BRAZIL) Thursday, April 21: ............................. THE DANNY G FELIX PROJECT Thursday, April 28: ..................................................... TIM ROBBINS (USA) Friday, April 29: ................................................. TONY JOE WHITE (USA) Wednesday, May 11: ................................. MARY COUGHLAN (IRELAND) Sunday, May 15, and Monday, May 16: ...................................... CAT EMPIRE Tickets online at
APRIL 7TH Launch Party Thursday April 14th - 7pm Upstairs @ The Beach Road Hotel
www.thebasement.com.au BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 45
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
pick of the week Seekae
SATURDAY APRIL 16
Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Tuesday Night Live: Stepping Stone Theory, Scotty McClintock Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm
JAZZ
Jazzgroove: 20th Century Dog, Reubin Lewis Band 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm Paul Sun, Monique Lysiak Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Hugh Ealey, Phoebe Eve, JP Hanson, Tanya O’Gorman, Jeff Stanley, Thom Little, Carolyn Crysdale Dee Why RSL free 6.30pm Ross Bruzzese, Ken Mclean, David Sattout, TAOS Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm
ROCK & POP WEDNESDAY x
APRIL 13
ROCK & POP
Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown
Seekae, Ghoul, Bardeya $12.75 (student)–$15 (+ bf) 8pm MONDAY APRIL 11 ROCK & POP
Ben & Lachlan Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 7pm Mandi Jarry Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm Matt Jones Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm Sarah Paton The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm
JAZZ
Jazz @ The Wall Live at the Wall, Leichhardt free 6pm John Hill Dee Why Hotel free 6pm
Paul Williamson’s Inside Out 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm Robert Susz & the Continental Blues Party Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Chris Brookes, Gavin Fitzgerald!, Helmut Uhlmann Kellys On King, Newtown free 7pm Dan Crestani, Tanya O’Gorman, Dan Usher, Andy Wood, Russell Neal The Basement, Circular Quay $15 8pm Nick Coady, Clem Gorman, Hayley Legg, David Sattout, Le Trio de Lee Cass, Carolyn Woodorth
Orange Grove Hotel, Lilyfield free 7pm Songwriter Sessions Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills free 7.30pm
TUESDAY APRIL 12 ROCK & POP
Adam Pringle and Friends Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 8pm OMG Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm
Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Arabesk Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Bernie Hayes Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Bernie Segedin Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm Cupid Against Venus, Engage The Fall, Mark Tsanaris Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7pm Emperors The Patch, Wollongong $5 8pm Ernst Carter Jnr, Dog Trumpet, Gai Bryant & John Pin The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+ bf)–$45 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Holland, Hello Vera, Tobias Cummings Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $10 8pm Ghostwood, Sticky Fingers Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Goodnight Dynamite O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm In Pieces The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Inner West Fest Band Comp Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $5 8pm Kimbra, Yeo, Northeast Party House Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $18 (+ bf) 8pm Kinetic Method Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 5pm Live & Local: Jade Gannon, Braden Evans, Cilla Jane, Black Hatz Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $13.50 7pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm
Muso’s Night Live at the Wall, Leichhardt free 8pm Nag Champa Marble Bar, Sydney free 9.30pm Open Mic Night Down Under Bar & Bistro, Kings Cross free 7.30pm Robert Susz & the Continental Blues Party The Rose Hotel, Chippendale free 10pm Mark Lucas Petersham Bowling Club free 7pm The Slowdowns Downstairs Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Speed Spider: Mechanical Black, Platinum Brunette Tone, Surry Hills $10 7.30pm The Study: Atlas B Salvesen, Johnny Took, Chloe Tulley Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 7pm Third Watch Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Venus Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 6.30pm YourSpace Muso Showcase: Sarah McLeod & KJ, Unendable, Dark Rainbow, The Clue, Kye & Eevee, The Belle Havens, Shalani Dennis, The Corridor Of Uncertainty, Dave Sattout, SNEZ Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm
JAZZ
Dava Permana Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7.30pm The End 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm The Idea of North The Basement, Circular Quay $26 (conc)–$30 9.30pm Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Sunset Jazz: Sydney Uni Jazz Society Hermann’s, Darlington free 6pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Audrey Auld, Camille & Stuie French Notes Live, Enmore $23 (+ bf) 8pm Busbymarou, Bang Bang Boss Kelly Brass Monkey, Cronulla $14.80 7pm Hayley Legg, Paul McGowan, Pete Scully, Billy Sunday, Helmut Uhlmann Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm
THURSDAY APRIL 14 ROCK & POP
Adam Rennie Rag and Famish Hotel, North Sydney free 7pm Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Blackie, Leadfinger, A*rock Newman Brass Monkey, Cronulla $12.25 7pm Bruno Mars (USA), Diafrix The Big Top at Luna Park, Milsons Point $57.70 (+ bf) 7.30pm sold out Elevate Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Eye to Eye, Day Ravies,
Dani Carr El Rocco Jazz Cellar, Woolloomooloo $10 8pm G4 Marble Bar, Sydney free 8.30pm Hotcakes, Blonde On Blonde, Where’s Jerome, Thieves Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $10 8pm Humbletone Festival: Buried Spheres, Z Blunt, Whipped Cream Chargers, Awkward Postures Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Indie Warhol: Elephant Gods, The Prehistorics, Nik Yorke Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Johnathan Devoy Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Kenny Feather Trio, The Beatels Notes Live, Enmore $23.50– $45.90 (dinner & show) 7pm Kira Puru & The Bruise, New Brutalists Oxford Art Factory, Gallery Bar free 8pm The Lazys Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Lime Cordiale, Fake Wars, Nikki Thornburn Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $8 8pm licensed all ages Live & Local Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 8pm Mark Wilkinson The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf)–$44 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Martha Tilston, Anabelle Kay Cat & Fiddle Hotel, Balmain $20–$25 8pm Michael McGlynn Greengate Hotel, Killara free 8pm Noliver Fig Down Under Bar & Bistro, Kings Cross free 8pm Pal Sheldon, Brett Every, Shane Flew Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Pete Corenlius & The Devilles Vault 146, Windsor free 8pm Pianoman The Loft, Darling Harbour free 6pm Raising Funds For Epilepsy Australia: The Paper Scissors, The Rescue Ships, Microwave Jenny Annandale Hotel $10 7.30pm Ric Herbert Woollahra Hotel free 7.45pm Rumble!: Zeahorse, Velociraptor, Count Doyle Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 8pm The Strides, Firehouse, Anti DJ Crew, Mike Who Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm The Bridge: Eush, Guerre, Reckless Vagina, The Walking Who FBi Social at Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Tony Williams Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Uncle Jed Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $18 8pm White Brothers The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm
JAZZ
The Blues & Roots Revivial Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7.30pm Cumbriamuffin 505 Club, Surry Hills $15–$20 8.30pm Dominique Fillon The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (member)–$20 9.30pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why Hotel free 7pm
“Toffee apple, nice and licky, one for Judy, one for Nicky / Crunchy munchy, very sticky, don’t forget to clean your teeth” PETER COMBE 46 :: BRAG :: 407 : 11:04:11
g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Merenia & The Way, Samba Mundi Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Ted’s Sly Band Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Audrey Auld Lizotte’s Restaurant $23 7pm Carolyn Crysdale Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Up Close and Personal: Heath Burdell The Marlborough Hotel free 8.30pm
COUNTRY
Canterbury Country: Tamara Stewart, Jason Lee, Steve Cheers, Nicki Gillis, Bob Howe, Hillbilly Heaven Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL free 7pm Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $91–$131 7pm
FRIDAY APRIL 15 ROCK & POP
031 Rockshow Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm 28 Days Manly Fisho’s $20–$25 8pm Amodus, Sodomiser, Jaded Empire, Boundless Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm
Angie Dean Greengate Hotel, Killara free 5pm The Australian Rolling Stones Show: Rolling Stoned Mona Vale Hotel free 9.30pm The Beards, Gay Paris The Vanguard, Newtown $12 (+ bf)–$41 (dinner) 8pm Brown Sugar Marble Bar, Sydney free 9.30pm Carbon Copy Customs House Bar, Sydney free 7pm Cliff & Dusty Campbelltown RSL $35 8.30pm Cougar Duo Vineyard Hotel free 9pm Counterfeit Tribute Night – NY vs LA: Jade Starr + Mechanical Black, Rock Wankers, The Blarney Stoners, Sodomiser, The Pullaparts, UCLAWECNY, The Urban Orphans, Deyvesson, Brooke, Lynne & Chelsea, KC & Meaghan, Sally Hackett, Nancy C. Mylott, Dave Sattout Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Dirty Deeds – The AC/DC Show Towradgi Beach Hotel free 9pm Endless Summer Trio Commercial Hotel, Parramatta free 7pm Frank Turner (UK), Jen Buxton Annandale Hotel $20 (+ bf) 8pm Gang of Brothers The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$63.80 (dinner & show) 9pm The Glimmer, Repetitive Subliminal Messages, Growling Hounds, The
Murder of Crow, The Dash Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $10 7.30pm Happy Hate Me Nots, Decline of Reptiles, Trench Gashes Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Hell City Glamours, Degeneracy, Domestic Cone Unit, TUBbh, The Optionals, Lawers Guns & Money, Lo!, F.R.I.E.N.D/S DJs Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Hey Big Aki, Elizabeth Rose Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Hit Selection Duo Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm Hue Williams Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill free 7.30pm James The Grey, PJ Wolf, The Wild Frontier Melt Bar, Kings Cross $10 9pm Jive Bombers Merrylands RSL 12pm Jive Bombers Cronulla RSL 8pm Jon Stevens Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $53–$108 (dinner & show) 8pm Josh McIvor Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Last Night: Chicks Who Love Guns, Redcoats, The Rubens, PhDJ, M.I.T., Minou, Less Than Three, Those Pipe DJs The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $10 8pm Leon Gort Panthers North Richmond free 7pm Mad Season Heathcote Hotel free 9.30pm
The Maristians Rag and Famish Hotel, North Sydney free 8.30pm Matt Toms Hawkesbury Hotel, Windsor free 7.45pm Michael Bennett Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, West Ryde free 8.30pm Millennium Bug Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL free 9pm Mission Jones Club Rivers, Riverwood free 9pm MUM: Young Revelry, Royston Vasie, MUM DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10–$15 8pm Neil Murray Coogee Diggers $20 (+ bf) 8pm Night Owl Down Under Bar & Bistro, Kings Cross free 8pm Phil Simmons Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Rear View Mirror Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 10pm The Road Crew Camden RSL Club free 8.30pm Robert Susz & the Continental Blues Party Kyle Bay Bowling Club free 8.30pm Self Is A Seed, Bellusira, The Wire Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills $12 8pm Skyscraper Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill free 7.30pm Sound Stream Mosman RSL Club free 7pm Stewart Nestel, Maxine Kauter Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm
The Beards
Talk It Up The Marlborough Hotel free 10.30pm Tijuana Cartel Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach 8pm Tim Pringle Chatswood RSL Club free 5pm Tina Petroni Kingswood Sports Club free 9.15pm Urban Kaos Freeway Hotel, Artarmon free 8pm Verusive, Boxwell Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Wash Your Face In Orange Juice: Peter Combe Oxford Art Factory $12 (+bf) 11am all ages Wash Your Face In Orange Juice: Peter Combe, The Vaudeville Smash, The Preachers Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $21 (+ bf) 8pm We Are The Champions Queen Show Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm
The Wharf Sessions: David McCormack Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company, Walsh Bay free 10pm Wylde Times Duo Western Suburbs Leagues Club Campbelltown, Leumeah free 9pm
JAZZ
Amali Ward, Gang of Brothers Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Betty Boop Boho Nights Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 7.30pm Freefall Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7.30pm Michael Wheatley Trio Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville 9pm Pete Cornelius & the DeVilles, Ray Beadle Brass Monkey, Cronulla $15 The Platters (USA), The Drifters Bankstown Sports Club $30
spunk.com.au
BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 47
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com SIMA: SNAP The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8.30pm The Strides 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK The Choirboys Penrith Panthers 7.30pm Eric Bibb (USA), Staffan Astner (Sweden), Ruthie Foster (USA) Enmore Theatre $75 8pm Micheline Van Hautem, Erwin Van Ligten Riverside Theatres, Parramatta 7.30pm Nova & the Experience Mona Vale Hotel 8pm
COUNTRY
Macarthur Country Music Club Wests Campbelltown Tennis Club, Leumeah free 7.30pm Shane Nicholson, Catherine Britt Notes Live, Enmore $28.60– $56.10 (dinner & show) 7pm
SATURDAY APRIL 16 ROCK & POP
2 Of Hearts Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm Adalita, Amaya Laucirica Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $15 (+ bf) 8pm Anton Korytnyj Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, West Ryde free 8.30pm
Barnstorming Dundas Sports & Recreation Club free 9pm Bellusia Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 8pm Benjamin Benolid Down Under Bar & Bistro, Kings Cross free 8pm BhangLassi, I Know Leopard, Hailer Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Blue Moon Quartet Fairfield RSL free 7pm Bno Rockshow Crows Nest Hotel free 11pm British India, Boy In A Box, City Riots Annandale Hotel $25 (+ bf) 8pm The Celibate Rifles, Hong Kong, MP5 Manly Fisho’s $25 8pm Chartbusters Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm The Choirboys The Cube, Campbelltown $38 8pm Christchurch Disaster Fundraiser: Tenpenny Towers, Absolution, City Of Ghosts, To The Grave, Gutter Tactic Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm The Classic Crime, Sunset Riot Spectrum, Darlinghurst $20 8pm Cougar Duo Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm Creedence & Beyond Blacktown RSL Club free 10pm Cross City Traffic Collingwood Hotel, Liverpool free 9pm Darren Carr Bankstown Sports Club $7 (member)–$10 8pm
The Dead Love, Jack Nasty Face, Ugly Bitch, Rack N Ruin Excelsior Hotel $12 8pm Dirty Deeds – The AC/DC Show Padstow RSL Club $5-$10 8.30pm Easterfest Encounter: NewWorldSon, Article One, Shawn McDonald The Hills Centre $30 7.30pm Fiona L Jones Harbord Beach Hotel free Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf)–$44 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Hit Machine Penrith RSL free 9pm Hue Williams The Tea Gardens Hotel, Bondi Junction free 8pm Jo Elms Duo Western Suburbs Leagues Club Campbelltown, Leumeah free 9pm Love Jam: King Tide, Bandintexas, Tin Sparrow, 6Noir, Super Florence Jam, Lovers Jump Creek, Minks Of Mellonwah, Eush, Lilyso, Playa Del Carmen, Burning Violet Bridges, Lemongrass Jam, Panama, Johnsong, Katie Carr Band, Genevieve, Castlecomer, The Walking Who, Lange Theory, Eve Shroder Trio, Big Red & The P Hound, Leif Wilson & Kris, Anthony Ousback, The Rivet Soul Jump Ups, Toy, Maz Mazak, Atlas B Salvison, Johnny Took, Tor, Edward Deer, Leroy Lee, The Prtable Junk, Anj Ella, Dylan Hogan Ross, Beth N Ben, Jackson Avey, Noah, Chris Rose, Patrick James Beach Road Hotel, Bondi 11.30am
Martha Tilston, Anabelle Kay Paddington Uniting Church $25 8pm Mental As Anything, The Radiators Wests Campbelltown Tennis Club, Leumeah $28 7.30pm Ninth Pillar Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Ohne, Jackie & The Rippers, Piece Of Mind, Tear Open The Skies Valve Bar, Tempe 1pm Old Man Crow, White Knuckle Fever Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Panorama Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Peppermint Jam The Marlborough Hotel free 10.30pm Pete Cornelius and the Devills The Macquarie Hotel, Surry Hills free 8pm Radio City Cats Marble Bar, Sydney free 10.30pm Saturday Night Live: The Jacks Oatley Hotel free 8.30pm Seekae, Ghoul, Bardeya Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $12.75 (student)–$15 (+ bf) 8pm Sore (Vic), Mother Eel, Inebrious Bastard, Kunvuk, McLovin Lewisham Hotel $10 7.30pm Sounds Like Sunset, Iowa, Skull Squadron Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Straight Arrows, Street Chant (NZ), Bed Wettin Bad Boys FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm
British India Talisman Kingswood Sports Club free 9.15pm Tice & Evans, Kaki Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm Tim Kendell Guildford Leagues Club free Tone Rangers Riverwood Inn free 8.30pm
SIMA: Chris Abrahams, Mike Cooper (Italy), David MacRae The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8.30pm Susan Gai Dowling Duo Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
JAZZ
Andrea Marr, Pete Cornelius Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Blue Moon Quartet Supper Club Fairfield RSL Club free 7pm Dig Brass Monkey, Cronulla $30.60 (+ bf) 7pm Marialy Pacheco Solo, Lisa Parrott Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $15–$20 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 5pm Rebecca Johnson Band Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill free 9pm
Balmain Bush Dance Sydney Secondary College Rozelle Campus $8 (student)–$17 8pm Cafe Carnivale: The Volatinsky Trio, Larissa Burak, Mark Isaacs Zenith Theatre, Chatswood $22 (member)–$26 8pm Craig Thommo The Belvedere Hotel free 8pm Eric Bibb (USA), Staffan Astner (Sweden) Sutherland Entertainment Centre $45 (conc)–$49 8pm Loaded Dog Folk Club: George Papavgeris & his Los Marbles, Vicky Swan & Jonny Dyer
WWW.THEGAELIC.COM
13 Apr
5@5 $10 STEAK & 12-3PM ALE TUE- FRI $5 PINTS
OPEN 10AM- 4AM
wed (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
thu Apr
PRESENT
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
WRESTLING
TUESDAY ROCKSTEIN
MAY 16TH
7PM - MUSIC & MOVIE TRIVIA
JELLY
PURPLE SNEAKERS
14
LAST NIGHT
fri
THE STUDY FEAT
15
WED
13
Apr
APR
(5:00PM - 8:00PM)
(9:15PM - 1:00AM)
CHLOE TULLY + JOHNSONG PURPLE SNEAKERS & LAST NIGHT PRESENT
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
ATLAS B SALVESEN + JOHNNY TOOK
FRI 15
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
APR
LIVE: CHICKS WHO LOVE GUNS + RED COATS THE RUBENS. DJ’S PhDJ + M.I.T + MINOU LESS THAN THREE + THOSE PIPES DJ’S
sat
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
Apr
SATURDAY NIGHT
16
sun
17 Apr
APR
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
LADI 6
SAT 16
SUNDAY NIGHT
SUN 17
(8:30PM - 12:00AM)
APR
ELECTRIC WIRE HUSTLE
AS SILENCE BREAKS + DAWN HEIST RECOIL + iICONTENT + CENTRED SELF #/-).' 3//.
SAT 24 APR
7% (!$ 0!24)%3 48 :: BRAG :: 407 : 11:04:11
SUN 25 APR
!''2/,)4%3
THU 28 APR
4(% #!$2%3
ENTRY FREE
gig picks
g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Annandale Neighbourhood Centre $20–$25 8pm Storytellers Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm
COUNTRY
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band (USA), Anne Kirkpatrick Trio Notes Live, Enmore $43.90 (show only)–$66.30 (dinner & show) 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 17 ROCK & POP Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm As Silence Breaks, Dawn Heist, Recoil, Illcontent, Centered Self Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $15 (+ bf) 6pm The Baddies Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm Big Bozza Band, Ray Ray Ray & the Jetsons, The Great Awake, The Underground Architects The Valve, Tempe 7pm Bordertown Petersham Bowling Club $5 3pm Buried Horses The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+ bf)–$39 (dinner & show) 6.30pm Eat Skull (USA), Slug Guts, Bed Wettin' Bad Boys Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $15 7pm Helpful Kitchen Gods,
Ember, Renetica, Hiske & Bukhu, Bleeding Into Radio Gladstone Hotel Chippendale free 5pm Jo Fabro Band Woollahra Hotel free 6.30pm Kirk Burgess Oatley Hotel free 2pm Pointless Suffering, Illusions, To The Grave, Against The Tide (WA), As Chaos Unfolds, Oreana Lucky Australian Tavern, St MArys $10 1pm all ages Raul Malo The Basement, Circular Quay $55–$103.80 (dinner & show) 9.30pm Replikant Waverley Bowling Club free 3pm Rockin the Kasbah The Gaff, Darlinghurst free Soul Patrol, Benny Vibes, Adam Katz Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 5pm Ted Nash Beach Hotel, Collaroy free 3pm Terrorential, Invictus, Thoughts Under Fire Valve Bar, Tempe 3pm U2 Elevation Acoustic Show The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm Zoltan Harbord Beach Hotel free 6pm
JAZZ
Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm A Celebration of the life and music of Jazz Piano Legend Oscar Peterson: Matt Baker Trio, Briana Cowlishaw
up all night out all week... Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne 1pm Evan Lohning Jazushi, Surry Hills free 7.30pm Kira Puru & The Bruise Brass Monkey, Cronulla $12.25 7pm Lane Cove Art Market: Susan Gai Dowling, Carl Dewhurst Lane Cove Plaza free 12pm Marty Stewart The Belvedere Hotel free 5pm Robber’s Dog Fortune of War Hotel, The Rocks free 3pm Sydney Blues Society Botany View Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 4pm Wine Woman & Song Dinner Show Forest Lodge Hotel $50 (dinner & show) 7pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $23 8pm Kirk Burgess Oatley Hotel free 2pm Nick Charles Cat & Fiddle Hotel, Balmain $15–$20 3pm Shane MacKenzie Cohibar, Darling Harbour free 5pm
COUNTRY
Col Elliott, Terry Gordon Bankstown Sports Club $10 (member)–$15 3pm Hunter & Suzy Owens Band Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club free 4.30pm
Straight Arrows
WEDNESDAY APRIL 13 Kimbra, Yeo, Northeast Party House Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $18 (+ bf) 7:30pm
THURSDAY APRIL 14 Raising Funds For Epilepsy Australia: The Paper Scissors, The Rescue Ships, Microwave Jenny Annandale Hotel $10 8pm Rumble!: Zeahorse, Velociraptor, Count Doyle Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 8pm
FRIDAY APRIL 15 The Beards, Gay Paris The Vanguard, Newtown $12 (+ bf)–$41 (dinner & show) 8pm Hell City Glamours, Degeneracy, Domestic Cone Unit, TUBbh, The Optionals, Lawers Guns & Money, Lo!, F.R.I.E.N.D/S DJs Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm
THURSDAY 14TH APRIL
Last Night: Chicks Who Love Guns, Redcoats, The Rubens, PhDJ,
Adalita M.I.T., Minou, Less Than Three, Those Pipe DJs The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $10 8pm Wash Your Face In Orange Juice: Peter Combe, The Vaudeville Smash, The Preachers Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $21 (+ bf) 8pm
The Paper Scissors
FRIDAY 15TH APRIL
SATURDAY 16TH APRIL
SATURDAY 23RD APRIL
The Strides 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm
SATURDAY APRIL 16 Adalita, Amaya Laucirica Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $15 (+ bf) 8pm British India, Boy In A Box, City Riots Annandale Hotel $25 (+ bf) 8pm Love Jam: King Tide, Tin Sparrow, Super Florence Jam, Eush, , Lemongrass Jam, Leif Wilson & Kris, Leroy Lee, Dylan Hogan Ross and more Beach Road Hotel, Bondi 12pm Martha Tilston, Anabelle Kay Paddington Uniting Church $25 8pm Straight Arrows, Street Chant (NZ), Bed Wettin Bad Boys FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm
SUNDAY APRIL 17 Eat Skull (USA), Slug Guts, Bed Wettin Bad Boys Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $15 7pm
BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 49
club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Mark Dynamix
THURSDAY APRIL 14
Tank, Sydney
Flood Fest Mark Dynamix, MC Shureshock, Will Styles, DJ Playmate, D*Funk, DJ Gabriel Clouston, Frenzie, MC Hay Boa, Dj Temnein, Slick 50, The Walker $30 (+ bf) 9:30pm All proceeds go to Common Ground Community Support Fund, to help victims of the Queensland Floods
The World Bar, Kings Cross Mondays Mista Killa free
WEDNESDAY APRIL 13 Bank Hotel, Newtown Girls’ Night DJ Sista P free 8pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown DJ Moussa free 11pm The Polo Lounge and Supper Club, Darlinghurst Robopop Randall Stagg, Kill The Landlord, T-Rompf, Smithers & Burns, LL Cool G 10pm $10 Sirens Nightclub, Terrigal Medusa DJ HypnotixX $5 9pm Sydney International Tennis Centre iD Black Under 18s Festival Angerfist, Ian Carey, Jay2P, Zannon, Skinny, Ravine, Suae, Pulsar, MC Anthony, Steve Hill, ‘HSB’, DJ Nasty, Smash Palace, DJ Afinity, DJ Esskay, Mantello, Tha Kid, Kadet, DJ Lay, DJ Sytrax, Import, Kid Finley, D-Forcerz, Sohda $33.30-$89.60 3pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall free 8pm
SATURDAY APRIL 16
MONDAY APRIL 11
The World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic free 8pm
TUESDAY APRIL 12 Australian Museum, Sydney Jurassic Lounge $15 6pm
The Gaff, Darlinghurst Coyote Tuesday Kid Finley, Johnny B free 9pm Valve B ar, Tempe Underground Tables Myme, Gee Wiz, Benji, BC, Allstars free 6pm
11a Oxford St, Paddington Inhale Sweet Az Soundsystem, Jonny Faith, Typhonic free 6pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop The Strides, Firehouse, Anti DJ Crew, Mike Who free 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Salsa on the Rocks DJ Dwight ‘Chocolate’ Escobar free 8.30pm Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor Top 40 Fitzroy DJs free 9pm The Gaff, Darlinghurst The College Party Kid Finley, Pee Wee Pete free 9pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Club Al Levins free 8pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Tenzin, Cadell, Zannon, K-Note free 8pm Home Terrace, Sydney Unipackers John Young $5–$10 10pm The Polo Lounge and Supper Club, Darlinghurst SEVIN, Brethren, Illergic and Tommy Rock, Izzy n The Profit, Bayside Wreckers, L-Fresh, DJ Maniak $20 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Propaganda DJs free (student)–$5 9pm
FRIDAY APRIL 15 Bank Hotel, Newtown DJ Janette Slack (UK),
Frenzie 9pm Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Fckyaslf Friday Peeping Tom, DJ Skinny, M9 free 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Tijuana Cartel 8pm Bristol Arms Retro Hotel, Sydney Club Retro Club Retro DJs $10–$15 9pm Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill DJ Idol free 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Danny Byrd, Reload, Gee Fluxz, MC D-Tech, A-Tonez, Cyberman $15–$20 9pm Club 202, Broadway Frat House $5-$10 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Shamus, DJ Matt Roberts, DJ Jeddy Rowland free 5pm Cruise Bar, The Rocks Johnny Vinyl, Strike free 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross Club Future Beats Cleptoclectics, Roleo + Tobio + Jozz Scott (joint live set), 48/4, Monk Fly, Max Gosford $5-$10 8pm The Gaff, Darlinghurst The Hellfire Club DJ Tokoloshe, DJ Jay, Sveta $25 9.30pm The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills Last Night Chicks Who Love Guns, Red Coats, The Rubens, PhDJ, M.I.T., Minou, Less Than Three, Those Pipe DJs $10 8pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Funktank Mike O’Conner, Fabz, Drop Dead free 9pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Caddell free 5pm Home The Venue, Sydney Delicious Flite, I.K.O., Suga Shane $15–$25 10pm Home Terrace, Sydney Sublime Peewee, Losty, Nix, Bionic, Morphee $20–$25 10pm Hotel Chambers, Sydney Jump Jive & Wail Limpin’ Jimmy & the Swingin’ Kitten free 9pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Ratpack Jacksons On George, Sydney DJ Michael Stewart free 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Alison Wonderland, Softwar $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 theloft 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 6pm
NSW Leagues Club, Sydney Mark Lines free 5pm Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Fridays DJ Tone free 9pm Oxford Art Factory Friday I’m In Love free 11.30pm The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville Smart Arts Festival Closing Night MC un1, Defender Sound System, Alice Spacedoll, Divine Knights, The Looks Good free 6pm The Rouge, Kings Cross Hollywood Gossip Threesixteen, Dibbs, Hobophonics, Deckhead $5 Sting Bar, Cronulla Electro Sessions 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 Tone, Surry Hills Dust Tones Mista Savona Soundsystem & Vida Sunshyne, Nick Toth, Firehouse, Foreigndub, Mike Who, DJ Ability, Bentley $18 (+ bf) 9pm The Watershed Hotel Bring On The Weekend! DJ Anders Hitchcock free The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM Young Revelry, Royston Vasie, MUM DJs $10-$15 8pm
SATURDAY APRIL 16 Acer Arena, Olympic Park A State Of Trance 500 Armin Van Buuren, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Aly & Fila, Menno de Jong, tyDi, Shogun 9pm sold out The Arthouse, Sydney Chris Willis, Matt Nukewood, Oxford Hustlers, Alex Taylor, Scott Pullen $39 10pm Bank Hotel, Newtown DJ Jack McCord, Adam O (NZ), Matt Randomplay (NZ) 9pm Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Chicks With Decks Tigerlily, NatNoiz, Lavida free 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Love Jam 11.30am 8pm Bristol Arms Retro Hotel Club Retro Club Retro DJs $20–$25 9pm Caringbah Bizzos White Trash $10 8pm Cheers Bar, Sydney Cheers Nightclub Cheers DJs free 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Michael Woods (UK), Bang Gang DeeJays, Dr Don Don, John Glover, Spenda C, Matttt, Scott Wright, Naiki, Marky Mark, Bounce Crew DJs, MC Adam Zae $15–$25 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Brynstar, DJ Mike Silver free 8pm Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly 9pm
“I’m so hungry now / My tummy’s rumblin’ ‘round / I’d better take a rest / I’d better go and lie down” - PETER COMBE 50 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
club picks up all night out all week... The Forbes Hotel, Sydney We Love Indie’s We Love America Party Audio Blackmail $5 8pm Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills Ladi6 (NZ), Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) $30 (+ bf) 8pm Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills Motion Dean Dixon, Dave Fernandes, DJ Burn-Hard, Northern Soul Poster Boy $5 8pm 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 Masquerade Party Jolyon Petch (NZ), Alley Oop, Liam Sampras, Charlie Brown $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 Manning Bar, University of Sydney Seekae, Ghoul, Bardeya $19 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
Tour De Dance Vincent de Vega, Maya & Shar, Bboy Doo Rok, Aruna Po Ching, Wil Centurion, Ability $15 (+ bf) 8pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Phoenix Rising Dan Murphy, Johan Khoury, Mark Alsop $10 4am The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville Gaylordz DJ Erin, Tbag, Sir $10 8pm The Rouge, Kings Cross Le Rouge Daniel Farley (NZ), Dan Mac, Franseco DaRoit, Chris Arnott $10 9.30pm Tank, Sydney Flood Fest Mark Dynamix, MC Shureshock, Will Styles, DJ Playmate, D*Funk, DJ Gabriel Clouston, Frenzie, MC Hay Boa, Dj Temnein, Slick 50, The Walker $30 (+ bf) 9.30pm The Watershed Hotel, Sydney Watershed Presents Skybar The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! $15-$25 8pm
SUNDAY APRIL 17 Bank Hotel, Newtown DJ David DC free Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Neon Nights Beni, Cassian free 6pm The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays free Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Brynstar free 8pm
FakeClub, Kings Cross Spice After Hours Chris Tietjen (Denmark), Kontrast DJs, Murat Kilic $15-$20 4am Gotham, Darlinghurst Sunday Soiree GI Jode, Darren Mason free 4pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Sneaky Sundays 8pm The Hunter Bar, Sydney Daydreams 5am Hurstville Entertainment Centre Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone (USA) $32.30 1pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac free 9pm Name This Bar, Darlinghurst Sunday Sessions Marv, Mark, Gino, Jerry free 4pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone, Undie Sundie DJs free 7pm Riverside Theatres, Parramatta Cafe Carnivale Tango Bar $22 (member)–$28 1pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Loose Ends Matt Vaughan free 10pm The Rouge, Kings Cross Cheap Thrill$ Barfly, J Smoove, Matt Nukewood, MC Kidd Kaos free 8pm Sweeney’s Rooftop Sundaes Hanna Gibbs, Ty, Josh Verdi, G-Banga $10 12pm The Watershed Hotel, Sydney DJ Brynstar The World Bar, Kings Cross Fortune Disco Punx free 6pm
club picks up all night out all week...
THURSDAY APRIL 14 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop The Strides, Firehouse, Anti DJ Crew, Mike Who free 8pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Club Al Levins free 8pm
FRIDAY APRIL 15 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Tijuana Cartel 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross Club Future Beats Cleptoclectics, Roleo + Tobio + Jozz Scott (joint live set), 48/4, Monk Fly, Max Gosford $5-$10 8pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Alison Wonderland, Softwar $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 theloft Somatik, Noel Boogie, Noodles, DJ Huwston, Meem, The Swat DJs, Lippo free 10pm
Chris Tietjen Tone, Surry Hills Dust Tones Mista Savona Soundsystem & Vida Sunshyne, Nick Toth, Firehouse, Foreigndub, Mike Who, DJ Ability, Bentley $18 (+ bf) 9pm
SATURDAY APRIL 16 Acer Arena, Olympic Park A State Of Trance 500 Armin Van Buuren, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Aly & Fila, Menno de Jong, tyDi, Shogun 10pm sold out Chinese Laundry, Sydney Michael Woods (UK), Bang Gang DeeJays, Dr Don Don, John Glover, Spenda C, Matttt, Scott Wright, Naiki, Marky Mark, Bounce Crew DJs, MC Adam Zae $15–$25 9pm
Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills Ladi6 (NZ), Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) $30 (+ bf) 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Tour De Dance Vincent de Vega, Maya & Shar, Bboy Doo Rok, Aruna Po Ching, Wil Centurion, Ability $15 (+ bf) 8pm
SUNDAY APRIL 17 FakeClub, Kings Cross Spice After Hours Chris Tietjen (Denmark), Kontrast DJs, Murat Kilic 4am $15-$20 Hurstville Entertainment Centre Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone (USA) $32.30 1pm
BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 51
Deep Impressions Underground Dance and Electronica with Chris Honnery
Marcellus Pittman
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.
ON THE ROAD
D
espite being telegraphed for release some time ago, Pharoahe Monch’s new album album, W.A.R., has only recently hit record stores. It’s the US rapper’s first release since 2007's Desire, and his third studio album to date. The new LP features contributions from a swag of collaborators including Jill Scott, Styles P, Phonte, Jean Grae, Royce Da 5’9”, Idris Elba, Immortal Technique, and Citizen Cope. You can find it on Duck Down records. Recent Sydney visitor and Chicago resident Rahaan has released a doubledisc compilation of his own disco re-edits; a collection of 12”s previously released through the Stilove label. His Sydney warehouse set from a couple of weeks back received much acclaim. The disc of feelgood, deep disco is simply titled Rahaan Edits Vol 1.
D
etroit’s Marcellus Pittman, a member of the Three Chairs production team (along with Rick Wilhite, Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann, and Theo Parrish) jets into town to play at Tone on Sunday June 12. Pittman first rose to prominence with a handful of co-productions with Parrish that were released across two 12”s on Parrish’s Sound Signature label in ’99 and ’02. He unveiled his own distinct sonic identity with the M. Pittman EP for Omar-S' FXHE label, an unapologetically soulful release that referenced the Chicago house tradition and fused it with a raw and minimal edge. While his solo release schedule has been relatively relaxed (and the quality control high), Pittman has plenty of other ventures on the go: he’s collaborated with Parrish and Omar-S as the T.O.M. Project, is part of the sprawling Rotating Assembly collective, and his Midwestern Advocates EP Part One remains a favourite among the cognoscenti. Presale tickets are available now through Resident Advisor. At the time of writing, it had just been revealed that Chilean minimal techno don Ricardo Villalobos will release a new EP and a remix album in the near future. And as is the policy with all things Ricardorelated, this was slotted straight into this magazine ahead of – well, I won’t name names. Anyhow, later this month sees the release of the Joli Chat EP on Nice Cat Records, on which Ricardo teams up with Anthony Collins and Los Updates. But even more exciting is the remix album, Re:ECM, that’s about to drop on ECM (Edition Of Contemporary Music), the legendary jazz and ‘new music’ label founded by Manfred Eicher in 1969. For this project, Villalobos teamed up with Max Loderbauer – a member of Sun Electric, NSI and the Moritz Von Oswald Trio – to rework selections from the back catalogue of ECM. The duo were granted access to the complete musical archives of the highly respected Munich-based label, and their re-interpretations of the catalogue include pieces by Arvo Pärt, Alexander Knaifel and Christian Wallumrød. Re:ECM is due to be released in May, though the exact date has not yet been revealed. After a myriad of EPs and remixes, and some recent barnstorming performances in Sydney, the duo of Luca Saporito and Anthony Middleton - collectively known as Audiofly - are about to release their debut album, Follow My Liebe, on the Get Physical label. The album has been composed as a continuous mix, and purportedly draws on the entire house spectrum, along with more down tempo sounds. It’s also been described as a release that, while catering to the club market, also manages to stand the ‘sofa test’, which is where so many DJ-cumproducers fall down - ‘boom boom boom, bam bam bam’ only has so much appeal, particular if one is alone in the loungeroom on a Tuesday night drinking port and reading Proust. Follow My Liebe drops at the very end of this month, so you don’t have long to wait on this one.
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, while I’m told his ‘Smugglers Inn’ radio show/podcast regularly pulls in thousands of listeners around the globe, and occasionally even trumps Gwen Stefani for airtime at BRAG HQ. Berlin-based electronic musician Sascha Ring, aka Apparat, has moved stable to Mute Records, which has just become independent again via a new agreement between EMI and Daniel Miller, and on which he will release a new album in a couple of months. Aside from running the Shitkatapult label together with T. Raumschmiere and being a well respected DJ, Apparat is probably best known for his collaborations – particularly with Ellen Allien, and with Modeselektor as Moderat. Apparat’s new material sees him move away from the production style of Moderat to a more experimental sonic palette judging from the appetizer track ‘Ash/Black Veil’ (available on Soundcloud), which has evoked comparisons to the likes of Sigur Ros or Caribou. (Not to overhype it or anything.) Have a listen between now and when you pick up the mag next week – consider it your homework, buster...
LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY APRIL 23
Dutch producer and beat scientist 2562 (aka Dave Huisman) has just released his third full-length album. Entitled Fever, it’s a collection of post-dubstep / techno / UK garage / experimental rhythm-based electronica, crafted entirely out of samples he’s taken from vintage disco records. NZ dub reggae band Katchafire are set to tour the country ahead of the June release of their new album, On The Road Again. The tour stops in Sydney on Friday June 24 at the Enmore Theatre where they’ll be joined by special guest Maisey Rika, a sublime vocalist in the soulful reggae and pop field. Maori songwriter Rika was a nominee for Best Female Vocalist at the NZ Music Awards at the age of just 15. Some of you may well have Al Kent’s Disco Love compilation in your collections - well, Vol 2 is out now through BBE. Heavily focused on rarities, and re-edits of said rarities, Kent will take you back to the very early days of UK and US disco, which can mean the recording quality can be a little bit questionable on some of the releases. It comes down to whether your interests are in playing them out or merely listening. Fania have released the double-disc retrospective, Fania Records 1964-1980. You can pick a good swag of the NY based Latin label’s back-catalogue, with artists like Larry Harlow, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, and Joe Bataan. It’s out through Strut records. L.A.’s new hip hop hopefuls Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All have sold out all three shows of their first ever trip to Australia, as part of Sydney Opera House’s Vivid LIVE program. There’s lots of hype driving this
FRIDAY APRIL 16
Ladi6, Electric Wire Hustle The Gaelic Theatre
MONDAY APRIL 25
Blind Boys Of Alabama, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples Sydney Opera House
THURSDAY MAY 5 MURS and 9th Wonder The Gaelic Theatre
SATURDAY MAY 28 Bliss n Eso, Horrorshow Hordern Pavilion
MAY 31, JUNE 1 & 2 OFWGKTA Sydney Opera House
THURSDAY JUNE 2 Sonny Rollins Sydney Opera House
SATURDAY JUNE 4 Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Sydney Opera House
band’s momentum right now, so those who picked up tickets will have a chance to see whether or not it's warranted. Those who didn't will have to wait til next time... Seminal US jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is also on the Vivid LIVE bill. The National Medal Of Arts recipient boasts one of the longest careers in jazz, and has played alongside eminent musicians like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, just to name a few. Rollins has also been immortalized through animation in The Simpsons – Lisa’s discovery of Bleeding Gums Murphy on the bridge after dark is indeed an homage to Rollins, who was discovered in the same circumstances by a journalist three years after disappearing from the public eye. His performance on June 2 at the Opera House will also mark his 80th birthday. And last but not least, the Chicago ninepiece Hypnotic Brass Ensemble also join us for Vivid LIVE. As the name suggests, they’re a horn collective of all shapes and sizes, fusing jazz, pop and hip hop - and eight of the group’s nine members are sons of Sun Ra Arkestra trumpet player Phil Cohran. As I go over the band’s backcatalogue, it strikes me that fans of The Roots in particular will dig the HBE show. They play the Opera House on June 4.
Red Rack’em Marrickville Bowling Club
SUNDAY APRIL 24
Odd Future
Omar-S Tone
SATURDAY MAY 14 Kollektiv Turmstrasse Tone Joris Voorn Spice Afloat Cruise Joris Voorn
Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com. 52 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
There’s a high-quality new disco house tune out through Sydney’s Future Classic: LA based duo Poolside, with ‘Do You Believe’, a very clean, slow-burning, warm-up style disco groove. Jacques Renault features on the remix.
Ladi6
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 .. .. ..
01:04:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958
p*a*s*h*
It’s called: Dust Tones It sounds like: Dance hall, dub, reggae, hip hop. Who’s spinning? Mista Savona, Nick Toth, Firehouse, Foreign Dub, Bentley, Mike Who, DJ Ability Five records you’ll hear on the night: Mista Savona – ‘Turn Up The Music’; Cecile – ‘Faking’; Jay-Z vs Archit ecture In Helsinki – ‘99 Hearts’; The Nextmen – ‘Mean Speaker’; Nas & Damien Marley – ‘As We Enter.’
And one you definitely won’t: Bruce Spring steen – ‘Fire’. Sell it to us: Mista Savona is Australia’s #1 dance hall producer. He’s worked with the best Jamaica has to offer, and is well respected in the country that gave birth to not only dance hall but reggae and dub. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Dagge ring 'til your fork is bent. Crowd specs: Anyone who likes to dance. Wallet damage: $20 on the door / $18 presa le from moshtix Where: Tone / 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills When: Friday April 15. See facebook.com/du sttones for more info!
PICS :: AC
02:04:11 :: The Civic Hotel :: 388 Pitt St City 80807000
party profile
dust tones
PICS :: KC
adult disco
PICS :: PS
falcona fridays
pedestrian @ fbi social
01:04:11 :: Kit & Kaboodle :: 33-35 Darlinghurst Rd Kings Cross 9368 0300
PICS :: TL
01:04:11 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 94 Beattie Street Balmain 87552555
01:04:11 :: King Cross Hotel :: 248 William St Kings Cross 93319900
:: :: MAYA BERGER :: NIKI BODLE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) IEL MUNNS :: DAN :: MAR OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER LEY ASH :: IN HOK JAY K :: MITCHELL KATRINA CLARKE :: ALICIA COO THOMAS PEACHEY ::
BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11 :: 53
snap snap
the wall
PICS :: AM
upall allnight nightout outall allweek week...... up
wham!
PICS :: DM
30:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700
02:04:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700
It’s called: Gallery Burlesque.
It looks like: Sydney’s finest art and finest dancers. Who’s playing? Mechanical Black, Platinum Brunette. Sell it to us: Art, music, booze – it’s all about the vibe. On the lineup this week are Sydney rockers Mechanical Black , whose intriguing combination of influences (Beatles, Muse, Pink Floyd, Faith No Filth) suggests a set that will segue from hard-e More and Cradle Of dged angry rock to selfaccepting ballads. The fellas will be launching their new single ‘Speed Spider’, supported by Platinum Brunette. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The great vibe. Crowd specs: Art lovers, music lovers. Wallet damage: $10 Where: Tone / 16 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills When: Wednesday April 13
propaganda
PICS :: TL
02:04:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958
party profile
chinese laundry
PICS :: AM
gallery burlesque
tone saturday
PICS :: AM
31:03:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700
02:04:11 :: Tone Venue :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440 54 :: BRAG :: 407 :: 11:04:11
:: MAYA BERGER :: NIKI BODLE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR :: DANIEL MUNNS IN HOK JAY L HEL MITC :: K KATRINA CLARKE :: ALICIA COO THOMAS PEACHEY ::
::
scream4movie.com.au FACEBOOK.COM/ROADSHOWFILMS
IN CINEMAS APRIL 14
SYDNEY THEATRE & CHUNKY MOVE PRESENT
CONNECTED 10 -14 MAY 2011
SYDNEY THEATRE AT WALSH BAY BOOK NOW sydneytheatre.org.au OR PHONE (02) 9250 1999 TICKETS FROM $30 (PLUS TRANSACTION FEES)
PHOTO Jeff Busby PICTURED Alisdair Macindoe & Stephanie Lake
“..MATHEMATICALLY PRECISE AND MESMERISINGLY BEAUTIFUL” THE AGE