“I lov ve th that at I'm g get etti et etti ting p ting pai a d to do so ai ometh thin ing in g cr crea ati t ve e tha hatt I would happ pil ily y do o for orr ffree, e jus ustt be beca caus ca use us e I' I'm 'm pa pass ss sio ona ate te abou ab bou outt it it!! Ev ver er yt eryt ythi hing abo hing hi a out ut Shilllin ingt ng on is sett up up to pr prov prov oviide ide th t e pe erf rfe ect le ec ear a ning ng g environ nme ment nt:: gr nt grea eatt re ea eso sour u ce ur es, s, up-t up -to-t o-da odate te e sof oftw twar tw are an are ar nd co comp mput mp uter ut ers, s the lec s, ectu ec tu ure rers s are r ama azi zing ng and nd even n th he colleg ge wa w ll llpa pape pape pa perr is fulll of tip ips s and an d ru rule les le s of o g gra raph ra phic ph ic c des esiig ign! ign! n ” !L ! EX X " "EVERID IDGE ID GE s GE ' 'RA RAPH HIC IC $ ES SIG IGNER s 3URl RlNG N 7ORLD NG D -AG GAZ A IN INE E
IN 3 MON ONTTHS ONT
It’s possible at Shillington College
Less than two years ago Alex Beveridge was a surf instructor and worked in surf retail. Although he loved surfing (clearly) he’d always wanted to do something more creative and decided that graphic design was just the thing. Not long out of school, the idea of studying for another 3 years just wasn’t appealing for Alex. Fortunately, some friends had told him about a design college called Shillington and the rest, as they say, is history.
www.shillingtoncollege.com.au www.facebook.com/Shillington.FB Sydney O Melbourne O Brisbane London O Manchester O New York
At Shillington you are able to study graphic design intensively for 3 months; eating, sleeping and breathing it for 40 hours a week, although, if you’re like Alex, you’ll still somehow be able to find time to catch a few waves before or after class.
Our objective has always been to ensure that our students graduate with an in-depth, practical knowledge of design theory and the Adobe Creative Suite. All of the student briefs are realistic and are completed within hours or days rather than weeks or months. The end result is an outstanding portfolio of work that can easily compete alongside those of 2 or 3 year courses and the studio skills that allow for a smooth transition from the classroom to a real studio. When Alex started to apply for jobs he was called back after every interview and before long had landed his dream job at Surfing World Magazine, even though they were advertising for an experienced designer. He’s happily been working there ever since.
Alex is just one of the many students who come to Shillington with no previous design experience that have found full-time work in the industry soon after graduating. We’ve had nurses, miners, plumbers, djs, dancers, accountants, musicians... you name it. Aside from the full-time Certificate IV course, there is also a part-time option that can be studied two evenings a week over a year and a 16 week Masterclass — a course for practising graphic designers wanting to expand their design skills and improve their portfolio. So, if you’re working in a job you don’t love every day, maybe now is the time to think about a change. For more information visit come to our open night on Friday 5 August 5.45-7pm L3, 50 Margaret St, Sydney - 02 9299 1166
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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly and Steph Harmon
five things WITH
MARCUS FROM SINGLE TWIN another tape recorder playing the same thing I’d just recorded in the bathroom, to get an echo effect; singing down the phone; taping sound effects off the TV… All into one mic on a shitty cassette deck. I still use a lot of my early childhood places as the setting for songs that I write now. Places like the creek, someone’s living room, a reservoir... I dunno why. They stay vivid I guess, in the way that kids’ imaginations and first impressions do, and the fact that they don’t exist anymore leaves them untouched. Inspirations People with a unique take on 2. their stories. Right at the moment
1.
Growing Up I grew up in suburban Melbourne, recording songs into a cassette recorder with my younger
brother. We’d make up songs about our parents and things like ...dogs. From there I unknowingly started “producing” stuff: putting
it’s Spoon and Gillian Welch and LCD Soundsystem and Lykke Li. The benchmarks for me are people like Modest Mouse and Elliott Smith and Tom Waits and Archers of Loaf. Radiohead – I remember working in a CD manufacturing plant and hearing ‘Paranoid Android’ for the first time, thinking “What the fuck is this? It’s not pretty and I’m frightened.” I was packing thousands
of Blink 182 albums into a box at the time, though…
and 20 years ago Nick Drake. It’s shorthand for small, dark acoustic songs being played by one person.
Your Crew My crew is me. I write and 3. Music, Right Here, Right record everything and then I get my Now 5. friends to help me play it live. I train I think the best thing about music people to painstakingly recreate my mistakes. They’re really good at it. The Music You Make I recorded my album on my own 4. at home. I use GarageBand and a Rode mic. I tried to record some songs in a traditional studio and I thought they sounded shit. There’s something about squeezing the life out of a process that’s not made for what you’re using it for, that gives it its own life. And I mess around until I get it right – a process which only took me six years... Live, Single Twin is different though; currently the band is a five-piece, there’s harmonies and more fleshed-out sounds, though still recreating the record mostly. People have said it sounds a bit like Bon Iver, but five years ago they would have said Sparklehorse and ten years ago Elliott Smith
right now is that I can record a drum ‘n bass song today, put it on the internet tonight, and it will be treated like a legitimate piece of work. The only obstacles that musos have to overcome are their own laziness/ego, as well as (maybe) the enormous amount of music being put out. It’s the bands that are putting their work up in different states of progress that are making the music scene hum at the moment – all the bits and pieces on Jonathan Boulet’s site are a good example… And Grand Salvo is the best local musician going. What: Marcus Teague album launch Where: Low 302 / Crown Street, Darlinghurst When: Thursday August 4
GOTYE SECOND SHOW
If there was an ARIA for The Song Everyone You Have Ever Met Tells You To Watch The Video For, Gotye (or “Yeezy” as he is known in rap circles) would definitely be all unkempt at the podium, accepting the pointy award and saying “I couldn’t have done it without Kimbra’s amazing voice/torso.” Enough of you have connected this video with the concert Gotye: An Animated Album being held at Graphic Festival to have seen the first show entirely sell out – forcing them to announce a second one. Show number two happens at the Opera House on August 21, where Gotye will be performing his forthcoming album with a ten-piece ‘mini-orchestra’ (dwarfs, I can only assume), accompanied by a specially-commissioned animation put together by some of Australia’s most talented artists. Natch.
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: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Niki Bodle, Katrina Clarke, Cai Griffin, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Vicky Nguyen, Thomas Peachy, Patrick Stevenson COVER DESIGN: Sarah Bryant ADVERTISING: Matthew Cowley - 0431 917 359 / (02) 9552 6333 matthew@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9552 6333 les@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Meaghan Meredith - 0423 655 091 / (02) 9552 6333 meaghan@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Matt Banham - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance & parties) INTERNS: Sigourney Berndt, Louisa Bathgate, Greg Clennar REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Binns, Joshua Blackman, Liz Brown, Bridie Connellan, Ben Cooper, Oliver Downes, Alasdair Duncan, Max Easton, Tony Edwards, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Max Easton, Mike Gee, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Alex Lindsay Jones, Peter Neathway, Hugh Robertson, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, Luke Telford, Rick Warner Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 8a Marlborough Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Staff of The Brag. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Art Work, Ad Bookings Thursday 12pm (no extensions) Ad Cancellations Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? Email distribution@furstmedia. com.au or phone 03 9428 3600. PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...
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Metronomy
Calling All Cars
CALLING ALL CARS
Radio’s fave Aussie rockers Calling All Cars are finally dropping their second record Hold, Hold, Fire this Friday August 6 – and to celebrate, they’re showing it off around the country on a huge 17-date tour. And in an exciting babushka doll move, they’re packing Boy In A Box into a box (probably), and taking him along for the ride. The tour hits the Oxford Art Factory on Friday September 2, the killer first single ‘Reptile’ is out now, and the album is full of tracks like that.
PROF. STEVE VAI
You’ve got two options if you want to learn guitar. Look in the classifieds and end up in some 20-year-old student’s bedroom in Roseville playing the riff to ‘Nothing Else Matters’ over and over for a few weeks before realising it hurts your fingers… or look in THE BRAG, and lock in a two-and-a-half hour lesson with guitar hero Steve Vai. October 15 is the masterful date when this masterclass by one of the masters of guitar takes place. Book your spot quickly at thumpmusic.com.au – it’s only $80 for twoand-a-half hours, so it’s cheaper than that kid in Roseville, too.
JESUS, JONES.
‘Right Here, Right Now’, Jesus Jones’ undeniable 1990 blast of baggy rock, was originally written about the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the general optimistic mood of the times. “Watching the world wake up from history” – what a poignant, powerful line. Good news is, the song is now being used for the 2011 Rugby World Cup... Isn’t progress wonderful? Better news is that Jesus Jones are playing Enmore August 19, and have convinced The Wonder Stuff (the reason you know that ‘Dizzy’ song) to make the trip with them. Innit?
LANIE LANE & JACK WHITE? Clare Bowditch kidnapped her and dragged her around the country on her Winter Secrets tour
(forcing her to do duets and the like), and now Jack White himself has tricked Sydney’s Lanie Lane into coming up to his Third Man studio in Nashville to record a few songs with him for a 7-inch. ‘Ain’t Hungry/My Man’ will be out August 23, and the chances of you securing a copy will increase if you try to order one on the Internet. Life is so easy these days…
JACK LADDER TOUR
Jack Ladder – the Sydney artist who constantly has to fend off Nick Cave comparisons due to his tall, looming presence, his low register and his crazy reluctance to incorporate African rhythms, bouncy indie guitar lines or dubstep beats into his music – will play The Metro on October 1 in support of his excellent, heartbroken record, Hurtsville.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The members of the New York Dolls that didn’t die of heroin overdoses (use in moderation, kids!) are heading to Australia to play the Manning Bar on October 15. But this isn’t just your regular ‘seminal band reforms and tours’ show; the band are coming out as part of the New York-inspired culture festival ‘The Boroughs’, which will turn the entire place into a mini-New York with art installations, fashion shows and a set by some little group known as The New York Dolls. You can find out more at theboroughs.com.au.
FALLS FESTIVAL MK III
You know how you and your film school friends had planned to spend New Year’s Eve doing a shot-by-shot re-creation of that scene from The OC, when Ryan has ten seconds to run in slow motion to that smarmy guy’s penthouse and tell Marissa he loves her, because if he doesn’t by midnight she’s going to kiss a rich douchebag (such a great girl...)? That NYE plan is even worse now, because Falls are up to lineup announcement III: Aloe Blacc, Dan Deacon, The Kooks, Metronomy, Nouvelle Vague, Pnau and The Jim Jones Revue are just some of the artists who’ve been added to a list which already boasted Arctic Monkeys, Crystal Castles, Fleet Foxes, J Mascis, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and loads more. Falls Festival goes down over three days from December 29 at Marion Bay in Tassie, or over four days from December 28 in Lorne, Victoria. Finlay Quaye won’t be there.
FLIGHT FACILITIES BRAND NEW SINGLE! OUT NOW ON ITUNES THROUGH FUTURE CLASSIC. FLIGHTFACILITIES.COM FUTURECLASSIC.COM.AU
FLIGHT FACILITIES
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rock music news
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly and Steph Harmon
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
five things WITH
PINBACK
KATIE FROM BANG! BANG! ROCK 'N ROLL Your Crew We have Joel on guitar and vocals, Jess 3. on guitar and vocals, and me (Katie) on drums and vocals. We all have slightly differing musical tastes and opinions, which I think adds to the end result. The Music You Make Super fun garage rock. We want to 4. make people get up off their feet, abandon all consequences, and just have a really good time! We recorded our debut EP Do It! with Dave Hammer at DefWolf Studios. You can check it out at bangbangrocknroll.bandcamp.com Music, Right Here, Right Now There are a lot of great bands around 5. at the moment doing a lot of rad stuff – The Summervilles, YIS, New Brutalists, The Preachers, Doc Holliday Takes The Shotgun, DZ Deathrays, Andre Rieu, Michael Bolton etc... Just a lot of rad stuff. Venue-wise, it’s a shame there aren’t more, but our favourite places are The World Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Phoenix Bar, The Annandale and the underground scene of Maggotsville, Black Wire and Dirty Shirlows.
Growing Up Inspirations I grew up in a very music-orientated Sex Bob-omb, Black Rebel Motorcycle 1. 2. household, but nobody else in my family was Club, The Kills, The Reatards, Bass Drum musical in terms of playing an instrument. I remember dancing to Led Zeppelin and The Beatles on my dad’s feet as a little one.
Of Death; anything really rough, bluesy, punk rock and fucked up sounding.
What: Do It! EP launch Where: Wolfden @ Phoenix, The Exchange Hotel When: Friday August 5
vinyl, CD and cassette… and BUTTON. You heard us. Playbutton is a cute little device that pretty much amounts to a badge you can listen to, and come August 5, the Gurge will have released their new album SuperHappyFunTimesFriends on one – and on all the other formats, too. Purchase the cassette and party like it’s 1990, or the Playbutton and party like cyborgs have taken over the earth… It’s your choice! (Also, they are playing a show on Saturday August 13 at Manning Bar).
Wolves At The Door
Like a part-time lover who you end up marrying, Pinback started as a way to pass the time. But over the last decade, they’ve produced four albums and gained more indie street cred than you can shake a Bourke Street Bakery passionfruit meringue tart at. Creating a niche for themselves with their pop-indie-prog-funk-rock music, they’re headed our way for their first ever Australian tour. We’ve got two double passes to their show at Manning Bar on Saturday August 20; if you want in, just email us with the full names of the guys that formed the band.
ADALITA
You might know Adalita Srsen as the front woman of iconic indie-rock band Magic Dirt. You might know her as Adalita, the solo artist who supported Blondie’s national tour and released a bitchin’ solo record this year. Maybe you just know Adalita as that hot singer chick who lives next door and plays her music too loud... But however you know the Aussie rock goddess, you don’t want to miss her when she hits up The Annandale on Saturday August 6, with Laura Imbruglia in tow. If you’d like one of two double passes, just email us the name of Adalita’s self-titled LP. And there’s a hint there for you, if you look hard enough...
Empire Of The Sun
STAR CITY GLAMOURS
Hell City Glamours were in the studio recording songs for their new album, when they decided there was absolutely no point jumping on their amp stacks doing leaping scissor-kicks and the like when there was no one there to see it – so they decided to book a show for this Wednesday August 3 at Rocklily (Star City Casino), with The Dead Love and Sounds of Sirius. ...And with a lineup like that, this is one night that won’t be a gamble [canned laughter]. Seriously though, go.
BUCHANAN
WOLVES AT THE DOOR
A little over a week ago (assuming you’re reading this over my shoulder as I type), Perth’s two-piece boy/girl duo Wolves At The Door released their second EP, Wolves At The Door II. They’ll be launching it at Last Night at the Gaelic Club (Purple Sneakers, but with more bands) on August 5, with support from Bright Yellow, The Fiction and the Last Night DJs: Josh Kelly, Randall Stagg and PhDJ. Yup.
SIMPLE PLAN
Canadia’s favourite pop punkers Simple Plan have asked us to let you know aboot the flights they’ve booked back to Australia, for an East Coast tour to show off their latest record, Get Your Heart On! They’ll be bringing some of that poppy, melodic, rock-punky goodness you know and love to the Enmore Theatre on October 1 – with Tonight Alive and New Empire in tow. Tickets go on sale Wednesday August 3 from ticketek. Get ye to an internet.
BLACK DICE
Ok, we don’t want to beat around the bush: Black Dice are a noise art collective. We know how that sounds, trust us, but you’ve got to
see these mercurial Americans do their glitchy, jagged atmospheric mix of noisy mess and techno to really understand life (not really – but they have some amazing gear and music). They play Oxford Art Factory on October 7, and you should go because Lucky Dragons are in support; all synthesisers, loop pedals, woodwind and other nutty instruments that’ll twist your verse/chorus/verse brain into knots.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN GURGEVENTURE
It’s a comforting thing when Regurgitator release a new album – it makes the radio and record stores feel like a fun, warm, inviting world again. Even moreso when they release the album on
With comparisons to Phoenix, Mumford & Sons and Band Of Horses, Melbourne’s Buchanan are certainly swimming in a sea of lazy comparisons! They just finished touring with Papa vs Pretty to tick them off their must-tourwith list (previously ticked off entries include Gypsy and the Cat, Jinja Safari and Kimbra), and they’ll be back playing Rabbit Hole at Tone this Saturday August 6 (this Sat’dy, innit?) with Young Romantics (awww) and Tank.
CABINS @ FBI SOCIAL
Aussie music blog (we don’t know what that means either, print is not dead etc) A Story Never Told are hosting this Thursday August 4 at FBi Social, and have booked a keeper of a bill: Cabins (who’ve been away long enough to have some new tunes in tow), Melbourne’s Meow Kapow (all of whose songs involve cat and comic lingo [citation needed]), The Bungalows (who’ve just released their debut record and will be flaunting it around like nobody’s business) and Radio National (much more exciting than the station). It goes down from 8pm at Kings Cross Hotel, and will cost you a cool $12 on the door.
WOMBATS TOUR
The Wombats owe every ounce of their current success to the Australian public. If we didn’t invent that humble marsupial back in the 1920s and shoot the little fella to fame via a series of memorable appearances on tea towels and various monetary denominations, the Liverpool band would be called something like The Wrens or The Magpies. You can think about that when they ask you to dance to Joy Division at their October 14 show at the Hordern. And catch the support acts, too: Faker (who have a bunch of new stuff ready to fling at you) and Owl Eyes (her new Raiders EP is out now; it’s not ladylike to fling).
Wombats
FAT AS BUTTER MK II
We told you a few weeks back about how The Living End and Naughty By Nature were gonna be headlining this year’s Fat As Butter – but we’ve got some new names for you now. Empire Of The Sun, Sinden, Flo Rida, Sparkadia, Cloud Control, The Jezabels, Flight Facilities, Aston Shuffle, British India, Owl Eyes, Redcoats, Calling All Cars, The Herd and loads more will be at Camp Shortland on The Foreshore in Newcastle on Saturday October 22, waiting for you all to show up. Meet them there ‘round twelve?
“We know of an ancient radiation that haunts dismembered constellations, a faintly glimmering radio station” - CAKE 16 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
- Wed 3rd -
Canvas Project launch party - Thurs 4th -
Jeremy Harrison
and the Western Electric Band
- Fri 5th -
Twist and Shout 60’s danceparty - Surf Tunes
- Sat 6th -
Rabbit Hole -
Young Romantics, Buchanan (Melb), 2Am Headliner - Tank
- Sun 7th -
UN SOUND:
Axis, Defektro, Jusgo Mosh, Fub
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 17
The Music Network
themusicnetwork.com
Industry Music News with Christie Eleizer
Lifelines Born: son for ex-Fugees member Lauryn Hill, who Twittered that he was not sired by the father of her other five kids, reggae singer Rohan Marley – but she didn’t say who the father was. Marley is currently with Brazilian supermodel, Isabeli Fontana. Born: twin sons to NZ singer songwriter Anika Moa and her wife, burlesque dancer Azaria Universe. They married last February. Engaged: it might have been a publicity gimmick when Gene Simmons’ long time girlfriend Shannon Tweed said their relationship was over. But on the US season finale of his reality series last week, he proposed to her. In Court: lawyers for a woman who claims that rapper Flo Rida fathered her son want him to take another paternity test. He took one already but it was under an alias to protect his identity, and they say there’s no proof it was he who took the test. In Court: veteran US punk band The Dead Kennedys forced Heineken to withdraw an ad which used their ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’. They say they gave no permission, and fear it could incite binge drinking. Died: Marjorie Rose Little, wife of Jimmy Little, 74, in a Dubbo nursing home after battling illness this year. Died: Albury guitarist Mark Taylor, 36, after his car collided with a truck. He played in Mojo Squeeze and The Electric Primitives, and released an all-acoustic EP Silhouttes, which featured the song ‘Bitter Moon’ that won Best Song in the 2007 Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association awards. Died: Dan Peek, founding member of US folk-pop trio America. He left them in 1977 to make Christian-themed albums. Died: US jazz saxophonist and composer Frank Foster, 83. He played with Count Basie and worked with Frank Sinatra, Elvin Jones and Sarah Vaughan. Died: US sax player Gil Bernal, 80, heart disease. He worked with Spike Jones, Lionel Hampton and Ry Cooder, on Buena Vista Social Club.
WANNA PLAY PEATS RIDGE?
G
IV
E
A W AY
Wanna play before 10,000 people at Peats Ridge Arts and Music Festival, held from Thursday December 29 to Sunday January 1 at Glenworth Valley, an hour out of Sydney? Go
to peatsridgefestival.com.au for a submission form. Musicians send your most recent release/demo; arts and theatre folks submit a YouTube link or video. Deadline is Tuesday August 30, and they’re expecting a thousand applications. Festival director Matt Grant says that showcasing new talent is one of the best aspects of the event for him. “We gave Angus and Julia Stone their first gig back in 2005 – I’ve still got the original CD they submitted.” Last year, the duo returned to headline.
THE RUSH TO BUY EMI Bidding has started for EMI Music. Sources say interested parties include Warner Music’s new owner Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Potential bidders include Ronald Perelman’s MacAndrews & Forbes, Tom Gores’ Platinum Equity, and BMG Music Rights, a joint venture by Bertelsmann and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. The 114-year-old British music company could be sold for anything between US$2.5 billion and $4 billion.
MYSCHOOLACT A high school act could score itself a recording deal with Sony Music Entertainment valued at $50,000, a publishing deal with Sony/ATV – and a spot at Big Day Out. Through online music and talent competition MySchoolAct. com, bands have to upload an MP3 or video, and promote themselves to get votes. Individuals are also eligible to win full first year scholarships in film production, audio engineering, design and multimedia from SAE Institute and Qantm College. Motorola has come in this year as sponsor.
SOUNDWAVE LAUNCHES 3WISE RECORDS The folks behind the punk, metal and rock Soundwave Festival and Soundwave Revolution (and the brand new indiealternative Harvest) have launched their own boutique record label, 3Wise Records. It will be distributed through Sony Music. This week they release albums by their first two signings — Detroit-based Fireworks fiery second album Gospel, and Get Nice! from Zebrahead, who will be touring here for the first time on the Soundwave Revolution bill.
being included for the first time. Similarly, the inclusion of Moshtix and the Darwin Entertainment Centre also provided a better picture. Such figures should attract sponsorship and private investment to Contemporary Music — and, hopefully, more funding from governments.
BON, HUTCH FILMS GET FUNDING Screen Australia has provided development funding for two biopics on great Aussie frontmen. The team behind Bon Scott, from writer Sophie Edelstein, have been getting anecdotes from Scott’s family and friends since 2008; it’s directed by Eddie Martin and produced by Lizzette Atkins. Michael, about Michael Hutchence, comes from writer/ director Richard Lowenstein. Sue Murray and Lowenstein will co-produce, with executive producer Domenico Procacci.
BLUESFEST VS BYRON COUNCIL Bluesfest promoter Peter Noble is clashing yet again with Byron Council. He claims that Byron Events Policy only covers music, and not other gatherings like fun-runs, writers’ festivals, sports, church revivals and nude-ins. So he’s announced that he’s creating a church on his tea tree land at Tyagarah (where Bluesfest is held) called The Church Of The Helping Hand, where he’ll be holding weekly revival meetings of 25,000. Growled Rev Noble, “And guess what, it’ll be perfectly permissible under the Byron Events Policy, even if a little music is played to save people – because its primary use is not a music presentation. Have the lunatics taken over the asylum?”
ANOTHER ADELE MILESTONE Adele’s been kicking down all sorts of chart milestones of late – but last week when her 21 album stayed at #1 for its 18th week in the UK, she tied with the soundtracks of Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii (1961), making her the longest-running charttopper in 40 years. She now ranks #4 amongst artists who’ve had the longest runs at #1 in the UK — The Beatles, Presley and Simon and Garfunkel. Billboard reports that if she stays on at #1 for 21 weeks, she ties with The Beatles’ With the Beatles (1963) and A Hard Day’s Night (1964). If she makes it to 27 weeks, she ties with Sgt Peppers (1967). Then she’ll have to
beat The Beatles’ Please Please Me from 1963 (30 weeks), The Sound Of Music (70 weeks) and South Pacific (115 weeks).
INDIGENOUS MUSIC MANAGER? MusicNSW is looking for an Indigenous Music Manager to deliver its Whichway indigenous music program, alongside the MusicNSW team. Details can be found on musicnsw.com. The permanent part time job (22.5 hours per week) is based in Sydney, with a salary of $50,000 p.a. pro rata, plus a 9% superannuation contribution. Deadline is August 15.
APRA RETURNS DUE APRA members have to file their Live Performance Returns by August 31 so that they can get royalties from live performances in November. If you have problems, they’re holding a LPR Connecting Members meeting to talk you through them on Wednesday August 10.
SPLENDID THINK TANK How do music festivals act as experimental spaces for new cultural forms, new technologies, and new modes of audience engagement? That’s the theme of the keynote address at the two-day Splendid Think Tank, which will be given by Brian Ritchie, curator of Tasmania’s inventive MONA FOMA festival, and a member of the Violent Femmes. The Splendid Think Tank will be held in Lismore on August 4 and 5. Ritchie will be joined for the series of presentations, discussion and interaction by Marcus Canning, director/CEO of ARTRAGE Festival, Perth, Lisa Havilah, CEO of Carriageworks, and Craig Walsh, the artist and curator for Splendour In The Grass. On August 5, video artist Fernando Llanos from Mexico, performer Paul Gazzola from Berlin/Adelaide and interdisciplinary artist Técha Noble from Sydney-based The Kingpins will workshop ideas to promote audience involvement, and try to find ways to transform the festival site into an experimental playground. The Splendid program was developed by Lismore Regional Gallery, NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts) and Arts Northern Rivers, and is supported by Splendour in the Grass and the Australia Council for the Arts, through their Opportunities For Young and Emerging Artists Program. Splendour contributed $150,000 over three years. For more info, see www.norpa.org.au
OZ LIVE SECTOR HITS $1.3 BIL Australia’s live sector had a booming year in 2010, with revenue growing 22.6% to $1.3 billion, and attendances growing 13.5% to 17.2 million paid and unpaid tickets. This is according to peak body Live Performance Australia’s Ticket Attendance & Revenue Survey 2010, released on Monday this week to coincide with the Helpmann Awards in Sydney. The LPA’s CEO Evelyn Richardson said that Contemporary Music was the standout performer. Revenue for this sector rose 43.1% to $659.1 million (making up a whopping 49.6% of the market), and up 50.1% for attendance to over 7 million tickets (making up 40.8% of the market). Festivals (single category) bring in a total of $100.9 million (up 82.6%) and sold over 1 million tickets, a rise of 6% – but in the latest survey, data from Supafest and Winterbeatz were included for the first time. The data from State breakdowns shows that New South Wales has the biggest market share, at 35.1%. Its gross revenue was $465.7 million, with 5.8 million tickets sold. Victoria was second with a 34% market share.
THINGS WE HEAR * Prince and Eminem here for Big Day Out, according to Triple M? Any takers for when The Who do a world tour, to perform Quadrophenia? Trivium for Soundwave, the band has suggested to FasterLouder? * WA police want Cold Chisel to shift their show at Sandalford Estate in Margaret River on November 26. They say it will stretch their resources, with 12,000 expected for Chisel and 18,000 for school leavers’ celebrations on the same day. Plus, they say Chisel will attract bikers. Promoters won’t change the
The rise also has to do with the fact that more smaller venues like pubs and nightclubs are
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date, but may stop serving alcohol early, and restrict the sale of pre-mixed drinks. * Texas alt-country act Dale Watson initially failed to get compensation out of Tiger Airways, after they lost $2,000 worth of CDs which he brought to sell at Bluesfest. He wrote a disparaging song about them, released it on YouTube, and they settled pronto! * Australia’s Got Talent’s grand final pulled in an impressive 2.192 million viewers to the Seven Network. 14-year old Jack Vidgen, who got gushing reviews from the judges and is set to collect the $250,000 prize this Tuesday, also got snapped up by Sony
Music last week. * Which hip-hop artist drove up to his agent’s office in a $200,000 car, wearing a $50,000 wristwatch, to beg for money because he’s “dead broke” and needed $5,000 for child support? * Are Jennifer Lopez and P Diddy back together again? * Velvet Revolver recorded ten songs with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on vocals, but it’s doubtful they’ll ever see light of day. * Bob Dylan’s 15-year-old grandson Pablo (son of Jesse) has released a hip hop mixtape online entitled 10 Minutes. Meantime, Noel Gallagher’s 11-year-old daughter Anais has been snapped up by Select Model Management.
Peter Mayes & Nick Littlemore
SOFT UNIVERSE So all your friends went to Splendour and you sat at home in Splen your your underwear watching DVDs, missing out on a killer set from miss Australia’s electro pop royalty A s Au PNAU? Fear not, my couch PNA potato friend! Thanks to EtcEtc p t po and a d Universal, BRAG has five an copies of the duo’s new album, c co Soft S Universe, to give away. So The Th boys say the album is a bit more of a pop music twist on m their club anthem repertoire; t th more pop, more feeling and a m whole lotta groovin’. w
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If you wanna get your hands on one of five copies, just send us an email telling us which famous pop luminary mentored the boys - and PNAU’s latest effort could be headed your way. Email freestuff@thebrag.com.
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 19
John Lithgow and James Franco as father and son.
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The Get Up Kids Playing By The Rules By Chris Driver hiatus – was released on their own Quality Hill Records, allowing Pryor and Co. much more control over the process as a whole, even if he’s not quite prepared to suggest it was the best idea in the world.
“I
t was just kind of shit luck that everything went to hell while we were in Australia,” explains a fairly pensive Matt Pryor. The vocalist for The Get Up Kids insists that his band’s widely-mourned hiatus (which lasted from 2004 to 2008) is no longer associated with their time in our country – at least not in the minds of the band members. “It was going to happen somewhere, eventually.” Although it’s been a few years since the US indie act officially returned to the scene with a reunion show in 2008, it wasn’t until their 2010 EP (their first release in six years) and an invitation to play an increasingly coveted spot at Australia’s Soundwave Festival that the band seemed focused on a real future together. In retrospect though, there was relatively little fuss made about their return to our shores – especially given the ferocity with which things had come to a grinding halt half a decade before. “Festivals are weird,” explains Pryor. “On the one hand, they’re really easy because you can just show up and play. But on the other hand, you don’t get to have that really intimate one-on-one experience like you do in a club.” We waited for confirmation that everything had gone swimmingly – and indeed, the 2010 Soundwave sets served as showcases of what we’d been missing. And on the eve of their triumphant return this weekend, headlining
“It’s good,” he says flatly. “It’s not really a better or worse experience... You have to be more involved in detail-oriented decisions. You can’t just say, ‘Make it happen!’ – you have to make it happen.” But we can be confident all of that will fade into the background come the start of the tour on Friday; the frontman is clearly excited, and seems hell bent on the band continuing to make things work for the sake of their fans. “We’ve been playing together for so long that we feed much better off each other when we’re in a relaxed space,” explains Pryor. “I mean, we can [tour Europe, playing a show every night], but everyone’s crabbier when we do.
a tour just for us, you can rest assured that there’s much more to come from the Kansas City locals, who are just as excited about a proper reunion with Australian fans as we are. “It’s the furthest away from home that we ever get, but it’s just a relaxed and positive environment,” Pryor says. “Nobody gets this excited to go to, like, Florida.”
And that’s not to say that the boys will be taking it easy. Since getting back together, The Get Up Kids have twice visited the studio – first for 2010’s Simple Science EP, and again for this year’s much-anticipated There Are Rules – albeit amidst a much less hectic tour schedule. On top of that, There Are Rules – the band’s first long player since returning from
“We’ve just kind of fine-tuned what works for us – both creatively and professionally,” he continues. “We’re just going to try to keep things as light and as fun as possible.” What: There Are Rules is out now on Quality Hill Records With: City Riots Where: The Metro Theatre When: Saturday August 6 (lic. all ages)
Mat McHugh Nothing To Prove By Simone Ubaldi
M
Set Your Goals It’s Harder Than It Looks By Lindsey Cuthbertson
F
or Set Your Goals co-vocalist Matt Wilson, playing Soundwave Revolution in September is a big deal on many levels. Firstly, it gives his band another opportunity to work with the Soundwave crew after being a part of their 2010 lineup – one of many highlights that dotted 2010, which was undoubtedly the most successful year of their career. “[Last year] we did Soundwave – which was the most fun that we’ve ever had on tour – and we did Japan,” Wilson tells me. “We were on tour all year, and it went really well!” It was a sweet triumph for a band that, Wilson is happy to admit, has never had it easy. Their third album, Burning At Both Ends, pays testament to both the joys and the turmoils of being in a band, and it features apt cover art – a shot of the band standing beside their broken-down van. “We’ve always had to struggle from day one,” Wilson explains. “People think that when you’re in a band it’s not like that, but it is. It’s harder than any other job, just in different ways.” Which brings us to the second reason why Wilson is excited for Soundwave Revolution. After spending years squashed in a van with his five bandmates while touring the States, getting to travel around Australia by plane is no small luxury. “It’s not even like a tour; it’s a vacation. Touring Australia for us is what normal people think touring is like all the time, if that makes sense.” Spend enough time with Wilson and the rest of Set Your Goals, and you’ll realise that touring isn’t the glamorous lifestyle that it’s cracked up to be. And even if it was, he
doubts that he’d indulge in any of the sex, drugs and rock and roll that’s associated with the business. “Once you see the world and see everything, your threshold becomes higher and higher, until eventually you either have to do something really crazy to have fun – or you just want to be boring,” Wilson explains. “I’m more of the latter. I don’t do any drugs or anything, so I don’t need that to have fun; I just read a book and go to bed. “I feel like everyone who lives that high-case lifestyle comes to a fork in the road, and they have to choose one or the other. You either become an old man really fast, or you become a burn-out.” But Wilson certainly won’t be going to bed early while touring with SW Revolution, which brings us to the third reason he’s jumping out of his skin: the lineup. Wilson’s had a love for Van Halen since his childhood; Set Your Goals even namecheck frontman David Lee Roth in their song ‘Product Of The 80s’. “When I was four, Dad would blast Van Halen in the living room, and my brother and I would be jumping up and down on the couch,” Wilson laughs. “I called my Dad the other day to tell him that I would be playing with Van Halen. He got so excited!”
at McHugh is not just from The Beautiful Girls – he is The Beautiful Girls. For roughly a decade, the surfer-cumroots rock muso has been hiding behind his bandmates and their lovely (and confusingly feminine) moniker, but it was always a quietly autocratic exercise. “Right from the start, The Beautiful Girls has been like a one-man show, as far as making records and the music and the operating of the business is concerned,” he explains. “It’s been as much like a singersongwriter [act] as you could get, except that I gathered together a bunch of friends and paid them to come on the road and play my songs.” Mat has recently stepped out from under The Beautiful Girls’ name and started promoting himself as simply Mat McHugh, a gesture he describes as “taking ownership” of his art. “I’ve stripped everything back, and I feel like I want to grow it again. I feel like I have a long career ahead of me – more ahead of me than there is behind. The way I look at it is that The Beautiful Girls were a great education for me, but I don’t think it will define my output as a musician. I think it was great, I learnt a lot from it, and now I’m ready to really start properly.”
And according to Mat, starting properly means standing on his own two feet. Hailing from Sydney’s northern beaches, the artist set off on his first ever solo tour towards the end of last year, supporting John Butler at gigs across the United States and Canada. Taking to the stage with little more than an acoustic guitar and a microphone, he claims to have reconnected with the essence of being a musician: speaking directly to an audience. Far from the 10,000 strong crowds The Beautiful Girls have played to in Australia and Japan, Mat faced rooms of 2-300 people on his first one-man tour – and that was on a good night. “It’s different, yeah, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” he explains. “You get used to playing to certain sized audiences with a band, but this is more of a singer-songwriter thing, and it’s better suited to a smaller audience right now. I’ve played to fifty people on that tour, and it was one of the best shows of my life.” On his return from the States, Mat recorded a new EP called Go Don’t Stop – not the first record he’s made alone, but the first one to be released under his own name. He also welcomed his first son into the world. Now twelve weeks old, Kingston McHugh (named after Toots and the Maytals’ ‘Funky Kingston’) is one of the driving forces propelling Mat forwards as an artist. “I went into fatherhood thinking I would avoid the cliché of writing all these gushy songs – which is just like that cliché of someone going on tour and then their next record is all about hotel rooms and isolation and shit. It’s one of those things I was aware of, but when it all happens to you, your perception becomes a bit sharper. “I don’t want to have any stuff artistically that I feel is irrelevant now. If I write a song, I want it to be as to-the-point as it can be. I want to strip away all the artifice and all the bullshit and leave behind something that was a real indication of who I was and what I thought, rather than just going, ‘Look how clever I can be, look at the career I can have,’” he continues. “I used to be interested in pushing in different directions and doing something different, but I don’t care about proving myself anymore – I just want to express myself... The search for meaning in life, that’s what interests me.”
What: Burning At Both Ends is out now through Epitaph/Shock With: Van Halen (with David Lee Roth), Alice Cooper, Panic! At The Disco, Machine Head, Hole, Sum 31, Dashboard Confessional and more Where: Soundwave Revolution @ Old Kings Oval, Parramatta Park
What: Go Don’t Stop is out now
When: Sunday September 25
Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday August 20
“I have no love but only goals. How very empty is my soul” - CAKE 22 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
No Use For A Name Punk’s Not Dead By Rick Warner
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here’s a commotion in the background when I talk to Tony Sly, lead singer and lynchpin of twenty-plus year old No Use For A Name. Screen doors bang and children scream within his bustling San Francisco home; these days, Tony seems anything but the Darby Crash concept of punk. “Right now I’m just getting ready to go into the studio,” he says, when asked about his plans for the day. “I’m mixing my second solo record tomorrow – it should be out in September.” A long way from the punk rock that No Use For a Name cut their teeth on in the midnineties, Sly’s solo albums are acoustic and stripped, which has given him the freedom to write without having harmonies and distorted guitars in the back of his mind. “The solo stuff is nice, you can start with just one note. Sometimes I’ll start and I’ll play through a chord progression until I come up with an idea, whereas with all No Use songs, I always have an idea of what the song sounds like [before I write it]. The solo stuff is more like, ‘just write, let it flow’ – which is nice,” he says with a pause, “...but I’m kinda sick of doing that. I’m ready to write some punk songs. I’m ready to go back on tour with No Use, and play some punk shows.” This will be No Use For A Name’s fifth trip to Australia, but the first for the two newest band members. The latest additions to a revolving door lineup are Chris Rest, previously of Rich Kids on LSD (RKL), and new drummer Boz Rivera of Mad Caddies fame, who replaced long-time member Rory Koff, after Koff chose a more civil vocation. “Rory had just left the band in December to do his snowploughing business full-time,” Sly explains. “He wanted six to seven months off a year, basically, of touring time. Some of us couldn’t afford to, you know, not be on tour that much. We, umm... decided to part ways.” There’s hesitancy in his voice when talking about Rory, so the question has to be asked: was it amicable? “Yeah, amicable,” he laughs. “It’s a good thing, because we now have a drummer who I think is phenomenal. We got really lucky, because, um, he has a different style let’s just say – and he makes our songs so much better.”
parties and vicious hangovers for Tony, and with bass player Matt Riddle recovering from pancreatitis, things go a little different on a NUFAN tour these days. “Just in the last year, I’ve cut down drinking – like, majorly. I think it was the acoustic thing, when I’d just started the solo thing, because it just got kinda boring partying with yourself,” he laughs. “So one tour, I went back with No Use and tried not drinking the whole tour, and it was kinda fun. After the shows I’d just get in my bunk, read a book or something, or watch a show on my iPod. Or listen to music.” So No Use have gone soft? Not quite... “We’ve replaced the other two guys with two guys that drink a lot. I think we’ve actually balanced out our percentage of drinkers... So if anyone was, like, worried, we’ll still be the same.” What: The Feel Good Record Of The Year is out through Fat Wreck Chords With: The Optionals, Homeward Bound Where: The Annandale Hotel When: Sunday August 7
This Census night, shed some light online. Tuesday August 9
“The solo stuff is more like, ‘just write, let it flow’ – which is nice... but I’m kinda sick of doing that. I’m ready to write some punk songs, and play some punk shows.” Of course, when you’ve been playing for as long as No Use has, any change would be as good as a holiday. From the halcyon days of So-Cal punk in the early nineties, NUFAN were signed to one of the genre’s most wellknown and most influential labels, Fat Wreck Chords, which was started by Fat Mike of NOFX. I ask Tony whether he thinks being associated with Fat Wreck Chords and bands like NOFX, Lagwagon and Strung Out in the early days played an important role in NUFAN’s success. “Yeah, I think so – yeah. I think Fat Wreck Chords changed a lot in punk rock history. I think whether they liked it or not ... there was a Fat Wreck Chords sound that I think was created, maybe by Ryan Green’s recordings or maybe Fat Mike’s producing. It was always something that made it sound different than other things – Epitaph bands, and things like that. “Bands like us, we never thought, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to hang out and BBQ together because we’re Fat Wreck Chords bands or whatever,’” he continues. “There was a sort of camaraderie back then that I don’t think is the same now. I don’t think Fat bands are the same now as they were then. I think it’s more like ‘Do your own thing’, whereas back then it was more like ‘Let’s do it together.’” But even to this day, the label is still a home for No Use For A Name – and Tony still sings its praises. “Fat Mike has been especially kind to our band. They give [the bands] a lot of artistic freedom. I’m not pressed, I’ve never been pressed, to put out a record at a certain time or anything like that. There’s never been any high pressure, and he’s always been a fan.” But things do change and, after twenty-five years on the job, the good life provided by punk is morphing. Gone are the days of all-night
This coming Census night, August 9 you have a choice… You can either fill out the Census form delivered to your home, or you can complete the eCensus online at census.gov.au. If you decide to complete it online, an SMS will notify the Collectors not to come back to your home. When you fill out your Census form, shed some light on who you are. What you say will light the way forward for health, education, transport, industry and the environment, making a brighter future for Australia. All information remains private and confidential. So shed some light on Census night with eCensus at census.gov.au
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The Living End Coming Full Circle By Hugh Robertson
t’s almost impossible for me to recall a time when The Living End weren’t a fixture of Australian music. I was nine the first time ‘Prisoner Of Society’ roared into my living room on a Saturday morning, giving me my first experience of music that was mine rather than something I’d just found on mum’s LPs. Mine can’t have been a unique experience though; the band’s 1999 debut remains the third highest-selling debut in Australian history, and just reached the dizzying heights of #4 in triple j’s poll of the greatest Australian albums of all time.
I
I spoke to vocalist Chris Cheney the day before the top ten were revealed, but his response when I told him how significant The Living End had been for me was telling enough of how he would have taken the announcement. “Fuck, man,” he begins, sounding genuinely chuffed. “Thank you! That’s awesome. That means the world. But that’s what you [make music] for, isn’t it? To have your own music. And for me it was a matter of coming up with something that didn’t exist; trying to write our own thing, and combine all the things that we liked in one band – or in one song, perhaps.”
Whatever the motivation behind it, The Living End’s songwriting formula has been an enduring one. Over the past decade, barely a single rock festival in this country has gone ahead without Chris Cheney and co., and more often than not their sets have been the highlight of the day. Following 2008’s triumphant White Noise and the ensuing tour, Cheney took himself off to New York for three months last year to, in his words, “write a few tunes, and get out of the comfort zone of living in St. Kilda, and my little music room here.” The fruits of his time away are now available for all to hear on their sixth full-length, The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating. It sounds subtly different, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why until Cheney offered the answer: extra time in the recording studio. “If I could have my time again,” he confesses, “I would gladly go back and re-record the first four albums. Whenever I hear them now I just think, ‘Man, we were just on speed!’ Everything sounds sped up to 100mph. And that’s what we were trying to do – to be as intricate as we could be, and play as fast as we could, and try to cram as much information [as we could] into every single song. “I think there’s a certain naivety to our earlier stuff,” he continues. “And I think this record in particular is more crafted. We spent more time trying to figure out what the songs need, rather than just blasting them out.” And it’s amazing how much of a difference that simple change has made. There’s still that trademark classic rock sound, but it’s filtered through a more sophisticated process than simply hitting ‘record’ and smashing through one take. Perhaps the biggest stylistic shift has been away from frenzied riffs and speed, towards a “groovier”, more rhythmic approach to playing together. “Locking into a groove is something that we’ve really enjoyed as a band, particularly since Andy [Strachan, drums] has come on board,” Cheney explains. “And rather than just having three guys up on stage going hell for leather and trying to out-do each other and out-play each other, we really enjoy the idea of locking in as a unit, and as a band. And Andy’s a very groovy drummer – he really appreciates the rhythmic side of drumming, rather than just trying to play all these crazy fills.”
“If I could have my time again, I would gladly go back and re-record the first four albums. Whenever I hear them now I just think, ‘Man, we were just on speed!’” Hardcore fans shouldn’t fear, though. As Cheney takes great pains to point out, any experimenting with sounds or styles was done with one ear on the sound that’s defined the band for all these years. “The last thing we want is to completely take what TLE is and flush it down the toilet,” he assures me. “And The Living End using synths could be a recipe for disaster – but I hope we do it in the right way. I think it still sounds very powerful, and I think the songs benefit from it. And that was the main thing: whatever helped to support the song ... Every song had to feel good,” he continues. “Not only to have a hook and sound right, but when we were playing it we all had to finish the song and say, “Fuck yeah, that feels rock and roll. It feels heavy, and there’s a symmetry between the three of us when we play. And it’s hard to describe, hard to put into words.” Before we wind up, I have to ask Cheney about his favourite Australian albums. He was one of the voters in the ‘industry’ list for the triple j poll, and while his personal favourites aren’t surprising, it’s always nice to hear someone wax lyrical about their favourite records... “You Am I’s Hourly, Daily was my number one,” he begins, without any hesitation. “That record just killed me – as do most You Am I records. They’re just so good. But I also had Back In Black. And I think I had a Crowded House record in there – technically not Australian, I know… Hourly, Daily is just a quintessential Australian album. But Back In Black, you could really have retired rock and roll after that.” What: The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating is out now through Dew Process Where: September 3 / September 4 (all ages) When: Enmore Theatre More: Also appearing alongside Naughty By Nature, Empire Of The Sun, Flo Rida, Cloud Control and more at Fat As Butter on October 22 @ Camp Shortland in Newcastle 24 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
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Jim Ward On Getting Out While The Going’s Good By Birdie
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ccording to Jim Ward, sometimes it’s better to bail on a situation before you lose control of it. At least that’s what he sings on ‘Broken Songs’, the lead track from his debut solo album Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins. The single features Tegan Quinn from Tegan And Sara, but while her input was influenced by personal relationships, Ward’s perspective came from years of touring with successful bands like At The Drive In and Sparta – and learning how to get out while the going’s still good. “Tegan and I share a mutual birthday; there’s an age difference between us obviously, but we’re both definitely Virgo personalities! It’s weird how you can relate to someone born on the same day as you – she’s my twin!” Ward laughs. “Anyway, we were in Vancouver one night having dinner and talking about bailing from situations before they’re done – like, you should surprise a situation before you’re surprised. A few months later I was thinking about that, and I wrote ‘Broken Songs’ start to finish knowing exactly what it was going to be about. I’ve never asked anyone to do a cameo, but Tegan was very flattered to do it, because [the song] was based on our conversation. When
she sent the track back, it floored me! For her, the song was more about relationships, whereas for me it was about my tendency to walk away from bands no matter their success.” A case in point: post-hardcore collective At The Drive In, a band that had built something of a die-hard cult following when it disbanded ten years ago. According to Ward, sometimes you just know that the time is right to call it a day. “People are still asking why we stopped,” he says. “We were successful because we connected with people. The weird thing is that At The Drive In wasn’t even that big of a band – our last year in London, we were playing to just 2000 people – but it was a very dedicated following. “It stopped because we were young, definitely fucked up, and things like booze and drugs were being thrown at us and really altered all of us,” he continues. “Maybe if someone had coached us a bit better we would have survived that period... Maybe not. It started to feel like a job too, we got irritated at stupid things. Breaking up was the smartest thing we ever did.” While former band-mates Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez went on to form prog-rock freak-out group The Mars Volta, Ward went down the country root with his new band Sleepercar. Touching on a similar genre with his solo project, Quiet In The Valley... is quiet, humble and heartfelt. “Well I bought this bar here in El Paso, and that’s played a part, in terms of the songwriting,” Ward explains. He opened Hope And Anchor as a way to give back to his local community. “About a year and a half of the album was spent in the bar just making these little acoustic songs. I was 29 when I started making this record though; all up there’s probably about five years’ worth of my life on here,” he says.
“Booze and drugs were being thrown at us and really altered all of us... It started to feel like a job too, we got irritated at stupid things. Breaking up was the smartest thing we ever did.” The next record he works on will be for Sleepercar (he’s hoping for a December release), but for now, Ward is enjoying his solo time. He’s preparing for his third tour of Australia with just him and a guitar – and if the thought of having the spotlight on you alone doesn’t sound scary, Ward jokes, there’s something wrong with you. “I did Soundwave in 2008 by myself, and I played last December by myself,” he says. “I also opened for Incubus with just myself and an acoustic guitar, to 5000 people. That was pretty nerve-wracking. It’s scary but it’s also fun. As an artist, I’ve been doing this for a long time – though with a band of course – but I’m glad that I still have that kind of fear and anticipation. It’s definitely a challenge to be able to hold people’s interest and attention with just a guitar. I like to make people laugh in-between the songs, I like to tell stories. I change things around on the spot.” According to Ward, the biggest challenge overall has been holding back from rocking out. Sometimes it’s tempting, but these days, the key lies in simplicity. “Yeah, it can get hard not to make loud records! Especially if that has been in you for a long time – it can be a challenge to keep it quiet,” he laughs. “You can also find the only instrumental song I’ve ever done on this record. I also play every instrument on the album by myself, and that’s pretty challenging to do as well. Also, the way the entire record came to life was very much out of the normal system I work by. I’m used to having management and a label and other people around me to rely on or to run things by, so making this album has felt like going back to being a teenager again and having songs being purely my own, and controlling that in every aspect. “It’s never been about the money anyway, and at this point in my life I can prove that you don’t have to be incredibly wealthy to be happy,” he continues. “I take it very seriously, yeah, but the fame and success doesn’t interest me any further than being able to just pay my bills.” What: Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins is out now through EMI Where: Annandale Hotel When: Wednesday August 10 26 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
PA S S I O N
D E C I D E S
Y O U R
OOOOOOOOOOOO
SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PRESENT
FAT E
BLOOD WEDDING By FE DE RICO G ARC IA LORCA In a new translation by
IAIN SINCLAIR
A S E A R I N G N E W A U S T R A L I A N V E R S I O N O F L O R C A’ S C L A S S I C T R A G E DY DIRECTOR IAIN SINCLAIR SET DESIGNER RUFUS DIDWISZUS COSTUME DESIGNER LUKE EDE LIGHTING DESIGNER DAMIEN COOPER COMPOSER & ARRANGER/GUITARIST ANDREW VEIVERS SOUND DESIGNER STEVE FRANCIS WITH DANNY ADCOCK, LYNETTE CURRAN, HOLLY FRASER, JULIA OHANNESSIAN, ZINDZI OKENYO, YALIN OZUCELIK, LEAH PURCELL, SOPHIE ROSS, TONI SCANLAN, KENNETH SPITERI
Iain Sinclair direct s a cast led by Leah Purcell in this enthralling tale of thwar ted love, desire and the darkness of the soul.
1 AUGUST – 11 SEPTEMBER 2011 WHARF 1, SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY BOOKINGS (02) 9250 1777 SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU/BLOOD-WEDDING
Presenting Sponsor
Image courtesy of Joel-Peter Witkin. Represented by Galerie Baudoin Lebon, Paris.
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arts frontline
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arts, theatre and film news... what's goin' on around town and more...
five minutes WITH
LAUREN LA ROUGE
Were you ever a good girl? Is there a titillating tale of corruption somewhere in your back-story? Yes, I will have you know I went to a prestigious selective ALL GIRLS high school where I was a model student and citizen, until one night I heard the siren-song of 34B calling to me... After I entered that den of divine decadence, debauchery and sin – and then on top of that met the wicked Francois Bublé... Well, it all went a bit pearshaped from there! What are you going to bring to the show? I am going to bring some culture and class to the show. I will be channeling my French aristocratic background, circa 1780s, in suitable lavish and high class attire... However I will also be giving in to my more crass (even “bogan”) Australian heritage, as I get tempted by some of the more simple sinful pleasures of such a lifestyle...
S
ydney girl and 34B regular Lauren La Rouge will be upholding her reputation as one of our most bad-ass burlesque babes at the upcoming 34B Burlesque extravaganza: Good Girls Gone Bad. She’s just returned from a dynamic tour of the USA, and seems to be fizzing and popping even more than usual – so we’re expecting something explosive from her upcoming show.
CARGO COMEDY
Darling Harbour’s Cargo Lounge is part of a welcome trend in Sydney towards comedy clubs with a li'l something extra. Every Tuesday night you can enjoy drinks, a bite to eat and a lineup of local and international funny people – in a venue that, with its low ceilings, elevated-butnot-too-high stage and top-notch sound, just happens to be kick-ass for comedy. And did we mention the view? The August lineup includes Rove and Comedy Channel regular Chris Wainhouse, plus rising stars Rich Brophy and James Rochford. Doors open at 6pm each Tuesday, with the show kicking off at 7.30pm. All the details at cargobar.com.au
FUTURE SHORTS
Founded in 2003 by the same fella who started London’s Secret Cinema project, Future Shorts is a film ‘label’ that celebrates the short format. Rejecting the idea that short films are purely the preserve of film festivals and vimeo, Future Shorts holds regular screenings on the silver
NEVER LET ME GO! DVD! WIN!
What have you been doing in the States? I’ve had an AMAZING time in the US of A – so many highlights: BHOF in Las Vegas – where Mark Winmill from Queensland won (!) King Of Boylesque – was a night my liver will never forgive me for! Seeing Dirty Martini perform in the flesh (and WOW what flesh!) was amazing – BUT also personally performing at a few nights in NYC, including Beatles Burlesque, Mr. Choade’s Upstairs Downstairs, a hilarious performance in the basement of a Taco restaurant for Ukulele Hut, Branded Burlesque – as well as having lunch made for me by the divine “World
Famous Bob” – was really a treat! However I also have been spending a LOT of time at Coney Island... the Side Show there is amazing, and they have some really wonderful performers. Oddly, men in the USA seem to WORSHIP my ass... There are some dresses I cannot wear over here if I don’t want to get followed home on the subway – it’s quite a phenomenon! What else are you up to at the moment or in the near future? I am going to be working like a madwoman getting my one-woman cabaret debut – Lost L’amour – ready for the Sydney Fringe, in September. It’s pretty much about what an awful year I’ve had with love/ men and using this evil for the sake of good comedy (and of course therapy, as I can’t afford any...). My divine Burlesque Husband Holly J’aDoll (who co-hosts performance night The Peel with me) will also be performing in this production, and I can’t wait! What: 34B – Good Girls Gone Bad
When: Saturday August 13 / doors 8.30pm, show 9.20pm sharp Where: 34B – 44 Oxford St Darlinghurst (Exchange Hotel) More: presale tix $20 general admission or $30 reserved table, from moshtix.com.au
screen – the way they deserve to be seen. The FS network encompasses 60 cities across 18 countries – including Sydney. The next event takes place Saturday August 6 at Fox EQ’s Highway 125. Tickets are just $10 (at the door), and include a free drink and live music. For more details, see highway125.com/future-shorts
Silent Souls
SERIAL SPACE
Taking inspiration from Brisbane’s Suitcase Rummage market (in which, you guessed it, stallholders sell out of a suitcase) Chippendalebased awesome-ARI Serial Space is holding a Suitcase Market on August 21. With nothing but a $10 fee, a suitcase and some saleable goods required, it sounds to us like a good chance to clear house and make dollarmoneyz. Anyone can register to sell anything – just send your name, phone number and what you’ll be selling to kate@serialspace.org by August 15. While you’re at it, you should probably sign up for SS’s Robot Serial Killer playoffs, where you can battle robots via radio control… Sunday August 14 from 10am-5pm. serialspace.org
RUSSIAN RESURRECTION
It’s hard to question the artistic credentials of the Russians (see: Tolstoy, Chekov, Eisenstein, Dostoevsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Bulgakov…); in terms of epic, sweeping dramas, no-one does it better. This year’s Russian Resurrection Film Festival (September 1-14) is a feast for tortured cinephiles, and we’re heading straight towards tickets for the critically acclaimed festival favourites Silent Souls (if you missed it at Sydney Film Festival, you MUST see it here), Elena (by Andrei Zviagintsev, who did the superb Banishment and The Return), and WW2 prison-camp drama The Edge. Apparently there are comedies, too. Full program an tickets at russianresurrection.com
Just another way in which Newcastle kids do it better: from the town that brought you This Is Not Art and 'coal' comes Look Hear. Taking place at the Newcastle Region Art Gallery across August 3, 10, 17 & 24, Look Hear features interstate and local designers and creative types talking about what they do. The celebrations kick off this Friday August 5 with the opening of Look See, an exhibition of work by WeBuyYourKids, Beci Orpin, Beastman, Numskull, The Hungry Workshop, Zookraft, Mike Watt, Sarah Larnach, Trevor Dickinson – and heaps more. Head along to Watt Space Gallery, inside University House (Cnr Auckland & King Streets) from 6.30pm. For the full Look Hear festival program, see lookhear.com.au
DEMON HELL RAISER Doily art by Monique Kneepkens
The ladies from Tough Titties – our favourite blog for creative ladies – are throwing their hat in the ring for Sydney Design festival, by bringing together 20 of Australia’s most creative femmes in one show: A Touch Of Class. In a tip of the hat to Sydney Design’s 2011 theme – lace – TT have asked their lineup of ladies to use doilies as their canvas. Featured artists include Jane Tyrell, Monique Kneepkens, Trial & Error, Georgia Perry, Bianca Chang, Cat Secker and Georgia Hill. The sassy show opens this Wednesday August 3 at Somedays Gallery in Surry Hills, from 6-8pm. Toughtitties.com.au
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Never Let Me Go releases on DVD this Wednesday August 3, and thanks to Fox we have FIVE copies up for grabs; to get your hands on one, tell us one other British actor/actress who stars in the film.
With: Lauren La Rouge, Lola the Vamp, Danica Lee, Lulu, Betty Grumble, Ember Flame, Memphis Mae, MC Renny Kodgers and DJ Goldfoot.
LOOK HEAR @ NEWCASTLE
A TOUCH OF CLASS
For quality sci-fi, pedigrees don’t get much better than this: a screenplay by Alex Garland (28 Days Later) – based on the best-selling novel by Kazuo Ishiguro – and directed by Mark Romanek (who made the creepy One Hour Photo and oodles of attractive film clips). Add a cast that includes rising stars Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan, and the pouty lips of Keira Knightley, and this sounds a lot like a sure thing. Set in a potential future world where human clones are ‘grown’ for spare organs, Never Let Me Go is a bittersweet love story between three friends who grow up together and are torn apart.
Desmond Steel pops up at LO-FI Collective this Thursday August 4, presenting a new wall piece titled Demon Hell Raiser. It’s hard to say what the show involves: something about anti-capitalist sentiments, “passional qualities”, “unitary urbanism”, and psychogeography. ART! What does it really mean? The following week, on Thursday August 11, Joel Birch (frontman of The Amity Affliction) will present a more prosaic exhibition of drawings and photographs (but also, we note a mural – co-created with our favourite artrepreneur, ROACH) under the banner Quit Your Day Job. Which, when you think about it, is what art is all about. As always, LO-FI exists within the third level of 383 Bourke Street.
PARTICIPATE PREMIERE
Sydney’s alternative film school, Participate, have reason to celebrate, with the premiere next week of their fifth feature in five years – Horizons Crossing. Based on the idea that filmmaking requires you to, um, make films, Participate offer hands-on courses for emerging directors, technicians and actors who want to work in the industry rather than just stroke their chins; in fact, they’re the only film academy in the world where students make a full-length movie over the course of their degree. Horizons Crossing – a “dark romantic thriller” directed by Dagan Herceg – will premiere on Wednesday August 10 at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter. Tickets and info about the film at participate.com.au
NEWTOWN THEATRE
Officially speaking, Sydney Fringe doesn’t launch until Thursday August 4 – but in the interests of whetting your palate: Newtown Theatre, at the epicentre of the Fringe’s innerwest precinct, has announced its lineup of Fringe shows, which will take place between September 9 – October 2. For your mental degustation, they offer: an extravaganza of silent films and live orchestral music called The Moving Picture Show; Martyn Badoui’s extravagant multimedia cabaret, Complicated Creatures; Ipan Theatre’s all-girl tapas of short plays, Bite Size; Edinburgh Fringe favourite The Day The Sky Turned Black; and a tragicomedy of sexual dysfunction, from acclaimed physical theatre artist Paul Morrison. newtowntheatre.com.au
Lally Katz [THEATRE] The Melbourne playwright storms Sydney stages this month. By Simon Binns
Blood Wedding [THEATRE] An international affair. By Simon Binns
months I was trying to find this character.”
Neighbourhood Watch - photo by Brett Boardman
Robyn Nevin & Megan Holloway in Neighbourhood Watch
P
opular culture often likes to imagine writers as eccentric introverts – loners who live and work out of tastefully dishevelled garrets, converting the pain of their lives into beautiful prose. At the very least, we expect them to be withdrawn and lacking in key social skills. As Lally Katz comes bounding up Belvoir’s stairs, desperately trying to offer me a piece of Lindt dark chocolate through a mouthful of her own, she shatters every one of these stereotypes. The word “bubbly” can’t even begin to describe the energy that Katz brings into the room as we discuss everything from her burgeoning career to the TV habits of her housemate. The combination of a childhood spent in New Jersey and teenage years spent in Canberra has resulted in a hybrid accent that sometimes sounds like a spoof of American – until she ends a sentence with the most Australian vowel you’ve ever heard. It’s this energy that has taken Katz’s plays to the forefront of new Australia writing, with a swag of awards to her name, and three mainstage productions this year alone, including the premiere of Neighbourhood Watch at Belvoir. The story of the project, which is being described as “equal part kitchen-sink drama, comedy, fable and surrealist fantasy,” is a remarkable one, starting years ago with a conversation between Katz and one of her idols, theatre stalwart (and former Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company) Robyn Nevin. “We talked about the possibility of my writing a play for her, and she was thrilled,” Katz recalls. “I asked her what the character should be like and she said ‘tough and funny’, and for
It wasn’t until the day after Kevin Rudd’s election in 2007, when Katz stepped outside of her Melbourne apartment to see if the post-John Howard-world looked any different, that inspiration struck. “I was in my pyjamas and I heard this, ‘You girl, come on my gate!’ I looked up and behind the fence was this little head and a massive German shepherd barking next to her. I went over and said, ‘Can your dog jump the fence?’ and [this lady] said ‘Yeah’ – and then she started telling me about her millions of tragedies, her father getting blown up in the war and then she brought out these photos.” As Katz stared in awe at photos from her neighbour's youth, the words ‘tough’ and ‘funny’ fired through her mind. The lady’s name was Ana, and for the next two years Katz spent days and nights listening to her stories and getting life advice. “She became my karate master,” Katz beams. “I would bring to her a problem or a question from my life and she would consider it and tell me this two-hour story about the war in Hungary or whatever, and the atmosphere would change – I was in there with her; and the end of the story would always be teaching me something about how to deal with my own life. It was sort of like ‘life lessons with Ana.’”
I
n the past two years Sydney Theatre Company has focused on bringing the rest of the world to Australian stages. The 2010 season was an American extravaganza; this year Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton have turned to Europe, combining Australian talent with German, Spanish, British, Irish and Russian texts both classic and new, and inviting French masterdirector Luc Bondy to mount a production of Botho Strauss' Grosse und Klein. This balancing act between local and international talent is exemplified by their upcoming production of Blood Wedding, which sees Federico García Lorca's Spanish classic translated and directed by Iain Sinclair (whose most recent main stage effort was STC's critically acclaimed Our Town, last year) and designed by Rufus Didwiszus, who has worked with the likes of Schaubühne's Thomas Ostermeier (whose Hamlet, you may recall, rocked the Sydney Festival last year). A contemporary of Dali, García Lorca is perhaps best known for his poetry. Yet in the wake of his untimely death at the hands of fascists during the Spanish Civil War, his plays have become classics across the world. In Blood Wedding the stakes are high, with Leah Purcell stars in Blood Wedding
Katz told Nevin about her amazing neighbour, and the actress agreed to take part immediately – and has been heavily involved in the writing process ever since.
the hope of marriage contrasted brutally with unfettered lust, resulting in a thrilling exposé of society’s power in sanctioning sexual relationships. For Sinclair, this production is a passion piece that began with his love of the Spanish language. “Half my family live in Chile so I started learning [Spanish] about seven or eight years ago; I actually got into this play, to begin with, to improve my Spanish.” Having seen several English-language productions of Blood Wedding, it wasn’t until seeing an amateur production in Spanish that he started thinking about directing the show himself. “A funny thing happens with translations from poetry,” he explains. “Quite often when it’s rendered into English poetry, it turns into imagery.” Sinclair felt that somewhere in that process the dramatic quality of the Spanish original was lost. “There was something about that shocking production in Spanish that was better than any I’d seen in English,” he recalls. With that in mind, Sinclair has worked tirelessly to capture the immediacy of the Spanish text. “It’s a bit of a difference between Spanish and English drama generally… Latinos don’t mind putting their emotions in people’s faces and so what I’ve tried to do is get all that to start working in English.” Sydney Theatre Company paired Sinclair with the internationally acclaimed Didwiszus – and the partnership seems to be going well: “We still like each other,” the designer laughs. Didwiszus brings a stark style of design to the production. “My approach is that I love to watch the actors, so I do everything so I don’t have to look too much around,” he explains. “So what I try to do is to set up a situation where there’s an utmost clarity for the persons on stage… ‘Nowhere to hide’, as some of them describe it.” Just as Sinclair has gone through a process of translating the language for the Australian stage, Didwiszus has brought new life into the design of the play. “With plays that are older than 10 years, the first thing I do before I read is [cross out] all the stage instructions, because I feel this is the first thing that ages. If the text is good it doesn’t age, but the ‘where is door left’ and where it’s set… It’s first of all not the forte of writers, and second, it’s so bound to the fashion and technology of the time – so I don’t want to know, I think that’s distracting. I read just the text.”
Katz is clearly elated to see Ana’s extraordinary story brought to life and is hopeful that the inspirational woman herself will be able to fly up to attend. “She says to me, ‘What you to tell them? Some stupid story?’ And I say, ‘Everything Ana, I tell them everything.’” Katz smiles proudly, assuring me that Ana approves – before adding, “but we’ll see if she sues me or not.”
What: Blood Wedding – Dir. Iain Sinclair When: Previews from August 1. Where: Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company More: sydneytheatre.com.au
What: Neighbourhood Watch by Lally Katz; Dir. Simon Stone When: Until August 28 Where: Belvoir Street Theatre More: Belvoir.com.au
Bizarre Bazaar
[FASHION] A Series of Fortunate Fashion Events. By Emma Salkild
F
ashion, goodie bags, margaritas and a free photobooth are just a few of the things punters can enjoy at Bizarre Bazaar, a new monthly pop-up fashion venture. After two successful twilight markets at Sussex Lane, the third Bizarre Bazaar will pop-up in Darlinghurst's District01 – an underground gallery on Oxford Street that will be transformed to channel a cosy lounge room vibe. Punters can peruse clothes, accessories, homewares and vintage treats while listening to tunes by Soul Patrol DJs Arnott Olssen and Adam Jacobs. I went down to District01 to speak with project director Christopher McLaren, of events company A Series of Fortunate Events (ASOF). “I came up with the concept last November. There are so many great spaces with tight-knit communities in Sydney, but besides weekend markets and online stores, young designers don’t have a way to get their collections out there.” ASOF are anticipating 400-or-so guests will traipse through the venue, from fashion lovers and industry to hipsters, students, and those who want to support grassroots design and fashion.
“We’re bringing 30 designers to one location – it’s going to be incredible,” Chris tells me. “The music is always fantastic and it’ll be warm and comfortable with an interior feel. It’s a great opportunity for people to meet the designers – who are happy to help and dress shoppers. Stylists will be roaming around. It’s a very personal experience.” As with its previous instalments, the upcoming Bizarre Bazaar will feature a mix of emerging and established labels. Moons of Apollo founder Kevin Tran is relatively new to fashion, having cut his teeth at design studios Alphabet, Frost* Design and Fuzzy (the promoters behind Parklife and Field Day). Tran's current collection (his first) features slim-fit tees with simple and elegant monochromatic graphics. For Tran, the appeal of the Bizarre Bazaar events is the quality of its lineup and the appeal of using quirky venues. “And they are extremely supportive of new labels!” Another of the emerging labels featured is Melinda Morrison’s handmade and illustrationbased womenswear label Roger + Peach. Morrison has been selling her label from Glebe Markets for almost two years. “There are a lot of great markets out there wanting to give young designers a leg up, but finding the right one can be daunting and a challenge. I liked the idea of an event-based pop-up market – and this one being indoors for winter makes it a lot easier to focus on customer service, rather than trying to keep warm!”
At the other end of the spectrum, jewellery label ATAT has been operating for almost a decade – and took part in the first two Bizarre Bazaar events. Designer and ex-model Atlanta Read has had her work bought by Alex Perry at Mercedes Fashion week, featured on FHM covers, used to dress celebrities at the ARIAs, and shot on singer P!nk. “I always had it in the back of my head that I couldn’t model forever,” she explains. “So I did a silversmith course, bought a soldering iron and started teaching myself my own methods of melting Swarovski crystals together with punk studs in my garage. Before long I had my first complete collection of crystal belts, chokers, bracelets, arm cuffs and earrings.” Her signature theme is street style meets glamour, and she teams up with whatever is inspiring her at the time. “Bizarre Bazaar allows me to get ATAT out to savvy shoppers,” Atlanta tells me. “It gives my designs their chance to shine and to sell. Because let’s face it, without selling to customers your label does not exist.” What: Bizarre Bazaar #3 When: Thursday August 4, 5-9pm Where: District01, 74-76 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst More: The first 300 shoppers through the door will be treated to a goodie bag filled with promo tackle and trappings from partners, sponsors, and designers. bizarrebazaar.info
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Arts Snap
Film & Theatre Reviews
At the heart of the arts Where you went last week.
PICS :: TL
known unknown
Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.
Captain America
21:07:11 :: The Paper Mill :: Angel Place, Sydney
■ Film
■ Theatre
Released July 29
Until August 13 / New Theatre
Captain America is just the latest in the roll-out of an entire franchise of Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers’ films, based on the acclaimed ‘60s comic series by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby et al. Earlier this year we had Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, and next year we’ll have Joss Whedon’s The Avengers – with Edgar Wright’s The AntMan somewhere on the horizon. So, the chances are that at some point, if you haven’t already, you will be sucked into the Marvel/Avengers universe.
I love Aaron Sorkin. I’ve watched all of The West Wing. I’ve watched all of Studio 60, I’ve even watched all of Sports Night, his earlier, lesser known show. I was overjoyed at the accolades he received for The Social Network, and I take great joy in reminding people that it was he who wrote the Jack Nicholson line “You can’t handle the truth!” in A Few Good Men. In fact, if I hadn’t been at the theatre watching The Farnsworth Invention, I would no doubt have been at home re-watching season three of The West Wing, trying to convince myself that a visionary like Jed Bartlet might one day lead our nation. I guess what I’m trying to say, is that the chances of me not liking this script were pretty low.
comedy@cargo bar
PICS :: TL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
19:07:11 :: The Cargo Bar :: 52-60 The Promenade, King Street Wharf Sydney 9262 1777
If we look at the Avengers pantheon like a family, then Thor (the film and the titular role) is your loveable, rowdy little brother, Iron Man is your cool uncle, and Spider-Man and Captain America are your geeky cousins; they’re good guys, but overly-earnest – and poor old Captain doesn’t even have a bad-boy alter ego (or sex life) to spice things up.
12x12
PICS :: TL
When we first meet the Captain, it's as scrawny young orphan and invalid Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), whose desire to enlist in the US Army is in converse proportion to his physical capability. During a last-ditch attempt to trick the recruiters, he finds himself unexpectedly enlisted as part of an experimental military unit trying to build the perfect soldier. Despite his physical handicaps, Rogers’ courage and honour see him chosen to test-pilot the magic serum – which transforms him into Amazing Man.
22:07:11 :: aMBUSH gallery :: 4A James Street Waterloo 8399 0707
Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
POSSIBLE WORLDS: CANADIAN FILM FESTIVAL August 8 – 14 Dendy Opera Quays, The Factory Theatre, Australian Museum Sydney’s Canadian Film Festival – aka Possible Worlds – brought us the films of Denis Villeneuve (Polytechnique; Incendies) and Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats) before they became super hip. This year’s program kicks off on August 8 with a feelgood tribute to the quintessential Canadian sport, Score: A Hockey Musical. Other highlights include a retrospective of Bruce McDonald’s work (including zombie flick Pontypool) and a special focus on new auteurs from Quebec. Most importantly, the Festivalists (who run KINO Sydney, Jurassic Lounge and Possible Worlds) know how to throw a good party. For the full lineup, see possibleworlds.net.au 30 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
In terms of plot and tone, Captain America plays out a bit like a mix of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Hulk, and G.I. Joe – bullies versus nice-guys, lipsmacking Nazis versus straight-talkin’ American heroes, a scarily-disfigured villain of supernatural proportions (an enjoyable performance by Hugo Weaving), and more than a dash of cheeky humour. In a tip of the hat to Captain America’s origins as a patriotic WW2 comic, there’s a charming montage in which we see how our super man is transformed into a tights-wearing entertainer and pantomime pusher of wartime bonds – before realising that his real call to action lies on the battle field. At this point, unfortunately, the film turns into the very thing it looked to be parodying: a gung-ho advertisement for being in the army and defending your country – capped off by kitschy, propaganda-laced credits that might have dropped through a worm hole from US Army’s WW2 propaganda department. It’s as creepy as it is irresponsible. Besides the interminable action setpieces, you begin to suspect that there’s no real emotional payload in sight. Where Tony Stark has a 180-degree about-turn – from brat-pack whiz kid and cavalier weapons magnate to defender of the downtrodden – Steve Rogers goes from a geek with a social conscience, to super-powered warrior with a social conscience... Which is nice, sure, but boring.
THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION
It didn’t disappoint. The characters are well-drawn and Sorkin has applied his usual intellectual rigour to a fascinating moment in history – the invention of television. A period that obviously fascinates Sorkin (there’s actually a monologue about Farnsworth’s brother in Season 2 of Sports Night), he has translated what could be a dry re-telling of events into an engaging race for the finish, with two companies desperate for the patent on television technology. The script is crisply rendered under the direction of Louise Fischer. The two lead characters, David Sarnoff and Philo Farnsworth, who both narrate the story and compete for the desired ending, are strongly portrayed by Patrick Connolly and Damien Sommerlad respectively. Sommerlad in particular never falters as the farm-boy wonder from Utah whose intellect impresses all who meet him, whilst Connolly finds a great rapport with the audience in his direct monologues. It is on the back of these two performances that the show is carried. All in all, this is a great script well staged. Henry Florence ■ Film
THE BEAVER Released August 4 It’s inevitable that any review of Jodie Foster’s new film, The Beaver, will involve a discussion of its troubled star’s off screen antics. It’s actually almost impossible to consider the film without some consideration of the circumstances that informed it, given that it deals with a broken family and a man suffering severely from depression. It’s true that the film was already in the can by the time Mel Gibson’s abhorrent phone recordings became public, but it seems clear that the turmoil in the actor/director’s personal life somewhat informed his quite exceptional work on screen. Foster – a long time friend on Gibson’s since they worked together on Maverick in 1994 – was obviously aware of the parallels too, though she doggedly stood up for her friend in public.
Dee Jefferson
See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews
Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.
The Beaver consists of fine disparate parts that never quite converge. On the one hand is Gibson’s Walter Black; he's the head of a toy factory and is currently separated from his wife, Meredith (Foster), and their two children, Porter (Anton Yelchin) and Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart). Struggling psychologically, he happens upon a beaver puppet that he instinctively decides should be his surrogate persona. He hands out a written note to people at work: “Hello. This person is under the care of a prescription puppet. Please, treat him you normally would, but address yourself to the puppet.” All of a sudden Walter seems revitalised by this rascally rodent, who – randomly – speaks like the cockney love-child of Michael Caine and Ray Winstone. That’s one half of the film. The other half focuses on his son’s flirtation with an attractive school cheerleader, Norah (a fine Jennifer Lawrence), who offers to pay him $500 to write her graduation speech. Though their storyline eventually becomes cloying, Yelchin and Lawrence
have a nice chemistry. On their own, their scenes are effective, but they’re scarcely related to Walter’s more interesting and pressing problems, and Kyle Killen’s script plays up the symbolism between the two storylines to a fault. It’s Gibson who’s left tying it all together. He does so impressively; it might not be enough to recover his shattered public image, but his work here is honest, funny, sad, and deeply sympathetic. The Beaver asks a lot of its audience in terms of tone. Do you buy the gimmicky Beaver puppet? Do you buy that his co-workers seem eager to accept his little flight-of-fancy? Do you feel the bizarre humour plays with or against the darker aspects of the story? I’m not sure all of it works, but there’s still enough here to recommend: the wacky conceit, the fine performances and, refreshingly, the script’s willingness to admit that there are no easy answers to a complex issue like mental illness. Joshua Blackman
Mel Gibson and his beaver
Street Level With The Red Room Company
the country. The poets learn the lingo of these fanatics and aficionados, becoming the poet laureate of their partner club. At the end of the project, they produce a new work of poetry that explores their experiences. At the moment Dorkbot Sydney, Wollongong Illawarra Roller Derby, The Astronomical Society of NSW, The Existentialist Society, and The Wayside Chapel are all involved in the project – but the invitation is open to any club or society, new or old.
S
ydney’s biggest proponents of poetry over the last ten years, The Red Room Company, are all about bringing poetry into unusual settings and contexts – so they’re a pretty perfect match for The Rocks Pop-Up Project, an incubator program that launched in May and has been busily giving historic space in The Rocks over to emerging designers, artists and creative groups. As part of The Rocks Pop-Up Project, Red Room have set up a Clubhouse at 77 George Street, out of which they run their newest project, Clubs and Societies. It’s also the dedicated playground for their monthly artistsin-residence. How did Red Room get involved in the Rocks Pop-Up Project? We were invited by Arts NSW and the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) to come and see the available spaces and submit an expression of interest to be involved in the Pop-up Project. As soon as we saw the space at 77 George Street, we knew it was too good to miss out on. What goes on in your Clubhouse? The Clubhouse is part of our major project for 2011, Clubs and Societies. Any club in Australia is able to hold an event there, as long as it involves poetry at some point. It also hosts a series of related Red Room Company events – poetry readings, film nights, etc. Can you explain how Clubs and Societies works? The project works by partnering commissioned poets with clubs from across
What does your ‘Artist in Residence’ program involve? The artist in residence gets a free studio space for a month, to carry out any project that engages with poetry in some way. At the end of their residency, they are invited to hold an artist talk and a mini-exhibition of the work they have created during their residency. Who is your current resident? Tamara Elkins – a Sydney-based printmaker and performance artist. As part of her monthlong residency she will be transforming the ‘Clubhouse’ into a witches den, complete with resident witch. Her inhabitance will explore themes of alchemy, memory and magic. What's happening at The Clubhouse this week? This Wednesday August 3 from 7pm we’re holding Verte, a picnic-cum-screening featuring Tarkovsky’s The Mirror, tea, cake, and secret poem fish… On Friday August 5 we’re holding a readings event called Lines of Flight, featuring Eddie Hopely, Chris Edwards, and one more to be confirmed. Then for Sunday Shrines each week, Tamara from Red Room creates shrines glorifying the objects of various clubs and societies’ affections. The first week saw a shrine dedicated to all true horse lovers in affiliation with The Pony Club. What: Red Room Company’s Clubhouse When: Wednesdays – Sundays Where: 77 George Street – go out the back and down the stairs to the basement More: clubsandsocieties.org.au / therockspopup.tumblr.com
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BRAG EATS
News Bites Andrew Levins
WHO LEV THE DAWGS OUT?
Andrew Levins and The Dip are mixing it up every Saturday night with weekly one-off special twists on his already-classic Lev’s Dawg – as per the The Dynamite Chilli Dawg that was on offer last week... If you’re more focussed on thrift, The Dip do a halfprice special on their Lev’s Dawg every Thursday from 5-7pm. Certifiably the most satisfying $6 pre-booze topup going round. Just a few more reasons to get along to GoodGod Small Club… thedip.com.au
and sweet chilli, and twicecooked sticky pork ribs… 30 Hunter Street, CBD.
what all the fuss is about, head along to 63 Flinders Street, Surry Hills – or dukebistro.com.au
30 KNOTS
BRAG'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO FOOD
40HR FAMINE
At this point, it’s becoming clear that Sydney’s nightlife is in the process of a massive takeover bid by Justin Hemmes and the Merivale group. We could list the venues they’ve nabbed in the last 18 months, but it’d just be overwhelming – so let’s just say that, having just recently opened both the Upstairs @ Beresford venue and El Loco Mexican Cantina Y Barra at the Excelsior on Foveaux, Hemmes has opened a nautical-themed bar called 30 Knots on Hunter Street. Forget fancy schmancy cocktails or finger food – we’re talkin’ boutique beers on tap and simple food fare, like falafel burgers with spicy sauce and thick cut chips, beer-battered onion rings with sour cream
Time warp! This still happens: World Vision’s 40 Hour Famine is scheduled for the weekend of August 19-21, presenting the perfect opportunity to relive your school days AND do something altruistic, by giving up food (or something else that really matters to you) for 40 hours – and getting people to sponsor you. Even with tight-arse friends and family, we’re sure you can raise at least $40, which feeds a family of five in the Thirld World for an entire month… worldvision. com.au/40HourFamine
FOOD NEWZ!
If you have food news – like a food-related happening or a new local food/drink joint – send it to food@thebrag. com, okay? Okay. 30 Knots' falafel burger
TIME OUT FOOD AWARDS
The Flinders Hotel’s Duke Bistro took top honours in the reader-voted Sydney Time Out Food Awards, announced last week as the August issue hit the streets – and beating out top-notch joints like Bilson’s and 11 Pilu at Freshwater… If it's good enough for Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, it's good enough for us, right? To see
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Tripping The Dark ‘N’ Stormy Trail Bermudans Do It Better By Meaghan Meredith
O
nce an islander, always an islander – or so the story goes. And in my case it rings true: even though I’ve moved from one of the world’s smallest islands – Bermuda – to the largest, I still find myself falling back into old habits. “60,000 alcoholics clinging to a rock” is how I would best describe my hometown. Renowned for its triangle, aliens, mysterious disappearances, electro-magnetic fields and giant squid, Bermuda is fermented in a rich and sometimes dark history – also known as Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. One of the oldest traditions surviving in Bermuda conflates our rum-swigging, treasure-hunting past with a socially acceptable way to get legless: the Dark ‘n’ Stormy trail. Quite simply, this tradition involves sampling a Dark ‘n’ Stormy (Bermuda’s national cocktail of dark rum, ginger beer and lime) at every bar, pub and liquor shack in your path. The execution can differ dramatically depending on your tolerance to said rum. Luckily for me, Sydney only has a handful of bars who were willing to assist me on my nostalgic mission. The first stop on the trail is Gardel’s Bar, upstairs at Porteño in Surry Hills, where bartender Kenny (the perfect throwback to ‘50s rockabilly) explains with a smile the delicate process by which they make their very own ginger beer. As we chat, he fills a highball glass with ice and pours 30ml of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. Another 30ml of the house ginger beer, a pinch of salt, half a squeezed lime and a top-up of soda complete this simple yet delicious cocktail. (The honey from the ginger beer plus the salt and the lime create the perfect tangy balance.) I’m feeling nostalgic for summer sun and islandstyle grooves, so I head to Freaky Tiki in Newtown – where my friendly bartender Jess efficiently whips up their variation of the Dark ‘n’ Stormy: 60ml Gosling’s rum, Bundaberg ginger beer and half a lime in an ice-filled highball. In Bermuda, a ‘standard’ drink is in excess of 60ml – so you can understand my confusion upon arriving in Australia, to find that shots were carefully measured at 30ml... So for my money, Freaky Tiki is serving up Dark ’n’ Stormies the way they should be. The next stop on my trail is Darlinghurst’s Victoria Room, where the elegant decor of the bar, adorned with antique lamps and a grand piano, exudes sophistication. Our cocktails are prepared with similar poise: 30ml Gosling’s, a squeeze of lime and Victoria Room’s original spicy ginger beer (made with agave nectar and lemon), fizzed into our highball glasses by a device which resembles a small fire hydrant. Once the excitement of the science experiment was over, I still had a sugar cane stick to chomp on, in true ladylike fashion. What could possibly be the most authentic Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail was found at an unlikely small bar, hidden away off Oxford Street. Pocket Bar delivered a truly classic cocktail made with 60ml
Gosling’s (kudos!), half a fresh squeezed lime and a dash of angostura bitters over ice, topped with Gosling’s ginger beer. What really won my heart, though, was the glass it was served in: if a jam-jar and a beer stein eloped to a tropical island, this vessel would be the result of their promiscuity. In a tip of the hat to my pirate heritage, my next pit stop, Crown Street's Low 302, delivers a nautical twist. ‘Sink the boat’ to control the storminess of my cocktail? Yes please! Half a lime filled with a dark angostura bitters floats amongst treacherous ice cubes in my large sea of tropical deliciousness. Once I ‘sink the boat’, my 30ml Appleton Rum and 30ml Meyers Rum topped with Bundaberg ginger ale goes from partly-cloudy-with-a-chance-ofshowers to a category three cyclone. By the time I reach the end of the trail, I’ve been transformed into an eye-patch wearing, gunslinging scallywag. During these frigid winter months, we all need to be reminded of something warm and wonderful – something that heats you from the inside out. Grab a Dark ‘n’ Stormy and find exactly that.
Rum. What Is It? Rum is typically made from fermented and distilled sugar cane or molasses. Originating in the Caribbean and Latin America, and aged in wooden barrels, it's been a favourite of pirates since they first started drinking... White Rum: This is your standard mojito and cuba libre spirit. Dry and light in flavour, you’ll most likely see it in the form of Bacardi and Havana Club White. It makes an excellent introductory start for the virgin rum drinker. Gold Rum: Gold rums tend to pack a bit more punch than white; they get their colour from the wooden barrels in which they’re aged. If you want to make a delicious mojito, try 10 Cane. A bit more affordable but just as tasty is Mount Gay rum, the oldest brand there is. Spiced Rum: When you want to channel your inner pirate, a generous nip of Captain Morgan’s will get the party started very nicely. Spiced rums are the herbal tea of the alcoholic world; try one in cinnamon, pepper, aniseed or even rosemary. Dark Rum: Dark rum has heavy undertones of caramel and molasses, due to the heavily charred barrels in which it’s aged – making it an excellent for cooking... Or, of course, for Dark 'n' Stormies. Try it straight and neat. Single Barrel Rum: Single barrel just means you know exactly what barrel it came from – no blends. It’s made by fermenting and distilling for a minimum of one year in charred oak barrels. Angostura Single Barrel has five years under its belt, and is perfect for when you want to impress your friends with your rum skills. Overproof Rum: Generally over 60% in terms of alcohol content, overproof rates at 100% in terms of badass. Meaning, don’t drink it straight. ‘Overproof’ gets its name from early alcohol content tests: if saturated gunpowder flashed when lit, ahoy! You’ve got yourself an OP.
BRAG EATS THIRSTY?
food review
Cafe Mint [SURRY HILLS]
Sitting snug in what has to be the most multicultural nook of Crown Street – within spitting distance of Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Portuguese and Indian eateries – Cafe Mint has been a favourite amongst the locals for the eight years it's been serving them. The cafe has a simple, modern, cool and calm design (and a few seats outside for the crowdpervs), and a menu with a Modern Middle Eastern bent, which our helpful waitress Sita tells us is mostly meant for sharing. We ordered three dishes to pick at for lunch, using the biryani ($15.50) as a base: a big, filling dish of wonderfully aromatic spiced rice, stirred through with soft boiled eggs, chickpeas, tomato, baby spinach, pumpkin, peas and raisins, and topped with minted yoghurt (and you can get it with chicken for an extra two bucks). ‘Biryani’ traditionally refers to any rice-based dish that goes heavy on the spices, and it tends to be an allsorts concoction - cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, mace, and a couple of other words that mean nothing to me… More to the point: Mint’s take on the dish tastes incredible.
DARK ‘N’ STORMY LOW302 302 CROWN STREET Ingredients: Juice of half a lime 30ml Appleton rum 30ml Meyers rum Ginger beer Bitters Method: build and stir. Easy. Glass: Highball with loads of ice Garnish: Discarded lime shell boat, filled with bitters.
A fancy take on cheese-on-a-stick, the haloumi skewers ($7 for two) were not even an option: three cubes of delicious salty goodness each separated with green and
Best drunk with: friends, while eating Low’s pork ribs with cocoa and chilli sauce during: a thunderstorm while wearing: a panama hat and listening to: the phone ring.
red capsicum, sporting a smart green olive cap. Drizzled with lemon, nothing quite beats fried cheese... 'Za’alook' ($7.50) turned out to mean grilled eggplant, served under a mountain of tomato salad, fresh herbs and goats cheese – the fruit juicy, tangy and speckled in herbs, and perfectly matched with the biryani. That was all well and good for the vego across from me, but I was happy as a carnivorous clam with my slow-cooked beef cheek dolmas ($14.90), tender as anything and held together only by the vine leaves they were wrapped in (‘Dolma’ comes from the Turkish verb dolmak, which literally means ‘to be stuffed’.) Covered in herbs and served with currants, pinenuts and a thin, stew-ish smattering of vegetables (juicy tomatoes, capsicums and onions), the portion was too generous for one person to finish alone. I persevered regardless. Afterwards we were well and truly dolma’d (learning!), but our chef Hugh Foster (who co-owns the cafe with chef Yoni Kalfus) wouldn’t let us leave before trying the baked
Relax by day in our leafy courtyard. Swing by to sample some of our contemporary cocktails and delicious food.
eggs with chackchouka ($15.50). The dish, which originated in the Western part of North Africa, features two eggs floating in a colourful, tomato-based, spice-infused stew with onions and sweet capsicums – all slowcooked in a tagine, and served with a side of za’atar-topped toasted flatbread. This kind of dish exemplifies what Mint does best: heaps of colour, adventurous flavours and a ton of aromatic herbs and spices. Delicious. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, Mint is now licenced too – you can grab dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and it boasts a fancy looking bar. I’d recommend taking your time on this one; sit back, relax, and feast. – Alex Blackmore Where: 579 Crown Street Surry Hills Hours: Monday, 7am-3pm; Tuesday – Saturday, 7am-3pm, 6-10pm; Sunday, 9am-3pm Contact: 9319 0848 Web: cafemint.com.au / @cafemintsydney
MODERN MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE
579 Crown Street Surry Hills Monday 7am - 3pm Tuesday to Saturday 7am – 3pm 6pm - 10pm Sunday 9am - 3pm
the abercrombie
PICS :: TL
Tucked away off of busy Cleveland street, so close to Sydney’s nightlife, yet so far away.
21:07:11:: cnr Broadway & Abercrombie Sts Broadway 9211 3486
02 9319 0848
cafemint.com.au BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 33
Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK SHABAZZ PALACES Black Up Sub Pop / Inertia
Truly excellent, but impossible to describe. You’ll just have to listen to it.
Much has been made of the fact that Black Up is the first rap album to be released on Sub Pop in the label’s twenty-five year history. I’m not sure why it took this long, but boy howdy did they back a winner. Little is known about this Seattle group – they have a scant website, few photos, and no Wiki – but it’s a tried and true formula; that aura of mystique only serves to heighten the incredible sounds pouring into your ears. This album is dark, twitchy and almost impossible to pin down. Beats come and go and often seem to hit half a beat ahead of time, creating a tremendous sense of forward
THEOPHILUS LONDON Timez Are Weird These Days Reprise / Warner “Know thyself,” said Socrates, and that advice remains as pertinent now as it was in the fifth century BC. Theophilus London, in Sydney later this month supporting Big Boi, has been marked as the Next Big Thing™ for a couple of years now – but based on his first full-length he still hasn’t worked out where his strengths lie. That this fairly straight, Top 40 hip-pop album features Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Sara Quinn (Tegan & Sara) and Holly Miranda only adds to its identity crisis. Much of this record sees London approximating Pharrell’s cheeky, sex-centric throwback funk-hop, and indeed many of these songs could have been written with another performer in mind. Dizzee Rascal’s rude boy swagger would be perfectly suited to the semi-dub of ‘Stop It’ or ‘Girls Girls $’, while ‘One Last Time’ sounds like Lupe Fiasco’s entire last album – shiny pop hooks and all. But London is not a great MC, so every time he shifts into rap territory he sounds out of his depth. His best work is done when actually singing, his voice warm and honest on tracks like ‘Wine And Chocolates’ and ‘I Stand Alone’. The former is easily the album’s highlight; it seems as though London truly relished the opportunity to try his hand at a song co-written and produced by Sitek. And you can’t half hear the TV On The Radio connection – which leads you to wish that the whole album was a little more like this. At a lean 38 minutes, this album doesn’t really tell us who Theophilus London is – it just tells us who he isn’t. But the man has an engaging presence, and if he finds his voice he could do great things. Hugh Robertson
But this is undeniably hip-hop, with Palaceer Lazaro – also known as Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler of Digable Planets – a versatile, nimble, enigmatic MC. There’s a hardness to his voice that generates tremendous intensity without yelling or threatening, but he’s also capable of a softer, more lyrical style when the instrumental tracks demand it. Hugh Robertson
BOY & BEAR
TINY RUINS
Moonfire Island / Universal
Some Were Meant For Sea Spunk / EMI
Marcus Mumford praised pals and touring buddies Boy & Bear at every show I saw in both of Mumford & Sons’ triumphant 2010 tours. The then months-old Sydney act were understandably grateful for the props, but they won’t be needing the free publicity for much longer. Frontman Dave Hosking has already eclipsed the overrated Mumford as a songwriter, and the rest of the band – all accomplished songwriters and performers that predate this outfit – are displaying the depth, skill and cautiously adventurous spirit that they’ll need to keep making interesting music. Chiefly falling somewhere between Mumford’s earnest folkiness, Leader Cheetah’s After The Goldrush-retroromanticism and Band Of Horses’ radiant country-pop harmonies, Moonfire also puts feelers out in the direction of '60s psych (check the hints of manic organ on ‘Golden Jubilee’) and even Krauty excursions: the pulsing, string-tinged bookends on ‘Milk And Sticks’ are a little generic (not to say Killers-y), but they serve to shake the mood up nicely. The band's real strengths are core ones: Hosking’s eloquent, decorative melodies are consistently lovely, filtering down into the guitars and piano as well. His vocals are strong, vulnerable, relatable and distinctive (the perfect melodic folk voice, up there with Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes), the everyman who sticks in your mind. And when all their voices twine together in textured harmonies it’s gorgeous, and deeply, essentially musical, in a way that dozens of festival-hopping, triple j super-requested, box-ticking buzz bands can’t hope to emulate. Moonfire is offputtingly accomplished, and hopefully both catchy and substantial enough to make a certain Finn cover pale in comparison... Caitlin Welsh
momentum, with samples from every genre wholly subsumed into the SP universe. The reference points are all over the place, like if Guru’s Jazzamatazz had been reworked by electronic beat makers such as Flying Lotus and Gaslamp Killer. Perhaps the closest comparison is Gonjasufi, but while his abstractions were often quite abrasive, Black Up is listenable, even at its most esoteric.
HANDSOME FURS
Dan Boeckner has never quite mastered the art of the perfect record. The mostly brilliant Wolf Parade albums were always let down by one component, whether it be production, consistency or just running out of steam. Handsome Furs, comprised of Boeckner and wife Alexei Perry, have suffered the same fate in the past – but on Sound Kapital, their third album, they hit all the right notes. It’s as if taking the focus off Wolf Parade has finally made this side-project come into its own.
It’s a brilliant combination, given folk’s grand institution of epic ballads, doomed romances and its elevated estimation of the storyteller. With all this supporting her, Fullbrook weaves tales of romance, desperation and the mundane of the everyday into what seems like a grand tapestry, aided by a rollcall of literary references from Steinbeck to Salinger. Her greatest asset in all of this is her voice, which is often compared to Throsby’s girlish whisper - some of her phrasing is similar to be sure, but Fullbrook’s voice is darker and deeper, possessed of a more Marling-esque quality that seems to add a lifetime’s wisdom to every word she utters.
There’s a freedom and adventurousness associated with Handsome Furs. The Montreal duo’s releases often come out on the back of touring and travel, much in the same way The Creatures functioned as an exotic honeymoon package away from Siouxsie And The Banshees. On Sound Kapital, the pair’s travels through Burma (Myanmar) and their introduction to its against-the-odds music scene has had a profound affect on their sound and vision. The opening lyrics are “When I get back, when I get back home / I won’t be the same no more”, and songs such as ‘What About Us?’, ‘Serve The People’ and ‘Cheap Music’ serve as rousing anthems to the underdog.
In BRAG last week, Fullbrook spoke of trying to stand out in a crowded field of female singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars. On the strength of her debut, she’ll have no trouble getting heard. Hugh Robertson
It’s only when electric guitar seeps into the middle of the seventh song that you realise how much Perry’s electronic instrumentation has been pushed to the forefront compared to previous outings. Once a little tentative behind Boeckner’s striking presence, Perry now shares equal billing with her partner; she drives the band to be at their most dancefloor-friendly with the pulsating pairing of ‘What About Us?’ and ‘Repatriated’. Handsome Furs is love and marriage, but also guts and glory.
The Cat MGM Ben Salter is one of those Australian musicians that everyone has heard from at some point, but not many will recognise by name. Instead, reviewers have to rattle off a long list of projects he’s been involved with over the years, such as Giants Of Science, The Gin Club, The Wilson Pickers and The Young Liberals. This lack of brand recognition is clearly a bit of a problem for Salter, so he’s released a solo album under his own name to rectify it, and called in some of the big guns of Australian indie
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music to make it an album to remember – The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard and Mike Noga, and Sarah Blasko’s producer and co-writer, Robert F. Cranny. And fortunately for Salter, it is an album to remember: eschewing the normal acoustic guitar, bass and drums set up of the typical Australian solo singer-sonwriter, it favours a richer spectrum of sounds, including Korg organs, saxophone and the hurdy-gurdy. The fruits of this approach are best demonstrated in ‘The Mailbox Song’, a marvellously sleazy number about Salter discovering his mailbox full of bills for previous occupants of his rented house,
with skronky saxophones sounding out over a gauche organ and a dirtilydistorted bassline. These ten solidly-constructed songs are asking to be compared to the recent crop of solo albums from established Aussie artists: Gareth Liddiard’s Strange Tourist, Mike Noga’s The Balladeer Hunter, Glenn Richards’ Glimjack. It speaks volumes about Salter’s talent that The Cat not only keeps up with his illustrious peers, but that it also often betters them. Brisbane’s Ben Salter is finally getting his own name out there, and he stands strong against his peers. Chad Parkhill
‘Aussie Hip Hop’ has always been a fairly loaded label, and it feels too limiting and too narrow, especially when you have an album like this. Foreverlution, Thundamentals’ second offering, is hip hop pure and simple, produced with style and flair, and with both classic and evolutionary sounds in mind; the breadth of styles on this record really shows how far Thundamentals have come since Sleeping On Your Style. Produced almost entirely by DJ Morgs, there are a great variety of beats too, whether you’re in the mood to cut loose or take it down a notch. Tracks like ‘Check My Fresh (ft. Vida-Sunshyne)’, performed half in French and half in English, shows the precocious streak of the Thundas; dripping with soulful, sassy French chic, it’s a disarming track inclusion which makes it all the more enjoyable. ‘Thunda Cats (ft. Dysphemic)’ has a floor-stomper of a bassline that veers into – whisper it – dubstep territory, which, along with the electro-tinged (but underwhelming) ‘Dimensions 3’ nods at the “evolution” aspect of the record. Lead single ‘Paint The Town Red’, already getting a decent triple j rotation, is a cheeky ode to, well, painting the town red, with some great flows by MC’s Tuka and Jeswon (“life’s a bitch / she spiked my drink”), while tracks like the whimsical ‘Calm In The Chaos (ft. Charlotte Craib)' and ‘Burn it Down (ft Ray Mann)’ show how you can still have plenty of attitude in hip hop without crossing over into bristly arrogance – a testament to the clever lyrical style of both Tuka and Jeswon. With its relatable flows, Foreverlution will endear you to the genre, and challenge what you thought an Aussie hip hop record should sound like. Marissa Demetriou
Chris Girdler
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK BEN SALTER
Foreverlution Obese Records
Sound Kapital Sub Pop
It’s easy to see why Tiny Ruins was chosen to support Seeker Lover Keeper on tour last month. Hollie Fullbrook’s songs exist in that quiet universe, so full of the acoustic whimsy that Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby and Sally Seltmann have made their own, both as a group and on their solo records. But while those three fine songwriters tend to approach their songs from a ‘pop’ angle, Fullbrook comes to her lyrics via a university education in theatre and English literature, and a clear affinity with a much older music tradition.
These eleven songs do blend into one another – they are mostly Fullbrook’s voice and guitar unaccompanied. But J Walker’s unobtrusive production creates tremendous space and depth in which the tracks are allowed to grab you in their own way, and when a ghostly violin or distant double bass do join in, it seems like a welcome addition rather than the missing piece.
THUNDAMENTALS
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...
WHY? - Alopecia OKKERVIL RIVER - I Am Very Far TORNADO WALLACE - RA Podcast 269
RYAN ADAMS - Love Is Hell, Pt. 2 THE HOWLING BELLS - S/T
SINCE 1806
BLACKSEALRUM The ‘Spirit of Bermuda’ Multi-award winning Rum A family business for over two centuries – since 1806
RANGEINCLUDES GOSLING’S BLACK SEAL RUM, GOSLING’S FAMILY RESERVE OLD RUM AND GOSLING’S GINGER BEER
WWW.GOSLINGSRUM.COM Contact
on 02 9627 1022 or sales@thinkspirits.com Drink Responsibly
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 35
gear news headlines from the backline
PROPELLERHEAD ANNOUNCE REASON 6
Propellerhead Software have always understood that musicians just want to make music, and they’re back with their newest recording platform: Reason 6. Reason 6 rolls into one program the live audio recording features found in their previous product 'Record', and the classic synthesiser and effects rack from 'Reason'. The rack and mixer view have a familiar feel; all the tricks of a classic analogue studio still work here, while taking advantage of the convenience of the digital age. There are plenty of new goodies for the initiated too: filters, tape echos and compressors to help inspire you, and make your home recording compete with the best in the biz. Coming in September, just add a computer and you’ve got all the tools you need...
WITH SAMEER SENGUPTA AKA POCKET MASTERING ENGINEER AT STUDIOS 301 moments that have ever happened, yeah? Like all Moogerfoogers, MIDI & CV control means it plays nicely with others – be it your guitar pedals, computer, DJ set-up or vintage behemoth...
NEW MOOGERFOOGER – THE CLUSTER FLUX
Effect and synthesis masters Moog Music have announced a new Moogerfooger pedal - the Cluster Flux. The Cluster Flux will combine your favourite post-punk rock opera epic flanging, chorus and vibrato effects while mixing them all together through a wild array of LFOs - the result will undoubtedly be some of the most truly mind bending sweeps and resonant
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music while studying computer science. I landed a record contract with Volition Records in 1991, and music took over. I’m sure my father being an audiophile contributed to my obsession with music and high quality technology. Inspirations My inspirations come from people 2. that push the boundaries of sonics and technology. People like Brian Eno, Trent Reznor, David Sylvian, Gabriel, Alan Wilder, Alan Moulder, Nigel Godrich, Steve ‘Dub’ Jones, The Chemical Brothers, Square Pusher, Joy Orbison, Trentemøller etc… Starting in 1991, Paul Mac helped me a great deal. Years later we are great friends. Local contemporaries I admire include Andy Page and Mark Pritchard.
LINE 6 MIDI MOBILIZER II
Want to control your favourite synth, drum machine, guitar pedal or more from your smartphone? Who wouldn’t? The new Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer is going to allow just that. This portable device connects to any Apple iPod touch, iPhone or iPad, and lets you control any MIDI-capable device from the palm of your happy little hand. Combine this with the newly released Garageband for iPhone, and you’re making big compositions on tiny technology. Best yet, it’s powered by the device it's connected to – so, no batteries!
Getting Started I started drumming at ten, then taught 1. myself synths and how to write electronic
The Music You Make I love all sorts of music, from jazz, 3. classical and ambient to metal – but what
JAMES MURPHY BACK BEHIND GLASS?
Since LCD Sound System announced their epic final performance at Madison Square Garden, the industry has been rife with speculation as to where main man James Murphy would head once he shut up shop on his definitive project... Not to a life without music it turns out (no surprise); information is surfacing over the facebooks and the interwebs which claims the spiritual home of his DFA Records, the DFA Studio, is now open for public bookings. Not sure if that means you get the main man behind the desk (you’d hope so – or at least Juan), but one thing we know for sure is they’re going to have all the best music-making toys to play with. If those walls could speak...
I produce stays within the electronic and house sphere. My last album, written with Ken Cloud as Pocket 808, had ten songs and ten different genres, ranging from rock, ambient dub, dub, house, bossanova-electronica and everything in between. We had vocals from Phil Jamieson, Aya Larkin, Ali Omar, Gina Mitchell, Jamie Lloyd, Royce Doherty amongst a few more. I like to travel the road less travelled – why write electro when it’s everywhere? Your Studio There are endless arguments about the 4. pros/cons of analog vs digital – all said, it’s the music that counts. I once had a studio of hardware synths and mixers, but I now prefer a digital environment. Digital is quick and gives you total control over all sonic elements. With analogue, you don’t have that luxury. Predictably, my favourite bit of kit would now be my Mac, although I will never fall out of love with my SH-101 and TB-303 (Devil Fish edition).
When mastering though, things are different. You never want to skimp when mastering. You want the best sounding equipment, and nothing beats analog EQ and compression. I approach mastering as a two-way conversation - it’s the way I like to be treated with my own work. I trust the master engineer’s expertise, but on occasion will contest their decisions. I treat others with the same respect, and I am always open to a well-constructed argument. Music, Right Here, Right Now The industry right now has become all 5. business and less music, but things go in cycles and we are simply in a state of flux. The business model has changed – the era of ‘selling’ your music is over – but technology has also brought a democratisation of music. The good is that it puts everyone on a level playing field; the bad is that you have a large amount of music at a technically lower standard. As far as heavy compression and loudness go – they are a fact of life. Playing that game compromises your music, but that choice is in the hands of each individual. I tend to present two options and let the artist make their choice. It all comes down to making good music – good music will always find a way. Hear: soundcloud.com/pocket808/sets/proximo Studios 301: 18 Mitchell Road, Alexandria Contact: (02) 9698 5888
gear reviews
Tips From The Top
we test out some brand new toys
KORG MONOTRIBE
At its core, the Monotribe is an ‘acid box’ in the fine tradition of the 303, 606, 909 and 808 before it, with some subtle modern day stability touches and an open invitation for circuitbenders to get creative under the hood.
oscillator waveforms and a white noise generator, with its own mixable gain control. A switchable DCO setting for the tone oscillators allows for a more stable control of pitch via auto-tuning selection – but it’s just as easy to turn this off and let the ribbon do the talking. To turn this box from techno toy into techno weapon, the synth section now includes an eight step pattern sequencer for those chugging, building bass lines, with the option of a ‘flux’ recording that turns off the quantisation and allows you to play real time.
TELL ME ABOUT THE SYNTH.
DRUMS, YOU SAY?
In an electronic production landscape dominated by digital emulation, the Korg Monotribe introduces cheap, effective analogue synthesis to a new generation.
AN ‘ACID’ BOX?
The synth section in the Monotribe is a grown-up version of the technology tested on us last year with the Korg Monotron. That super resonant VCF filter ported from the classic MS-10/MS-20 design is back, and as squelchy as ever. Tone generation gets a serious upgrade, with the addition of two new
Having a step sequencer on your synthesiser is fun, but having some beats to go with that is bliss. The Monotribe is also an analog drum machine, using three discrete analogue tone generators to provide booming kicks, snares and hi-hats, each with their own 16 step sequence control.
WHARFEDALE SL824 USB AUDIO MIXER The new SL824 USB mixer from Wharfedale Pro shows just how much time has been put into research & development by the Wharfedale design team. There’s been a great improvement in features and build quality compared to previous models – and the new, slick-looking design makes for an easy to interpret layout, with a full gamut of features.
THE INS AND OUTS The SL824 USB offers eight mono channels with microphone or line inputs, and an additional pair of stereo line input channels. Every channel has an insert point, and the two auxiliary sends are complimented by a stereo auxiliary return. The master outputs are supplied on XLR and TRS connectors, to make integration with existing PA systems easy, and there’s an additional stereo bus output on TRS connectors as well as a headphone output. The alternate bus output is fed into a USB output so you can record directly to a computer, removing the need for a separate audio interface.
ON THE STRIP The eight main channel strips all have microphone preamps on XLR connectors, and line inputs on TRS connectors. Each have independent gain controls, FX sends to the onboard digital effect processor, and pan controls. Each channel (mono or stereo) has a three-band EQ and two auxiliary sends, one fixed to pre-fader and the other switchable to either pre- or post-. The long faders are more rugged than previous models and a lot smoother to operate. Each channel can be routed to either the master bus or the USB bus, and phantom power is available on all the microphone inputs.
WITH HANDS OFF!
Throw in a versatile and assignable LFO section to control filter, pitch or both, and the pulse sync in and out connections for slaving the Monotribe with other drum machines, and you can get your hands off the Monotribe to watch it build some techno madness as you focus on other parts of your production.
MY FAVOURITE PART:
Plugged in through a PA, the Monotribe sounds enormous, but in many ways my favourite feature of it is the built in speaker. Add six AA batteries and you can be tweaking to your heart’s content wherever the mood so takes you! - Mark Crowley RRP: $279 Distributor: Musiclink Australia Phone: (03) 9765 6565 Website: musiclink.com.au
A NICE STEP FORWARD Straight out of the box, it feels like a whole new beast. Snazzier looks and the cleverly colour-coded controls signal that this mixer is a step in the right direction for Wharfedale Pro. Built solidly, it will take the rigours of live use for years. All the pots and faders are smoother and, importantly, the mix bus is considerably quieter. It does have more weight to it than previous models, but it isn’t so heavy to be of any great concern. If you've enjoyed using Wharfedale Pro mixers in the past, or are yet to give them a try, the SL824 USB is not going to let you down. - Rob Gee RRP: $549 Distributor: Industry Gear Phone: (02) 9718 4900 Website: industrygear.com.au
Steve Smart MASTERING ENGINEER @ STUDIOS 301
Home studio producers always have the same question: how can I make my mixes better? We asked Steve Smart from Studios 301 for a few pointers... Most mix & master problems relate to the hardest-to-control low frequencies. To remedy, start by generating low frequency tones with a signal generator in your record ing software at increments of 10hz, from 20hz to 300hz. Write down the level of each frequency, noting quiet and loud points, and if the lowest frequencies are inaudible, move the speaker’s rear closer to a hard surface (wall), or consider a standalone sub-woofer. If lower-mid frequencies are inaudible, look to the shape of your room. If the room is a rectangle, try setting up the speakers at the longest end. Place low frequency traps – like a box full of fabric – in the opposite room corners from your speakers. VU meters (average volume indicator) help give an accurate visual display of how much energy is in the low frequency range going into the speakers. Similarly, a Spectrum Analyzer will display all frequencies from 20hz to 20khz as a bar graph on any computer screen. Be aware of your EQ. If you hear nothing when adding 6db at 50hz, then there is a problem with either the speakers or the room. Use high pass filters (EQ filters that block out low frequencies) to quickly clear up unwanted bass, making instruments sit forward in the mix without the use of compression. Lastly, it’s very easy to get caught up in your own little world. Keep a few commercially released CDs on hand to listen to as a reference. Happy mixing! Studios 301 / 18 Mitchell Road, Alexandria www.studios301.com / (02) 9698 5888
www.studios301.com 02 9698 5888 Andrew Edgson recently mastered: Little Red, Strangetalk, Miami Horror, Art vs Science, Cloud Control and Ernest Ellis. Mastering from $100 per song.
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The Minor Chord The all-ages rant bought to you by Indent.net.au and Eva Balog
Remedy More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart
ALL-AGES GIG PICKS TUESDAY AUGUST 2
L
ast week we spoke about MySchoolAct, and for those that are still umming and ahhing about whether they should enter their band, we managed to catch up with their official spokesman Nathan Sapsford to talk about what the competition has to offer young musos. The former MTV and TV Hits host has a reputation for being one of Australia’s most respected interviewers, and was happy to sign on for this year's comp. “It’s a real music competition for school kids, that their friends and fans can get involved with too. If you’re in a band or do a solo thing, you could win the massive major prize of a Sony record deal, or a spot on the Big Day Out bill – and a whole lot more goodies!” As an online comp, it’s easy to get involved: head to myschoolact.com and register by uploading your music and videos. Then tell everyone you know about it so they can vote for you – fans of your music can win prizes too! “Music success is about rolling your sleeves up and getting dirty,” says Sapsford. “You’ll learn a lot, make new friends and maybe even leapfrog to the top.” In Australia alone, there is an overwhelming amount of music being produced every day, which can sometimes make it hard for new artists to stand out amongst the crowd. Sapsford strongly believes that demonstrating creativity with your work ethic is key to helping you get noticed. “Your big break rarely comes from where you expect it, so keep making stuff, no matter how ridiculous you think it is at first.” Another great aspect of MySchoolAct is that it recognises the people behind the scenes, not just the performers. “That’s the amazing thing about this competition. There are major prizes for the music engineers, video directors and graphic designers – so help your mates out with their band and you could all win.” Essentially MySchoolAct covers all you need to kick-start your career in any aspect of the music industry. “I’m really down with any concept that lets kids unleash their creativity from day one. Anyone can physically make something on GarageBand, which I think is amazing, so why not just have a go with your friends? It [could] end up being the funniest thing you do that day.” Sapsford also shared with us some interesting tips on how emerging bands could deal with the sudden media attention the competition might stir up for them... “Wear shades and a hoodie and go on Today Tonight, or just be yourself! Most of yourself anyway, leave a bit of mystery... It depends if you want to exploit it like Gaga, or keep yourself a secret like a PJ Harvey. Think of it as an opportunity, and try to have fun with it – it’s been a while since a band was so publicly torn apart as Nirvana was.” So what have you got to lose? Register
The Vaccines, Oh Mercy Metro Theatre
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 The Mars Volta Enmore Theatre
THURSDAY AUGUST 4 Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Purple Sneakers DJs, Nantes Metro Theatre
SATURDAY AUGUST 6 The Get Up Kids Metro Theatre
Kaiser Chiefs, Papa vs. Pretty, Stonefield Enmore Theatre
online, and you could be playing the Big Day Out next year! As for upcoming gigs, we’ve been spoilt rotten this week, muchos gracious to the festival gods. We’ve got loads of bands right off the Splendour lineup, just itching to play a show for their youngest and most enthusiastic fans – The Vaccines with Oh Mercy, The Mars Volta, The Get Up Kids, and Kaiser Chiefs with Papa Vs. Pretty will all be playing around the traps in the coming week just for you. Purple Sneakers DJs Randall Stagg and PHDJ gave us a sneaky insight into how things will go down this Thursday August 8 at the Metro Theatre, when they support the UK's Does It Offend You, Yeah? Playing more than you could ever expect, PhDJ tells us that, “Randall and I get directed what to play by scientists who have carefully studied musical patterns and trends. They say it’s all about waves these days: nu wave, chill wave, dub wave, interwave, scream wave, step wave, browave, witchwave, mumwave, dadwave. LMFAOwave. We just do what we’re told.” Randall adds LOLwave to the list of what to expect when the party experts take the stage. And what song are they most excited about seeing Does It Offend You, Yeah play? “I would say ‘Attack of the 60Ft Lesbian Octopus’ ‘cos of the name, but the fact is that ‘Let’s Make Out’ is one of the better party tracks [to come out] over the last 10 years – so that one for sure!” Remember to tune in to FBi Radio 94.5fm each Wednesday at 5pm to hear the all ages picks from The Minor Chord team. If you don’t have access to a radio, you can still keep up to speed by checking out our website indent.net.au. And if you’re in the know of any all ages events, be they musical, artistic or whatever, write to us at theminorchordradio@gmail.com.
Mastodon
THE DON
Mastodon – or simply The Don as they’re respectfully known in this here parts – have a new album, The Hunter, out on September 27. But in what seems to be an increasingly popular trend, you can pre-order a limited edition pre-release version. It’s a one-off effort that won’t be repeated, and comes as a CD and DVD in a digi-pak (with a different cover to that of the regular release), a poster, an “augmented reality experience” (Alright! Who’d have thunk it?) with exclusive content, an “instant” download of a new song called ‘Black Tongue’ and another of the first single from the album, ‘Curl Of The Burl’. All for under US$50 – which at the current exchange rate ain’t half bad at all. The band’s website will have all the details. Hop to.
THE DOLLS
70s icons The New York Dolls make the second trip of their career to our shores in October. We just hope they get a better reception than they did in 2007. This time, it’ll be as spokespeople and headline performers for The Boroughs ‘NYC Culture Festival’ tour, which comes to Australia this October, hitting Sydney Uni’s Manning Bar on October 15.
THE MAIDEN
Just when you thought that Iron Maiden have it all covered comes the book On Board Flight 666. Due in November (just in time for that all metal Christmas stocking), it’s a visual document of the Somewhere Back In Time and Around The World In 66 Days – The Final Frontier tours. It features the work of photographer John McMurtrie, with accompanying text and a foreword from the man who quite literally made the whole thing fly, pilot Bruce Dickinson. (All starting to get a bit much ain’t it?)
THE STONES
The Rolling Stones are planning the festivities for their upcoming 50th birthday. That’s five decades – half a century. And to think that for more than three quarters of that, they’ve just been going through the motions. The glory of Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street were so, so long ago...
WINTERLAND
That complete collection of Jimi Hendrix’ performances at Winterland in San Francisco – called simply Winterland – will
be out as a five-disc box in September. Also from the Jimi vaults that month comes a repackage of the long-deleted live comp, Hendrix In The West, with extra tracks.
ROYAL HEADACHE
Expect Royal Headache’s long awaited debut full-length in about a month on ‘Young’ Nic Warnock’s RIP Society label.
GRAND THEFT MOTO
You might recall that back in March we were pleased to report a huge poster for Motörhead’s Sydney gig was spread across a large part of the suburb of Castle Hill – a future heritage listing that it seemed someone subsequently removed or pinched. Well, someone else has set their sights higher still and apparently nabbed a massive 3 by 4 metre billboard for Alice Cooper’s September tour, from the front of the Enmore Theatre.
THE YEAR PUNK BROKE
1991: The Year Punk Broke makes it onto DVD on September 9. This essential doco of what was so right (and just about to go so damn wrong) with the “alternative” punk scene primarily features Sonic Youth on their 1991 tour of Europe along with billing mates, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr and The Ramones. Prophetically, the film was shot a month prior to the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind, which really got the ball rolling in terms of punk making the crossover to the commercial mainstream – from which point it was all pretty much downhill, and fast. This DVD edition of the movie comes with more than an hour of bonus material, including 40 minutes of additional live footage of Sonic Youth performing ‘White Kross,’ ‘Eric’s Trip,’ ‘Chapel Hill’ and ‘Inhuman,’ plus a rare Nirvana performance of ‘In Bloom.’ Other extras include live rough cuts of ‘Mote’ and ‘Flower,’ the original movie trailer, and ‘Broken Punk’ –a 2003 panel discussion with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Steve Shelley and Lee Ranaldo, Dinosaur Jr’s J. Mascis (in his pre-chatty days, which should make for interesting viewing) and filmmaker Dave Markey. In conjunction with the release of the DVD will be Sonic Youth’s Hits Are For Squares, which was previously available only in a limited manner. It’s a comp of SY tunes spanning their entire career curated by folks like Beck, Mike D, Radiohead, Mike Watt, Eddie Vedder, Michelle Williams, Flea, Gus Van Sant, and The Flaming Lips.
ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Endless Boogie’s Full House Head which, despite being meant as a bit of a giggle, is pretty damn great in its ZZ Top-as-done-by-The Stooges-or-even-Sonic Youth vision. Also spinning (and speaking of SY) is both Bad Moon Rising and Evol. Sure they’ve matured and moved a long way since both, and of course each is quite different from the other, but there was a wonderful adverturous charm about these guys back then that had nothing to do with cool but everything to do with rewriting what had been written since the '50s.
TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS The Soundwave blokes sure are busy. Besides Soundwave itself and Soundwave Revolution, now there’s also Harvest festival, which will feature The Family Stone (but no Sly), The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Portishead, The National, Holy Fuck, Death In Vegas, The Walkmen and plenty more. In Sydney it’s happening on November 13, at Parramatta Park. Steve Kilbey from The Church and Ricky Maymi (BJM) will be appearing in store at Red Eye Records (at their new location, 143 York Street) on August 4 at 5.30pm.
The Screaming Tribesmen (who own one of the greatest Oz singles of all time, the classic ‘Igloo’) are returning with their best known and longest lasting lineup: singer and guitarist Mick Medew, guitarist Chris “Klondike” Masuak (Radio Birdman, The Hitmen), bassist Bob Wackley (Razar) and drummer Warwick Fraser (Feather, Hoi Polloi). To mark their comeback, Fuse Music will be re-issuing the band’s recordings over two albums, along with unreleased demos and live material. On September 24 they’ll be at the Sandringham in Newtown with The Dark Shadows and Decline of the Reptiles.
Stonefield
Send pics, listings and any info to minorchords@thebrag.com 38 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays. Pics to art@thebrag.com www.facebook.com/remedy4rock
RES EATEST PLEASU O OF LIFE’S GR MARRYING TW
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Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why
Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber
Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton
WWW. LIZOT TES.COM.AU BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 39
snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .
mum
It’s called: GhettoBlaster Who’s playing? Rufus and Sures are playing live sets, plus DJ sets from M.I.T., Mark C, Girlthing, Cries Wolf and &Dimes DJs. Houl, Bathcat and Resan are also painting live on the night. Sell it to us: If you weren’t already sold at free keg beer, we’re giving away hundreds of Push Pops and serving spiked Grape Kool-Aid in jars. There are couches for dancing on and destroying – and if destruction isn’t your thing, some of Sydney’s best artists are taking on the GhettoBlaster live art wall. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Not much. But you’ll probably find yourself in photographic evidence of trashed furniture, hazy memories of security escorting you away from drinking straight from the keg and a stolen margarita bucket next your bed... Wallet Damage: $10 entry, free keg beer, $5 vodka grape Kool-Aid, $5 local beers, $8 margarita buckets. Where: QBar / 34 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst When: Saturday August 6 from 9pm
PICS :: TP
party profile
ghettoblaster
last night
PICS :: CG
22:07:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700
slow down honey
PICS :: CG
22:07:11 :: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687
siamese
:: GoodGod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool Street Sydney 9267 3787
:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: THOMAS PEACHY :: MUN IEL DAN :: Y :: ASHLEY MAR :: CAI GRIFFIN :: DARREN KELL PATRICK STEVENSON ::
40 :: BRAG :: 423: 01:08:11
glasvegas
PICS :: KC
21:07:11
PICS :: CG
23:07:11 :: Tone:: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440
24:07:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St City 92642666
snap sn ap
hot damn
PICS :: CG
up all night out all week . . .
bodyjar 23:07:11
PICS :: CG
21:07:11 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245
:: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687
It’s called: Friday Night Living
It sounds like: Indie, electronic, experimental, synth-ness and guitars Who’s playing? Brackets, Telafonica, Shanghai, Sammy K Sell it to us: The cruisy-throaty-alt-dub goodness that is the band Brackets will be bringing their brooding skeletal frames, along with the blissfully enthralling Telafonica and experimental-prog-soaked Shanghai, to Hermann’s. Kicking things off with free hugs and soul-gazing at 4pm will be DJ Sammy K, and bands will start from 7pm onwards. Oh yeah, did I mention that entry is COMPLETELY FREE!! Tell that to your grandparents, they’ll most likely pretend that they didn’t hear you and start baking banana bread. Wallet damage: FREE ENTRY Where: Hermann’s Bar / corner City Rd and Butlin Ave
the exchange hotel
22:07:11
damn dogs
The Exchange Hotel :: 34-44 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93601375
PICS :: CG
When: Friday August 5
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party profile
friday night living
21:07:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711
:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) CHY :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: DANIEL MUNNS :: THOMAS PEA MAR LEY ASH :: Y KELL REN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: DAR PATRICK STEVENSON ::
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 41
g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
FRIDAY AUGUST 5
pick of the week Funeral Party
James Rawson, John Tennyson, Renae Kearney, Aimee Francis, Matt Sztyk, Dan Crestani, Sam (Mosaics), Russell Neal Kellys On King free 7pm Bryan Farley, Carolyn Woodorth Springwood Sports Club free 7:30pm
TUESDAY AUGUST 2 ROCK & POP
Metro Theatre, Sydney
Funeral Party (USA), Boy In A Box
JAZZ
$52.90 (presale) 8:30pm MONDAY AUGUST 1 ROCK & POP
Gomez (UK), Leader Cheetah Metro Theatre, Sydney $60 8pm Gomez
Mandi Jarry Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm Matt Jones The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8:30pm Nicky Kurta Opera Bar, Sydney Opera House free 8:30pm O’Malley’s Got Talent O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 8pm
Bands For The Bears: Peter Northcote, Brydon Stace, Louise Anton, Scotty Aplin, Steve Balbi, Darryl Beaton, Dario Bortolin, Joseph Calderazzo, Luke Cuerden, Dave Ferry, Lloyd G, Paul Gray, Sarina Jennings, Andre Kaman, Adrian Keating, Barry Leef, Virginia Lillye, Dauno Martinez, Kev
Adam Pringle Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 8:30pm Five Coffees, Capitol The Basement, Circular Quay 8pm Ian Blakeney Dee Why RSL Club free 6:30pm Noah And The Whale (UK), Husky The Factory Theatre, Enmore $49.50 (+ bf) 8pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8:30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9:30pm The Vaccines (UK), Oh Mercy Metro Theatre, Sydney $48.70 (+ bf) 8pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9:30pm Two Minds Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm
Mendoza, Fab Omodei, Louise Perryman, Bobby Poulton, Nik Pringadi, Victor Rounds, Gordon Rytmeister, Danny Marx-Young Notes Live, Enmore $44.90 (presale)–$69.40 (dinner & show) 7pm
JAZZ
Bernie McGann Quartet 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8:30pm John Hill Dee Why RSL Club free 6:30pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
Alex Hughes, Renee Jonas,
Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Stephen Barry Trio, Amphibious 505 Club, Surry Hills $8 (member)–$10 8:30pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK Mark Wilkes, Carolyn Crysdale Kogarah Hotel free 7pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 ROCK & POP
Afro Nomads Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm After The Fall Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach 8pm
Alanna Cherote, Nick Kingswell, Matt Cornell The Vanguard, Newtown $12 (conc)–$51 (dinner & show) 6:30pm Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9:30pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Brian Cadd, Russell Morris Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $60–$102 8pm Dave White Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Embrace Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 8:30pm Futures In Black And White Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Gomez (UK), Leader Cheetah The Factory Theatre, Enmore $55 (+ bf) 8pm Goodnight Dynamite O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9:30pm GrandmasterMonk, Iron Bar Hotel Gaelic Club free 8:30pm Grouplove (USA), Young The Giant (USA) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $45 (+ bf) 8pm Jager Uprising Annandale Hotel $8 7:30pm Kele (UK), Strange Talk Metro Theatre, Sydney $63.50 (+ bf) 8pm Kristy Garrett Dee Why RSL Club free 6:30pm Last Chance Saloon The Basement, Circular Quay free (donation)–$48.80 (dinner & show) 9pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 9:30pm Neon Trees (USA), Radio Ink Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $49 (+ bf) 8pm Philip Ricketson Sandringham Hotel free 8pm The Khanz, Static Silhouettes, Matthew Edge, India-Rose Madderom Fringe Bar, Paddington $30– $30 7:30pm The Mars Volta (USA) Enmore Theatre $87.40 7pm Tim Rollinson Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7:30pm
JAZZ
August Zoe & The Buttercups 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8:30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm
Young The Giant
“Adjectives on the typewriter, he moves his words like a prize fighter, the frenzied pace of the mind inside the cell” - CAKE 42 :: BRAG :: 423 : 01:08:11
g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Kele
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
Bryan Farley, Carolyn Woodorth Blaxland Tavern free 6:30pm Russell Neal Coach & Horses Hotel free 7pm Velvet Road, Simon Bruce, David Shepherd, Zelda Smyth, Sway, Daniel Hopkins Taren Point Hotel free 8pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 4 ROCK & POP
2 Way Split The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Bonic, John Romeo, Dave Stone, Evan Mannell The Vanguard, Newtown $12
(+ bf)–$47 (dinner & show) 6:30pm Chris Connolly Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Craig Woodward Toxteth Hotel, Glebe free 8pm Diesel, Declan Kelly Brass Monkey, Cronulla $49 (+ bf) 7pm Does It Offend You Yeah? (UK), Purple Sneakers DJs, Nantes Metro Theatre, Sydney $53.10 (+ bf) 8pm Hollie Andrew, Kate Maree Hoolihan, Shaun Rennie, Matthew Robinson Sidetrack Studio Theatre, Marrickville $28 (conc)–$35 7:30pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why RSL Club free 6:30pm Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly 7:30pm Matt Tanks, Edoardo Santoni, Greg Cade, Tim McCartney, Leroy Lee, Simon Bruce, Simon Paparo, Andy Barnes, Matt Heath, Dan Hopkins The Basement, Circular Quay $17 (+ bf)–$22 (at door) 9pm Michael Peter Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8:30pm Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Hotel, Rooty Hill free 8pm Pete Hawkes, Phil Emmanuel Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $28 7pm Replika Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm Salt The Wound, Resist the Thought, The Ailment,
wed (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
thu
04 Aug
Anchored, Admelia Spectrum, Darlinghurst $12 (guestlist)–$15 8pm Shinola Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Single Twin Low 302, Darlinghurst 8pm Sould Nights Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 9pm Sounds of Sirus, Horsley Drive, Mad Charlie Live at the Wall, Leichhardt 8pm The Jungle Giants, Domeyko/Gonzalez
TUE 02 U A G
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
fri
05 Aug
(5:00PM - 8:00PM)
06
(9:15PM - 1:00AM)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
sat
SATURDAY NIGHT
07 Aug
SUNDAY NIGHT
(8:30PM - 12:00AM)
The Wu-Tang Clan (USA), Phaze One, Flagrant Enmore Theatre $112.20 7:30pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
JAZZ
Ilmiliekki 505 Club, Surry Hills $25 (member)–$30 (at door) 8:30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm
Charli, Pat James, James Nicol, Renate Nguyen, Simon Li, Carolyn Crysdale Olympic Hotel free 7pm Dan Crestani, TAOS Red Lion Hotel free 7:30pm Daniel Hopkins Penshurst RSL free 7pm
RIOT HOUSE COMEDY WEDNESDAY’S
ROCK-STEIN
STRIP TUESDAYS
MOVIE & MUSIC TRIVIA
CHEAP DRINKS CHEAP WOMEN,HAHA
THE STUDY feat
GRANDMASTERMONK
THU 04 AUG
CROSSROADS
FRI 05
AUG
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
HIP HOP
WED3 0 AUG
sun
Aug
Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm The Wu The Valve 7pm Wouter Kellerman Notes Live, Enmore 8pm
STRIP TUESDAYS! UNI/BACKPACKER NIGHT
03 Aug
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
SAT
06 AUG
FREE ENTRY
IRON BAR HOTEL + SOLOIST
WITH YOUR HOST RONNIE SIMMONS PURPLE SNEAKERS PRESENT LAST NIGHT
WOLVES AT THE DOOR
(LIVE)
WITH DJ’S RANDALL STAGG + PHDJ + JOSH KELLY + MINOU
ROLLER DERBY AFTERPARTY
FT: ABSOLUTE POWER DJ’S + DEVINE ELECTRIC + SPECIAL GUEST
11/08 CROSSROADS--HEAT 3 13/08 PANDA BAND LAUNCH
v 16/08 ROCK-STEIN TRIVIA/STRIP TUESDAYS!
17/08 THE STUDY/RIOT HOUSE COMEDY 19/08 PS/LAST NIGHT 20/08 NOWHERE, BALANCE & COMPOSURE 21/08 UNEARTHLY 27/08 ELECTRIC ZOO
COMING SOON BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 43
g g guide g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Adalita
FRIDAY AUGUST 5 ROCK & POP
Alfredo Malabello Notes Live, Enmore 8pm
Azlock, Above The Fallen, Aftermath, Hearts Like Wolves, Tenpenny Towers Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Bang! Bang! Rock n Roll Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel $10 8pm Blaze of Glory Engadine Tavern free 9:30pm
Dave Cooke RG McGees Hotel, Richmond free 9pm Depression, Deathcage, Unknown to God Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Elevate Customs House Bar, Sydney free 7pm Enola Fall Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 9pm Felix Riebl, Ben Salter Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $25 (+ bf) 8pm Fergusson Elliott Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly 7:30pm Forbidden, Desecrator Live at the Wall, Leichhardt 8pm Franky Valentyn Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 8pm Funeral Party (USA), Boy In A Box Metro Theatre, Sydney $52.90 (presale) 8:30pm Garry David, The Holy Soul, The Murder of Crow, Solid Gold Hell DJs Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 9pm Hollie Andrew, Kate Maree Hoolihan, Shaun Rennie, Matthew Robinson Sidetrack Studio Theatre, Marrickville $28 (conc)–$35 7:30pm Hue Williams Elanora Hotel free 9pm Jasper Sarkodee, Billy McCarthy Roxbury Room, The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe $10 6:30pm Jenny Marie Lang Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm Kira Puru & The Bruise Brass Monkey, Cronulla $12.25 (presale) 7pm
Mikelangelo & the Tin Star, The Toot Toot Toots, Go Girl Gadget Go Go The Vanguard, Newtown $20 (+ bf)–$55 (w/ dinner) 8pm Night Owl Down Under Bar & Bistro, Kings Cross free 8pm Randy Newman (USA), Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $35 (C Res)–$149 (premium) 8pm Rich Uncle Skeleton, Monster Gale, Dead Electric, Stick Mike Annandale Hotel $10 8pm Singled Out Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10:30pm Soul Nights, Radio City Cats, Mr Fabulous Tokio Hotel, Darling Harbour free 8pm Steve Edmonds, Mal Eastick The Vault, Windsor $14.30 (show only)–$39.80 (dinner & show) 8pm Terrorential The Vault, Windsor 7pm The Fitz Band Comp Fitz Cafe, St Ives free 7pm The Grand Lethals Candys Apartment $10/15 8pm The Hoo Haas Kauri Foreshore Hotel free 8pm MUM: The Jungle Giants, 1929 Indian, My Fiction, Little Blak Dress The World Bar, Kings Cross $10 (guestlist)–$15 8pm The Road Crew Coogee Bay Hotel free 10pm They Call Me Bruce Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8:30pm Tongue & Groove Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10:30pm
Total Control, Naked On The Vague, Holy Balm, Tough Troubles GoodGod SmallClub Welter, Craig McLachlan Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville 9pm Wolves At The Door, Bright Yellow, The Fiction Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills 8pm
JAZZ
Brendan MacLean, Miss Little 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (member)–$20 8.30pm Davood Tabrizi & the Far Seas Eastside Arts, Paddington $22 (member)–$28 8.15pm Grimethorpe Colliery Band State Theatre, Sydney $79.90 (B Res)–$97.90 (premium) 7.30pm Jason Bruer Band The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8.30pm Soulfood The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf)–$68.80 (dinner & show) 9.30pm Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 8pm
HIP HOP
The Wu-Tang Clan (USA), Phaze One, Flagrant Enmore Theatre $112.20 7:30pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
Doc Jones and the Lechery Orchestra, On The Stoop, Vashti Hughes, The Bishop Sisters El Rocco $15/10 8pm
Roz Chia Bowral Hotel free 7:30pm
SATURDAY AUGUST 6 ROCK & POP
Adalita, Laura Imbruglia Annandale Hotel $18 (+ bf) 8pm Alter Ego Granville RSL free 8pm As Rockets Fall The Valve 12pm Barnstorming Richmond Inn free 9:30pm Big Shots Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 8pm Boz N Jack The Vault, Windsor 8pm Buchanan, Young Romantics, Tank, Esteban, Andy & Mike Tone, Surry Hills $10–$12 8pm Chartbusters Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10:30pm Chasin The Train Bridge Hotel, Rozelle $25 8:30pm Cherribomb Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10:30pm Dora Maar, Milkmaids, Yes I’m Leaving Black Wire Records 7pm Endless Summer Beach Party Cronulla RSL free 7pm Hit Machine Emu Plains Sporting & Recreation Club, Leonay free 9pm Hollie Andrew, Kate Maree Hoolihan, Shaun Rennie, Matthew Robinson
TUESDAY 3RD AUGUST
THURSDAY AUGUST 4TH
Fri 19/08 Storylines Thur 25/08 After The Goldrush – Neil Young Tribute
FRIDAY AUGUST 5TH
Fri 26/08 Jeff Martin & Terapai Richmond Wed 31/08 The Amazing Rhythm Aces (US) Thur 1/9 The Lucky Wonders CD launch
SATURDAY AUGUST 6TH
Fri 2/09 Fred Smith Album launch Sat 3/9 Girlaxy presents – Coyote Ugly
FRIDAY AUGUST 12TH
Fri 9/09 Otis Redding 70th Birthday Celebration w/ Johnny G & The E Types Sat 10/09 Little Scout Thur 15/09 Maxine Kauter & James Edgar Francis
TUESDAY AUGUST 16TH
Fri 16/09 Arabesk Sat 17/09 The Trews (Canada) Sun 18/09 Margot Smith Tribute Thur 22/09 Indie Redux with Bhagavad Guitars Sat 24/09 King Tide + Dog Trumpet
44 :: BRAG :: 423 : 01:08:11
FUTURES IN BLACK
AND WHITE + The Former Love Pirates + Andrew Eddy
THURSDAY 4TH AUGUST
DIESEL
UNDER THE INFLUENCE TOUR
+ Declan Kelly
FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST
KIRA PURU &
THE BRUISE
+ New Brutalists + Spookyland + Leanne Russo
SATURDAY 6TH AUGUST
MR PERCIVAL
& THE JAMES VALENTINE QUARTET SUNDAY 7TH AUGUST
BONES ATLAS + Spangled Mistress + Husband & Strife
WEDNESDAY 10TH AUGUST
PANDA BAND + The Bungalows + Montpelier
Thursday 11 August Matt Corby, Sam Stephenson, Merrity Murphy, Bob Stamper Friday 12 August Ray Beadle Saturday 13 August James Taylor Tribute Sunday 14 August The Louds Tuesday 16 August Boats Of Berlin Wednesday 17 August Bob Log III Thursday 18 August Wendy Matthews Friday 19 August Rock Box Saturday 20 August FisherKing Sunday 21 August Jace Everett Wednesday 24 August Alvin Youngblood Hart Thursday 25 August Craig Woodward Friday 26 August King Tide Saturday 27 August Andy Bull Wednesday 31 August Jeff Martin Thursday 1 September Jeff Martin Friday 2 September Owl Eyes Saturday 3 September A Tribute to Bob Dylan Sunday 4 September Bonjah Friday 9 September Ian Moss Saturday 10 September Ian Moss Sunday 11 September Max Wednesday 7 September Hayley Warner Thursday 8 September Lonnie Lee
Wednesday 14 September Alloway
Thursday 15 September The Trews
Friday 16 September The Flood Saturday 17 September Johnny G & The E Types
Friday 23 September Classic Rock Show
Saturday 24 September Spy Vs Spy
Thursday 29 September Glenn Richards
Saturday 1 October The Trews Thursday 6 October Jack Ladder Friday 7 October Dusty- The Concert
Sunday 9 October Sarah McLeod
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
The Get Up Kids Sidetrack Studio Theatre, Marrickville $28 (conc)–$35 7:30pm Impermanent Quartet, Salvation Street Shout Cockatoo Island, Sydney $10 3:30pm Kaiser Chiefs (UK), Papa Vs Pretty, Stonefield Enmore Theatre $73.10 (+ bf) 8pm King Tide, Firehouse Crew The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$20 (at door) 9pm Laziest Man Alive The Valve 6pm
Macson Duo Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm Midnight Drifters Club Merrylands free 8:30pm Minutes Coogee Digger’s Club $10 7:30pm Mr Percival, James Valentine Quartet Brass Monkey, Cronulla $23.50 (presale) 7pm On the Prowl Guildford Leagues Club free 8:30pm
Paul Capsis Notes Live, Enmore $59 7pm Randy Newman (USA), Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $35 (C Res)–$149 (premium) 8pm Retro Groove Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm Second Storey Window, The Jeff Chinky Fan Club, Hamish White Coogee Diggers 8pm Simon Astley Roxbury Room, The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe free 7:30pm Steve Kilbey, Ricky Maymi (USA) Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $43 7pm Stormcellar Pendle Hill Inn free 8pm The Get Up Kids (USA), City Riots Metro Theatre, Sydney $55.30 (+ bf) 7:30pm The Jungle Giants, Cameras, Nates, The Rubens, Tim Fitz Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst $10 (at door) 8pm The Owls Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills 8pm The Rebel Rousers Club Cronulla free 8:30pm The Shack, New York Public Library, Lou Bradley, Sarah & Margie Tramshed Community Arts Centre, Narrabeen $20 7:30pm The Shire, Supremo, Lakeside, Rose from Ruins, From Death Till Rebirth, Endworld Lucky Australian Tavern St Marys $10
The Taverner Consort of Voices Cafe Church, Glebe $20 (conc)–$25 5pm The Valiants Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle free 7:30pm The Walking Who, The Ruminators Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 9pm Tim Kurnick Searock BAR free Upskirts, Static Silhouettes, I’m No Thief, Beaufields, Dan Allars, Lovers Jump Creek Cabana Bar & Lounge, St Leonards 8pm
JAZZ
Cafe of the Gate of Salvation, Paul Capsis Notes Live, Enmore $34.70 (show only)–$59.20 (dinner & show) 8pm Eon Beats Project 505 Club, Surry Hills $15–$20 8:30pm Swing City Big Band, Mark Rivett North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray $25 7pm The 1st Generation Korean Jazz Band (Korea) Zenith Theatre, Chatswood $50 2pm & 7pm The Denominators The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (member)–$20 8:30pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Hernandez Cafe, Darlinghurst free 7:30pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
Beecroft Bush Dance Beecroft Community Centre $12 (member)–$17 8pm
Helmut Uhlmann Terrey Hills Tavern free 7:30pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 7 ROCK & POP
Bones Atlas Brass Monkey, Cronulla $14.30 7pm Carnival Meat, To Kill A Sunrise, The Reprize, Run The Avalance, My Hollowed Fantasy, Osmium Grid, Palooka Copacetic Lucky Australian Tavern St Marys $10 Di Solomon Club Five Dock, Five Dock RSL free 4pm Elevation U2 Show The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4:30pm Hollie Andrew, Kate Maree Hoolihan, Shaun Rennie, Matthew Robinson Sidetrack Studio Theatre, Marrickville $28 (conc)–$35 5pm Hue Williams Ocean Beach Hotel free 5pm Jonny Gretsch’s Wasted Ones The Botany View Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Ngaiire Searock Bar, Sydney free No Use for a Name (USA), The Optionals, Homeward Bound Annandale Hotel $36.75 (presale) 7pm Peter Northcote Bridge Hotel, Rozelle $10 3pm Robin Lee Sinclair Band Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club 4:30pm
Rough Stock The Vault free 2:30pm Salt Vocal Group Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $20 11am Simon Kinney-Lewis Band Sandringham Hotel free 4pm Stormcellar Petersham Bowling Club free 6pm The Furious Five Lidcombe Hotel free 4pm The Spilt Drinks Avalon Beach RSL Club free 3pm
JAZZ
Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 3pm Monks of Cool Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta free 2pm Paul Sun Trio Frenchs Forest Organic Market free 9:30am Ron Nairn’s Cool Connection Cronulla RSL free 12:30pm The Cavemen Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle free 6pm The Peter Head Trio Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 4pm The Subterraneans Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm
ACOUSTIC/FOLK
Stephen Goldrick, Mignon Lee-Warden, Melissa & Damien, Dan Usher, Steve Mursic, Jude McQuire, Carolyn Woodorth Palm Court Hotel free 2pm
COUNTRY
Emma Hannah, Kenny Kitching Smithfield RSL free 12:30pm
COOGE E SAT AUG 6
SECOND STOREY WINDOW ‘MINUTES’ EP LAUNCH WITH JEFF CHINKY FAN CLUB & HAMISH WHITE
SAT AUG 13
TRIPLE SHOT OF ORIGINAL ROCK
3 LOCAL ORIGINAL BANDS FOR $10 @ DOOR
CROWS FEAT, LEWIS CLUB & DISTORTED SOUND THEORY
COMING
SOON!
9TH OCT – MICK THOMAS SOLO + SHACKLETON + VAN WALKER & LIZ S STRINGER – ONLY SYDNEY SHOW! 14TH OCT – JEFF MARTIN 777
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 :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 45
gig picks
up all night out all week...
(US (USA)
Noah And The Whale
TUESDAY AUGUST 2 Noah And The Whale (UK), Husky The Factory Theatre, Enmore $49.50 (+ bf) 8pm The Vaccines (UK), Oh Mercy Metro Theatre, Sydney $48.70 (+ bf) 8pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 Alanna Cherote, Nick Kingswell, Matt Cornell The Vanguard $13 (conc)– $51 (w/ dinner) 6:30pm Gomez (UK), Leader Cheetah The Factory Theatre, Enmore $55 (+ bf) 8pm The Mars Volta
Grouplove (USA), Young The Giant (USA) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $45 (+ bf) 8pm The Mars Volta (USA) Enmore Theatre $87.40 7pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 4
FRIDAY AUGUST 5 Bang! Bang! Rock n Roll Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel $10 8pm Felix Riebl, Ben Salter Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $25 (+ bf) 8pm
Does It Offend You, Yeah? (UK), Purple Sneakers DJs, Nantes Metro Theatre, Sydney $53.10 (+ bf) 8pm
MUM: The Jungle Giants, 1929 Indian, My Fiction, Little Blak Dress The World Bar, Kings Cross $10 (guestlist)–$15 8pm
The Jungle Giants, Domeyko/Gonzalez Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm
Total Control, Naked On The Vague, Holy Balm, Tough Troubles GoodGod Small Club $12
SATURDAY AUGUST 6 Adalita, Laura Imbruglia Annandale Hotel $18 (+ bf) 8pm Kaiser Chiefs (UK), Papa Vs Pretty, Stonefield Enmore Theatre $73.10 (+ bf) 7.30pm The Get Up Kids (USA), City Riots Metro Theatre, Sydney $55.30 (+ bf) 8pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 7 No Use For A Name (USA), The Optionals, Homeward Bound Annandale Hotel $36.75 (presale) 7pm Grouplove
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BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
brag beats
dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery
He Said She Said WITH
CALE FROM MITZI
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra
PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA
Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra are hitting the road to launch their new 7-inch single ‘Mr Clean (Pts 1 & 2)’, and play Oxford Art Factory on Saturday September 17 with support from The Liberators and DJ Gian Arpino. The seventeen-strong ensemble enjoyed a watershed year in 2010, with breakthrough performances at WOMADelaide that resulted in worldwide support through Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio 1 program. Their debut album Do Anything, Go Anywhere was also nominated for an ARIA Award. The group returned to the studio before emerging triumphantly for a set at this year’s Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival, and they’ll again be showcasing their distinct take on the Afrobeat genre when they throw down at the OAF.
M
y parents made me take trombone lessons because I had long arms, which only makes sense in a practical way. My dad is a musician, he has very broad tastes in music, and when I was younger he used to have friends over to jam quite a lot. When I got older and took playing in bands seriously, they were supportive of me pursuing music as a career choice, which probably wouldn’t have happened if music wasn’t important in their lives. We all have quite different musical influences within the group. I guess that helps to create our sound. Our main influences would probably be groups like Fleetwood Mac, LCD Soundsystem and Chic. We were all friends before we started a band, but we had never really thought about making music together. We were in separate bands which were pretty much as different as you can get. When an opportunity came up to start a live dance band together, we were all pretty stoked. We are working full
KANYE WEST & JAY-Z LP
Kanye West and Jay-Z have announced the official release date of their collaborative project Watch The Throne, due out in Australia in a little over a week. Over a year in the making, the duo recorded Watch The Throne in locations all around the world, from London and Bath in the UK to Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Paris, and New York City. Though shrouded in secrecy, the album features production from The RZA, The Neptunes and Kanye’s longtime collaborator Mike Dean. The short list of featured vocals includes Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Curtis
time on Mitzi stuff at the moment; it’s been a busy year, with lots to do. We play live dance music; kind of disco, kind of funky, kind of poppy, but overall music to dance to and make you feel good. Our live set incorporates some songs we’ve not yet released, and a little more guitar than you’d hear on our All I Heard EP. There are so many electronic production acts at the moment. Why would a promoter pay for a whole band to travel and perform when a DJ act or duo can perform for a quarter of the price? It just means bands have to be a lot more efficient than in days gone by; they need to do and know more than just plugging in guitars and playing some songs. Where: Movement @ Beach Road Hotel, Bondi When: Friday August 5 More: Supporting Yelle on Saturday August 6 @ Oxford Art Factory
Mayfield and Mr. Hudson. Watch The Throne is available digitally exclusively from the iTunes store from 2pm on Monday August 8; it’ll be in all record stores from August 12.
MIKE SIMONETTI
The man behind the renowned record label Italians Do It Better, international DJ/producer – nay, tastemaker – Mike Simonetti returns to our shores to play GoodGod Small Club on Friday September 16. His Italo-infused sounds first came to the attention of music heads circa ’06, with his breakthrough compilation After Dark
cementing his bourgeoning reputation. Also the founder of the post-punk/noise label Troubleman Unlimited, Simonetti combines these two huge musical influences in his DJ sets, journeying through classic rock and esoteric dance with considerable panache and imagination. For an idea of what he’s going to play, think of the Italians Do It Better [IDIB] artist roster: Bottin, Glass Candy and Chromatics et al. But then also keep in mind that Simonetti’s record collection is way too vast to be encapsulated in generalised predictions, and with a four-hour set he’s going to have an opportunity to go on a bit of a journey. Support comes from Andy Webb and Steele Bonus – grab your presale ticket through Resident Advisor.
M83 RETURNS
Details for M83’s anticipated new double album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, have finally been revealed. The LP will be Anthony Gonzalez’s first release under his M83 moniker since 2008’s Saturdays = Youth, and offers no less than twenty-two tracks. Morgan Kibby, who featured on the previous M83 album, will again be present, along with Zola Jesus. Other guest contributors include Brad Laner, the guitarist from ‘90s noise-rock outfit Medicine, and the album was produced by Justin MeldalJohnsen, best known for his work with Beck. In an issued statement, Gonzalez explained that the album’s main inspiration was The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness: “I saw when I was a teenager that I could dig into [the album]. It was like a treasure. If I were a teenager nowadays, I would try to find something as creative as this album. [The Pumpkins] had so much to say in their songs.” Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming will be released on October 18, on Mute Records.
Drapht
DRAPHT SINGLE, TOUR
The hype around Perth hip hop lad Drapht continues to erupt, with his recent album The Life Of Riley spawning a succession of successful singles – the latest of which, ‘Bali Party’, is about to hit airwaves. The Life Of Riley was Drapht’s fourth album, but the first release on his own label The Ayems, and the theme of independence is an underlying motif throughout the LP. “The concepts and subject matter around The Life Of Riley are based on living the life you want to live, not abiding by society’s pressures and no longer working for the man,” Drapht asserted, via press release. “So I thought it would be a fitting time to start my own label.” Drapht will be performing an all-ages show at the Enmore theatre on Friday September 16, with support from special guests Muph and Plutonic, Thundamentals and Layla & Dazastah.
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 47
dance music news
free stuff
club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
DC BREAKS
five things WITH
NICK LYNAR
years, which seems to make writing music a lot easier these days. Inspirations I’ve listened to Beatles records since I can 2. remember, and I still love them as much as I
Growing Up I grew up in an extremely musical family 1. – I actually can’t remember not playing some sort of instrument. I was classical and jazztrained right through my childhood and school
did when I was a kid. Throughout high school I went through a massive skate punk stage like everyone else. These days I listen to pretty much any indie rock I can get my hands on. I spent a couple of years living in Dublin recently, and absolutely fell in love with house, techno and minimal tech; I was seeing at least one international DJ a week over there for a good year – Ben Klock, AC Slater, French Fries, Ed Banger Nights, Spank Rock, Diplo, Skream, Switch, Felix Cartel, Seth Troxler, and the list goes on. I was also working as an audio mastering engineer in Ireland, and worked on a bunch of Irish/UK dance tunes from Detboi, Lorcan Mak and The Deadbots, all of which have inspired my production in different ways. I have younger siblings from Ethiopia, the home of Rastafarians, so have also been influenced by reggae, dub and, recently, dancehall.
weekly tunes JunWan has in store for me; he’s a tune-hunting genius and throws down amazing sets. He and Loca Motiv play high energy party sets, I’m really keen on their DJ styles... In terms of production, I’ve tried working with a few people here and there, but get a lot more flow and sense when I produce alone. The Music You Make The music I make is straight up sub-heavy 4. bouncy house; tropical house with some disco house tunes thrown in here and there. I’m trying to keep a real fresh, modern sound to my production. Music, Right Here, Right Now Dance and electronic music has really 5. blown up in the last few years, with electro, house and now dubstep on high rotation, which I love. And bedroom/laptop producers have started taking off too, so we’re seeing so much amazing raw talent that hasn’t been moulded and sculpted by big record labels. It’s really a great thing. What: Bad-Party DJs
3.
You It’s always fun playing with any of the BadParty DJs – expect big things from them over the next year. I’m always keen to hear what
Where: Bad-Party Fridays @ The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle When: Every Friday night
TIGER & WOODS PLAY TUMBALONG PARK
Albatross
Enigmatic production duo Tiger & Woods, comprised of Larry Tiger and David Woods, are venturing down under in October courtesy of Future Classic, and will perform at the música / Tumbalong event set for Saturday October 22. Tiger & Woods entered the disco circuit with a series of white label releases back in 2009, and recently released their debut album Through The Green on German imprint Running Back. They’ll be joined at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour by UK acts SBTRKT and Ghostpoet, Baths, Electric Wire Hustle and Australian outfits Bon Chat, Bon Rat, Mitzi and DJ Simon Caldwell. First release $79 tickets are on sale through musicaevents.com
RUSTIE ON WARP
ASTRAL PEOPLE @ TONE
Tone nightclub will be hosting a jamboree featuring an array of artists from the Astral People roster on Saturday August 27. The night will include live performances from Stones Throw’s newest – and only Australian – signing, the quirky pop proponent Jonti (formally Djanimals), IDM trio Bon Chat Bon Rat, Cascine’s Wintercoats, electro-glitch kids Albatross and Ramp Recordings’ Dro Carey, who’ll be debuting his new live show. The fiesta will also feature DJ sets from Preacha, Mike Who and Wedding Ring Fingers. Presale tickets are currently available online, for $10.
MOVEMENT WITH MITZI
Free weekly bash Movement presents its first live booking with emerging Brisbane dance outfit Mitzi’s performance set for this Friday. The four-piece QLD act are in town ahead of their slot opening for France’s Yelle, and will be supported by resident DJ Huwston. Conflating the sounds of garage disco, NYC indie and the light-hearted insouciance of Australian pop, Mitzi have already played festivals like Parklife and Stereosonic, and been added to high rotation on triple j. A fast-rising addition to the Australian sonic milieu, Mitzi recently released a brand new 12-inch record called Mitzi - Vinyl Versions, on esteemed Sydney electronic bastion Future Classic; a release that was only available on wax, and limited to only 350 pressings. To tantalise further, this exclusive vinyl release includes remixes from re-edit maestros The Revenge and LTJ Xperience, local lads Softwar and last but not least, Joakim, the man behind the Tigersushi label. You can check Mitzi out for free from 8pm this Friday at the Beach Road Hotel, Bondi, and decide first hand whether they’re good enough to warrant you purchasing turntables...
Glaswegian producer Rustie will release his debut album Glass Swords in October through Warp Records. The album was some two years in the making, and follows Rustie’s Sunburst EP on the same label, which was hailed by certain factions of the music media as “a neon journey of almost hyperreal R&B influenced bass music”, and attracted inevitable comparisons to Rustie’s compatriot (and fellow Warp associate) Hudson Mohawke. Given the hyperactive nature of Sunburst, quite what Glass Swords will sound like is anyone’s guess, but to help resolve any ambiguity Warp have released a video of the
Still day-dreaming about how much fun you had at Splendour? Or sulking about how you couldn’t go? Get into the late night spirit of the Tepee Forest and get cosy with a couplehundred good mates by getting on down to the Oxford Art Factory this Thursday August 4. OAF are playing host to DC Breaks, a British production duo specialising in your favourite drum ‘n’ bass beats, alongside Foreigndub, Ronin, Missree and more. Presented by Inhale, you can be there for $10 – and if you have no money left, tell us what you spent it on (in thirty words or less...), and we might just take pity on you and give up a double pass.
ABOVE & BEYOND
From game-changing remix albums to the founding of their very own record label, UK-based dance duo Above & Beyond have been showboating their EDM ingenuity since the turn of the millennium. The DJ virtuosos burst onto the scene with a remix of Madonna’s single ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ – but aside from impressing the pants off Madonna, the group have received a heap of recognition from dance music publication DJ Magazine, winning the #5 spot of their annual top 100 DJ poll for 2010. In support of their recent release Group Therapy, the lads will be making their way down under, bringing their euphoric dance party to Hordern Pavilion on September 10, joined by Aussie-born DJ Jaytech and the ever-innovative Mat Zo. If you want to get your paws on a double pass, tell us the name of Above and Beyond’s own label. album’s title track, which gives you a chance to do your own online research and determine the answer for yourself…
HOOPS: EAT, PRAY, VOGUE
Hoops returns to GoodGod Small Club this Saturday for ‘Eat, Pray, Vogue’, “a night of classic house, hip hop house, hip hop and dance”. DJs Anna Lunoe, Bad Ezzy, Kato and Toni Toni Lee will be spinning the tunes, with the onus then placed on you and your fellow paying patrons to strut your stuff on the Hoops catwalk. (Not sure if this ‘catwalk’ is allegorical or there will actually be one set up in the club – regardless, it will be a night all about body talkin’.) Entry is a mere $5 before 11pm.
WU-TANG REMINDER
With their first show unsurprisingly a sell-out, tickets are still available for Wu-Tang Clan’s second Sydney show at The Enmore Theatre this Thursday August 4, and can be procured online for a mere $112.20... ‘The Clan’ will be at near full strength, with Wu-Tang mainstays Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, GZA, U-God, Masta Killa, DJ Allah Mathematics, DJ Street Life and Young Dirty (ODB’s son) all heading down under to represent. Supporting Wu-Tang on their Sydney leg is Phaze One, the duo of Australia’s M-Phazes and Emilio Rojas, whose self-titled LP is out now.
Illy
PFENNING + KNOWLES = DFA
We’ll get to the collaboration shortly, but first you need background context. Rewards is the solo project of Chairlift’s former multiinstrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and producer Aaron Pfenning. Pfenning first adopted the Rewards moniker back in the acid-tinged summer of ’03, and in time it became an outlet for material that didn’t work with the band he co-founded in the sexfuelled winter of ’06. Having departed their company in 2010, Pfenning toured with the likes of Brandon Flowers and Warpaint, and released three well-received singles over which he honed his disco-oriented sound. This month, DFA Records issue his most fully realised work to date, the single ‘Equal Dreams’ – a duet of sorts with Solange Knowles, Beyonce’s unpredictable sister. The 12-inch features the vocal take and an instrumental, and on the B-side Pfenning alone grabs the mic for ‘Asleep With The Lights On’, a wan, Scritti-esque synth-pop number augmented with guitar from Blood Orange/Lightspeed Champion’s Dev Hynes.
ILLY, SPIT SYNDICATE, SIETTA, M-PHAZES
Melbourne emcee Illy will play a headline show at the Factory Theatre on Friday October 14, with support from Sydney’s own Spit Syndicate and Darwin’s Sietta, at a bash hosted by M-Phazes. Illy announced his arrival with his debut Good Gracious, an LP that saw him exit 2010 with an ARIA Award for Best Urban Album. His sophomore album The Chase achieved triple j feature album status, which continued his run of success at the radio station following his 29th position in the annual ‘Hottest 100’ poll. Tickets for Illy’s forthcoming gig are available through illyal.com, while his most recent single ‘Cigarettes’ has just been released – listen out for it on triple j.
“I’m so happy doin’ the neutron dance. I’m just burning doin’ the neutron dance” - THE POINTER SISTERS 48 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
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Wu-Tang Clan The Legendary Weapons By Matthew Hogan
I
t doesn’t get much bigger than Wu-Tang Clan. The collective’s critical standing as hip hop visionaries was cemented as soon as their debut dropped in 1993; Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) boasted a raw, underground sound and unrelenting rhymes, nine rappers each trying to outdo each other on tracks like ‘Shame On A Nigga’, ‘Bring Da Ruckus’ and ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ They also soon boasted one of the most recognisable logos in music, with their signature ‘W’ emblazoned across the loose-fitting clothes of hip hop enthusiasts in almost every major city at the turn of the century. Five records and countless solo albums into their career, Wu-Tang Clan are no less revered these days. After a smaller east coast tour a few years back, which featured only about half the members, Wu-Tang are embarking on their biggest Australian tour to date this August in support of Legendary Weapons, their latest LP which was released just last week. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Gza, U-God, Masta Killa, DJ Allah Mathematics, DJ Street Life and Young Dirty, the son of the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, are heading down under, and they’ll be match fit too – various members of the Clan have been flying the Wu-Tang flag across the globe for much of the year. They played on the main stage at Glastonbury in June, too – but conspicuously absent from proceedings was Inspectah Deck, who’s been back in the States working on his final solo
“Rebellion is like an allout assault on the way the industry is right now. Everybody’s lookin’ for the fast way... Enough is enough.”
album, Rebellion. “Manifesto was more of a beats and rhymes type of shit; I’m trying to take Rebellion back to the basics, just rhyming over a dope beat,” Deck begins, when asked to compare his forthcoming record with last year’s release. “Rebellion is like an all-out assault on the way the industry is right now – the way hip hop is, the way people are. It’s more or less – it’s like one big gospel of the times, and Rebellion is the mind state of people like yourself, DJs, people on television channels and radio stations... People in a position to really fight for something.” Obviously unhappy with the way hip hop has progressed over the years, Deck suggests that many rappers today want too much too soon. “I’m [coming] from being the voice of the streets, and talking about the oppression before you had the jewellery, cars and women,” he says. “You had the way we dressed, the way we talk, the way we move, the way we dance and all of that; that was the expression that we had. We come full circle now to the average rapper who just came out yesterday, and he gives the image that he’s rich. So we come from being the poor, oppressed voice of the ghetto to being ‘ghetto millionaires’ if you wanna say that – or ‘hood rich’ if you wanna use those terms – which now in return got the babies growing up to wanna be drug dealers. They don’t wanna have any position of significance or importance anymore. “Everybody’s lookin’ for the fast way,” Deck continues. “So Rebellion is basically to tell people that enough is enough – you have to be prepared to put what’s on the table on the table. I’m prepared to take a shot for it and I’m prepared to have people firing at me, because I’m prepared to expose a lot. That’s why it’s going to be my final album.” Deck will still be helping out younger hip hop stars through his label Urban Icon Records, but he’ll be involved on the other side of the spotlight. “I bought a camera ... and I’ve been taking pictures and learning how to use [it],” he says. “I’ve just started a company – we do weddings, graduations, whatever! We’re starting there, but eventually I wanna write my own movies
and get into that thing. I’m getting older now, I can’t be running around jumping on the mic – it’s the perfect time to step back. I’m trying to avoid the Brett Favre syndrome – I don’t know how many of y’all like American football out there, but the Brett Favre syndrome... I don’t want to be the rap Brett Favre!” While listing Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Drake as some fine examples of hip hop today, Deck also recommends we keep an eye on the young dirty bastard currently touring with Wu-Tang... “ODB’s son, Young Dirty [aka Boy Jones] – he’s going to be here for a minute too, because he’s a natural born entertainer just like his father [was],” Deck says. “I try to talk to him as much as I can, to let him know to not let people tell you whatever they wanna tell you to make a dollar off you. I definitely reach out to him and tell him to get on my album, too. I want all the Wu-Tang elements – the producers and everything that made us who
we are – get those elements back on my final album. RZA, Mathematics, True Master, 4th Disciple – I need to dig 4th Disciple up from wherever he is… I need him even more now, so I’m gonna have to dig him out of retirement to do this, and put together a nice little thing. “Young Dirty, he’s out there and he’s making noise and people are respecting him and he’s got time to grow, he’s young. When we came in I was 20 – he’s young now, but he’s been doing it all of his life. He’s gonna be dope; by the time he get to where we were when ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ and ‘Protect Ya Neck’ was out, he’s gonna be sick!” What: Legendary Weapons is out now on E1 Music through Shock With: Phaze One, DJ Flagrant Where: Enmore Theatre When: August 4 (new show) / August 5 (sold out)
Big Boi Bad Motherfucker By Hugh Robertson
I
f you’ve ever seen Idlewild, Outkast’s flawed but wonderful film about bootleggers and musicians set in Depression-era Georgia, then you know what Antwan Patton is like in conversation. In fact, if you’ve ever listened to an Outkast record, then you know what Patton is like in conversation. He’s the hustler, the businessman, the rock solid base (and bass) set against Andre 3000’s flamboyant, outrageous, lyrical wizardry. Together they make a perfect team; two different styles coming together to create a body of work that expanded the scope of hip hop, especially Southern hip hop, in ways that nobody could have imagined. But for all Outkast’s success and creativity, many – myself included – thought that 3000 was their greatest weapon. Patton, the theory went, was an excellent producer and a good vocal talent, but that alone would never be enough to carry an entire album. At least that’s what we always thought, until Patton’s extraordinary, long-awaited solo album Sir Lucious
“Some of the most ferocious rhymes you ever gonna hear in your life – the nastiest, grittiest, fry-your-faceoff funk, and the beats gonna be banging. I could put that motherfucker out tomorrow if I wanted to.”
Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty dropped last year. But when I relay all this, the man himself doesn’t sound too fussed. “The people that know about me know that...I’m always gonna be a bad motherfucker,” he says, in his trademark quickfire style. “So, to the people that don’t know the truth of me – they might get a little confused. But I’m pretty sure everybody know. And if they didn’t, they know now what time it is.” Throughout our conversation, Patton remains adamant that he’s not really doing anything differently. He’s still playing with the same live band, still working outside of mainstream radio and still sees a killer live show as the bedrock of the Big Boi experience. The fact that he is still doing what he’s always done even in these unsteady days of the music industry suggests that he knows, ultimately, that his music will always be good enough to stand on its own. Patton backs his style to succeed, even though it falls outside the usually accepted sound of America’s king-making radio stations. “You can’t make funk for the radio,” he explains. “Radio don’t play good music like they used to – it’s all big business, and all programmed. So really, I don’t give a fuck about no radio. And radio ain’t playing nothing but commercial stuff. They not playing what the people want to hear. They programming you to like the songs they playing. So who’s being programmed?” In many ways, the 2011 landscape is perfectly suited for artists like Patton. The best way to reach new people is by word of mouth, impressing one person so that they tell five others about it – and it’s all based on live performance, rather than selling millions of records. That’s not to suggest that Patton doesn’t put a lot of effort into his records; he’s already poised to drop a follow-up, tentatively titled Daddy Fat Saxx: Triple Unadulterated Funk (or Daddy Fat Saxx: Soul Funk Crusader, depending on who you ask…) Really poised. “I’m like 17 songs in to it, and everything sounds phenomenal,” Patton says, full of self-belief rather than boastfulness. “Some of the most ferocious rhymes you ever gonna hear in your life – the
nastiest, grittiest, fry-your-face-off funk, we got it going... and the beats gonna be banging. I could put that motherfucker out tomorrow if I wanted to, but I’m just going to wait and marinate on it. Just chill. We having fun out here on the tour.” The tour has been going on for a long time; remarkably, Patton will be coming to Sydney for the third time in the twelve months since Sir Lucious... was released. The other two have been lightning-quick promotional trips, and Patton is looking forward to a longer stretch this time, which gives him the opportunity to string a few shows together. “We gonna spend some time this time,” he begins. “We gonna soak in that funk... I’ve been travelling with the same band for years, and they played on all our albums. And this is the same band, man. The same funk band. The drummers, the congo players, the guitar players, horn players, background singers, bass – everything, man. We put on a show that’s an experience you never want to forget. It’s high energy, high impact and we’re gonna have a lot of fun.” Patton is clearly having a great time out on his own. He seems energised by the experience, and nearly all the reviews have been glowing. But although I’m excited too, a large part of me wishes it was a full Outkast tour. I have to ask: will Outkast ever exist again? Patton’s answer couldn’t be more ambiguous, but it seems at least a little promising… “There’s something brewing,” he says, stringing me along. “But we’ll make the announcement. Anything that you see on the internet – we haven’t confirmed anything. We’re working on music right now, but when the fans hear from us, they’ll know when it’s gonna come. So just tell everybody to stay tuned.” What: Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son Of Chico Dusty is out now With: Theophilus London Where: Enmore Theatre When: Saturday August 27
“I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and I think I like it” - THE POINTER SISTERS 50 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:10
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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 The Herd
L
ast week brought the very sad news that Amy Winehouse has left us, which, for all the various commentary surrounding her passing, is just such an incredible shame. Soul Sedation really had faith that the singer’s faltering career would get back on track at some stage, and Amy would build the robust catalogue she always should have built. I definitely reached for the Winehouse recordings the day the news broke, the few of them there are. R.I.P. To new releases, this column has been going nuts for the new Horse Meat Disco III mix. Disc one I’m not so bothered about, but disc two is an absolute work of art, and features some of the best raw, synth-heavy ‘80s disco ever released. My personal highlight is Marcel King’s ‘Reach For Love (Mark Kamins Remix)’ – disco heads should track that gem down immediately! Reggae heads will want to know about David Rodigan’s new comp, out through BBE. Dubwise Shower is a collection of largely vintage dub reggae, featuring some of the pioneering names like Tubby and Perry, but with a fresh sprinkling of new reggae talent to boot. Something of a “guide to dub”, the double disc is generous in its inclusions, with music from The Wailers, Desmond Dekker and the The Abyssinians. One of this column’s favourite producers, Brooklyn’s Captain Planet, is back with a new EP. The Ningane EP – four tracks in all – features Congolese singer Freddy Massamba, and includes a remix from the Whiskey Barons on the afro/disco/house tip that includes more glorious cowbell than is healthy. DJs won’t be disappointed to get their hands on some of the most playable, interesting house and breakbeat fusion music around; fans of Nickodemus should get involved. And while you’re at it, it’s worth digging deeper into the Whiskey Barons output (previously known as Flavourheard); the two Boston DJ producers are doing good things on the beats, breaks and Latin front. They have a few top shelf mixes available online that are floating this column’s boat. There’s another reportedly interesting release from reclusive South London producer Dave I.D out through !K7. The fulllength album, Response, is garnering lots of praise from all sorts of underground and above-ground media outlets. This column will track it down and get back to you asap. And British DJ producer Roska has mixed Rinse 15, on which UK funky heads can check fresh electronic output from Katy B, J:Kenzo, Zinc and Redlight, plus a couple of Roska’s own productions. Out for the Playground Weekender earlier this year, Roska was 100% dope (even though Bukem insisted on calling him Rusko repeatedly...) In touring news: jazz heads need to know about the DJ Maestro tour coming through town. The Dutch DJ, also known as Martijn Barkhuis, is behind the Blue Note Trip compilations (of which there are now nine),
AUGUST 4 & 5 Wu-Tang Clan Enmore Theatre
SATURDAY AUGUST 13 U-TERN Tone
SATURDAY AUGUST 27 Big Boi Enmore Theatre
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17 The Herd, Sietta Metro Theatre
and he’s the only DJ to be invited to work with the Blue Note label in this capacity. He’ll be pushing the sounds of jazz and its close relations funk, soul, Latin and lounge at The Basement, with Trevor Parkee and the Omegaman Sound System on support duties. It goes down on Friday August 12. Those with a penchant for Afrobeat will want to know that Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra are touring this September, off the back of their WOMADelaide performance and last year’s ARIA-nominated debut album Do Anything, Go Anywhere (it’s still on high rotation on the Soul Sedation player). I really can’t recommend this band enough. They launch their new single ‘Mr Clean (pts 1 & 2)’ – through Hope St Recordings – on September 17 at the Oxford Art Factory. Soul Sedation is massively pumped about the approaching U-TERN party: come August 13, all the disco heads (if they know what’s good for them) need to get down to Tone, as Canada’s centre-of-thetop-shelf producer U-TERN jumps on the decks. His disco re-edits are respected the world over, by touring DJs and pub selectors alike; if you’re not across him, look him up on Soundcloud asap. As I mentioned last week, this party is highly likely to be one of the sessions of the year. Local supports Mase Boogie (Paper Plane Project), Jack Prest (Flatwound) Gian Arpino, Downtown Brown and Frenzie are all throwing down on the night as well.
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra
Send stuff for this column to tonyedwards001@gmail.com by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag.com 52 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts
W
alls, the duo comprised of Sam Willis of allez-allez and Banjo Or Freakout’s Alessio Natalizia, have built up quite a reputation over the past few years. Their remix CV is of the highest order, and includes reworks of Caribou, Pantha du Prince and The Field, and they released their self-titled debut album on the hallowed Kompakt imprint only last year. In around two months time, Walls will release their follow-up LP, Coracle, which the press release brazenly predicts will “once again capture the shimmering layers of guitar and synths, ecstatic melodies and emotive vocals that made their debut an instant classic.” You can forgive them the self-aggrandising platitudes, since Walls are currently preparing to go on tour with Battles, and most probably left the crafting of that presser to some low-level coffee boy who, unbeknownst to our protagonists, harbours a penchant for perfunctory superlatives. Coracle is out at the end of September on Kompakt and ought to be worth a thorough listen – in the meantime, keep an ear out for lead-off single ‘Sunporch’, due out in a few weeks time. Mad Racket returns to the hallowed turf of Marrickville Bowling Club on Saturday August 20 with a headline set from stalwart Sydneysider Stephen Alkins. Alkins is Australia’s longest-serving dance DJ, and a more than handy producer too; he’s released LPs such as 1999’s History of Disco and is known for his output as the driving force behind [love] tattoo, who were responsible for one of the most recognisable Aussie-made™ club cuts of the past decade: 2001’s ‘The Bass Has Got Me Movin’. As ever, support will be provided by resident Racketeers Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell and Zootie, with tickets available for $20 on the door only. If you’re after some quality local underground club sounds sooner than that, make sure you check out the next instalment of HaHa’s Under The Radar warehouse party series on Friday August 12, which will offer sets from Space Is The Place’s Prize, the aforementioned Zootie and residents Dave Fernandes and Dean Dixon. Scour the interweb for more info closer to the date. It was but four years ago that Montreal’s Guillaume Coutu Dumont – better known Stephen Alkins
LOOKING DEEPER FRIDAY AUGUST 12 HaHa Under The Radar Warehouse venue TBC
SATURDAY AUGUST 20
Mad Racket ft Stephen Alkins Marrickville Bowling Club
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10 Disconnected ft Lucy Civic Underground
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29
Circo Loco ft Matthias Tanzmann Greenwood Hotel as Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts – was struggling to get labels to release his music. “Please man, it’s, like, totally bodacious polyrhythmic house music,” he’d say in language far less clumsy than that, while industry fat cats nodded vacantly and busied themselves filing their nails. A move to Berlin sparked a change in fortune for our persistent hero, and over the past few years Guillaume has branched out from the Montreal labels Mutek and Musique Risquée to release EPs on Hartchef, Oslo, Karat and Circus Company, while the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Mothership, and Get Physical have lined up for remixes. It was only last year that Guillaume released his debut album, Breaking The Fourth Wall, a collection of dubby psychedelic soundscapes that includes collaborations with Dave Aju and dOP, and is a must for anyone after music on a slightly more ‘intelligent’, but still highly danceable, tip. Now Guillaume’s crafted a new three-track EP, Ubiquitous Gaze, which is available through the Parisian label Circus Company, home to the likes of Nicolas Jaar. The title track is all about the percussion/string/ piano arrangement, while B-side leader ‘You’re The One’ boasts soft stabbing chords that the presser claims “would make Kenny Larkin proud”. And while on Circus Company, you ought to have a listen to the Nicolas Jaar remixes that have recently been released through the label. The remix duties fell to two of the more venerated names in the business, Pépé Bradock and Dave Aju, who cover two different songs from Jarr’s debut LP, Space Is Only Noise. Bradock in fact offers alternate reworks under two outlandish titles: ‘Pépé Bradock’s Blind Pig Mix’ and his ‘Train Fanôme’ rework, which provide fleeting glimpses of his enigmatic personality. When Bradock was in town for Mad Racket NYE a few years ago, I did conduct a rushed interview with him, where he divulged little information; “I have always been attracted by the powerful simplicity, soothing syncopation and the ability to federate people of house.” But regardless of his curt public persona, his productions are par excellence – I suggest you track down his Namlook rework if you haven’t already.
Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com. BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 53
club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com Thievery Corporation
club pick of the week Mitzi
FRIDAY AUGUST 5
Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach
Movement: Mitzi free 8pm MONDAY AUGUST 1 Club 77, Kings Cross Sideways Fridays 10pm Enmore Theatre Thievery Corporation (USA), Cubia Cosmonauts $79.90 (presale) 8pm World Bar, Kings Cross Mondays at World Bar 16 Tacos, Pipemix free 8pm
TUESDAY AUGUST 2 The Gaff, Darlinghurst Coyote Tuesday Kid Finley, Johnny B free 9pm The Valve, Tempe Underground Tables Myme, Ato, Gee Wiz, Benji, BC, One Am, Allstars 6pm World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic free 8pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 Bank Hotel, Newtown Girl’s Night DJ Du Jour free 9pm Lake Jindabyne Hotel Stafford Brothers, Snow Party with Nato (UK), Chris Lawrence $23.50 10pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown DJ Moussa 11pm
54 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Wednesday Night Live Sincopa free 7pm The Hive Bar, Erskineville Vinyl Club 8pm The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood Back2School Hook ‘n’ Sling, Troy T, Joey Kaz 8pm The Metro Theatre Kele + Strangetalk $63.50 7:30pm Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain Swing Patrol $14 7pm World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall free 8pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 4 Enmore Theatre The Wu-Tang Clan (USA), Phaze One, Flagrant $112.20 7:30pm Front Bar, Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Club Al Levins, McInnes, Joe Gadget free 8pm Great Northern, Newcastle Joelistics, ISHU, Sietta $18.40 (+ bf) 8:30pm Home The Venue, Sydney I Love Unipackers Steve Frank, John Young $5 8pm Jacksons On George Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJ’s free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Retail Therapy Nad, Mr Belvedere, Kristy Lee 8pm Metro Theatre Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Purple Sneakers DJs, Nantes $53 8pm
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst DC Breaks, Foreign Dub, Ronin, Missree, DJ Finesse, Fernatik $10 (+ bf) 9pm The Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill The Cool Room presents Starfuckers DJs The White Horse, Surry Hills Let Loose 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Propaganda DJs free (student)–$5 (at door) 9pm
FRIDAY AUGUST 5 Bank Hotel, Newtown Friendly Fridays DJs Eddie Coulter & D*Funk free 9pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach Movement feat Mitzi free 8pm Blue Hotel, Woolloomooloo Friday Shines The Groove Academy feat. Sarah Hyland (live) free 6pm Chinese Laundry Tomba (Israel) , Tony Why & Toddy Trix ft MC D-Tech , Doctor Werewolf , Yayogi , Zwelli , Ghost of Muttley $15/25 10pm Club 77, Kings Cross We.MONSTA, Jitter & Dither, Scoops, Rubio $15/20 10pm Cohi Bar DJ Jeddy Rowland & DJ Mike Silver free Cronulla RSL DJ Michael Stewart free 8pm
Enmore Theatre The Wu-Tang Clan (USA), Phaze One, Flagrant $112.20 7:30pm Front Bar, Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Yo Gritto King Opp, Silky Doyle, Daniel Darling, Chimmy Sing free 9pm Gaelic, Surry Hills Purple Sneakers Wolves at the door (PER), Bright Yellow, The Fiction 8pm Goldfish, Darlinghurst Funktank Mike OConnor, Fabz, Drop Dead Ed 9pm Gypsy Nightclub, Darlinghurst Genisis 9pm Home The Venue, Sydney Digital Therapy Adam Byrne, Big J, Likewise DJs $10 9pm Jackson on George Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJ’s free King Street Hotel, Newcastle West Ruby Rose $5–$10 (at door) 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Elaine Benes, Boonie, Starjumps, Charlie Hustle, Eat Yourself $10 8pm Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Fridays DJ Tone free 9pm OneFiveOne Jungle Rave $13.10 8pm Settlement Bar, Sydney Spoilt free 6pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney MixTape 6pm Supper Club Fairfield RSL Club Intimate Lounge Music 7pm The Marlborough Hotel Resident DJ’s free Tone, Surry Hills Twist and Shout 60’s Dance Party Mr Chad, Jack Shit, Dylabolical $5 9pm Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills Dereb The Ambassador, Taylor and the Makers free (early bird)–$15 5pm Watershed Hotel, Darling Harbour Club Parada CP Banda free 9pm Waves Nightclub Joelistics, Ishy, Sietta $15.60 8pm
SATURDAY AUGUST 6 Bank Hotel, Newtown DJs Abel & Paul Master free 9pm Blue Hotel, Woolloomooloo Saturday Night Deluxe Jack McCord free 8pm Cargo Bar, Darling Harbour The Institute of Music 9pm Central Coast Leagues Club, Gosford Red Nightclub free 9:30pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney John 00 Fleming (UK) , Club Junque , Lui Raptor , Cheese , Matt Nugent , Adam Bozzetto , Jay Wax , Samrai , Kit Kut , Mike Hyper $20/25 8pm
Coach and Horses Hotel, Randwick Retro Night free 8pm Cohi Bar DJ Matty Roberts Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly Ben Morris, Kaiser, Olsen 8pm Empire Hotel, Darlinghurst Empire Saturdays Empire DJs free 9pm Forbes Hotel Cube Kerry Wallace, Edoardo Perlo, Tom Brereton, Amy Fairweather, Kimba $15 10pm GoodGod SmallClub Eat Pray Vogue HOOPS (Bad Ezzy & Anna Lunoe), Toni Toni Lee, Kato $5 10pm Ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy 6pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJ’s free 9pm Kings Cross Hotel Golden Cage Pres Legends On Vinyl Simon Caldwell, Robbie Lowe, Garth Linton, Alan Thomas Doyle $15/20 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Miss T, Gabby, Cassette (NZ), Alison Wonderland $10 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Yelle (France), Mitzi $40 (+ bf) 8pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Phoenix Rising Dan Murphy, Johan Khoury, Mark Alsop $15 5am Sandringham Hotel, Newtown Joelistics, ISHU, Polo Club, Daily Meds $15 (+ bf) 8pm The Dome, Sydney Showgrounds, Homebush Bay Inquisition Matt Vaughan, Sveta, Feisty, Kam Shafaali $80 (member)–$95 10pm The Gaff, Darlinghurst Johnny B free 9pm Yelle
The Marlborough Hotel Resident DJ’s free The Polo Lounge and Supper Club, Darlinghurst Robopop $10 10pm The Sly Fox Shake That Monkey Raine Supreme vs Drox, Deft, DJ G-Mo, Typhonic 9pm The Tea Gardens Hotel, Bondi Junction Tim Whitney free 9pm The Valve, Tempe Underground Tables Myme, Ato, Gee Wiz, MC Benji, BC, One Am, Allstars free 6pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! James Taylor, Kato, Ben Morris, Illya, Telefunken, Ro Sham Bo, Discopunx, Ben Korbel, Adam Bozzetto, Pablo Calamari, foundation, Boonie, Andy Webb $15/20 9pm Upstairs Beresford Koolism, Athson, Magic Happens free–$15 5pm Vegas Lounge, Darlinghurst The Egyptian Egyptian DJs free 11pm Watershed Hoted The Watershed Presents... Skybar
SUNDAY AUGUST 7 Alexandria Hotel Sunhaze Future Classic DJs free 2pm Bank Hotel, Newtown Glitter Sundays DJ Kitty Glitter free 4pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Picnic Sundays Mirror Mirror, Kali 6pm Fake Club, Kings Cross Spice Simon Caldwell, Mike O’Connor, Matt Weir 4am Jacksons on George Aphrodisiac Industry Night Resident DJ’s free 8pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Session DJ Tone free 7pm Phoenix Bar DEFEKT Ed King, Seraphine Kitten, Ghost of Muttley, Skiver, pHybian 5pm Sweeney’s Rooftop Sundaes Hanna Gibb, Ty $10 12pm The Hive Bar, Erskineville Revolve Records DJs free 5pm The Tea Gardens Hotel, Bondi Junction Anthony K, Demolition, Gee, Gary Honor free 4pm Watershed Hotel, Darling Harbour Afternoon DJ’s DJ Brynstar free World Bar, Kings Cross Disco Punx free 6pm
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club picks up all night out all week...
up all night out all week . . .
Hoops
SATURDAY AUGUST 6 GoodGod SmallClub Eat Pray Vogue HOOPS (Bad Ezzy & Anna Lunoe), Toni Toni Lee, Kato $5 10pm
The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood Hook ‘n’ Sling, Troy T, Joey Kaz 8pm The Metro Theatre Kele, Strangetalk $63.50 7:30pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 4 Enmore Theatre The Wu-Tang Clan (USA), Phaze One, Flagrant $112.20 7:30pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
SUNDAY AUGUST 7
FRIDAY AUGUST 5
Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Picnic Sundays Mirror Mirror, Kali 6pm
Chinese Laundry Tomba (Israel), Tony Why & Toddy Trix ft MC D-Tech, Doctor Werewolf, Yayogi, Zwelli, Ghost of Muttley $15/25 10pm
Fake Club, Kings Cross Spice Simon Caldwell, Mike O’Connor, Matt Weir 4am
ten things I hate about q
Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Elaine Benes, Boonie, Starjumps, Charlie Hustle, Eat Yourself $10 8pm Tone, Surry Hills Twist and Shout 60’s Dance Party Mr Chad, Jack Shit, Dylabolical $5 9pm
PICS :: CG
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3
The Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill The Cool Room presents Starfuckers DJs
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Yelle (France), Mitzi $40 (+ bf) 8pm
23:07:11 :: Q-Bar :: 34-44 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93601375
Simon Caldwell
henry saiz
23:07:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958
propaganda
PICS :: DM
Enmore Theatre Thievery Corporation (USA), Cubia Cosmonauts $79.90 (presale) 8pm
DC Breaks, Foreign Dub, Ronin, Missree, DJ Finesse, Fernatik $10 (+ bf) 9pm
PICS :: AM
MONDAY AUGUST 1
Kings Cross Hotel Golden Cage Pres Legends On Vinyl Simon Caldwell, Robbie Lowe, Garth Linton, Alan Thomas Doyle $15/20 9pm
21:07:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: THOMAS PEACHY :: MUN IEL DAN :: MAR LEY Y :: ASH :: CAI GRIFFIN :: DARREN KELL PATRICK STEVENSON ::
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 55
snap sn ap
PICS :: DK
cool room
falcona fridays
PICS :: PS
up all night out all week . . .
22:07:11 Kit & Kaboodle :: 33-35 Darlinghurst Rd Kings Cross 93680300
23:07:11 :: Australian Brewery :: 350 Annangrove Rd, Rouse Hill 9679 4555
party profile
we love thursdays
It’s called: We Love Thursdays @ The Cool Room It sounds like: The biggest Thursday night in Sydney Who’s spinning? Guest DJs weekly like Havan Stafford Brothers, Timmy Trumpet, Matt Nukew a Brown, The Potbelleez, ood, John Glover, Starfuckers – plus our four resident DJs. Three records you’ll hear on the night: Swed ish House Mafia – ‘Save The World’; Calvin Harris ft Kelis – ‘Bounce’; Skrillex – ‘Scary Monsters & Nice Spirits.’
And one you definitely won’t: Whitney Houst on’s ‘I Will Always Love You’. Sell it to us: Two levels, the best guest DJ lineup in Australia, cheap drinks, three booths equipped with poles and an awesome party vibe. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Feeling like a G6 and dancing on the poles in the booths. Crowd specs: Party animals who love weekn care about their Friday morning obligations. ight shenanigans and don’t Wallet damage: $5 house spirits, $5 champagne , free entry downstairs, $10 entry to The Cool Room. Where: The Cool Room @ The Australian Brewe ry / 350 Annangrove Rd, Rouse Hill
late@the loft
PICS :: AM
When: Every Thursday
strike
PICS :: AM
22:07:11 :: The Loft :: 3 Lime St, King St Wharf 92994770
d&d's beat kitchen
PICS ::CG
22:07:11 :: Strike Bowling Bar :: 22 The Promenade, King St Wharf 1300787453
21:07:11 Darlie Laundromatic :: 304 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, 8095 0129 56 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MUNNS :: THOMAS PEACHY :: IEL DAN :: MAR LEY ASH :: Y :: CAI GRIFFIN :: DARREN KELL PATRICK STEVENSON ::
UNLIMITED BOWLING, LASER SKIRMISH, KARAOKE & POOL. $20 PER PERSON. CONDITIONS APPLY. PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. LASER SKIRMISH NOT AVAILABLE AT STRIKE KING STREET WHARF.
MONDAYS FROM 8PM AT STRIKE KING STREET WHARF, DARLING HARBOUR WEDNESDAY FROM 8PM AT STRIKE CHATSWOOD THURSDAYS FROM 5PM AT STRIKE ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER FIND US ON
BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11 :: 57
tokimonsta
PICS :: KC
up all night out all week . . .
bunglow 8
PICS :: AM
22:07:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711
22:07:11 :: Bungalow 8 :: 8 The Promenade King Street Wharf 92994440
bad party fridays
It’s called: Bad Party Fridays It sounds like: Nu–disco, Italo, house and everything in between. DJs: Jun Wan, Loca Motiv and friends
Three records you’ll hear on the night: Duff Disco – ‘Catch Me Out’; Peter & The Magician – ‘Twist’; Alan Parsons Project – ‘Be Like You (Young Edits).’ And one you definitely won’t: Venga Boys – ‘Uncle John from Jamaica’. Sell it to us: A new party with fresh new tunes and a sweet venue to showcase it. What more could you want? John Travolta would happily don the platforms to bring back some fever to a Friday night in Newcastle. Tell all your friends and spread the good word. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Hopefully all the good things that come with a good party. We’re playing tunes that you don’t hear in regular clubs and bars around Newcastle. Great news. Wallet damage: Entry is FREE. Where: Merchant Bar @ The Great Northern Hotel (Newcastle) / Cnr of Scott & Watt Streets When: Friday night, once monthly.
PICS :: AM
upstairs beresford
PICS :: AM
gallery burlesque
23:07:11 :: The Beresford Hotel :: 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills 9357 1111
58 :: BRAG :: 423 :: 01:08:11
PICS :: CG
party profile
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20:07:11 :: Tone:: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440
:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: THOMAS PEACHY :: MUN IEL DAN :: Y :: ASHLEY MAR :: CAI GRIFFIN :: DARREN KELL PATRICK STEVENSON ::