The Brag #427

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SCIENCE VS ART LADYHAWKE N ARY ME

THE MEDICS BEN WELLS & THE MIDDLE NAMES DE HAY BLAKE N BLE MI JENNY LARISSA MCKAY THE LYRICAL

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CHINESE LAUNDRY - CNR KING & SUSSEX STREETS (UNDER SLIP INN)

SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

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THE BEST DAMN

COMEDY SHOW EVER TIME 7PM DATE THU 8 SEPT VENUE MANNING BAR TIX www.manningbar.com

GREG FLEET

(Australian Comedy Legend Triple M, The Footy Show, Greg Fleet’s Big Love, Stand Up Australia, Thai Die)

JON DORE

(Canadian Megastar, Conan, How I Met Your Mother, Comedy Central Presents Jon Dore, The Jon Dore Television Show)

MATT OKINE

(MC: Comedy man about town, Can of Worms, Last Comic Standing, Sydney Comedian of the Year Nominee 2011)

31 AUGUST - 9 SEPTEMBER www.vergefestival.com 6 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

GEN FRICKER

(Indie musical comedian , Project 52, Raw Comedy National Finalist, 2011, Gen Fricker Has Too Many Feelings)

MICHAEL HING

(Project 52, Hing & Magee, Sydney Comedian of the Year Nominee 2011, I’m Only Doing This Because They Won’t Let Me Be A Rapper)

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 7

rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly and Steph Harmon

five things WITH

DAN FROM THE UV RACE

Growing Up A key childhood music memory is hearing 1. the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing in a drive-in,

Music, Right Here, Right Now I think that musicians should obtain steady 5. employment, exercise regularly, and opt for

while watching Sean Connery get killed in The Untouchables. ‘Love Is Strange’ always sounds like murder to me. I did not grow up in a musical household. I am not a musician, I play the drums for a punk band.

a balanced diet, including supplements of B vitamins. They should not listen to any music made by Peter Gabriel or wear shirts of the band Motörhead. Musicians should attempt to read widely and obtain an understanding of powerful ideas throughout the history of the world’s poets, mystics, philosophers, visionaries. Musicians should wash their hands before eating in order to prevent disease. Musicians should avoid unprotected sex with people they don’t know. Musicians should not use the internet websites devoted to social networking, and should devote their time to provoking a state of continual amazement at the breadth of experiences available to a person who is not a cynical crybaby. Musicians should not watch reality TV and encourage that industry of disease.

Inspirations The Stooges, Blue Cheer, The Saints, 2. Black Flag, The Kinks, Rocker From The Tombs, V.U. I don’t pay any attention to proficiency – it’s about high energy tunes. UV audiences are generally focused more on the glory of ineptitude than the expertise of high class talent, in my experience. We’re lucky not to have to spend time discussing music lessons with pony-tailed Mars Volta fans. Your Band We share a collective appreciation for 3. crude humour, dumb halfwit punk thud, loud guitars, high energy FREEDOM. Everyone in the band moved from the country or interstate to Melbourne, and know rural or cultural isolation. Sporty types, generous, kind, high. We’re making a movie about the band this year – critics will rave like they have not since Dumb And Dumber. We

have a new LP recorded that we made out in the country with our friends – we cooked, drank beers, chopped wood and made RAW POWER. The Music You Make Lou Reed explains a lot about the music 4. we make. Some of our contemporaries would include illustrious artistes like Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Woollen Kits, Folded Shirt,

Homostupids, Vaginors, Livin Eyes. Bands that play rock music, focus primarily on the power of the tune, and have little regard for generating familiarity or comfort. We record with our friends in living rooms. People can expect an intimate exchange of provocative, erotic sensualism underpinned by a blunt disregard for nuance and subtlety. People can expect the airing of intense abstract concepts dragged through the gutter.

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

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...

8 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

When: Saturday October 1; festivies run from September 30 – October 2

YOUR TEX IS ON FIRE

Tex Perkins is the type of old-style rocker that your uncle who’s been banned from family gatherings used to tell you about – which is why instead of playing a forty minute set with a three song encore and a rider full of mineral water and chilled grape juice, he’s dragging two bands on the road with him and playing a massive set with each. The first set is with The Band Of Gold, with whom he’ll be playing a set of country classics from Kristofferson, Prine and anyone else with an iron-cast liver and a broken heart. The second set will see his legendary Dark Horses step up and dare you to talk through their songs. It happens Thursday October 13 at The Factory. No support acts either, because what do you think this is?

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Cai Griffin, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Vicky Nguyen, Thomas Peachy, Rosette Rouhanna COVER DESIGN: Sarah Bryant

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, Matt Roden, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, Luke Telford, Rick Warner

Where: GoodGod’s first birthday @ GoodGod Small Club

ticket and even moshed a bit, using his tail as leverage. The eagle, however, knew he could fly, and waited ‘til the last minute – but when he got there, it was all sold out. Irritated beyond belief, he pecked the shit out of a stray dog, because he is an eagle. The end. (Eagle & The Worm will be supported by The Frowning Clouds and Glass Towers.)

Super Wild Horses

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

With: Super Wild Horses, The Twerps, Belles Will Ring, Holy Balm, Fishing and more

GOODGOD TURNS ONE, PARTY ENSUES

The Velvet Set

On the October long weekend of 2010, GoodGod launched its very own venue – an upgrade from the club night, record label and back-room dancefloor of a Spanish restaurant that the name used to represent. It’s hard to keep a good thing going for long in this town, but they’ve managed to hold onto the SMAC award-winning club for a year already, bringing us some of the finest bands, club nights and arts events that we’ve had the pleasure of getting more-than-a-little tipsy at, hosting names like Spank Rock, De La Soul, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Seekae, E.C.S.R, Cloud Control and Diplo. They’ve asked us to ask you to come to their birthday party, which is being held over three nights from September 30 – October 2. On the Saturday, you’ll be getting a huge twelve-band lineup featuring The UV Race, Super Wild Horses, The Twerps, Belles Will Ring, Kill City Creeps, The Atom Bombs, Holy Balm, Fishing and more – and on the Sunday, the GoodGod House Band returns, featuring Donny Benet and Oscar & Martin, and presented by Daniel Stricker from Midnight Juggernauts. (Afterwards, Jingle Jangle, Slow Blow, Love Kings and co. will be keeping you on the floor. And: there’ll be cake!)

MONTERO

Back in the heady 2000s there existed a psychpop band in Melbourne called Treetops, who may well have been the best Melbourne band to never release an album since Klinger. Well, Treetops are long gone but main songwriter/ peace-slinger Benny Montero still writes a mean tune (if lovely, soft and nature-laden is your idea of mean...). He’s teamed up with members from Crayon Fields, Ninety Nine, Cuba is Japan and The TM Band and put together a 7-inch under the name Montero, which will be launched at GoodGod Small Club on September 15. Supports come in the form of face-melters Domeyko/Gonzalez and Erik Omen in his first ever gig (featuring the lovely Holiday from Bridezilla, too!)

TONE CLOSING

You’ve no doubt heard the news by now: one of our favourite new venues, Tone, has been forced from its home on Wentworth Avenue in Surry Hills after a dispute with their landlord. Rumour has it the venue is set to become a

restaurant, and food is great and everything but come on. Tone has brought us over 30 album launches, six huge fundraising events and 20 international underground artists over the last 16 months of its short life. They’re on the lookout for a new venue (“which is proving extremely difficult due to City of Sydney’s freeze on late liquor licenses,” says the venue’s Ben Peterson), but in the meantime are hoping for you guys to support their last month of shows – which will include six internationals, seven launches and 21 events in total. Head to tone.net.au or facebook.com/tonesydney for more.

EAGLE AND THE WORM

There’s an old Aesop’s Fable that goes like this: an eagle and a worm were chatting, long before the earth dried up and the two became mortal enemies. The worm told the eagle about a great gig that was happening next Friday September 9 at Oxford Art Factory, so he began slowly crawling there a few weeks early. It was hard toil to suffer through, the days long and the nights longer, but he got there early, bought a

THE GANGSTERS’ BALL

Just a timely reminder to iron your bowler hat and polish your spats: The Gangsters’ Ball is bringing the 1920s–50s to The Metro Theatre this Saturday September 3. In its fourth year, the huge themed party is bigger than ever – with sideshow vaudeville, magic, aerial and juggling acts added to the burlesque, cabaret and everyone’s favourite ten-piece swing band, The Velvet Set. Tickets are available from ticketek.com.au. Don’t iron your spats, you’ll ruin them.

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 9

rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly and Steph Harmon

five things WITH Growing Up My first music memory is driving home 1. from a camping trip with my mum – she bought a David Bowie Greatest Hits for the road. That really changed me, particularly the track ‘Heroes’. I quickly went and got myself the Heroes album; I still think that is Bowie’s masterpiece, and one of the greatest records of all time.

2.

Inspirations Neil Young, Gram Parsons, Lou Reed, Brian Jonestown Massacre. Comic books too – there’s something about them as a writing medium. Structurally, you haven’t much room for word play, and that enforces a certain quality and emotional immediacy in every phrase – it’s all about moments. That’s a hallmark of that medium alone I think, and I keep it in mind when I’m writing.

FROWNING CLOUDS, ALL NIGHT LONG

The Frowning Clouds take the vast catalogues of The Kinks, The Stones and The Animals, chuck out all that mess that didn’t happen in 1964, and blend the good beat-tastic bits into a wonderful jangly sound that they will be bringing to GoodGod Small Club on September 24. They have a new single too, ‘All Night Long’, which, come to think of it, is probably the reason for this show.

my energy on playing with a band. It’s punchy, energetic, careless and has post-punk undertones, I suppose… I’m not trying to fast track its development into that slow-burning country where my songwriting is at right now – the band needs to come to that on its own terms, I think.

5.

Music, Right Here, Right Now There’s a lot of local acts that are pretty great, and show a lot of potential to be something really special. Jack Ladder And The Dreamlander’s new record has a lot of special moments. Holly Rankin (Desire The Horse) and Lyall Moloney are the real deal, I think – I really believe they have it.

With: PVT, The Vasco Era, Gareth Liddiard, The Snowdroppers, Papa vs Pretty, Lanie Lane, Megastick Fanfare, Bingethinkers, Juggernaut DJs and more

SONGS

Do you like songs? Do you like the songs of Songs? If you do (and who doesn’t!) then you’ll probably want to catch the Sydneysiders when they play Tone on Thursday September 8, supported by Tiger Choir. The second leg of the Popfrenzy Sessions, it’s their first full show with a brand new lineup, in the lead up to an album release that we seriously cannot wait for – and BRAG has a double pass to giveaway. Just email us with your favourite Songs song, or the best tone you’ve ever heard at Tone… (You have no idea how clever we feel right now.)

When: Saturday September 17

Songs

SIERRA FINN STRIPPED

The Holidays

Sierra Finn recorded their debut album (Cautionary Tale Of The Beautiful Blackout) with a symphony orchestra – and when you go and make a statement that grandiose, people start flinging words at you like lush and beautiful and layered, and other such terms that can really upset an indie rock band. They’re playing an intimate show at the Vanguard on September 24 sans orchestra (they probably couldn’t all fit, anyway), just to show you that they can do it all just as well without an oboe or a French horn.

MYSCHOOLACT

If you’re in high school and in a band and wanna win a $50,000 Sony Music recording deal and play at Big Day Out, submit a video or MP3 of your band at myschoolact.com. It’s that easy. (Here is some other advice: you’ll never use most of the Maths you learn, latitude and longitude aren’t important, and if you don’t wanna do PE, just don’t bring your sports uniform. We don’t need no education.)

bluejuice

MANNING TURNS ELEVEN, PARTY ENSUES

What’s more impressive than a tenth birthday? An eleventh birthday! Am I right?! This Friday September 2, Manning Bar will be celebrating such a milestone and they’ve cleverly planned it for a Friday night – which was a great idea, because live sets from The Holidays, Guineafowl, Megastick Fanfare and Fishing mean that lots of alcohol and fairy floss will be imbibed. Be responsible though; the amount of nights that start as jovial fun and end with someone choking on a packet of Skittles… Tragic waste of life. And skittles. (Happy Birthday, Manning Bar!)

TWIST AND SHOUT

The news that Tone is closing down is a shot to the heart of Sydney, but it gets worse when you think about all the great nights that will be suffering too. One casualty is Twist and Shout, the ‘60s dance party which is sorrowfully shimmying at Tone for one last time September 2. Their farewell will be a ‘60s girl group-themed night, which seems incredibly apt considering the lovelorn, heartbroken subject matter of those songs. Get along to Tone for one last Twist and Shout – and don’t worry, they are scouting out other venues as we speak. Your house? You still have that lava lamp, right? We can work it out.

TOOBLOODYGOOD

BLUEJUICE DO AN ALBUM

Melbourne has been getting pretty smug lately, and their newest offering Brous is going to make that smirk even more unbearable than usual. In typical Sydney style, we should just keep claiming that she’s from Sydney until no one can remember otherwise – and in order to get the ball rolling you should get down to her show at The Vanguard on Tuesday September 6. She’ll be performing tracks off her new EP, Brous, including the amazing single ‘Streamers’. If you want to get along, simply name a lady that Australia has “adopted” in the past, and we might just give you a double pass.

Where: Changing Lanes Festival @ Devonshire St, Surry Hills

(guitar), Nath Mansfield (drums) and

BROUS

The Music You Make The songs I’m writing now are more 4. country and folk than ever, but I’m focusing

Who: Spookyland EP is out now

Your Crew There’s my 3. brother Liam

With its Bond-esque film clip and sexy-asanything tune, Brous’ single ‘Streamers’ is catchy, noir, nostalgic and more than a little bit delicious. She’s just signed to One Louder Recordings, and has marked Friday September 23 for an EP release. To celebrate this coup, the Melbourne singer/songwriter is heading on an East Coast tour, which’ll hit Sydney on Tuesday September 6 at The Vanguard, with Daisy Tulley (Bridezilla) in support.

BROUS

MARCUS FROM SPOOKY LAND Nic Malouf (bass). I don’t get along with people like me, so I could never play in a band with them. I deliberately built a band around zero-bullshit players; I’m a bullshit player, and I think that’s enough pompousness for one band. Consequently, we all have varying music tastes – Nic, for example, is a structuralist, and an avid AC/DC and Metallica fan.

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

About eleven seconds into the new bluejuice song, it kicks into a little part that sounds a whole lot like ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ – bet you weren’t expecting that! It’s the first taste of their third album Company, which comes out October 28, and you can download the track for free just by visiting www.facebook.com/bluejuicemusic. It’s called ‘Cheap Trix’, and it will be their biggest single to date. Fact.

Johnny Toogood, the man whose name sounds like a character from a VB commercial – and who also sings in Shihad – has put together a group with Shayne Carter (Dimmer, Straitjacket Fits) and Julia Deans (Fur Patrol) called The Adults, which is said to be his version of Gorillaz. What this means is anyone’s guess, but if you would like a more concrete representation of what magic the band holds, come with me to Oxford Art Factory on September 1 where they’ll be playing a one-off show. Toogood still looks about fourteen – so maybe as The Adults they’ll just be wearing beards and business suits and singing about adult things like fixed mortages and fondue and the good old days. Summers were nicer, there was less crime, etc...

FELL IN LOVE WITH A LANE

After Jack White asked her to record songs with him in a dank Nashville basement studio, Lanie Lane returned to Australia and has now announced her debut album To The Horses, which will be out through Ivy League on October 14. Even more-annoyingly far away is her November 4 show at the Vanguard – but as tickets go/went on sale Monday August 29, you’d better get in now or spend three months ringing the venue asking if they’ve found any other tickets that might have slipped behind the desk or anything yet. The songs that surfaced from those White sessions are called ‘Ain’t Hungry’ and ‘My Man’, and are available on 7-inch through his Third Man Records label.

THE STANDARD!

One venue closes and another opens. This September, Level 3 of Kinselas is being transformed into The Standard – a new live performance space, with an extremely flexible twist. They’re going to be booking music, theatre, art exhibitions, comedy, aerial performances (!) and cultural events, with a constantly evolving configuration and limitless staging options. The industry launch is being held on Tuesday September 13, with a gig from Pajama Club – Neil and Sharon Finn’s new project. It’s a little exclusive, but if you ‘like’ them on Facebook (facebook.com/thestandardsydney), you can go in the running to win tickets…

“On the sidewalk, Sunday mornin’, lies a body oozing life. Someone sneakin’ round the corner. Is that someone Mack the Knife?” - THE THREEPENNY OPERA 10 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

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BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 11

The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Industry Music News with Christie Eleizer

Lifelines Born: Son Orrin Ryder to Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Aussie musician wife Brody Dalle. Died: Frank DiLeo, the Sony publicist who became Michael Jackson’s manager, 63, due to complications from heart surgery in March. Died: Richard Turner, 27, Friendly Fires’ trumpet player of the past three years, had a heart attack while swimming in a south London pool. Died: Nick Ashford, one half of the illustrious Motown Ashford & Simpson team with wife Valerie Simpson, 70, from throat cancer. They wrote classics for Diana Ross, Chaka Khan and Marvin Gaye, including ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’.

VENUES #1: THE STANDARD LAUNCHES NEXT MONTH

Sydney’s latest venue The Standard launches next month at Taylor Square, on Level 3, 383 Bourke Street in Surry Hills. Owned by the Riversdale Group, Peer Group Media will oversee its creative direction and programming. The Standard’s format includes live music, theatre, aerial performances, comedy, burlesque and art exhibitions. The space was a funeral parlour in the 1930s. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was home to Kinselas, hosting the likes of The Beastie Boys, The Lemonheads, Public Enemy — and, almost, Prince. “Sydney is one of the world’s greatest cities, yet the recent closure of performance spaces across the city has meant less choice for the community and less support for our artists,” says Paddy Coughlan, Riversdale Group CEO. “The Standard is set to change that with a medium sized, all purpose performance space which will set the new creative agenda for Sydney’s live performance scene.” Adds Adam Zammit, Peer Group Media CEO: “You can never have enough culturally persistent venues in a city like Sydney, that has for two decades fallen short of its potential, to innovate and diversify its entertainment options. I snuck into Kinselas top floor to see D.I.G. in 1992. It’s great to be back!” The Standard launches on Tuesday September 13 with an industry-only bash featuring Neil and Sharon Finn’s Pajama Club. Finn fans can go in a draw to score tickets for their set, by ‘liking’ The Standard on Facebook: facebook.com/thestandardsydney.

VENUES #2: GAELIC AND SELECT PART WAYS

After nine years, bookers Select Music and venue The Gaelic have parted ways. The Gaelic will now handle everything in house. The new Venue Manager is Narissa

Mathews (ex-The Metro, The Zoo), available at narissa@thegaelic.com. Marketing Manager Steve Dorsett (ex- Q Bar) is at marketing@thegaelic.com. Entertainment Manager Lyssa Trompf (ex-Purple Sneakers) is at bookings@thegaelic.com, but Select’s Clayton Ries will continue to be the contact for bookings until September 1, at clayton@selectmusic.com.au.

VENUES #3: TONE TO MOVE

The folks that run Tone will start moving out of their current spot from Monday September 19. They cited “circumstances beyond our control (which we can’t go into for legal reasons)”, adding, “We believe that the venue is to become some kind of cheesy, themed restaurant.” In the sixteen months they've been around, Tone has hosted over 30 album launches, six major fundraising events (including one for the QLD floods which raised $11k), 20 international underground artists, and have seen over 40,000 people come through their doors. Tone is looking for a new home.

OTHER TONGUES WINDS UP

tour made. Eminem was paid £2 million (A$3.14 million) for headlining V Festival’s two shows in Staffs and Essex in England. Rihanna, who joined him on stage for ‘Love The Way You Lie’, pocketed around £500,000 (A$786,000) each night.

discovered by MTV America online, and have their debut album What Are You So Scared Of out through Sony in mid-October. Singer Jenna McDougall says, “One of the most important things for a young artist is not to be afraid of anything. You need to think big!”

GREAT SOUTHERN BLUES AXED

LITTLE RED SCORE US DEAL

This year’s Great Southern Blues Festival, set for September 29 – October 2, has been axed due to low ticket sales. The bill included John Butler Trio, Pete Murray, Kasey Chambers & Band, Blue King Brown and Booker T. Jones. Organisers blamed “this current economic climate”, but location may have been a factor too. It was staged in Narooma until last year, when founder Neil Mumme sold it to Michael Chugg and it was moved to Batemans Bay because it’d “outgrown” Narooma. Mumme, who remained with the festival as a producer, told ABC Southeast radio that the move may have hurt – and that next year’s event may move again. Meantime, Narooma Chamber of Commerce president Mark Anderson is keen to have it back.

Other Tongues, set up in late 2009, has wound up after its partners disagreed on its future direction. Nick Pontikos, the former Mushroom/Inertia exec who co-founded the label with manager and independent A&R James Wood, emphasised that it will continue to sell records already released but no new music will be issued. Pontikos is revitalising the Longtime Listener imprint to release new stuff from artists and labels “that I love from A-Z.”

AMP RETURNS

GREEN DAY WIN GRAFFITI SUIT

Radio 2GLF, which serves the Liverpool area, was evicted from its Macquarie Street School of Arts building. 500 people have already signed a petition calling on Liverpool Council to find a new home. See: www.saveourstation.com.au.

Green Day have won a lawsuit brought about by graffiti artist Derek Seltzer. He claimed they used his ‘Scream Icon’ image in a video backdrop on their 2009 tour without “permission, authority, or consent.” But U.S. District Court judge Philip Gutierrez in California agreed that set designer Richard Staub used the image to create something entirely new for a video backdrop – including the use of graffiti, a brick backdrop, and a large red cross over the image.

CASHED UP MUSOS

Bono’s US$210 million investment in Facebook has now brought in nearly $1 billion. Last week, Facebook was valued at $65 billion, which made the U2 singer’s part worth $975 million. Bono hasn’t finished counting the $763 million that U2’s 360 world

THINGS WE HEAR * The cool two-minute clip made to promote Summadayze 2012 – created by Melbourne’s The Drop Studio and featuring girls having coloured powder thrown at them – has got the thumbsup from the ad and marketing sectors. AdWeek’s Tim Nudd wrote, “The finished piece, epic and surreal, mimics the hallucinatory feeling – tinged with the threat of violence – of being immersed in music within a crowd.” * James Freud’s widow, Sally Freud, is writing a book about her life with him. * The armed forces' entertainment

The Australian Music Prize (The Amp) returns for its seventh year. It provides a $30,000 cash prize from the PPCA for the album judged as the “best” from this year. To enter, artists submit their album via www.australianmusicprize.com.au from September 1 – October 21. The fee is $95 per album, but there’s an early bird rate of $55 before September 30.

2GLF EVICTED

TONIGHT ALIVE JOIN MYSCHOOLACT

Pop-punk band Tonight Alive join as ambassadors of the competition for high school students, MySchoolAct. The winner scores a $50,000 recording deal with Sony Music, and gets on the Big Day Out bill. Submit your video or MP3 of a performance to www.myschoolact.com by December 2. Tonight Alive started in high school, used touring and social media to set up a following, sold 10,000 copies of their self funded EP All Shapes & Disguises, were

Little Red scored a US deal with Matador imprint label True Panther, home to Girls, Barcelona’s Delorean, Tanlines and Ty Segall. Their Liberation release Midnight Remember, which went gold in Oz, will come out in the US on October 25. In America, where they made waves with their SxSW appearance, their Australian platinum hit ‘Rock It’ was included in the No Strings Attached movie. They’ve also featured in Grey’s Anatomy and MTV’s Teen Wolf.

JUMP

Emerging artists aged 18-30 are encouraged to apply for next year’s national JUMP mentoring program. Run by the Australia Council, 80 spots are there for those who are in the first five years of their career to get one-on-one advice from mentors to further their career. See: www.jumpmentoring.com.au.

AG CALLS ON SUMMIT FOR ONLINE PIRACY

Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland has convened a summit next month to discuss what new copyright laws, if any, should be introduced to combat online piracy. The Australian Content Industry Group (ACIG), the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, the new Digital Entertainment Alliance Australia, Telstra, Optus, the Internet Industry Association and the Communications Alliance will all be in attendance, but no consumer groups were invited. The music and film people will push for a three-strikes penalty against persistent offenders. The meeting should be interesting, given that AFACT earlier sent a stern letter to ISPs insisting they meet to discuss “three strikes” – the sound of indifference from the ISPs was deafening.

MULRY MEMORIAL UNVEILED

To mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Ted Mulry, a memorial will be unveiled on Saturday September 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Camden Valley Way, Leppington. Fans and friends are invited, 11am to 1pm.

people keep the destination and date of their tours secret when they take musicians and comedians to entertain Aussie troops abroad. So they probably broke into palpitations when Mick Molloy blabbed on his radio show about the next one, on which he’ll be appearing.

there. But when bosses did some research and discovered that some of their lyrics were highly critical of the country’s treatment of refugees, they cooled off. The Herd understand the decision, but add that they just wanted to put on a show for them.

* Merrick Watts’ departure seems amicable. After he quit, Nova sent out a five minute video to media filled with highlights of his ten years with them.

* Bad Religion are pissed at how Soundwave Revolution was axed without consulting them. They plan to tour “as soon as possible”, but with another promoter.

* The Herd had their application to play for asylum seekers in Darwin knocked back. They were approached by a staff member at The Northern Immigration Detention Centre in Berrimah to perform

* Catherine Britt has been invited to perform at the 2011 Americana Music Association Festival in Nashville, which is being held from October 12 to 15.

J U S T F O R L A U G H S AT SY D N E Y O P E R A H O U S E P R E S E N T S

ug ht-aft er ac ts in “O ne of th e m os t so ILY TELEGRAPH E DA Br iti sh st an d- up” TH of a ne w ge ne ra tio n “P ro ba bl y th e be st of co m ic s. ” TIME OUT

02 9250 7777 12 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

SY D N E YO P E R A H O U S E . C O M /J U S T F O R L A U G H S

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“It sucked that Jon and Ryan were parting ways, but Brendon and I also saw a golden opportunity to do whatever we wanted... We have the chance to really find ourselves now.” return in 2011 as a duo consisting of just Smith and Urie. As a bit of a “re-introduction”, as Smith calls it, new album Vices & Virtues sees the band reflecting on both the perks and the drags of a life in the spotlight. “We kind of felt like everybody was waiting to see what we’d do next, after Jon and Ryan left. I won’t lie, we really did spend quite a lot of time in the beginning just trying to work out what to do. There was a period of time there where none of us saw or heard from each other for a while. Brendon and I decided that we were going to try to work together on our own, that it would be best to work it out and continue the band rather than just throw in the towel ... because we’d established a name for ourselves. It sucked that Jon and Ryan were parting ways, but Brendon and I also saw a golden opportunity to do whatever we wanted now,” Smith says. “The music is really not that much different from what we’ve done so far, because Brendon and I have always been heavily involved in terms of the melodies and songwriting. Brendon had already written a few songs on the records, so this just means he’s stepped up to do the whole thing instead of bits and pieces. He’s completely capable – he’s great at it.”

Panic! At The Disco And Then There Were Two By Birdie

W

hen a teenage Brendan Urie announced to his mum and dad that he was dropping out of high school to become a rock star, things didn’t pan out too well… To be blunt, they kicked him out. And in drummer Spencer Smith’s case, it was pretty much the same scene. Several years and three albums later, though, their band is pop-rock juggernaut Panic! At The Disco – and the lads’ parents are very proud of their sons indeed. According to Smith, all’s forgiven and forgotten. “Yeah, everything is fine with mum and dad now!” he laughs. “I think they were probably more surprised at our success than we were. They were almost shocked that we were able to turn this dream into a real band and into a real job. I was just a kid that was obsessed with listening to my records and collecting all kinds of things to do with my favourite bands, and I think they thought it was just a phase. They

have been very supportive in the last few years, but it took some time,” he continues. “The rest of the Las Vegas scene was kind of the same in that respect. Once we started doing proper tours and became more than just a ‘local’ band, things changed. The problem with that town is that there’s a lot of venues, but they’ll open just to close a year later. It’s frustrating for a band trying to establish themselves – there’s no good, solid foundation there for them at all. I still think it’s a pretty big issue for Las Vegas.” Not that that impacts Panic! At The Disco anymore. As Smith points out, the band is no longer considered a ‘local’ act; with their nowgruelling touring and recording schedules, it’s become next to impossible to keep up with what’s going on in the music scene back home. “Unless you’re like The Killers or something, there’s a lot of metal bands in our hometown!” chuckles Smith. “I don’t think it matters where you come from or where you’re based

geographically anymore. You’re not required to start off as a really big local band before you’re able to move on to national touring. That doesn’t matter anymore because of the internet, obviously – you can generate a lot of buzz for yourself without really having a local fanbase first. I’m not really sure anymore who’s doing good things back in Las Vegas, because we’re hardly ever there anyway. To be honest, when it comes to most of the bands that I like and admire, I have no clue where they’re from! It’s just not relevant anymore – that’s how much has changed in the industry since we started out.” A lot has changed within the band itself too, since they were discovered by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and went on to release their breakthrough 2005 debut, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. Formerly a four-piece, vocalist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker departed from the band two years ago, and Panic! At The Disco

The key reason for the split, according to Smith, was simply differences in opinion as far as the band’s musical direction was concerned. While Smith and Urie were more than open to the idea of broadening their musical spectrum in general, they weren’t necessarily prepared to completely replicate other band’s sounds. “I can acknowledge there are great bands out there, but that doesn’t mean that I want to be or sound like those bands,” Smith explains. “There have been a lot of good records that came out recently – especially while we were recording this album. Like, Arcade Fire had an amazing record out and we really loved that! Having said that, we weren’t going to necessarily get influenced by them musically, because Brendon and I just don’t see this band as sounding anything like them or other bands we’re fans of… For the most part, Brendon and I are now trying to do something that we haven’t heard before. We have the chance to really find ourselves now more than ever, and we’re definitely embracing that with both hands.” In the process, Smith and Urie have had a little help from renowned producers Butch Walker and John Feldmann, both of whom Smith refers to as “mentors” following the Vices & Virtues recording sessions. According to the drummer, merely being in Walker and Feldmann’s presence was enough to inspire himself and Urie to make the best record the band could possibly muster. “John and Butch weren’t at all what I expected them to be!” laughs Smith. “They were so cool, and they just let us do whatever we wanted to do! That was what concerned me the most; that we’d get a producer that would be controlling. [But] their number one priority was to make sure we were happy with everything, rather than trying to put their own stamp on the work we’d done. They encouraged us to keep going even when we thought we were done. Some of the last songs that we wrote on the album are now actually our favourite ones and the best on the record, whereas we would have cut it short long before that point,” he admits. “John has a great work ethic – I don’t think he ever sleeps. Brandon and I were in a bit of a funk towards the end and John was the one that pushed us to work harder. Butch was incredible too – he’s got the most interesting and fun instruments I’ve ever seen in a studio! The most important part was that they never compromised any of our ideas.” With: All Time Low, Yellowcard, Story Of The Year, Funeral For A Friend and loads more Where: Soundwave’s Counter Revolution @ Big Top, Luna Park When: Sunday September 25

“Oh the shark has pretty teeth dear and he shows them pearly white. Just a jack-knife has Macheath dear And he keeps it out of sight” – THE THREEPENNY OPERA 14 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

Sydney Theatre Company and Asteron present a Malthouse Melbourne and Victorian Opera production

ARE YOU READY FOR MACK THE KNIFE?

THE

Y N N E EP

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A R E P O

e Co r t e s o d n o s Ra i m y Sam Tex t by i c s by J e re m Ka n t o r el Ly r M i c h a a rd Gil l r o t c e ch Dir c t o r Ri Co n du

Spend a night with an all-singing, all-dancing, all-blaspheming band of crims, bent cops and feisty floozies in a strictly limited season with the ever-fabulous Paul Capsis and Eddie Perfect Text by Raimondo Cortese Lyrics by Jeremy Sams Director Michael Kantor Conductor Richard Gill Set Designer Peter Corrigan Costume Designer Anna Cordingley Lighting Designer Paul Jackson Sound Designer Peter Ripon Choreographer Kate Denborough Assistant Director Cameron Menzies Assistant Conductor Daniel Carter With Johanna Allen, Paul Capsis, Jolyon James, Luke Joslin, Lucy Maunder, Amanda Muggleton, Eddie Perfect, Angela Scundi, Dimity Shepherd, Grant Smith, Michael Whalley, John Xintavelonis Music performed live by Ensemble Weill German translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann. Used by arrangement with European American Music Corporation, agent for the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music inc., and agent for the estate of Stefan Brecht.

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Photo: Jeff Busby

Part of Berlin Sydney: a program of theatre, music, cabaret and exhibitions inspired by 20s and 30s Berlin held at leading arts venues across Sydney.

1–24 SEPTEMBER 2011 SYDNEY THEATRE AT WALSH BAY STC BOX OFFICE (02) 9250 1777 TICKETEK 132 849 SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU / THREEPENNY

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 15

Songs Heavy Sounds By Benjamin Cooper

E

la Stiles is a hard lady to catch, and when I finally get her on the line, she begins with a peculiar declaration: “I’m in the bathroom.” But as with the teasing and misleading of Stiles’ band Songs, there’s always much more going on than meets the eye. Stiles, the band’s bassist and vocalist, is at Kind Of Gallery in Darlinghurst preparing to launch the video for the band’s new-ish single ‘Heavy’. Around her I can hear the voices of singer and guitarist Max Doyle and others, as they test the acoustics of the bathroom. It must feel good to be playing in a new space. “And we’ve got heaps of new songs too, which is great!” she enthuses. “I really love all our songs, but … now we’ve pretty much got a whole set of new stuff. And it’s really kinda of funky.” Rewind a year, to when fans of Sydney’s favourite drone popsters were confronted with the harsh news that the band would be taking something of a hiatus. For those who like their tunes to grind out both sweetness and rattle, there was one final performance of the original lineup, with many of us forced to travel to Newcastle’s Sound Summit to catch it. The delicately wrought tunes, besieged by moments of frantic aural violence, were as timeless in that lowlylit, damp room as if they’d occurred in Dunedin in 1978 – and following the gig, drummer Steve Uren and guitarist Jeff Burch departed amicably to pursue other projects. Burch has

moved to New York to look after his label The Spring Press, and Stiles tells me Uren is doing his own thing: “I’m sure we’ll see what it is soon.” The last song written and recorded by Songs in their original lineup, ‘Heavy’ was recorded by Mike Burnham and represents a slightly different sound to that of their self-titled 2009 debut LP; two electric basses reverberate and wrest open the track, as the controlled vocals subdue a quiet, building menace. The band worked with American producer and engineer Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Sunny Day Real Estate) on their debut LP back in 2009, who commented at the time that “the thing is, [the cute, jangly sound of previous releases like ‘KC’s In Trouble’] is not gone. It’s just different.” According to Stiles, working with both Burnham and Rice on the follow-up has shifted the tone once more. The current Songs lineup consists of Stiles and Doyle, Ben James (ex-Talons) on drums, Cameron Emerson-Elliot (Community Radio, Youth Group) on guitar and Jules Ferrari (ex-Black Ryder) on keys, synth and guitar. When I ask about the impact of adding a permanent synth member to the group, Stiles replies, “It’s awesome! We usually have Guy Blackman [Chapter Records head honcho] play with us down in Melbourne, but it’s just been really fun playing together [at the moment]”. Mention of Blackman forces me to

query how the man will react when confronted by a multi instrument-clad Ferrari... “It’ll be cool – they can have a synth-off!” The new band came together when Stiles and Doyle “just put the word out there, asking for people to recommend friends who might want to work with us”. James came first and, as I observe, must bring to the kit a frantic brutality – but I’m quickly corrected. “I never saw Talons, but Ben is really good – really controlled.” That control is central to Songs’ aesthetic – no sound is rushed, and those pieces of gentle melody that are permitted have the briefest of showings before the surrounding sound covers all again. With the bathroom vocal warm-up completed, Stiles and Doyle depart to explore more of the gallery. Even though it will only be the two of them performing tonight, with a debut full-band show to follow in early September, the excitement of performing new material is palpable. “Tonight, we’re going to play ‘Heavy’!” Stiles enthuses. I note that, given the acoustic format, the song may not have as much energy or drive – but she retorts, quite simply, “We’ll play it loud.” What: ‘Heavy’ is out now With: Tiger Choir Where: Popfrenzy Sessions @ Tone, Surry Hills When: Thursday September 8

Little Scout Big Future By Alasdair Duncan

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ittle Scout’s Take Your Light, with its lovely, floaty melodies and echoing guitars, sounds to me a little bit like a modern, indie pop update of The Cocteau Twins’ early ‘90s classic Heaven Or Las Vegas. According to guitarist Pat Elliott, though, there were no specific influences on the album; it wasn’t a case of the Brisbane band knowing what they wanted to sound like, he says, but what they didn’t. “We really wanted to get away from the polishedsounding acoustic stuff that we were making when we started the band,” he says. “We didn’t know quite what we wanted to do. We had an idea in our heads, but we couldn’t quite articulate it. That’s where Jonathan Boulet came in…” Quite apart from his solo career and his band, Parades, Sydney’s Jonathan Boulet is quickly becoming one of Australia’s most in-demand producers – Elliot certainly can’t think of enough nice things to say about him. “He knows how to get that really big sound, but without it going into overblown territory,” he explains. “He really injects a natural atmosphere into anything he touches, and I don’t know how he does that. He’s got a simple recording setup, but he knows his way around it really well, and he just has a real understanding of sonics. He’s one of those people who can really translate what you’re hearing in your head onto tape.” I’ve heard that the bulk of Boulet’s recording takes place in his parents’ garage – and I’m curious to know how exactly that works out... “Yeah, it does,” Elliot laughs, “and he’s

not watering that down at all there – it really is your typical suburban garage. There are blankets and mattresses up everywhere to soundproof things, and we had to close the door to make sure we didn’t piss off his mum and dad by making too much noise! That suited us really well, though. There were a couple of times leading up to the record when we’d gone into professional studios, and I don’t know what it is with us, but we feel out of place in that environment. I guess we prefer to just be in our living rooms, and Jono’s garage has that feel.” With one independently-released album now under their belts, I ask Elliot what the future might hold for Little Scout. “It’s funny when you think about the future of what you want for your little band,” he says. “We’ve done so many things that we never imagined we’d do when we started playing. We’ve supported bands that we adore, we’ve been to places we never thought we would. It’s kind of this weird balance of aiming high but not taking anything for granted. I know a lot of people probably say this, but honestly, I think if we can keep on playing our music, keep on travelling around and having people turn up to our shows, that will be great. Making music is such a personal thing, that when other people are interested in what you’re doing, it’s really cool – you just can’t beat that.” What: Take Your Light is out now, through MGM With: Convaire, Sealion and Parades DJs Where: Notes Live @ Newtown When: Saturday September 10

Bonjah Spacing It Out By Cameron Sundblom

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hree members of Bonjah have been playing together since they were 13 – but whether you know that or not, when you watch them live the band’s chemistry will hit you immediately. Bonjah’s 500-plus live shows are a testament to their work ethic, and since releasing the APRA award-nominated Until Dawn in 2009, the fivepiece have had some big support slots, including for The Who and Paul Kelly. Bonjah have consolidated on this momentum with their new album Go Go Chaos, a record which bassist Dave Morgan says is filled with diverse emotions – but there’s one in particular that stands out for him. “I’d say there’s a mixture of sadness and loss, but predominantly hope,” he says. “Glenn [Mossop, singer] is an amazing lyricist. I love the way he writes songs, and he’s taken us on a journey with these tunes. Sometimes it’s upbeat, and a lot of the time it’s very reflective, with deep emotions of loss and sadness. But there’s an underlying emotion of hope throughout the lyrics and the songs.”

Three years after relocating to Melbourne from Tauranga, New Zealand, Until Dawn established Bonjah as an engaging blues and roots act with great pop sensibilities. This was particularly evident on tracks like ‘Colours’ and ‘Bring Back The Fire’, the latter of which featured in the Australian film Matching Jack. Go Go Chaos combines the accessibility of their debut with a more polished and sparse sound, and a more eclectic mix of light and dark with some almost threatening moments – like in the title track, which is also the new single. Dave tells me the band wanted to stretch themselves. “We sort of consciously made a decision to take the music somewhere else,” he explains. “You’re always trying to improve, and we wanted to get out of our comfort zone and experiment with light and shade, and also with a lot of space.

We went into a lot of the songs with a less-ismore approach [to the songwriting]. “There was also quite a minimal approach to the recording set up,” he continues. “It wasn’t really intricate – literally just a few mics and a drum kit in a big room, and all of us jamming together. We came up with the songs but didn’t really enjoy them when we tried to complicate them or use intricate timings. It was so natural to allow for a lot of space and play almost as little as possible. It was very held back – but naturally held back.” Producer Steven Schram, who’s worked with acts like The Cat Empire and Little Birdy, helped keep the band focused on their approach. “He was amazing in the studio,” Dave says. “We really didn’t have to tell him too much. He’d hear a song, tweak the sound and get Dan [Chisholm, drummer] to play snare softly and loudly. Then he’d tune it down and tell him to play it as softly as he could, but play the toms loud. He was a huge part of the drum sound. Sometimes Dan would say, ‘Is this guy crazy? Is he serious?’ – but of course it sounded absolutely fantastic when we listened to it.” Bonjah is heading out on a fifteen-date national tour in support of the album, before they return to Japan (where they’re signed with P-Vine Records), to come back just as the Aussie summer festivals start up. It’s a great time to be in Bonjah. “It’s bloody fantastic,” Dave declares. “It’s so exciting, and things keep popping up every day. It’s just brilliant.” What: Go Go Chaos is out now through Shock With: Daniel Lee Kendall, The Joe Kings Where: Great Northern, Newcastle / Oxford Art Factory, Sydney When: September 2 / September 3

“From a tugboat by the river a cement bag’s droppin’ down. The cement’s just for the weight dear. Bet’ya Mackies back in town?” - THE THREEPENNY OPERA 16 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

Frenzal Rhomb All Your Friends By Max Easton

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ehind the dick jokes and severed penis album covers, Frenzal Rhomb were just about the most successful and widereaching Sydney punk band of the 1990s. With Meet The Family and A Man’s Not a Camel certified Gold, and the cover to the Dick Sandwich EP being every young boy’s secret dose of hilarity, Frenzal stamped themselves not only on the teenage Australian mentality of the time, but the legion of of-age fans now nursing bald spots and matured CD collections. But things haven’t changed just for the Frenzal fanbase. Frontman Jay Whalley has picked up a new job since their last release in 2006: he’s the father of an 18-month-old son, and his band has spent the last five years in a recording silence – and, at times, a genuine hiatus. Until now. “Things are looking good for this tour. We plan to have one rehearsal... which is one more than we’d normally have,” Whalley murmurs. “We’re gonna really try a bit harder this time. That’s our overall new approach to life in general, actually: just to try a little bit harder.” With their brand new ninth studio record Smoko At The Pet Food Factory, Frenzal have taken this new life philosophy on board via the production of Descendents And All drummer Bill Stevenson. One of the most prolific big-name producers of the punk circuit, Stevenson has worked with acts like Rise Against, NOFX and Comeback Kid. “We toured a bunch with [Decendents And] All back in the day, so we kind of knew him, and before we decided what to do with this record – whether we should record it at my house with two microphones, or whether we should actually try to do it properly – we thought, ‘Why don’t we ask him?’ To which we realised that he didn’t really give a fuck, as long as we gave him heaps of money.

“Oh man, the world of double standards that my son is about to enter into... I’m not looking forward to him finding the stack of dusty CDs and going, ‘What do you mean I can’t swear?’” “He likes the band which helped heaps, or he said he did anyway – he probably said that to Puddle of Mudd as well,” Whalley deadpans. “But I think he liked [us] because a lot of bands under the broad umbrella of ‘punk’ go in these days wanting that super tuned, triggered, precise kind of sound… And often they just can’t play like that. With us, because he’s seen us play a bunch, he was aware that we can get it right some of the time so he really concentrated on that, and on getting the good performances out of us. He was actually blown away by Gordie, our drummer; they usually allow five days to record drums and they make sure that before you leave everything sounds awesome, and they were sort of amazed that we walked in, drank two bottles of Jameson and smashed it out in two days.” The Frenzal formula is a simple one, and on Smoko At The Pet Food Factory it is as it always has been: make them laugh, make them jump, and say ‘fuck’ a heap. Whalley admits that Frenzal Rhomb are never going to change – the flowery language is not just a part of his music, but part of his daily routine. “We live next to a group home with people who are getting re-introduced to society from mental illness or head injuries or whatever, so we hear some pretty classic things coming across the fence from time to time. There’s this one guy with some form of Tourette’s but he’s really eloquent, so he’s like, ‘You’re a fuckin’ thief, you’re a fuckin’ liar, and you’re a braggard!’ And I think, ‘Braggard? What is this, old English pirate talk?’” Whalley’s no stranger to the odd bout of curseinfused eloquence himself – take the chorus to the new album’s second single, for instance: “Your mummy doesn’t know that you’re a Nazi / your mummy doesn’t know about the national front / your mummy doesn’t know that you’re a Nazi / sitting in your room being a Nazi cunt.” The question is, how much longer can the father of an 18-month old get away with the world’s most forbidden descriptor? “Oh man, the world of double standards that my son is about to enter into will be something to behold. I’m not looking forward to him finding the stack of dusty CDs when he’s fifteen and going, ‘What do you mean I can’t swear?’” Frenzal Rhomb have always appealed to a younger audience, and Whalley seems fully aware of the variety of people that the band’s messages reach – distorted as they often end up. “I remember when we put out Meet The Family with

that song ‘Some Of My Best Friends Are Racist’ – we would occasionally get someone come up to us going, ‘Yeah! My best friend’s racist too! Awesome, hey?’ So people may miss the point from time to time, [but] even though we attempt to write for the lowest common denominator, occasionally we like to raise the bar slightly.” Launching the new album at the 1500 capacity Metro Theatre, Frenzal Rhomb have slotted themselves right back into the size of venue they were accustomed to at their peak – a move that’s certain to result in a near sell-out, but one that Whalley plays characteristically coy. “Last time we played in Sydney we played at the Annandale, which was a lot of fun … and I think we probably think we’re too big for our boots this time. Hopefully people will come; otherwise it’ll be one of those nights where we just think, ‘Why didn’t we play at the Sando?’” What: Smoko At The Pet Food Factory is out now through Shock With: Teenage Bottlerocket, Totally Unicorn Where: The Metro Theatre When: Friday September 2

TIM FINN THE VIEW IS WORTH THE CLIMB

PRODUCED BY JACQUIRE KING (KINGS OF LEON, TOM WAITS, MODEST MOUSE, COLD WAR KIDS) AND TIM FINN.

CATCH TIM FINN PERFORMING LIVE TUESDAY AUG 30th UPSTAIRS BERESFORD 354 Bourke Street, Surry Hills Doors Open 7pm With special guest Tim Hart (Boy & Bear)

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW

timfinn.com // abcmusic.com.au BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 17

MĂśtley CrĂźe The Saints Of L.A. By Peter Hodgson

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Ăśtley CrĂźe are, quite literally, unstoppable. Nothing can hold them back – not car accidents (Vince Neil was behind the wheel when his friend Razzle died in a smash in 1984), not fatal overdoses (Nikki Sixx was revived after being declared dead for two minutes in 1987, and checked himself out of the hospital to go right back to partying), not resignations (Tommy Lee left the band for years, but is back now), not deaths (Randy Castillo, who replaced Lee when he left in 1999, died of cancer in 2002), and not debilitating illness (Mick Mars’ ankylosing spondylitis has frozen his lower spine completely solid). And certainly not that commercial slump in the mid 90s. No matter what has been thrown MĂśtley CrĂźe’s way, they’ve bounced back – as loud, powerful and downright filthy as ever. Mick Mars is in high spirits when I reach him in a dressing room on America’s east coast, prior to an arena show. “The tour’s going really well,â€? says Mars – who, at 60 and despite his illness, is still every bit the ass-kicking live performer he always was. “We haven’t done anything this big for quite a while, and we decided it was time. It’s the 30th anniversary of the band, and in the US we have New York Dolls and Poison [supporting us]. People really want to see that. Earl Slick [New York Dolls’ recentlyadded guitarist, formerly of David Bowie’s band] has become a good friend of mine. He’s right across the hall playing right now!â€? As if on cue, a series of ragged, bluesy chord jabs punctuate the air. The Dolls aren’t joining CrĂźe’s upcoming Australian tour, but Poison singer Bret Michaels is, along with Doc Neeson of The Angels. The current tour features a unique twist compared to the band’s other recent roadshows. “We had fans vote on what songs they wanted to hear,â€? Mars explains. The setlist includes staples like ‘Shout At The Devil’, ‘Dr. Feelgood’, ‘Kickstart My Heart’, ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’, as well as tracks like ‘Too Young To Fall In Love’, ‘Ten Seconds To Love’ and ‘Wild Side’ – a good cross-section of early and ‘megastardom’ CrĂźe, as well as newer fare like ‘The Saints Of Los Angeles’. ...Oh, and Lee also rides around the stage on his drum kit in a 360 degree roller coaster loop.

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“I’d buy a Cream album, like Disraeli Gears, take the album cover – and it was that glow-under-theblacklight stuff – and I would just sit and look at it for hours... That’s what records were.â€? Mars is particularly interested in checking out Doc Neeson’s set, his curiosity piqued by the bluesy tones of The Angels’ material. The influence of the genre can be heard on much of Mars’ CrĂźe work too, so I’m interested to know: when did he discover the blues? “Good lord, a long time ago. Let me see‌ It started back in probably ‘63 or ‘64, I guess – until I discovered Michael Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Jimi Hendrix, and then I was like, ‘Whoa, what’s this?’ It went on from there, finding different people – of course Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, all those guys. But Hendrix was the guy who changed the way that I see the blues. It’s very unorthodox, the way that he took it into a whole different direction.â€? Mars is dabbling with plans for a solo album, but no material has surfaced so far. Early reports that it was to be a blues album might not necessarily be accurate; Mars himself is yet to settle on a direction. “I haven’t really hit on what I want yet,â€? he says. “I’ve tried several things and I’ve written a tonne of stuff, but I listen back to it a couple of days later and I’m like, ‘Never!’ Y’know? If I’m not happy with it, then I can’t let it out. I know what I expect out of me, and ‌ I’m not releasing something that I’m not completely happy with – I don’t want to come out of the gate with something mediocre that has two good songs. I want to be able to say, ‘Here’s ten really great songs.’ Which is hard for me. I’ve got to feel it’s a great song to me – it might not be to someone else, but that’s kind of a guessing game.â€? Lee made headlines recently with a statement that the day of the album is over. Mars agrees, to a point, and is considering how exactly to release his own solo material when it’s ready. He’s pondering single releases or an EP, “to give people a taste of what it’d be,â€? he explains. “Then if people want to dig deeper you could do an album of ten songs – it depends on what they say about the singles. If they say ‘this song didn’t do so well’, then rewrite it a different way, put it out and see what happens! Then you put out the greatest singles of the week!â€? he laughs. “I mean, when I was young, you had LPs – y’know, the vinyl stuff – and it’s kind of bubbling back a little bit, a little trickle of it. But I’d go out and buy a Cream album, like Disraeli Gears or something like that, take the album cover – and it was that glow-under-the-blacklight stuff – and I would just sit and look at it for hours, turn it around, find different stuff, find hidden little things. That’s what records were, and they’re not like that any more.â€?

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With: Bret Michaels (Poison), Doc Neeson (The Angels) Where: Sydney Entertainment Centre When: Friday September 23

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BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 19

Red Hot Chili Peppers Give It Away By Melanie Lewis

I

t’s smoking hot in Hong Kong, but on the 45th floor of the luxury hotel ensconcing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it’s freezing. In a series of heavy, leather-upholstered chairs sit Michael “Fleaâ€? Balzary, one of the world’s most recognisable bass players; Chad Smith, the only person I’m aware of who has an equally world-famous doppelgänger (hello Will Ferrell); Josh Klinghoffer, the most uncomfortable person in the room; and Anthony Kiedis, a man who, despite the antics outlined in his outrageous autobiography, appears to have defied age. The elder members of the band exude a hard-earned, zen-like spirituality; the younger, Josh, seems almost embarrassed by the attention – like a shy teenager forced out of his bedroom to say hello to his parents’ friends. A coterie of journalists line a boardroom table facing the re-energised band who, in the wake of the Grammy Awardwinning album Stadium Arcadium, bade

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Between 2006’s Stadium Arcadium and the band’s latest release I’m With You, the bandmembers have undergone a lot of exploration: Chad stretched his creative muscle with various side projects (including supergroup Chickenfoot), Anthony focused on his new role as a father, and Balzary returned to school to study music composition. But when the time comes to reconvene in the bandroom, Chad says, some things always remain unchanged. “The way we always do it is we all get in a room and play together. It sounds very simple, but it’s kind of a lost art with the way that technology’s taken over in the recording studio. Lots of bands do the drums, build a track, then send some files and all that. But we’re just a simple, humble rock band – we just get in a room and play. It’s the vibe of the performance and the interaction with other musicians that’s what’s important for our group.�

“It sounds very simple, but it’s kind of a lost art. We’re just a simple, humble rock band. We just get in a room and play.�

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farewell to a longstanding and tumultuous professional relationship with guitarist John Frusciante, welcoming into the fold Frusciante’s friend, the musically well-travelled Klinghoffer. Josh, who had played the Stadium Arcadium tour, was the natural choice for full-time membership as a Chili Pepper. “So many times when something seems to be collapsing, it’s really the beginning of something new,â€? says Kiedis, the very picture of cool composure. “That’s when [Chad, Flea and I] had a long hard think amongst ourselves. There was no audition – the thinking was enough of a process‌ A warm, loving soul was part of the criteria.â€? The fact that Josh is so multi-talented – “a good piano player, guitarist, bass player, drummer, singer,â€? Kiedis says – certainly didn’t hurt. Sitting cross-legged, and as child-like as a man pushing 50 can be, Flea interjects that they also needed someone who could “give their heart to the music fearlessly, and not worry about what people think‌ That’s something a million incredible musicians wouldn’t understand, but Josh innately understands.â€?

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Flea agrees wholeheartedly: “It used to be with bands, it was all about the interaction of people playing together‌ but people aren’t doing that anymore. Even jazz guys are piecing and cutting. I’m not saying one’s better than the other, but it’s becoming rarer and we really treasure it, playing together‌ I’d look over at Josh while he’s rockin’, he’d pull some crazy face and I’m like, ‘WOAH!’ It’s these intangible elements that we need to create art. Josh is the fucking greatest.â€? Flea leans forward to beam at Klinghoffer, who goes bright red. “He is just amazing.â€? And when Anthony wryly suggests, “Let’s talk about him like he’s not here,â€? a flustered Josh mumbles, “I’m very uncomfortable over hereâ€? – prompting a fawning coo from the boardroom table. I ask whether Josh is able to handle the nastier side to his arrival; dyed in the wool fans can also be the harshest critics. “I don’t know if you could ever really be prepared for it,â€? he replies, squirming under the collective gaze. “I’ve sworn not to read anything or get into what other people think. But based on reactions from people at the three shows we’ve played [they tested their live cohesion at a series of club shows in Big Sur and California], it’s been nothing but positive. If I let myself think negative things, I’ll start believing negative things.â€? The only voice of disapproval any of them admit they listen to is that of Rick Rubin, Peppers’ longtime producer. “Every piece of music we write is like a child for us,â€? Flea says. “He’ll have different ideas about a piece of music than we will.â€? But there’s a flipside, laughs Kiedis: “He comes with a machete.â€? “Rick tells us we have to shave this and cut that and we end up going, ‘But, noooooo! I love that part! It’s my favourite part!’â€? exclaims Flea, waving his arms in the air. “’That twelve minute outro makes me tingle like a little baby when I hear it!’ And Rick’s like, ‘NO. Boring. Cut.’ He’s really good at taking the essence and putting it in a song. It’s helped us harness what we do, and make it so a lot of other people can feel the magic we feel when we’re by ourselves – which is what Chad said: sitting in a room playing music, trying to make ourselves feel good.â€? Hong Kong, album reviews and expectations aside, that’s all that really drives these four men. “We let ourselves get out of the way and let nature do what it’s gonna do. We have faith it will do something beautiful – which it repeatedly proves it does.â€? What: I’m With You is out now on Warner Music

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Kimbra I

t’s a beautifully mild and sunny Sydney day – in a city with normal weather patterns, you’d never guess it was winter – but Kimbra Johnson has jacked the heat in her hotel room up to the setting marked ‘DARWIN (JANUARY)’. She laughs a little sheepishly and shrugs, saying she likes it warm. It’s tempting to make a joke about being hot – she’s the next big thing in her own right, she guests on the biggest song of the year so far, and she’s also what the kids call “a total babe”. But she speaks so earnestly and articulately about her four-yearsin-the-making debut Vows (out this week) that it seems a bit trite to talk about looks and hype. She might come across like a pop star, but Johnson is a real musician. On stage she radiates star power, with a milewide grin and the confidence of a performer with more than half a decade’s experience in the industry already. She had her first chart success in her native New Zealand as a fifteenyear-old, put in guest work on Miami Horror’s single ‘I Look To You’ last year, is currently helping Gotye own the ARIA chart with her cameo on ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, and is also discussing the possibility of working

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with new friend and legendary Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks. But a veteran already at 21, she’s still only just starting to feel like a success. Her enormous eyes widen when I bring up her appearance for ‘Somebody’ during Gotye’s set at Splendour In The Grass (where the crowd went so bonkers that Wally de Backer literally had to ask them to be quiet so that the pair could hear themselves sing), but it was her own set that delivered her favourite moment. “I went out and we were soundchecking and there were about a hundred people there and I went, ‘Huh, yeah, it’s just gonna be chilled, not many people, that’s fine, you know, it’s fine for me,’” she recalls. “Then I went back out onstage and it was packed in, totally packed! You know, it’s just so encouraging. Because the last show we played before Splendour was the Corner Hotel, which we sold out, and that was, uh, six months ago now. So I didn’t know really how things were going – I’ve been in LA for a month. But it was really encouraging. Everyone was singing the words to ‘Cameo Lover’… It’s got to that point where it’s not just your mates coming down to support you.” Defying any attempts to pigeonhole her as a nice girl singer (hot tip: don’t refer to her as a ‘songstress’ – “I hate that one, ey!” she groans, the Kiwi accent thickening for a moment), Vows is a genuinely eclectic album. From girlish Motown sass to a dark, thrumming Nina Simone cover that shows off her lower register, from Dirty Projectors-esque vocal tics and loops to new jack swing, it reflects the fact that some of it was written by a fifteen-year-old, some by a 20-year-old, and all of it gussied up by two different producers, not counting Johnson herself. “Of course it’s not all gonna sound the same – you [go through] a lot of changes from 17 to 21,” she says. “I think what anchors it is the fact that it’s still my voice and still my emotion throughout the record, but I wanted it sonically to go in lots of different places. My favourite albums do that.”

“If the album feels real, and if it’s a bit kooky or whatever, then people will still understand it because it’s honest. If it’s forced, it’s not good. I’ve just been lucky that I’ve been allowed the freedom to explore all that stuff.” She’s aware that Vows is a mixed bag, but she’s not worried about that putting off the fans of her more chart-friendly work. “If it feels real, and if it’s a bit kooky or whatever, then people will still understand it because it’s honest. If it’s forced, it’s not good. I’ve just been lucky that I’ve been allowed the freedom to explore all that stuff.” Despite her astonishing range and smoky, sinewy timbre, she’s managed to avoid being slotted in with the Adeles and Duffys of the world – she signed to Warner just a couple of months ago, after the album was completed, and so was guided only by her own impulses and inspirations rather than anyone’s bottom line. “The artists that I guess inspire me are probably a little bit left-of-centre – Prince, and Bjork, Rufus Wainwright, stuff that’s a bit more theatrical,” she says. Like any muso nervously unleashing an album upon the world, Johnson is just hoping people enjoy the music on its own merits rather than dwelling on how many have seen her wearing nothing but body paint on YouTube, or dwelling on her age. She says people have been talking about “the age thing” her whole career, for obvious reasons, and she thought once she hit 21 it might stop being a talking point. “I started releasing songs when I was 16 in New Zealand – even at 15 I had a little song on the radio… And then there was a little bit of ‘Oh she’s only this old’ and that was a bit PFFT, because you just want to be able to do it because it’s good, not, ‘It’s good because she’s young’,” she says, with only a hint of exasperation. “I’ve been lucky in the sense that I’ve had a head start. 21, I dunno…” she laughs. “It doesn’t feel young to me, because I feel like I’ve been doing this all my life. But I guess it is to other people.” What: Vows is out September 2 on Warner Music With: Husky, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday September 16

Kimbra photo by Nick Blair

Ready To Go By Caitlin Welsh

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arts frontline

free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com

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

five minutes WITH JAMES

SAUNDERS FROM THE HARRY HARLOW PROJECT What is this new show about? It’s based on the life and work of Harry Harlow, an American psychologist who worked with monkeys in the 1950s and ‘60s. He was the first scientist to use the word ‘love’ in a scientific paper, and his iconic experiments changed the way we raise children. But from this amazing and auspicious work came experiments that tested the boundaries of love (in parallel with a disintegration of own personal life), and in doing so, brought about some of the most controversial and macabre experiments of the 20th century.

T

he audiovisually complex and immersive show The Harry Harlow Project examines weighty themes like love, family, and what it is to be human. Writer and star James Saunders is a VCA grad who has a swag of Green Room Awards but had never written a show before; he's now being showered with praise for both his words and his performance. We put him under the microscope ahead of its Sydney premiere. What was the first show that changed your life? It’s hard to pinpoint only one... but I certainly remember seeing a show by Theatre de Complicite called The Three Lives of Lucy Cabrole back in the early or mid-90s and thinking ‘Wow...imagine being able to make that!’ But I think it was once I’d started performing, and seeing more work here and overseas, that I’d keep seeing shows that confirmed why I wanted to do it.

What was the inspiration for this show – and how long did it take to get to its final form? I knew of his experiments, particularly [his] famous ‘Cloth Mother’ experiments. But then I saw a documentary about him, and immediately saw images and performative things that made it absolutely compelling to do in a theatre…I researched him and his papers for a long time, and then did an initial development with a video designer, composer and director Brian Lipson, and it became clear pretty quickly that there was a whole world of interesting ways to tell it. More work over the next two years, a week here and there, with writing and research in between for me, then led to its first season at the end of 2009. And now here. So it’s one of those things that is in the back of your head constantly, punctuated by intense work for a short period of time. What was the thinking behind this show’s particular audio-visual aspects – and why is sound so important? We always wanted

it to be an immersive experience... We wanted the imagery to be as much a part of the space as the performer. Similarly with the music, and the audience. It’s like they are watching a show, an experiment, and gradually understanding that they are part of it... this can be uncomfortable at times, but then so is Harry’s work. How did you come to team up with Brian Lipson on this show? I had acted with Brian many years ago, and we had become friends and worked together once or twice since then. I had always admired his work, and to be honest, with this subject matter, there was no one else who sprang to mind to direct it. I knew he would find Harry as interesting as I did... and it went from there. What else are you up to in 2011? I did a new Australian play, also directed by Brian, in Melbourne at the beginning of the year. It was about as far away from Harry as you can get – about Abraham Lincoln. I’m writing and researching a brand new show in the scientific area supported by Arts Victoria, which is very exciting, and I’ll be working on a show at the Malthouse once Harry finishes. What: The Harry Harlow Project Where: Performance Space @ Carriageworks, Eveleigh When: September 7, 8, 9 & 10 More: www.performancespace.com.au

SAVE 4 LACKEY ST!

The beloved St Peters warehouse venue of the Penguin Plays Rough crew needs your help! They're having some trouble getting their development application through Marrickville council, so they’re asking their fans to use their awesome literacy powers to let the council know how important this space has become to various corners of the Sydney arts community – aptly, through an affectionate avalanche of letters. Check out the Facebook event “Help Save 4 Lackey St” through the PPR page for info on how to make your voice heard.

HIT THE WALL

Our favourite regular art’n’booze evening at the World Bar has a sweet couple of weeks ahead. This Wednesday August 31 it’s one for the typography nerds with Alphabet Soup – a type-based exhibition that’s also a fundraiser

13 ASSASSINS In the grand tradition of Japanese samurai movies, 13 Assassins pits - you guessed it - thirteen assassins against impossible odds. They must fight through 200 men in order to kill one man, a sadistic lord, whose power threatens to throw the peace and security of the whole country into jeopardy. The New York Post described it as a “masterful exercise in cinematic butchery”. If this sounds like your ideal date night movie, then simply email us the name of the director along with your address and contact details, and you could win one of 10 double passes. for Weave Youth Services, so it’s just as (heart) warming as actual soup! The Wednesday after they’re holding a market night, featuring The Design Kids and packed to the brim with art and design and fashion and books and tunes and whatnot. See you there!

SYDNEY ANIMATION FESTIVAL

It’s that time of year again – our favourite Sydney-based international animation festival, the Sydney International Animation Festival, is almost upon us! (See what we did there?) Running from September 23 to 26 at UTS, the 2011 program includes an appearance by Jonathan Nix and a screening of his film The Missing Key, portfolio and showreel workshops, and a debate that will finally settle the eternal battle between 2D and 3D. Controversial! Hit www.siaf.uts.edu.au for more info.

SMC[3]

Image © Claire Martin Dave and Liz, Slab City 2009

CLAIRE MARTIN: SLAB CITY

Photojournalist Claire Martin ventured out to Slab City, in the Colorado Desert in South Eastern California to meet the inhabitants of this almost-alien landscape; a small but understanding community full of caravans and monuments like the bizarre kitsch shrine of Salvation Mountain. The resulting works became the exhibition Slab City, which opens this Thursday September 1 at the Australian Centre for Photography (257 Oxford St).

IRA GLASS & DAVID SEDARIS!!! (!!!!!!!!!)

All across Sydney last week, the sound of nerdy fangirls and boys everywhere squealing with delight threatened to shatter windows. The Opera House has announced that bone-dry humourist David Sedaris and This American Life host Ira Glass will both be heading our way early next year. On January 11, as part of the Sydney Festival, Glass will discuss how he created what is probably the best radio show of all time ever; on January 16, An Evening With David Sedaris will comprise Sedaris being hilarious and brilliant and then answering questions. Tickets for the latter are on sale THIS Friday September 2, so get to the SOH website quick-smart.

COMEDIANS ON THE VERGE Whether you’re still working on your B.A., are a graduate of the University of Life or can’t 24 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

even read, you should head along to Verge Arts Festival’s The Best Damn Comedy Show Ever at USyd’s Manning Bar on September 8 – it stars Greg Fleet, Canadian TV comic Jon Dore, Can of Worms’ Matt Okine, NSW Raw Comedy finalist Gen Fricker, and noted spectacle-wearer Michael Hing. You will LOL, but try not to ROFL – you never know where the floor of Manning’s been. Tickets are $10 for ACCESS members, and $15 for the rest of you.

SNAPDRAGON ZINE FAIR

This Sunday September 4 sees the Snapdragon Zine Fair hit the Red Rattler in Marrickville. Not only will it feature selfpublished goodness from local and interstate zinemakers, but a bunch of them have also contributed tiny zines to go inside (and then later, spill out of) the world’s first zine-piñata or ziñata, if you will. Check it out from 11am at the Rattler, 6 Faversham St.

CHANGING LANES ARTS

As kickass as the musical lineup is for Changing Lanes 2011: Surry Hills Edition, there’s so much more to the day than rock’n’roll. Street art features heavily, including the live art-making that inspired and thrilled punters at last year’s inaugural event. Contributors include Beastman, Houl, Numbskull, and SMC[3], plus the debut of Movement Stax – described as a “a collaborative concept that will allow character-based street artists to create an original character in their own style on different surfaces of a giant purpose-built rotating pyramid”. Why would you not want to see that happen? Changing Lanes is on September 17 and tickets are on sale now.

Are You There, Satan? ...it’s Chuck Palahniuk By Alasdair Duncan

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huck Palahniuk made an indelible impression with his debut novel, Fight Club, and has made a career of gleefully trawling the darkest aspects of the American psyche. His latest book, Damned, tells the story of a precocious teenage girl who finds herself in Hell – although, as he tells The Brag, it’s much more personal than you might expect. AD: The version of Hell you write about in Damned is incredibly detailed and specific – how did you go about creating it? CP: Well, on one level, it’s a child’s hell. We all grow up with those vivid stories of Hell being filled with lakes of blood and bile. On another level, it’s drawn from my own experience. When I tour, I always get put in the author’s suite of whatever hotel I’m staying in, and I’m really obsessed with finding the little forensic bits and pieces of the other authors who’ve stayed there. When you stay there, you look at the books on the shelf and how they’re signed and dated, so you know exactly who’s stayed there before you. I’m obsessed with finding their nail clippings and stray hairs and their dead skin – I love that stuff! AD: The narrator, Madison, is in her early teens. What drew you to write about a character that age? CP: One aspect I find really endearing about people that age, and it’s the same reason I found the narrator of Fight Club really endearing, is that they’ve been told the correct way to be. They’ve been told to toe the line and to be good students. Jack in Fight Club followed all the rules he was meant to, and Madison’s the same. I’m interested in this question of, if you do everything you’re supposed to but life doesn’t turn out the way it’s supposed to, what do you do then? That’s the crisis that I always find myself drawn to. When being a good child no longer pays off for you, what do you do at that point?

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CP: Thank you. I love when you have a character who states with complete certainty and authority something that they know to be completely factual, but the reader knows to be completely wrong. It’s heartbreaking when people do that, and I really wanted Madison to have that complete self-assurance, and yet say say things things thin gs that that were were completely compl co mplete etely ly wrong.

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Chuck Palahniuk by Shawn Grant

AD: Madison is very smart, but she’s also painfully naïve at times. My jaw dropped when she explained her idea of where babies come from …

AD: The book moves along very quickly, and it feels to me like it might have been written in one long burst of inspiration. Was that the case? CP: Actually no, it was a very drawnout writing process. I took care of my mother for two years while she was dying of cancer, and while I did that, I wrote this book – it was the longest thing I’d ever written. As my mother got weaker and weaker and was having to take more and more pain medication for the cancer, she became more of that little girl she had been years before that I had never known. She told me stories that I had never heard before, and many of those things went into Madison. It was a terrible time, but I’m feeling much better now. I mean, I couldn’t fix any of the things that were happening at the time, so writing the book kept me from going crazy. AD: It sounds like the book came from a very painful place … CP: Well, unless an idea metaphorically expresses something that resonates with me at the time, I’m never going to have the passion to write it. When I was writing Madison, I had this idea in my mind that my parents were going to be dead, and I was going to be this orphaned child. That’s not a very fun idea for a book. Then it occurred to me that if I wrote about a dead child who is still in many ways alive and aware and missing her parents, who are still alive, I could make that a bit more fun. It’s about finding an idea that in some way resonates with what you’re going through emotionally or psychologically at that time, and hoping that energy will keep you working on the idea long enough to fully execute it. AD: Madison really didn’t like her parents, and she was very judgemental of everything they did, but at the same time, she was a kid and she missed them. It was poignant. CP: The scene where she manages to contact her parents and complete the relationship is the entire payoff of the book to me. It’s interesting, though, in that even in doing this, she lies to them, and that lie kind of forms the basis for the second book. AD: So there’s going to be a second? CP: Yeah, it’s a series of three, based on The Divine Comedy. In the second book, Madison ends up in the equivalent of Purgatory, and in the third ndss herself third book, book book, she she fifind herself hers elf in Paradise.

AD: When will the second book be out? CP: The The publisher p publ ublish isher er wants wants to bring bring it out in the fall of 2012, but I’m

pushing for 2013. Next year we might have as many as three movies based on my books coming out; out; I want want to space space things things out out a little bit.

What: Damned by Chuck Palahniuk When: Out September 1, through Random House

THE THREEPENNY OPERA GIVEAWAY

WIN!

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ertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s 1928 play The Threepenny Opera is as brilliant as ever, giving us a universal tale of corruption and crime as well as the classic ‘Mack The Knife’! After a sold-out run in Melbourne, this acclaimed production is here for a short time at the Sydney Theatre in Walsh Bay, from September 3 until September 24. Charismatic Macheath, grubby Mr Peachum, and innocent Polly are tweaked ingeniously into their Australian setting, with the cast featuring Paul Capsis and Eddie Perfect alongside an entire troupe of whores, thieves and tramps – check out our feature on p.22 for more. We have three double passes to the preview on Thursday September 1; if you want to get in to see it before anyone else, just tell us one other thing Eddie Perfect has starred in.

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Russell Howard [COMEDY] Bringing the Good News to Just For Laughs By Peter Neathway

As the host of topical comedy show Russell Howard’s Good News, BBC3’s highest-rating entertainment series ever, Howard’s head is in around 1 million lounge rooms per week. “I never really had any aspirations to do anything

on telly, you know;” he muses. “It was all live comedy really. I wanted to do the Comedy Zone at the Edinburgh Fringe and I wanted to host Late’n’Live.”

Africa photo by Jeff Busby

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K, think of a famous British comedian named Russell. You’re thinking Russell Brand, aren’t you? Well, next month Sydney will get to know Brand’s opposite number: Mr. Russell Howard. Howard’s 2 million-and-something Facebook fans dwarf the followings of other funnymen, including Brand. On the road, he’s just played to 160,000 fans over 19 shows in a UK tour which included two sold-out nights at London’s O2 Arena - the venue of choice for the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and fellow Just for Laughs Sydney guest John Cleese.

By the time of his nomination for Best Show in 2006, after a storming few years in Edinburgh, he’d kicked those goals and then some when he was invited to become a panellist on top BBC comedy panel show Mock The Week. “I just thought, ‘Yeah, why not, sod it’,” he says. Holding out for his big break, Howard turned down other opportunities. “There was a moment where literally the money could not have been more in my hand. And them going, ‘Look, we will give you that. All you have to do is go and have a chat with Lily Allen,’” he laughs. “So I was quite pleased I managed to hold out and then was able to do comedy on TV, rather than just being on TV.” The BBC commissioned Good News in 2009. And while it’s not all good news in Britain of late, even the phone-tapping scandal was ripe for laughs thanks to Howard’s brother Daniel. “When he found out that various celebrities were having their phones tapped, he kept leaving messages that made out that I was up to some particularly unsavoury business,” Howard says. “Weirdly, it was often me, naked, doing something to a duck. And he left about 25 messages in a desperate attempt that they would get picked up, and you’d have, you know, 'DUCK FUCKER', on the front of The Sun.” Even in the mire of sex scandals, riots, and media corruption, says Howard, “we try and go for one story every week that’s genuinely beautiful or uplifting. That’s the whole kind of Good News sign-off. So um, I’m really proud of it.” It’s an auteur’s touch from a man who is a much-noted beacon of positivity. His reviews read like a thesaurus entry for ‘optimism’. “I think it’s that when I do stand up, invariably I’m in a really good mood because it’s the thing I like doing the most in the world. When people do things that I think are magnificent I just spend a lot of time going, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ I think that’s the way I’m wired. My mate put it to me, he said this was the key to it: that I saw somebody running to get onto a bus, and they got on just before the door shut, and I literally put my hand in the air and went ‘Get in there.’ I’ve always found things like that little snippet of victory, small victories, kind of inspiring.” Who: Russell Howard What: Just For Laughs at Sydney Opera House When: Sunday September 4, 7:30pm More: Also appearing in the International Comedy Gala, hosted by John Cleese, on September 3

Africa [THEATRE] My Darling Patricia escape to Wharf 2 By Simon Binns

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ormed the better part of a decade ago at COFA by Halcyon Macleod, Clare Britton, Bridget Dolan and Katrina Gill, My Darling Patricia has become one of Australia’s most respected contemporary theatre companies. Their award-winning productions – such as Politely Savage, Night Garden and the latest show, Africa – have toured Australia, presenting a unique style of visually sophisticated theatre across the country. This tour sees them stepping out of their traditional Sydney home at Performance Space and into Wharf 2 as part of STC’s Next Stage program. Africa is the tale of a young boy and girl who dream of escaping their Australian suburban lives and travelling to another, more exotic continent. The show was originally conceived by Sam Routledge, a performer who has been working with the company since 2002. The idea for Africa began when Routledge heard reports of two serious cases of child neglect in Canberra and Adelaide. “There were a series of images of a house that was covered in garbage,” he recalls. “Stories emerged of there being dog faeces on the floor and a rotting pot roast still in the oven, and the children being found huddling around the television to keep warm.” To Routledge, who works largely as a puppeteer, the story presented an opportunity to work more with Briony Anderson’s fantastic malleable creations, which had been part of an earlier show. “We’d worked with these puppets that were very realistic and very good to manipulate,” he explains, “so I had this desire to work with [them] again.” With this in mind, he spoke to the rest of the company about his plans to turn this tragic story of neglect into a tale of adventure. “I said, what if we create this show where there are these children who lived in this house that was covered in garbage… and instead of this situation being a wretched situation for the children that they, through using the garbage and the broken toys on the

floor, created a situation for themselves which was far better, and through their imagination transformed their terrible situation into something that was fantastic.” In discussing the plight of these neglected children, the other members of My Darling Patricia were reminded of a story of three children from Hanover in Germany, aged five, six and seven, who attempted to run away to Africa on New Year’s Day in 2009. In a case that proves that fact truly is stranger than fiction, Routledge explains that the trio “left their home in the middle of the European winter… walked a kilometre to a tram stop, caught a tram to the strain station and were waiting on the train station platform that would have taken them to the airport to go to Africa before they were discovered by security guards.” That’s not even the punch line: “The security guards said that it wasn’t [because] they were children alone that they discovered them – it was that they were covered head to toe in swimming gear,” finishes Routledge. This story of innocent fantasy was the perfect match for his initial concept of mistreatment leading to escapism. “We re-imagined the story of the German children within the suburban Australian context of child neglect,” Routledge explains. The result is the complex blend of installation, puppetry and performance My Darling Patricia are known for. It’s already drawn stunning reviews from its Melbourne premiere and performances all over the country – following on from the success of Before/After and post’s Who’s The Best, Africa looks set to be another stellar show in the Next Stage season. What: Africa Where: Wharf 2, Hickson Road When: September 2-17

The Threepenny Opera

[THEATRE] The Malthouse Theatre's acclaimed production of a true classic slinks up to Sydney. By Simon Binns

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n Sydney, Michael Kantor is probably best known for his production of Optimism for the Sydney Theatre Company early last year, which wowed critics and featured Frank Woodley (Of Lano and… fame) as the irrepressible Candide. In Melbourne, he’s known as the artistic director of the Malthouse Theatre, where for seven years he redefined one of Melbourne’s biggest theatres as a place of artistic daring – moving away from a text-based heritage to a home for all kinds of performance, from Chunky Move’s exciting new dance works to the Black Lung’s aggressive incursions. But after departing Malthouse at the end of last year, Kantor is enjoying his newfound freedom. “I’m loving it… I get to work on a few projects I really want to do and

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take a bit more time with them,” he says, his smile audible over the phone. The latest of these projects is a remount of his The Threepenny Opera, which premiered as part of his final year at the Malthouse and starred Paul Capsis and Eddie Perfect, among others. It’s now coming to Sydney to take over the cavernous Sydney Theatre, as part of STC’s European voyage. For Kantor, however, the play resonates much closer to home. “I’ve always loved The Threepenny Opera,” he explains, “always a fan of Brecht but also the music is so compelling and show-stopping, but in 2009 we were thinking about how to respond in some way to what I was seeing as the rising level of corruption in Melbourne.” As Kantor surveyed the city, he saw a stew of corruption. “Local councils are full of it and politicians seemed really dodgy with their relationship with big business and the press and prostitutes and illegal brothels – it was all happening.” Threepenny, Bertolt Brecht’s story of the amoral, criminal antihero Macheath who avoids prosecution because his wartime buddy Tiger Brown also happens to be the Chief of Police, stormed into Kantor’s mind as the perfect play to expose his city’s backroom deals on stage. They then found it “surprisingly easy to move all of that up to Sydney,” Kantor recalls. “In local council, I think Sydney is a nose ahead of Melbourne in terms of corruption.”

After deciding on the play, the next step was to find the right people. “There’s no point doing Threepenny without great performers,” Kantor says emphatically. In an interesting case of staying true to the text, Kantor tried to follow the wisdom of Brecht’s initial 1928 casting, “He had the best young ingenue actor play Polly, and the best cabaret performer in Berlin play Mr Peachum and Mac was played by an actor who could sing, so it was really like you grab the best people who are around from music theatre, from straight theatre from opera and we did that as well. We really wanted to get a cross-section of different types of performers.” For those who haven’t been paying attention, it might be a surprise to see Eddie Perfect, who is perhaps better known for his musical comedy (or his latest TV role in Offspring), taking on one of the theatre’s classic roles. But for Kantor, who has worked with Perfect on several occasions, it was a no-brainer. “Eddie comes from a history of being a sharp, honed satirist…. So this suits him down to a tee, he loves the politics of it,” Kantor says. “But he’s also a showman and this part is exactly that, it’s a show-stopping, bigger-than-Ben Hur character, which Eddie has a lot of fun with.” What: The Threepenny Opera Where: Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay When: September 3-24

The Threepenny Opera photo by Jeff Busby

Eddie Perfect & Paul Capsis

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Arts Snap

Film & Theatre Reviews

At the heart of the arts Where you went last week. Photos by Tim Levy

Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

The Help

■ Film PICS :: TL

fbi's pot luck

THE HELP Released September 1

17:08:11 :: FBi Social :: The Kings X Hotel L2 248 William St Kings Cross 93319900

hoops

feast your eyes

PICS :: TL

04:08:11 :: Kind of Gallery :: 72 Oxford St, Darlinghurst

What The Help is not – as if the gooey trailers implied otherwise – is a complex, gritty film about race. What it is is a finely performed bit of melodrama, with nuanced enough characters to elevate a potentially hokey, caricatured script. Based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 bestseller, The Help is a frequently delicious adaptation that plays fast & loose with a tumultuous time in history: the plight of African-Americans in America’s Deep South in the 1960s. Focussing on two maids and a forward-thinking young white gal who wants to tell their story, the film is balanced to the point of being diffuse. Emma Stone as Skeeter, a plucky young reporter, receives top billing but it’s Viola Davis’ Aibileen, a woman of sturdy constitution and great compassion, who emerges as the protagonist. Aibileen is the maid to an upper-middleclass white family, raising their babies as if they were her own and doing her best to ignore the racist chatter around her. The most repulsive culprit is Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard, a hoot, but pushing it), a segregation-endorsing bitch who insists on maintaining separate bathrooms for “the help,” and generally treating them as sub-human. Hilly’s maid is the fiery Minny (played hilariously and with gusto by Octavia Spencer), who ends up getting on the wrong side of her employer and finding work with lovable, white-trash Celia (Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life). In the meantime, Skeeter draws up plans for a book that will chronicle life in Jackson, Mississippi from the point of view of The Help – her small contribution to the already-percolating civil rights movement. Smartly skirting the trap of telling the story of the oppressed through the oppressors, The Help is soft on history but not on entertainment. This is a real crowd-pleaser – funny, thought-provoking and moving. In that sense it’s like a finely-designed spin on the “women’s pictures” of the 1940s and ‘50s, with solid performances from Stone and especially from Davis who, even six months out, seems to have a lock on the best supporting actress Oscar. Joshua Blackman

17:08:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 ■ Film

SUBMARINE

Arts Exposed

Opens September 8

What's in our diary...

THE GANGSTERS’ BALL The Metro Theatre 624 George St Saturday September 3 The annual vintage party/performance/ extravaganza, now in its fourth year, is back in force for 2011, and this year’s event has been bulked up significantly. For the first time the performance element will include vaudeville acts, in addition to the burlesque, cabaret and illusionists who have appeared at previous events. Don your Prohibition-era finery and sally forth to the Gangsters’ Ball for hula hoops, blackjack, dancing contests, striptease, raunchy circus acts, magic and a soundtrack of swing and jazz classics from 10-piece Gangsters’ Ball stalwarts The Velvet Set. For more, see gangstersball.com.au 28 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

When young British actor Craig Roberts signed up to play the lead in Submarine, director Richard Ayoade gave him four films to watch in preparation: Rushmore, The Graduate, The Squid & The Whale and Harold & Maude. Their influence is clear in Submarine, both in the hyper-styled retro-kitsch of the production design and in the subject matter itself. All four movies are about awkward young men, too smart for their own good and too nerdy to fit in with those around them, finding their way in the world and experiencing a sexual awakening. It’s well-trodden ground, and while many filmmakers take it on, few can find anything really new to say. Submarine, however, proves to be a worthy addition to the canon. Roberts stars as Oliver Tate – thoughtful and handsome, but still kind of a weirdo, he spends most of his time getting beaten up by bullies and chasing Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Page), the love of his young life. Winning Jordana’s heart is easier than

Oliver thought, but just when things are going his way, his mum (Sally Hawkins) takes up with old flame Graham (Paddy Considine). In the tradition of unworldly teenagers everywhere, Oliver decides that it’s up to him to save his parents’ crumbling marriage. The bulk of the film deals, in a whimsical sort of fashion, with his attempts to balance the demands of his first real relationship with his need to sabotage the flashy, charismatic Graham. Submarine is Ayoade’s debut feature as a director, but he has extensive experience in TV, appearing in such comedies as The IT Crowd, The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and music videos, directing clips for Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. His odd sensibilities are a great fit for this particular story. The scenes of Oliver and Jordana’s blossoming love are shot in gorgeous Super 8, as the young actors run around a beach with sparklers, and this is the first of many highly creative visual touches. Ayoade also recognised the comic gifts of his cast, and allowed them some space to improvise and play around with their dialogue – this shows through particularly with Considine, who is manic and hilarious as Graham. Submarine has a lot of heart, but it’s never sentimental or silly; as modern coming-of-age movies go, it’s one of the best. Alasdair Duncan ■ Theatre

SWEET BIRD ANDSOFORTH Until September 10 / ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf It seems that almost as soon as you hit your 20s, you start to forget how you felt as a teenager, teetering on the edge of the real world as you graduated from high school; you forget how important everything seemed and how much you thought you understood. Young German playwright Laura Naumann has written a reflection on this time of our lives through the guise of a going away party. Amanda (Fleur Beaupert) is leaving and her friends have gathered to farewell her. But rather than being a tight narrative of the plight of young adulthood, Naumann has instead given us a poetic investigation of a major transition in our lives. Laura Scrivano and her cast of young performers have taken this poetry and made it their own, turning the challenging text into the shared language of a friendship group who have been a tight cohort for most of their lives. Scrivano’s vision is well supported by designer Hanna Sandgren’s steep rake which – as well as hinting at the literal location of the play, a hill on the edge of town – speaks to this transitional time of life, with its edges to jump off and inclines to traverse. It sits nicely in the heritage ATYP space – which also provides a gorgeous backdrop for the video work of Steve Toulmin, whose strong reputation is well-earned. However, with a text as demanding as this, the responsibility lies mostly with the cast, and this group stands up to the challenge. Alex Milwood in particular holds on to the reality of the moment without losing the rhythm of Naumann’s poetry. Exciting writing, exciting direction, exciting performances. You’ll be seeing more from these artists in the decade to come. Henry Florence

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

DVD Reviews xxxx

THE IT CROWD: VERSIONS 1.0 – 4.0

Out now through Roadshow Entertainment As with a lot of shows in their infancy, the first few episodes of UK sitcom The IT Crowd suffer from both the cast, and writer Graham Linehan (creator of the excellent Black Books and Father Ted), flailing a bit as they find their feet; the acting is slightly wooden and a lot of the gags fall flat. However, the natural chemistry and general likeability of the three main cast members carries the show through these teething problems, and by the beginning of the second series the show hits an easy rhythm. By this stage, it’s also hilarious. This box set scoops up all four seasons (a fifth has been commissioned), which, in the great tradition of UK comedy, can be powered through in one sitting. The IT Crowd revolves around the three-strong IT team of multinational corporation Reynholm Industries; the trio are at the basement level of the company, both figuratively and literally. A lack of both supervision and any discernible work ethic means very little in the way of actual technological troubleshooting gets done, serving as a mere jumping-off point for their bored antics. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

ARTHUR

Warner Bros Home Video Released August 22 A remake of Steven Gordon’s 1981 rom-com of the same name, Arthur transposes the fairytale premise (a rich man-child who discovers that nothing is worth as much as the right girl) to modern-day New York. Instead of Dudley Moore’s fortysomething alcoholic bachelor Arthur Bach, we are given Russell Brand’s thirty-something larrikin – still alcoholic, but a young drunk is far less sad than an old one. Instead of Sir John Gielgud’s rather marvellous butler, Hobson – hearing the line “Wash your dick” in that inimitable Shakespearean intonation is reason enough alone to see the original – we’re given Helen Mirren’s infantilising nanny, Hobson. It’s a fair trade; they both do the extremes of dour and doting equally well. And instead of Bach Sr being a man, the modern day version switches to a woman.

By now, Chris O’Dowd should be fielding numerous leading man offers, following his star turn in Paul Feig’s recent hit comedy Bridesmaids. Here he excels as the knockabout Irishman Roy, perfectly playing off nerdy Maurice (Richard Ayoade, whose performance skirts the right side of wacky from episode three onwards). The real gem throughout the four seasons is the graceless and inept Jen, played with perfect comic timing by Katherine Parkinson. Throughout the four seasons, Matt Berry, Noel Fielding and Chris Morris regularly interject with predictably humourous results, but it’s the interplay between the three main actors that makes this box set worth shelling out for.

Most importantly, however, is the decision to make Arthur’s fiancée Susan a man-eating bitch, rather than the gormless innocent of the original. You can see why they did it, because when Moore gives the heave-ho to his blushing bride-to-be in front of a full church, you want to slap him almost as much as she does – whereas Jennifer Garner does a wonderful, velvety-mouthed psycho who’s just begging to be put in her place. (But then, of course, you do rather lose the moral complexity of the original.) Swap out Liza Minnelli for Greta Gerwig (whose star is on the rise thanks to scene-stealing turns in Greenberg and No Strings Attached) and you have a serviceable, if unnecessary, remake that didn’t really deserve the flak it got on its cinema release. Brand’s performance is a bit overdone, but he’s got the same buckets of likeability and charisma that he had in Get Him To The Greek. And you have to love a comedy that embraces the casual use of words like ‘inveigle’ and dick jokes.

Nathan Jolly

Dee Jefferson

F I R S T SE E D R I P E N I N G

ALBUM L AU N C H

TOUR S AT U R DAY 1 7 S E P T With very special guests

THE VELTHEIM STRING QUARTET

T H O R N B U RY T H E AT R E

Street Level

w w w. o z t i x . c o m . a u

With Carlo Ritchie

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ydney Uni improv vet Carlo Ritchie is venturing into the world of one-man drama with his new show, Sometimes You Wish You Had Amnesia. The comic adventure through the unreliable ramblings of “a gentleman of advanced years” is part of the Cellar Theatre’s run of performative bits and bobs throughout the Verge Arts Festival – other attractions premiering in the Cellar Theatre during Verge include the NME-endorsed Kanye West: The Musical and rock’n’roll farce Lester Must Die. Ritchie took time out from making stuff up to chat to us about his show.

#1 jazz album in Australia

first seed ripening OUT NOW

How long have you been performing? Not very long really, nearly five years? I started back in 2008 during my first year of uni. I was in Machinal at the Cellar and from there I went on to Theatresports. How does having a strong impro background affect the way you put together a scripted show? A lot of the show comes out of improvising the lines/ scenes when I come up with an idea. Given how little time there is until opening night I’d wager impro is going be a part of this more and more. When/where did the idea for Sometimes You Wish You Had Amnesia come from? I first had the idea at this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival after watching Claudia O’Doherty’s What is Soil Erosion but it is also inspired by Steen Raskopoulos’ character in the Delusionists’ Bunker Five from a few years ago. I’d had the idea for a few years, but those two shows really helped me to cement it into something that could be performed. What did you draw on for stories in this show? Do you have a favourite old man from who you took inspiration? The play, without wanting to sound too deep, is really a product of the last few years my Grandfather and I spent together before he passed away in 2009. A lot of the character is him really, although the narrative is entirely fictional. The stories themselves are pretty varied in terms of what I draw on, I guess saying the 20th

century in general is a bit vague... but really I haven’t got a better answer. Age and memory can be inherently sad themes to deal with. How tear-jerking is the show, exactly? I don’t think it’s particularly tear-jerking. I think some people will cry but I can’t say that’s the intention. I think when you deal with dementia you’re going to run a gambit of emotions, I’m looking forward to seeing how it affects the audience. Hopefully they laugh, too. What’s your favourite memory from previous Verge festivals? Intervarsity Theatresports back in 2008. I’ve never felt that kind of connection between audience and performers before, it was intense. Just intense. That tiny tent will do it for you. What: Sometimes You Wish You Had Amnesia Where: Cellar Theatre, Science Road When: 9pm, September 6; 6pm, September 9 More: www.vergeartsfestival.com

W W W. K A T I E N O O N A N . C O M FA C E B O O K . C O M / K AT I E N O O NA N

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BRAG EATS

SYDNEY RULES, OK

Sydney's restaurants and bars picked up some of the biggest prizes at Australian Gourmet Traveller’s annual Restaurant Awards last week. Newcomer Porteño, on Cleveland Street, was named the best new restaurant, and Mark Best’s Marque won Restaurant of the Year. Everyone’s favourite peanut-strewn hidey-hole, Shady Pines Saloon in Darlinghurst, scored Bar of the Year, and the team at Merivale received recognition for their “outstanding contribution to hospitality”. Local eateries make up seven of the top 10 overall restaurants, with Quay, Est., Tetsuya’s, Rockpool, Guillaume at Bennelong and Bécasse all getting honourable mentions. Take that, Melbourne.

sated at the Crave Sydney International Food Festival in October, where the duo are appearing as part of the World Chef Showcase. Their specialities include deep fried pig’s tail, chilli pig’s ear and bacon chocolate crunch bar with salt-and-pepper ice-cream – just the thing for the morning after the night before.

GOOD CHANGE Old and busted: pokies. New hotness: pseudoscientific medical supply stores. The newest corner of the Bayswater Rd precinct of King's Cross is The Apothecary: a playfully weird, plush little cave in what used to be the World Bar’s pokie room. It’s nothing if not an improvement – the Apothecary

PIG OUT

The “dude food”-driven carnivore renaissance has seen Sydney become laden with the smell of authentic barbeques and meaty Latin American dishes – and now our hunger for all things meaty has convinced chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, of L.A. restaurant Animal, to make the trip down under. Their ‘nose to tail’ approach is starting to catch on locally, and our newfound passion can be

flickering lights are from the fireplace, not a garish Queen of the Nile machine, and the leather booths are a huge improvement over precarious stools. Offering super-nice booze as well as warm, cushy atmosphere, it’s open from 5pm Wednesday to Sunday, and it'll cure what ails ya.

LESS THUG, MORE GRUB

If you're unfamiliar with the glory that is the Bill & Toni’s Combo, witness: Enormous schnitzel. Pile of spaghetti. Bottomless bread, salad and cordial. See? Glory. Now Bill & Toni’s Pub Life sees Jovan Guric (son of head chef at the original B&T) and Daniel Gorgioski mixing the traditional dishes of the original restaurant with a youthful, fresh selection of pub grub. Earlier this year, the lads opened the doors to their first venture above the Macquarie Hotel on Wentworth (in what used to be Raval). Now, they're taking the B&T name further afield, to a new space at the Sir William Wallace Hotel (AKA the Willy Wally) in Balmain, which opened last week. The menu features a range of gourmet burgers, classic pub steaks and pastas, while B&T lovers can get their fix with the famous chicken and veal parmigiana and hearty spag bol. Nice.

TEA, SCONES, CAKES, SWEETS

Tea Parlour

569 ELIZABETH ST REDFERN

Private parties just $20 a head, covers BYO and nd more sweetss than Marie Antoinette herself couldd devour...

OPEN: Mon - Fri 7:30am - 6pm, Sat 9am - 6pm and Sun 10am - 5pm

SPARKLE T PARTY, Modern Tradition in High Tea

concierge@teaparlour.net.au

9361 0690

Fri-Sun 12 -7pm

132 FOVEAUX ST SURRY HILLS SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

WeekendsByAppointment

www.sparklecupcakery.com.au

30 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

High Tea The Most Genteel Way To Get High By Meaghan Meredith

W

hen the British replaced their afternoon ale with tea from India, little did they know they would be solidifying and perpetuating their notorious dental reputation with tea-stained teeth for centuries to come. High tea, as we know it, is referred to as the epitome of upper-class decadence – ladies in whalebone corsets, delicate lace and pearls, congregating in small twittering packs, powdering their noses, gossiping, and fantasising about affairs. Tea, as a filler meal between breakfast and dinner in the past, and just another excuse to indulge in absolute sugar-rush gluttony today, is a meal that has spanned generations, sexes and status. The working class man of yesteryear would return home after a hard day’s work to enjoy his ‘Tea’: a selection of breads and meat, served upon a high table, often referred to as ‘High Tea’. With electricity becoming a feature in aristocratic homes, it was fashionable to dine later, leaving a gaping hungry hole between meals which Lady Bedford, like any bored housewife, would have been more than happy to fill surrounded by her favourite girlfriends, sipping tea and nibbling on cakes. Hence, ‘Low Tea’ was born, the name pertaining to the height of the table. Of course somewhere along the line, we’ve gotten the association mixed up – so I’m sure the British nobility would be downright offended to hear that their ‘Low Tea’ is so commonly referred to as ‘High Tea’ nowadays. No matter what you call it, it’s still a delicious treat which I’m always happy to indulge in. Walking into The Victoria Room in Darlinghurst is like stepping back in time, venturing into a place where ladies really are ladies, not just the generic terminology used to define which bathroom door you go through. You could just about imagine the men twirling thick mustaches, whirling canes and smoking cigars, all whilst wearing a top hat... Amongst the eclectic collection of dimly-lit lamps we found our table – which was barely large enough to accommodate the three-tiered silver plates adorned with colourful and tempting treats that were presented to us. For the tea itself, my date and I decided upon the Rose Garden, a blend of delicate floral aromas, and the Prince of Wales – a perfect complement to the food, and a welcome alternative to Earl Grey, the staple beverage of afternoon tea. We were delighted with a variety of uniquely crafted sandwiches, sans crusts, including my personal favourite; the watercress, celery, walnuts and goat curd. The dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse, cream and fresh raspberries was the bite-size dessert at the top of my list – all washed down with champagne. Yes, real champagne, from France. The ‘Majestic Tea’ set us back $65, but it’s well worth it for a special occasion. If putting on the pearls and flashing your Jimmy Choos isn’t your thing, then I strongly suggest you investigate one of Sydney’s best kept secrets: Redfern's The Tea Parlour. For $20 you can indulge in all the high tea trimmings, homemade on a daily basis. Let’s not forget about the BYO policy advocated here – and with a bottle shop so conveniently located next door, who could refuse? Sipping back some bubbly whilst listening to old hip hop tracks sounds like my cup of tea. The broad selection of treats is savvy and quietly sophisticated, while the relaxed, shabby-chic décor comprises an amazing amalgamation of hand-picked vintage finds – including a deer head mounted on the wall, individual china tea cups, framed cases of butterflies, and a stuffed peacock, which all exemplify a contemporary high tea experience whilst paying homage to the millions of little old ladies before us who laid down the golden rules of afternoon tea.

Other places worth visiting are The Observatory Hotel, who offer tea-leaf reading as an esoteric added bonus to their high tea experience, or The Tea Room at the Queen Victoria Building, who cater for gluten-intolerant tea lovers. Whatever your choice of cuppa is, you’ll be sure to find it somewhere in Sydney. So adorn yourself in your best and prance around pretending, just for one day, to be dignified.

High Society Our Favourite Tea Parties... THE VICTORIA ROOM Address: 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst Atmosphere: High tea served the way it’s meant to be – in rich, decadent surrounds. Cost: $45-$65 Availability: Saturday and Sunday, 12 5pm. Website: thevictoriaroom.com Bookings: 9357 4488

THE TEA PARLOR Address: 569 Elizabeth St, Redfern Atmosphere: A relaxed take on high tea with a little bit of gangster – you’re in Redfern, after all. Cost: $6 - $20 Availability: Thursday - Sunday, 12 - 8pm Website: facebook.com/tea.parlour Bookings: 0414 335 224

THE OBSERVATORY HOTEL Address: 89-113 Kent St, Sydney Atmosphere: Old-fashioned delicacies, with tea-leaf reading thrown in for fun. Cost: $49 - $69 Availability: Monday - Friday, 2.30 - 5pm; Saturdays, 12.30 - 2.30pm & 3pm - 5pm; Sundays, 1 - 3pm & 4 - 6pm Website: observatoryhotel.com.au Bookings: 8248 5252

THE TEA ROOM @ QVB Address: 455 George St, Sydney Atmosphere: A heritage building offers authenticity, and gluten free options are available. Cost: $38 - $62 Availability: Every day, from 10am Website: thetearoom.com.au Bookings: 9283 7279

THE ART GALLERY OF NSW Address: Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney Atmosphere: They often theme their high teas to match current exhibitions, so you can literally have a taste of what you saw. So much culture. Cost: $28 - $36 Availability: Every day, 2 - 4pm Website: trippaswhitegroup.com.au/ourvenues/Art-Gallery-of-NSW/ Bookings: 9225 1819

SOFITEL SYDNEY HOTEL WENTWORTH Address: 61-101 Phillip St, Sydney Atmosphere: Very traditional, and very French. Cost: $49 - $59 Availability: Every day, 2 - 5pm Website: sofitelsydney.com.au Bookings: 9228 9179

Photo by Meaghan Meredith

News Bites

BRAG'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO FOOD

BRAG EATS

CORRIDOR [NEWTOWN]

W

ith small bars popping up all through the Inner West over the past few years, north King Street seems to have remained inexplicably untouched. After opening on Australia Day last year, Corridor is one of the only exceptions, and quickly established itself as a local favourite – a dimly lit, two-tiered cocktail bar with a hand-built outside deck, a warm, couch-dappled lounge, an ever-changing food menu and, as we were happy to discover on a chilly Tuesday eve, the best cocktails on King. We met the bar manager Josh Mitchell as customers started trickling in for postwork boutique beers and tapas; one of the original four who opened Corridor, Josh has been working in bars and pubs since he was allowed to enter them. Tonight, his mission is to show off the cocktail menu: a lovingly curated selection of originals, standards, and new takes on old favourites.

food review small amount of ice, stirred, layered again, stirred, and repeat 'til the lowball is filled – a slow, painstaking process that Josh favours for the consistency it offers. It’s best served with a big chunk of ice (which will get the drink colder without watering it down), and garnished with a twirl of fresh orange peel – squeezed over the drink and rubbed on the rim of the glass it’s served in. Josh advises us to drink from the side with the peel: “The liquid should be running over the fruit and into your mouth, to get that lovely, zesty flavour.” The result? Creamy, citrusy, and you can really taste that banana. The Banana Rum Old Fashioned tastes like Don Draper at 1am in a Barbados bar, surrounded by flapper girls and about to get laid. Incredible, basically.

copy them!” Given a decent shake, the Charlie Chaplin is served in a champagne saucer with a generous twist of lime. The result? The sweetest of the three, the Charlie Chaplin begins with a fruity sherbet tang, moves through something intriguingly medicinal (perhaps that’s the sloe?), and ends with a happy zing.

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Happy Hour

BANANA RUM OLD FASHIONED

We start with a twist on the classiest of classics, a cocktail whose base was handmade by Josh himself: Mount Gay rum infused with dehydrated sugared bananas, fresh vanilla bean and crushed up cinnamon. The rum, maple syrup and bitters are layered over a

free stuff

▼

THE OBSERVATORY HOTEL HIGH TEA

Josh describes this one as “very simple, but very tasty.” As with the old fashioned, it’s three ingredients in even parts: fresh lime juice (Corridor squeeze all their juices themselves – as we taste this one, Josh is attacking an orange for the next patron), sloe gin (a traditional English spirit flavoured with sloe berries), and apricot brandy. “I just learnt it all here,” he says, when I ask where he was trained. “Once you’ve got the basics down, you just go to other bars and watch dudes who’ve been doing it for fifteen years, start noticing all the small differences, and basically just

After the classic Old Fashioned and Charlie Chaplin, we opt for a newer cocktail to finish. Essentially a brandy (and based off the mash of the grape, rather than a fully-fermented wine), the plum pisco is mixed with lemon juice, rhubarb bitters and an egg white. Josh gives it a dry shake (no ice) first: “If you just add ice straight away, the egg kinda just clumps, with a really bad consistency and a thin taste. Not very pleasant.” Once frothed, he adds ice and shakes again, before straining the air out of it onto more ice, and topping it with the bravest of glazed cherries. The result? Smooth, fluffy, fruity and worryingly easy to drink; the pisco adds enough sweetness to counter the bitters, the jazz band’s started playing upstairs, and we’re ready for dinner now, please. – Steph Harmon Where: 153a King Street, Newtown Hours: Tue-Sat, 3pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Web: corridorbar.com.au

COCKTAILS

$10

Wed-Sun 4-6pm

We buy and sell used books

Curl up with a book and a glass of wine Stop by for a cocktail and a dinner to share

Visit our website for event details starting in November.

413 Crown St Surry Hills 9318 1116

www.cafebookstore.com.au

Sydney Theatre Company presents My Darling Patricia’s

“...funny, beautiful and heartbreaking. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket to this one.” The Australian

Corridor Fresh New Bar.

TICKETS $25-$35*

A work for adults told from the perspective of children

(including a free Little Creatures beer for patrons over 18!)

I

Writer/Director

Halcyon Macleod

Composer/Sound Designer

Declan Kelly

Puppets

LAID BACK

Bryony Anderson

Lighting Designer

Lucy Birkinshaw

Conceived, Designed and Directed by My Darling Patricia

Sound Operator

Marco Cher-Gibard

Production Manager

Bindi Green

1–17 September 2011 Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company Bookings (02)9250 1777 nextstage2011.com.au *transaction fees may apply

A Malthouse Commission

Performers/Puppeteers

Michelle Robin Anderson Anthony Ahern Clare Britton Sam Routledge Jodie Le Vesconte

Photo: Jef Jeff Busby

f you've ever fantasised about sipping delicate blends of the finest tea out of the most fragile china, while gorging yourself on bitesize cupcakes, finger sandwiches and tidbits galore, then you probably need to get yourself some high tea action. (And some action generally, perhaps?) If you can't be bothered paying for an afternoon nibble, then don't! Let The Observatory Hotel pick up the tab; to win a High Tea for two, and to finally satisfy that itty bitty cake fantasy, tell us what your favourite tiny snack is.

FRESH COCKTAILS. SPIRITS. WINE. IMPORTED & LOCAL BEERS, LEAFY DECK. LIVE MUSIC. COMFY COUCHES. LUSCIOUS FOOD.

stay classy DINNER 7 NIGHTS corridorbar.com.au. 153A King st. Newtown BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 31

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS Mirror Traffic Spunk Records

If you mourned the loss of Pavement, Mirror Traffic is proof that Stephen Malkmus is just about at his best without them.

Beck producing Stephen Malkmus. End review. …No no, there’s more – but if that sentence wasn’t enough to send flurries of joy down your suddenly straightened spine, then you were either listening to Limp Bizkit through the '90s and never redeemed yourself, or you have no soul. Sorry. As the frontman of Pavement, Malkmus penned some of the finest alt-rock albums of the 1990s throughout the band’s five-album

MARIACHI EL BRONX

On their second mariachi album, The Bronx step up their game in making the music feel authentic, rather than contrived or forced. On efforts like ‘Spread Thin’, Mariachi El Bronx don’t invite any easy comparisons with the hard punk of The Bronx, instead letting listeners be engrossed as vocalist Matt Caughthran shows off his powerful singing voice as he explores themes like loss, regret and frustration with toe-tapping sincerity. Expanding on the scope and production of their auspicious 2009 mariachi debut, II sees the band playing songs packed with greater resonance, both melodically and lyrically, and working with more dynamic arrangements on tracks like opener ‘48 Roses’ and ‘Everything Dies’. Listening through the record, one wonders whether world music fans would scoff at II’s accessibility? In spite of the rich instrumentation, the band use a bunch of Spanish and South American brass and woodwind instruments you’ve probably never heard of, and tracks like ‘Bodies Of Christ’ have a brooding quality that feels inescapably rock'n'roll. If you don’t have any mariachi records in your collection, Mariachi El Bronx’s II is a great place to start. Tom Hersey

The fleeting opening riff to albumopener ‘Tigers’ is about as arresting a start that any Jicks album has featured, bringing in the bizarre line “I caught you streaking in your Birkenstocks”, and setting the album up for more Malkmus wizardry. Indeed, two tracks in and Malkmus has already asked you to “trust me cos I’m worth hating” and claimed

KIMBRA Vows Warner

II Shock Be honest, Bronx fans: how many of you have any other mariachi releases, besides the L.A. hardcore outfit’s first Mexicanflavoured LP in your collection? And no, a DVD of Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi doesn’t count. Yet for all those gringo fans of The Bronx still snickering at the inherent novelty value of their mariachi alter ego, this second offering from Mariachi El Bronx proves irrefutably that the band is dead serious about their exploration of the genre.

lifespan,before their demise at the dawn of the millennium made way for The Jicks. And with their fifth record Mirror Traffic produced by genre-mashing mad scientist Beck, Malkmus and the Jicks have not only reached their own pinnacle, but come tantalisingly close to matching the greatness of Pavement’s best.

2011 was always going to be Kimbra Johnson’s year. Ever since she launched into the public eye on the back of her killer first single ‘Settle Down’, it really wasn’t a matter of how, but when. Cleverly playing the game, building up her fanbase organically through powerful live shows and blogger engagement (hello, Perez), Kimbra has always had that special thing that so many other Internet stars lack: a brilliant, exciting voice. As kooky and dramatic as the woman herself, it manages even to outshine the instrumentation of two of the best producers in the business, making Vows doubly as engaging. Johnson, a formidable musician in her own right and a self-proclaimed control freak, really owns this record as a songwriter as well as a performer. That being said, having wizards like Francois Tetaz and M-Phazes on tap can’t hurt; the sonic tapestries on cuts like ‘Good Intent’ are glorious, and with enough conviction Kimbra and her dream team even manage to turn ‘80s slow jams like ‘Withdraw’ into something different. You really wouldn’t expect much less from a young lady whose well-chosen cameos for the likes of Gotye and Miami Horror turned more heads than the guys who wrote the songs. She’s got that bluesy intonation that just can’t be faked, manages breathy upward swoops as easily as deep dives down, and while the pop jams will likely get her the attention, it’s the more offbeat, inventive stuff like the Dirty Projectors-meets-Regina Spektor ‘Limbo’ that mark her for critical success. But if that's not your thing, just turn up the wonderfully bright ‘Two Way Street’ and wait for the sunshine to pour in.

that “sit-ups are so bourgeois” … Meanwhile, you’ve fallen headswimmingly in love. The Jicks are in their finest form too, just as comfortable floating underneath the oboe solo on ‘No One (Is As I Are Be)’ as they are on the feisty ‘Spazz’, dipping, stopping short, re-starting and fighting

SLEEP MAKES WAVES

PETER WOLF CRIER

…And So We Destroyed Everything Bird’s Robe Records

Garden Of Arms Jagjaguwar

It's very easy to aspire towards the kind of beauty possible of post-rock and drone music, but much harder to achieve. Sleep Makes Waves are a relatively recent prospect, and it’s perhaps their enthusiasm that’s to blame for the lapses that hobble some of the bigger moments on the Sydney band’s debut LP. ‘To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices In The Forest’ pulses to a smashing climax of reverb and dripping bells. The album opener, built with great restraint, then loses all prior momentum as the song abruptly shifts to a wash of strings. This underselling of the promised product recurs thoughout the album with frustrating frequency; by marking themselves so strongly within the grandiosities of post-rock, the recorded versions of these songs lack much of their drive. These are songs that, once their confusion is realised, attempt to restore some order. Drums thunder down through the closing of ‘A Gaze Blank And Pitiless As The Sun’, but after roaming lost through the previous minutes of 80s synth-wash, the fervour is unable to join the crescendo it attempts to create. Things shift with the pop bent of ‘(Hello) Cloud Mountain’, as the catchier lines glimmer amongst the fill of guitars – and all meandering, pop or non, is cast aside for ‘Now We Rise And We Are Everywhere’. Here the percussion soothes the momentum along as the guitars chime memorably, not messily, and with a punch that smacks of intent. This timed assault, pointedly occuring towards the record’s close, gives the promise of so much more, as the band finally convincingly engage with the genre they so enthusiastically ape.

Make friends with her now, and help her carry her ARIAs later.

An epic trip, but one whose flashes of control are too sparse.

Jonno Seidler

Benjamin Cooper

Whether it came in direct response to the Bon Iver comparisons made of their 2010 debut Inter-Be, or was born of something far less reactionary and more artistically exploratory, Minnesota duo Peter Pisano and Brian Moen aka Peter Wolf Crier have distanced themselves from their ramshackle folk sounds of last year. While still intimate and splintered, their sophomore effort sees the band experiment and push their sound, forcing it to spill free from the pigeonhole that loomed heavy over their folky heads. From the first song, the band’s intention is clear: this album will not repeat their debut. The warped, reversed organs entwining chanted vocals on ‘Right Away’ are a signpost to the listener of things to come. Piano chords and warm analogue keys are the focus of ballads like ‘Settling It Off’ and ‘Haunt You’, while fuzzy, psychedelic guitars dominate on cuts like ‘Krishnamutri’ and ‘Hard Heart’. Every song lays heavy with texture; Peter Wolf Crier have utilised those extra mixing desk channels that were ignored previously, adding extra vocals, percussion, and subtle electronics to the arrangement in a move which owes more to Black Keys and TV On The Radio than their Midwestern counterparts, Justin Vernon and co. Garden In Arms breaks free from the acoustic guitar-and-drums confinement of their debut Inter-Be, but there is one thing that runs constant through both. The juxtaposition of Pisano’s jangling guitars and fragile voice against Moen’s urgent, non-linear drum patterns is always there, and in that lies an unusual beauty. In an industry where the words ‘experimental’ and ‘second album’ heard together in a sentence usually sound the death knell, Peter Wolf Crier have come through unscathed. Rick Warner

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SAND PEBBLES Dark Magic Dot Dash In another era, dating back about 40 years, Sand Pebbles would have embarked on a career path towards legendary, almost mythical status. Inspired by the idealism of the time, and fuelled by the inebriates of the moment, they would have released two and a half albums of mesmerising psychedelia before imploding under the weight of egos, drugs and a music industry unable to marry artistic quality with commercial imperative. Thankfully, Sand Pebbles are more than an intriguing chapter in a Richie

32 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

Unterberger obscure musicological treatise; Sand Pebbles are now, they’re happening, and they’re what the kids should be listening to. Dark Magic is the Sand Pebbles’ fifth album, and picks up where the band’s previous album, Ceduna, left off. If Ceduna took Sand Pebbles on a journey to the arid edge of the Grateful Dead’s wandering rock’n’roll experience, on Dark Magic they pull up a chair around a psychedelic-folk fire graced by the spirits of The Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash. At their spiritual heart, Sand Pebbles are a pop band: ‘Spring Time (Who Hasn’t Lost Their Head)’ is an exercise in spiritual beauty, ‘River Sparkle’ glistens

like the early morning sun and ‘Dark Magic’ awakens the dawn with religious reverence. On ‘Occupied Europe (Take Me Across the Water)’, the band catapult back to 1984 and the sharp-edge landscape of English post-punk. And then there’s the triumvirate of acoustic tracks: ‘Long, Long Ago’, ‘One Of These Mornings’ and ‘Blue Eyes In Black And White’, each brimming with enthusiasm and hope for a world that can only exist if humanity faces up to its contradictions, limitations and imperfections. Dark Magic is Sand Pebbles at their beautiful best. Bruce Laird

through the bizarre arrangements that Malkmus continually points his bands towards. Beck’s production is faultless, with Malkmus’ quirky directions supported by Beck’s own penchant for strange ideas – all making for a record that is genuinely brilliant. Max Easton

JOSH PYKE Only Sparrows Ivy League Here's one thing we know in no uncertain terms about Josh Pyke as a new father: he drinks a lot of coffee. In the first twenty minutes of Only Sparrows, not only is there a song devoted to the stimulant (‘Coffee Cup’), but indeed the phrase ‘coffee cup’ pops up all over the place. So is the ever-endearing Pyke starting to get tired? Well, yes and no. After the success of the astoundingly good Chimney’s Afire a few years ago, many of the songs here just don’t have as much of an impact. Pyke can still whip out wonderful ballads that will stun anyone with a heartbeat – like that which comes in the form of a duet with Katy Steele on ‘Punch In the Heart’. He’s also mastered the art of the selfdeprecating, slightly-off-kilter folkrock song, something that’s been a recognisible brand since we heard it with debut opener ‘Lines On Palms’ all those years ago. It’s good to see that the slow march of time hasn’t made the man any less insightful or entertaining, as he deadpans on ‘The World Is A Picture’: “All I ever wanted is everything all at once.” But despite renewing his fondness for lush orchestration and producing a very enjoyable set of songs, the real sparks felt on the last record just seem to be lacking here. It’s difficult to describe, because it’s so very subjective, and depends on how much Pyke you’ve heard. Also, one has to remember that even Pyke firing on three cylinders is still 20 times more brilliant than most Australian singersongwriters – you only have to listen to the gorgeously ornate closer ‘Love Lies’ to see that. But I couldn’t turn Chimney’s Afire off, and this one I can. This isn’t his finest album, to be sure, but it feels wrong to judge an artist poorly when the only thing better than him is himself. Jonno Seidler

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

GANG GANG DANCE - Eye Contact MOGWAI - Mr Beast THE MUSIC - The Music

SONGS - Songs LES SAVY FAV - Inches

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 33

gear guide a beginner's guide to...

Your Sound Setup

W

orking on your own music using DIY gear, it’s easy to get paranoid about whether or not your listening setup is good enough – and for good reason. Imagine producing bass music at home, then playing a gig where no-one can hear any bass? Not only will you doubt your gear, but you’ll doubt your own listening abilities‌ A little bit of knowledge can go a long way.

Does my butt sound big in these? If your speakers or headphones are designed for maximum pleasure, then chances are they’ll have a little “extra� in the bass department. If you’re not aware this is happening, then you’ll put less bass than you need in your mix, because your gear is doing the rest.

I just won lotto! What should I buy? Well, assuming it wasn’t a $2 scratchie – first purchase would most likely be a

new room, or a serious (structural) makeover. Then get several sets of speakers of various size, some high-quality headphones, plus one really shitty soundsystem somewhere in the room for real-world referencing. I’d say probably $2m‌ but why skimp?

So which is the best option on a budget? Everything from there down is a compromise. The most important thing is that you know the unique sound of your setup, so you can work around it.

By Peter Davies, Course Trainer @ Live School Sydney peter@liveschool.net / www.liveschool.net

HEADPHONES OR SPEAKERS?

SP GRRU

Getting Started 1. I got my start in music in primary school, playing tapes over the PA at

Both. Just like an architect thinks about the interior detail as well as the overall structure, your headphones let you hear detail, and your speakers keep everything in perspective.

lunchtime. I remember it was things like Rocksteady Crew, Paul Hardcastle, Art Of Noise and Prince, which led to messing with a four-track tape recorder, some broken gear and guitar effects pedals – and that got me hooked! An Ensoniq sampler came next, then the software – starting with Logic, which I stayed with for over ten years before switching.Â

Speakers:

a) Active nearfield monitors are the ideal home studio choice. Nearfield is for close-range listening and has no added EQ. 'Active' have amps built-in, while 'Passive' need a properly matched amplifier. 6-inch speakers work for the average room size – and avoid subs unless you know what you’re doing. b) Hi-Fi Stereo systems are not ideal, but if it’s all you’ve got, start by turning OFF any EQs. Bass/Treble dials should be neither up nor down – or, if it has presets, set it to ‘Flat’ or ‘None’. c) Surround sound systems are less ideal. Turn it into a 2-speaker stereo system with the EQ off, and ditch the sub-bass speaker if practical.

Inspirations 2. I’m always chasing the dragon for new music inspiration, but these days it’s more in composition concepts and production techniques than just fresh tracks. Artists that changed my direction in music over the years either have great sounds or unusual composition: Hendrix, Mike Oldfield, Steve Reich, Aphex Twin, Black Dog, and all the early Warp Records stuff. That said, being a kid from the disco/Bboy eras, a good groove will always win out over anything too chin-strokey! Your Studio 3. My studio these days is Ableton Live and a Macbook. Throw in some controllers and the occasional hardware unit, and there’s nothing else I’d ask for. Limitation is key to creativity; I’ve ditched all my 3rd-party plugins. My advice to anyone is choose one platform – any platform that does all the jobs you need it for – and stick to it until you know it inside out.Â

Headphones:

Open earcups are best for listening, but annoy the flatmates and are no good for gigging or recording. Closed earcups are the best all-rounders, while fitted in-ear headphones are ideal for mic recording – but both can be tiring for your ears.

WKXUV GD\ VW 6HSWHPEHU

JENNY BROKE THE WINDOW + DOC HOLLIDAY TAKES THE SHOTGUN + VACANT FIELD + DALI’S ANGELS

WITH ADAM MAGGS FROM TINY STICKS / LIVE SCHOOL

4.

Music, Right Here, Right Now Music right now is in everyone’s hands – the power to make it, the power to share it, and no obstacles between writing something in your headphones in the morning, and playing it out that night. It really is down to the quality of the music now. People might cry that the industry’s screwed, but really it’s never been a good

IUL GD\

Who: Adam Maggs teaches Ableton-certified courses in music and production Where: Liveschool, in Woolloomooloo Web: www.liveschool.net

VDWXU GD\

QG 6HSWHPEHU

OUTSPOKEN POETS OPTIC SOUP VISUALS +

SLEEPYHANDS

UG 6HSWHPEHU

ONLY THE SEA SLUGS + THE RUMINATERS + THE LOCKWOODS

PERFORMING LIVE TO AIR! Poetry by Jess Cook, Vincent Valentine Silk and Max Raply, accompanied by stunning visuals from Optic Soup (members of Octopus Pi and Punk Monk Propaganda) Happy hour's from SP SP

SUPPORTED BY

SP 34 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

career choice – there’s never been a “position vacant�, even though plenty will sell you a certificate for one! Instead: do good work, learn, and hone your craft constantly. Quality music will create your opportunities.

)UHH

SP EI R]WL[ RQ GRRU

www.fbiradio.com

gear reviews

Tips From The Top WITH

we test out some brand new toys

Paul Butler Tayar

LINE 6 POD HD DESKTOP Line 6’s HD series is the next evolution of their famous POD amp modelling. The line consists of various models, but not everyone wants their tone on the floor; studio rats need it right there on the desk, within easy tweaking distance. That’s where POD HD comes in.

THE ULTIMATE SPACE STATION

POD HD kinda looks like what Darth Vader would use to record bitchin’ guitar licks. It features 22 HD amp models and has more than 100 effects. The amp models are based on classics by Fender, Vox, Hiwatt, Park, Supro, Mesa Boogie, Marshall and Gibson, as well as boutique amps by Bogner, Dr. Z, Divided By 13 and ENGL. The M-class effects include 19 delays, 23 modulations, 17 distortions, 12 compressors and EQs, 26 filters and 12 reverbs. You have the option of using two virtual amp rigs at once, or even plugging in two totally different instruments for two totally different effects on each.

HANDS ON, CONNECT!

The POD HD is all about hands-on control. There are rotary pots for drive, bass, middle, treble, presence, tweak, volume and master, as well as four dedicated knobs which correspond to effects parameters on the backlit LCD. There’s also tap tempo, looper controls, a tuner, stereo outputs and USB 2.0 connection to interface with your computer.

GET AMPED

The POD HD amps have just the right amount of give. It seems easy for other companies to achieve cool high-gain and super-clean tones, but Line 6 has obviously put a lot of work into nailing the boutique clean and overdriven sounds just as well. This is especially apparent when you switch guitars or input source and realise that the tone changes pretty drastically compared to the past, when some players noted that POD gear seemed to mask the guitar’s natural qualities.

MACKIE MR8 MK2 REFERENCE MONITORS As with all past models of reference monitors from Mackie, the new MR8 Mk2s have a very sleek design; the cabinet is perfect for use in spaces that allow you some distance between the speaker and the wall behind. The moulding of the speaker baffle has been carefully designed to reduce interference with the sound from the speaker, so your audio source radiates clearly and evenly into the listening space. One thing I noticed with these speakers is that you don’t need to maintain a static listening position, always locked into the “sweet spot” in order to fully hear the speaker’s potential. With the MR8 Mk2s you can move around the room and get

a better idea of the stereo spread in your mix, with a clear picture of the overall sound.

QUALITY DRIVERS

The MR8 Mk2 reference monitor speakers have a bi-amplified design with a 100-watt low frequency amp and a 50-watt high frequency amp. This means there is plenty of headroom in your signal, so the amplifiers don’t need to be overdriven to get the volume you require, causing unwanted distortion of the signal. I found that they're great for listening at low levels when prolonged use is required and you don’t want to strain your ears, but at the same time, the MR8 Mk2 monitors don’t lose any

OLD SCHOOL RESPONSE

The POD HD desktop version really invites interactivity. From a practical standpoint, it’s simply more fun to sit there and explore different settings in minute detail when you’re not hunched over on the floor. The controls are so responsive and quick that you’ll hear your changes immediately, and those of us who cut our teeth screwing around with analogue pedals on the floor – making analogue delays self-oscillate, increasing phaser speed with the side of our feet, or turning up the gain during a ringing chord – will really relate to the way you can just grab a control and have it do what it’s supposed to do without having to get waist-deep into a menu screen. – Peter Hodgson RRP: $399 Distributor: Line 6 Website: www.line6.com

clarity when you push the volume for louder levels. The 8-inch low frequency speaker is sufficient to deliver a full clear and audible range of sounds without the need of an additional sub to fill out the bottom end, and the crossover between the high and low frequency drivers didn’t create any unwanted nastiness when the volume was increased.

TRUE SOUND

If you’re sick and tired of monitor speakers that pretend to create low end in order to sound better, or ones that have the mid frequencies all out of line at their crossovers, it might be time to consider upgrading to a set of Mackie’s MR8 Mk2 reference monitors. Have a listen for yourself. – Rob Gee RRP: $499 Distributor: Music Link Website: www.musiclink.com.au

HEAD ENGINEER @ THE BUTLER MASTERING Thanks to the digital age, new producers now have so many options at their fingertips that they often run into the middle of a recording without considering the most basic fundamentals. I thought I'd strip it all back to the beginning, and help explain how to start your project off on the right foot. Before stepping anywhere near the record button or a microphone, get your source sounding great. It’s an old adage but a good one; the finest equipment and techniques will never outshine a greatsounding performance. Learn how to tune your drums, or properly warm up your voice – I guarantee you better results. Check the project settings of your recording software. Without getting technical, the difference between selecting a 16 bit or a 24 bit recording can affect your final product immensely. 24 bit recordings have almost 50dB of headroom (or space) more than 16 bit – which is a LOT! And we’re talking about the space that you use to buffer from harsh, digital distortion and inharmonic products finding their way into your recording. On the topic of headroom: before you begin, turn EVERY fader in your software down, and turn your speakers up. Keep well away from the red “clip” lights, forget loudness, and focus on getting your music sounding great. You can always increase the overall volume and size of your recording afterwards, during mastering. Keep things simple, too – less really is more, especially when you’re starting out! Hendrix, Morrison, Dylan, Bowie, even Elvis were all recorded using extremely basic equipment by today’s standards, and on very low track counts. Yet the simple fact remains: they produced amazing records. THE BUTLER is a mastering service based in Leichhardt the-butler.com info@the-butler.com

www.studios301.com facebook.com/studios301 02 9698 5888 adam@studios301.com Andrew Edgson Mastering clients include: 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 Dominic O'Connor

Remedy More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

THE HARD ONS: DUCKHEADS

Snakadaktal

The poster for The Hard Ons’ recent dates in Melbourne were a piss-take of Motörhead’s tusked-and-helmeted beast, with what looked like Donald Duck in the headgear. The location of Punchbowl was of course used in place of England. Expect a damn hot reissue series of the HOs’ back catalogue sooner rather than later.

ICH BIN EIN LOUTALLICA

For us this is still as weird as it is exciting. That teaming of Lou Reed and Metallica which is being loosely termed Loutallica has resulted in a slab titled Lulu, with the name written in dripping blood. It should be out in early November. The story behind the project is classic high-art Lou: it was inspired by two early 1900s stage productions by German expressionist Frank Wedekind that came to be known as the Lu Lu Plays: Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box, which were based on the life of a troubled dancer. Reed worked up the music based on the plays for a Berlin theatre show and then thought that Metallica could take that up several hammerof-the-Gods-type notches. What we wanna know is how Mr Reed and James Hetfield, two renowned hardheads with zero patience, got along during the process. This might end up being the missing link between metal and Wagner… Maybe.

SHJIPS’ TRIP

T

here are more all-ages gigs going on this week than you can poke a (drum) stick at, with The Living End’s twonight stand at the Enmore Theatre following on from American alt-rockers Anberlin’s "An Evening With…” show.

SNAKADAKTAL

Melbourne five-piece Snakadaktal have taken out the Unearthed High title for 2011. Snakadaktal will now share that honour with Tom Ugly (formerly Is), Hunting Grounds (formerly Howl) and Stonefield (formerly Iotah) – so maybe a name change is on the cards? As part of the prize, the indie-pop quintet will be flown to Sydney to record a song that will be debuted on triple j, and get to host an all-ages show at their very own high school with the aforementioned Aussie rock gods The Living End. Head to the Indent site for more info on Unearthed High.

scene, which more than deserves all of the plaudits it receives. In 2009, back when they were just another indie band gigging around Sydney, they played an all-ages band competition at the Annandale – and as the crowd swayed in time to their sweet sounds, it was clear to everyone there that they could transcend the whole scene to become a hugely successful band. I’m extremely proud to have followed these boys from the start, and look how much they have achieved! How many bands go from band comps at the 'Dale to selling out the Enmore Theatre (on Saturday November 5) in just two short years?

THIRSTY MERC

Thirsty Merc have also been touring for a while now, and they hit Penrith Panthers this Sunday for some of their crazy-catchy pop-rock goodness. Rai Thistlethwayte and his merry crew will be busting out some of their well-known hits – don't miss it.

For those of you who are more interested in the business side of the industry, on Saturday the annual AIM Together Now forum will be held at the Australian Institute Of Music campus in Surry Hills. It’s a massive, seven-hour forum featuring panels on management, recording, publishing and much more. After the event is finished at 5:30pm, AIM will also be showcasing some of their talent at the Gaelic Hotel for free!

GIG OF THE WEEK

ROCK FOR CANCER

This week’s feature gig is the mighty The Living End who, as we mentioned, are spending their weekend at the Enmore Theatre. They’re on tour with their new album The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating, and their perfect blend of rockabilly and punk always brings a blistering live show, with frontman Chris Cheney’s beer-bottle slide solo being one to watch out for. The Living End will be supported by Ballarat punks (and former Unearthed High) winners Hunting Grounds and roots rockers King Cannons. Having seen Hunting Grounds’ amazing live spectacle back in November, trust me, you'll want to get in early. Expect jumping around, headbanging and intense, balls-out punk rock. Tickets are sold out for Saturday’s show, but there is still a chance to see this Australian rock juggernaut on the Sunday.

BOY & BEAR

Graduates of the Sydney all-ages scene Boy and Bear have just released their debut album Moonfire to great critical acclaim, reaching #4 on the ARIA album chart. You’ve heard their singles ‘Feeding Line’ (the one with the whistling) and ‘Milk and Sticks’ (the one with the odd tempo shifts), and the full album is a brilliant indication of Sydney’s thriving folk-pop

Finally, to end on an even more positive note, the Rock for Cancer fundraiser that you read about right here a few weeks ago was a huge success. They rocked, they rolled, but more importantly they raised over $500 for the Cancer Council. Here’s to the Lucky Australian Tavern, the bands who played and the brilliant punters who dropped their hard-earned on eight hours of fantastic live music.

ALL-AGES GIG PICKS SATURDAY & SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3 & 4 The Living End, Hunting Grounds, King Cannons Enmore Theatre

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1

Architecture in Helsinki, Cut Off Your Hands, Oscar + Martin Metro Theatre An Evening With Anberlin Enmore Theatre

Send all ages listings & info to theminorchordradio@gmail.com 36 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

DEAD RICH

The Grateful Dead broke a lot of rules, and created a number of fresh templates

ACHTUNG!

Brother Simon Kain reckons where U2 got really interesting was around the Achtung Baby period – which according to Bono was “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree”. Citizen Kain reckons it’s where they seemed to be starting to listen to Can and other Krautrock action. Maybe he’s right, maybe it’s just Brian Eno’s presence, or maybe it's because it was partly recorded in Berlin, but on October 28 we all get a chance to dig deeper into the original recording and see for ourselves, with the 20th anniversary edition of said slab. Naturally, it’ll come with a stack of unreleased stuff and in a variety of formats. Go to achtungbaby.u2.com for all the details.

SEGER LIVE REISSUED

His (other) Bobness, Bob Seger, did some mighty fine stuff back in the late ’60s and ’70s (check out Mongrel), and even had a vibe right up to the early ’80s – something few can claim in that era of synths and appalling drum sounds. With Seger and the Silver Bullet Band back on the road, his storming 1976 set Live Bullet and 1981’s Nine Tonight – both largely recorded at Detroit’s Cobo Hall – are being reissued, but with only one lousy bonus track each.

WINO’S LUCKY 13

Scott ‘Wino” Weinrich’s newest metal vehicle is called Premonition 13, with their debut LP simply named 13. The germ of the band dates back twenty years apparently. We like the sound of that.

Wooden Shjips

ARCHITECTURE

Melbourne indie-pop collective Architecture In Helsinki will most certainly get the Metro Theatre swaying and hand-clapping in unison this Thursday night. They recently released their fourth album Moment Bends to critical acclaim, so be sure to catch their set before they become mainstream and non-hipster-friendly. They’ll be supported by Kiwi dandies Cut Off Your Hands and adorable Melbourne duo Oscar + Martin – a triple bill for the ages. It kicks off at 8pm, and will most certainly feature an epic group singalong before the end of the night...

AIM TOGETHER NOW

San Fran’s psychedelic tripsters and purveyors of space-truckin’ sounds Wooden Shjips have a new album, West, out September 2. Said record will feature an exclusive Oz bonus track called 'Phonograph'. The first single ‘Lazy Bones’ has already been getting huge raves, with the LA Times stating it “suggests other such rock meditations: The Velvet Underground’s Sister Ray, Spacemen 3’s Revolution, the entire output of Australian punks Feedtime.” Mistakes aside – it’s feedtime with a lower case f – it’s nice to see our boys getting some global recognition.

in the process – from charity work with the Rex Foundation, to pioneering new sound technology. But as we understood it, they were never exactly a well-oiled machine when it came to business. Taking that wall-of-sound system with hundreds of individual speakers on tour for months on end in the mid-70s must have horrified their accountants. But others, it seems, reckon theirs was a good business model – people like Barry Barnes, a professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, has a book out in December called Everything I Know About Business I Learned From The Grateful Dead. He reckons he learned plenty – so what do we know?

ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Rory’s Gallagher’s white-hot BBC Sessions, which for some reason has just been reissued. It’s the kind of seriously fiery blues-rock shit that no-one seems to play anymore, at least certainly not as strongly as this. Also spinning countless times has been Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak. It has it all: guitar grunt, killer songs, dynamics, romance and mysticism. Who said that the pre-punk ’70s sucked?

TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS On September 17, the Sandringham has Thundabox with Spencer Jones along with the Young Docteurs. Speaking of feedtime, which we were, let’s not forget that on September 16 the Sando will host the return of the original lineup of the rumble-bringing trio, along with Useless Children and Three Toed Sloth. The benefit and tribute show to the late Greg Clarke, As Loud As It Gets, is on September 2 at The Enmore with Rose Tattoo, Baby Animals, The Screaming Jets, The Poor, Judge Mercy/Wrecking

Crew and Ugly Little Secrets. Do the right thing for a great bloke. Bastardfest is on September 10 at the Sandringham, with Psycroptic, I Exist, Pod People, Bane of Isildur, Ouroboros, Chaos Divine, Blood Duster, The Dream Killers, Claim The Throne, Dawn Heist and Anno Domini, Extortion, Ruins, Daemon Foetal Harvest, Enforce and Ignite the Ibex. www.bastardfest.com. Johnny Spittles is doing another solo(ish) spot on September 14 at the Sando, but this time with his mate Jeremy Craib.

Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays. Pics to art@thebrag.com www.facebook.com/remedy4rock

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snap sn ap

super wild horses

PICS :: TL

up all night out all week . . .

19:08:11 :: Goodgod :: 55 - 57 Liverpool St, Sydney 9267 3787

It’s called: Deep Sea Arcade live at Beach Road

Acts: Deep Sea Arcade, The Salvagers, Enola Fall Sell it to us: There’s nothing better than free stuff. Except for when you get three lots of free stuff. For free. Which is what will happen if you come down to Beach Road this Wednesday evening. Three wonderful indie/rock n roll bands that will have you singing along and grinning like idiots the whole night. It’ll be GREAT.

seekae

PICS :: TL

It sounds like: Your rock’n’roll dreams at an indie seaside holiday.

owl city

PICS :: AM

party profile

deep sea arcade

20:08:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St City 92642666

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: You danced and clapped your hands to Deep Sea Arcade, you fell in love with The Salvagers boys and can’t get their choruses outta your head, and Enola Fall made you realise that there is still hope for Tasmania yet - for young kids, they could freakin’ ROCK. Wallet damage: Free as a bird! Where: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach When: Wednesday August 31

gotye

PICS :: AM

16:08:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St City 92642666

20:08:11 :: Concert Hall :: Sydney Opera House 92471666 38 :: BRAG :: 427: 29:08:11

:: NIKI BODLE :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NA OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER PEACHY :: ROSETTE ROUHAN MAS THO :: NS MUN IEL DAN :: :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR

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snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .

pinback

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Expect a unique show and, of course, a party vibe, as Sydney trio and festival favourites AvS put their own spin on the seminal ’80s synth sounds of the Iva Davies-fronted band. Crowd specs: It’s a birthday party, so we can’t guarantee there won’t be some ridiculous dancing and musical chairs on display from some of Jack’s friends... Sorry. Wallet damage: Only $30 + bf (from moshtix.com.au) Where: Upstairs at the Beresford, Surry Hills When: Thursday September 15

:: Annandale Hotel :: 17 Paramatta Rd Annandale 95501078

:: NIKI BODLE :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA PEA MAS THO :: NS MUN IEL :: DAN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR

40 :: BRAG :: 427: 29:08:11

dead letter circus

PICS :: RR

big freeze

18:08:11 :: Goodgod :: 55 - 57 Liverpool St, Sydney 9267 3787

PICS :: NB

20:08:11 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown 9550 3666

loon lake

PICS :: CG

jesus jones

20:08:11

It sounds like: Art vs Science and friends, stuck in a lift with ‘80s icons Icehouse Acts: Art vs Science, Kate Miller-Heidke, Patience Hodgson (The Grates), Tim Derricourt (Dappled Cities) and maybe, just maybe, some surprises… st Sell it to us: The JD Set is back to celebrate Jack Daniels' 161 birthday with another inspired musical collaboration, as some of Australia’s hottest (and coolest) talent get up close and personal with the work of home-grown heroes Icehouse. Jack Daniels' and music have been a perfect combination since Mr. Jack started his own Silver Cornet Band, way back in 1892.

:: Manning Bar :: @ Sydney Uni City Rd Chippendale 95636107

PICS :: KC

20:08:11

It’s called: The JD Set

PICS :: KC

party profile

the jd set

19:08:11 :: Manning Bar :: @ Sydney Uni City Rd Chippendale 95636107

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send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Architecture in Helsinki

Anberlin The Thing Os Downstairs Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm

JAZZ

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1

Metro Theatre, Sydney

Architecture In Helsinki, Cut Off Your Hands, Oscar + Martin $45 8pm all-ages MONDAY AUGUST 29 ROCK & POP

Super Florence Jam

After School Concert: Australian World Orchestra Riverside Theatres, Parramatta 4.30pm Andy Mammers Opera Bar, Sydney Opera House free 8.30pm Christine Parie Albion Hotel, Parramatta 8pm Dave White Experience The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood 9.30pm free Hep C Awareness Concert: Beccy Cole, Anthony Ackroyd, Denise Hanlon, Katie Btianna, Jorge Pereria, Little Mamma, Super Florence Jam, Pat Powell, Blind Old Willie Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $25 6.30pm Matt Jones The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm

James Ryan 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm JMC Jazz Showcase: JMC Jazz-Funk Ensemble, JMC Jazz Fusion Band The Basement, Circular Quay $15 8pm John Hill Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Dewayne Everettsmith Concert Hall, Sydney Opera

House $59–$99 sold out 8pm

TUESDAY AUGUST 30

ROCK & POP

Kickstone, Calling Mayday Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm The Listening Room - Open Mic The Vault, Windsor free 7pm Moon Shakes: No Art, Virgo Rising Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst free 8pm Net of Being The Valve, Tempe free 8pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Songs on Stage Performers Competition Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Strip! feat ex BNO from Scruffy’s Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 8pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Third Watch Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm Tim Finn Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills 6pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31 ROCK & POP

The Amazing Rhythm Aces (USA), Brent Parlane Notes Live, Enmore $51– $75.50 (dinner & show) 7pm Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Bayou Band Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Dave Seaside Artichoke Gallery Café, Manly free 7pm Deep Sea Arcade, The Salvagers, Enola Fall Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm The Genie The Basement, Circular Quay $20 9.30pm Hue Williams 4 Pines Brewing Company, Manly free 7pm Jager Uprising: The Chestnuts, Taylor King, Tom Stone & The Soldiers Of Fortune, Crossing Red Lines Annandale Hotel $8 7.30pm James Domeyko Low 302, Darlinghurst free 8pm

Jeff Martin (Canada), Terepai Richmond, Spooky Land Brass Monkey, Cronulla $42.85–$44.90 (+ bf) 7pm Kate & Max, Magic Spells The Vanguard, Newtown 8pm Luke Dixon Summer Hill Hotel free 7.30pm Mandi Jarry Northies, Cronulla free 6pm Matt Jones O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 9.30pm The Net Of Being, Through The Glass Darkly, Thayne, Moth Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm The Study: The Gypsy Bangle, Harvey Swagger Band, Mike Brislee Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 7pm Two Minds Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm

JAZZ

Jane Irving 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 ROCK & POP

The Adults, The Scientists of Modern Music Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $20 (+ bf) 8pm Anberlin (USA), Tonight Alive Enmore Theatre $55 7.30pm Architecture in Helsinki, Cut Off Your Hands (NZ), Oscar + Martin Metro Theatre, Sydney $45 8pm Charlie Mayfair The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+ bf)–$45 (w/ dinner) 6.30pm The Conscious Pilots Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 9pm Crossroads Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 8pm

JAZZ

Jazzgroove: Andrew Robson Trio, Pollen Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $8 (member)–$10 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $59–$99 8pm

Gurrumul Yunupingu

“Louie Miller disappeared dear After drawing out his cash And Macheath spends like a sailor Did our boy do something rash?” - THE THREEPENNY OPERA 42 :: BRAG :: 427 : 29:08:11

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send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Elevate Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10.15pm Elvis 68 Comeback Special Lizotte’s Resteraunt, Dee Why $53 8pm Greg Byrne Toxteth Hotel, Glebe free 8pM Hawkmoth, Adam Cole’s Trappist Afterland, Grun, Hinterlandt Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm

The Initiation, Bayonets For Legs, The Sins, Cogel Annandale Hotel 7.30pm Island Elevation - Reggae Super Bill: Natalie Colavito, Voli K, Sammielz, Adam McComb, Andrew Scott, Jasper Sarkodee, Andrew Morris, Moe Parker The Basement, Circular Quay $25 9pm Jeff Martin (Canada), Terepai Richmond, Spooky Land

Brass Monkey, Cronulla $42.85–$44.90 (+ bf) 7pm Jessamine Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Lime Cordiale Hermann’s Bar, Darlington free 6.30pm The Living Chair Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm The Lucky Wonders, Leroy Lee Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Café, Manly free 7pm Monkey Smokers Low 302, Darlinghurst free 8pm Nakagin, 48/4, Jensen Brewster, Kilter, Collarbones DJs, Alleycats DJs Tone, Surry Hills 7pm Owl Eyes, Split Seconds Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $12 8pm Remmos K, Victa, Prezence, Soft Emerji, Moonperle, Anbis, Fronz Arp Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Sammy Baker Toxtexth Hotel, Glebe free Speakeasy The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham 8pm Street Chant (NZ), Gooch Palms Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Sydney Big Band Rockdale RSL Club free 8pm

JAZZ

Charlie Mayfair

Baecastuff 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 (member)–$15 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm

Calling All Cars

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2 ROCK & POP

Akinga Bankstown Sports Club free AlexTheSeal Orange Grove Hotel, Leichhardt free 8pm As Loud As It Gets – A Tribute to Greg Clarke: Rose Tattoo, The Screaming Jets, Baby Animals, The Poor, Judge Mercy, Ugly Little Secrets Enmore Theatre 6.30pm

Bob Marley Tribute: The Survival Reggae Band The Vault, Windsor 8pm Brent Murphy Great Southern Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Calling All Cars, Boy In A Box, Redcoats Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $20 (+ bf) 8pm The Dudes Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 8pm Fred Smith Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Frenzal Rhomb, Teenage Bottlerocket, Totally Unicorn Metro Theatre, Sydney $31.20 (+ bf) 8pm

The Green Day Show Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm Havoc, Topnovil, Holdfast, Taipan Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville 9pm Jon English, Gary Who, Jonah’s Road Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $43-$101 (dinner & show) 8pm La Vista Petersham RSL Club free 8pm

LV L 3 , 3 8 3 B O U R K E S T S U R R Y H I L L S

L I V E M U S I C , V I S U A L A R T, T H E AT R E , CO M E D Y, B U R L E S Q U E & B O O Z E

wed

FIRST & ONLY SYDNEY SHOW IN 12 YEARS

24 Aug

CUSTARD

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

25 Aug

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

26 Aug

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:15PM - 1:00AM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SATURDAY AFTERNOON (4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sat

27 Aug

SATURDAY NIGHT

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

sun

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

Aug

SUNDAY NIGHT

28

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

FRI 23RD SEP TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT MOSHTIX.COM.AU CO M E & V I S I T U S AT

FA C E B O O K . CO M / T H E S TA N D A R D S Y D N E Y BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 43

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send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Like at the Wall, Leichhardt $20 8pm Thirsty Merc The Cube, Campbelltown $30 (+ bf) 8pm The Wharf Sessions Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company, Walsh Bay free 10pm Young Revelry, Enola Fall, Ruby Frost (NZ), DJ Devola Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free (early bird)–$10 5pm

Owl Eyes

JAZZ

The Lockhearts, My Dynamite, Contraban Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Louis London, The Evergreen Trail, The Company and Dali’s Angels Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $8 (+ bf) 8pm Mad Season Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm Man Overboard, I Am Villain Annandale Hotel $26.40 (+ bf) 8pm Manning’s 11th Birthday: The Holidays, megastick fanfare, Fishing, Guineafowl Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $13.80 7pm Mark De Costa Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10.30pm Mike Mathieson Trio Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club free 8pm The Monks of Mellonwah,

Costa Rae 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (member)–$20 8.30pm Cumbia!: The Cumbia Muffins, Chirimeros Eastside Arts, Paddington $22 (member)–$28 8pm SIMA: Cam McCallister Sextet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 8pm

Lovers Jump Creek, Stone Monks Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Mucho Mambo The Basement, Circular Quay $25 9pm Nat Col & the Kings Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Next Best Thing Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm No Beef Patty with Stu and Friends Artichoke Gallery Café, Manly free 7pm Nova Tone Customs House Bar, Sydney free 7pm Owl Eyes, Split Seconds Brass Monkey, Cronulla $17.85 (+ bf) 7pm Royal Headache, Holy Balm, Model Citizen Goodgod Small Club $10 (+ bf) 8pm Sleepmakeswaves, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Nikko

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3 ROCK & POP

2 Of Hearts Revesby Workers Club free 7pm Addison Road, Freida’s Boss, Whitehouse (UK) Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm

James Domeyko $8

entry

DRINK!

INCLU

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Comedy

★ SAT SEPT 03 ★

$7

BE

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$5

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Feat: Linkin Vertigo, Mark Bionic, Sam tha Chemist, Dauntless, Highly Dubious & Finesse. Legendary DSS sound

KILLED BY DEATH

Money Smokers

sydney’s newest

Metal night

★ WED SEPT 07 ★ THE

HIDDEN DRAGON LAUNCH Feat: ANNDYK(electro) + J-TRICK(dirty dutch) + LEONZ(electro house) + dj SONO(house) $15.00 entry $10.00 concession

TICKETS: GOBOOKEM.COM BOOKING: ADMIN@BIGTREEARTISTS.COM

450 PARAMATTA RD PETERSHAM 9560-1488 44 :: BRAG :: 427 : 29:08:11

The Bamboos

★ FRI SEPT 02 ★

ESCHALON DnB LAUCH PARTY The Coffin Slave presents:

Melody Nelson, Magnetic Heads, Swimwear Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $18.30 7.30pm Mr James Band Bankstown Sports Club free 8pm Oh No Disco: The Ruminaters Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst 8pm One Hit Wonders Blacktown RSL Club free 10pm Rabbit Hole Spring Garden Party: Underlights, Made In Japan, Thom Crawford Tone, Surry Hills $10–$12 8pm Rock Fan Showband Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 8pm Shade Of Red Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm

Lucie Thorne, Hamish Stuart, Shanna Watson Camelot, Marrickville $17–$22 8pm

Official opening with a magnificent mishmash of comedy, poetry, hip hop, music and juggling, hosted by Mike Goldman! Theatre bar opens at 7 for 8pm show

DSS Presents:

Foreday Riders Empire Hotel, Annandale $15 8pm The Frocks Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Great Escape Duo Petersham RSL Club free 8pm Hit Machine Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL free 10pm Killed By Death The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham 8pm Latin Power, Mandarin Band Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club free 5pm The Living End, Hunting Grounds, King Cannons Enmore Theatre $69 sold out all ages 7.30pm Me Macquarie Hotel, Sydney $12 (+ bf) 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

★ THU SEPT 01 ★

Speakeasy present:

All Sorts Of Trouble: Kids at Risk, Toy, Pink Ribbons, The Soulshine Revolution, Mystic Vibes The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $10 5.30pm The Bandits Cambelltown RSL free 8pm Barnstorming Dural Country Club free 8pm Bonjah, The Joe Kings, Daniel Lee Kendall Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $21 8pm The Clue, Edward Deer, Generation Crash Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Creedence & Beyond St Marys Leagues Club free Crossing Red Lines Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 7.30pm The Flaming Stars Rockdale

302 Crown Street Darlinghurst 02 9368 1548 Wednesday through to Saturday from 5pm to 2am Sunday 6pm to 2am

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Glitter Canyon, Tombstone, Spirit Valley Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 6pm Kira Puru & The Bruise The Vanguard, Newtown $25 (+ bf) 6.30pm Kirsty Lee Dooley Lidcombe Catholic Club free 8pm The Living End, Hunting Grounds, King Cannons Enmore Theatre $69 all ages 7pm The Lucky Wonders Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $22 8pm The Pigs Empire Hotel, Annandale free 6pm

Bonjah

Skyz the Limit Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm Sons of Mercury Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney Free 10.30pm Street Chant (NZ), Step Panther, Hey Now vs Joyride, Banshee Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills 6pm Syl Johnson, The Bamboos, Peter Glass The Basement, Circular Quay $58 (+ bf) 8.30pm Tone Defeat: Aver, Lite Feed Frenzy, Kids Of Yesterday, Halfway Homebuoy, Near The Saint. The Electric Vogues Annandale Hotel $10 6pm Twin Shock Regents Park Sporting & Community Club free 8pm The Valiants Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle free 7.30pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Hernandez Cafe, Darlinghurst free 7.30pm

JAZZ

Little Thom, Luke Escombe, Spasm Band Tramshed Community Centre, Narrabeen $20 7.30pm

Andy Fiddles The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm The Gangster’s Ball: The Velvet Set, Asher Treleaven Metro Theatre, Sydney $65– $130 7pm Hannah Macklin 505 Club, Surry Hills $15–$20 8.30pm Jive Bombers, Grizzly Adams Ashfield RSL Club free 8pm Swing City Dance Palace: Swing City Big Band, Jacki Cooper, Liam Burrows North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray $25 7pm Tom Burlinson Burwood RSL Club $33 8.30pm

Reno Nevada Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club $10 7pm Rob Devlin Ramsgate RSL, Ramsgate Beach free 8pm Rumble in the Quad Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 6pm The Spilt Drinks Avalon Beach RSL Club free all ages 3pm Stephanie Jansen, Baby Boomers Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free all ages 1pm Sugar Sun, Glen Whittorn, Hivemind, Reprise, Reunion Valve Bar, Tempe 3pm Thirsty Merc Penrith Panthers, Evans

Theatre $32 all ages 7.30pm The Trobes, Picture Perfect, The Keep Secrets Annandale Hotel 6pm

JAZZ

Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 3pm The Cavemen Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle free 6pm The Subterraneans Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Kim Sanders, Bobby Singh St Luke’s Hall, Enmore $15 (conc)–$20 6.30pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4 ROCK & POP

Bonjah, The Joe Kings, Daniel Lee Kendall Brass Monkey, Cronulla $20.95 7pm Crushed Ice Campbelltown RSL free 8pm Eastern Aquarium Pt. 3: Collarbones, Guerre, Glisk, Cleptocleptics, Black Vanilla, Ki Mono Tone, Surry Hills $10 (presale)-$15 8pm For the Fallen Dreams (USA), Sienna Skies, Hand Of Mercy, Renegade, Lockdown Masonic Hall, Blacktown $20 (+ bf) 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Beecroft Bush Dance Beecroft Community Centre $12 (member)–$17 8pm Lissa Artichoke Gallery CafÊ, Manly free 7pm

The Living End

LV L 3 , 3 8 3 B O U R K E S T S U R R Y H I L L S

L I V E M U S I C , V I S U A L A R T, T H E AT R E , CO M E D Y, B U R L E S Q U E & B O O Z E

IGHT 0 - $25 N Y A D Shows $2 y m l p n 0 o SATUR 1 m Fro 8pm & SAT 3 SEPT

BRAD OAKES (VIC) 20 years in comedy and a producer of Melbourne Int Comedy Fest Shows. RAY BADRAN Footy Show – An up and coming star of comedy. BEN DARSOW (S.A) “unique and hilarious‌an original and entertaining ride to rememberâ€? The Messenger.

SAT 10 SEPT

TAHIR Thank God You’re Here, ‘Habib’ from Fat Pizza, The NRL Footy Show, Housos. BRUCE GRIFFITHS Astonishing one line genius, writer for Good News Week, Enough Rope, Jason Alexander ‘Seinfeld’. JAMES ROCHFORD – Crowd Favourite – Nova 969.

FIRST & ONLY SYDNEY SHOW IN 12 YEARS

CUSTARD

FIONA O’LOUGHLIN “...has a gorgeous stage presence‌ a fearless, s, SAT 17 SEPT

SAT 24 SEPT

funny, extremely appealing show.� The Age. “Radioactively funny. 5/5�.

JEREMY KEAST – from the ABC hit show ‘I Rock’. STEVE PHILP DAVE EASTGATE Fresh from 5 star Edinburgh fringe shows, reviewed as “f*#%ing beautiful� Academy award winner Robin Williams. JOEL CREASEY One of Australia’s youngest, brightest and most sought-after comedians, “Utterly brilliant: switched on, quick, pacy and lots of fun.�Radio 3AW. CLINT PADDISON ! " $ ! $ & '$ &+ ! 1'$ &3 ' 4 7 ' 3 & ' and the ‘2004 Australia Day Comedy Competition’.

FRI 23RD SEP TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT MOSHTIX.COM.AU CO M E & V I S I T U S AT

Buy tickets @ happyendingscomedyclub.com.au or at the door if not sold out.

154 BROUGHAM ST, CNR WILLIAM ST, KINGS CROSS

FA C E B O O K . CO M / T H E S TA N D A R D S Y D N E Y BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 45

gig picks up all night out all week...

Deep Sea Arcade

TUESDAY AUGUST 30 Tim Finn Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $30 (+ bf) 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31 Deep Sea Arcade, The Salvagers, Enola Fall Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Jeff Martin (Canada), Terepai Richmond, Spooky Land Brass Monkey, Cronulla $42.85–$44.90 (+ bf) 7pm

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 An Evening With Anberlin: Anberlin (USA), Tonight Alive Enmore Theatre $55 7.30pm Charlie Mayfair The Vanguard, Newtown $10 (+ bf)–$45 (w/ dinner) 6.30pm Owl Eyes, Split Seconds Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $12 10pm

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $20 8pm Frenzal Rhomb, Teenage Bottlerocket, Totally Unicorn Metro Theatre, Sydney $31.20 (+ bf) 8pm Manning’s 11th Birthday: The Holidays, megastick fanfare, Fishing, Guineafowl Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $13.80 7pm Royal Headache, Holy Balm, Model Citizen Goodgod Small Club $10 (+ bf) 8pm Tim Finn

SATURDAY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 4 Bonjah, The Joe Kings, Daniel Lee Kendall Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $21 8pmÂ

Bonjah, The Joe Kings, Daniel Lee Kendall Brass Monkey, Cronulla $20.95 7pm

Syl Johnson, The Bamboos, Peter Glass The Basement, Circular Quay $58 (+ bf) 9.30pm

Eastern Aquarium Pt. 3: Collarbones, Guerre, Glisk, Cleptocleptics, Black Vanilla, Ki Mono Tone, Surry Hills $10 (presale)-$15 8pm

The Gangster’s Ball: The Velvet Set, Asher Treleaven Metro Theatre, Sydney $65–$130 7pmÂ

The Living End, Hunting Grounds, King Cannons Enmore Theatre $69 all ages 7pm

Split Seconds

As Loud As It Gets – A Tribute to Greg Clarke: Rose Tattoo, The Screaming Jets, Baby Animals, The Poor, Judge Mercy, Ugly Little Secrets Enmore Theatre $55 6.30pm Calling All Cars, Boy In A Box, Redcoats

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brag beats

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

he said she said WITH

I

remember thinking that being made to practice piano for 45 minutes before going to school instead of watching cartoons as a kid sucked. Going to band camp was kinda nerdy as well. So when I grew up, I thought DJing was a better option. I don’t have a hugely musical family, but I seemed to do a lot of it growing up anyway. Growing up, I would always swap my music taste as soon as the ‘next big thing’ came into flavour. I used to listen to whatever was biggest at the time, really. I guess the albums I can remember getting were from Sonic Youth, Blink182, Dexter Gordon, N*E*R*D and Stanton Warriors.

The Herd

ADAM BOZETTO I started getting into clubs when I was at uni studying science. Now I work on music productions on my own as Adam Bozzetto, with Sydney producer/DJ Kato under ‘Wordlife’, and as a duo with Sydney singer/DJ Kristy Lee Peters. For a day job, I work with the amazing guys at Heaps Decent, and on occasions I teach. When I find time around that, I get to DJ! When I DJ, I’ll play anything if it’s good – house/pop/ indie dance/nu disco... I guess mainly dance music, but also some hip hop and RnB. The groups or artists I’m really listening to now that inspire me include Hudson Mohawk, SBTRKT, Kanye and Jay-Z, Slice n Soda (Para One) and Clams Casino.

I like that it’s easier and cheaper to get music than ever before, so you can have many different styles of music in your collection. I guess that means there is a lot more competition, which makes standing out from the crowd harder. The best thing about Sydney right now is there are a lot of people getting their music out to the world. Guys like Art vs Science, Architecture In Helsinki and the Bang Gang label. Also the electro-house guys like Hook n Sling and Bass Kleph are continuing to carve out big names for themselves. All local guys, going all over the world. With: Murray Lake vs Adam Bozetto Where: Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange ‘Mix Off’ @ Cargo Lounge When: Saturday September 3 More: facebook.com/ smirnoffaustralia

TONE VENUE CLOSURE

In sad news for the Sydney club scene, Tone nightclub has been forced from its current location after a long running dispute with the landlord, and will cease hosting music events come September 19. In Tone’s 16 months of operation, the club had established itself as a refuge for more discerning hip hop and electronic fans; I fondly remember dancing the night away to Damian Lazarus and Kollektiv Turmstrasse at Tone, and the venue’s closure is something Sydney can ill afford given the already barren state of our club milieu. The crew behind Tone are “desperately” searching for a new venue, which is “proving extremely difficult due to City of Sydney’s freeze on Late liquor licenses… In order for Tone to stay solvent in the meantime we need support for our last month of shows, which include six international acts, seven launch parties and 21 events in total.” Let’s hope this story has a happy ending – keep your eyes on upcoming BRAG issues for further developments.

FOUR TET FABRICLIVE

Syl Johnson

SYL JOHNSON

Hailed by the LA Times as “a criminally unheralded stylist of urban funk and Southern soul,” Mississippi-born Syl Johnson, a fiery septuagenarian with a penchant for cussing, is touring Australia this week with support from Australia’s own purveyors of funk and soul, The Bamboos. A true veteran of the scene, Johnson was associated with the pioneers of blues like Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin’ Wolf, way back in the 1950s. Johnson’s career encompasses singles such as 1969’s ‘Is It Because I’m Black’, and his biggest hit ‘Take Me To The River’, which reached #7 on the R&B charts in 1975. The Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, The Fresh Prince and MC Hammer all sampled Johnson’s song ‘Different Strokes’ in the early 90s, which prompted Johnson to return to the scene, releasing Back In The Game in 1994. Of late he’s toured with Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and is currently embroiled in a scandal after Kanye West and Jay-Z didn’t clear a sample of Johnson’s ‘Different Strokes’ in their song ‘The Joy’. Syl Johnson will perform at The Basement this Saturday September 3.

Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, has compiled the 59th installment in the Fabriclive mix series, which will be released on September 19. An eclectic concept album, the mix will reflect the various rooms of Fabric nightclub itself, and is apparently broken into different parts to replicate the experience of moving within the club’s space to hear different DJs. The tracklist collates producers of the moment like Floating Points, Burial and Fabric techno favourite Ricardo Villalobos, alongside UK funky classics such as Apple’s ‘Mr Bean’ and material from David Borden, Funky House Apple, Mike Millrain, Big Bird and Jess Jackson. “This mix is not about my DJing,” Hebden declared. “It’s about London and Fabric and nights out and my take on all that. The memories and the influences. I used old and new music, I used recordings of Fabric, and I made new tracks of my own for it. I hope people play it fucking loud and lose their minds in it, and remember or imagine what it’s all about.” It’s hard to argue with that.

GUTI LIVE

Argentinean-born house exponent Guti will perform a live set for the Golden Cage crew at Tone nightclub on one of the venue’s last nights in operation, Saturday September 17. Guti released his debut album, Patio de Juego – the title translates from Spanish to English as ‘playground’ – on the Desolat label earlier in the year, an LP which featured collaborations

THE HERD

If The Lion King has taught us anything, it’s that a herd of wildebeest can scar a generation of children. Luckily The Herd are staying away from beloved father figures and sexy-eyed felines, and releasing kick ass albums instead. Future Shade, their fifth studio album, is like a concentrated dose of all the hip hop beats and well placed rage we’ve come to know and love from The Herd – and not only do BRAG have said album up for grabs, we also have a double pass for their show at The Metro Theatre on Saturday September 17, supported by hot up-and-comers Sietta. If you’d like these goodies to be yours, email us with the name of The Herd’s last album.

with Guy Gerber, Grünbox, Ryan Crosson and Anthea Marie Nzekwu. Renowned for fusing jazz and Latino influences with a house template, Guti has released on some of the foremost electronic labels such as Desolat, Crosstown Rebels and Wolf & Lamb, and consequently has had his name whispered with considerable fervour by folks queuing outside nightclubs. Support comes from Robbie Lowe, Javi Sampol, Jaded, James Petrou and Garth Linton, with presale tickets available for $20 online.

GOLD FIELDS DEBUT EP

Rising Ballarat outfit Gold Fields will release their self-titled debut EP next month. The quintet announced themselves last year with the breakout single ‘Treehouse’ and a live show hailed as a “high-energy combo of pounding drums, rhythmic basslines and herky-jerky dancing”. Over the course of their nascent career, Gold Fields have supported Crystal Castles and Datarock, and embarked on tours alongside renowned Australian groups The Holidays, Miami Horror and Pnau. Gold Fields will be playing a run of dates at Fuzzy’s national Parklife tour, which kicks off at the end of next month.

BREJCHA V BAKER

Subsonic will host an inner city warehouse bash on Saturday September 10 with dual international headliners: Subsonic favourite Boris Brejcha and Englishman Simon Baker. Those in attendance at last year’s Subsonic Music Festival will recall Brejcha’s rollicking set following on from Extrawelt in the early hours of Sunday morning on the mainstage, while Baker is renowned for such cuts as ‘Plastik’ on the esteemed Playhouse label and ‘X,Y and Z’ on the UK’s Leftroom imprint, as well as the chart-topper ‘Kaskazi’ with Jamie Jones. Doors will open at 7pm with free drinks and food for the early birds, accompanied by insouciant tunes ably provided by the Foreign Dub crew. And as a bonus, everyone there before 10pm will be entered into the draw for free Subsonic Festival tickets – not that you need the extra incentives. Presales through Resident Advisor.

“All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.” - CHUCK PALAHNIUK BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 47

dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

Tamas Jones

CLARE MORGAN FOR SHE CAN DJ Growing Up Mum is an amazing pianist and dad 1. fronted a band before he shunned the

The Music You Make My own productions are a varied bunch, 4. but you can definitely hear those Detroit and

music game whilst at uni and got a real job. I definitely grew up surrounded by music, and have been studying, composing and performing since I was a little kid.

Chicago influences coming through. I’m a mad collector of analogue synths, which always form the basis of my music. I’ve had a remix out on Melbourne’s Haul Music, but releases have been put on hold at the moment, as I’m a finalist in EMI’s incredible She Can DJ A&R Project.

Inspirations Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood 2. have always been a magical pairing for me. Bjork is incredible in terms of originality and sheer musicality. My biggest musical influences come from Detroit (Carl Craig, Derrick May) and Chicago (Larry Heard, Adonis); I love the depth of emotion, genuine musicality and rawness that these artists promote. In the techno sphere, the recent Plastikman live show was the single most technologically advanced spectacle I have witnessed. It got me so excited about the capabilities of music technology – these days we really are only limited by our imagination. Your Crew My crew are a killer bunch of DJs, 3. music-makers and promoters. In no particular order: Loose Kaboose, CO-OP, Bare Essentials, Tramp, Reckless Republic, Haul Music and S.A.S.H. Without them, the underground EDM scene would be a desolate place.

Music, Right Here, Right Now The biggest challenge for an Australian 5. artist in a non-commercial field is financial sustainability. Your art is always going to suffer if a full-time or part-time job is robbing you of time, energy and creativity, and many of our biggest underground talents have to head overseas to make a living. The best thing about my scene is that because of this, everyone is in it for the music and there’s a lot of mutual support and love. We have such a wealth of talent in this country; it would be wonderful if that was recognised by a wider audience and backed in the manner it could be. With: Alison Wonderland (Sydney), Amber Savage (Sydney), DJ Femme (Melbourne), Gabby (Sydney), Helena (Sydney), Leah Mencel (Adelaide), Minx (Sydney) and Rachel Andrews (Melbourne) Where: She Can DJ grand final @ The Ivy When: Wednesday September 14

ELECTRIC EMPIRE

Fresh from their debut UK tour, Electric Empire will perform at the newly launched Upstairs at The Beresford venue, on Thursday October 13. The trio are about to release a 7-inch single comprising their hits ‘Baby Your Lovin’ and ‘I Just Wanna Give It’ on UK label Soul Togetherness/ Expansions, and are also apparently well into the writing and recording of their second album. For anyone slow out of the blocks, Electric Empire released their self-titled debut earlier in the year, a release that attracted comparisons to Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, The Jacksons and Al Green, and was praised by the SMH for its “warm, analogue sounds and honeyed harmonies”. Those honeyed harmonies will be permeating through the Upstairs

Vengaboys

PICNIC AGENCY LAUNCH

Who doesn’t love a picnic? Sexy DJs, dirty beats and dancing until you pass out... Oh yeah – Picnic has a second meaning, and if it sounds like your type of thing you’re going to want to get to the launch of Picnic’s brand new DJ agency on Saturday September 3. You’ll be able to catch Tamas Jones, The Loin Brothers, Matt Trousdale, Andy Webb, Kali and Perfect Snatch – and did I mention it’s in a secret warehouse? It’s in a secret warehouse. And, like all good picnics, it’s BYO. Sound awesome? Hell yeah it does. You can grab tickets through Resident Adviser, or you can try your luck at a double pass: just email BRAG with a picture of your favourite picnic treat.

Beresford in a few weeks – presale tickets can be purchased online.

PICNIC DJ AGENCY WAREHOUSE BASH

Picnic is starting up a DJ agency, and are celebrating the initiative by throwing a warehouse bash this Saturday September 3 that will feature DJ sets from local impresarios plucked from the Picnic roster. Hey Convict’s Tamas Jones, The Loin Brothers, Matt Trousdale, Andy Webb, Kali and Perfect Snatch will all be representing from 10pm till damn late. As usual it’s a BYO affair, and you can grab tickets through Resident Advisor. Stay up to date at www.picnicstuff.com.au

Gang Gang Dance

VENGABOYS TOUR. YEP.

Eurodance phenomenon Vengaboys, responsible for ‘90s anthems ‘Boom Boom Boom’ and ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’, are touring Australia in support of their latest album Rocket To Your Uranus (what an apt title!). They’ll perform at the Coogee Bay Hotel on Friday January 13, 2012. Forget New Year’s Eve, this is the real deal! Tickets go on sale Monday, September 5 from bigtix.com.au

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOODGOD SMALL CLUB

In stark contrast to the news regarding Tone, one of Sydney’s other favourite new clubs, GoodGod Small Club, celebrates its first birthday with something of a mini-festival throughout the October long weekend, which this year spans September 30 – October 2. The fiesta begins on Friday with ‘Birthday Bashment’, featuring UK dancehall act Gappy Ranks in an exclusive live show, alongside party-rap DJ gal troupe Hoops, indie R’n’B kid Guerre, Toni Toni Lee, local African hip-hop crew K1 and DJs Kato, Levins, Jimmy Sing and Judgement, Huggz and Max Gosford. Saturday is about the bands, with The UV Race, Super Wild Horses, The Twerps, Belles Will Ring, Holy Balm, Fishing and more. On Sunday, the GoodGod House Band will play garage rock covers of ‘80s and ‘90s dance hits, flanked by an array of local DJs. And in the front half of the venue, late night diner The Dip will be serving up special festival treats, and hosting its own little soundsystem all weekend to compliment the serious action in the club area out back.

ZZT SINGLE

The electro ‘supergroup’ of ZZT – comprised of Zombie Nation and Tiga – have just released a new single. ‘Vulkan Alarm!’ is a harbinger for their forthcoming album, The Party’s Over Earth, which will be released later this year on Tiga’s Turbo Recordings label. The single release offers remixes from Proxy, Jan Driver and Perc, and was eloquently described by Soulwax as “amazeballs”. In regards to the ZZT project, Tiga has commented that “Sometimes I don’t want to sing, or even subject my personality into the music. It’s really back-to-the-roots club music. It’s old school and straightforward. There isn’t that much thinking because it’s all about just getting people to dance.” He also allegedly described ZZT as “stupid child techno”, in his typically self-deprecating and provocative fashion. For those curious about ZZT’s output, the duo have previously fashioned the cuts ‘Lower States Of Consciousness’, ‘The Worm’ and ‘ZZafrika’, all of which can be procured through online record stores like Beatport.

GANG GANG DANCE

A band as indebted to dance culture as they are to the New York art community, Gang Gang Dance will be bringing their “transcendental” live shows to Australia in December, to play the Sydney Opera House on Saturday December 10. The experimental American electronic outfit released a new LP, Eye Contact, earlier in the year, an accomplished effort that built on the grime, techno and R&B template of previous album Saint Dymphna, and prompted comparisons to Arthur Russell. For anyone planning a trip to Victoria, Gang Gang Dance are also performing at Meredith Festival, which runs from December 9 – 11.

“The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person.” - CHUCK PALAHNIUK 48 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

THE ANTICIPATED FOLLOW UP TO THE STELLAR DEBUT “POWER OF THE SPOKEN”

OBESE RECORDS PRESENTS

AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE SEPTEMBER 9TH 2011 WWW.OBESERECORDS.COM

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 49

John Askew

Tensnake A Soft Spot For Disco By RK

H

amburg’s Tensnake, aka Marco Niemerski, is one of the biggest names in cutting edge disco and house music at the moment. His huge 2010 summer track ‘Coma Cat’ was globally revered, and everyone from the house heads on Resident Advisor to the indie fans on Pitchfork are standing up and taking notice. His remixes for Azari & III, Hercules & Love Affair and Aloe Blacc are being spun all around the world, and his latest track ‘Something About You’ has already popped up on Fader, Fact Mag, XLR8R and Discobelle. Of course it can’t hurt that he’s an affable and approachable guy, who’s happy to talk music forever. “I started like a lot of people these days, as a bedroom producer,” he tells me. “I was buying drum machines and I slowly got into the production process. I was playing around for many years, collecting and all that stuff.” Indeed, Niemerski admits that it was quite late in his life when he decided he wanted to release his own records. “That was maybe seven years ago,

The Trance Titan By David Hunter when I was hanging out with two of my friends and we released my first record on a label, which did quite well in Germany… Then I did a remix for the Junior Boys from Canada – we got in touch on the internet – and that did really well too. So it was a good way to move away and leave my day job!” he enthuses. And he hasn’t looked back since. Tensnake isn’t interested in discussing the relative merits of genres and styles or, as he terms it, the “fashion trends”. “I don’t know about genres – for me it wasn’t a big problem. Germany is known for straight electronic music, but I always had a soft spot for disco. I never felt like I was an alien though. In Hamburg we have a lot of clubs that specialise in rock, for example – and even in Berlin, there are a lot of disco and general clubs, so it has expanded a lot. I don’t go out to a gig to play something in particular. You take the vibe from the dance floor, and you tailor your music accordingly. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my music, and which direction I am wanting to go in,” he says. “I really think about my style and direction a lot; I have a tropical vibe sometimes, as the weather here can be pretty bad. For me, it’s just about enjoying travel, other clubs, and bands and tracks; life in general is my inspiration, even though that sounds a little bit cliché. You can very easily play a song or write a track from a mood that you’re in or something you’ve seen that day, that kind of thing.” Studio wise, Tensnake’s ‘Something About You’ came out through his own label, Mirau – and he’s looking forward to having the time to put a whole album together when he returns home from Australia. “I would like to do something with vocalists and singers – move away from the pure club sound, and do something a bit more radio pop or something,” he says. “I’ve been touring for almost two years, so I feel a bit detached at the moment. When you’re at home you’re in a certain mind set, and when you tour it’s totally different again.” Tensnake is on his way down under for a national Parklife tour. “What can I say – I’m really looking forward to getting to Australia. I can’t wait to spend some time in the sunshine, and see all the happy smiling people. I’ve spent some time choosing the records I want to bring, and have decided to basically play with a bag full of my own tracks – it will be a hybrid of my own material, but also the producers I like,” he explains. “It’ll be a sunny, clubby set!” With: Death From Above 1979, Lykke Li, Crystal Fighters, Digitalism, Katy B, Kimbra, Nero, Simian Mobile Disco, The Streets and more Where: Parklife @ Kippax Lake, Moore Park When: Sunday October 2 from midday

J

ohn Askew’s quiet morning is being dominated by a side to the music industry with which he is far from enamoured. Having put in the hard yards to get to the top of the tech-trance table, he’s lost interest in playing the media game. “Shower and a black coffee are the only two things that have managed to have been done so far,” he sighs. To say that Askew is unhappy in the music industry would be unjustified, but it’s clear that he is currently somewhat disillusioned – particularly with the touring side of his routine. “I now tour a hell of a lot less. I got to the stage where I was pretty burnt out, and the novelty wore off… I’m not ashamed to say that I had quite a few gigs where I was just going through the motions.” Realising that he needed a change of pace and a new lease on life, he took matters into his own hands. “I took about four or five months, only doing the occasional gig, but just really taking time off to see if I missed it – with the potential idea of giving up all together. Not completely announcing a retirement or anything, but giving up extensive touring.” With enough space and time to collect his thoughts, Askew fortunately concluded that as opposed to walking away from the live forum, he would alter his approach to it. “Now what I do, I do ten gigs in the space of six weeks, then I take two months off, then come back. I’m not interested in hammering it on the road – I have too much other stuff to do.” With far less time away from home, Askew has been able to focus on improving his output. “What it does allow me to do, in the downtime between those sections of touring, is really spend a lot of time creating customised music and specific new tracks that are only ever going to be played at those gigs. I’m trying to get to the stage where my gigs are more of a live PA than a DJ set, because there aren’t that many people making the kind of music I like to play anymore. A lot of the ones that were making that style of music are now making more the pop-trance end of thing, the commercial type thing,” he says. “[This new process] has really reinvigorated my interest and my enthusiasm. I am really, really back into it, and think it was the right thing to do.” Askew is heading to Australia to co-headline this year’s Godskitchen – and he’s pleased to now be able to choose where and when he performs. When asked what tops the list, he replies without hesitation. “I have a really solid relationship with the Beirut clubbers, and I love going to Beirut. The title that place has been given – ‘The Paris

Of The Middle East’ – couldn’t be more apt; it’s a stunning place to go. I’d recommend it to anyone – not just dance music fans but as a holiday destination. It is phenomenal.” Rather than caving into the obvious Australia shout-out, he reveals his second choice: “Probably one of my top three places is Argentina as well. It is so wonderful as a place, the people are just fantastic, the food – and I guess most of all, they are one of five crowds that are so, so into the sound that I like to play, which is fantastic.” So then, Australia: the challenge is on. With: Marco V [NED], Richard Durand [NED] & Ben Gold [UK] Where: Godskitchen: A Trance Oddysey @ Hordern Pavilion When: Sunday October 2, 10pm – 6am

SBTRKT Behind The Mask By Reuben Adams

“T

hat was the idea behind SBTRKT; you’re no longer yourself, you’ve become this artist,” Aaron Jerome says slowly. Up until recently, the London post-dubstep producer was known only as a series of letters (pronounced ‘subtract’) – but as he explains it, his tribal mask and penchant for personal privacy is not about gimmicks. It’s about letting the music speak for itself. “When I’m wearing the mask, I am SBTRKT; when I’m not, I’m not.” The well-spoken artist makes it sound almost superhero-esque, as he explains his project as a means of separating the artist from the music. But considering his meteoric rise in popularity over the past couple of years, it seems to have been a failed attempt. And ‘meteoric’ is not an understatement. Following a bunch of high profile remixes and some remarkable tunes released on tastemaking labels like Young Turks last year, a couple of acclaimed EPs and his recent LP release, exposure reached an all-time high. The project was a way of removing any person from the music, but it could be said that it has had the opposite effect – anonymity is but a distant memory for Aaron Jerome. Are people now more interested in him as a person? “Yeah, it’s funny – now that they know more about the context of SBTRKT, there are

a lot of people that try to Google things – but generally they come up with a lot of false info on stuff, stuff that isn’t true,” Jerome chuckles. “I’m fine with it. Like in interviews, where someone won’t ask me a certain question but then they’ll Google it and use it in the article, and it’s usually not true at all. So I guess there are a lot of people now that just know me as the masked man – but the interest is ever-growing just like the music is, I guess.

“It’s not something where you have this continual back story and everything else from your history kind of culminates in what you’re doing now,” he continues. “For me, it’s a continual development; the music that I’m making now will be nothing like the music I’ll be making in five years.” If SBTRKT’s short history is anything to go by, Jerome is telling the truth. After making expansive and warm nu-jazz as Jerome, SBTRKT continues to craft an exciting blend of two-step,

UK funky, house and R&B. His new self-titled album exudes more soul than an electronic album should be allowed to; the squelchy, mutated bass and skittering two-step of ‘Wildfire’ spotlights the emotive vocal talents of Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon fame, for instance. The high amount of exposure that the album is getting on radio stations like triple j has been testament to the music’s wonderful accessibility; it’s clear that Jerome has succeeded in letting the music speak for itself. “It’s just the whole idea of being faceless and anonymous as a real person,” he muses. “There’s something about creating an identity that isn’t necessarily your own. I think the whole back story of why we chose an African tribal-inspired mask is because they were used to conjure up the spirit of an ancestor, or used for a specific dance. When you put the mask on, you become someone else.” What: SBTRKT is out now through Remote Control With: Baths (US), Electric Wire Hustle (NZ), Ghostpoet (UK), Tiger & Woods (ITA), Mitzi, Bon Chat, Bon Rat and more Where: Musica /Tumbalong @ Tumbalong Park When: Saturday October 22

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” - CHUCK PALAHNIUK 50 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

4 DAY INTERNATIONAL MUSIC, ARTS AND LIFESTYLE FEST IVAL MELBOURNE AUST RALIA JANUARY 27-30 MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL LINEUP INCLUDING: (NANO RECORDS, ISRAEL) LOUD OTT MUSIC, UK) PRODUCTIONS, USA) TIPPER(TIPPER ROBERT RICH (SOUNDSCAPE (TESSERACT/SUNDANCE, TALPA/THE RIDDLER SERBIA) MUSIC, IN GLITCH, GERMANY) TORONTO PROTONICA(IONO ILL GATES(MADE (KANZLERAMT, PETER HORREVORTSNETHERLANDS) RHINO, BRAZIL) GERMANY) JAMES MUNRO (FLYING KOZE(KOMPAKT, (BROKEN ROBOT (MUTI MUSIC, HEDFLUXRECORDS, UK) DOVUSA) (GLASS AIR, GLITCH MOB AMERICA) AND MORE... (TWISTED RECORDS, U.K.)

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www.rainbowserpent.net BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 51

Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

Seth Troxler

LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10 Disconnected ft Lucy The Civic Underground

MONDAY 3 OCTOBER Gregor Tresher Favela

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15

Marcel Dettmann & Ben Klock Chinese Laundry

DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 4 Subsonic Music Festival Barrington Tops

S

ummer is coming, so the international techno contingent are beginning to head down under. German techno pioneer Gregor Tresher, the man behind club staples like ‘Black Rain’, will play a daytime show for Subsonic Music at Favela on Monday October 3 – relax, it’s a long weekend. Tresher has ticked all the boxes to impress club neophytes and veterans alike over the course of his distinguished career, remixing Sven Vath, producing Monika Kruse’s acclaimed LP Changes Of Perception, collaborating with Johannes Heil and releasing on labels like Cocoon and Ovum. He also well and truly brought home the bacon when he threw down at a rollicking – and past capacity – warehouse bash last time he was in Sydney, about this time last year. You can expect a solid support crew to turn out for this gig too, though at the time of going to press, the finer details were still yet to be released. It’s all about GT though, really… The inimitable Detroit DJ impresario Seth Troxler has mixed the upcoming compilation The Lab 03, following in the sonic footsteps of heavyweights Loco Dice and Steve Bug. Seth himself discussed the construction of the compilation in a typically idiosyncratic fashion, saying that he imagined himself as “a scientist working in some secret base off the coast of Myanmar... when night talk with spider monkeys has just gone too far, what do you do, what’s there left to do?” A misguided druginduced attempt at humour? More than likely, knowing Seth, but he remains an irrepressible figure so you’ve got to take the diamonds with the duds (or something along those lines). And there’s way more diamonds than duds on this mix! The tracklist for the double-CD release is both eclectic and of primo quality, incorporating cuts from the likes of Dinky, DeWalta, Ric Y Martin and Superpitcher; I’ve gotta say, this really has all the ingredients of a good ol’ fashioned cracker. As with the previous Lab compilations, this one will be available as a mixed version as well as a twodisc unmixed compilation for DJs/bedroom bangers, and in a series of vinyl samplers. NRK Music has scheduled the compilation to hit shelves in October. German techno outfit Brandt Brauer Frick have announced details of

their second album, which sees the core trio of Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer and Paul Frick expand their band into a tenpiece ensemble. Entitled Mr Machine, the album builds on the refreshingly original fusion of techno and classical music that was showcased on the 2010 album You Make Me Real, with the new ensemble dispensing with laptops entirely and performing their music 100% live. The album will include reinterpretations of four tracks from You Make Me Real, three cover versions – Emika’s ‘Pretend’, ‘On Powdered Ground (Mixed Lines)’ by Agnes Obel and ‘A 606 ‘n’ Rock ‘n’ Roll’ by James Braun – and one new track. Recorded in just five days, the album is reportedly more than just a companion piece to You Make Me Real, with the new interpretations substantially changing the original material more than had been intended at the outset. Aside from the trio themselves, the ensemble includes artists from the Berlin contemporary classical music scene, and incorporates violin, cello, harp, piano, trombone, tuba, timpani, marimba, vibraphone, live drums and percussion and even a Moog synthesiser. Mr Machine will be released in October via !K7 Records. Has the lineup for this year’s Subsonic Music Festival lineup been released yet? Chances are it is available online at the very moment you’re reading this. Rest assured there will be a full report in next week’s mag, but for now let’s go with a BRAG exclusive and name the first international from this year’s expansive, and damn impressive, festival lineup: the one and only Phil Keiran.

Gregor Tresher

Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com. 52 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

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. In unexpected news, one of the only recently-established Sydney venues, Tone Venue has announced its closure. In only a short amount of time, Tone has become a second lounge room for the hip hop community, the electronic music community and, even more recently, the indie and burlesque scenes. Providing a sonic alternative to the drearily mainstream music policies pursued by the majority of bars and clubs, Tone’s departure feels like a big loss; this column has really developed a soft spot for the place. From the horse’s mouth: “Due to circumstances beyond our control Tone Venue will cease trading from its current location on Monday September 19th. We believe that the venue is to become some kind of cheesy, themed restaurant. We are already searching for a new venue and in the meantime will continue to be involved with some of the best events in town, so please make sure to keep that dial locked on Tone.” So there it is, you’ve got about three weeks left to get down to the venue before it closes its doors. The management are looking for a new space, and this column hopes they find one soon – otherwise a serious range of underground club nights will be left homeless. Tone is dead, viva la Tone! To new music – seminal Australian hip hop outfit Def Wish Cast are back with new material. You can check their new tune ‘Dun Proppa’ on Soundcloud right now, and can also expect a full album, Evolution Machine, to follow. The new long-player features production from The Nextmen and Plutonic Lab. Spanish label Lovemonk are always tirelessly working away releasing music across the rare groove spectrum – in fact they’re becoming comparable to Tru Thoughts or Ubiquity. The label has just dropped a new recording from Banda Achilifunka & OJO, ‘I Believe In Miracles’. It’s a rumba-infused funk rework of the Jackson Sisters’ classic; sun-soaked dancefloor Latin jazz. Good times! Drum’n’bass heads will be interested in The Prototypes’ new EP Born To Rise. Alongside the title track and ‘Your Future’, the digital version also holds ‘Taking Me Over’ featuring Laura Vane, who’s recorded some brilliant vocals with Diesler, The Streets and MJ Cole previously. The release is out through Shogun Audio. On the party front, spring is starting to look real good: Dig Deep and Funkdafied team up for the Top Deck harbour cruise on Saturday November 5. Soul, funk, hip hop, rare groove, Latin and reggae is the order of the day, all pumping on the roof of the Bella Vista, with the sounds of house downstairs. Simon Caldwell, Mike Who, Peter Glass, and Gian Arpino will all be on board with yet more DJs to be added. And there’s a cheeky afterparty for those who return to land with facilities intact.

ON THE ROAD WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31 Theophilus London Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10 SAMIYAM Tone

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 Elzhi Tone

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

The Herd, Sietta Metro Theatre Public Opinion Afro Orchestra Oxford Art Factory Goldie Chinese Laundry

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 Booker T. Jones Metro Theatre

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 Musica /Tumbalong Tumbalong Park

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29 London Elektricity The Arthouse

Operating under the Sydney Fringe Festival banner, a night of quality music hits 99 On York (AKA The Bowlers' Club) over the October long weekend. Tropical Rituals features a range of this column’s favourite bands including The Leisure Bandits, The Danny G Felix Project, and Samba Mundi featuring Alphamama and Merenia Gillies. And you’ll also hear from P-Smurf, Kween G and Ngaiire on the night. It all goes down Saturday October 3. Australian beats and breaks fans stand up, as a top-shelf lineup amasses at the Beach Road Hotel this Thursday September 1. NSW’s favourite producer Rephrase goes head to head with Queensland’s best funky breaks producer Slynk. The pair are backed by James Taylor and Bentley. And Theophilus London appears at the OAF this Wednesday night – a good reason to get out and about midweek for some quality hip hop action. He’s just dropped his excellent debut album, Timez Are Weird These Days. All signs point to a killer show. Def Wish Cast

`C Coming Comin omin

Soon n

`

Soul Sedation

¶ DAPPLED CITIES

DEEP SEA ARCADE THE SALVAGERS BELLES WILL RING LEADER CHEETAH TRIAL KENNEDY BALL PARK MUSIC GUINEAFOWL THE DEAD LEAVES GOLD FIELDS LOON LAKE MILLIONS SOLA ROSA SOUND SYSTEM (NZ) RU CL PARIS WELLS CHEAP FAKES ¶ free

live

Send stuff for this column to tonyedwards001@gmail.com by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag.com BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 53

club guide

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Theophilus London

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

Theophilus London, (USA)

Polo Club $30–$35 8pm Polo Club

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Theophilus London (USA), Polo Club $30–$35 8pm Scubar, Sydney Schoonerversity 3pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Sincopa free 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall free 8pm

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 MONDAY AUGUST 29 Scubar. Sydney Crab Racing 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross 16 Tacos, Pipemix free 8pm

TUESDAY AUGUST 30 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel DJ Willie Sabor and Friends 6pm Scubar, Sydney Backpacker Karaoke 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Coyote Tuesdays Resident DJs $10

Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs 11pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic free 9pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31 Bank Hotel, Newtown Girls’ Night DJ Du Jour free Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Palace Uni Night DJs free 9pm Home The Venue, D arling Harbour Home Wednesdays – Foam Party Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Student Nights DJ Moussa free 11pm

Arthouse Hotel, Sydney Mojito Central Latin Mafia DJs free 7pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop Rephrase, Slynk, James Taylor, Bentley free 8pm The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Tenzin, Cadell, Zannon, DJ K-Note free 8pm Ivy Courtyard Ivy Live The Groove Academy feat. Sarah Hyland free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Retail Therapy 8pm Scubar, Sydney $5 Everything Thursdays DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Ruby Frost (NZ), Urby, Mush free (student)–$5 9pm

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2 Arthouse Hotel, Sydney RnB Superclub $20 9.30pm Bank Hotel, Newtown Friendly Fridays DJ Eddie Coulter free The Burdekin, Darlinghurst DJs 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Liquid Sky 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Mark Instinct (Can), Doctor Wereworlf, A-Tonez, Bruxism, Embi & DJ Finesse $15-$25 10pm Cohibar Guest DJ, DJ Jeddy Rowland, DJ Anders Hitchcock free Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! Silky Doyle, King Opp, Daniel Darling free The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney DJ Cadell 5pm Gladstone Hotel, Redfern Hip Hop & UK Bass feat. Beans,Dither, Knocturnal, LC Beats, Jeye-King, Pimpeii, Blazé, Invada Z + Grandeur Marley,Darkcide + Pandemic,Sensi Gypsy Lounge, Darlinghurst Warp Speed Various DJs 9pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Devola, Starjumps, Frames, Kristy Lee $10 8pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJs free Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Friday DJ Tone free 9pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Friday I’m In Love DJs free 12am Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Wolfden Wolfden DJs $10 9pm Scubar, Sydney Jagermeister Fridays DJs 7pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Mixtape free 6pm Tone, Surry Hills Twist and Shout 60s Dance Party Dylabolical, Doctor J $5 9pm Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs 11pm The Watershed Hotel Bring On The Weekend! DJ Matty Roberts free The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM $15 9pm

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3 Argyle Hotel, The Rocks Takin’ It Back Illya, Emme Jay, Random Soul DJs

DJ Silencer

Arthouse Hotel, Sydney Trelo Kalokairi, Krazy Kon, Kocho, Agey, Dimi K $20-$25 9.30pm Bank Hotel, Newtown DJ Slynk, Tikki Tembo free The Burdekin, Darlinghurst DJs 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Shake! Shake! Shake! Disco Volante, Zomg! Kittens!, D.U.I., Slipperywhenwet, MooWho, Stressless 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Nick Warren (UK), Dave Stuart, Matt Nugent, Reekay Garcia, King Lee, Naany, Sushi, Gabriel Clouston, Joe Barrs $25 10pm Cohibar DJ Anders Hitchcock, DJ Mike Silver Forbes Hotel, CBD Cube feat. Yokoo, Tom Brereton, Amy Fairweather, edorado Perlo, Kimba, Nach Volsser. Gaelic Club, Surry Hills Reservoir Derby After Party Absolute Power DJs $15 (+ bf) 10pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Teddy AKA Silencer (UK), Juzlo, Max Gosford, Filth Collins, Victime, Garage Pressure, Swarmy, That’s Them, Spikey Tee $15 11pm Home The Venue, Darling Harbour Homemade Saturdays Timomatic, KCB $20-$25 9pm Ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy Saturdays $20 6pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Miss T, Gabby, Cassette, Alison Wonderland 8pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJs free Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Saturday I’m Pregnant DJs free 12am Picnic Warehouse Picnic Agency Launch -Tamas Jones (Hey Convict!), The Loin Brothers, Matt Trousdale, Perfect Snatch, Kali, Andy Webb

Reservoir Derby After: Absolute Power DJs Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $15 (+ bf) 8pm Scubar, Sydney Every Saturday DJs 3pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney MJ, Drew Mercer free-$10 9pm Tone, Surry Hills I Know Leopard Rabbit Hole DJs, Esteban 2am Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills Hey Now vs Joyride, Street Chant (NZ), Step Panther, Banshee 6pm Valve Bar, Tempe Amalgamation – Electro Soup DJ Franco, Isaax (UK), Poseidon, Nicky Larousi, DJ Yang, Shaegameister, Opsyris 6pm Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs 11pm Water Bar – Blue Hotel Saturday Night Deluxe DJ Beth Yen free The Watershed Hotel Watershed Presents… Skybar The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! $20 9pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4 Bank Hotel, Newtown DJ Kitty Glitter free Fakeclub, Kings Cross SPICE Feat James Talyor, Kali Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Sneaky Sundays 8pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Easy Sundays DJs Stu Turner, NAD, Mr Belvedere, Murray Lake, Pat Ward 6pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone free 7pm Scubar, Sydney Sundays at Scubar 3pm The Watershed Hotel Afternoon DJs DJ Bynstar The World Bar, Kings Cross Disco Punx free

“You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past.” - CHUCK PALAHNIUK 54 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

Ruby Frost

snap

club picks up all night out all week...

up all night out all week . . .

Pressure, Swarmy, That’s Them, Spikey Tee $15 11pm

Mark Instinct

Tone, Surry Hills I Know Leopard Rabbit Hole DJs, Esteban 2am Picnic Warehouse Picnic Agency Launch Tamas Jones (Hey Convict!), The Loin Brothers, Matt Trousdale, Perfect Snatch, Kali, Andy Webb

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2 Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Wolfden Wolfden DJs $10 9pm Tone, Surry Hills Final Twist and Shout 60s Dance Party Dylabolical, Doctor J $5 9pm

Slynk

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3 Forbes Hotel, CBD Cube feat. Yokoo, Tom Brereton, Amy Fairweather, Edorado Perlo, Kimba, Nach Volsser $15 10pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Teddy AKA Silencer (UK), Juzlo, Max Gosford, Filth Collins, Victime, Garage

winter beatz

19:08:11 :: Entertainment Centre :: 35 Harbour Street, Darling Harbour 9320 4200

the exchange hotel

PICS :: AM

The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Ruby Frost (NZ), Urby, Mush free (student)–$5 9pm

Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Devola, Starjumps, Frames, Kristy Lee $10 8pm

Fakeclub, Kings Cross SPICE Feat James Taylor, Kali

PICS :: TL

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop Rephrase, Slynk, James Taylor, Bentley free 8pm

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Mark Instinct, Doctor Wereworlf, A-Tonez, Bruxism, Embi & DJ Finesse $15-$25 10pm

19:08:11 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34-44 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93601375

uber lingua

PICS :: CG

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4

20:08:11 :: Tone :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440 :: NIKI BODLE :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NA OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER PEACHY :: ROSETTE ROUHAN MAS THO :: NS MUN IEL DAN :: :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 55

snap sn ap

infused

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up all night out all week . . .

chinese laundry

PICS :: AM

13:08:11 :: Phoenix Bar :: Downstairs 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 93311936

It’s called: Tomás Ford’s I Feel Dirty Tour It sounds like: Dean Martin crooning punk rock songs in a gay disco. Acts: Tomás Ford and special guests.

aum

18:08:11 :: Tone :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: new single ‘I Feel Dirty’ (available for free at http://ifeeldirty.tom asford.com); rave-rap anthem ‘Loudspeeka’; and the all-in, crowd-unitin g moment ‘Cuddle’. And one you definitely won’t: Kylie Minog ue. Oh wait. Tomás probably will cover that. Sell it to us: Perth electro-disco showman Tomás Ford is an institution in his hometown of Perth. His shows ine live electro, film projection, ludicrous costume changes and audiecomb nce-b weirdest dance music live show around andaiting showmanship. It’s the it’s a lot of fun. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Likely the whole show, scarred into your memory. In a good way. Crowd specs: Weird kids, indie kids, goth kids, hipster kids… all welcome. Wallet damage: $10 on the door Where: Valve Bar And Venue, 900 Princess Hwy, Tempe When: Sunday September 11

propaganda

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party profile

tomás ford

PICS :: CG

19:08:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958

strike

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18:08:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

hippies from hell

PICS ::CG

19:08:11 :: Strike Bowling Bar :: 22 The Promenade, King St Wharf 1300787453

18:08:11 The Flinders Hotel :: 65 Flinders St. Darlinghurst 9356 3622 56 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

:: NIKI BODLE :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA PEA MAS :: DANIEL MUNNS :: THO :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR

BUY A DRINK… BOWL FOR FREE $6 MINIMUM SPEND. CONDITIONS APPLY. PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS.

ALL DAY SUNDAYS AT STRIKE KING STREET WHARF, DARLING HARBOUR MONDAYS FROM 5PM AT STRIKE CHATSWOOD MONDAYS FROM 5PM AT STRIKE ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, MOORE PARK FIND US ON

BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11 :: 57

snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .

party profile

syl johnson It’s called: Syl Johnson, backed By The Bamb oos It sounds like: Surefire soul! Acts: Soul legend Syl Johnson backe Bamboos, with DJs JC and Mr Glass d by Melbourne’s best band The Three songs you’ll hear on the Strokes’; ‘Is It Because I’m Black’ night: ‘Take Me To The River’; ‘Different And one you definitely won’t: Las Ketchup Sell it to us: Syl Johnson’s music been sampled by Cypress Hill and Wu-Tang in the past, and he’s has currently going head to head with Jay-Z and Kanye over a sample issue. .. For the first time in Sydney, he’s bringing all of the originals to the stage with an incredible live show. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Syl is a anything out with this one! But it's safe to saywild card – we’re not ruling his character and voice will shine through. Crowd specs: Come with a smile on your face, and be ready to dance! Wallet damage: $58 + bf Where: The Basement

18:08:11::

Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

abercrombie hotel

PICS :: RR

hot damn

PICS :: CG

When: Saturday September 3

mum

PICS :: TP

lo-fi b'day 19:08:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 58 :: BRAG :: 427 :: 29:08:11

PICS :: TL

19:08:11 :: Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 92113486

17:08:11 :: Lo-Fi :: 383 Bourke Street Darlinghurst, 9331 6200 :: NIKI BODLE :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA PEA MAS :: DANIEL MUNNS :: THO :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR

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