The Brag #430

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AUSTRALASIAN WORLD

MUSIC EXPO 2O11 1 7 - 20 NOVEMBER | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA THE ARTS CENTRE | THE HIFI | THE TOFF | MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE FOUR DAYS OF THE FINEST ROOTS MUSIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD

ARTISTS INCLUDE: BLUE KING BROWN (AU) THE DYNAMITES FEATURING CHARLES WALKER (USA) KATCHAFIRE (NZ) MULATU ASTATKE (ETHIOPIA) WITH BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE (ETHIOPIA/AU) THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA (AU) IRATION STEPPAS (UK) MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA WITH STRANGER COLE (JAMACIA) SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR (AU) LOTEK (UK/AU) ICONIC SONGS FEATURING ARCHIE ROACH, SHANE HOWARD AND NEIL MURRAY (AU) STIFF GINS (AU) VIKA & LINDA BULL (AU) AARON CHOULAI - WE DON’T DANCE FOR NO REASON (PNG/AUST) SIX60 (NZ) MORNINGTON ISLAND DANCERS (AU) MARK ATKINS (AU) BENNY WALKER (AU) PACIFIC CURLS (NZ) COLLARD GREENS AND GRAVY (AU) KYLIE AULDIST (AU) MIKELANGELO AND THE TIN STAR (AU) LJ HILL (AU) BARONS OF TANG (AU) NAEDRUM (SOUTH KOREA) NORIKO TADANO (JAPAN/AU) LINDIGO (RÉUNION ISLANDS/FRANCE) BOBBY ALU (AU) MERCAN DEDE (TURKEY) YUNG WARRIORS (AU) KHALIL GUDAZ (AFGHANISTAN/AU) DJ CLICK (FRANCE) SIMANGAVOLE (RÉUNION ISLANDS/FRANCE) PLUS MORE ACTS SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED SHOWCASE CONCERTS | INDUSTRY FORUMS | CONFERENCE SESSIONS WEEKEND FESTIVAL DELEGATE PASSES AVAILABLE ONLINE | WEEKEND PASS ENABLES ACCESS TO ALL CONCERTS, FILM PROGRAM, WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCE SESSIONS

FOR INFO VISIT This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

www.awme.com.au TERRASPHERE P R OD U C T ION S

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Festival Albums of the Month

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

five things WITH

CAITLIN PARK to me. My parents’ music collection was Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young – as well as audio books like The Great Piratical Rumbustification and The Librarian and the Robbers. This musical upbringing was highly influential for my music-making now – folk music, spoken word… Sampling and minimalism came later, but it’s all there in the mix.

Inspirations The Books, Sleeping States, Cat Power, 2.

Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens and Steve Reich.

I remember the first time I listened to each of them – most I was blown away by, and some I grew to love. Arrangement is a very important part of music making to me, and these people are the best in the world at putting intricate elements together. I love all film soundtracks, especially older films like Rear Window and To Catch A Thief – the dialogue is incredible.

Your Crew I play live with a friend called Brighton 3.

– she’s a drummer and loves everything

Up My strongest musical memory growing 1.Growing

up was Fantasia – the way the music brought the characters to life was a huge inspiration

Oh Mercy

PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com EDITOR: Steph Harmon steph@thebrag.com 9552 6333 ACTING ARTS EDITOR: Caitlin Welsh Rulz OK! dee@thebrag.com 9552 6333 STAFF WRITERS: Jonno Seidler, Caitlin Welsh NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Cai Griffin, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Thomas Peachy, George Popov, Nathan Tito COVER DESIGN: Sarah Bryant ADVERTISING: Matthew Cowley - 0431 917 359 / (02) 9552 6333 matthew@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9552 6333 les@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Meaghan Meredith - 0423 655 091 / (02) 9552 6333 meaghan@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Matt Banham - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance & parties) INTERNS: Sigourney Berndt, Julian de Lorenzo, Greg Clennar REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Binns, Joshua Blackman, Liz Brown, Bridie Connellan, Ben Cooper, Oliver Downes, Alasdair Duncan, Max Easton, Tony Edwards, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Max Easton, Mike Gee, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Alex Lindsay Jones, Peter Neathway, Hugh Robertson, Matt Roden, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, Luke Telford, Rick Warner Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 8a Marlborough Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Staff of The Brag.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Art Work, Ad Bookings Thursday 12pm (no extensions) Ad Cancellations Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? Email distribution@furstmedia. com.au or phone 03 9428 3600.

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rhythmic. We met at the end of last year and became really good friends. We see eye-to-eye on most music – I think I’m more into the slow folk and she’s more into hip-hop, but we both really enjoy each other’s musical tastes.

INK YOU, BUS!

Have you ever heard Brandon Boyd from Incubus in an interview situation? He talks in vague mythical Easternisms, dropping things like “energy flow” and “cosmic alignment” into the mix like he isn’t in a band that did nu-metal and had a DJ. Anyways, Incubus have just announced an Aussie tour, and they’ll be playing Hordern Pavilion on February 3. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday September 28. Put both dates in your iCal, bro.

RAMP UP YOUR WEEKEND

OH MERCY’S VICTORY LAP

Alexander Gow (aka Oh Mercy) has had an impressive year; releasing the greatest pun/laidback listen of the year in Great Barrier Grief, and finding an incredibly attractive girl to play the bass parts from it live. To cap off this twelvemonth glory run, Oh Mercy are playing their final Sydney headline show of the year, October 14 at Oxford Art Factory.

Brous, that explosion of noir, lounge and Europop, will be playing support.

(Great Barrier Grief is also being released on 180 gram vinyl; put it on your turntable and cut that shit up!)

FBi Social is always a lot of fun, but Saturday September 24 will be exactly seven times more fun than that last time you were there and thought, “Hey, this is fun!” It’s the next soiree in the Radiant Live series, and it’s a killer lineup: Melbourne party-starters Aleks & The Ramps, Sydney’s Rand & Holland and Pascal Barbare will be playing live for you and only you. Music between bands is supplied by the wackily-

The Music You Make I just released my debut album; it’s called 4.

Milk Annual. I recorded and produced it myself in various home studios and loungerooms. It was mixed by the lovely Liam Judson (Belles Will Ring, Cloud Control), who gave it a special kind of magic, I think – he did a fabulous job!

Trying to create the album onstage is tough – it’s a lot of loop pedals and sample pads, but minimal instruments. It’s more about building an atmosphere than being a presence.

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene in Sydney is tough at the 5. moment, with all the venues closing, but I keep hoping there will be a massive turnaround and little venues will pop up everywhere! There are so many great bands around at the moment – Melodie Nelson, Belles Will Ring, Tin Sparrow, Fox & Sui, The Magnetic Heads – and venues like FBi Social and Low Bar, and everyone should head down to Petersham Bowling Club at one time or another.

Who: Tin Sparrow Where: Launch of Milk Annual @ FBi Social, Kings Cross Hotel When: Thursday September 22

named DJ Adam Lewis. $12 on the door, at FBi Social, which is in the Kings X Hotel, across from the Coke sign under which you dropped a whole pizza that one time.

BELLINGEN GLOBAL CARNIVAL

Do you enjoy weird string instruments, flowing garbs and hula hoops? All these things and more are on the poster for the Bellingen Global Carnival, which takes place from September 30 – October 2 in the Bellingen Valley. But because not everything can be judged by a poster, maybe it will interest you to know that among the acts playing are Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jon Cleary & The Philthy Phew (both shipped in directly from New Orleans, where music was first invented), Dubmarine, Band of Brothers, Mama Kin, Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Lotek and many, many more. Visit globalcarnival.com to see the poster/buy tickets.

EXTRA CUSTARD

Yes, yes we know you’re a slacker. You’re a smooth, slow-strutting type who won’t rush for nothin’. This kinda thing might be ok when writing sun-speckled ‘90s indie pop, but when it comes to securing tickets to watch sun-speckled ‘90s indie pop, it doesn’t really fly... Custard’s first Sydney show in 12 years (at The Standard; Sydney’s newest live venue, located upstairs at Kinselas) has completely sold out, with a second (read: FINAL!) show scheduled for September 24. And yes, this one will sell out too. So buy a ticket! You can swagger quickly, you know.

OPETH!

Have you got that epic rage inside of you that only a show by one of the world’s most monolithic metal acts can quell? Yes? I could tell by the way you were twisting up that bus timetable… Well, luckily Opeth are touring, smashing through the Enmore Theatre on December 16 to perform tracks from their tenalbum back catalogue. Double-kick your way to the Enmore, and don’t wear flouro this time.

Panic! At The Disco

LET’S BEE FRIENDS

On one of the community radio stations, they were playing Gotye after Kimbra after Liam Finn – and then all of a sudden, this folksy, slightly progrockish ‘70s record that sounded like someone had smashed together Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young and gotten Eric Clapton to play guitar came on. I assumed the dial had been bumped to WSFM, until the announcer said, and I quote: “That was Drawn From Bees, from Brisbane, and they’ll be playing Oxford Art Factory on October 15. Now it’s time for some wacky phone-calls!!!”

REVOLT!

“If it’s a Counter-Revolution you want, then it’s a counter-revolution that you’ve got,” said the Parisian students moments before the riots of the late ‘60s. While that quote’s veracity could not be confirmed at time of print, it does tie in nicely with the following list of acts set to play Counter Revolution this Sunday September 25 at Luna Park: Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low, Yellowcard, Story Of The Year, Face To Face, The Damned Things, Set Your Goals, Funeral For A Friend, Hellogoodbye, D.R.U.G.S, The Pretty Reckless, Young Guns, This Providence, Go Radio, Make Do and Mend, Alesana, The Swellers, We Are The In Crowd, Terrible Things. Drink loads of water.

G reat titles at a sp e cial price

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rock music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

He Said She Said WITH

ZAC FROM THE FROWNING CLOUDS a band. We all used to skate heaps and realised music was way more fun. We have a lovely lady who answers to the name Katie that helps us out a lot, and has from the beginning. We all collectively love ‘60s garage music, but we all listen to a lot of other music as well.

The music we make is some sort of ‘60s garage. It’s become this taboo to rip off ‘60s music, but if some band does some blown out ‘70s shit, or synth stuff, or nostalgic indie or punk or whatever, people just lap it up and say how great it is. We’ve recorded with Mikey Young (of ECSR fame), and that was a real pleasure. same goes with our bud Owen from your end of town – he plays in Straight Arrows, who rule, OK?

I remember my dad had this old tape of Megadeth that I literally used to watch daily. Their videos were pretty violent, and I just took to it right away. Megadeth were my favourite band until I was about 10 or so.

I grew up in a big house on a farm and my dad always had parties; he had a band called Barbwire Bouquet that practiced in the wool shed, and his singer could do backflips.

Lou Reed was a banging guitar player

once upon a time. I try to steal from him as much as I can. I like The Monks a lot too – I’ve not really heard anything like them before or since. I suppose I eventually want to make music that’s not been heard before. Devo did a pretty good job at that.

We’ve all been buddies for a while now.

Daff and I have known each other since primary school, and ever since getting into The Ramones we’ve talked about making

The music scene at the moment is probably the best it’s been in a long time.

There’s so many bands doing good things, even just in Melbourne alone. Bands like UV Race, The Clits, Total Control, Chook Race – it’s a very healthy scene indeed. I think Australia rivals any other country in the world at the moment for sick toons.

CUSTARD

There aren’t many Aussie bands who can boast a cult following like Brisbane ‘90s heroes Custard can. And after a decadelong hiatus, they’re returning to play their first Sydney gig in over 12 years, bringing their catchy, calcium-rich tunes to The Standard on Friday September 23 (which they sold out) and Saturday September 24 (which is on sale now). Since it’s been a while since they’ve had a studio sesh, they’ll have to crank out the classics, like ‘Girls Like That’ and ‘Apartment’. BRAG have two double passes for the Saturday show; to nab one, just tell us what girls like that don’t go for…

SEBADOH

Don’t you hate when Lady Gaga re-releases her album 42 times with nothing but different packaging? Luckily, not all musicians are so selfish. Indie rock gods Sebadoh recently reissued their hit album Bakesale with an epic 25 extra tracks. (Talk about the edge of glory.) And then they decided to go on a tour to celebrate. Nice guys, right? Even nicer, they’ve given us two double passes for their show at The Metro Theatre on Wednesday September 21, with Sydney legends Smudge. If you’d like one, just tell us your favourite bakesale treat.

With: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Saturday September 24

Sebadoh experimental music festival that coincides with This Is Not Art; and after casually tossing out names like Moon Duo, Wet Hair and Mono like it’s no big deal, they’ve saved up a veritable feast for their second lineup announcement (assuming you subsist on live music). Fabulous Diamonds (VIC), Collarbones (SA/NSW), Scattered Order, Kirin J Callinan, Guerre, Domekyo/Gonzales, No Art, Forces (VIC), Kitchen’s Floor (QLD), Bare Grillz, Horse Macgyver (VIC) and Blank Realm (QLD) will join the aforementioned bands, with more to be announced very soon.

Faker

BREAKOUT!

When I was younger, under-18s festivals were called Sunday School, and we learnt about wonderful sandal-wearing people like Jesus and, to a lesser extent, Moses. These days, they’re all about your LMFAOs, your Bloody Beetroots, your Afrojacks and Armin Van Buurens – at least it is at the inaugural Breakout Festival for under-18s. It costs only $70 a pop, and happens December 2 at the Hordern Pavilion and Byron Kennedy Hall. Tickets are on sale now.

SURRY HILLS ROCKS

Stonefield

STONEFIELD

Four sisters playing psychedelic droney rock music. No, this isn’t a dream sequence from the straight-to-television film Austin Powers: Back In The Swing (out 2014), but an actual thing that is happening in pubs and clubs all across our fair land. Stonefield, they call themselves, and they have been winning accolades all around – even playing a very wellreceived show at the Roxy on Sunset Strip last month. They’ll be at the Oxford Art Factory this Thursday September 22, and are playing the following night at The Great Northern in Newcastle. Go to both shows.

MERE MORTALS

“Unknown Mortal Orchestra meld psychedelia with breakbeat and soul.” “Sure, sure,” I sneered, quickly purchasing a pair of glasses, so I could put them on and look down my nose at such a statement. But they really do, and not only that, they do it amazingly well. See the Portland-via-New Zealand band’s melding ways on December 7 at the Oxford Art Factory, supported by DZ Deathrays.

GOODGOD TURNS ONE

Although the Queen only takes a solitary day to celebrate her birthday, GoodGod are more important and more relevant – and are therefore stretching their celebrations over three decadent and responsible-service-of-alcohol-y nights. The first of the three consecutive

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evenings in celebration of their first year kicks off Friday September 30, with the UK’s biggest (in popularity, not girth) dancehall act Gappy Ranks, alongside local DJs Hoops, Guerre, Toni Toni Lee, and more. The second is ‘GoodGod Smash Hits’, featuring Super Wild Horses, The UV Race, The Twerps, Holy Balm, Belles Will Ring and more of your favourite droney-psyche indie-rock doom-disco bands. On the final night, Sunday October 2, the GoodGod House Band will be playing, along with Oscar + Martin, Donny Benet and more. That’s gonna be a whole lotta hangover…

SOUND SUMMIT MK II

Newcastle has more to offer the country than celebrities with the surname of Johns. They also have Sound Summit, the upcoming

Surry Hills Rocks is happening this Thursday September 22 at Upstairs Beresford, with Sparkadia, Ed Worland and the Green Teas and Phebe Starr all performing to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. $15 cover charge, 100% of which is donated to charity.

This is obviously a good cause, so make sure you get along – and if you are one of those middle management, comfortable, highincome types, donate some money. Annaliese Braakensiek is a big supporter of this charity too, a fact which contains absolutely no opportunity to make a cheap joke. Ah well….

BUT MUUUM!

When your father rings you up in a few weeks and says you should visit your Mum more, you can now glibly remark that actually you visited Mum (at World Bar, but leave that part out) on Friday September 23 and watched Spookyland, Bell Weather Department, She’s So Rad, Massai, Kill City Creeps, Corpus and New Brutalists. Then he will be all confused and mumble something about maybe showing him how to use the TiVO again next time you come round.

THIS MUCH IS TREW

Canadian band The Trews sound like what commercial radio should sound like; Southernsounding twangy rock. Like a bunch of great one-hit wonder songs, but all written and performed by the same awesome band. On Wednesday September 28 they are arriving in Newcastle to surf and play ice-hockey (we assume), and might even fit in a show at The Great Northern…

FAKER ARE BACK!

Nathan and Nic from Faker performed an impromptu gig in the park across the road from the BRAG offices a month or so back; just the two of them, sitting on a makeshift bench made from a ladder and some amps. During ‘Hurricane’, Nathan did this thing when he bounced up and stood on the ladder and pretty much got set to leap into the audience, until he realised launching into a bunch of strangers sitting on the grass in a park is the kind of thing that often ends up in court. If things get that manic on a horizontal ladder in a park, then we can’t wait to see what happens when they play The Standard on November 11. It’s their first headlining tour for over three years, and judging by their brooding new EP, How Did We Not Get Loved, their new stuff is pretty great.

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 17

The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Industry Music News with Christie Eleizer

Lifelines Marrying: Sydney radio station The Edge’s breakfast team Mike E and Emma are tying the knot on September 24 – but as part of a station promotion.

Injured: British India singer Declan Melia broke a wrist and two fingers during a skateboard accident, but the band’s tour will continue.

In Court: US rapper Gucci Mane faces six months jail, after pleading guilty to pushing 36-year-old Diana Graham out of his Hummer while driving in January.

Died: DJ Mehdi, French electronic music and hip hop producer and DJ, 34, after being fatally injured when part of a Paris home collapsed during a rooftop party.

Died: British pop art pioneer Richard Hamilton, 89. He’s best known in music circles for designing the cover and inner sleeve of The Beatles’ White Album. He always thought that being paid £200 for it was “a bit mean”.

Died: Wade Mainer, the US country music pioneer credited with inventing the two-finger banjo-picking style popularised in bluegrass circles, aged 104.

'SHE CAN DJ' COMP SCORES MINX AN EMI DEAL DJ Minx from Sydney has scored a global deal with EMI Music, after winning its inaugural ‘She Can DJ’ competition. The finale was held last Wednesday at ivy, where finalists played twenty minute sets in front of international guest Sarah Main (Pacha Ibiza) and She Can DJ judges and ambassadors Nicole Smith, Bev Malcolm and Totem

THINGS WE HEAR *Pregnant Beyonce is craving for bananas dipped in tomato sauce, and ice cream with hot chilli sauce. * For her low key ‘Anti Tour', celebrating her 25th anniversary in music next year, Kylie Minogue is asking diehard fans to tweet her the names of those B-sides and album tracks that they want to hear. * University of Alberta (Canada) student Gabby Riches is doing her masters thesis on the etiquette of the moshpit.

This includes no spiked jewellery and no sexual contact. One of the most important rules is to help someone up if they fall. Riches says the term itself started through Bad Brains. “(They) used to yell at their audience to ‘Mash it up!’, but the singer had a thick Jamaican accent so

area. As a result, cops raided 35 homes, and arrested 37 people, 34 of whom are currently in jail.

Industries / Stereosonic festival co-director Simon Coyle. Minx also won a set of Dr.Dre Beats headphones (courtesy of Funkear) encrusted in pure black crystals, valued at $2000. She heads off to London and Ibiza to join David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia at closing parties in Ibiza, before preparing a She Can DJ-branded mixed compilation, set for release in November.

She will also attend a Producer Masterclass with an international producer, and a SAE course in electronic music production. Mark Poston, EMI Australasia Chairman, said from Ibiza, “The quality of the talent we have seen as a result of She Can DJ is absolutely on par with the talent we are experiencing right now around the globe – these girls are world class, and have truly blown us all away!”

Minx’s own album will be released in 2012.

ADALITA, SEEKAE, LEAD INDIE AWARD NOMS Magic Dirt frontperson-turned-solo artist Adalita and Sydney indie experimental group Seekae scored four nominations each at the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards.

They’re both up for Best Independent Artist (alongside Perth’s Abbe May, Art Vs Science and The Jezabels) and Best Independent Album (alongside May, Art Vs Science and Drapht). Adalita is also sharing the Breakthrough Artist category with Big Scary, Busby Marou, Emma Louise, Oscar + Martin and The Holidays. Art Vs Science got three nominations, and The Jezabels, Emma Louise and Illy got two each. See the awards’ website for the full list.

ABC MUSIC TEAMS WITH IODA ABC Music signed a deal with global indie distributor IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) to distribute its catalogue internationally. It includes ABC Jazz, ABC for Kids, triple j and ABC Classics, and covers acts like The Wiggles, Lee Kernaghan, Tim Finn and The Audreys. Erik Gilbert, VP of Client Strategy at IODA, said, “This deep catalogue enhances our global roster of music in many categories,” adding that it increased its presence in the Australian marketplace. ABC Music was set up 40 years ago.

AMP ANNOUNCES JUDGES 42 judges covering musicians, media and retail have been announced to judge the 7th Australian Music Prize from the shortlist of nine albums. Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus), Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), DJ Lorna Clarkson, Pete Luscombe (Black Sorrows), Renee Geyer, Julian Hamilton (The Presets) and Kram (Spiderbait) are this year joined by Powderfinger’s Ian Haug, Richie Lewis (Tumbleweed), producer Lee Groves from Level 7 Studios, 3RRR presenter and electronic music maker Tim Shiel (aka Faux Pas) and Ulrich Lenffer of Cloud Control). The media judges include Dom Alessio (triple j), Bernard Zuel (Sydney Morning Herald), Clem Bastow (freelance) and Darren Levin (Mess + Noise).

ALBERTS PACTS WITH COSMO Alberts secured the publishing of Brit singersongwriter Cosmo Jarvis for the Australian and NZ territories. Jarvis is an internet sensation, with self-made videos for ‘Sure As Hell Not Jesus’ and ‘Gay Pirates’, the latter generating over half a million YouTube views.

Jarvis plays here next month, in support of his Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange? album, which was released on Creative Vibes, through MGM.

FLAMING LIPS’ SIX HOUR SONG The Flaming Lips’ six hour song ‘I Found This Star On The Ground’ will come with a strobe light toy which features animations.

The idea, says frontman Wayne Coyne, is to give listeners something to do while listening.

“It’s kind of meant so that kids can, like, take LSD and play with it.” The track took three weeks to record, and proceeds go to Humane Society and a music college in Oklahoma.

CAN YOU HUM ME A FEW BARS? Boombox, a fully stocked hip hop record store in Edmonton, London, allowed its back room to be used by local gangstas to sell guns, drugs and stolen goods. What they didn’t know was that the store was set up by the local police as a sting to film the deals, and their customers were undercover cops. It was set up in 2008 after five murders in the people heard ‘mash’ as ‘mosh’.” * Kyle Sandilands revealed on his 2DAY FM show that he had closed down the artist management division of his King Kyle empire, because it took his time away from TV and film projects. He said that he got good buddy Sophie Monk her new manager, Titus Day – who’s Mr. 10% for Guy Sebastian and Ruby Rose. * The word is out that if Britain’s HMV has a bad Christmas, it will have

TWO PICKED FOR UK DELEGATION Scott Mesiti of Port Macquarie’s Festival of

the Sun and Julian Knowles of Brisbane’s BigSound were chosen for two of 17 global spots by the British Council to attend its Festival Producers Delegation in London.

It included a symposium where the likes of Glastonbury’s Martin Elbourne offered tips on how to better manage their festivals, and also a tour of the UK’s Bestival.

The delegation included festival reps from Italy, China, India, Ukraine, Spain, Poland, Russia and Lebanon. The British Council also works with the Association of Independent Festivals to foster creative relationships between global and UK festival promoters.

EUROPEAN BIZ GETS EXTENDED COPYRIGHT The European Union voted to extend the term of copyright protection offered to European performers and producers from 50 to 70 years after their death. Songwriters and composers already have this protection, but the new law means that performers like Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey, who sing other peoples’ songs, will continue to get royalties for a further twenty years. Bassey, whose hits included ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, quipped, “Unlike diamonds, copyright is not forever – but I’m happy it will last a little bit longer.” Plácido Domingo, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, said there’d now be more money going around to invest in new talent.

ELTON: MOST PAID MALE MUSIC STAR Elton John is the world’s top paid male pop singer, earning US$99.4 million (AU$97 million) in the past year, according to a new list by US business magazine Forbes. Elton hasn’t had a decent hit in years, but his world tour made US$205.2 million. Top of the Forbes list was US film and TV mogul Tyler Perry with $129.4 million, followed by movie-makers Jerry Bruckheimer ($113 million, after Pirates of the Caribbean earned $1 billion) and Steven Spielberg ($105.7 million). Elton was #4, and was followed by Simon Cowell ($90 million), author James Patterson ($84 million), Dr Phil McGaw ($80 million), Leonardo di Caprio ($77 million), broadcaster Howard Stern ($76 million) and golfer Tiger Woods ($74.2 million).

to close. Pummeled by supermarkets, its sales fell 15.1% in the 18 weeks leading to September 3, and it closed 29 stores in that period. * Aussie country music fans can be a mite over-eager. The Mildura Country Music Festival doesn’t start until September 30, but fans have already arrived and set up camp at caravan parks. * X-Factor judge Kelly Rowland wants to dent into her final eight contestants that winning is everything — so she’s told them no drinking, no sex, no boyfriends, and no going to clubs (which could strain their voices from shouting). Meanwhile, one of X Factor Australia’s better contestants, Emmanuel Kelly, got a tweet from Yoko Ono congratulating him for his version of ‘Imagine’ (“John would have been proud of you”) – only to be dumped last week.

Beyonce

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Lykke Li J

Gets What She Wants

By Caitlin Welsh

ust in case there was any doubt left, let it be known that Lykke Li is no shrinking violet. The Swedish singer-songwriter may be all doe eyes and pillowy lips and husky-honey croons and whatnot, but she’s a stone-cold pragmatist who will model your jeans, take your money, and spend it on a video where she sings “live from the moon” (‘Sadness Is A Blessing’) – or dons a Boadicea-meets-Thunderdome tribal getup, looks you in the eye and tells you what the fuck is up (‘Get Some’).

“The further and further I get into this life and this industry, if you wanna call it that, you find you get labelled more and more as a woman, so the only way for you to come into the same arena as a man is like, ‘Yeah, I’m your prostitute and you gon’ fuckin’ get some’,” she says, referring to that much-discussed line from her latest album Wounded Rhymes. Her accent is unnervingly Californian – not for her the twee sing-songiness and soft edges of Scandinavian inflection. She sounds like she could take or leave this whole interview thing, but hey, she’s here now, she’ll answer some questions.

When it came out earlier this year, Wounded Rhymes was hailed as a darker effort than her debut, Youth Novels. It scored a coveted Best New Music nod from Pitchfork; not many of the artists with that tag had one of their songs appear on Glee just weeks later, and nor have they shot campaigns with Levi’s. But Li isn’t out to please anyone but herself. Even with the line “I’m your prostitute, you gon’ get some”, from Wounded Rhyme’s lead single ‘Get Some’, she was less trying to be shocking than daring others to find it so; less taking on a raunchy persona as a show of strength than slyly pretending to accept an imposed label. And she was neither surprised nor overly bothered when the line was broadly misinterpreted. “Yeah, but at the same time, that’s what people do, right?” she shrugs.

“They like to misunderstand you and put you into a box, and then seal you off with a tag.”

What clearly rankles Li a little more is the lack of control she holds over her image – when asked if she feels she’s left behind the slightly cutesier image that followed her around after the deeply pretty Youth Novels, she spins off into a little tirade about how much of her image is wildly out of her control. “That whole image that I had on the first [album] was completely – it was what other people – what they thought I was, was what they thought I was,” she begins. “It was never what I was putting out. ‘Cos you can hear very clearly that my first album is rather dark too – for me, I feel this is where I’ve always walked, this kind of line.”

Recording and promoting an album at 20 and 21 meant that Li ended up in situations that she’d back slowly away from now. “You do a few things just to test them out. You might take a press shot on a white wall, and the photographer begs you to, like, smile – and then all of a sudden that’s the image that gets splattered around across the internet, and all of a sudden you are that person even though it was just a second in time,” she muses. “There’s a few things that got out there that weren’t really what I was trying to put out… That’s what I find hard about the music industry these

days: the internet can kind of control you. You’re trying to put out one message but then people will snap pictures of you backstage or paint stuff over your things or write things, and all of a sudden some anonymous society is creating what you are, you know?”

When she puts it like that, it does sound sinister.

It’s no wonder that she’s open to opportunities like fashion shoots and prime-time TV spots. “I don’t ever wanna stay in one corner and be like, ‘I’m indie, so I’m not gonna do that kind of thing’,” she explains. “Times are really changing at the speed of light, so I wanna make my own decisions. If I feel like doing [an advertising] campaign in order to pay for my video, then that is a decision that I’ve made for my own reasons – and trust me when I say I would never compromise my music in any way, or my art. For me, putting on a pair of jeans is, like, easy. Really easy.”

Li’s pragmatic approach to her career pops up again when discussing the retro sounds on Wounded Rhymes, those thudding Spector

drums and bittersweet crescendos – sure, she makes fierce, husky pop and cinematic torch songs, but she still manages to fit right in on the lineup of a festival like Parklife. “Everything has been done before, and we are all a sum of the things that have happened to us,” she says, sage and indifferent. “You can always do your own thing, but you are always going to be influenced by the form that speaks to you the most. For some people it’s hip hop, or gospel, or blues, or RnB, and I just feel like that kind of music – melancholy but with urgency, and banging drums, and a wall of sound – really spoke to me as a young person. And I feel... I mean, everyone wants to be somebody else. Some people want to be Elvis Presley, but he wanted to be somebody else. Bob Dylan wanted to be somebody else, but now everybody wants to be like him. It’s just a cycle.”

There are topics that Li doesn’t feel are that relevant to her music – her parents and her globetrotting childhood, for instance. But asked if turning 25 this year triggered any kind of

“It’s this thing about being born in the ‘80s, you know? We believe that everything we want, we can do; there are so many choices out there, and we feel like somehow we have the right to follow our dreams.”

20 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

quarter-life crisis, she replies straightforwardly: “Yeah, definitely. I’m going through a really severe one right now. But I feel it’s also this thing about being born in the ‘80s, you know? We somehow believe that everything we want, we can do; there are so many choices out there, and we feel like somehow we have the right to follow our dreams – which can lead to, you know, other type of crises.”

It’s where those dreams come from that can be the real problem, she theorises, sounding sad for the first time. “I’m very influenced by the films that I see. I’m televised – or whatever you call it – not because I watch a lot of TV, but because I feel like this is like a film,” she says, struggling a little to tie words around the idea.

“When I work it’s very visual, and the strongest things in my life, I always refer to them as very cinematic. Which could be a bad thing. We’re all hurt by Hollywood.”

What: Wounded Rhymes is out on Warner With: Death From Above 1979, Duck Sauce, Diplo, Katy B, Santigold, Mylo, MSTRKRFT, Digitalism, Magnetic Man, Example, The Streets, Sebastien Tellier, Crystal Fighters, Little Dragon, Kimbra, Simian Mobile Disco and more Where: Parklife @ Kippax Lake, Moore Park When: Sunday October 2, from midday – 10pm

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Wooden Shjips The Wild West By Luke Telford

W

ooden Shjips is a band that essentially works in variations on a single idea, albeit an intoxicating one. Their music is archly stylised psych-rock in the vein of acts like Suicide or the Doors, and each track is an endlessly spinning two-chord loom on which euphoric texture and detail is spun from guitar, organ and reverbed vocals. A careless listener might dismiss this music as an exercise in compressing some pronounced influences into an ostentatious faux-psychedelia, but its purpose is simpler and purer than that.

“A lot of it is about trying to create some sort of trance-like state,” says Nash Whalen, the band’s organist. “The repetitive and minimal nature of the music is kind of a primitive thing that I think we all have from generations ago.

We’re trying to give people a new way to try to look at the world. Sometimes when you just sit back and let the music take you over, it opens up your mind in a different way, and allows you to make new connections that you can’t [make] when everything’s so distracting.”

The San Franciscan band’s most recent album may be their best. Where previous efforts, recorded cheaply in basements and living rooms, felt claustrophobic and dense in their extended, inward-looking, treble-heavy jams, West sounds huge and panoramic. Its evocation of blistering blue skies and wideopen spaces seems strangely adventurous for the band, despite shorter song lengths and slicker production than fans might be used to. “The record is called West as a tribute to

the western US,” says Whalen. “The west just holds this mystique; there are endless opportunities out here. We all grew up in different parts of the country and migrated out here, just as thousands or millions of other people have.”

Riffing on the idea of the west coast as some kind of opportunistic mecca, the band whittled the over-arching theme down to the ageless American mythos of a manifest destiny.

“Manifest destiny is the concept that God wanted the Americans to occupy the whole continent from coast to coast, to make it a unified country, [the concept] that it was ours for the taking,” he explains. “It set many people off to find their fortunes after struggling on the eastern half of the country for so many years.” It also serves as a neat device that draws connections between the fading ideals of the American Dream and the psychedelic gnosis that appears to be the goal of the music itself.

The only real issue with being too easily pegged as a one-trick pony is that it can be difficult for Wooden Shjips to connect with people in a live setting. Nash is philosophical about the appeal of his band’s music, and notes that although some people may not get it, there’s more than one way to appreciate Wooden Shjips in a live context. “We like to think of ourselves as rock music, and also just as music you can move to and dance to, if you can get that far within yourself,” he says. “Here in San Francisco in the ‘60s, The

Grateful Dead and the other bands of that day would go and play these dance halls to play a rock show, and everyone would be dancing because they wouldn’t know any better. That was definitely one of the ideas when we first started playing – to try and be a dance band.

“There’s also plenty of times when people are standing there really still, and they have this smile on their face, or are even looking really serious,” he continues. “You recognise them after the show, and they just tell you how

amazed they were by it. You don’t all have to be dancing to enjoy it. It can happen internally as well.”

What: West is out now on Thrill Jockey, through Fuse Music More: Wooden Shjips’ guitarist Ripley Johnson also plays in Moon Duo, who are playing at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday September 29, and at Sound Summit in Newcastle on Friday September 30.

The Drums On God, Truth And Moving On By Bridie Connellan

Jeff Lang Carrying A Tune By Peter Hodgson

“I

’ve been running from religion my whole life, but I think it was out of fear. Now I’ve stopped running, and I look at [religion] as evil and want to do my part in exposing that – however taboo that might seem.”

Describing himself to Death & Taxes back in 2010 as “eternally sad”, Jonny Pierce has taken an empowered turn for the best. The frontman for indie uber-smash The Drums is fronting a new lineup, a new album and a new means to confront his god-fearing past: the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter has stopped singing about ideas, and started singing about substance. “It took me up until this year of my life to really find concrete answers to what I believe to be the truth about life and death, and all that lies between.”

The cover of Portamento, the second album from Everyone’s Favourite Summer Band Circa 2010, sports a domestic photograph of his blonde bowl-cutted pre-teen self, eyes blazing somewhat demonically before a homely wallmounted crucifix. “[The cover] is a picture of me as a boy, and we painted my eyes red to symbolise how I think I was viewed by my family. The evil son – simply because I don’t ‘believe in Jesus’.” Pierce grew up in a hardnut extremist family, with church ministers for parents in the sheltered realms of Horseheads, Chemung County, New York State. And he surprised even his bandmates by wearing such an upbringing so brazenly on his sleeve this time around: “I’ve seen the world and there’s no heaven and there’s no hell / And I believe that when we die we die, so let me love you tonight” he sings in Portamento’s aptly-titled first track, ‘Book Of Revelations’.

But musically, Portamento is pretty much what one would expect as the sophomore effort of the same band who’s ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ smashed every stage and festival until they

22 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

refused to play it live anymore. It’s all brittle licks, surfed-up bass lines and bouncy beats, recorded this time around in Pierce’s kitchen in the East Village and a friend’s place in Woodstock – but lyrically, the record is hardly an imitation of their first. “There was no other option for me on Portamento,” says Pierce. “I think once you make the decision to be honest, then it almost becomes exciting to be honest. I also look at it as a survival technique; it’s very hard to sing empty words night after night, so I’d rather sing things that are relevant to me. I don’t know if I am being brave as much as I am just giving in to the song. ” In September last year, guitarist Adam Kessler caused quite an indie press freakout, departing The Drums in an unsubtly heated manner.

Pierce was blunt in his sentiments towards Kessler’s departure, a “stressful” resignation which saw drummer Connor Hanwick pick up lead guitar, and Jacob Graham slide on over to the synths. “It’s like a break-up,” Pierce admits, still supporting previous stings like “forget about Adam, because he’s forgettable,” as quoted in NME. “It hurts at first and we felt a bit betrayed, but as time goes on you get over it. I actually think that him leaving is the best thing that happened to this band. It forced us to step outside of ourselves and figure out who we really were, and how we wanted to represent ourselves moving forward.”

The remaining three started writing Portamento immediately after Kessler walked, a reactionary action that Pierce thanks for keeping The Drums beating. “I wonder if [the album] would have happened if he had stuck around. I wonder if we would be around at all. As far as what he is up to and where he is – I don’t know, and I am not very interested in finding out. I’ve moved on.”

What: Portamento is out now on Universal

J

eff Lang’s latest record, Carried In Mind, is a perfect microcosm of everything that makes him so cool. Plaintive vocals, moody acoustic instrumentation, supercharged amplified slide guitar and, of course, lyrical depth. Together, the songs seem to approach the theme of lifechanging events and feelings from different angles; from anxiety-ridden, stomping numbers like ‘Running By The Rock’, to the sentimental ‘Fisherman’s Farewell’ and the sparse ‘Newbridge’.

But don’t call it a concept album. “If there’s any element [tying it together] like that, it’s in hindsight,” Lang says. “They weren’t put together as a concept record or anything like that. It was more just that when I was looking back at it, that was a bit of a common thread.”

Lang had a few particular goals he wanted to achieve with the record, particularly with regard to instrumentation and execution. He wanted Garrett Costigan on pedal steel, and he wanted to record the material onto 8-track analog tape, lending it a decidedly old-school and warm-sounding vibe.

“I’ve been meaning to record something with Garrett for a while, and it was good to have some songs that I could really hear [him] working on,” Lang says. “I also set myself certain challenges occasionally. I wanted to record it to tape, as much for the arrangement challenge as anything else.

If you’re going to include something as part of the arrangement, it’s really got to put its hand up and demand to be included: am I going to use that last track for another guitar part, or would it be better to give the snare drum its own mic? That kind of thing. And I wanted to record it as live as possible.

“It’s more part of the process,” he continues, “a way to be inspired by the process of recording.

It’s not like it’s some exercise in retro sonics or something.” But the live-like approach did allow for some particular musical flights of fancy that wouldn’t be as achievable in the digital world.

“Something like the instrumental section in

‘Running By The Rock’ – you couldn’t really do that if it was a guitar solo overdubbed onto a rhythm track. Everyone’s performance feeds off the others’.”

There were a lot of songs that didn’t fit on the record, some of which have made their way into a special edition disc, which includes additional tracks and reinterpretations. “I thought it might be interesting for people to hear some alternate versions of some of the songs,” Lang explains. “[For instance], if it’s a band performance, then maybe do something solo. ‘Running By The Rock’, for example, is a very polyrhythmic song – I thought it might be interesting to remove the rhythm from a song like that, and not even have a rhythmic guitar part on it; just a drone on an old hand-driven organ, and then some loops going, throwing it into a bit of a Lost In Space feeling.” The extra disc also includes a cover of Don Walker’s ‘Harry Was A Bad Bugger’. “I rang Don up and said, ‘Mind if I sing that?’ It was a little bit intimidating after Tex, Don and Charlie had done it,” he admits.

Lang’s lyrical style may seem well-forged, but he doesn’t have a particularly writerly background – it all came simply from listening to good songs by good writers, and reading good books. “It’s important to me,” he says, of lyric-writing. “It’s good to have that extra level of depth so that if people want to explore them they’re there – but I think the primary job of the lyrics is to engage the singer enough so that they can deliver the right performance. If you’re not engaged with the material, you can’t sing it properly.”

What: Carried In Mind is out now through ABC With: Jordie Lane Where: The Vanguard / The Basement When: September 23 / September 24

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 23

Ball Park Music Easy As Cake? By Jody MacGregor

“T

hat’s a nasty black patch in the history of our band,” Sam Cromack says unexpectedly. I’m sitting in a café with Cromack, the frontman, and guitarist Dean Hanson, from Brisbane’s Ball Park Music. And I’ve just brought up their second EP.

Some background first. The six band members were initially thrown together while studying music at university – they were given an assignment to form a band and play a gig. Their first songs were put on an EP called Rolling On The Floor, Laughing Ourselves To Sleep, primarily for family and friends. Sam says it “all just came about so flippant and really easy to do” – but the follow-up was anything but. “The second EP was like a big mess of ideas and feelings,” he explains. “We recorded with a guy who was at that time Jen [Boyce, bass and keys]’s boyfriend. Just got messy and we fought and the songs were shit, they didn’t sound the way we wanted them to sound, and it fell apart.”

The plan for Ball Park Music had been to go straight from first EP to debut album, but after recording a batch of songs they hated (they still rarely play first single ‘Sea Strangers’,

which Sam cheerfully calls “a shit song”), their management stepped in and suggested a downgrading of expectations. “We were playing birthday parties to make money for our recordings, you know what I mean?” Dean explains. “It was expensive, and we just decided to let it go.” Retaining their sense of humour, the EP they salvaged from those sessions was Conquer The Town, Easy As Cake, and contained the late addition of ‘iFly’. The jauntiest love song with F-bombs you’re likely to hear, ‘iFly’ was the radio-ready track that turned things around for the band. “I think that crap recording session helped our band get a no-frills attitude,” Sam says. “I don’t know, we were trying to be too clever and too complicated [before], and it all flopped really badly.”

After playing birthday parties at $400 a pop to raise the money they needed to record (Dean shudders when recalling people screaming for ‘Scar Tissue’), things were different with ‘iFly’.

Now the only parties they play are fictional – like the pool party they appear at in an episode of SLiDE, FOX8’s new Aussie teen drama. “A whole bunch of paid model actors with sixpacks and tans all jumping around and girls in bikinis – and then us in our pasty skin, a day after we played at Big Day Out, and seedy…

That was demoralising,” Dean deadpans. But he has his own way of coping. “Whenever we do anything like that I just play the chords to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, no matter what song it is.” Demoralising or otherwise, their appearance on SLiDE indicates how thing’s have turned around for Ball Park Music. “You don’t want to sound like a bloody sell-out,” Sam says, “but if someone’s like, ‘Do you wanna come play my party for 400 bucks?’ now, you’re like, ‘No, thanks. I’d rather have a night at home with a cuppa tea.’”

“Paid model actors with six-packs and tans all jumping around and girls in bikinis – and then us in our pasty skin, a day after we played at Big Day Out, and seedy... That was demoralising.”

A NEW BREED OF DJ BATTLE

VAN SHE TECH

LUKE CALDER (ROGERS ROOM) VS SMART ALEC (ROGERS ROOM) FRIDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2011

When it finally came time to have another go at making a full album, the band had learnt a lot of lessons – and chose to do everything the opposite of the way they’d done it the first time around. Instead of renting a studio, they crammed into the intimate surroundings of their producer’s downstairs room and recorded live.

“There’s only so many instruments and amps you can cram into one room before you start to get things like mic bleed,” says Dean. “[We’d have] between three and four instruments,” Sam interjects, “depending which were the most significant in that song. But we essentially got down all the rhythm parts in every song [in the studio], which is definitely more in the style of our band that plays live so much, and has a focus on just playing.”

“It was exciting,” Dean continues, “the pressure of relying on our chemistry. I feel like for all of us, when we go into a studio where you record individually, you’re in a room behind a glass wall looking at your bandmates examining you as you record, and it’s not very good. We all perform really well naturally together, so the logical thing is to do that in the studio. All of us in the one room, moving around, acting like idiots and going, ‘Let’s go! Let’s do a take!’ – and when you finish you get that feeling like, ‘That’s the one.’ It’s so much more exciting than, ‘Did you get every beat exactly right there, or do we have to move a snare drum back half a beat?’”

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24 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

That energy comes across in Happiness And Surrounding Suburbs – even the slow songs sound giddy and irrepressible – but according to Dean, it wouldn’t have been possible if Ball Park Music hadn’t crashed and burned on their first attempt. “Our album wouldn’t have sounded the same had that first experience been successful, or semi-successful,” he says. “We probably would have gone with a similar idea for this album – and we probably would have hated it.”

What: Happiness And Surrounding Suburbs is out on Stop Start, through EMI Where: The Standard, above Kinselas When: Friday October 28

Alice Cooper The Nightmare Returns By Melanie Lewis

A

lice Cooper’s 1975 release Welcome To My Nightmare was one of the first albums I recall listening to with my dad when I was a small child. But it wasn’t until my teens that I learnt the definition of necrophilia, and understood what the album’s track ‘Cold Ethyl’ was really about (my father had told me it was the story of a man in love with a lady who had already died…) Having spent the last decade or so trying to reconcile it all in my mind, I – incredibly – get to square it with Alice. And I’m immensely relieved to find that he understands. “‘Cold Ethyl’ had the greatest sense of humour to it,” he laughs. “In the show, Ethyl gets thrown around the stage – she’s a life-sized dummy – then we do the switch [which] the audience doesn’t see, and the dummy comes alive and dances. My wife, she teaches ballet, and my two daughters are both full scholarship ballerinas – so they’ve all played that Cold Ethyl.”

Cooper’s 26th studio release (“I’ve lost count,” he laughs), titled Welcome 2 My Nightmare, is a revival of sorts: it explores the world in which the character Alice Cooper – the narrator of Welcome To My Nightmare – finds himself today. Certainly, it wasn’t something the real life Alice Cooper conceived of when the original …Nightmare came out; the affable icon tells me that this year’s follow-up was almost accidental. “We [Alice and Bob Ezrin, the producer 1975’s …Nightmare] said, ‘What would Alice’s nightmare be 35 years later?’

We started writing and we couldn’t stop.”

For those in the slow seats, let’s take a minute to define “Alice Cooper”. When Vincent Furnier’s band Alice Cooper dissolved, having released classic songs ‘I’m Eighteen’ [1971] and ‘School’s Out’ from their 1973 smash hit album Billion Dollar Babies, the enigmatic frontman adopted the band name as a personal moniker; a character through which to live his macabre musical stories and theatrical-horror heavy metal. “It is very convoluted, but [becoming Alice] was very natural,” he says. “[When ‘Alice Cooper’ referred to the band], people who saw me on the street would say, ‘Hey, Alice!’, ’cause they think the lead singer always takes on that character.

And I looked like I should be Alice Cooper. So I changed my name. If you look at my driver’s license: Alice Cooper.”

“I was lucky enough to start in the golden age, when rock and roll was about the music, and the music was more important than anything,” he says. “At the time you were up against The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon And Garfunkel. You couldn’t just slip into the top forty – you had to write a song that was as good as [theirs].

It was really all about the music and the songwriting.” Imagine Alice’s surprise, then, when none other than Bob Dylan remarked that Cooper was a “really overlooked song writer.” “I didn’t even think Bob Dylan knew I was alive!” exclaims Alice. “He must have picked up an album, really listened to it and went, ‘Oh, this guy can write lyrics’. That was such a great compliment, coming from the poet laureate… John Lennon’s favourite [Alice Cooper] song was ‘Elected’. Groucho Marx and Salvador Dali became Alice Cooper fans. It was just the weirdest combination of people.”

What: Welcome 2 My Nightmare is out on September 23 through Sony Where: The Enmore Theatre When: Monday September 26

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But Alice Cooper, the now legendary character, was too much to be contained by one man. “At that point, I was probably the most functional alcoholic on the planet. Nobody knew – I never missed a show, a line, a performance – until much later, when [the disease] took over. Then, I was getting sick, throwing up blood...” he says.

“When I got sober, I had to separate myself from Alice; not try to be Alice. That’s what killed Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse – trying to be their character offstage.

If you try and be a character that isn’t real, it’s going to put you in the asylum, you’re going to die, or you’re going to jail.” Offstage, Cooper is now certainly a different being from the character he plays – the maniacal, violent precursor to Marilyn Manson. “I love golf, Alice hates golf. Playing golf early in the morning I never think about Alice, and when I’m on stage as Alice I never think about golf. If you put golf clubs on the stage while I was Alice, I’d think they were weapons.”

“When I got sober, I had to separate myself from Alice; not try to be Alice.

That’s what killed Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse – trying to be their character offstage.”

The original band, recently inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall Of Fame, joined Alice in the recording of Welcome 2 My Nightmare – which, curiously to longtime fans, also includes a collaboration with popstar Ke$ha. Working with young people is something Alice clearly enjoys, and being in a position to offer advice to those starting out in the industry is a privilege – though he does despair the state of modern music sometimes. “They have the image, they’ve got the attitude; I listen and I go, ‘Where is the song?’” he says. “Unfortunately, they have a lot of disposable music writers out there right now. The reason kids are listening to classic rock is they’re not really getting a lot from their bands. There isn’t much competition out there. I hate to sound like one of those old fogies that says, ‘They just don’t write ’em like we used to.’ That’s not what I’m saying. I think Jack White is brilliant, Lady Gaga does what she does really well, Foo Fighters are great, Jet are really authentic. It’s just that they’re few and far between.”

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Custard Greasing The Wheels By Max Easton

R

emember Custard? ‘Girls Like That’?

‘Apartment’? ‘Music Is Crap’? If you don’t, you should be feeling guilty – because their excitable frontman Dave McCormack certainly hasn’t forgotten about you. After twelve years apart, the Brisbane quirk-rock staples are returning to Sydney for the first time since they spent the late 1990s reigning over Recovery, flooding the triple j airwaves, and plastering the pages of Juice magazine. Down the phone from his Sydney home, McCormack reminisces about the warm reception Custard always received in this city, admitting that he may have succumbed to the power of hindsight.

“You can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic,” McCormack says of the years since Custard went their separate ways, “but you remember the good bits, don’t you? You forget the endless hours in a van, the poorly-attended shows, all the fights within the band… You just think, ‘Oh! It was so much fun!’

We got together a couple of weeks ago to have a little practice and it was lovely to see everybody, we got along really well. There’s a lot of water under the bridge.”

It may have been tension and unease which tore

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the band apart at the end of the century, but it was little more than a ‘Why not?’ which brought them back together. McCormack admits that a comeback has been teasing the band for a number of years now; he blames inertia for the reformation’s delay. “It takes a lot of energy to get an old machine going,” he explains. “If you think of it as an old rusted tractor, it’s going to take a bit of work to get it initially running, but once the oil’s in there and it’s all happening, it’s sweet as. Now that we’ve put the machine back together, it all seems to be in perfect working order.

“It’s amazing the retention for lyrics the human brain has, actually,” he continues. “If you don’t think about it, it’s all just up there. I thought I was going to have to print out lyric sheets and be a real old man about it, but it’s sort of like a muscle memory in your brain; if you grease the wheels, it all just comes out like it used to.”

Custard are by no means the first of their contemporaries to hop back on the Australian tour circuit of late, with a swathe of ‘90s acts peppering their comeback shows across the nation’s festival calendars. But McCormack isn’t fazed at all by a suggestion that they’ll be facing the death knell of a “heritage act” tag, if Custard don’t get to putting out a new record. “I think we’re a heritage act already,” he smiles. “If you think about it, we haven’t played in Sydney or put a record out in twelve years – and if people are coming to a show to see twelve-year-old songs, well, I guess that’s the very definition of a heritage act. I’m happy to be one, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here; we’re just playing a few songs and having some good fun.

“Now that we’ve put the machine back together, it all seems to be in perfect working order... We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here; we’re just playing a few songs and having some good fun.”

“In saying that, it probably would be a good idea to do some Custard recordings. The thing that I was pleasantly surprised about was that from the first rehearsal after ten years apart, we sounded pretty good. It was natural, and I guess it goes back to all those years of us playing together. I don’t think any of us are particularly good musicians or anything, but when we’re together, there’s a certain feeling and energy we get which is nice, that creates this little extra element,” he says.

“And I’ll contradict myself now by saying ‘Hmmm, maybe we will do more recordings…’”

On the prospect of a new Custard record, McCormack confesses only to not having a plan – which may not be discounting the prospect but, as he explains, is in no way a come on. “Everyone asks if we think we’re going to do a new recording, and I can’t say ‘No’, because anything’s possible,” he admits. “So I say, ‘Oh maybe,’ and it comes across like we’ve got a plan to do a new recording, but we haven’t… I can’t discount it, but as soon as I say that, it sounds like I have a secret plan.

But look, it won’t matter – you can put it in your article anyway, you can write ‘Custard definitely recording’.” (You heard it here first.)

Regardless of the fate of Custard’s return, there’s a special charm to a reformation show that can’t be found on an album tour; it’s an untainted chance to re-live some memories. As a one-off show (or two, in fact; their first night sold out), it becomes an event, and McCormack is serious – or as serious as Dave McCormack can be about anything – about preserving the sanctity of the Custard experience. “I’m a pretty big believer that if people go and see a band from a bygone era, they just want to hear the songs as they were, pretty much,” he explains. “You don’t want to hear a complete reinvention sort of thing… You want them to go, ‘Oh, that song! I like that song!’

“We’re in the business of making people happy – that’s why they come along, isn’t it? They want to come along and be happy, maybe catch up with some university or school friends who they haven’t seen since the last time Custard played, and say, ‘Oh, I’m married,’ or ‘Ah, I’m divorced’…

It’s almost like a community service – we’re bringing people together!”

Where: The Standard, above Kinselas When: Friday September 23 (sold out) / Saturday September 24 (on sale now)

26 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

What if… we invited everyone to our huge free launch party?

23 September 5 – 9pm Martin Place

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Join the party!

Featuring Paul Mac, FourPlay, Paris Wells, Ben Walsh & Women of Soul Outdoor bar + food Free shuttle buses to explore the Festival art installations across the city as well as partner galleries and museums staying open late.

Full Festival Program – visit artandabout.com.au, download the free iPhone app or pick up a copy at City of Sydney Service Centres and venues.

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Sebadoh Remembering Time By Bruce Laird

“I

wanted Sebadoh to be a reaction to the really aggressive music that was around at the time,” says Lou Barlow, founding member, guitarist and songwriter of lo-fi cult act Sebaboh. Barlow formed the band in 1986 around the time he departed from Dinosaur Jr., the post-hardcore band with whom he’d won a devoted critical and cult following. “I wanted music to be more powerful and personal. It was an attempted reaction to the macho posturing that seemed to come with the underground music of the time.”

In its original guise, Sebadoh was a different beast to the melodic lo-fi outfit it would become.

“Eric [Gaffney] and I started out as a duo,” Barlow recalls. “I played ukulele and Eric played drums with a sheet thrown over him.” Barlow had already contributed an acoustic track to Dinosaur Jr.’s You’re Living All Over Me, foreshadowing the songwriting style he would embrace in Sebadoh – and while it’s reasonable to assume that such a new sound was a surprise to both Barlow’s Dinosaur Jr. fanbase and the fans who’d known him from his earlier hardcore days, Barlow says he was never conscious of a backlash. “I never got the sense that people thought about

it that way. I suppose I only heard from people who liked what we were doing. It was never an option [for Sebadoh] to follow in the footsteps of Dinosaur Jr.,” Barlow explains. And it wasn’t just the music that had changed. While his final days in Dinosaur Jr. had been characterised by a palpably dysfunctional environment, Barlow found that he and Gaffney had plenty to talk about. “It was much more communicative,” Barlow says. “We talked a lot about what we wanted to do, we spent lots of nights up on various substances – and there was also a lot more communication in our live shows.”

But Gaffney’s not part of the band anymore; he left Sebadoh in 1993, not long after they released their sixth album, Bubble And Scrape. Having threatened to quit a few times beforehand, Barlow wasn’t all that surprised. “He actually did leave the band on multiple occasions!” Barlow laughs. “On our first tour opening for Fugazi we had a series of multi-date shows, and Eric quit two weeks before the tour – Jason [Loewenstein] and I had to learn to play as a duo. So Eric set the precedent right there for leaving the band.”

Some time later, Gaffney sent Barlow and Loewenstein a letter stating his demand for a third of the band’s record advance, a lion’s share of the songwriting, and a commitment not to tour.

“It just wasn’t an option.”

“I wanted music to be more powerful and personal. Sebadoh was an attempted reaction to the macho posturing that seemed to come with the underground music of the time.”

Having broken through with Sebadoh III in 1990, and cementing their following with Bubble And Scrape, Sebadoh released Bakesale in 1994 and Harmacy in 1996 – both of which exhibited a departure from Sebadoh’s previous avowedly lo-fi sound. Barlow has described the period spent writing and recording Bakesale as a “good time” for him – and he means it in both a personal and a musical way. “It was my own state of mind,” he says. “With Gaffney leaving for the last time it was liberating, and that was combined with being in a relationship with my now wife.” The cover of Bakesale, featuring a toddler peering inquisitively into a toilet, has become one of the more iconic album covers, too. “That’s actually a picture of me that my mom took when I was one year old,” Barlow says. “We were thinking of concepts for the album cover, and I’d found this other mysterious photo from my childhood.

I chose that toilet photo for the single cover, on the B-side – but Subpop suggested we use it for the cover of the album.”

If Bakesale was the zenith of Sebadoh’s recording career, Harmacy was approaching its nadir. The record has its supporters – but Barlow isn’t necessarily among them. “I still don’t think Harmacy sounds so good – it’s a bit over produced,” he admits. “At the beginning of the recording, it was suggested that we fire Bob Fay [Gaffney’s replacement], because otherwise the songs wouldn’t take shape. I think that initial thing created a cloud over the record.” By the late 1990s, Sebadoh was teetering on the edge of break-up, its brief shot at commercial fame a victim of fleeting popular tastes and industry interest. In 1999 they stopped playing altogether, albeit without a formal announcement of a break-up. “We felt like it had run its course. We ended a tour in Dallas playing to a crowd of 30 people, when we’d sold out the venue a few years before.

People weren’t really interested in the new record, and there was other new stuff coming out. We were the old guard moving on.”

Sebadoh reformed in 2007 (with Gaffney on drums), and has continued to play the occasional show; 2011 sees the band return to Australia, with Bob D’Amico in Gaffney’s place. “We’ll be focusing mainly on Bakesale and Harmacy, but with some other stuff thrown in as well,” Barlow says – and he hopes the opportunity will arise for Sebadoh to record some new tunes in the future, too. “Yeah, we’ve talked about it,” he says. “I hope we can find the time and space to do that.”

What: ‘Bakesale / Harmacy Remembering Time’ tour With: Smudge Where: Metro Theatre When: Wednesday September 21

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Oxford Art Factory Turns Four …And A Big Fat Party Ensues

What: Oxford Art Factory’s Fourth Birthday!

Who: Deep Sea Arcade, Step-Panther, Betty Airs, Peppercorn, Rockets, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mother & Son, The James Manson Blues Band, The Faults, Friday I’m In Love DJs + The OAF Gallery DJs Where: Oxford Art Factory, across both rooms When: Friday September 23 from 8pm – and free!

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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 DAVID

GORELESQUE 2011

ROKACH OF ANTENNA DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL to a wider audience but at the same time cater for varied niche tastes as well. We want Antenna to be an ongoing platform that will promote and support documentary film culture in Australia.

The latest addition to the Sydney film world is next month’s Antenna International Documentary Film Festival – the first all-doco festival in the country. In its inaugural year it already sports a massive program of intriguing, inventive films – the best part is, it’s all true. We spoke to founder and director David Rokach.

What’s your background in the arts/film world? I studied film and philosophy at Tel-Aviv University while working as a cultural editor in a news internet portal. During my 20s I was an obsessive consumer of culture, especially music and cinema. I tried my luck as a DJ, while also working for many film festivals. In 2003 I joined the team at Docaviv, the international documentary festival in Tel Aviv, and I had the privilege to see so many great documentaries from all over the world.

Where did the idea for Antenna come from?

When I came to Australia I wanted to continue working and developing my skills – I also realised there was no documentary festival in Australia so I decided to start working towards creating one. I saw the impact that Docaviv had not just in the development of new audiences for documentary but also in the quality of the films being produced – so I thought the creation of a festival dedicated exclusively to documentary cinema could be a great contribution.

What were you looking for in a film when curating the event? Documentary is a very wide category and films are being produced in many different styles and approaches. From the [more than] 400 films we received, we curated

a program that challenges the traditional way of looking at documentary cinema. From serious and worthy documentaries like Hell and Back Again that follows Sergeant Nathan Harris on the frontline and back home during his painful recovery from a serious injury in Afghanistan, to more ‘fun’ films like Pool Party about an abandoned swimming pool that becomes one of New York’s most significant indie music venues.

What was the hardest part of putting the event together? I think that the main challenge for us was that we had an ambitious vision for a first-year festival with limited resources – it was possible due, in large parts, to the hard work and passion of our small but dedicated team.

What would you like to see happen for Antenna next year and beyond?

We would like to strengthen and grow the program and have more activities around the festival. We want to screen more documentaries

If you had to choose one film in the program that’s not to be missed…? Hmmm…That’s the hardest question! I will mention two great films; Regretters by Marcus Lindeen – Orlando and Mikael meet for the first time opposite one another in the studio, and they share their defining regret – their decision to undertake binary sex-reassignment from male to female.

The film defies standard documentary conventions, giving the traditional talking heads documentary an extraordinary makeover. And our closing night film The Bengali Detective, which is about a P.I. in Kolkata who is grasping for leads in a murder case. His wife is seriously ill, and he and his investigation team also have an audition coming up for a popular dance TV show. The film does a good job bringing together pathos, humour, sadness and the absurd in pitch-perfect combination to create an entertaining and insightful glimpse of the many contradictions bound up in the incredible and transforming country that is India.

What: Antenna Documentary Festival Where: Chauvel Cinema, Paddington and other venues When: Wednesday October 5 – Sunday October 9 More: antennafestival.org

TOM GLEESON IS UP HIMSELF

Australia’s most intentionally-hilarious redhead (sorry, Pauline) is telling it like it is in his new show Up Himself – after all, when you’ve sold so many tickets to all your shows, from Melbourne to Edinburgh and a few places in between, you’re bound to have a few on yourself, right? He’s hitting the Comedy Store at Moore Park between October 5 and 15, plus a couple of shows in Newcastle and Wollongong on October 9 and 16 respectively.

Tickets for the Sydney shows are on sale now through the Comedy Store website or Ticketek.

ALASKA PROJECTS

Paul Mac, Miranda Otto and Peter Alexander

The over-the-top campiness of B-movies and the seductive, saturated, visceral aesthetic of horror flicks are ripe for appropriation by those of a theatrical bent – and who better to do it than the multi-talented folks at Gorelesque. The horror-themed variety & burlesque night is swooping into The Vanguard for one night only on October 1, and we have 5 double passes to give away. To win one, just email us your name and phone number – and your puntastic horror-themed stage name.

Car parks aren’t exactly the first environment that comes to mind when you’re wondering “Where would be an awesome place for an art space?” But the minds behind new artist-run initiative Alaska Projects clearly work a little differently to ours. They’re launching themselves with a City of Sydney collaboration called the

Car Park Project, which does exactly what it says on the tin. Starting by filling the 5m x 5m abandoned mechanic’s office in the centre of the Kings Cross Car Park with art, they plan to expand later into stairwells, elevators and other areas. The project opens with the diverse Lorem Ipsum: Opening Group Show 1 on October 5. 9A Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay.

PROFESSIONAL HELP AT SIAF

Just a heads-up for budding animators – after you’ve read our feature on a couple of the animation luminaries appearing at the Sydney International Animation Festival this weekend (p.34), gather your best work and take it along to the portfolio and showreel workshops. On Monday September 26 there’s “speed dating for animators”, where professionals like Animal Logic’s Nick Hore can have a look at your work and give you feedback, and a showreel masterclass where you can learn how to present yourself in the best possible light. Check out www.siaf.uts.edu.au for more details.

ROOM FOR THOUGHT

Room for Thought is a community initiative sponsored by American Express, where a space is granted to people with a great idea and nowhere to do it, as well as mentoring opportunities from high-profile Australians. Last week saw 72 Erskine St in the city become a pop-up restaurant staffed by local chefs and former refugees, with actress Miranda Otto mentoring the winner, Elle Formica. From Wednesday to Friday this week, the space will become a Bike Helmet Fashion Studio, overseen by winner Kate Applegarth and PJs impresario Peter Alexander; the week after, DJ and producer Paul Mac will help winner Dee Dimmick to turn it into a performance space for artists you haven’t been able to manage a national tour – they’ll be broadcast live online for anyone to enjoy. For more info, check out the Room for Thought Facebook page

GORELESQUE

If you’re looking around and wondering where all the bad girls of burlesque have gone, it’s probably because they’ve been lured over to the dark side.

Gorelesque, the foremost purveyors of B-movie and horror-inspired variety and burlesque, are celebrating their third monstrous year of “blood, guts and glitter”, after sold-out touring seasons in 2009 and 2010. The Sydney leg will occur at The Vanguard in Newtown on October 1, featuring performers Miss Nic, Vesper White, Glitta Supanova, MC Renny Kodgers (FBi Radio) and loads more – this award-winning show is one of the most acclaimed burlesque events on the calendar, so don’t miss out. (Hot tip: check out our ticket giveaway in the freestuff section at the top of the page!) Tickets are just $25+bf presale, so grab them from Moshtix or The Vanguard ASAP.

PAN #2

One of the newest, prettiest and most creative young mags around, PAN, is finally launching its long-awaited second issue, and they’re celebrating with a launch party at The Wall @ 30 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

The World Bar on the evening of Wednesday September 28. Featuring music from Dead China Doll and Luke O'Farrell from The Laurels, plus live art and readings as well as a discount on the shiny new issue, we recommend you get along and celebrate the PAN crew finally getting it together (again).

SHORT FILM SEASON LOOMS!

Why is it that all the movies you see in summer are either $600 million blockbusters, or six minutes long? The warmer months see many a short film festival dotting Sydney’s social calendar, and if you were planning on entering one of Flickerfest or the Bondi Short Film Festival, time to get into gear. Entries for the Bondi event, which happens on November 26, close on October 7. Flickerfest, which is on between January 6 – 15 next year, closes entries for their Australian, International and Documentary competitions this Friday, September 23; for Flickerup and Greenflicks, you have until October 21. www.bondishortfilmfestival.com / www. flickerfest.com.au

Richard Tipping – Form One Planet

RICHARD TIPPING: OFF THE PAGE

If you haven’t caught it yet, there’s a witty exhibition by text-inspired artist Richard Tipping on at Customs House. Titled Off The Page: Poetic Text as Public Art, the exhibition is also a launch event for the Adelaide-born, medium-melding poet and artist’s book Off The Page (and back again). Both are full of sly images where public text is played with to become thought-provoking public art. The exhibition closes on October 9, but you still have time to catch it. Tipping is also giving a free talk on text in art at 12.30pm on October 7 at Customs House, which is sure to be a fascinating session for everyone from typography nerds to fans of guerrilla art.

BRAG ARTS SPECIAL

8 SEPTEMBER — 13 NOVEMBER 2011

PRIMAVERA 2011 Beyond The Gallery Space By Bridie Connell

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f the scaffolding, cranes and ‘DO NOT ENTER’ signs aren’t clue enough, you may be unaware that Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art is closed to the public for a major redevelopment, which is due for completion in March 2012. Fortunately for art lovers, the MCA is filling the gallery void in the meantime with a series of exciting off-site programs, including Primavera 2011.

Celebrating its 20th birthday, the MCA’s annual exhibition of young Australian artists this year features a diverse selection of site-responsive, participatory, ephemeral and performance-based works located across several sites within the historic Rocks precinct. From Rebecca Baumann’s colourful confetti explosions and Eric Bridgemen’s punchy political posters to the lo-fi theatrics of Brown Council, Keg de Souza’s inflatable creation and Hiromi Tango’s pink, woven, womb-like bed, Primavera 2011 is a contemporary art treasure hunt waiting to be explored. Here’s a selection of BRAG’s highlights…

TOM O’HERN

What: Primavera 2011 When: Now til November 13 Where: Various locations through The Rocks More: www.mca.com.au

Lik Lik Mary Muffatt (2008) Eric Bridgeman

TESSA ZETTEL & KARL KHOE T

horoughly researched and thoughtfully composed, the works of Sydneybased duo Tessa Zettel and Karl Khoe address the future of sustainable living by investigating the past. Based on the amusingly inaccurate renderings of Australian animals by colonial naturalists, Portraites of the Inditchenois Beestes comprises a series of glow-in-the-dark polymer-clay critters installed in an historic fernery, spot-lit to create a ghostly grotto of forgotten fauna. Similarly, In this Quick World pays respect to the non-human residents of the Rocks’ past, with DIY animal shelters, beehives and native plants attached atop a pair of bright red 1960s public telephone booths – optimistically enticing displaced native animals, whilst the interior invites human visitors to enjoy an interactive sound work over the phone.

Gwago Patabágun We will eat presently (2010) Tessa Zettel & Karl Khoe

Describing the precinct as not only, “the first point of European contact and architecture but also the first acts of vandalism [environmental and social],” Khoe is keen to discuss some of the darker topics affecting the Rocks’ past, present and future, and The Delirious Bakery provides a platform for members of the public to do just that. Occupying a converted cellar space on George Street, the bakery offers nourishment for body and mind as the duo host a series of “low teas” which Khoe hopes will help revive the lost oral traditions of storytelling, remembering and re-telling in an era where forgotten details are only a Google search away.

The infinite pit of sadness (2011) Tom O’Hern

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obart-based Tom O’Hern describes his passion for drawing as a “primal urge”. Whether drawing with paints or ink, on paper in a studio or after hours on the streets, he’s an artist who’s most happy when at work. Attracted to all things feral and fringedwelling, O’Hern set up studio in a vacant, glass-fronted retail space adjoining the MCA, spending a week prior to the exhibition opening completing the four large-scale paintings now adorning the walls of nearby laneways, and exposing the often messy behind-the-scenes business of art-making to a stream of curious passers-by.

With inspiration ranging from the detailed line work of Durer and diagrams of hair and bones, to heavy metal t-shirts and “really crap graffiti”, O’Hern’s graphically styled, darkly humorous black-andwhite renderings are loaded with plants and animals, references to colonial Australia, contemporary pop culture and recurrent images of bearded men. Part fiction, part self-portraiture, (the artist himself admits to recently sporting a heavy winter beard because “it gets that cold in Hobart”), they’re symbolic of the outsiders and eccentrics shunned in public spaces and celebrated in suburban folklore: the bushrangers, convicts and wild bush men of the past, and the “beardy Hobart stoners at home on the couch” of now.

JESS OLIVERI AND HAYLEY FORWARD WITH THE PARACHUTES FOR LADIES

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nspired by a quote by 1970s artist Andrea Fraser stating that, “The institution of art is internalised, embodied and performed by individuals,” quirky Sydney-based art duo Jess Oliveri and Hayley Forward have devised four works investigating the effects of construction and progress on the MCA building and the gallery staff. “When asked to do something sitespecific we found the most interesting place was the actual building site,” explains Oliveri.

“We’re interested in how different territories are demarcated, and one of the ways this is done at the MCA is through the gallery staff. Their presence in a space is the validating force that says ‘this is art’ and ‘this is a gallery’.”

With volunteer performers (known as the parachutes) playing a central role in their recorded and live performance-based works, the duo opted to collaborate directly with the

gallery staff of Primavera 2011. Indebted to the choreography of Busby Berkley and the stairwell rendition of ‘Hard Knock Life’ in the 1980s musical Annie, Changing of the Guard: formation is a silent video featuring a group of gallery staff members performing simple choreographed gestures in unison within the MCA art deco stairwell, whilst Changing of the Guard: rotation calls on the gallery staff to enact a small gesture or ‘flourish’ to one another as they move through the off-site spaces deemed ‘galleries’ during Primavera. Changing of the Guard: announcement revives the otherwiseinactive MCA PA system, broadcasting regular day-to-day gallery announcements into the construction site; and Changing of the Guard: future speculation calls on visitors to submit written predictions for the future, one of which will also be broadcast live over the PA system at the end of each week.

Dance of Death (2010) Jess Olivieri and Hayley Forward with the Parachutes for Ladies BRAG :: 430:: 19:09:11 :: 31

Public Publi i Art Projects, Landy created Acts of Kindness, a 13-metre installation in Martin Kindn Place that collects 200 stories of kindness from Sydneysiders, and maps out where in the city Sydn occurred. they o feels like Sydneysiders really own the event “It fee now,” says the City of Sydney’s Creative Director Minervini, who has overseen every Art & Gill M About since its inception; she agrees that the Abou whole city feels more engaged in the arts than 2002. “Hopefully we had something to do with in 200 that,” she adds.

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rom singing birdcages to cuprocking g and craft picnics, the City of Sydney’s ’s s Art & About public art festival has been ee en lighting up corners, fences, parks and walls lls s all over the city for a decade now. In its tenth nth year, the program shows no sign of slowing ng down, continuing its mission of scooping u up p as many Sydneysiders as possible and showing wiing them new ways of seeing their city – from m the party atmosphere of the Free Public Launch ncch this Friday night, to a huge public art project ecct that splashes the thoughts of Sydney’s citizens tiz zens through the streets. Sydneysiders were asked skked to submit questions of ten words or less thatt began with the words What if…, and one hundred ed d were selected to appear in the Banner Gallery alllery that will line streets from Kings Cross to the he e city to Glebe Point Road. Another Sydney-specifi eccific project comes from acclaimed British artist stt Michael Landy; in partnership with Kaldor orr

This yyear also sees the biggest launch night The Free Public Launch this Friday night will yet. T feature musical guests Fourplay, Paris Wells, featur Walsh, and Women of Soul, as well as a Ben W set from Paul Mac, in a huge 10th birthday DJ se party in Martin Place from 5pm. The city’s premier museums and galleries will be throwing prem open their doors until late with free events, discounted entry to exhibitions, and other special disco events, live music and discussion panels – check event the Art & About website for details on what out th you ccan experience at The Art Gallery of NSW, State Library, the Australian Museum, the eS Powerhouse Museum, Customs House and Pow owe the Museum of Sydney. Minervini says the best the e M way wa ay tto experience the night is to “get to Martin artin Place early, grab a beer and a program and nd get on a bus and take a free ride around Sydney ney to all the installations.” Art & About runs forr a month (until October 23) but that sounds like mont ik ke a pretty good way to start. – CW What: Art & About 2011 Where: Everywhere!

When: From Friday September 23 More: www.artandabout.com.au

Unguarded Moments

UNGUARDED MOMENTS NTS One of the most intriguing projects in the Art & About program poses the question, “What if faces from the past were visible again, in, watching us in our streets and laneways?” ys?”

Imagine walking around a corner in the e historic streets of Miller’s Point, and coming oming across a ghostly figure from 70 years ago.

A collaboration between researcher and nd producer Sarah Barns and creative studio tudio Killanoodle, Unguarded Moments is an immersive and unexpectedly subtle public ublic art project that takes images of locals from archival footage and projects them onto to walls. Specifically, they wanted “to hone e in on moments when for whatever reason n the filmed subject engages with the camera” ra”.

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“That’s where the idea of Unguarded Moments came from – engaging with the filmed subject through time,” says Barns. ns.

“The City of Sydney were really interested sted in the idea but keen to see if we could explore it further in Millers Point. We had ad never thought of that location originally, y, but

LANEWAY ART Inflatable furniture, guerilla knitting, graffiti raffiti street art, portable projections transported orted by rickshaws and alley cats are just a few of the vibrant and unique ways the he Laneway Art Program is celebrating the Art & About festival turning double digits. gits.

Until the end of January, Sydneysiders rs will see their city laneways and buildings ngs transformed by both local artists such h as Sarah Langdon, Emma Pike and Brook rook Andrew, and international artists including uding graffiti and street art legend Barry McGee, cGee, and queen and founder of the knit graffiti affiti movement, Austin’s Magda Sayeg.

Even our Lord Mayor is keen to see how the program will challenge the way we e view buildings. “Over the last five years, rs, birdcages, large-scale video projections ons and infinity forests have transformed our laneways,” Clover Moore MP said. “The he dramatic contrast between street-level el art and the surrounding high-rise buildings gs really fires the imagination.”

BRAG spoke with Sydney-based artist Heidi Axelsen who created Peri(pheral) Heid scopes with artists/architects Hugo Moline scop Adriano Pupilli. The installation sees & Ad rogue yellow ducting grafted onto the aircon sshafts and drainpipes of Skittle Lane – all "periscopes" showing video footage from Western Sydney suburbs Liverpool, Bankstown and Parramatta. “The laneway Bank such an interesting and rich space with is suc of pipes and cobblestones,” Axelsen lots o explains. “Not only were we thrilled by the expla chance to use the infrastructure, but we chan were also excited by the dynamism and growth happening in Western Sydney.” grow The tthree artists/architects have been collaborating with Western Sydney collab lmmakers (Fadia Aboud, Zahra Alsamawi, filmm Saber Baluch and Vinh Nguyen) and Sabe show glimpses of places only locals know about through giant optical devices. “It offers abou portholes into different parts of the city, and porth we are a hoping to bridge the gap in people’s minds between inner city Sydney and mind Western Sydney.” – Emma Salkild West

Isidro Blasco: Market Row we knew there were these amazing docos kn produced there by the Waterside Workers produ Federation Film Unit in the 1950s – things Fede like T The Hungry Miles and so forth. We were totally into it.”

The creators emphasise that the project is c not about large-scale history. “We’ve been a focused focus on the subject’s engagement with the camera – the intimate connection, the c unguarded moment. We’re trying not to give ungu a particular narrative about the place and par its history – to re-tell the ‘official story’ so his to speak – but instead to focus on these sp personal insights, the beautifully captured perso moments in time.” mom Once they’ve made the journey through the project – starting at Abraham Mott p Hall, 17 Argyle Place, and wandering through throu to the Hickson Rd & Pottinger St roundabout – Sydneysiders can interact round further furthe with the material more by visiting unguardedmoments.com.au for more ungu images, stories and oral histories. – Caitlin imag Welsh

PROJECT NIM N

oam Chomsky argued that language is what separates us from the animals. Herbert Terrace disagreed, and to prove his point he placed a baby chimpanzee with a human family and attempted to teach him sign language. He called his experiment Project NIM, and now there's an astonishing documentary of the same name that documents these incredible events We can’t give you a chimp, but we can give you a double pass to the movie.

WIN!

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If you’d like to learn about what it is that makes us human while getting to watch a chimp in shorts, email BRAG with the name of your favourite primate.

Email freestuff@thebrag.com

By GARETH DAVIES Director THOMAS M. WRIGHT A Co-production with THE BLACK LUNG THEATRE AND WHALING FIRM Gareth Davies is a lunatic who should be unleashed on theatre audiences as often as possible.

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3SQUARED2@PACT T.I.N.A [THEATRE] Three theatre-makers, three very different shows By Simon Binns

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erforming in the Sydney Fringe is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s a rare opportunity to get a show up relatively easily, with venues abounding at reasonable prices. On the other, however, it’s also kind of dangerous. There are so many shows on it’s easy to get lost in the programme, and it also means that you’ll more than likely find yourself sharing space and performance times with other artists who might not be on quite the same level.

Three theatre-makers who’ve managed to get the best of both worlds are Nathan Harrison (of Applespiel fame), Mark Rogers and Sanja Simic, (who make up two thirds of the theatre company Bodysnatchers). The trio met at the University of Wollongong and have now joined forces to take over PACT for part of the festival, putting on what is essentially a triple bill as part of PACT’s 3QUARED2 Fringe programme.

“We didn’t want to compromise,” explains Rogers, “so we decided to band together to take control of the space so that we could work with each other, and any potential issues could be worked out between mates.”

Performing at PACT centre for emerging artists was also a sticking point. “I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t at PACT,” says Harrison flatly. “All of us individually have built great relationships with PACT,” adds Rogers, “so we feel artistically aligned to [them].”

For Bodysnatchers in particular, who now Aileen Huynh in Gobbledygook

have several residencies under their belt, the Fringe is an exciting vehicle to launch themselves as a company. A collective of three directors/writers/theatre-makers (Jackson Davis is the non-Fringe-participating third), Bodysnatchers are interested in textbased theatre that is poetic and fragmented, but also aesthetically rich. The two shows they’re presenting in the fringe are Debris,

by Dennis Kelly, and Gobbledygook, which has been devised by Rogers and solo performer Aileen Huynh. As Rogers explains, Gobbledygook is about “the failure of language as it’s squeezed through a phone.

[The phone] is of course an amazing tool of communication, but it’s also severely limited, to the point where various sounds of the human voice cannot get communicated down the phone line, so things like empathy become impossible.” “[Debris] is a good reflection of the kind of language that Bodysnatchers like,” explains Simic. “It shifts from highly poetic, beautiful text to this sharp wit and really dark comic stuff; it’s stunning.” Exploring childhood abuse and neglect, Debris offers a glimpse into the lives of two ill-treated siblings. “It’s essentially about the way they’ve raised each other in this dark suburbia and how they’ve dealt with all the horrible things they’ve experienced,” Simic says. “They’ve done that through creating various fictions, and it’s sort of like the first time they’ve had an audience and gone ‘All right, this is our life… do you want to listen?'”

In almost direct opposition to Bodysnatchers’ interest in poetic language, Harrison is presenting a work about trying to create art through mathematical systems like flowcharts.

The Art and Craft of Approaching Your Head of Department to Submit a Request For a Raise, based on George Perec’s 1968 novel of the same name, is essentially a flowchart about how one would ask their boss for some extra pay. “All of the language is completely functional… it’s just ‘This happens and then this but then this’, but underneath all that, just through how long and exhausting and repetitive it is, this huge well of anger and frustration comes through and it’s hilarious,” says Harrison.

Despite presenting very different approaches to language, there’s one thing that the trio agree on. “Be there at 6:30 and see them all,” they laugh.

What: 3SQUARED2 Where: PACT centre for emerging artists When: This bill starts Thursday September 22; check website for further info, times and tickets More: www.pact.net.au

[FESTIVAL] Back from the brink and back on track By Caitlin Welsh

Eliza Adam

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liza Adam has a lot on her plate right now, but the co-ordinator of Newcastle’s indie-arts super-festival This is Not Art isn’t letting it get her down. “I am so incredibly excited!” she gushes. “Each time I look through the TiNA program there’s yet another event that I really want to check out …” The highlight of the Novocastrian arts calendar is a more epic undertaking than ever this year, bringing its army of creatives to the city over five days – incorporating sub-festivals Crack Theatre, Electrofringe, and Critical Animals, and happening alongside music fest Sound Summit, which stands on its own feet for the first time this year.

With the bustle and buzz of another TiNA in full swing, you would never guess that just a few months ago the entire event was in jeopardy. Newcastle City Council announced in July that, after supporting the festival for a decade, they had not renewed TiNA’s funding – leaving its budget $18,000 short. “This is Not Art felt that the council’s decision did not reflect the contribution made by the festival to the Newcastle community,” Adam says.

“TiNA is an innovative, high quality cultural event, which attracts a significant number of visitors to Newcastle and makes a substantial contribution to tourism and the local economy.”

While the funds were quite rapidly made up through a combination of community appeals, business donations and crowdfunding site Pozible, Adam acknowledges that the crisis highlighted some key issues with the way their festival’s funding was sourced and structured.

“It’s very important for TiNA to address its reliance on council funding and to actively diversify its funding stream,” she admits.

The public outcry and outpouring of support after the announcement was the most important factor, though – not only did it raise the spirits of the TiNA team, but it also

demonstrated to the Council that the festival is close to the hearts of the arts community in Newcastle and beyond. “Following our public appeal Newcastle City Council have since reaffirmed their commitment to supporting TiNA in the long term,” says Adam, adding that the real heartwarmer was hearing from the community. “The support from the Australian arts community was absolutely overwhelming! My inbox and our Facebook account were filled with comments from people expressing their love of the festival and its value to them individually and to the arts in general.”

Not long after the funding issues emerged, there was another mini-bombshell – music sub-festival Sound Summit announced it would split off from This is Not Art to operate independently. While many took it as a sign that TiNA was doomed, Adam affirms that “the change of relationship with Sound Summit was not determined by the funding crisis”.

“While the two festivals maintain a strong and supportive relationship, each festival will run independently of the other,” she explains. “TiNA has been very supportive of Sound Summit’s decision to become an independent entity. The purpose and intrinsic aim of This is Not Art is to foster and support artistic initiatives and art practise [and] Sound Summit’s new independence is a great example of how these festivals have achieved such a goal…So now Newcastle has not one, but two festivals in [one] long weekend.”

With TiNA back on track and looming on the calendar, Adam is nearing the point where she can just enjoy the five days of creative madness and innovation. She won't admit to particular anticipation for any one event or project, but confesses that she has a soft spot for the new, the weird and the underdog.

“Probably [I’m most looking forward to] the ones that are well and truly making a public debut, and there are a few of them that have me truly intrigued,” she says. “I love seeing innovative ideas morph into experimental art. That is really what TiNA is all about.”

What: This is Not Art Where: Various venues around Newcastle When: September 29 – October 3 More: thisisnotart.org, and look for our guide to TiNA in next week’s BRAG

Sydney International Animation Festival

[FILM] Sounds & vision By Alasdair Duncan

The Missing Key

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he Sydney International Animation Festival brings together a host of creative individuals to talk about the precision and skill that goes into their craft. Among this year’s guests are sound designer Peter Miller and animator Jonathan Nix, who will share some tricks of the trade with audiences.

Miller has worked with director Gore Verbinski before, but he faced one of the greatest challenges of his career when working on the animated film Rango. At the beginning of the

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process, he had only rough storyboards to use as a guide for his sounds – an entirely new way of working. “Luckily, the storyboards were excellent,” he says, “and they were assembled in such a way that me and my team had a very good idea of how the film would play. It was kind of like working with a moving picture book.”

Verbinski gave Miller a very specific brief for Rango, saying he wanted the sound to have a dirty, realistic feel. “I used leather, boots

Creating the sounds of the characters, stylised animal-human hybrids, was also a unique challenge. “I spent a lot of time on Jake the rattlesnake,” Miller says. “I used metallic coin-chain, leather and textured vinyl for his scales, and dragged sandbags over all kinds of surfaces for his weight. For various other characters I recorded things like eggbeaters, clockwork toys, chopsticks and plastic straws.

I also made what we call ‘convolution maps’ – digital acoustic maps of environments like old western buildings, which can be used to process sounds and dialogue in post production to make them appear as if they were originally recorded in those environments.”

Not to be outdone in terms of dedication to the art, Australia’s own Jonathan Nix has spent the last seven years working on a painstaking animation project: his short film The Missing Key. The backgrounds and animations were all created by hand, a process that is exceedingly rare in these days of CGI – Nix loves the warmth and intimacy of the hand-drawn style. “I’ve always been drawn to those kinds of images,” he admits. “The fact it’s not so in fashion is a bonus

as far as I am concerned; it’s a good opportunity to create something truly unique.”

“There are approximately 20,000 pencil on paper drawings in the film,” Nix goes on, “and they are all done by two people – myself and [animator] Brendan Williams. I wanted to create a highly detailed, seductive world, and we certainly paid for this decision as the production progressed. 90 hour weeks were the norm, and it was quite stressful attempting to maintain quality across all of the 600 shots in the final cut of movie.”

Nix’s lovingly-rendered animations have strong echoes of the work of Hayao Miyazaki – it’s no surprise he’s a fan. “I was shown a key sequence from [My Neighbor]Totoro in the first week I was studying animation, and then Spirited Away shortly after. It completely blew me away,” he recalls. “I return to Miyazaki’s films for inspiration on a regular basis, I learn something new every time I watch one. I also love the work of Sylvain Chomet, who directed The Triplets of Belleville and more recently The Illusionist. Shaun Tan’s work is amazing too.”

What: UTS Sydney International Animation Festival Where: City & Broadway, various venues When: Friday September 23 to Monday September 26 More: www.siaf.uts.edu.au

The Missing Key image © 2011 Cartwheel Partners Pty Ltd

on dirt, wind, metal and wooden creaks & squeaks, things you’d find in a real Western,” he says. “I think what Gore was really wanting to avoid was any kind of ‘pristine’ hyper-real cartoon sound. In fact, the approach all round was to treat the film not like an animation, but like a real Western. You can see it in the visual detail, and it’s there in the sound too.”

Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

Arts Snap

At the heart of the arts Where you went last week. Photos by George Poppov

SMASHED Until October 1 / Griffin Theatre Company Playwright Lally Katz isn’t known for shying away from difficult subject matter.

Her most recent Sydney success, Belvoir’s Neighbourhood Watch, tells the story of an 80-year-old Hungarian refugee who gives life advice. In Smashed, it’s a very different challenge, with the play exploring the boundaries and scientific realities of memory and time as well as the complex nature of female best-friendships. It’s a fascinating mix.

Hazel (Suzannah McDonald) and Ruby (Katherine Tonkin) are best friends. In 45 minutes we see them retrace the highlights of their youth, leading them to a final tragedy that ended it all – but don’t worry, there’s a great sense of joy despite the sense of impending doom.

Clare Watson’s production is a restaging of the play’s first performance six years ago, which was created with exactly the same creative team, in an equally tiny Melbourne theatre. Watson, McDonald and Tonkin were part of the play’s creation from the start, and it’s a rare pleasure to see an original production, half a decade after it was first produced.

Rob Miller’s set of cute, fragile paper buildings serves both as a metaphor for the vulnerability of the memories in the story, as well as a clever staging device.

Each building is lit from within, allowing instant and clear scene changes achieved by simply changing which building is lit up.

Katz’s text is truly beautiful and manages to interweave some complex concepts into a charming relationship. McDonald and Tonkin have a clear connection to the characters they helped create, and their friendship is adorably realised (their choreographed explanation of The Big Bang to Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ is a particular highlight). The play is at its best when this friendship is combined with theatrical inventiveness.

Henry Florence ■ Theatre

THE THREEPENNY OPERA Until September 24 / Sydney Theatre Company I just want to make it clear that I am not someone who is against modern adaptations of classic texts. I love a good adaptation. Some of my favourite nights in the theatre have been contemporary versions of classics. But this wasn’t one of them.

The text, which was first updated for Melbourne by Raimondo Cortese with lyrics by Jeremy Sams, has subsequently been further changed to vaguely reflect Sydney. What this translates to is a few token references to Darlinghurst Rd and the whores in Kings Cross, and some relatively tasteless jokes about Craig Thomson (as if that’s a political issue that needs more discussion). It comes across as tacky and brings nothing to the table that the original language did not.

Michael Kantor seems to have shot everyone in the foot with his direction of this production. The central character of Macheath, played by Eddie Perfect, is both a killer and a rapist, yet is meant to draw the support and affection of policemen, mobsters and beautiful women alike. He’s

meant to ooze the kind of sexual charisma that would make Johnny Depp jealous. In this production, the only thing he oozes is a horrendous voice that sounds more than a little bit like Gollum. During the songs, you remember Perfect’s strengths, but when the music fades, you’re left with a caricature of a villain that I can’t help but feel Kantor created.

without walls

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All the characters have this over-the-top style to them and it does no one any favours.

Lucy Maunder’s songs provide respite from this evening of excess and Paul Capsis has moments of brilliance, but he’s hamstrung by the show’s need for over-acting.

More oddly, whilst on the one hand the performances are all too big, nothing seems to fill the space, with even the songs seeming thin at times. It’s a poor showing from a creative team who should know better.

Henry Florence ■ Film

GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE In selected cinemas now It’s quite remarkable that this film turned out as anything but hagiography – Ozzy’s son, Jack Osbourne, is one of the executive producers, working closely with directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli – and it attempts to tell the whole of a story for which we all have the SparkNotes already.

But even during the run of MTV’s The Osbournes, when Ozzy Osbourne and his family were among the most high-profile celebrities on the planet, so much of what happened was beyond the camera's gaze.

The great revelation of this film is that Ozzy has survived his life more than lived it.

Nearly forty years of intense cocaine and alcohol abuse meant that, even when he was in the room, Ozzy was absent. Every success was celebrated with booze and powder, while every setback was ignored with twice as much booze and twice as much powder. And there were lots of both, from the extraordinary heights of Black Sabbath’s first few years, to his sacking from the band, his father’s death, and the death of Randy Rhodes, the brilliant young guitarist behind Ozzy’s initial success as a solo artist.

But the second realisation is that God Bless is ultimately a story of triumph, and of redemption, and of a man managing to defeat the disease that consumed his entire life and dominated nearly every relationship he has ever had. You can see what it means to his family and friends, too, particularly Jack and Kelly Osbourne, who both endured highly public addictions of their own.

This is not a film about Ozzy’s music, although some of the footage is amazing – a tiny club gig in the first few months of Black Sabbath’s existence is cool, and the teeming sea of people at California Jam will take your breath away. Ultimately, this is a film about a man: his successes, and his failings, his victories and defeats. It’s a life lived in full view of the public, but a life of private anguish and struggle. And it could so easily have ended in death, as have the stories of Cobain, Winehouse, Hendrix and Bon Scott. But as the credits roll over Ozzy’s 60th birthday party, the image we are left with is of a man who has conquered his demons and now gets to grow old with his wife and his children, all of whom clearly love him to bits. It’s all any of us can hope for, really.

Hugh Robertson

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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

THE SYDNEY FRINGE

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here’s still one more mad, glorious week of the Fringe left, so gird your loins, slam down a triple espresso and get out the diary. Amongst all the tempting attractions in the final week you’ll find the Fringe Comedy Showcase – eight comedians appearing at the Fringe, collected into one evening for your convenience, running from September 21 to 24 at the Factory Theatre. There’s also the quirky 5th Annual Google Exhibition at Hardware Gallery on Enmore Road, until Saturday September 24.

The 39 Steps

You can see indie rock/film collab project Captured, starring Cameras, Psychonanny & The Babyshakers and four more acts, from September 20 to 24 at the Factory, 25 to 30 at The Concourse in Chatswood, and the Metro Theatre on October 1 and 2.

You can also still catch Brendan Maclean (triple j, Twitter, Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Gatsby) in Christopher Durang’s parenthood satire Baby With The Bathwater at the New Theatre, but only until September 22.

Right at the tail-end of the festival calendar is a short run of a new stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s spy classic The 39 Steps (pictured) – here recreated as an uproarious farce, featuring 139 characters and only four actors. It’s at the Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville from September 28 – October 2.

For all times, tickets and further info, see thesydneyfringe.com.au BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 35

Uncommon Threads

Creative Ladies Get Dressed In The Best @ Westfield Sydney’s Urban Precinct, on Level One

f you’ve ever doubted your ability to turn an awesome idea into an actuality, cast your eyes towards some of Sydney’s finest females. Our city seems to be a breeding ground for awesome ladies who’ve got it all – the beauty, the brains, the creative muscle and the industry savvy. To celebrate, we took them shopping, in what can only be described as a blaze of teen-moviemontage-esque glory.

BAMS & TED

The Urban Precinct of Pitt Street’s new Westfield Sydney was the perfect destination. With a huge range of outlets (we’re talking Saxony, Sneakerology, Princess Polly, Tree Of Life, adidas Originals, General Pants Co., Le Coq Sportif and more), level one also houses 100 Squared – a boutique marketplace that offers new Australian designers a space to showcase and sell their wares to a much larger market.

Tell us about bams & ted?

Rachel is an artist and writer and Claire has worked in fashion

I

BRAG asked bams & ted, the uber-chic sister duo of Rachel and Claire Fuller, to head down to Westfield Sydney and style a shoot for a few of our favourite creative pairs: themselves, the beloved bookclub-turned-party-planner-turnedradio-show Even Books, and the whimsymeets-sinister art duo, Greedy Hen. We took the opportunity to ask them all a few questions about where they came from, what they do, and what they’ve got planned for us next...

Below: bams & ted’s promo shot for the Wes Andersonthemed night, By Way Of The Green Line Bus

MEET: RACHEL AND CLAIRE FULLER MORE: BAMS-AND-TED.BLOGSPOT.COM

b

ams & ted is the collaborative work of sister act Rachel and Claire Fuller. Their pop-up shops around Sydney are like big dress-up boxes, featuring curated vintage clothing and prop collections inspired by characters from films and novels – like Sebastian from Brideshead Revisited and Miranda from Picnic at Hanging Rock. They also do the odd styling job (like this one), one-off themed parties, and travelling photo booths.

and is currently completing an arts degree at Sydney University, where she majors in film and art theory. Our backgrounds definitely help inform the projects we work on at bams & ted.

We both also work at The Cornstalk Bookshop in Glebe, and a lot of our inspiration comes from the antiquarian and collectable books we trawl through on our travels!

How did you get started? bams & ted, in its current incarnation, started over the summer of 2009/10 when we heard about the Gaffa Arcade Project. We’d thought about doing a shop for a while and then the opportunity came up to have a temporary shop in the old police cells of the Gaffa building. Being a police cell, we had to think of how to use the space in a conceptually tight way, and we weren’t interested in having any old vintage store – so we came up with the idea to curate collections around characters. We were just a little bit surprised when it was as successful as it was! So we kept going, and branched out.

What’s been your favourite bams & ted moment?

We were really excited about the Wes Anderson party we put on at Art on The Wall at The World Bar this year, By Way Of The Green Line Bus. It was a whole heap of hard work for just a one-off event, but we were really pleased with how the space ended up looking and the amount of people who turned out on a Wednesday night! And they all dressed up! Success all round.

What’s next for bams & ted?

We’re in residence at the old Kaleidoscope Gallery on William Street in Paddington – but after we close up there on September 24, we’ll be moving to the Stables Theatre in Darlinghurst where we’ll be taking on the new Griffin play, This Year’s Ashes. We will be set up in the foyer of the theatre for the run of the show, which will be a new experience for us – being in a theatre, and basing a collection around a non-vintage period. Expect to see old-school cricket paraphernalia, Darlinghurst summer livery pieces and a good dose of debauchery, courtesy of nostalgia-riddled nights at Barons and Judgement Bar in the early 2000s…

What: bams & ted take on This Year’s Ashes Where: The Stables Theatre foyer When: October 7 – November 19, 5-8pm each night, with longer hours on Saturdays for matinees Rachel Fuller: Shirt – We Rob Banks ‘Sham-Blu’ shirt in blue chambray, $99.95, General Pants Jeans – Nudie Jeans Co. ‘High Kai Broken Used’, $249.95, General Pants Belt – Vintage plaited belt, $39, Victorious @ 100 Squared Shoes – Vintage two-tone Italian brogues, $85, Victorious @ 100 Squared

36 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

Claire Fuller: Skirt – vintage burnt orange suede skirt, $95, Bree Bennett Customised Vintage @ 100 Squared Shirt – Stussy sage green cut off shirt, $89.95, General Pants Shoes – Nike ‘Air Max 1’, Brown/ Kelp/Red, $180, Sneakerology Necklace – stylist’s own

Welcome The Sun On Level One:

EVEN BOOKS MEET: ALICE FENTON AND ANGELA BENNETTS MORE: EVENBOOKS.TUMBLR.COM

BRAG’s Picks For New Spring Threads

A

lice Fenton and Angela Bennetts describe Even Books as their “little mutant brainchild”. What started out nearly four years ago as a monthly(ish) night of mayhem in Sydney themed around a different book, has now matured into an art curator, a radio-maker and a gamesmaster. “Essentially.” they say, “it’s a combination of books, brains, booze, imagination and a fair bit of hoping that people go along with it.”

Bree Bennett [100 Squared]

How did you get started?

We were actually trying to start an online magazine! We thought we’d have a couple of parties to build Two doodlers at Double up a bit of a community before we Glazed, Even Books’ launched, but the parties were a curated show at Firstdraft lot of fun and there seemed to be a really hungry audience for what we were doing – so we just kept doing it. The online magazine fell by the wayside, which is probably lucky seeing as it was going to be called Even Lovers Have Fights, and was pretty much aimed at making people biff using words.

What’s been your favourite Even Books moment?

There are too many to choose just one! The debate we hosted recently as part of Surry Hills Library’s ‘Late Night Library’ series was fun. Max Lavergne, who was arguing that women are NOT funny, put together such a hilarious argument that we actually wanted that side to win. Further back in time, at our ‘Arty Books’ night at Fraser Studios, someone in the audience didn’t like that our life model was keeping her clothes on, so got up and started to strip herself. Then there was the Mötley Crüe’s The Dirt night, which holds a special place in both of our hearts. It’s also strangely lovely to remember the very first couple of events at Dean’s Café, when everyone there was feeling a bit awkward and didn’t know what the hell the night was about, but kept calm and carried on…

Top five books we need to read?

Gah, top fives! We both find it very hard to label a book as the best thing of all time. Sometimes things are just the best while you’re sad, or on a plane, or “really getting into science right now”. Here’s a list of some books we really like that you might not have heard of: * Sex, Genes & Rock n Roll, by Rob Brooks * Kneller’s Happy Campers, by Etgar Keret * Half Of A Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie * Ruby & The Stone Age Diet, by Martin Millar * The Slynx, by Tatyana Tolstaya

What’s next for Even Books?

We’re doing a monthly segment on FBi Radio, as part of Canvas, the weekly arts and culture show. We’ll be curating interviews, talking about books and trying not to giggle down the microphone. You can read a wrap up of our first show on our blog - evenbooks.tumblr.com Alice Fenton: T–Shirt – ‘Adi Tee Trefoil’ sharp blue / radiant pink, $30, Adidas Originals Skirt – ‘Just Peachy’ skirt, $49.95, Show Pony @ 100 Squared Shoes – Dr Martens Gingham Softy White/Blue, $230, Platypus

Angela Bennetts: Top – Element ‘Marilyn Bustiere’, $49.99, SDS Skirt – ‘Treat Me Nice’ skirt, $49.95, Show Pony @ 100 Squared Necklace – vintage rope necklace, $39, Victorious @ 100 Squared Shoes – stylist’s own

GREEDY HEN

Bree Bennett makes up one half of Victorious with Sally Goulter, two Sydney creatives inspired by vintage pieces and the work of young Australian designers – so their outlet at 100 Squared naturally stocks both. Recently, Bree branched out to serve up her own collection: she frequents op shops from all over the city to hunt down old threads with potential, and then re-works them into her own wonderful designs. The result?

Beautiful, unique and classy vintage pieces with a contemporary feel.

Web: facebook search for ‘Bree Bennett Customised Vintage’

Princess Polly Princess Polly started out as part of 100 Squared, but did so well for themselves that they now have their own proper store at Westfield Sydney. The label brings you a boutique collection of on-trend, up-top-the-minute fashion from over fifty Australian designers.

Web: princesspolly.com.au

Saxony Saxony is all about high quality, chic sophistication, with a bold and edgy twist. With a preference for tans, whites, blacks and greys (and an awesome store-front to boot), their basics are anything but that...

Web: saxony.com.au Phone: 8246 9056

MEET: KATE MITCHELL AND KATHERINE BRICKMAN MORE: WWW.GREEDYHEN.COM

G

reedy Hen is a Sydney-based multi-disciplinary studio that houses the collaborative works of Katherine Brickman and Kate Mitchell. Part art collective, part design studio, they’ve quickly taken over the art and music world, designing album covers, posters and film clips for bands like Cloud Control, Josh Pyke, The Middle East, Washington, Belles Will Ring and Richard In Your Mind.

You’ve seen their incredible work countless times in these pages – and chances are you’ve loved it.

Supré Supré needs little introduction; the brand has been serving up fun party gear, affordable basics and great accessories since 1984. They have a huge range on offer at Westfield Sydney (dresses and trousers and tops, oh my!), including a bunch of colourful summer staples and springwear to get you ready for the sun.

Web: supre.com.au Phone: 8246 9101

Tell us about Greedy Hen? We’re just a couple of artists that happen to do a whole lot of things, and get excited about a number of different mediums. We don’t like to limit ourselves with boundaries; we make art, we illustrate, we work in graphic design, we direct music videos, we make gig visuals, we make objects, we collage. Our work is tactile, messy, mixed media – our backgrounds are in Fine Arts, so the way we look at things and the way we talk about things conceptually is informed by that. Basically, we cover so many different areas that it seems a little archaic and stuffy to put ourselves into a box.

Illariy Illariy means ‘shiny’ in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas – but it also refers to a wonderful gallery-shop that’s exclusive to Westfield Sydney, who offer a huge range of handcrafted men’s and women’s jewellery from selected artisans from all over the world. These creatives use tricky, time-consuming techniques including mokumegane and filigree to cast unique materials like alpaca wool, cow skin, flowers and bull horn in sterling silver and stainless steel. Beautiful one-off wonders, and they start from just $19 a piece.

Phone: 0466 247 942

How did you get started?

We met years ago studying art. We then started working together quite organically, kicking ideas around over a game of ping pong to see how far we could push an idea, and then seeing if we could pull it off. Magically, we always do!

What have you been listening to as you work?

We’ve been listening to Françoise Hardy’s La Maison où j’ai grand Grandi on repeat, the whole day and the whole night!

What’s next for Greedy Hen? Our solo exhibition, Greedy Hen: Debut Album, opens at Chalk Horse Gallery on Thursday September 29 – we made an album cover, wrote a tracklist of ten songs, and then created an artwork for each of those songs. In a way it was kind of like working backwards; starting with a song title and coming up with an idea as to what that song would look like as an artwork. The exhibition is predominantly art prints; there is no sound or music whatsoever. We leave it to the viewer to fill in that void – sometimes your imagination is so much bigger than reality. The album launch is currently touring; we’ve already had a Melbourne exhibition, so the next show is the Sydney leg of the tour. And as we go on, the show is evolving – at the end, we’d love to eventually make a tour poster with all of the tour dates!

Above: Greedy Hen’s currency for a fictional micronation, and the artwork of Cloud Control’s Bliss Release

Show Pony [100 Squared]

What: Greedy Hen: Debut Album solo show Where: Chalk Horse Gallery, Surry Hills When: Opening 6-8pm Thursday September 29, runs until October 8 More: Greedy Hen are also part of a group show presented by arts collective I Can Draw You A Picture, who have declared Firstdraft a new micronation and asked a bunch of artists to design it. The micronation will be open from Wednesday September 21 until Saturday September 24 at Firstdraft Gallery in Surry Hills.

Kate Mitchell: Dress – Moschino vintage dress in black, $330, Bree Bennett Customised Vintage @ 100 Squared Shoes – Vans ‘Authentic Lo Pro’ Black/Black, $89.95, Platypus Brooch – stylist’s own

Katherine Brickman: Dress – Something Else cross back shift dress in black, $149.95, General Pants Belt – vintage rope and beaded belt, $45, Victorious @ 100 Squared Shoes – Kustom ‘Pepper Rose’ hi-tops, $79.99, SDS

Another new addition to 100 Squared, Show Pony is young, feminine, vibrant and confident – the perfect place to pick up a Friday night dress, a Sunday slouch tee, or a Monday morning Important Meeting Blouse, and it’s all Australian made. It’s no surprise these guys have clocked up over 30,000 fans on facebook!

Web: showponyfashion.com

The Shade Box The Shade Box is a wall of fun on level one, featuring all the latest shades from brands like Prada, Gucci, Dior, Tom Ford, Carrera, Diesel, Ray Bans and Marc by Marc Jacobs. It’s spring, you guys. Go get.

Phone: 9246 9226

CREDITS:

Words: Alex Shipman Styling: bams & ted Photographer: Ken Leanfore BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 37

BRAG EATS

BREAD FOR GOOD

If you haven’t already heard about it, Bread For Good is a national campaign aimed at raising funds and awareness for the child victims of the East African famine. Upon your inevitable order of bread at any participating restaurant or cafe, you are encouraged to donate just $2 (or more) to the cause. For every $2 donation received, a child will be provided with adequate food for survival.

Some of the 170-plus restaurants who have jumped on the bandwagon include Surry Hills’ Bird Cow Fish, Rockpool Bar and Grill on Hunter Street, Castle Hill’s Cibo e Vino and Woolloomooloo’s Otto Ristorante. For a full list of participating eateries head to www.breadforgood.com. au and make sure you hit up at least one of them before September 23!

SPRING FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – Spring is simply the best time of year for any outdoor festivity.

Enter sunshine, blossoming flowers, bumblebees and butterflies...and the annual Spring Food & Wine Festival. If various wineries such as Tulloch and Allandale showcasing their vintage collections, along with an abundance of gourmet food stalls,

The Favourite Child photo by Jessica Maurer

News Bites

BRAG'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO FOOD

The Favourite Child

place on Monday October 3, and for the chocolateeaters, the macaroons will be $2.50 a pop and will be sold throughout October.

aren’t enough to tempt you, come for the live jazz, funk and soul music, which will be playing throughout.

The festival will be held on September 24 and 25, from 11am – 5pm at the Entertainment Quarter Showring. Entry is free and tickets for tastings can be bought at the festival.

THE FAVOURITE CHILD

CHOCOHOLICS REJOICE...

British chocolate producer Willie Harcourt-Cooze, star of Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory, is coming to town for the Crave Sydney Food Festival. Willie’s genius will appear in the form of three different installments - a golden ticket showcase dinner, chocolate masterclasses and the sale of his renowned chocolate macaroons. Tickets to the showcase dinner will cost $220pp and will be held on Wednesday October 5.

For the aspiring chocolate crafters, masterclasses will set you back $120 and are taking

The Favourite Child only just opened, but it’s already turning heads. Recycled timber and mismatched furniture characterise the Bondi haunt’s quirky interior, and Pac-Man arcade machines add to the retro feel. Coffee beans are sourced from all over the world – Colombia and Costa Rica to Ethiopia and Tanzania – and the baristas definitely know what to do with them. The little herb garden growing in used coffee bags out the front adds to the homey feel, and the old-school Ninja Turtle figurines get the nostalgic juices flowing. It’s obvious why they’re the preferred sibling. 163 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach

The MasterChef Effect Fanatical Food Stuff By Liam Pieper

N

ot long ago I was lucky and foolish enough to fly to Copenhagen for lunch at the best restaurant in the world. Noma is run by Rene Redzepi, the young visionary who quickly whipped up a resume featuring half a dozen of the world’s best restaurants before starting his own. At Noma he singlehandedly reinvented haute cuisine with a return to unpretentious, simple flavours combined with a mad genius’ grasp of molecular gastronomy.

Rene Redzepi is, like his food, a strange conglomeration of ingredients that shouldn’t work but does. Quirky, built from simple, everyday things, he is a visionary wunderkind; gifted, funny and a little acerbic. He was also the surprise chef on the last episode of MasterChef this year, where he invited the finalists to cook his dish ‘The Snowman’ – a composite of vinegar meringue, carrot sorbet, passionfruit mousse and yoghurt granita. My favourite moment of the entire series was the bemused expression on his face that slid into despair, as he was confronted with a kitchen full of demented caricatures bouncing off the walls while they gleefully yelled things like ‘meringue!’ and ‘croquembouche!’ at each other.

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

LAID BACK

Our food is honest, pure and real.

uth-wateraning Authentic lmo ls and le vegan fa adfeme grille ats Fresh, wholesome, additive free ingredients Blending street food with ar t and music is what keeps people coming back time after time.

Sabbaba

10pm; Open Mon-Wed 11am-1am; 7am Fri ; am -12 Thu 7am Weekends 10am-12am

is a ful y licensed venue.

www.facebook.com/sabbaba www.sabbaba.com.au

stay classy DINNER 7 NIGHTS corridorbar.com.au.

153A King st. Newtown 38 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

Sabbaba Newtown 146 King St Newtown Tel: 95198084 Sabbaba Bondi Beach 82 Hall St Bondi Beach

Sabbaba Bondi Junction Shop 1/71-91 Spring St Bondi Junction

Sabbaba Westfield Sydney Shop 5010/77 Castlereagh St Sydney

MasterChef, an underwhelming cooking show on British television, was seized upon by the Australian viewing public with a passion; it filled a gaping hole in our middlebrow culture that has been missing since Baz Lurhmann’s credibility disappeared in an explosion of glitter and Botox.

The show has had a massive impact on Australian culture, too: the revenue helps cover Channel 10’s experiments with ill-considered renovation shows; the producers wield shadowy, God-like powers to buy and sell the credibility of chefs; ingredients' prices fluctuate like the stock market depending on the recipes featured. And supermarket shopping has taken of a weird surreal sheen – you push your trolley down aisles guarded by leering cardboard cut-outs of Maggie Beer and Curtis Stone, while hordes of civilians rush around looking for piping bags and organic nori.

It’s a trickle-down effect from the demented hyperbole of the judges, who punctuate every episode by either viciously dressing down contestants, or greasing them in overwrought, fawning sentimentality. The contestants respond in kind, either directed by the producers or instinctively dropping into the shorthand fostered by previous seasons. They stammer and trip over themselves in the rush to express the joy of being on the show, and talk about their ‘food journey’ and ‘food dream’ – “this is a dream come true,” one contestant confided in an aside to the camera, and the viewer suppresses a surge of envy. Didn’t we all spend our childhoods fantasising about making a tiny snowman out of carrot and yogurt on national television?

The vivacious falsity of the show’s padding has its purpose, a bit like a job interview. If you get through it, you win the game, and you get the award – a massive cash prize and a lucrative book deal. Even losing is sweet: if you can gush about your dreams of opening a French style bistro across the length of a ratings season, you’ll be given the chance to release a range

of sauces after you’ve been knocked off. It’s like a bizarre Escher treadmill, where contestants are given a taste of life as an executive chef, dreaming up dishes, cooking them once, and then releasing them to the world. They skip earning their stripes in a kitchen, and on the occasion when one of the runners-up goes to work in one of the judges' kitchens, they promptly drop out and become a columnist for The Age. But if you ignore the details and concentrate on the narrative, the ‘food journey’ is mad, thrilling and looks like jolly fun.

Noma is the epitome of class. The food is at once magnificent chicanery and humble – like the baby radish served in a pot of barley dirt, or a simple salad of six types of onion that slowly dissolves into a rich, acidic jus. The chefs bring out the food themselves and explain it to you with real enthusiasm, quite different to the way Matt and Gary shoot at the contestants' feet to make them dance. Some of the more challenging dishes, like soft boiled quail eggs – smoked in hay and served in another egg – or summer deer and snails with forest shoots and chanterelles, or live prawns served on foraged weeds, are magnificent, helped along with buckets of matched wines and home-made beer distilled from birch sap.

Sure, there’s something a bit over the top abou both Noma and MasterChef. The former is a place founded on sourcing and preparing local ingredients and sustainable food, which inspires foodies to fly across the world for lunch and speak of menu choices in italics and arbitrary capitals like the titles of novels and movies. The latter is a shining, spectacular showbiz streetwalker – but they both do their own good. I’ve never known a chef to eat at Noma without immediately stepping up their game and growing into new, exciting areas – and similarly MasterChef delights, inspires and entertains millions, like a great, big cheeseburger for the soul. To steal the saccharine message of Pixar’s Ratatouille, anyone can cook, and both Redzepi and MasterChef inspire people to. There’s room for everybody in food. Except for vegans, of course – when the war comes, they’re first against the wall.

BRAG EATS free stuff

▼

OXYGEN BAR

B

reathe easy – Sydney finally has its own oxygen bar. Now, my dad would probably scoff at the idea of paying $1 a minute to breathe air. But where else are smog-choked city dwellers going to go for a hit of 90% pure oxygen, delicately scented with peach, watermelon, eucalyptus, tangerine, coffee bean, wintergreen… Plus, they say it boosts energy and will help chase off those pesky hangovers. You know you want to test it out.

We have two $30 vouchers to give away for the Sydney Oxygen Bar at Darling Harbour.

To win, email your name and contact details to freestuff@thebrag.com and tell us why you need to try it.

food review

SABBABA [NEWTOWN]

“S

abbaba” is slang for "no worries, that’s cool, it’s great". This seems pretty fitting for this Middle Eastern gem, which has branched westwards from Bondi and now graces King Street. You could easily while away a whole evening at Sabbaba – unusual for somewhere that serves what is ostensibly fast food. The night we pop in, there are swinging salsa grooves playing, although this changes from visit to visit.

The relaxed feel is complemented by the custommade graffiti art on the walls. Look carefully and you can even spot Sabbaba’s founder, Nic Kat, in cartoon form. His dad’s there too – painted chilling in sunnies.

The ordering process is simple enough – pick from a pita, a bowl, or a plate, and take it from there.

I have a falafel plate ($15.90), while my dinner date goes for lamb and chicken shish ($16.90).

Advance warning: the plates are massive, so bring a container so you can keep your leftovers. (Our camera has some problems early on in the meal, so we can’t snap a photo until after we’ve stuffed a pita with as much as it would fit… and the plate still looks full!)

The dishes come loaded with tabouli, hummous, tahini, babaganoush, pickles – everything made on-site. Sabbaba outdoes itself in this regard. The pita bread is soft and warm, and made regularly throughout the day. They have a custom-made falafel machine, too, so the your falafel are shaped, fried and plated pretty quickly. This ensures they’re fresh and tender – nothing like the pre-fried, re-microwaved falafel you get at your average kebab shop. I'm delighted when my date, normally a fairly fervent meat lover, walks away thinking the falafels were the star of the night. This is fast food, but it’s a new spin on it – fresh and tasty.

Drinks-wise, you’ve got your usual choices as well as homemade lemonade ($3.50) – try the rosewater lemonade for something a little different. They’re licensed, so you’ve got some beer and wine to choose from, as well as a few cocktails. We tried the signature Sabbaba cocktail ($8.00), made with their lemonade and Malibu – it was perfect.

Sabbaba advertises which of its products are vegan, which earns instant bonus points from this reviewer. Nic himself is vegan, so he gets it!

It’s awesome to have a few options you don’t get everywhere else – vegan items include the chips (no tallow – from $3.80)), all the dips ($5.50 each), and some of the desserts. Speaking of which, we're too full for dessert after our meal, but we leave with a few pieces of baklava ($3-$3.50) and Turkish delight ($20.00) – the latter so awesome that my date re-evaluates the standout winner of the night when she gets home and has a nibble...

- Romi Scodellaro Where: Sabbaba, 146 King St Newtown Hours: Mon-Wed 11am-10pm; Thu 7am-12am; Fri 7am-1am; Weekends 10am-12am Web: sabbaba.com.au

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INDULGE in this years most delicious food and wine at the Entertainment Quarter’s Spring Food & Wine Festival.

Inc. live cooking demos from MasterChef Contestants!

free entry!

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September 11am - 5pm LANG ROAD, MOORE PARK

Wine glasses and tasting tokens for purchase.

For more information visit eqmoorepark.com.au or call 8117 6700

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THE ROXBURY HOTEL

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 39

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE JEZABELS Prisoner Self-released/MGM

It’s not for nothing that The Jezabels are spending half their year globetrotting; this is a world-beating sound.

‘Who needs record labels?’ That may as well be the catchcry trumpeting from the sleeve art of The Jezabels’ rather excellent first album, which also happens to be the fourth set of recordings that they’ve done entirely free of corporate intrusion.

Possibly the most coveted band in the country, this Sydney quartet have honed their craft down to a fine art over three successively stronger EPs – and now drop a full album so massive that it’s really quite difficult to get one’s head around it.

Everything that they do well, from the arching drama of Hayley Mary’s multi-octave wail through to the powerful finesse of Nik Kaloper’s drumming, is amplified across an impressive landscape that

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

Their tenth album was recorded following the departure of guitarist John Frusciante, who always seemed to be the bridge between potential and execution. His guitar shaped the band for 15 years, so perhaps it’s no surprise that I’m With You is being billed as a new beginning – drummer Chad Smith went so far as to call it an entirely new band.

Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (formerly of Warpaint) isn’t Frusciante, but he brings his own sound rather than trying to be his predecessor, and slots effortlessly into the band. But the absence of Frusciante means Anthony Keidis and Flea share more of the burden, which doesn’t always work. Keidis has always been more of a frontman than a singer and finds himself trapped between the highenergy speak-singing of the early years and the more tuneful melodies they're writing now. Meanwhile, Flea has spent the last two years studying music theory, and certainly the songs feel more structured than ever before, but there’s something missing – and whether it’s Frusciante, or drugs, or youthful aggression, the whole thing ends feeling thin, bereft of the depth and substance of their best records.

The band really shines when they’re not only showing off their formidable lead singer, but each individual's skills as well.

The rhythmic tug-of-war that is ‘Horsehead’ and the gloriously rich instrumentation of ‘City Girl’ are just two of an endless set of highlights that pop up in unexpected places, as the band realises the full breadth of their potential. The Jezabels don’t need speed or gimmicks to impress, but rather rely on sturdy harmonic material (pianist Heather Shannon’s

DUM DUM GIRLS

I’m With You Warner

It’s a tough life being a Chili Peppers fan. The same band who released BloodSugarSexMagik also released Stadium Arcadium, a double album with barely enough good songs for an EP. You can excuse your favourite bands for mellowing with age, but the Chilis show enough glimpses of greatness to make you believe they can recapture the magic – Stadium’s ‘Readymade’ is one of the best songs they've ever written, and could sit comfortably alongside the rest of their early-‘90s output.

has been entirely The Jezabels’ own creation. They don’t sound like anyone else because they own their sound; this much is obvious from the second ‘Long Highway’ struts into the room, in all its gothic alt-rock glory.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Only In Dreams Sub Pop/Inertia Only In Dreams, the second full length from Los Angeles’ Dum Dum Girls, marks the maturation of frontwoman Dee Dee (Kristin Gundred) and her fellow Dum Dum Girls. The fuzz, harsh guitars, reverb and raw vocals from the band’s previous releases make a fantastic return, but they’re tempered with tighter, smarter mixing and stronger harmonies.

The themes are darker, too, driven by the emotional strain of Dee Dee after the sickness and death of her mother, and the absence of her touring husband, Crocodiles’ Brandon Welchez (“I can’t live without your warmth / I just want to be adored,” she tells us on ‘In My Head’). ‘Coming Down,’ written shortly after the death of Gundred’s mother, provides a telling insight into the real emotional power behind Only In Dreams. It’s a pain revisited in album closer ‘Hold Your Hand,’ Gundred’s voice cutting through the fuzz of the indie pop, pleading, “You’d do anything to bring her back / Yes you’d do anything to bring her back.”

‘Bedroom Eyes', the first track to be publically released, merges this emotional power with the simple four-bar riffs of the genre, allowing Gundred to mourn the absence of her husband whilst remaining positive and upbeat. Gundred juxtaposes her obvious hurt with the complex, almost happy harmonies in a track which is honest and raw, while remaining positive enough to become anthemic for the coming summer.

There are moments where Chilis 2.0 work, but most of the songs here lack any real spark.

Only in Dreams revisits musical themes and riffs that are a little too familiar, but any repetition is overshadowed by the thoughtful, honest songwriting and simple, fuzzy lo-fi pop, which work together to create a strong and effective second album.

Hugh Robertson

James O’Doherty

And then there’s that vaguely patronising thing labels do with international soundtracks all the time: tacking on an out-of-context local artist at the end so that we feel included or something. Here, Missy Higgins adds a lovely, low-key take on ‘Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear’ that took maybe five minutes to record.

But there are gems here, too. ‘Night Life’ might actually be the most fun – it’s transformed into an L.A. hair-metal beast riddled with mountainous drum fills that Animal would lose his pink furry shit over, with Atreyu’s Brandon Saller not holding back on the cockrock wails. My Morning Jacket, Sondre Lerche, Alkaline Trio, The Airborne Toxic Event and Andrew Bird all approach their contributions with the right balance of sweetness, inventive wit, and serious consideration given to what are often genuinely great songs.

King’s Canyon Antelope Recordings

Ernest Ellis’ Hunting was one of the more promising local debuts of last year: soaring, spacious textures driven by an insistent propulsion, Ellis’ warm baritone almost carelessly drifting through the middle. A songwriter with a long foreground, Ellis has upended his bag to produce King’s Canyon, which might almost be thought of as Hunting MK II. Not that there aren’t improvements; Ellis uses his newly-christened band The Panamas to thoroughly renovate his sound, while leaving the fundamental

40 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

DAS RACIST Relax Greedhead

Gentle Spirit Bella Union/Co-Op Aside from anything else, Gentle Spirit is a superbly produced record. Which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone familiar with Jonathan Wilson’s previous musical meanderings – the man is in the thick of it: collaborations with Benji Hughes (as the on-indefinate-hiatus Muscadine), Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Vetiver’s Andy Cabic, and production credits for Jonathan Rice, Josh Tillman as well as all of the above. He’s also in the throes of drawing together a tribute album in homage to Roy Harper, which probably gives some clues to the aesthetic gone for here.

Wilson readily conjures the kind of rural idyll in which chaps such as Robin Pecknold permanently lose themselves, while holding some reservations about the efficacy of such.

“Can we really party today?” he asks on the song of the same title, “with all that’s going on?” Though there’s some admirable sentiments at work, there’s a tendency for them to come out rather naff, a fact hardly helped by an apparently chronic love for the esoteric (down to the Masonic pyramid adorning the disc) which manifests in some horrific Led Zeppelinisms.

Wilson has a pleasant though undistinguished voice, which makes it difficult to pin down amidst the lush mixes – one wonders what someone like Howlin’ Rain’s Ethan Miller would’ve made of this material, which seems to cry out for a ballsy caterwaul.

Coupled with the wandering (some might say waffling) instrumentals and guitar solos through which most of the songs here progress, one’s attention quickly strays.

If you’re a hip hop fan and you use the internet, chances are you’ve been made aware of Heems and Kool A.D. (and possibly also their hype man, Dap) through one of the many blogs that fell in love with the rapscallions well before a certain violent acronym captured everyone’s attention… If you’re not, here’s the scoop: selfconfessed “smartest dumb guys in the room” make intellectually-driven, raceobsessed hipster-hop. Their music is filled with obscure literature references and “I should google that” pop-culture wordplay, and they gave away two of the best mixtapes of 2010 (Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man). Their new release, Relax, is the first one you can pay for – and pay for it you should.

The album explodes with the one-two punch of the self-titled opener and first single ‘Michael Jackson’, as the two MCs switch rhythmic style effortlessly from line to line. From here, the album leans to a chilled out and organic feel, replacing vocal loops and samplers for angular guitar and lazy bass-lines in album highlights ‘Brand New Dance’ and ‘Middle Of The Cake’. And ‘Shut Up, Man’ features not only some of the best rapping from the duo, but also one of El-P’s best verses in recent memory.

While some of the most enjoyable aspects of their previous tapes don’t get a look-in on Relax, Das Racist make up for it in the album’s cohesion, and by just how much fun they sound like they’re having. Sure, there are missteps – ‘Booty In The Air’ and ‘Girl’ seem superfluous – but it’s a testament to the power of internet-based success that two astute and witty MCs can be so successful in a world of shockbaiting and gangsta-posing.

That was wonderful! Bravo! That was great! Well, it was pretty good.

It wasn’t bad… There were parts of it that weren’t very good though. I didn’t really like it. It was bad. It was awful! It was terrible! Bah, boo!

There’s some lovely moments here, but there’s a ways to go yet before Wilson develops the depth to meet the ambition of his songcraft or the skill of his production.

This is music to make you smile and think; it doesn’t happen often, and it certainly happens less in hip hop. Buy this album.

Caitlin Welsh

Oliver Downes

Alexander Tulett

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK ERNEST ELLIS & THE PANAMAS

Jonno Seidler

JONATHAN WILSON

The Green Album Disney/Universal The main issue with this Muppet Movie soundtrack/tie-in is that it’s trying to please everyone.

The lineup ranges from indie-folk luminaries, reliable alt acts, earnest dullards, and mall-pop mouthbreathers – and there’s not a track on here that won’t have someone diving for the SKIP button. ‘Rainbow Connection’ is actually more syrupy than ever – with Weezer and Paramore’s Hayley Williams involved, I was hoping for a shit-kicking good time not too removed from Me First And The Gimme Gimmes’ excellent version. Amy Lee’s goth histrionics and weird, glitchy production crush the lovely whimsy of ‘Halfway Down The Stairs’ – AA Milne, as performed by the blue alien opera diva from The Fifth Element.

considerable contribution to their aesthetic should not be ignored), and a stubborn conviction that good writing is all you need to reach people through music. Turns out they’re right.

formula unaltered. Opener ‘Sons And Daughters’ begins unassumingly, a simple electric piano establishing the basic cell, with bass, harp then drums added in incremental layers. Ellis seems most interested in conjuring gargantuan post-rock builds from the smallest elements, carving and contrasting lush blocks of texture. Take ‘Caroline’ for instance: built off an architecture of solid interlocking guitars, the chorus becomes a group singalong, the lyrics receding in import to the sound of voices collectively joined.

As with his first effort, King’s Canyon may take a few listens for the songs here to sink into your consciousness.

Many have the character of woozy lateafternoon jams, as with the harmonic

stasis of ‘Give In / Give Up’, or the glowing lethargy of ‘Oceans’. Others, such as the hand-clap studded ‘Save Me’ are more energetic, festival-ready stomps, its plaintive chorus – “you just want to save me from myself” – becoming an upbeat mantra. While Ellis’ lyrics are as searching, oblique and at times self-flagellating as ever, there’s a warmth to the music – in the odd Alice Coltrane harp gliss, or Ry Cooderish guitar line – that cannot help but ground the whole.

King’s Canyon is an assured step in the musical journey of Mr Ellis. “I’m the new blood” he chants – and it’s easy to believe him.

Oliver Downes

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

TV ON THE RADIO - Dear Science JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST - Watch The Throne FOUR TET - There Is Love In You

VOLCANO CHOIR - Unmap WEEN - Chocolate And Cheese

ABERCROMBIE

The

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

Simone Felice

LA VAMPIRES, HOLY BALM, KIRIN J CALLINAN, GUERRE GoodGod Small Club Thursday September 8

Guerre’s amniotic R&B feels particularly vulnerable tonight. He seems unsettled, a lost soul with an MPC, perched in one of the darkest venues in Sydney. To him, the room must appear empty but for the headliner and promoter, silent sentinels swaying front and centre. His apprehension only adds to the mood of the set – the effulgent throb of ‘Care 4 Me’ is gloriously supine on record, but bears an edgy paranoia tonight, culminating in a passive/aggressive lyric wreathed in delay and reverb.

Kirin J Callinan ambles quietly onstage, bedecked in bushman’s trenchcoat and matching hat. A tall, wraith-like figure with sunken eyes, he greets the audience grinning quietly, addressing us directly as if to amplify our apprehensions before our trip across the Styx. His set swerves ruthlessly from knotted pedal-techno to vertiginous, Scott Walker-esque murder ballads. It’s disorienting and frequently exhilarating, reaching its peak in a devastating minor-key gothic waltz that casts an elegiac pall over the room.

Holy Balm dress endearingly like primary school teachers and play pragmatic, lo-fi dance pop. Their music seems to consist of a patchwork of the basest electronic components that only just cohere, jarring against and spilling over one another, though never at the expense of the groove. Their chthonic disco strut gets the entire room moving, and sets the tone perfectly for what’s to come.

LA Vampires is Los Angeles native Amanda Brown’s solo project, but it’s a trio tonight. Her husband Britt spins a web of foggy disco samples, and processes his wife’s vocals into a flamboyant haze of feminine attitude. It’s otherworldly dance music and she is the queen of it, seamlessly bridging the gap between us and Dante’s (disco) Inferno.

It’s intense and intoxicating, churning the air of GoodGod Small Club into a thick, tropical, neon fug. It’s difficult not to feel her enthusiasm even before she steps into the audience to duel with the now-rapturous Guerre. The final piece draws the entire audience onstage, which proves to be a terrible idea; someone treads on a cord and the room is engulfed in a crackling silence that breaks the spell. Just as well – we might never have left.

Luke Telford

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SIMONE FELICE

The Vanguard Wednesday September 7 It’s necessary to pass through two imposing sets of front doors to get into The Vanguard.

The space in between the two points delouses the commoner of King St’s hustle and grime, to better prepare them for the awaiting spectacle. Attending a gig here is always special; the usual crusty interior of befouled surfaces and self-scratching dudes is replaced by shadows that recede back until they reveal the vascular frames of the venue’s curtains and dressings. An apt location for a night dedicated to the gentle musings of a songwriter, poet, and novelist.

After numerous failed attempts to get to Australia, Simone Felice has finally made the trek and tonight it's obvious that a core of fans are even more excited than the man himself. Felice’s arrival was previously blocked as he had to have emergency heart surgery prior to stepping on the plane in 2009, but tonight he seems loose and languid before a reassuring crowd. Yet perhaps it's the unwavering earnestness of his fans that results in the evening stalling on so many occasions…

There is no denying Felice’s talent. As a founder, with brothers Ian and James, of The Felice Brothers and the creator of The Duke And The King, the man has clearly paid his dues in the savage arena of troubadouring. But his style of playing carries a tenderness that tonight frequently feels all too timid. Felice moves between various states of slumping atop his stool with far greater ease than the jarring shifts that occur as he moves, almost apologetically, between his own recorded material and that of the aforementioned bands, as well as readings from his new novel Black Jesus.

Bruce Springsteen's ‘Atlantic City’ is one of the greatest working-man songs ever written, and when Felice cheekily drops it into the encore the whole room hums and a few cheeky tears are wiped aside. Whilst laying on the sentiment nice and thick is a good way to get us to all bow heads and smile as we forward out the airlock door, the niggling persists that this show was a bit slapdash persists. As a man of many talents, and in recovering health, it must be necessarily complex to balance all aspects of his creativity. But in spite of the crowd’s constant adoration of even the faintest breathing sound from the man, Australia will wait patiently for this artist/writer/ survivor to return with a greater awareness of how to grip us into the depths of his stories.

Benjamin Cooper

HORDERN PAVILION

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The Minor Chord The all-ages rant brought to you by Indent.net.au and Dom O'Connor

Remedy More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

SHATNER’S METAL STAR TURN

All Time Low

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and this sure falls into that category.

William Shatner has a new album called Seeking Major Tom due in October – it’ll be a metal fest of sorts, with guests including Ritchie Blackmore, Johnny Winter, Michael Schenker and Zakk Wylde. The first single? A version of Sabbaff’s ‘Iron Man’. No, seriously. The one-time Captain Kirk reckons that the last few years have increased his “awareness of the excitement of heavy metal music, the emotion behind it, and the expertise of the musicians. I like good music and this is what this is.” Can’t argue with the man: good music is good music no matter who plays it. Hopefully this qualifies. From The Shat’s end of it, that is.

SOOKY HOOKY = SOOTY

ALL-AGES GIG PICKS

This 23-band mini event rose out of the ashes of the cancelled (and huger) Soundwave Revolution, which was called after one of the headliners decided to blow it off (rumoured to be Van Halen...)

Anyway, many bands that were originally planning to play at this are now playing the Counter Revolution, including poppunkers Panic! At The Disco, Disneypunkers All Time Low and Anthrax/ Fallout Boy supergroup The Damned Things (and who amongst us expected those two bands to make a supergroup?)

It’s being held at Luna Park’s Big Top this Sunday September 25, and has a relatively early start at 10am – so make sure you have an early night beforehand. For more information on the many other bands playing, go to www.soundwaverevolution.com While we’re in a metal mood, rap-metal heroes Hollywood Undead will be bringing the Metro Theatre to its knees later that Sunday night with a set of sludgy genre cross-pollination. Fun fact about these guys: they all wear masks on stage, similar to Slipknot! They’re touring their acclaimed second album American Tragedy, so be sure to catch them in this intimate setting while you can. They’ll be ably supported by Welsh metallers (I never thought I’d type those words together) Skindred, who are making their first visit to our fair shores. The whole shebang kicks off at 8pm.

And our last all-ages find this week is the Annandale Hotel’s famed Screaming Sunday festival, also happening to fall on Sunday September 25. It’s a four-hour-long show, with eight bands playing on separate stages throughout the afternoon. It’s also a rare occasion for youngsters to step into the ol’ sticky carpet of the Annandale, Panic! At The Disco

SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

Counter Revolution: Panic! At the Disco, All Time Low, The Damned Things and heaps more Luna Park, Big Top Hollywood Undead, Skindred Metro Theatre Screaming Sundays: The Struts, Kill Appeal Annandale Hotel a hallowed institution of the Sydney live scene for many years now. Headliners Kill Appeal are on at 3:30pm, playing their own brand of high-pitched hair metal goodness. But I’d equally recommend The Struts, who are gracing the second stage at 1pm with their alternative-punk sound.

This young power trio (average age just 16) is definitely going places, so make sure you see them while you can! It all starts at midday, so make sure you get there early to spend a lovely afternoon in scenic Annandale.

As we reported recently, some folks in NYC were concerned about riots when Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax hit Yankee Stadium on September 14 – but in The Bronx, 'Anthrax Day' was officially declared by Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. And while the Big Four were in town, two metal hardnuts – Down’s Phil Anselmo and Slayer’s Kerry King – teamed with Megadeth’s David Eleffson and a large contingent from Anthrax (Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante) in a local club to tear through some old chestnuts, including a handful of Pantera classics.

JAZZ NERDS AHOY

About ten years back we were amazed to discover – probably naively – that most musicians are big jazz fans, whether it’s metal acts or (more obviously) those from the avant-garde-noise end of the spectrum.

There have always been glaring references, like the free sax blowing on The Stooges’ Funhouse, and the fact that Iggy is a huge John Coltrane fan and that his whole stage act was based on doing to his body what ‘Trane did with a sax. Henry Rollins is also a devotee of the stuff and always talked it up to us – and then we discovered that the guys in the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule were jazz nuts, and so was Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, and on and on it went like a secret society. But it still seemed kinda surprising that Metallica’s Lars Ulrich was going to talk jazz on a BBC2 radio show this week. For Ulrich, the music is actually far closer to the bone than most, as his dad played clarinet in jazz bands and personally knew legends like the great Dexter “Panther” Gordon. More to the point, Gordon is said to be the drummer’s godfather. Now there’s some serious cred right there – like getting a job reference from Nick Cave.

Anthrax

This week we caught up with Kogarah pop-rockers Radio Fashion, who are celebrating the release of their latest single 'Back To Me'. The track is a brilliant, jagged evocation of teenage angst topped off by an emotional delivery from vocalist Patrick Ryan.

The Minor Chord: So guys, is your new single an indication of where Radio Fashion are as a band right now?

Radio Fashion: We’d like to think that, given this song was written six months ago. I think that it’s an indication of both where we were at the time and where we’re heading; it’s upbeat pop-rock, and that’s the kind of music we enjoy writing.

TMC: Who are your main influences?

Every band member has their own favourite band and artist. We are individually influenced by bands such as Panic! at the Disco, Mariana’s Trench and Arctic Monkeys. But our natural sound, as a band made up of members holding such different musical standpoints, has resulted in our songs crossing over into a variety of genres – and honestly, we don’t write to specifically sound like anyone.

TMC: You started out playing in the allages scene. How has it changed over the past five years?

We’ve definitely seen an increased following of bands, not just ours but of the whole scene in general. We see more and more people attending the shows; not only new people, but a large amount who continually come back and support us – and that’s great to see!

TMC: Finally, how important are fans to the all-ages scene?

All of our fans on the scene are amazing, and we thank them for their support. We’re always looking to meet new people and get our music heard. If anyone wants to check us out they can log onto our Facebook: www.facebook.com/radiofashionband.

We’re always up for a chat, so don’t be afraid to say hey!

Send all ages listings & info to theminorchordradio@gmail.com 44 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

BIG FOUR IN BIG APPLE

With The Grateful Dead’s box set of every show they performed in Europe in 1972, 75 CDs in all, now finally touching down in discerning mailboxes across the planet (ours included), the band’s former tour manager and general sweetheart Sam Cutler was absolutely beaming on Facebook last week. “Today I received the boxed set of the 1972 Grateful Dead’s Tour of Europe which I put together – stunning package – rendered me speechless! This is the band – 36,086 SONGS, 2317 concerts, 298 cities, 30 years, 11 members, 1 band – THE GRATEFUL DEAD!!!!!!” The box sold out six months back on pre-orders alone, but there’s a “more fiscally or physically manageable taste” of the tour available with the release of Europe ‘72: Vol. 2, a twoslab set featuring 20 never-before-released gems from that epic juggernaut. None of the songs that appeared on what was originally a triple vinyl set will be repeated.

Anthrax photo by Andy Buchanan

W

elcome to another edition of The Minor Chord, where you’ll find all the week’s best All-Ages picks – like our feature gig, which this week is the mini-festival Counter Revolution.

Some sentiments are too great to skip over, and so are some of the reference points they contain. For example, former Joy Division anchor cable bassist Peter Hook hasn’t taken well to the fact that lamesters New Order are now performing without him, even though he left the band almost five years back. “Everyone knows that New Order without Peter Hook is like Queen without Freddie Mercury… [Or ‘70s TV puppets] Sooty without Sweep!” he said.

Sooty and Sweep? Surely the analogy of the year.

THE BIG BOX OF DEAD

ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Foghat Live, which is the ultimate in beer boogie biff-orama fests with some neato twin guitar work thrown in. Their epic version of ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’ really is something. Also spinning is Jeff Beck’s Truth, with a cracking band that includes Rod Stewart and Ron Wood – it’s a hell of a long way from the annoying, eclectic stuff the guitarist’s guitarist has done over the four decades since. Widely framed as being part of the invention of metal – which isn’t too dramatically wide of the mark – we were intrigued to find after a recent dust-off that at least one guitar passage is almost a dead ringer for something Radiohead would do…

TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS Solid Gold Hell returns on September 24 to the Sly Fox Hotel in Enmore from 9pm to 4am, with a celebration of the films of Russ Meyer along with the finest in rock’n’roll, post-punk, Northern Soul, punk, garage, rockabilly and exotica.

The Dark Shadows will play a special guest DJ set, following their gig earlier in the night supporting The Screaming Tribesmen. Also DJing will be Lady Kingsley & Death Minge, Danger Coolidge (Unbelievably Bad), Demonika and Cutthroat. Plus there are caged go-

go dancers, drink specials and cheap cocktails. www.solidgoldhell.com The Cool Charmers and the reformed Screaming Tribesmen are at The Sando on September 25.

Excellent Texan instrumental mob Explosions In The Sky and their gloriously symphonic sound return to our shores in December. In addition to playing the Meredith Festival, on December 11 they’ll be at The Metro Theatre.

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

Pics to art@thebrag.com www.facebook.com/remedy4rock

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08:09:11 :: Tone :: 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills 92676440

NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

A N EVENING AN E V E NING N I N G OF O F DISCO/ DISCO/ HOUSE, HO H O USE, USS E , DUBSTEP, D U BSS T E P, HIP H I P HOP, HO H O P, P, TFIELD ELECTRONICA LLEF LE EFT F I E L D ELECTR FIELD E L E C T R ONIC O N IC CA & FUTURE F U T U R E SSOUL OUL

sparkadia 08:09:11

PICS :: KC

CONVAIRE 23 SEP :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St City 92642666

ALL LIVE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT 8PM TIL MIDNIGHT

:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: GEORGE OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER IEL MUNNS :: THOMAS PEACHY DAN :: MAR LEY ASH : LEE: :: CAI GRIFFIN :: KIM POPOV :: SAM WHITESIDE ::

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mum

PICS :: TP

up all night out all week . . .

trail of dead

10:09:11

PICS :: GP

09:09:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

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

mum It sounds like: Guitars being punched in the strings, beats that you bop your head to and remixes you wish you had in your personal collection.

Acts: Spookyland, She’s So Rad (NZ), Bell Weather Department, Massai, New Brutalists, Karl-Christoph, Young Romantics, MUM DJs and Velociraptor DJ Set. Sell it to us: Has MUM ever let you down before? Well, maybe a few times, but these are some of the best bands around and it’s going to be a wild night.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: She’s So Rad are soo rad!

Where: The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross.

When: 8pm, Friday September 23

josh pyke

10:09:11

10:09:11 :: Upstairs Beresford :: 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills 93571111

la vampires

:: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St City 92642666

46 :: BRAG :: 430: 19:09:11

myth & tropics

PICS :: KC

Wallet damage: Students free before 10pm / $10 after / $15 general admission.

PICS :: AM

Crowd specs: Relaxed people getting wild.

PICS :: GP

party profile

It’s called: MUM

08:09:11 :: GOODGOD :: 55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787

:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) MAS PEACHY :: GEORGE OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER THO :: NS MUN IEL LEY MAR :: DAN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: KIM LEE:: ASH POPOV :: SAM WHITESIDE ::

! k c o sh R! O R R E T S!

S E D D GO

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

pick of the week Deep Sea Arcade

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23

Wintercoats, James Domeyko, Virgo Rising Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst free 8pm Zoltan Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm

Eskimo Joe

JAZZ

Jazzgroove: Pen Island, The Daniel Gassin Sextet 505 Club, Surry Hills $8 (member)–$10 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

WEDNESDAY SEPT 21 ROCK & POP

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

OAF’s Fourth Birthday Party: Deep Sea Arcade, Step-Panther, Betty Airs, Peppercorn, Rockets, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mother & Son, The James Manson Blues Band, The Faults, OAF Gallery Bar DJs from 8pm free MONDAY SEPT 19 ROCK & POP

Bernie The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Bryan Adams (Canada) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House sold out 7pm Ian Blakeney Dee Why RSL Club free The Thing Os Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm

JAZZ

Greg Coffin Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm

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Latin & Jazz Open Mic/Jam Session: Rinske Geerlings, Daniel Falero, Philip Taig, Pierre Della Putta The World Bar, Kings Cross free 7pm

TUESDAY SEPT 20 ROCK & POP

Blackheart (UK), Dan Hopkins The Basement, Circular Quay $28 9pm Leonard Cohen Birthday Tribute: Abby Dobson, Christa Hughes The Factory Theatre, Enmore $37.50 8pm

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Bernie Segedin Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Gemma The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Jamie Lindsay Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Kappa Oie, Jess Kung Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Kh 47 O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Lauren LaRouge The Vanguard, Newtown 8pm Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm Mandi Jarry Summer Hill Hotel free 7.30pm Mark Da Costa The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Marty Northies, Cronulla free 7.30pm Matt Jones Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm The Milfs, Cordea, Cuervo Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $8 8pm Sean Mackenzie, Noel Elmowy, Evelyn Duprai, Doug Williams The Basement, Circular Quay 8pm Sebadoh (USA), Smudge Metro Theatre, Sydney $52.70 8pm Ships To A Lighthouse, Monii, Greg Niven & The Forgotten Few, Release The Hounds Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm The Study Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 7pm Tim Rollinson Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm

JAZZ

The Listening Room - Open Mic The Vault, Windsor free 7pm Matt Jones The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm OMG Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm Songs on Stage Performers Competition Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Tuesday Night Live Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm

Carl Morgan Quintet 505 Club, Surry Hills $10–$15 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Live & Local Lizotte’s Sydney $15 6pm

THURSDAY SEPT 22 ROCK & POP

Anthems Of Oz The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Caitlin Park, Tin Sparrow FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst $10 8pm

Crossroads Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 8pm David Agius Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Eskimo Joe The Cube, Campbelltown $49 8pm Fisher King Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Indie Reduz, The Bhagavad Guitars Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors The Vanguard, Newtown 8pm Kappa Oie, Samantha Kate Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta $10 8pm Kids Of Yesterday, The Pink Elephants, Duncan Davidson Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm The Living Chair Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm Lockdown, Get Real!, Aftermath, Bridges, Deadly Visions Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Mad Season Heathcote Hotel free 9pm Mick Vawdon Toxteth Hotel, Glebe free 8pm Passing Strange: The Fighting League, Raw Prawn, Marf Loth, Street Talk, DJ Del Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Quini Jannali Inn free 8pm Rose Carleo Rooty Hill RSL Club free 8pm Speakeasy The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham 8pm Stonefield Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $12 (+ bf) 8pm Surry Hills Rocks Charity Concert: Sparkadia, Ed Worland and the Green Teas, Phebe Starr Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $10-$15 6pm Thirsty Merc Cronulla Sharks $30 8pm Tropicalismo: Martin Buscaglia, Aline Calixto The Basement, Circular Quay $45 (+ bf) 9pm Wildcatz Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm Young Romantics, Velociraptor Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm

JAZZ

Bandaluzia Flamenco, Damien Wright 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 (member)–$15 8.30pm

In the Mood State Theatre, Sydney $79.90–$89.90 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Andrew Drummond Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Glenn Whitehall Sackville Hotel, Balmain free 7pm James Parrino The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm LJ Newport Arms Hotel free 8pm Singer Songwriter Night Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm

FRIDAY SEPT 23 ROCK & POP

2 Of Hearts Brewhouse At St Mary’s, St Marys free 9.30pm The Alicats The Loft, Darling Harbour 8pm Bang Shang a Lang Taren Point Bowling Club free 8pm Barnstorming Richmond Inn free 8pm Blonde 182 Customs House Bar, Sydney free 7pm Bushwackers Empire Hotel, Annandale $15 8pm Californication Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm Chaos At The Burdekin: Taylor King The Burdekin Hotel $20 8pm Custard, Little Lovers The Standard, Darlinghurst sold out 8pm Drew Harris Orange Grove Hotel, Leichhardt free 8pm Elevation Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10.30pm Glass Chain The Oriental Hotel, Springwood free 8pm Harbour Masters Kings Cross Hotel free 10.30pm Highroad No.28: Monsters of Rock, Calling Mayday Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $10-$12 8pm Hit Machine Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Jeff Lang, Jordie Lane The Vanguard, Newtown $20 (+ bf)–$55 (dinner & show) 8pm

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Killer Sydney, Cailfield, Feed Her To The Sharks, Hearts Like Wolves, Enthrone St James Hotel, Sydney $10$12 9pm King Farook, Sativa Sun, The Firetree, Spenda C Upstairs Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills $15 5pm Kirk Burgess Chatswood RSL free 5pm LJ Terrey Hills Tavern free 8pm Lower Coast Skies, Forgetting Sundown, One Day Soon Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Mad Season Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm Mitchell Fingers Trio Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville 9pm Motley Crue (USA), Bret Michaels (USA), Doc Neeson Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $136–$166 6pm Mum: Spookyland, Bell Weather Department, She’s So Rad (NZ), Massai, Kill

City Creeps, Corpus, New Brutalists, MUM DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Nativosoul Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Nocturnals, Sugarsun Lewisham Hotel 8pm On The Street: The Moffs , Frownin’ Clouds Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $22 (+ bf) 8pm OAF’s 4th Birthday Party: Deep Sea Arcade, Step-Panther, Betty Airs, Peppercorn, Rockets, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mother & Son, The James Manson Blues Band, The Faults, OAF Gallery Bar DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm On The Street: The Moffs, Frownin’ Clouds Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $22 (+ bf) 8pm Pete Hunt Chatswood RSL Club free 8pm

Richard In Your Mind

Purple Sneakers Presents: Dune Rats, Velociraptor, Bloods, Randall Stagg The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $12 (+ bf) 9pm Recharge Kingswood Sports Club free 7pm Regular John, Lady Strangelove, Space Ticket Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Richard In Your Mind, The Laurels, Fishing Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $12 8pm Salvation Street Shout The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm Sarah Carroll and the Psychedelic Wildmen Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club $10 8pm Shade Of Red Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm Skyscrapers, Miss Little, Blind Hot Gems Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Spectrum Is Back!: Pinky Tuscadero, Doc Holliday Takes The Shotgun, Sweet Teeth, P*A*S*H* DJs Spectrum, Darlinghurst free 8pm Surprise Wasp, Contraban, The Watt Riot, Super Best Friends Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Suzi Quatro (USA) Penrith Panthers, Evans Theatre $84.90 (+ bf) 8pm Talk Back Radio Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 8.30pm Thirsty Merc, Microwave Jenny Metro Theatre, Sydney $30 8pm

Toe Cutter, Dark Order, Random Order Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Tone Rangers Vineyard Hotel free 9.30pm Velvet Hotel Mosman RSL Club free 7pm Vitruvian Man, Greenthief, Kids Without Bikes, Kimo Wreck, Uis, Black Island Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst 8.30pm Von Grohl, Kappa Oie Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta $10 8pm The Waves Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm

Leader Cheetah

JAZZ

Ilan Kidron 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (member)–$20 8.30pm In the Mood State Theatre, Sydney $79.90–$89.90 8pm James Morrison The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 9pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Dave Wilkins The Belvedere Hotel free 7pm

SATURDAY SEPT 24 ROCK & POP

Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle free 7.30pm The Beatnix Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $43–$85 (dinner & show) 8pm

LI

VE

Z JA

Because They Can The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney $14 (+ bf) 6.45pm licensed all ages Blaze of Glory Mounties, Mount Pritchard free 8pm Bno Rockshow Crows Nest Hotel free 11pm Bushwackers Empire Hotel, Annandale $15 8pm Cherribomb Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 11pm Chris Arnott 8pm Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free Cougar Carousel Inn, Rooty Hill free 9pm Custard The Standard, Darlinghurst $35 8pm Eskimo Joe, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!

Enmore Theatre $49

Fiona Leigh Jones Trio Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Frowning Clouds, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 9pm Funkstar The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Glenn Whitehall Yardhouse, Haymarket free 9.30pm Gods Of Rapture, Burning Violet Bridges, DJ Grey Skulls Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Greenthief Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills 8pm Guerre, Rainbow Chan, Albatross, Option Command, Marcus Whale, Lexy Savvides, Loopsnake The Gate @ Pablo & Rusty’s Specialty Coffee, Epping $18 7.30pm

Z

CARL MORGAN

wed

21 Sep

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

22 Sep

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

23 Sep

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:15PM - 1:00AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sat

24

SATURDAY NIGHT

Sep

sun

25 Sep

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SUNDAY NIGHT TUESDAY 20TH OF SEPTEMBER

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

NIMA, THE GRAND HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW WEDNESDAY 21ST OF SEPTEMBER

505, SURRY HILLS NSW THURSDAY 22ND OF SEPTEMBER

THE LOFT, DICKSON ACT BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 49

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Velociraptor, Gung Ho, The Gooch Palms Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Vitruvian Man, Captain Kickarse And The Awesomes 1st Floot Gaelic Club, Surry Hills 8.30pm Winslow’s Cancer, The Net Of Being, Hawkmoth, Wheeler Valve Bar, Tempe 6pm The Zips Level 1, East Leagues Club free 8pm

The Panics

JAZZ

Harbour Masters Manly Leagues Club free 8pm Hey Fever: Cabins, The Hello Morning, Glass Towers, The Salvagers, The Villainares Beach Road Hotel, Bondi $20 8pm Hue Williams St George Tavern, Rockdale free 7pm Jeff Lang, Jordie Lane The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf)–$68.80 (dinner & show) 8pm Jive Bombers Guildford Leagues Club free 8pm King Tide, Dog Trumpet Notes Live, Enmore 8.30pm Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills 8pm LGT Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm LJ Lone Pine Hotel, Rooty Hill

Mainline Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm Mario Bros Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm Motosoul Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club $10 7pm Nathan Foley Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta $20 8pm Nowhere: Heroes For Hire, Hopeless, Northlane, Uncorrected Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst $12 (guestlist)–$15 9pm Original Sin INXS Tribute Kingswood Sports Club, free 8.30pm The Panics, Georgia Fair, Avalanche City Metro Theatre, Sydney $33.70 (+ bf) 8pm The Potbelleez, Radio INK Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm Radiant Live: Aleks & The Ramps, Rand & Holland, Pascal Barbare,

DJ Adam Lewis FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $12 8pm Red Hot Numbers Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm Ringworm (USA), Mindsnare Annandale Hotel $32 (+ bf) 8pm Rock Show Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10.30pm Samsara Lewisham Hotel 8pm Screaming Tribesmen, The Dark Shadows, Decline of the Reptiles Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Sierra Fin The Vanguard, Newtown 8pm Spy Vs Spy Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Ted Nash Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 8.30pm Tinpan Orange Camelot, Marrickville $20-$25 8pm

In the Mood State Theatre, Sydney $79.90–$89.90 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 5pm The Rescue Ships 505 Club, Surry Hills $15–$20 8.30pm Sandy Evans The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Hernandez Cafe, Darlinghurst free 7.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Jonny Rock The Belvedere Hotel free 9pm

SUNDAY SEPT 25 ROCK & POP

1927, Craig Thommo Heathcote Hotel 4pm $25 Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm

Jezebel Kro Bar, Bondi Junction free 8pm Kira Puru & The Bruise The Vanguard, Newtown $25 (+ bf) 6.30pm Lucy Desotto Band Live at the Wall, Leichhardt free 6pm Pete Hunt Waverley Bowling Club free 3pm Renee Geyer Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $53–$95 (dinner & show) 8pm Screaming Tribesmen, Cool Chalmers, Smitty & B. Goode Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Suzi Quatro (USA), Travis Collins Enmore Theatre $89.90 8pm Sydney Blues Society Botany View hotel, Newtown free 7pm

JAZZ

Alda Rezende, Asdra ‘Nenem’ Ferreira The Basement, Circular Quay $45 (+ bf) 8pm Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 3pm In the Mood State Theatre, Sydney $79.90–$89.90 2pm The Subterraneans Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Cronulla RSL free 12.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Joyce Collins The Belvedere Hotel free 5pm Shane MacKenzie Cohibar free 2pm

www.fbisocial.com

L2 Kings Cross Hotel

Thursday 22 Sept

Brad Johns Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Broken Hands, Green Beaver, John Healy Valve Bar, Tempe 2pm Bryen and the Boogie Boys Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club free 4.30pm Counter Revolution: Panic at the Disco (USA), All Time Low (USA), Yellowcard (USA), Story of the Year (USA), Face to Face, The Damned Things (USA), Set Your Goals (USA), Funeral for a Friend (Wales), hellogoodbye (USA), D.R.U.G.S, The Pretty Reckless (USA), Young Gun, This Providence, Go Radio, Make Do And Mend (USA), Alesana, The Swellers (USA), We Are The In Crowd, Terrible Things (USA) The Big Top at Luna Park, Milsons Point $103 (+ bf) 12pm Dave White The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Doc Jones and the Lechery Orchestra, On The Stoop, Mr Bamboo, Vashti Hughes The Red Rattler, Marrickville $10-$15 7.30pm The Eve Schroder Band, The Sweet Jelly Rolls, Jeremy Harrison Live at the Wall, Leichhardt $12.50 8pm The Ghali Groove Band Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm The Great Escape Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 6.30pm Harbour Masters Ravesi’s Hotel, Bondi free Hollywood Undead (USA), Skindred (Wales) Metro Theatre, Sydney $38 (+ bf) 8pm all ages

Friday 23 Sept

Saturday 24 Sept

Radiant Live

Caitlin Park ‘Milk Annual’ Album Tour +

Tin Sparrow 8pm $10 +bf oztix

Record Fair + DJ sets & crate digging tales from

Gonzo, DJ Kinetic & D-Tour + a live broadcast set from

50 :: BRAG :: 430 : 19:09:11

Aleks & The Ramps Rand & Holland Pascal Barbare 8pm $12 door

Late Saturday LateNight Night Saturday Slow Blow +

Frames +

Dead Farmers!

Felix Lloyd (Mum DJs)

6pm FREE

Midnight till 3am - FREE

gig picks

up all night out all week...

Sparkadia

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24

Sebadoh (USA), Smudge Metro Theatre, Sydney $52.70 8pm

Custard, supports TBA The Standard, Darlinghurst $35 (+ bf) 8pm

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23 Jeff Lang, Jordie Lane The Vanguard, Newtown $20 (+ bf)â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$55 (dinner & show) 8pm MĂśtley CrĂźe (USA), Bret Michaels (USA), Doc Neeson Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $136â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$166 7pm Richard In Your Mind, The Laurels, Fishing Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $12 (+ bf) 8pm

Radiant Live: Aleks & The Ramps, Rand & Holland, Pascal Barbare, DJ Adam Lewis FBi Social @ Kings X Hotel $12 8pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Counter Revolution: Panic at the Disco (USA), All Time Low (USA), Yellowcard (USA), Story of the Year (USA), Face to Face, The Damned Things (USA), Set Your Goals (USA), Funeral for a Friend (Wales), hellogoodbye (USA), D.R.U.G.S, The Pretty Reckless (USA), Young Gun, This Providence, Go Radio, Make Do And Mend (USA), Alesana, The Swellers (USA), We Are The In Crowd, Terrible Things (USA) The Big Top at Luna Park, Milsons Point $103 (+ bf) 12pm

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Surry Hills Rocks Charity Concert: Sparkadia, Ed Worland and the Green Teas, Phebe Starr Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $10-$15 (to charity) 6pm

The Panics, Georgia Fair, Avalanche City Metro Theatre, Sydney $33.70 (+ bf) 8pm

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Stonefield Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $12 (+ bf) 8pm

Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills 8pm $15 (+ bf)

45..%,

Caitlin Park, Tin Sparrow FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst $10 (+ bf) 8pm

Eskimo Joe, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!

Enmore Theatre $49 (+ bf) 7pm

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 51

52 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

brag beats

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

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

he said she said WITH

Daedelus

MIKE WHO

M

y fondest memory growing up would be dad listening to Sunday jazz sessions on weird radio stations, and me not getting it. Also raiding my older sister’s cassette and CD single collections – ‘90s New Jack Swing vibes galore.

I’m inspired by so many people for so many different reasons. DJ wise, dudes like Yoda, Houseshoes, Kenny Dope, The Beat Junkies and Neil Armstrong. Other stuff I have been listening to a lot of lately would be Zonora Point, Dam-Funk, Keida, Nottz, Toddla T, Douster, Dj Raff and Suff Daddy.

I roll with the Stolen Records Massive and do a radio show every Wednesday on Sunsets on FBi Radio, with the big homie Shantan Wantan Ichiban. I’m also down with Astral People, who are a new Sydneybased family managing a bunch of ubertalented young producers that are pushing different sounds – I feel very humbled to be involved as a DJ. I listen to and play so much different stuff thanks to my short attention span. My roots definitely lie in hip hop, but I play really different sets all the time – you can expect me to dabble in anything from hip hop, dancehall, reggae, soul, funk, disco, boogie, Latin, and a wide spectrum of club stuff…

It all just depends on where I’m playing and when. Lately I’ve been nerding out on heaps of cool digital cumbia stuff coming out of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the States. My plans are to get over back over there pronto.

The local music scene is solid at the

moment – major respect to good people working super hard and putting on solid nights. Astral People, Dust Tones, Main Ingredients, Generic, Funkdafied, Spin D Music, Foreign Dub, Void, Space Is The Place, Love Bombs and so many more.

Venues like Tone (which is sadly closing its doors) and GoodGod have been a breath of fresh air for Sydney, allowing a lot people

to push good music and parties that are outside of the box.

With: Big Daddy Kane, Paper Plane Project (live), Frenzie and Kato Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Thursday October 20

HYBRID PLAY LAUNDRY

UK breaks outfit Hybrid will play a four-hour set at Chinese Laundry this Saturday, alongside compatriots Rack N Ruin and a local lineup headed by quality house and techno proponent Andrew Wowk and the dynamic Cassette.

Hybrid are widely known for their left-field approach to breaks production, and have been together for sixteen years now, in a career that includes anthemic single ‘Finished Symphony’ and moody vocal cut ‘If I Survive’ – which from memory features a great video clip underscored by themes of kidnap, revenge and murder...

Entry is $15 before 10pm and $25 thereafter.

DAEDELUS TOUR

Los Angeles beatmaker, producer, instrumentalist and Ninja Tune artist Alfred Darlington, better known as Daedelus, will headline GoodGod Small Club on Friday November 25. The experimental producer holds a reputation for being a bit of a dandy, as well as for putting on an innovative live show that flies close to the sun and utilises a monome, a button-grid controller that’s had a significant impact on electronic music (apparently being used by Flying Lotus and Nine Inch Nails). Daedelus’ most recent album, Bespoke, was released in April on Ninja Tune, with Darlington describing the album title as “a term employed to mean an item custommade to measure.” ...Daedelus will be supported by Collarbones and fellow Monome adventurer Galapagoose, whom Daedelus recently signed to his Magical Properties label.

GOLD PANDA DJ KICKS

Hermitude

Having acquainted himself with Sydneysiders at The Sydney Festival Beck’s Bar way back in January, Gold Panda will release the next instalment in the DJ Kicks series on October 3, Halloween – just a week after Hotflush boss Scuba unveils his own addition to the DJ Kicks cannon. Gold Panda’s mix opens with the obligatory DJ Kicks exclusive track from the producer himself, the rather grandiosely titled ‘An Iceberg Hurtled Northward Through Clouds’.

Thereafter, the tracklist reveals an array of electronic music talent, with the Middle Eastern atmospherics of Muslimgauze (i.e. the late Bryn Jones) weaved into the new school UK sounds of Bok Bok, Sigha, Ramadanman and Zomby, and some classic Drexciya thrown in alongside cuts from Ramadanman and Matthewdavid.

RIP DJ MEHDI HERMITUDE TOUR

One of the leading lights in the Aussie hip hop scene, Hermitude have just unveiled their new single ‘Speak Of The Devil’, a collaboration with Sydney vocalist Chaos Emerald that serves as a harbinger for their eagerly anticipated fourth album, slotted for a February 2012 release. The Blue Mountains duo will be embarking on a tour to end the year that includes a spot at the much-hyped Subsonic Music Festival in Barrington Tops, alongside Jurassic Five’s Chali 2na, Thundamentals and Tiki Taan with DJ Sambora from Shapeshifter on the first weekend of December. If you can’t make Subsonic, Hermitude will also be performing a solo show at The Standard (above Kinselas) on Friday December 9.

French hip hop/dance producer DJ Mehdi, who was born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi, passed away last week at the age of 34, when the roof of a Paris house collapsed during a rooftop party celebrating the birthday of Riton (who was unhurt). Three other attendees were hospitalised. The Frenchman was a core member of Paris’s Ed Banger crew, and most recently had been collaborating with Riton on ghetto-house project Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi is survived by his wife, the French model and artist Fafi. An array of prominent figures from the electronic music community, including

Mr. Oizo, A-Trak, Chromeo and Felix Da Housecat, posted their respects online, with Chromeo Tweeting, “We lost our brother, no words.”

MADEON PLAYS STEREOSONIC

17 year old French producer Madeon has been added to the already huge Stereosonic Festival lineup. The talented teen rose to prominence on the strength of his tracks ‘Shuriken’ and ‘For You’, and won Warner Music’s remix competition of Pendulum’s ‘The Island’ single, after being selected for the top prize by Pendulum vocalist Rob Swire. The Stereosonic artist lineup also comprises Dutch trance figurehead Armin Van Buuren – a chap who has a law degree under his belt – compatriot Ferry Corsten (performing live), French enigma Mr Oizo, the Dirty Bird Claude VonStroke, Carl Cox, Benny Benassi, The Bloody Beetroots, Empire of the Sun, Afrojack, Dirty South, Caspa + MC Rod Azlan, Zombie Nation, Kaskade, Guy Gerber, BT, The Gaslamp Killer, Deetron and The Two Bears (the collaboration between Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and Greco-Roman’s Raf Daddy), along with a host of locals.

Tickets for this year’s Stereosonic Festival, slotted for Saturday November 26 at Sydney Showgrounds, Homebush, are available from stereosonic.com.au BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 53

dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

SYMPHONY YOUTH

Growing Up My brother is the number one reason I 1. am in the music scene today. When I was

good to soak up some sun while drinking cold beers and spinning some fun tunes poolside.

growing up, he always had new music in the house playing on a constant loop. All I really heard at home for a few years was a variety of Ed Banger tunes on repeat – DJing logically grew from there.

The Music You Make I make a wide range of tunes with my 4. occasional DJ partner Patrick Liney – we

Inspirations Justice would be my favourite 2. production duo. I still remember the first time I heard ‘Waters Of Nazareth’ (again through my brother’s music collection), and it just changed my world – the tune was so far ahead of its time. I am also inspired greatly by the likes of Erol Alkan and Chromeo, names that came through in that electro-techno revival movement who have continued to innovate.

Your Group Mattrad, Tristan and the Awkward 3.

Boys from Dance Club got me into the DJ scene, giving me some of my first club gigs. For me, it’s just a natural process of playing more parties and meeting people at the moment. I’ve got a few gigs coming up with Dance Club; they’ve got a number of amazing pool parties and big daytime events lined up for Summer. I’m really looking forward to being involved; it’s just so

TERRENCE PARKER

Detroit’s Terrence Parker, a fellow who has been producing since the early ‘80s and is credited as pioneering an ‘uplifting’ sound that would later become known as gospel house, will perform a headline set at the newly opened venue The Spice Cellar on Saturday September 24. Parker’s sonic CV includes hit cuts ‘Love’s Got Me High’ and ‘The Question’, plus remixes of Kelly Rowland, Beyonce, Shakira and Kanye West. For those who enjoy quirky/frivolous asides, Parker is also recognised for using an actual telephone handset as headphones, which is most probably the genesis of his nick name, ‘Telephone Man’. Local supports include Phil Toke, Phil Hudson, Eadie Ramia and Michael Zac, with limited $20 presale tickets available from www.ourhousesydney.com

PARKLIFE’S $7,000 ONE-DAY TICKET

Calling all high rollers (and anyone with a heart of gold who is generally irresponsible with their money): Parklife organisers have announced the world’s most ridiculously expensive one-day ticket, retailing at a whopping AU$7,000! Fuzzy Events’ John Wall comments, “We just read a report saying festival ticket prices have been rising. Having kept a lid on Parklife ticket pricing, we are shocked to find that we haven’t been part

Big Daddy Kane

of this apparently industry-wide trend. Always keen to stay ahead of the market, we’ve decided to make up for lost time (and raise money for charity) by releasing the world’s most expensive festival ticket.” Featuring a slip-and-slide entry, personal drinks caddie, artist cabin, ‘Coming to America’-style sedan chair transport and a portable VIP area, the profits of the ‘Ridiculously Expensive Ticket’ will go to the Heaps Decent charity, an initiative committed to nurturing the creativity of underprivileged and indigenous young people and emerging artists. The ‘Ridiculously Expensive Ticket’ joins the standard ticket and ‘More Expensive Ticket’ offerings, and is available now at www.parklife.com.au

GLASS CANDY RETURN

Oregon duo Glass Candy, comprised of vocalist Ida No and multitalented producer Johnny Jewel, have broken their hiatus with the release of a new single, ‘Warm In The Winter’/’Beautiful Object’ – available now on the Italians Do It Better label, on which they first made a sonic splash. The single is the first taster of the pair’s new album, rumoured to be titled Body Work and apparently out later this year. For those wanting further details, it features the quirky lyric, “I’m happy like a monkey. Oh Oh Oh”. Seriously. Johnny Jewel’s other project, Chromatics, who have applied their icy disco aesthetic to Kate Bush’s

LMFAO

really bounce off each other well. At the moment we’re enjoying experimenting with anything from nu-disco to jungle to heavy club bangers, just so long as it’s fit for the floor.

Music, Right Here, Right Now I’m starting to enjoy some of the new 5. stuff coming from the upcoming Justice album release. I think a lot of people are already complaining about Justice’s new stuff, especially because it doesn’t seem to be as heavy and banging as their first LP, but that’s what I love about those guys – they are two of the most forward-thinking producers in the world, and I’m enjoying a bit of a change in their style. There’s also some new guys who’ve been turning my head, including Polographia, Cosmo and Patt. They’re all killing it at the moment.

With: Congorock (Italy) Where: Dance Club @ Soho Bar & Nightclub When: Saturday October 1

‘Running Up That Hill’ in a memorable cover, are also set to return this month with a new single. It never rains, it pours, right?

BIG DADDY KANE

For the last 25 years, Big Daddy Kane has been spittin’ rhymes and keeping time with some of hip hop’s biggest names. He puts the izzle in your nizzle, the gin in your juice and you better believe things are gon’ get loose.

BDK is head to Oxford Art Factory for his first ever Australian show on October 20, and we’ve got a double pass. If you’d like to see the magic in action, email us who’ll be hitting the stage to support him.

HYBRID

Massive Attack may have ‘Unfinished Symphony’ but unlike those lazy Bristol bastards, EDM artist Hybrid have gone one better and actually completed their task – their masterpiece, ‘Finished Symphony’. (See what we did there?) Hybrid are getting set to play an epic four-hour, seizure-inducing set at Chinese Laundry this Saturday September 24, and we have two double passes to give away, because we are better to you than your significant other. To win, write in and tell us about something you plan to finish. As always, points will be awarded on the most fickle of whims.

DJ Minx

SMIRNOFF NIGHTLIFE ITALIAN EXCHANGE

Smirnoff have announced that Australia will swap their nightlife experiences with Italy as part of The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project.

While Aussie group Nervo and the Bang Gang Deejays will head to Italy, we’ll receive some of Italy’s finest in Junior Jack, Kid Créme and Alex Gaudino, who will be performing at an Italy-inspired event as part of this sonic quid pro quo on Saturday November 12. Hit facebook.com/SmirnoffAustralia for your chance to win a place at one of the global events.

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA: KOMBA

Purveyors of the Kuduro sound, Buraka Som Sistema have announced that their second album Komba will be released next month.

Komba is an Angolan ritual which is held seven days after someone has died, where friends and relatives gather to drink and eat the favourite foods of the departed and share stories. So if that’s any indication, expect this album to be bittersweet. Written over the last eleven months, following a lengthy three years on the road promoting their first album Diamond, Komba purportedly seeks to showcase Buraka Som Sistema’s ‘live band’ dimension – no doubt the influence of their frenetic touring schedule.

STRANGE TALK

Aussie electro-pop four piece Strange Talk have announced their second national headline tour for the year, a jaunt which will see them play Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on Friday November 25. The band’s self titled debut EP is out now through Fine Time Records, and has been greeted with ravenous excitement by rabid music journalists; NME frothed, “Since Klaxons disappeared...Strange Talk to fill the gaping void...” Perhaps excessive use of the ‘…’ but you get the idea, right?....

SALMONELLA DUB LIVE

BREAKOUT ALL-AGES FESTIVAL

The inaugural Breakout Festival, an under 18s music festival, will take over the Hordern Pavilion and Byron Kennedy Hall on Friday December 2. The lineup features trance kingpin Armin Van Buuren and compatriot Ferry Corsten, The Bloody Beetroots, L.A. duo LMFAO, local hip hop act 360 and The Potbelleez. Early bird $70 tickets have been on sale since last Wednesday, so if you’re under 18 and unemployed, it’s time for the standard drill of making off with your parents’ credit card long enough to buy your ticket online… The internet has made it so easy for the kids today, it really isn’t a challenge anymore...

54 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

Live favourites Salmonella Dub will be nipping over the Tasman to headline The Metro Theatre on Saturday October 22. The dub exponents’ set will feature material from their July LP Freak Control Madness – The Twenty Track Pack, a double disc album featuring the original Freak Controller record, plus a second disc containing new remixes from the band and DJ Digital, as well as selections from their Freak Local EP. Support will be provided by Tijuana Cartel, with tickets available online for $35.

JESSIE J TOUR

Pop starlet Jessie J, touted in her press release as the ‘Essex-born beauty’, will embark on her maiden Australian tour for Future Music in March of next year. Jessie J released her debut album Who You Are earlier this year, which spawned the hits ‘Price Tag’, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, ‘Do It Like A Dude’ and ‘Who You Are’ – and

SHE CAN DJ WINNER: DJ MINX

Sydney-based DJ Rachel Phillips, AKA Minx, took out the top prize at the inaugural ‘She Can DJ’ competition last Wednesday at ivy, prevailing over a field that included fellow local lasses Alison Wonderland and Claire Morgan. As part of her prize, Phillips spent the weekend in Ibiza sweating it out at the closing parties – you can also expect a DJ mix from her to be released on EMI in November. “I can’t wait to work my ass off and make everyone involved and those who have already supported me proud,” Phillips told InTheMix after receiving the winning gong. Alison Wonderland also won a surprise deal with the label, and joined Minx in Ibiza.

purportedly prompted the inimitable Justin Timberlake to describe her as the “best singer in the world right now”. Having also written tracks for Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys, Jessie J has toured with Chris Brown across Europe and has also supported Cyndi Lauper and Macy Gray. Jessie J will arrive in Australia amid considerable fanfare, and will put it all on the line when she performs at The Hordern Pavilion on Thursday March 8. Tickets go on sale from Friday September 23.

O U T N O W : I N C L U D E S T H E S I N G L E S D AY I N T O N I G H T READY TO DROP / THE CLAPPING SONG & MORE

F E AT U R I N G S P E C I A L G U E S T S :

Stephanie McKay, Bootie Brown (The Pharcyde) Steve Spacek, Hau (Koolism), Coin Locker Kid Buff1, Kween G, Mr. Clean & Jane Doe

Katalyst Album Pack > PUMA CLYDES > SKULLCANDY

AVIATOR HEADPHONES > AUTOGRAPHED ALBUM katalystmusic.com.au to enter

www.invadarecords.com | www.katalystmusic.com.au CRONULLA NEWSAGENTS, FISH RECORDS, GB RECORDS, HUM, JB HI-FI, LANDSPEED, LEADING EDGE TAREE MALIBU MUSIC, PHOENIX MUSIC, RED EYE RECORDS, REDBACK MUSIC, SANDY’S MUSIC, SANITY, SO MUSIC

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 55

Celph Titled Shit’s Gonna Be Cool By RK Being original was always Celph Titled’s raison d’être, and his Army Of The Pharoahs outfit – a posse with numerous members, immense lyrical prowess and awesome production talent – was a standalone hit.

“They were like my main partners in rhyme,” he says of the collective, which was put together in the late 1990s by Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinnie Paz, and included acts like Demigodz, 7L & Esoteric, Outerspace, Get Busy Committee and more. “Man, once Vinnie rounded everybody up, we were like an extended family.”

When we speak though, Celph has been busy in his New York studio. “Right now, we have the Demigodz album almost finished,” he says, referring to the side project of various members from Army Of The Pharaohs and Jedi Mind Tricks. “Esoteric, myself, Motive and all the crew – the list is long. The album is almost finished and that will probably be the next thing that people hear from me. There are a couple of cool artists on there featuring, and a few production surprises as well. I’m also helping a few artists on other things too – there are lots of cats with new things coming out, and there will be more stuff in the future. I want to spend a fair bit of time touring too; the work in the studio this year will allow me the time off.”

“I

t was hip hop for me during my formative years,” Celph Titled tells me on the eve of his upcoming Aussie tour.

“I just have this drive to be a participant, be creative and make a living doing something I love.”

titled hip hop album for over three years; the finished product features 32 guest rappers, including Dead Prez and Coin Locker Kid. Anderson is full of praise for the latter, who – while still in high school – discovered the Quakers project, sent in his rap and instantly got the producers’ attention. “It was very interesting rap that he came back with. Geoff was like, ‘He’s either really good or kind of shit,’” he recalls. “I said, ‘I think he’s really good.’”

So good, in fact, that Coin Locker Kid was recruited to guest on ‘The Clapping Song’, the latest single to drop from Deep Impressions.

From there, the partnership became a project of its own; The Coin Locker Crew is another of Anderson’s current side projects, and it’s well underway. “We’re in negotiation with several labels trying to sign it at the moment,” he reveals. “We’ve got it down to a shortlist of about 20 tracks, but we’ve written about 40.”

The conversation then moves to long-time collaborator Steve Spacek, the other half of another of Anderson’s side projects, Space Invadas. Following the success of last year’s debut LP Soul:Fi, both parties seem keen to revisit the project. He tells me that they already have a few tracks in the bag and would be keen to finish it later this year. “We’ve made a start on it, and we got some good love internationally on [Soul:Fi], particularly in Europe – so we’d like to capitalise on that and get another record out next year.”

When I catch Katalyst (aka Ashley Anderson) in his Sydney studio, I’m prepared to delve deep into Deep Impressions, a relatively eclectic release that he feels showcases his best production work to date – but with three singles already out there and the album’s release imminent, the conversation quickly turns to those “other projects”. The first is Quakers, a collaboration between Anderson and his Invada Records co-founder, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow. Named for earthshaking bass, they’ve been working on a self56 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

This will be Celph Titled’s second time in Australia, after having been out here in 2005.

He’s coming with chef-turned-rapper Action Bronson from Queens, NYC, and Melbourneboy Brad Strut from Lyrical Commission.

“We’re just going to tear it down,” he says. “A lot of energy and a lot of ammo – I’m going to run thought the jazzy stuff but also the hardcore shit, it’s going to be wild. I know the crowds out there are wild, so I ain’t even worried about the energy levels. They know how to party, so shit’s gonna be cool.”

With: Action Bronson and Brad Strut Where: The Gaelic Club When: Sunday October 2

In The House By Alasdair Duncan

The Impressionist By Nils Hay

F

“You have Flo Rida and Kanye and Jay-Z, and then the underground raw stuff like us, and then you got the throw-back hip hop, and kids wearing tight jeans,” he continues. “Basically, [hip hop] just got accepted, and it has grown to this level… It’s blowing out of control now.

There’s all kinds of music out there, it’s blown outta control – but that’s a good thing.”

Beni

Katalyst

or producer and musician Katalyst, the anxiousness about the release of his forthcoming album, Deep Impressions, is currently outweighed by the four other releases he has planned for the next 18 months… “I think after a certain amount of time in the music industry, you get used to having finished stuff and it being quite a while before it gets released,” he says. “There is an underlying kind of anxiousness to get the music out to people, but for me, more than getting people to hear the rest of the Katalyst record, there’s a whole host of other projects that I’m working on that people don’t even know about yet – and in the back of my mind, they’re the ones I’m keen to get out there.”

Finally, we chew the fat on the state of hip hop today; Celph’s had over ten years of experience in the industry, and it’s always interesting to ask an expert to compare the

then with the now. “Before – like, back in the day – it used to be pop rap versus real rap,” he says. “People were leaning one way or the other. [But] nowadays there are so many generations involved in hip hop – I’ve got people in my age group that have kids [who are all into hip hop], and there are so many different styles, generations and all that.

Finally we talk about what brought him into the studio today: fleshing out and refining a brand new, fully instrumental Katalyst record.

“I wrote this record a couple of years ago,” he explains. “It was inspired by J. Dilla’s Donuts – which is an entirely instrumental record – and the vibe I got off that record.”

Anderson admits that it will be more niche than the broad appeal of Deep Impressions, but after well over a decade in the industry, that’s no longer too much of a concern. “You want to keep growing as an artist. If people want to hear the same thing, they’re probably not growing with you,” he says. “You can’t get too bogged down in that or it stifles your creativity.” A self-diagnosed create-a-holic, Anderson is clearly a man making the most of his condition.

What: Deep Impressions is out now on Invada Where: Ivy Pool When: Thursday September 22 Secret Show: October 27 – more info soon!

More: Also playing Fat As Butter on October 22 in Newcastle, with Empire Of The Sun, The Living End, The Jezabels, Flo Rida, The Herd & more

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ou probably already know Beni for his storming sets with the Bang Gang DJs crew or for singles like the effortlessly catchy ‘It’s A Bubble’, but the young Aussie producer’s debut record, out this week, will doubtless send his career into a whole new stratosphere. House Of Beni has been a long time coming – in fact, he started work on it nearly two and a half years ago, while on a European tour in support of his single ‘My Love Sees You’. “I started working on the basic ideas on the road, then I’d go to studios whenever I had the chance to work on them,” he tells me. “The whole thing changed styles and directions several times, but the basic idea remained the same – I was determined that I wouldn’t just make ten dance tracks, but a proper album that would still make sense outside of the club.”

Some of the earliest recording sessions for the album took place in Paris, at a studio owned by French house legend Etienne De Crechy – and Beni was bowled over by the experience. “Etienne’s a legend,” he enthuses, “and his studio is amazing. He produced all the Super Discount stuff there, and an Air record. He shares a space there with Alex Gopher. They each have a studio, and there’s a door between them, so they can just walk into each other’s studios. He’s lovely,” Beni continues. “He’s like 40 years old, he has three kids and a house in Paris, and he just loves making music. He’s very down to earth – working in his studio was an amazing experience.”

House Of Beni is studded with hooks, and features an impressive array of guest vocalists including Sam Sparro and ex-Rapture guy Mattie Safer. I ask Beni how his tracks typically come together, and he tells me it varies. “Sometimes, I’ll start writing a track with a vocalist in mind, but most of the time, it’s random. I’ll just sit down and play around with a synth and something unexpected will come out of it. If it sounds poppy enough, or like it will lend itself to a vocal, that’s the point when I’ll start to think, ‘Hey, maybe it would be cool to get Mattie Safer to come in and sing on this!’” Beni doesn’t have the biggest collection of gear to play with just yet, but luckily, he has friends who do. “Making the album, I worked very closely with Kim from The Presets and Nick Van Schie,” he says. “Each of them have amazing studios, and when it comes to old analogue gear, I can’t even name all the stuff they have lying around – it’s incredible.”

Beni sees himself as a DJ first and a producer second, so will be spending his current Australian tour behind the decks. In spite of this, when asked if he would ever consider doing a live show – like labelmates Bag Raiders, say – he says he wouldn’t rule it out. “It’s a possibility,” he says, “but I would only really want to do it if it felt justified. If the record goes well enough, it would be a good thing to do, but I’m primarily a DJ. That’s what I do well. I’d love to do a live show, but it would be very time-consuming and financially draining. You tour live and you often lose money, so the record would have to be very successful to justify that. Plus, I wouldn’t want to half-arse it. If I was to do it, I’d definitely want to do it right.”

What: House Of Beni is out on September 23 through Modular Where: The Flinders When: Sunday October 2

Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery K producer Glimpse returns to Australia to play at HaHa’s next ‘Versus’ party, on Saturday October 8 at Marrickville Bowling Club. A brief glance at Glimpse’s body of work affirms that he is worthy of his burgeoning reputation in the underground scene; a founding member of the London-based, Kompakt-distributed Glimpse Recordings imprint, he first popped onto my radar with his True Friends EP with Alex Jones. In the couple of years since that release, Glimpse has remixed the likes of Robert Babicz, been remixed by a certain Carl Craig, and released on labels like Cadenza, Buzzin’ Fly and Planet E prior to dropping his debut LP, Runner, on Crosstown Rebels last year. Though an extremely capable DJ, Sydney fans are in for a treat this tour with Glimpse performing a live set courtesy of his beloved Roland TR-909 (that’s a synthesiser, if you’re wondering). Presale tickets can be procured through Resident Advisor.

U

The German brothers Ali and Basti Schwarz, together known as Tiefschwarz (‘deep black’ for anyone curious as to the translation) have put together the ninth instalment of the Watergate compilation series – an initiative of the eponymous Berlin nightclub that has previously released mixes from Onur Ozer and Ellen Allien along with other eminent figures in the clubbing sphere. Described as “a loving tribute” to the pair’s “long-running affair with house music”, Watergate 09 features classic cuts from the likes of Frankie Knuckles, Kevin Saunderson, Romanthony and DJ Assassin, along with more contemporary productions from John Roberts and Julio Bashmore and a previously unreleased Tiefschwarz production, ‘Corporate Butcher’, which features vocals from Mama.

Other artists of note that get a look-in throughout the mix include Matthias Aguayo and Marc Ashken. As anyone who has heard Tiefschwarz’s previous studio mixes such as Misch Masch and Timewarp Compilation 06 will attest, the pair are adept at collating club tracks for home or non-nightclub listening. In fact, if you haven’t heard either of these almostclassic compilations from the archives, I’d recommend you track them down as you wait for Watergate 09 to hit shelves in early November.

New venue The Spice Cellar, the labour of love of the Reckless Republic crew, has opened its doors, hosting Englishman Simon Baker and co-owner Murat Kilic at Spice last weekend. If you missed out, don’t stress too much – a grand opening of The Spice Cellar is slotted for the October long weekend, and with the likes of Terence Parker, Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir and Burnski all set to play the venue over the next few weeks, the revelry is only just

Soul Sedation

Soul, Dub, Hip Hop & Bottom-heavy Beats with Tony Edwards

LOOKING DEEPER MONDAY OCTOBER 3 Adultnapper Favela

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8

Glimpse Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY OCTOBER 28 Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir The Spice Cellar

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 Subsonic Music Festival Barrington Tops

beginning. The Spice Cellar is a lounge bar and club located in the basement level of the heritage Overseas Union Bank building at 58 Elizabeth St in Martin Place, and will be run by the same crew who are behind the renowned after-hours clubbing brand Spice – meaning Sydney finally has a club owned by music lovers with a penchant for the good stuff, ie. quality house and techno. With even the Sydney Morning Herald chipping in with a favourable write-up that focused on the venue’s ambience and cocktails, I’m eagerly anticipating renewing my fondness for the combination of Bloody Marys and techno at The Spice Cellar over summer.

The Australia-bound Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann will release a new mix CD, Conducted, via Belgian imprint Music Man Records in November, shortly after he throws down at Chinese Laundry on Saturday October 15 alongside Ben Klock.

Conducted will be Dettmann’s second mix album after 2008’s Berghain 02, and collates cuts from Sandwell District, Roman Lindau, Redshape, Milton Bradely and Shed along with a few leftfield picks – namely the “bewitching slice of obscure, early New York house” from Bluemoon Productions, ‘Night’. Conducted will be released on November 14, and will apparently be sold as a comprehensive package, which, according to a distributor mailout, will include an “extensive booklet” boasting sleeve notes and interviews conducted by Dettmann himself. An incentive to buy the album physically, I suppose…

Marcel Dettmann

Amenta 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.

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ou need to check out London Red Bull Music Academy student Amenta, a new signing to the exceptional First Word label. Sacred Places, her debut EP, is the first in a series, and features production from kidkanevil, Om Unit, Clinic, Lost Twin and Throwing Snow. First Word would have you believe that producers were queuing up to work with the Toronto-born singer.

Greek production duo Palov & Mishkin have just put out a digital version of their vinyl release from a few years back. The release features re-interpretations of ‘Baby Let Me Take You’ by The Detroit Emeralds and Clint Eastwood’s ‘Stop That Train’, and Herbie Hancock’s ‘Wiggle Waggle’ also gets a dancefloor re-work with the drums nice and fattened up. This is very cool, rare music – look up the Re-De-Troit EP on Gamm Records.

Underground electronica heads should keep your ears peeled for Inna Riddim’s new four-track release, The Panoramic EP. The electronica-focused, locally-based label takes in sounds like UK funky, techno, dubstep and grime. This release includes producer After Dark’s ‘Scifunk’, which is a staggering percussive rhythm, Juzlo’s ‘Pick Pocket’, a 4/4 techno tune from Dave Bethell called ‘Ether’, and Grimace’s ‘Away From Me’, which takes us back into dubstep territory.

ON THE ROAD THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 Booker T. Jones Metro Theatre

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 Electric Empire Upstairs Beresford

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 Musica Tumbalong Park

Liberators + Afro Nomad The Basement

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29 London Elektricity Arthouse

FRIDAY DECEMBER 9 Hermitude The Standard

Big Daddy Kane

The Perth-based funk and soul outfit Randa & The Soul Kingdom have put the finishing touches on their second album What You Need. The release is produced by Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos and John Castle. That’s some fresh Australian soul music on the table right there – frontwoman Randa Khamis has a big, big voice.

Still keeping it Aussie, Adelaide hip hop crew The Funkoars have dropped their fourth record The Quickening!, which features guest appearances from the Hilltop Hoods, Vents and K21, and guest production from Large Professor, Dazastah, Simplex and Debate. Listen out for the first single ‘Where I Am’. That one’s out through Golden Era Records.

Legendary US songwriter Booker T Jones comes to Sydney next month. Chalking up a huge career of highlights outside of his work with his band The MGs, Jones has written music for Bill Withers and Willie Nelson, was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2007, and was inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. The Memphis, Tennessee-based musician saw the '60s and '70s out, and more recently, forty years after his career began, he teamed up with both The Roots and ?uestlove to record the new album The Road From Memphis. This is a chance to catch one of the most influential songwriters the funk/soul world has ever known. He’ll be there with his Hammond organ on Thursday October 6 at The Metro.

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

In more touring news, hip hoppers will get pumped with the announcement that Big Daddy Kane is headed to our shores for the first time next month. An instrumental figure in the early days of hip hop, the Brooklyn MC was a member of Marley Marl’s Juice Crew and has also recorded work with the likes of Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers. Kane will be reliving that era in hip hop, mic in hand, with local supports from Paper Plane Project (live set), Mike Who, Frenzie and Kato.

That all goes down at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday October 20.

And heading into this weekend you’ll be able to catch some funk, soul and groove rarities as NY expat Ari Roze joins the Tan Cracker’s Soul Club team for the weekend.

You can track down Roze’s production output on Mighty Highness records, the Byron Bay based label that’s also released music from The Black Jesus Experience and Afro Dizzi Act. Rose will be joined by TCSC residents Gian Arpino, Alexander Demitriades, Tom Tutton and Mark Kinetic Egan this Saturday September 24 at Tonic Lounge.

Send stuff for this column to tonyedwards001@gmail.com by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag.com BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 57

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

club pick of the week Hybrid

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Scubar. Sydney Crab Racing 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Open Mic Jazz DJ Pipemix free 7pm

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel DJ Willie Sabor and Friends 6pm Scubar, Sydney Backpacker Karaoke 8pm The Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Coyote Tuesdays free 8pm Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys Frat House DJs free 11pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Pop Panic Pablo Calamari, Andy & Mike free 8pm

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 Bank Hotel, Newtown Girls’ Night DJ Sandi Hotrod free Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Palace Uni Night DJs free 9pm Home Nightclub, Sydney I Heart Unipackers DJs Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Student Nights DJ Moussa free Scubar, Sydney Schoonerversity 3pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Sincopa free 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Doctor Werewolf, Yayogi, Special K, Jitter, Adam Bozetto, T-BO, My Lord Chiari free 7.30pm

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24

Chinese Laundry, Sydney

Hybrid

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop free 8pm

(UK)

Rack N Ruin (UK) Spenda C, Kato, Cassette, Andrew Wowk, King Lee, Marky Mark, Ella Loca $15–$25 9pm 58 :: BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11

Tenzin

Darlie Laundromatic, Darlinghurst D&D’s Beat Kitchen Dave Fernandes, Dean Dixon 6pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Tenzin, Cadell, Zannon, DJ K-Note free 8pm Ivy, Sydney Ivy Live 5pm Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale Indie Warhol free Q Bar, Darlinghurst Hot Damn $12-$15 8pm Scubar, Sydney $5 Everything Thursdays DJs The Sly Fox Hotel, Enmore Inhale Bass Typhonic, G-Mo, Raine Supreme free Star Bar, Sydney Thirsty Thursdays 8pm Theloft, Sydney Thursdays at Theloft Nad, Stu Turner, Mr Belvedere The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Mush, Finlay free (student)–$5 9pm

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23 ARQ Sydney DJs free 9pm Arthouse Hotel, Sydney RnB Superclub $20 9.30pm The Bank Nightclub, Kings Cross Addiction 9pm Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Aqua Friday 6pm The Burdekin, Darlinghurst DJs 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Liquid Sky LA Tech, Detektives, Tongue In Cheek, Threesixteen, Hypa $10-$15 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Dubrave Will Styles, MC Shureshock, Gilsun, MC Hayley Boa, Struz, Deli, Audiobots, Jbeetz $15-$20 10pm Cohibar DJ Jeddy Rowland, DJ Mike Silver free Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! King Opp, Daniel Darling, Silky Doyle free 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Low Motion Hypercolour,

Preacha, Swindle, Max Gosford $10 8pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney DJ Cadell 5pm Gypsy Lounge, Darlinghurst Warp Speed Various DJs Home Nightclub, Sydney Sublime DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Ultimate Party Venue free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Hump Day Project, Alison Wonderland, Hobophonics, Starjumps, Lancelot $10 8pm The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJs free Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Fridays DJ Tone free 9pm Scubar, Sydney Jagermeister Fridays DJs 7pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Mixtape free 6pm Soho, Potts Point Soho Fridays St James Hotel, Sydney Club Blink DJs 9.30pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Eve 9pm The Club, Kings Cross Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange feat Van She Tech Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs free 11pm The Watershed Hotel Bring On The Weekend!

DJ Matty Roberts free The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM Spookyland, Bell Weather Department, She’s So Rad (NZ), Massai, Kill City Creeps, Corpus, New Brutalists, MUM DJs $10-$15 8pm

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 ARQ Sydney Dance Dance Dance $15$25 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Big Guns Zomg! Kittens!, MooWho, Boogie Monster, Teez, Brosman $15-$20 8pm Cargo Bar, Sydney The Institute of Music DJs Chinese Laundry, Sydney Hybrid (UK), Rack N Ruin (UK), Spenda C, Kato, Cassette, Andrew Wowk, King Lee, Marky Mark, Ella Loca $15–$25 8pm Cohibar DJ Brynstar, DJ Anders Hitchcock free Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Jingle Jangle Home Nightclub, Sydney Homemade Saturdays DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJ’s free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Kristy Lee, Liz Bird, Miss Gabby, Cassette (NZ), DJ Playmate 8pm Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown Spl, Noah-D, Droid Sector, Gilsun 8pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJ’s free Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Teenage DJ Funk (USA), Singha, Them Kids, PMA, Young Blood, German Shepherd $25 (+ bf) 9pm Scubar, Sydney Every Saturday DJs 3pm Shark Hotel, Sydney Pulse8 Jono, Guest DJs free

club guide

club picks

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney MJ, Drew Mercer free–$10 9pm Soho, Potts Point Usual Suspects Tristan Garner (France), John Glover, Rogers Room, Oakes & Lennox, Skinny, Astrix, Digit & Jumes, Barfly, Togerlily St James Hotel, Sydney SFX DJs 9pm Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills The Potbelleez, Radio INK $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs free 11pm The Watershed Hotel Skybar The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham Uber Lingua DJ Globalruckus (USA) $10–$15

9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! James Taylor, MC Shureshock, Klaus Hill, Raye Antonelli, Murat Kilic, Foundation, Telefunken, Illya, Mehow, Johnny Rad, Diamond Lights, Adam Bozetto, Temnien, Shamozzle, Mike Who free$20 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Cargo Lounge, Sydney Stick It In 3pm The Spice Cellar, Martin Place Spice After Hours: DJ YokoO, Nic Scali, Murat Kilic $20 4am Hugo’s Lounge, Kings

up all night out all week...

Cross Sneaky Sundays Resident and Guest DJs 8pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac Resident DJ’s free Kit & Kaboodle Supper Club, Kings Cross Easy Sundays Stu Turner, NAD, Mr Belvedere, Murray Lake, Pat Ward 6pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone free 7pm Scubar, Sydney Sundays at Scubar 3pm Star Bar, Sydney Star Sundays 7pm The Watershed Hotel Afternoon DJs DJ Brynstar free The World Bar, Kings Cross Dust James Taylor, Alley Oop free 1pm The Potbelleez

DJ Funk

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23 Chinese Laundry, Sydney Dubrave Will Styles, MC Shureshock, Gilsun, MC Hayley Boa, Struz, Deli, Audiobots, Jbeetz $15-$20 10pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Low Motion Hypercolour, Preacha, Swindle, Max Gosford $10 8pm

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Doctor Werewolf, Yayogi, Special K, Jitter, Adam Bozetto, T-BO, My Lord Chiari free 7.30pm

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22

The Club, Kings Cross Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange feat Van She Tech

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Teenage DJ Funk (USA), Singha, Them Kids, PMA,

Young Blood, German Shepherd $25 (+ bf) 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Kristy Lee, Liz Bird, Miss Gabby, Cassette (NZ), DJ Playmate 8pm Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills The Potbelleez, Radio INK $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham Uber Lingua DJ Globalruckus (USA) $10– $15 9pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25 The Spice Cellar, Martin Place Spice After Hours: DJ YokoO, Nic Scali, Murat Kilic $20 4am Will Styles

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop Nick Toth, Bentley free 8pm The Sly Fox Hotel, Enmore Inhale Bass Typhonic, G-Mo, Raine Supreme free Theloft, Sydney Thursdays at Theloft Nad, Stu Turner, Mr Belvedere

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 59

snap

hot damn

PICS :: SW

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

wham!

PICS :: DM

08:09:11 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

10:09:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

11:09:11 :: Tone :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440

It’s called: Hybrid + Rack N Ruin @ Chine se Laundry It sounds like: Epic hands-in-the-air Hybrid breakdowns & the genresmashing Rack n Ruin.

Acts: Hybrid (UK, 4 hour set), Rack N Ruin Wowk, Cassette, King Lee, Marky Mark, Ella (UK), Kato, Spenda C, Andrew Loca.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Hybrid Hybrid – ‘Blindside’, Rack n Ruin – ‘Skitzo VIP.’ – ‘Finished Symphony’; And one you definitely won’t: Barry Manil ow – ‘I Write The Songs.’

Sell it to us: If you like your breakdowns epic and your basslines phat then you’d be crazy to miss out!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Most likely Hybrid’s goosebumpinducing last track at 4am!

Crowd specs: Discerning music heads with a street edge.

Wallet damage: $15 before 10.30pm / $25 after.

Where: Chinese Laundry, cnr King & Susse x Streets, Sydney When: 9pm to 4am, Saturday September 24

the exchange hotel

PICS :: CG

strike

09:09:11 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34-44 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93601375

60 :: BRAG :: 430: 19:09:11

PICS :: KC

PICS :: CG

elzhi

party profile

hybrid

10:08:11 :: Strike Bowling :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300 787 453 :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) MAS PEACHY :: GEORGE OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER THO :: NS MUN IEL LEY MAR :: DAN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: KIM LEE:: ASH POPOV :: SAM WHITESIDE ::

A D R I A N B O H M P R E S E N TS

A N EV E N I N G W I T H

E M M Y AWA R D -W I N N I N G CO M E D I A N A N D STA R O F ‘ MY L I F E O N T H E D - L I ST ’

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

PHOTO: MIKE RUIZ

BOOK AT SOH BOX OFFICE 9250 7777 SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM OR TICKETMASTER 136 100 TICKETMASTER.COM.AU

TICKE ON SA TS LE MON SEPTEDAY 26 MBER! A B P R E S E N TS .CO M . AU K AT H YG R I F F I N . N E T

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 61

snap

absolute power

PICS :: KL

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

03:09:11 :: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687

motorik

PICS :: DM

propaganda

It’s called: Motorik!

party profile

08:09:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

It sounds like: Fun with techno. Big, big fun.

So much fun, you can’t handle it.

Acts: The Finger Prince (aka Angelo Cruzm an + Frankie Knuckles II), Slow Blow doing the 1am set, Cosm onaut looking brotherly, the return of Glitch_ (M. Aubusson Jnr and D.Cho Hermens doing his best Ivan Smagghe imper e Snr) and Mister sonation.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Austra lia – ‘Sydney On Acid’; Gesaffelstein – ‘Glass’; Danny Daze – ‘Your Everything’.

And one you definitely won’t: If it ain’t fun or techno, we ain’t buying.

Sell it to us: Sell low, buy high. That’s the key.

Money never sleeps.

That’s why we’re on top.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: All Fingers crossed that you’ve picked up. or nothing. No compromises.

Crowd specs: The best. Umbrella-toting Van Noten-ed techno refugees, tattooed ex-modzys and Georg e’s often-amazing beard.

Wallet damage: Free. You just gotta RSVP at motorik.com.au or Ian won’t let you in. BYO umbrella.

Where: An underground paradise in scenic , tropical, downtown Darlinghurst. We’ll tell you where at motorik.com .au

kontrast pres

PICS :: KC

When: 10pm, Friday September 23.

space is the place

PICS :: KC

10:09:11 :: Burdekin Hotel :: 2 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93313066

dubstep invasion

PICS :: AM

10:09:11 :: Tone :: 116 Wentworth Ave Surry Hills 9267 6440

lucy

PICS :: KC

09:09:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 82959958

10:09:11 :: Civic Underground :: 388 Pitt St City 80807000 62 :: BRAG :: 430: 19:09:11

:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: GEORGE OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER IEL MUNNS :: THOMAS PEACHY DAN :: MAR LEY ASH : LEE: :: CAI GRIFFIN :: KIM POPOV :: SAM WHITESIDE ::