The Brag #432

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NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

AN EVENING OF DISCO/ H O U S E , D U B S T E P, H I P H O P, LEFTFIELD ELECTRONICA & FUTURE SOUL

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M ET THE ARTISTS MEET

‘joint-holder ‘j int holder with Brian Bria Eno of the title Cleverest Mer Mercury Prize nominee and an nd frontman for British post-punk turned pop ch chart-topper’s SCRITTI POLLITI, covered by Miles Davis.

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

five things WITH

DREW GELLESPIE FROM FLOATINGME band until I was asked to fill in for a singer at a university band comp. Inspirations Some of the artists I’ve been 2. stuck on are Led Zeppelin, The Police, John Williams, James Horner, The Doors, Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, Tool, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Soundgarden, Massive Attack, Dave Matthews Band, Portishead and Faith No More. Your Crew FloatingMe is Antony Brown 3. on guitar, John Stockman on bass, Tobias Messiter on the keys, Lucius Borich on the drums and samples – and I do most of the vocal parts. Ted Gardner and Scott Mesiti are our managers, Mud Mercer is our live sound guy and Chris Paget is our tour manager. All legends.

1.

Growing Up I was not raised in a particularly musical household. My family moved to Pakistan when I was nine – and luckily, my father brought

his John Denver and Neil Diamond collections along. Local music seemed to be going on most of the time wherever you were. I had a Star Wars soundtrack and not much

else to listen to by myself. I started to develop an interest in popular music and rock after we moved to Thailand, when I was around 13. I never thought of actually being in a

The Music You Make Our album was recorded in 4. various studios and spaces in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and was mixed by Forrester Savell. We’ve tried to translate as much as we can from the album to the live

Kanye West

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

Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 8a Marlborough Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Staff of The Brag. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Art Work, Ad Bookings Thursday 12pm (no extensions) Ad Cancellations Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? Email distribution@furstmedia. com.au or phone 03 9428 3600. PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...

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there’s not much holding people back from their passion for making original music. There are many obstacles in this game, but you can build a career that works. As for growing it further, a basic challenge for Australian artists is the size of the market and its distance from Europe and North America. The internet has helped to break down those barriers, but the live element is essential. It might not be as difficult to get noticed in the broader music community, but it is expensive to get over there to gain and maintain a presence. What: FloatingMe is out now Where: The Annandale Hotel When: Saturday October 15

In 1991, a little festival called Big Day Out announced two bands and skateboarding for their first ever event. It seems like they’ve gone a little bigger for their 20th anniversary. If you managed to miss the announcement last week, take a deep breath: Kanye West, Soundgarden, Tony Hawk, Kasabian, My Chemical Romance, Battles, Odd Future, Girl Talk, Mariachi El Bronx, Girl Talk, Röyksopp, Foster The People, Best Coast and a bunch more are dropping into Sydney Showground on January 26, joining Aussie acts like The Living End, Hilltop Hoods, Frenzal Rhomb, The Jezabels and Architecture In Helsinki for what could well be the most exciting list of names that this particular writer has ever had the pleasure to re-type. Well done, everyone! Over 20 more acts will be announced in just over a month, but for now, here’s a date: Wednesday October 12, when tickets go on sale.

EDITOR: Steph Harmon steph@thebrag.com 02 9698 9645 ARTS & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Dee Jefferson dee@thebrag.com 02 9690 2731 STAFF WRITERS: Jonno Seidler, Caitlin Welsh NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Binns, Michael Brown, Liz Brown, Bridie Connell, Bridie Connellan, Ben Cooper, Oliver Downes, Alasdair Duncan, Max Easton, Tony Edwards, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Henry Florence, Mike Gee, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Alex Lindsay Jones, Peter Neathway, Hugh Robertson, Matt Roden, Emma Salkild, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, Luke Telford, Rick Warner

Music, Right Here, Right Now We played at BigSound in 5. Brisbane recently, and it’s clear

BIG DAY OUT LINEUP FOR 2012

PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com

ADVERTISING: Matthew Cowley - 0431 917 359 / (02) 8394 9492 matthew@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 8394 9027 les@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Meaghan Meredith - 0423 655 091 / (02) 8394 9168 meaghan@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Conrad Richters - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance & parties) INTERNS: Sigourney Berndt, Greg Clennar, Julian de Lorenzo

show; there’s a lot to put across, but so far it’s been working really well. It’s hard to describe the style of music we make; it’s a blend of a wide field of influences. I can say that it’s loud. Let’s say that it’s rock.

JAMAICAN ME EXCITED

Jah bless. One of the rudest acts in UK reggae is coming to Sydney’s State Theatre on January 25: Ali Campbell’s UB40, best known for reggae-ing up ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ and ‘Red Red Wine’ in the whitest, most British, but most awesome way possible. Billy Ocean is joining them; you may know him from that emotional journey he took you on, ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car’. Big Mountain are the third act, who added a Jamaican twist to Frampton’s ‘Baby I Love Your Way’ (and to Lelaina and Michael’s first date on Reality Bites). Tickets on sale via Ticketmaster.

KINGSWOOD & DEAD LEAVES

When I read about the upcoming ‘Kingswood tour’, my mind flashed back to the late ‘70s, when me and my mates would pack the longboards on the back of the Kingswood and drive up the coast, drinking tinnys, stopping off at different surf beaches, living on Chiko rolls and blasting rock and roll. Or maybe

I’m embedding myself in a Richard Clapton clip again? Turns out this particular phrase currently applies to Melbourne stoner-indierock band Kingswood, who are playing The Beach Road Hotel in Bondi on Wednesday October 5 in support of Dead Leaves. Speaking of Dead Leaves: with their debut album Cities On The Sea just around the corner, they are playing the following night too – October 6 at FBi Social. Double header! Seekae

BON IVER TOUR

The self-titled record that Bon Iver dropped in June was one of the most played set of songs around BRAG HQ this year (‘Beth/Rest’ excluded – ugh, what was with that?). When we interviewed Justin Vernon about the record he dropped hints that he’d be here again early next year, so we made like a good little streetpress and spread as many rumours as we could. We’re happy to tell you it’s all been confirmed; Bon Iver will be wooing you at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on March 11, 12 and 13, and tickets are a cool $30.

EXPERIENCE JIMI HENDRIX

Want a little more Jimi Hendrix in your life? The best thing to do is be at the Enmore Theatre on October 29 when Darren Middleton (Powderfinger), Stuart Fraser (Noiseworks), Peter Koppes (The Church), John and Rick Brewster (The Angels), Jak Housden (The Whitlams), Kevin Borich, Steve Edmonds, and Grant Walmsely (Screaming Jets) perform three hours of his classic songs and riffs. Get there early to see Middleton play ‘Advance Australian Fair’ before setting his guitar on fire and falling into a voodoo funk the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil. This stuff isn’t on the event poster, but we’re pretty sure it’s implied. Tickets are $89, through Ticketek or the venue.

AIR INDIE MUSIC AWARDS

Presented by AIR, the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards are coming into their sixth year, and Adalita and Seekae are heading up the nominations for 2011 with four apiece. Drapht, Abbe May, Emma Louise, The Jezabels and Pnau are amongst the others that’ll be viciously sniping at each other while pretending not to care whether they win or not... Past winners include The Hilltop Hoods, Gotye and John Butler, so big things are afoot for whoever takes this out. It all goes down in Melbourne on October 12; keep your eyes on this here paper to find out who gets the gong!


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rock music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

He Said She Said WITH

The Dead Leaves

MCKISKO THE DEAD LEAVES

too. We met on the side of a highway in Bavaria, Germany; we were introduced to each other by our lovers at the time. I knew he could play drums – someone referred to him as the human drum machine once – but only recently have we been in the same country to try playing together. Kurt recorded this release, and is doing the next as well. We have no major musical differences, but he listens to more hip hop.

If you took the three-way love-child of Ian Curtis, Daniel Rosen and Ben Bridwell and forced him to shake off his peculiar upbringing to write music, you might end up with something that sounds a lot like The Dead Leaves. The November release of their forthcoming LP Cities On The Sea has every local alt-rock aficionado jittering with anticipation – but if you can’t wait until then, the band will playing songs from it at an intimate show at FBI Social on Thursday October 6, with support from The Owls and Tim Hart of Boy and Bear. BRAG have two double passes to the gig up for grabs; just tell us the members of your ultimate indie-rock supergroup.

My first and only album was recorded in 2009 with Jamie Trevaskis at Junkship in Brisbane. It is called Glorio. Sounds like Oreo. This next release was recorded in a little room in an old Queenslander in Woolloongabba; it was named ‘Good Grief’ after Charlie Brown’s favourite two words. Generally, people can expect no fancy light shows and not to dance at my show.

I

grew up on a macadamia nut farm in rural Queensland, the fifth of six children. A vivid music memory for me as a child is singing Christmas carols around town from the back of a truck on Christmas Eve. People were singing in harmony, and it suddenly made sense. My parents are music lovers and mum played a bit of guitar and sang with us when we were little – this filtered through us all in different ways. I was a sensitive kid; I’ve had to learn resilience as a musician.

Jason Molina is a favourite songwriter of mine. He sings sadness so perfectly. I saw him for the first time solo at the Troubadour in Brisbane. I also like the band Low. I saw them for the first time at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. One song in particular, ‘Laser Beam’, inspired me to try writing music. They know how to let space hang in a song. I play live with Kurt Read. He plays drums mainly, but is pretty good on guitar and keys

BOOKER T. JONES

There’s a lot to love about Booker T. Jones. Firstly, that “T” doesn’t stand for anything, it’s just “T” (cool, right?); secondly, he’s been awarded a place in The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame AND a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement; thirdly, he produced a Willie Nelson album… the list goes on. But our favourite thing about Booker T.? He’ll be bringing his smooth brand of soul music to The Metro Theatre on Thursday October 6, and we’ve got two double passes. To get your hands on one, just tell us your favourite thing about BTJ.

Local music is strong, diverse and interesting. Musicians can record albums now without relying on big money people to fund them. It’s tough to make a living from it, but that’s nothing new. With: ‘Good Grief’ is out now on El Nino El Nino records With: Emily Ulman, Roller One Where: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel When: Sunday October 9, 6pm

had real problems. Yet they also sound like a technicoloured rollercoaster ride; the type that might make you feel queasy and uneasy, but damnit, this is living. They’re coming out from Brooklyn to play Friday October 7 at Oxford Art Factory, with Lucky Dragons and Holy Balm in support, who both sound like those other dark dreams you have, of ravenous birds and talking mushrooms...

LANIE LANE, EVERYBODY WANTS ONE

Lanie Lane is totally the kind of wife I would have had back in the ‘50s, with her gorgeous face and her amazing dresses and her curlerset curls and those incredible, country-tinged, lovelorn laments. She played an industry album preview at Gardel’s Bar above Porteno a few weeks back, and it was the most incredible rockabilly-tanged, tattoo-tinged, meat-fuelled delight we’ve had the pleasure of eating and drinking for free at – and then Lanie started

singing, and we were blown away. She’s sold out the first album launch gig for To The Horses, but she’s just announced a second; November 5 at the Vanguard. Get tickets quickly, okay?

NEWTOWN FESTIVAL

Yay! It’s that time of the year again! That time when great bands and fun stalls and eco stuff and a dog show all get wrapped up in delicious gozleme to be served to one of Sydney’s best suburbs! They’ve just announced the band lineup, and it’s as delightful as ever: Gossling, The Barons of Tang, Spit Syndicate, Richard Cuthbert & Band (yep, those Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers folks), Dubmarine, Royal Chant, Slow Down Honey, Georgia Fair, Aleks & The Ramps, Ghostwood, Stonefield and more. It goes down on Sunday November 13, and if we don’t see you there we’ll meet you at the Courty after; whoever gets there first is in charge of grabbing a table.

The Beards Buena Vista Social Club

CLAVE CONTRA CLAVE

Sick of your indie-coolsie friends putting down your love of Latin music just because they don’t feel the savage rhythm and percussive heat like you do, nor the inherent desire to do that thing with your hips? Well, it’s time to cast them off and enter ‘Clave Contra Clave’ – a competition to find Australia’s best live Latin band, which will see the legendary stars of the Buena Vista Social Club playing alongside the finalists, just to demoralise those who thought they might be good at this kind of thing... The NSW state heat is being held on October 15 at the UNSW Roundhouse, and the winning band will go through to a national final at the Hordern Pavilion on November 5. The winner nets $10,000 and a contract for a 2012 national tour – and one band member will also get to fly to Cuba’s LAENA music academy. Watch as the winning band fights over that one!

CULTURE JAM

We all know your idea of a Culture Jam is sipping Chardonnay and listening to Mozart B-sides while discussing the writings of Immanuel Kant, but for those of us not studying first year philosophy (yes, that table does exist, you just spilled a drink on it), the Culture Jam at The Annandale on October 8 looks mighty appealing. It kicks off at midday with some of Sydney’s finest up-and-coming artists duking it out on two massive canvases over two hours. There are free arcade games too, and on the first floor we have the Hong Kong Rock Club, which will feature live bands from 4pm. Then in the evening Underlights launch their single ‘Now That You’re In Love’, with support from Made In Japan, Bachelor Pad and Flight. $10 entry, plus FREE ARCADE GAMES. Culture! Culture! Music! High Score! End Boss! Culture! is pretty much how your night will pan out.

DOUBLE DRAGON IV

Double Dragon IV is all set for Q Bar on Oxford Street on October 14, which happens to fall on a Friday. You want to know the lineup, huh? Hang on, let me find my glasses... Not those ones, my sunglasses. I wanna look cool when telling you that Regular John, Mother and Son, Kira Pura and The Bruise, Big Dumb Kid, and Sick Python are playing… Still want more? Kill City Creeps, Nakagin, Disco Clubs, Grams and the amazingly titled Kokomo are also heading down. This will be a very good night. Promise.

BLACK DICE AND LUCKY DRAGONS

If you haven’t heard of Black Dice, they sound like all those nightmares of falling down stairs and running away from monsters and the like that you used to have, before you

BLACK CHERRY TURNS FIVE

Your favourite rock’n’roll party just turned five, and is celebrating the only way it knows how: by throwing your favourite rock’n’roll party. The huge night will be headlined by The Beards, an extremely hirsute folk-rock band that perform songs about one subject, and one subject alone. Also playing are The Rumjacks, The Go-Go Haunters and The Hollywood Hombres, with Jungle Rump Rock’n’Roll Karaoke hosted by Colonel Klink, and burlesque from Anna Lumb, Lux St Sin, Briana Bluebell and Frankie Faux. Celebrating rock’n’roll and all that that entails – punk through rockabilly through blues, swamp and glam – there’s pretty much no excuse to not dress up and have a dance. It goes down on Saturday October 15 at The Factory Theatre from 8pm until 3am – and tickets are on sale now.

“Are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced? Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful...” - JIMI HENDRIX 10 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


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The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Industry Music News with Christie Eleizer

Lifelines Ill: Legendary Cape Verdean “morna” diva Cesaria Evoria has retired from her career aged 70, due to ill-health. In Court: Axl Rose has to pay US$53,000 to Bentley Financial Services, who claim the Guns N’Roses singer leased a $192,000 Bentley Flying Spur in 2005 and then returned it with $73,000 worth of damages and fees. In Court: Former ‘80s hair band Kings of the Sun singer Jeff Hoad pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court to growing and possessing more than 6kg of marijuana at his Gold Coast home. His lawyers argued that Hoad, at 50, had been left without a band, audience or future when music trends changed. Hoad was sentenced to a wholly suspended 12-month prison term. Arrested: Wisconsin cemetery worker Steven Conard, 39, faces life imprisonment after being charged with stealing an expensive Fender Telecaster guitar from the coffin of an old man who’d made it his dying wish to be buried with his “pride and joy”. Jailed: North Carolina hip hopper Petey Pablo, (‘Raise Up’, ‘Freek-a-Leek’) for 35 months, after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen firearm. In Court: Robert Lyons of Illinois faces life imprisonment, after pleading guilty to killing his 61-year-old mother for refusing to get him Avril Lavigne tickets. Died: US gospel singer Jessy Dixon, 73. He played keyboards with Earth Wind & Fire, toured with Paul Simon, and wrote songs for Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Randy Crawford, Amy Grant and Cher.

EMI BIDS IN THIS WEEK EMI’s owner Citigroup has whittled down the list of bidders to a select few, and told them to come back this week with their best offers. These include Warner Music Group’s new owner Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, Sony Corp., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Group, and a number of US-based private equity firms. Some of them, like Blavatnik, are okay with buying the firm whole, others only want bits and pieces. Citigroup expects the sale to happen before 2012.

GAGA LOSES LEGAL WRANGLE WITH FAN Lady Gaga lost a legal battle with a fan who owns the domain name LadyGaga.org. Gaga

complained to the National Arbitration Forum that the site, run by someone only known as “Miranda”, was registered in bad faith and in violation of her trademark. But the fan responded that hers was an unofficial fan site that was not out to make a profit, and was giving the singer free publicity. She denies links with any third party websites “which market and sell merchandise bearing [Gaga’s] trademark.” The forum sided with her.

PARKLIFE ANTICS US producer Diplo told triple j he got thrown out of Parklife’s opening party after he climbed on the roof of the venue, tried to steal a flamingo nailed to the top, and then fell off. When pulled up, he protested, “I’m American, I don’t know what’s normal behaviour here.” Crystal Fighters told triple j that they had to hurriedly get one of their instruments, a Txalaparta, made locally, because customs wouldn’t allow in anything made of wood – much less old wood. At the Perth show, the crowd sang happy birthday to Santigold. After that show, three men in their 20s were arrested after robbing wristbands and a handbag from three attendees. At the Melbourne show, the presence of sniffer dogs led to 42 patrons being arrested for possessing coke, E and cannabis.

TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL UNVEILS PLANS The Jayco Tamworth Country Music Festival held a Festival Sneak Peak for 250 supporters, sponsors, media, artists, staff and volunteers on what to expect at its 40th anniversary in January. Keeping to the theme ‘Looking Forward Looking Back’ (after the Slim Dusty song), the presentation outlined the festival’s history. Its major sponsor will transform Riverside camping grounds into Jayco Village. 2TM will broadcast daily. A Smoky Dawson statue will be unveiled on Australia Day. A memorabilia walk includes a photo exhibition. Mayor Col Murray talked about new stakeholder partnerships, using technology to market the festival internationally, and the ways in which local retailers could benefit. Murray had just returned from an eight-day business-hunting visit to China and Hong Kong, during which three initiatives were put in place. A delegation from Beijing will visit the festival for more talks.

THE PEATS RIDGE ADMINISTRATION SAGA A sharp-eyed music media spotted Peats Ridge Festival Pty Ltd listed on the ASIC database as gone into administration. But

festival director Matt Grant says that the festival is still going ahead with the same team, it’s just the name of the company running it that's changed. Grant says the festival took a financial hit of late. “Due to extreme weather conditions in 2007, Peats Ridge was forced to cancel. The ongoing financial burden from this, coupled with the downturn in the festival marketplace, has caused a heavy financial burden for the festival, one that we are now coming out of with good ticket sales for this year. Unfortunately, the outcome of this financial burden meant we were forced to place the entity that operated the event in previous years into liquidation.” After a creditors’ meeting on August 29, Grant decided to wind up Peats Ridge Festival Pty Ltd, and now trades as just Peats Ridge. This year’s event, held from December 29 to January 1 in NSW’s Glenworth Valley, will play host to Goyte, Xavier Rudd, Salmonella Dub, Dum Dum Girls and Stanton Warriors.

BRITISH ACTS SET NEW RECORD British acts have set a new record in the UK charts for the longest run of consecutive number one singles. This year there were eleven British #1s in a row. The previous record was ten, set in 1963. DJ Fresh, The Wanted, JLS, Cher Lloyd, Nero, Wretch 32, Olly Murs, Example, Pixie Lott and One Direction all spent at least a week in the top spot. The latest is ‘No Regrets’, the debut solo single by N-Dubz rapper Dappy. He's made enough so that he can buy a country estate outside of London with its own lake for him to fish in. Earlier in the year, things weren’t looking good for British artists: in the third week of May, the only UK artist in the entire top ten singles chart was Lauren Bennett who featured on LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’. It was the worst showing since the UK charts launched in 1952.

NT STORMS THE DEADLYS! Northern Territory acts Gurrumul Yunupingu, Iwantja Band and Jessica Mauboy stormed the 17th annual Indigenous Deadly Awards, held last week at the Sydney Opera House. About to embark on a tour of Europe, Yunpingu picked up Best Male Artist and Best Album for Rrakala (this was after he took five awards at the National Indigenous Music Awards held in Darwin in August). Mauboy got Best Female, and Iwantja Band were declared Most Promising New Talent In Music. Another NT moment came when Darwin singer songwriter Shellie Morris opened proceedings with the traditional

THINGS WE HEAR * Look out for an official announcement that former Gold Coast teenager Cody Simpson has just signed to Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun. * Kylie and Delta seem locked in for the ARIAs – will Elton John host? * Guitarist Steve Van Zandt says Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band will get together over the next couple of weeks to discuss how the band will proceed without Clarence Clemons. * Crikey suggested that British act The Wanted may be getting strong airplay on the DMG network because the band is managed by group Program Director

Paul Jackson’s dad, Richard Park. * ABC TV’s Media Watch revealed that police were so concerned about the idiotic behaviour of Kyle and Jackie O listeners during 2DAY FM’s virtual car chase competition that they asked Austereo to abandon it. The network refused. In the quest to win a new car and $10,000 cash, one winner drove at 100km/hr on a 50km dirt road and was run off the road by another contestant. Another got herself lost in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, leading to three cops spending four hours getting her out. The winner did a series of U-turns on the M5 highway, and almost ran a red light in her excitement.

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Yanyuawa Singers from Borroloola and the Gondwana National Indigenous Children’s Choir, previewing ‘Yarrbanthalu’ from the Song Peoples Sessions album. NSW hip hop act Last Kinection won in the band and single categories. The Pigram Bros came from Broome to perform and accept the Best Film award for Mad Bastards, which they produced. The Deadlys, produced by Vibe Australia, were broadcast over the weekend on SBS One, and will be repeated on Saturday October 8 at 7.30pm on SBS Two.

WATT ON TRIPLE M Merrick Watts will walk from Nova to Triple M for 2012. He’ll be heard from 4-6pm in Sydney and Brisbane, and 6-8pm in Melbourne and Adelaide.

PEOU EXITS REMOTE CONTROL Remote Control’s Sydney-based Publicity Manager Ankia Peou exits after three years on October 5. Her replacement will be announced shortly.

BREAST CANCER UNPLUGGED Former Sony Music Australia employee Yvette Luciano was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, after which she set up Chords for Causes with Vivace Events to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). The next initiative is Breast Cancer Unplugged, which will be held on Friday October 21 at the Gaelic Club. The event will feature intimate unplugged performances by a stand-out line up including Ratcat’s Simon Day (doubling as the event host), Amy Meredith, The Art, Screaming Bikini (Sarah Mcleod), Luchi, The Blush Foundation and Isac Cole, who will be doing unplugged shows. Luciano hopes to raise $10,000. Tickets start at $25 but donations are welcome; www.chordsforcauses.com

US DEAL FOR GUINEAFOWL Guineafowl have signed a US deal with Dangerbird Records. Their Hello Anxiety EP will be released there this week, just as the Sydney band plays a string of shows in America — including Culture Collide in LA and CMJ in New York.

FUSE DISTRIBUTE HOPESTREET Fuse Music has taken over distribution of Melbourne’s HopeStreet Recordings, adding them to a roster that includes Tru Thoughts, Freestyle and Stones Throw. HopeStreet signings include The Cactus Channel, The Bombay Royale and The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. * Mi-Sex are about to announce a series of shows to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of their singer Steve Gilpin. Steve Balbi, bassist with Noiseworks, will front the reunion shows. * Shaun Ryder admits he had a slight problem when working on his justreleased autobiography, Twisting My Melon. He couldn’t remember anything between 1990 and 2006, and he had to ask friends what happened. * Nice to see that The Cure’s set at Vivid LIVE in Sydney this year (where they played their first three albums in entirety) went down so well that they will recreate the shows in London, L.A. and New York in November.


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FLIGHT FACILITIES Miles High By Jonathan Seidler

“W

hy can’t you love me like the other boys do? They stare at me while I crave you...” If ever there was a song to sell the essence of Bondi on a lazy summer afternoon to the world, Flight Facilities made it with last year’s ‘Crave You’. And with the release of their sublimely sensual sophomore single, ‘Foreign Language’, they’ve made it again, officially announced themselves as downtempo disco dudes par excellence. As dance music becomes progressively harder, angrier and faster, Flight Facilities eschew the trends and embrace the warmth, by teaming up with mononymous chanteuses like ‘Jess’ and ‘Giselle’, who capture those last fleeting rays in melody as night descends over the coast. This globetrotting duo may release tunes slowly, but it will take six months to get them out of your cerebral cortex – and by that time, it’s probably already summer again. At least it is for Jimmy Lyell and Hugo Gruzman, the men behind the uniforms behind the moniker, who have just touched down in stinking hot Vienna and are on a mission for ice cream. “We’re playing at some club – I think it either is a gay club or used to be a gay club,” explains Hugo, of their stopover in the land of the schnitzel. “But there’s a swimming pool in the middle of it – or so we’re told…” Flight Facilities are about to embark on yet another European tour, which will keep them over there right up until they land back in Australia for the Fat As Butter festival. In essence, it means that they’ll have skipped winter entirely – hence the necessity for ice cream. “The wind is like someone breathing on you in a sauna,” Jimmy laments. “Our plan

is basically to get some good gelato and pass out under a tree in a park somewhere.” Of course, like all good flight staff, Jimmy and Hugo have friends in every port. They’re using this opportunity to hook up with Louie Austen, the 70-year-old crooner who they brought swinging back into the mainstream with their lauded jazz refix of Bag Raiders’ ‘Turbo Love’ a few years ago. “He’s a fullon silk-suits kind of guy,” says Hugo. “He has a very particular style, so when you’re recording you need to pick the right kind of song to get him on.” Intriguing feature artists are an inherent part of the Flight Facilities formula. ‘Foreign Language’, which stars a young siren called ‘Jess’ who most definitely has a surname, sent fans scrambling across the Internet to track her down. But Jimmy maintains that they’re not the ones imposing the one-name law – their girls are opting for it themselves. “We asked Jess, ‘What do you want to be [called on the record]? ‘Jessica’, or ‘Jess Higgs’? And she said ‘Nah, just Jess is fine.’” Hugo, who met Higgs by accident at Hugo’s Lounge one Sunday evening, is kind of happy about how it worked out. “Sure, ‘Giselle’ [Rosseli, the voice on ‘Crave You’] is a bit more of a unique name, but in any case it kind of works, because it sends people on a mission. Jess will be making some ripples big time soon anyway,” he says. “You know when you meet people and they say ‘Oh my friend can sing’ and you’re like ‘Sure – whatever’? Well I’ve just learned to follow up on every opportunity I’m given – everybody deserves that chance. Thank god, because we wouldn’t have had this song if we didn’t.“ It’s a strange time to be making groovebased disco, and Jimmy acknowledges as

much when he reveals that he’s a bit worried about the boys’ upcoming set at Creamfields Festival in the UK. “It should be interesting because, we’re playing with some pretty heavy-hitting dudes,” he says. “Boyz Noise, Erol [Alkan], Annie Mac, Fake Blood… But with 60,000 chavs we may find at least some people who like us. Or at least we can venture into some happy hardcore.” Given that Flight Facilities’ upcoming collaborative projects include a new single with Hot Chip’s drummer Rob Smoughton (“He’s got an amazing voice, it’s a real Phil Collins kind of vibe”) and some recording with John Paul Young (see: ‘Love Is In The Air’, 1978), it’s likely they’ll stick out like a British person who forgot to wear sunscreen. Perhaps they should have thrown in the towel early and gone for that dubstep sound instead… But don’t even joke to these boys about that one; to say they’re not fans is a grand understatement. “You stay in East London and everything sounds like machinery, and then you hear all this dubstep and it’s almost like you’re stuck in a remix of the machinery!” laughs Hugo. “I’m sure people who understand it love it. We just don’t understand it. I mean, I just can’t wait to see those people who keep their iPods for thirty years and then they play their kids dubstep and it’s all like, ‘Nice one, dad…’” But every cloud has a silver lining. “I was just saying the other day how interesting it is that once this mainstream bullshit comes full circle, there’s all these kids embracing this very strong underground deep house sound,” Jimmy says. “And it’s not just Berlin or London or whatever – it’s people all over the place.” Hugo agrees: “Australia has one of the best independent music markets in the world I think. There are heaps of acts coming

“I’m sure people who understand dubstep love it. We just don’t understand it. I mean, I just can’t wait to see those people who keep their iPods for thirty years, and then they play their kids dubstep and it’s like, ‘Nice one, dad...’”

out of here that are writing some amazing dance and pop music, like Cut Copy or Bag Raiders. But the majority of listeners do just follow whatever America decides is cool.” In the unique position of being both underground and cool in tandem, Flight Facilities are happy to stay with their homegrown label Future Classic, release singles at their own pace, and go wherever the waves take them. “Bloggers and writers seem to understand things a lot better than record labels do,” admits Hugo. “[Labels] think it’s all about the albums, but we’re just not there yet.” Jimmy hints that they’re in talks regarding a possible “concept EP”, but the band would prefer to utilise the networks they have available to them, which have all grown organically. “For instance, Kitsuné France were interested in some of our stuff, and it’s a great way to get it out over there. But if we were just on an Aussie major who distributed internationally, there’s a good chance it might get lost.” This leads to Flight Facilities’ core conundrum with putting music out via the Internet: “You have a lot more tunes that you can get out there and spread a lot further, but conversely you’ve flooded the market with a whole lot of crap stuff.” “In some ways, there’s very little quality control anymore,” Hugo adds. So we’re lucky, then, that we’ve got two pilots here with many miles behind them, and many more ahead. What: ‘Foreign Language ft. Jess’ is out now on Future Classic With: Empire Of The Sun, The Living End, Flo Rida, Naughty By Nature, Sparkadia, Cloud Control, The Jezabels, British India, The Herd, Sinden, Aston Shuffle, Jonathan Boulet and more Where: Fat As Butter @ The Foreshore, Newcastle When: Saturday October 22 More: Oktoberfest @ UNSW Roundhouse on Wednesday October 12 with Bagraiders and TV Rock

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The Walkmen Just Go With It By Mitchel Brown

T

hey certainly haven’t attracted the same amount of mainstream media attention as some of their contemporaries, but a good deal of those in the know consider The Walkmen to be quite possibly the best band to emerge from New York’s independent music scene in the past decade. And when you consider that that’s the same music scene that brought us acts like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Grizzly Bear, The National and MGMT, you start to realise the weight that a statement like that holds. The Walkmen are heading to Australia for Harvest Festival next month, touring on the back of their sixth album, 2010’s Lisbon; a record that draws inspiration from the Portuguese capital of the same name, as well as the sweet sounds of Elvis Presley’s early days with Sun Records. Bassist-turned-organist Peter Bauer (he decided to switch instruments with current bassist and former organist Walter Martin following the release of 2004’s critically acclaimed Bows + Arrows) took some time out from his busy schedule back in the States to discuss the pairing of these two unlikely, and not always apparent, influences.

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“We were definitely trying to make something more upbeat, because people always say we’re a little dark. But songs are usually about sad things – at least, the music that I listen to is... It’s not like we’re all a bunch of sour guys that want to slit our wrists.” You’ve cited the city of Lisbon as inspiration for the album, yet you actually wrote it entirely at home. How, then, did Lisbon influence what would become, well, Lisbon? We went there, and at the time it was an interesting place for us. It seemed like an exotic city and a place we never expected we’d ever be able to go, any of us. To be there playing shows that were really great for us, we really felt like we made a connection with people there. We named a song ‘Lisbon’ just by chance, and then as we were coming together to make the record as a whole, it was kind of a nice title for the whole thing; the whole exotic, strange quality of the city related to how we felt about the songs. But it wasn’t like a cause and effect thing – I don’t really remember when we wrote the songs. We just named the song ‘Lisbon’ based on a vibe; it had this feel to it. That’s how a lot of our stuff comes together – you just kind of just go with it. Musically, the album sounds a lot more upbeat than your earlier work, but underneath it all the lyrics are just as dark as ever. Was this contrast a conscious thing? We were definitely trying to make something more upbeat. It was something we were trying to do because people always say we’re a little dark. But songs are usually about sad things – at least, the music that I listen to is. But in the end, yeah, I feel like they’re upbeat; there’s the odd grim line or two, but that’s just because it feels like it should have that. It’s not like we’re all a bunch of sour guys that want to slit our wrists. Elvis has also been quoted as an influence, but he’s certainly not the first person that comes to mind when you listen to the album… It was more something for us to use to get to a certain place. You don’t want your songs to sound like somebody else’s music. But you use somebody else’s [music] to get to a spot where things make sense for you. So it’s not like we actually sound like Elvis; you probably don’t want your stuff to sound like that. It’s more a matter of trying to use something to get to a different place. In trying to capture the feel of those old Sun Records, did you source out any particular gear? No, we just always use the same stuff. We’ve always used the same kind of gear, and I think it’s because a lot of the bands we grew up liking used all that sort of stuff. And then you end up using older equipment and you realise it sounds a lot better. There’s not much you can do about it. Having said that, it’s not like a principle or conservative stance; it’s just a matter of trying to find an instrument you really love, that you’re excited to play and that sounds good. For now, I’m using a sampler, and I sample a lot of the old combo organs and stuff that I have, because I get tired of fixing them. That’s sort of been fun, because it’s totally different. You can combine things and think about things in a different way, like all the tones and everything. But it still pretty much sounds like a Farfisa – it sounds like a vacuum cleaner running no matter what you do! But everything I use on the sampler is just stuff I have. So it’s just a matter of practicality then? Yeah, but it’s also interesting; it sounds sort of better at times. It’s just a different way of thinking about it. It’s an old sampler that RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan used on his first records. I don’t know why I go for out of date technology! But it’s cool, it sounds great – a lot cleaner and more pristine that it does coming out of the old Vox. What: Lisbon is out now With: The Flaming Lips, Portishead, TV On The Radio, Bright Eyes, Holy Fuck, Mogwai, PVT, The National, Seekae and more Where: Harvest Festival @ Parramatta Park When: Sunday November 13


Big Scary It Takes Two By Nils Hay

A

fter a prolific 2010 which saw them release five EPs and a compilation, Melbourne duo Big Scary seem to be coasting through 2011 with just the one; their upcoming debut album, Vacation. But despite the title, they haven’t just been chilling on holiday. “We could’ve made a completely different album a year ago,” says drummer Jo Syme. “We had about 30 tracks that we whittled it down from; I think we ended up recording 14 songs.”

Vacation marks the first time that the pair brought in an outside producer, asking friend (and ex-Yves Klein Blue bassist) Sean Cook to help them out. “We were actually pretty disorganised when we were thinking about who should be the producer,” Syme confesses. “We were looking all over the world, [but] we liked Sean’s attitude and his passion for the band.” More than anything, Big Scary were looking for a producer who would allow plenty of discussion about the process, rather than someone unfamiliar with their music who would try to “school” them. As well as a respect for Sean’s experience and knowledge, there was the feeling that his pop sensibility coupled with what she calls their “almost anti-pop sound” would yield interesting results. Cook’s production also provided more scope than had been available on previous Big Scary recordings. “He had more experience with cool organs and keys, subtle basslines and that kind of stuff,” she explains. “That was really helpful in terms of how to make it sound a bit fuller.”

She admits that the two-piece format has made it easier for them too, both from a financial and a practical standpoint. “The best thing about being a two-piece is that friends can have you stay on their couch – everyone kind of owns two couches, or we’re okay sharing a double bed. It’s just two of us, so we’ve been lucky in that sense.” For a band starting out, little things like that can add up. “We know some bands who, even if they were offered a national tour, they’re so big that they can’t really afford to do it,” she explains. “We can fit all our gear in my Ford Falcon – and that makes it really, really simple.” With the album release imminent, they’ll be starting the car up again as they head out on a national tour – but despite the time that’ll be spent on the road and rehearsing, it seems unlikely that Big Scary will be reducing their output. “Tom’s just bought himself two new guitars,” Syme chirps happily, “so I think some new songs will be just around the corner...” What: Vacation comes out this Friday October 7 on Pieater, through Inertia Where: Paddington Uniting Church When: Friday October 14

The subject matter and feel of Vacation was inspired by the continual touring that the pair have been engaged in for the past couple of years, and the lifestyle that accompanies it. While it may not be for everyone, Syme embraces on-the-road living. “I find it really fun,” she says. “When I chat to friends who’ve got careers and they get promotions, I’m in awe of them. I feel like that’s just something that I would never be able to achieve.” As well as the newlywritten songs, the album contains tracks like ‘Leaving Home’ that are almost older than the band itself – and Jo admits it was an uphill battle to get that one in. “Me and Sean kind of coaxed Tom [Iansek, frontman] to the table,” she says of ‘Leaving Home’. “That’s a really old one that’s made it to see the light of day, but usually they just get abandoned.”

“The best thing about being a two-piece is that friends can have you stay on their couch. We know some bands who, even if they were offered a national tour, they’re so big that they can’t really afford to do it... We can fit all our gear in my Ford Falcon.” Like much of their previous work, the album is eclectic, with a sound that travels from retro garage rock riffs to soft, almost folky, melodies. The variation not only makes the band very difficult to pigeonhole, but it’s also fuelled their desire to stay independent. “We often got comments from people saying, ‘Oh yeah, I really like how everything sounds different.’ But then they’d follow up with the question, ‘So what genre are you going to do the album in?’” Rather than risk being forced to walk a line they weren’t comfortable with, the pair – along with manager Tom Fraser – started their own label: Pieater Records. Initially just a name given to their own recordings, they’d like to see the label add to its roster down the track, to help new artists get started. “It’s such a mystery, the whole music world,” Syme says. “It’s hard to know where to start and where to invest your money and your energy.” It’s thanks in part to the time and knowledge of their manager and mentors that Big Scary have made it to this point, he says, and they’re keen to help other acts on their way. But that’s not to say they are against the idea of record deals and major labels. “For bigger bands, I’m pretty sure it would make more sense. But just being a two-piece, it was always viable for us to stay independent.” Big Scary were nominated in the Breakthrough Artist category at this year’s Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Awards – but as excited as she is by the nomination, Syme is unsure about the idea that they’ve ‘broken through’. “I don’t think there’s been any breaking through; there’s just been steadily chipping away.” BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 17


Drawn From Bees Fighting Words By Joshua Kloke

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he story of literati rockers Drawn From Bees is not a typical one, so it’s fitting that lead singer and guitarist Dan James is not your typical frontman. Soft spoken and eloquent, James speaks in a manner that would suggest he’s wise beyond his years. “We have a rule that as soon as a song hits the rehearsal room, it no longer belongs to you, and you can no longer have any emotional claim over it. The aim really, is to try and get the ego out of it; the theory is that then you won’t get defensive about it.” But it’s understandable that one might get defensive about a single like ‘Of Walls And Teeth’. Equal parts stomp and groove, the lyrics are conflict-driven and tension-filled. “Conflict is really easy to write about, because it’s something that people are a part of all the time,” James explains. “But [‘Of Walls And Teeth’] is a very personal song for me. It’s more about the fact that I don’t like that I can’t argue with people; I freeze up, I freak out and I can’t deal with it. Whether I’m right or wrong, I don’t know what to say. I can’t deal with the emotional response, and I just want it to stop.” What could have been a simple radio single became an enigmatic slice of modern, paranoid life – but James is still unsure if the

song allowed him to come to terms with his frustration. “I don’t know whether writing a song is cathartic or not,” he says. “We live in a society where pushing your point across in an argument is becoming more important than what the actual point is. On a global and political scale, just pushing points seems to be more important than what’s for the greater good of people.” Contentious themes perhaps, but for the most part, Drawn From Bees are storytellers. “We’re [about to] try out one song live for the first time ever. It’s called ‘Whistle and Burn’, and it’s about a group of serial killers that lure people into a cave, trap them and then mount their heads on the wall. It’s dark, but I think about it more as storytelling. A lot of times we try to approach our songs as stories. That way we never run out of material.” James is quick to reference Chekhov when he explains how imagination affects the band’s somewhat morbid approach to songwriting. “Chekhov just used his imagination, because your imagination is limitless. As band members, we’re all avid readers and total nerds – and I just love to think up story ideas. We’ve got another one about a girl named Ella who falls down a well. She’s now a ghost

and she wants to play with the other girls in the orphanage, but they’re too scared of her. I just love the idea of telling really imaginative stories.” A truly limitless imagination means that the Brisbane band have never been content to rest on their laurels. Constantly shifting artistic foundations from one release to the next, Dan James and his bandmates have established themselves as sonic revolutionaries – and while the contents of their next full-length may remain a mystery for now, James can only offer up examples of where the band won’t go. “To be honest, I don’t think we’re ever going to go down the hip hop road. That’s something I’m totally shit at,” he chuckles. “But I like to think about Bowie. When he was around, you never knew what he was going to do next. “I’ve always thought of our band as Clint Eastwood and David Bowie,” he says, “sitting on a meteorite during the Ziggy Stardust era, having a conversation while watching the world slowly collapse from space...” What: ‘Of Walls And Teeth’ is out now Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday October 15

Cosmo Jarvis Gay Pirates And Strange Worlds By Micky Rennie ay pirates are not your average pop song topic, but Cosmo Jarvis doesn’t care. The New Jerseyborn, English-based musician is a prolific songwriter and filmmaker, and he’ll be in Sydney next week to launch his second album in two years. His unique alternative pop songs have commanded a diverse audience, complemented online by his theatrical videos – and the live shows are exciting too, featuring himself as a multiinstrumentalist and singer with a full band. Since the age of twelve, Cosmo has been honing his varied skills with a DIY attitude, self-discipline, and a will to work something ordinary into something great; at just 22, he has the world at his feet, and an exciting road ahead.

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Cosmo is well aware that his quirk and multi-talents make him the ideal artist for the new landscape of viral marketing. “I think that unless you’re signed to a major label and have loads and loads of PR dollars, the internet and social media is the only way to go these days to get your name out there.” But despite his growing profile, don’t expect Cosmo to roll over on his artistic integrity for the sake of quick money. “I’m aware that by not making more compromises, I’ll extend the amount of time it takes me to get the exposure I need to consistently release albums. But I’m willing for it to take longer, or not happen at all, because, I don’t know – there’s just so much bollocks in the music industry, and I’d rather not get caught up in that.”

“The first film I ever made was a big piece of shit!” he laughs down the line. “But the best learning comes from comparing the shit things to the good ones. If a week goes by and you look back at something you did and go ‘That was shit,’ then that’s great, because you know why it was shit and you won’t do it again. They can’t teach you that in school.” Which is precisely why Cosmo Jarvis left school at sixteen, and never looked back, signing his first management deal prior to his 18th birthday.

His songs are so varied that it’s difficult to pigeonhole Cosmo Jarvis’ genre – but it’s just as difficult to get bored listening. The latest single, ‘My Day’, varies between punk, reggae and British ‘tude, rolled into an eight-minute track. “That song’s about looking back as an old man, criticising today’s youth’s self absorption and apathy. A lot of young people now don’t think for themselves, but it’s getting to the stage where they can’t really help it. They’re spoon-fed,” Cosmo says. “I saw a sign at the train station warning of a staircase coming up, because some guy won a lawsuit against the train company for falling down it. Some kid’s going to grow up thinking that’s normal, whereas 20 years ago, people just walked down the bloody stairs and took responsibility for themselves.”

‘Gay Pirates’ became a YouTube sensation earlier this year as the first single off the new album, Is The World Strange, Or Am I Strange. The song tells the story of two pirate men whose forbidden love sees them forced to walk the plank, and the filmclip is a full costume production. “There aren’t many ‘gay’ songs,” he says, “and I thought there should be one. I’m glad people took something from it and didn’t make it into the gimmick it so easily could have become.”

What: Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange? is out on Creative Vibes Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Wednesday October 12

Black Dice A Pure Performance By Benjamin Cooper

“M

an, I would have to be just about the most non-sporty person ever, but that sounds hilarious!” It is hardly surprising to find out Aaron Warren, of New York noise artists Black Dice, isn’t the biggest sports fan; it’s far more shocking to hear him express enthusiasm for the Rugby World Cup. Warren is soon to arrive in Australia for shows with his band, but not before a quick visit to Auckland. After explaining to Warren the political element foisted on certain World Cup games, we both find particular hilarity from the billing of the USA/Russia game as a ‘Cold War Clash’ – but Warren wisely enthuses most strongly about his trip across the ditch. “We are super psyched to be coming; it’s been a while since we’ve been down. Too long, actually.” Black Dice are no strangers to our shores; having previously toured here, they also spent two months in Byron Bay recording 2005’s Broken Ear Record. With their most recent release being 2009’s Repo, is Warren worried about touring Australia with a whole bunch of songs that he’s played a million times before? “Oh no way, that’s not how we work,” he says. “We played the heck out of Repo... we did tours across America and Europe. We definitely DID our record, as much as we could – we did it a lot. But now we’ve got a totally new set, and the vibe’s really different. We’ve just played some shows in England, and this new stuff, I think it’s the real deal.” The trio have certainly got a lot more attention since their friends Animal Collective starting taking them on tour, with invitations to play at festivals like All Tomorrow’s Parties surely hurting none. After leaving the DFA label in 2007, Black Dice signed to Animal Collective’s own Paw Tracks label – and when I ask if it sucks having your friends as your bosses, Warren explains that’s not the case at all. “It’s

different with those guys. Some labels are like, ‘Maybe you should play the stuff from one record’, and we’re always like, ‘No, we’re in it because we love playing shows’. It’s just how we work, for better or for worse. Sometimes we end up in the normal tour-then-record-an-album cycle, and sometimes we’re ahead, like right now, so we’ve got a whole bunch of stuff. I just like the idea of finding a new audience, and generating that energy.” Black Dice are acknowledged as one of the more visceral live bands in Brooklyn today, with shows that have the power to inspire a worshiplike adulation. When I mention bandmate and vocalist Eric Copeland’s reluctance to discuss musical influences in a recent Australian interview, Warren defends him: “For us, it’s about the show.” The statement would seem like posturing, if the group didn’t demonstrate such fierce and often frightening commitment to their live gigs. “I think the band used to be about what was important to us, and then we realised that maybe the audience might be a bit ambivalent to [that], and we wanted to make it awesome. We have this kind of process where we’re taking in what’s working and what isn’t,” he says. “I hate to say that we’re experimental, ‘cause it’s so boring, but it doesn’t have to be about wacky instruments. It’s more about stretching the idea of a band a little bit further. We’re not like a cult, or tyrannical, or anything at all, but there is a bit of an experiment going on. “It’s about making something in the room,” Warren continues. “I think you can call it a pure performance situation. Maybe that’s what we’re trying to get at.” With: Lucky Dragon, Holy Balm Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday October 7

“A broom is drearily sweeping up the broken pieces of yesterdays life” - JIMI HENDRIX 18 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


Kimya Dawson The Word Nerd By Robbie Miles

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own the phone from her Washington home, Kimya Dawson just makes you want to give her a hug. We’re talking on the eve of a tour that will see her back in Sydney next month; a tour she’s sharing with a couple of unlikely bedfellows, hip hop acts Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic. “I feel so lucky to have found them – we’re the three wordiest people I know. I bow down to their songwriting and the way they play with words. We’re kind of a nerd army.” She may be suffering from a bout of tendonitis after four back-to-back tours driving her own van, but Kimya sounds well rested and ready for adventure. “I’ve been doing more short tours, two to three weeks at a time, trying to make home feel like home.” Often accompanied by her fiveyear-old daughter Panda, Kimya tries to play mostly all-ages shows these days. “It was really cute – she came to a show in Portland and I know all these teenage girls there, so I told them I’d put them on the list if they took shifts backstage to babysit Panda. As I was about to call them, Panda said, ‘I don’t want them, I wanna hang out with Rob Sonic!’ Rob just said ‘Oh, hell yeah!’ – and they sat backstage and watched Sesame Street. She adores Rob and Aesop.” Kimya is an incredibly engaging storyteller, with a truly familial relationship to her fans and fellow musicians. “I studied stand-up comedy, and in the house I grew up in we would watch Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx – their comedy came from a place so raw and painful. I did a course where we studied the sociology of humour, and where funny comes from. I tried it a couple of times on stage but I couldn’t get into that specific idea of making people laugh, whereas with music, I can weave funny in with sad. There isn’t the pressure to be funny, so I can write a really sad song and put a joke right in the middle of it, some nerdy reference, and people will come up and say ‘What a sad ballad’, but one person will say they never laughed so hard – and I hug them!”

It’s hard to write about Kimya Dawson without mentioning the 2008 film Juno, which featured nine of her songs and one from her former band The Moldy Peaches. None of the songs were written for the film; it was lead actress Ellen Page who introduced the director Jason Reitman to Kimya’s music as the sort of thing the lead character would listen to. The soundtrack went Platinum in the USA, instantly winning Kimya legions of new fans – but this enormous success meant that there’s every chance of losing that intimate connection she has with her audience. “My booking agent might say I sabotaged that,” she laughs. “But, y’know, it works for me to play smaller venues. After Juno, people started acting a little weird, which makes me feel really nervous and weird. As long as people are real with me so I can be real with them, it feels much better.” Take the pair of teenagers that were giggling across the street just last week, for instance. “I was out shopping with Panda,” she says

“I can write a really sad song and put a joke right in the middle of it, some nerdy reference, and people will come up and say ‘What a sad ballad’, but one person will say they never laughed so hard – and I hug them!” – her daughter is busy making pizza with her dad as we speak. “When I saw the girls waving I thought, ‘Oh shit, it’s September!’ It’s when all the new college kids come, and they don’t know the etiquette yet. It usually takes a month for them to realise we’re just a little community, don’t point and laugh, just come say hi.” Olympia, WA, is the kind of town where everyone is in a band, so faced with her engineer Jason’s question ‘What do you want to do today?’, Kimya would simply reply, ‘I don’t know, let me see who I can round up.’ “Being here, it feels like that love of playing is still really fresh,” she explains. “People aren’t jaded from having to just try to survive and work two jobs to play music.” One Facebook post and two hours later, 40 people showed up to record on her new album, Thunder Thighs. “There were banjos and guitars, even people from the community choir... Nobody is doing it for any reason but to play music with each other. It was awesome!” And it’s clear that Kimya’s positivity and DIY attitude towards music inspires her collaborators. “I love playing with Aesop because he raps while I sing, or I play acoustic while he raps,” she says, “and people can hear his lyrics better.” The best way to explain Kimya Dawson to the uninitiated would be to show them her latest clip, ‘All I Could Do’, in which she plays a song from her new album live from her chicken coop, filmed by Aesop Rock. “Watch out for the next video ‘Solid And Strong’ – I won’t tell you what it is yet, but it’s sweet chaos. I put the word out on Facebook...” Devoid of pretension and quick to laugh, it’s clear that Kimya plays because she loves to share all of the strange and wonderful ideas in her head. And Bindi Irwin, if you’re reading this, Kimya and Aesop love Trouble In The Jungle – so if you want to come to the gig, they’ll put you on the list... What: Thunder Thighs is out October 14 on Burnside, through MGM With: Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic Where: Manning Bar, Sydney University When: Friday October 14 BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 19


Booker T. Jones Talk Of The Town By Hugh Robertson

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here’s a preoccupation with place all over Booker T. Jones’ new album, The Road From Memphis. The city exists as an almostmagical hub of life, excitement and potential, filled with millions of individuals of limitless creativity and imagination. Memphis – the city of Booker T’s birth and the epicentre of his amazing career – obviously looms large, but so too does New York, where this album was recorded with The Roots in just a few short sessions. “I’m fascinated with the energy centres of the world,” Booker tells me, from his new home in Hollywood. “I think I first became aware of it when I realised that all the Greek philosophers and writers were concentrated in one place, and one time; Socrates, Aristotle... Why does that happen? And the same thing happened in San Francisco and in Memphis in the ‘60s... It happened in Philadelphia with Teddy Pendergrass, and Gamble and Huff. And it happened again in Detroit, with Motown. There was just so much creative energy in one place – Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Mary Wells, Diana Ross – and it fascinates me. I don’t know how to explain it – it seems like there are wells of energy that come up in music in different eras and in different

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places, and it establishes a style, and the style lives for a long time,” he says. “And it happened to me directly. I was a part of one of those energy centres in Memphis, and it was just fascinating.” The ‘energy centre’ he’s referring to was the legendary Stax Records, and Booker T. was there from even before the start. As a sixteenyear-old, Booker played saxophone on Rufus & Carla Thomas’ ‘Cause I Love You’ – the first hit for Satellite Records, which was renamed ‘Stax’ within twelve months. Booker was at Stax throughout the 1960s, writing songs for Otis Redding, Mavis Staples and Eddie Floyd, including Albert King’s ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ – one of the classics of the genre. As well as writing, though, Booker T. & The MGs were Stax’ de facto house band, playing on literally hundreds of hits, including ‘Try A Little Tenderness’, ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’, ‘Soul Man’, ‘Walking The Dog’ and their own enduring classic ‘Green Onions’. As a group, they almost singlehandedly defined the sound of soul.

“Stax was a great place. You had writers like David Porter and Isaac Hayes right next door; it was a conversation, and the focus all the time was to get better.” It was hard work, though. Like Motown, Stax had teams of songwriters working all day, every day, under tremendous pressure to produce the next smash hit. “We had a strict schedule of recording from 11-6,” Booker tells me, “but I have to say, thinking back on it, all of that was driven by the passion of the writers. They could have gone and got other jobs, [but] people loved what they were doing, and were just driven to it. Because it doesn’t make any practical sense at all, to try and be a songwriter,” he reasons. “[But Stax] was a great place to cultivate music, and a great environment. You had writers like David Porter and Isaac Hayes right next door, and that was the whole thing; it was a conversation, and the focus all the time was to get better. It was a beautiful environment, and it’s too bad that it couldn’t have continued – but business got in the way.” That sort of relationship, that sort of dialogue, is a rare commodity, but it seems as though Booker found lively conversationalists in The Roots. Booker arrived in New York a couple of weeks before the recording of The Road From Memphis was due to begin, but both parties were so busy that they didn’t get a chance to meet up until they arrived at the studio. Still, there’s an ease to the partnership that comes across on record – the sort of innate understanding that usually takes years to develop. “I think that was fortunate,” Booker says, somewhat modestly. “They had listened to my music before, and they were fans, and they were comfortable in their own skin. [And their] musicianship is probably as high as I’ve experienced in a band. The Roots really know what they’re doing with music. And it’s not wishful thinking – they actually execute. You better be ready if you’re going to play with those guys.” But there’s was another, equally important member of the group – and we’re not talking about Lou Reed, Sharon Jones, Jim James from My Morning Jacket or Matt Berninger from The National, all of whom feature on the album. The final piece of the puzzle was New York itself, a city which has always provided Booker with inspiration. “New York has been very strong for me, musically,” he explains. “Every time I’ve gone to New York I’ve got good energy. I remember we recorded Melting Pot [1971] in New York when I was so frustrated. I’d been trying to record in Los Angeles and in Memphis, and everything we did just sounded the same. And I just really needed to bust out and do something different – I thought it was going to drive me crazy. But then [in New York City] we came up with Melting Pot.

IN CINEMAS OCTOBER 6 PALACE VERONA - PALACE NORTON ST DENDY OPERA QUAYS 20 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

“The Bronx is amazing,” he says. “If you look at the amount of talent that has come out of that city, it’s just amazing. Everybody from Woody Allen, to Mark Twain, and so many actors, actresses, singers, writers – so many people come from one area. Why does that happen? How does that happen?” It might be that there’s something in the water – but it’s hardly a coincidence that Booker T. Jones finds extraordinary musicians and unspoken connections everywhere he goes. Perhaps it has more to do with the man himself. What: The Road From Memphis is out now through Anti Where: The Metro Theatre When: Thursday October 6


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arts frontline

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

five minutes WITH SARAH

GILES

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you rather six donkeys – or an antelope, a gerbil, a caribou, a hyena, and a seal?

ince graduating from NIDA in 2008, Sarah Giles has been carving out a niche in the local scene with a series of taut productions at Griffin (The Pigeons) and the Old Fitz (KIJE), as well as scoring coveted assistant director posts on main stage shows like Tot Mom (with Director Steven Soderbergh) and Long Day’s Journey into Night (with director Andrew Upton). Next up she directs Money Shots – a portmanteau of five shorts pieces by different writers, all on the theme of money. You’ve said before that you direct in order to try and make sense of life – At the time I was reading a lot of Camus and studying theories of absurdism – which meant that my head was in a very particular space. At the time I was attracted to theatre of the absurd because it’s a great way to make sense of life by not trying to make sense of it – if that makes any sense. It means you spend a lot less time thinking about those impossible questions. You just accept there is no reason – and you get on with it. Apparently lots of people in their 20s get into absurdism. Five short works about money – what intrigues you about this idea? Initially I wasn’t really intrigued by the linking idea of money, but as we worked more and more on the plays I’ve become fascinated by how five different writers interpreted the theme and what they’ve taken from it. It’s brilliant actually. Directing five short works rather than one long one – what are the challenges? Firstly, there's scheduling: how to rehearse

SPRING SPARKLE

Aside from the craptard title, we’re loving the Spring instalment of Dendy Opera Quays’ ‘classics’ program – and we’re loving that they’ve added Monday 6pm sessions, for those of us who have work/wallow on Monday mornings. That’s two chances to see Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart face off as

What did STC’s actors ensemble, The Residents, bring to the production? They’re an eclectic bunch who between them have years and years of experience, knowledge. As a result they’re all outspoken and bold in their opinions, their thoughts; they have lots of ideas and offers – which is mostly a dream situation for a director. They’ve done a lot of developments and readings and workshops in their time at STC, so they’re familiar with new work and its process and have developed a keen dramaturgical sense that isn’t necessarily part and parcel of being an actor. They’re often thinking about the bigger picture.

five plays simultaneously over a rather short rehearsal period, to make sure that each piece is rehearsed on a regular enough basis to feel like you get some momentum... Secondly, we considered arrangement: someone likened it to an album – for instance, Radiohead’s The Bends would be a completely different thing if the tracks were in a different order. Do you look for a natural progression in the pieces through style? Or do you link the pieces through particular actors? Do you put the most contrasting pieces together and allow their differences to be more present? And then of course each play has its own style, genre, rhythm, requirements, etc. We decided early on to let each play be its own thing rather than wrangling them into some sort over arching style or vibe. It’s much more satisfying that way. Would unlikely lovers in The African Queen (screening Monday October 10); or see Bogart do 'detective' in Huston’s breakthrough directorial debut, The Maltese Falcon (screening Monday October 17); or submit to the triple threat of Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter and Louis Armstrong in High Society (October 24) . There’s a classic every Monday until December 19 (at which point, one assumes, they launch their ‘Summer Snafu’ program). dendy.com.au

LOREM IPSUM

Newly constituted ARI Alaska Projects launches this week, continuing Sydney’s trend towards subverting abandoned industrial spaces for artistic purposes. For their first ‘project’, they’re unfurling their sail in the basement of a Kings Cross car park. First up on their projected slate of 11 shows is Lorem Ipsum, featuring works by Bababa International, Nick Collerson, Bridie Connell, Sarah Contos, Chloe Hughes, Phil James, Biljana Jancic, Bernadette Jones, Samuel Hodge, Siouxzi Mernagh, Jess Olivieri, Tom Polo, Rupert Reid and Sarah Rodigari – all of whom will exhibit over the course of Alaska’s Car Park Project tenure. Lorem Ipsum opens Wednesday October 5 from 6pm alaskaprojects.com.au

SAM SIMMONS

MEOW!

SYDNEY FESTIVAL

The program doesn’t launch til November 2, but they’re teasing us with a few glimpses of the arts program: Festival favourite Meow Meow will co-star with Mitchell Butel in a brand-new cabaret show called Little Match Girl (it’s the new in-house show for the Spiegeltent, so there will be big expectations); and Chunky Move and outgoing artistic director Gideon Obarzanek will present their new work Assembly - an ambitious collaboration with conductor Richard Gill and the Sydney Philharmonia Choir. There’s also been a set of smaller ‘co-presents’ announcements over the last couple of weeks, including shows in the STC, Belvoir and Griffin seasons. Watch the Sydney Festival tweets and Facebook page on Wednesday October 5 for the next news drop! sydneyfestival.org.au

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LUCKY

Melbourne comedian Sam Simmons is continuing his tradition of coming to Sydney straight from the Edinburgh Fringe, with a smug ‘I got five stars from the Scotsman’ face. Last year it was Fail; this year it’s The Precise History Of Things, which The Independent described as “The Mighty Boosh run through a shredder.” Expect surrealism, expect laughter, expect your brain to melt. If this sounds like your kind of party, you can find Sam at The Factory Theatre in Enmore from October 18 – November 12, from Tues-Sat at 7.30pm. factorytheatre.com.au

AACTA/AFI FESTIVAL

This year the Australian Film Institute is making more of an ‘event’ of its annual screening program of Australian films. Every year in the lead-up to the AFI awards, they screen all the features and docos released in Australia for that year. This year they’ve partnered with their brand-new subsidiary arm, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) to present the program as a festival, which will run from October 6 – November 10 at Hoyts EQ, in Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter. It’s a great chance to see a bunch of stuff on the big screen – including the special effects behemoth Legend Of The Guardian: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole, and anniversary screenings of Lantana and Proof. Tickets and full schedule from aacta.org/events

Next up in New Theatre’s Spare Room season is the Australian premiere of LUCKY, presented by the International Performing Arts Network. An intimate portrait of refugees who set sail for a better life, LUCKY is written by Dutchman Ferenc Alexander Zavaros, and will be directed by Sama Ky Balson, the founder and Artistic Director of IPAN – and a graduate of the prestigious Jacques Lecoq school of physical theatre (where Geoffrey Rush learned to clown around). Balson will be bringing her background to bear on Ferenc’s script, so you can expect something extraordinary. LUCKY runs from October 6-22, and we have two double passes up for grabs; to get your hands on one, tell us what city the Jacques Lecoq school is in.

A PERFECT GANESH

What have you taken from your assistant director roles – and what do they involve? You’re in an extremely privileged position because you are an observer in a rehearsal room (an otherwise intimate and private place). And your job is to shut up, observe, makes notes, and talk to the director at the end of the day. If you’re clever you take notes for yourself on things that worked, and ways of communicating with actors that have worked; you also observe different actors’ processes and watch the trajectory from day one to closing night.

If you like your theatre magical and Pulitzernominated, Factory Space theatre company are staging Terrence McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh this month. Besides winning four Tony Awards and an Emmy, McNally picked up a Pulitzer nomination in '94 for this heady concoction in which the frisky Hindu god Ganesha takes two middle-aged women from Connecticut under his wing, in their time of mid-life-crisis. McNally’s script is peppered with humour – but its throbbing heart is a tender tale of searching for redemption in the unlikeliest of places.

What: Money Shots, Dir. Sarah Giles When: Until October 15 Where: Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company More: sydneytheatre.com.au

A Perfect Ganesh runs until October 15 at Manly’s Star Of the Sea Theatre, directed by Roz Riley. To get your hands on a double pass to a show on October 7, 8 or 9, tell us the name of another Hindu god.

SOUTHLESS @ FIRST DRAFT

Next up in First Draft’s experimental curators program is Southless, an experiment in collaborative filmmaking, curated by Jamie Gerlach and Kate Campbell. The experiment will run for a week and the participating artists include cinematographer Ross Giardina, muso Jai Pyne, all-round talent-bomb Jesse Cox (FBi Radio's All The Best), Miles O’Neill (Suitcase Royale) and Jess Cook (Token Imagination). Over a week they'll create the opening sequence of a theoretical TV series about Antartica ("we wanted to choose somewhere that none of the artists had any personal experience of," says Jamie) and their method will be collaboration rather than a top-down ‘director-says’ model. To take part, head to the workshop on Tuesday October 5 from 6-8pm at First Draft. To watch, head to the Fluoro Brown outdoor screening on Sunday October 9 from 5pm – 9pm. First Draft Gallery 117 Chalmers St Surry Hills. firstdraftgallery.com

WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOS

The 2011 Nikon-Walkley Press Photo Exhibition opens at the Australian Centre Of Photography next week. Each year the Nikon-Walkley Photographic Awards recognise excellence in Australian photojournalism, from news, sport and portraiture, to daily-life and photographic essays. This exhibition showcases more than 100 photographs from the finalists (who will be revealed on October 13). October 14 - November 19 at ACP (257 Oxford Street, Paddington). Acp.org.au

LONERS

A tiny congregation of solitary souls congregate in Georgina Ross’s exhibition Loner, opening at Kaleidoscope this week. Georgina’s delightful illustrations are done using the ‘drypoint’ etching technique, and they could all just use a big ole hug. Join them for drinks this Thursday October 6 from 6pm at Kaleidoscope Gallery (3-7 Danks Street, Waterloo). kaleidoscope-gallery.com

Mr Turner

HOW DO YOU WANT ME?

Local social and fashion photographer Luke Austin is busting into new territory with his upcoming show How Do You Want Me? – a series of portraits where the subjects have been photographed straight from the shower, without any clothing, hair styling, or make-up; each are shot standing in front of their bed, holding one item that is dear to them. Shot over two years, the 68 portraits (which include some familiar faces!) will be presented for one evening only: Saturday October 15 from 4-8pm at FraserStudios 10 & 12 (10 Kensington St, Chippendale – opposite UTS).


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be dancing girls, smoke machines, pyros, and

Tran Anh Hung transmits the exquisite pain of Murakami’s novel to screen. By Dee Jefferson

Director Tran Anh Hung on the set of Norwegian Wood

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hen it was published in Japan in 1987, Norwegian Wood ignited a popular frenzy that propelled author Haruki Murakami to international fame. Seen through the prism of the narrator Watanabe’s memory, the novel takes us back to Japan’s politically turbulent ‘60s, and a trio of young people whose paths become inexorably intertwined through love and loss. Over the last 24 years, Norwegian Wood has sold almost 13 million copies worldwide, and been translated into 33 languages. So it was only a matter of time until it got the big screen treatment – and the resulting film was always going to be a Very Big Deal. What you wouldn’t have expected, however, was that French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, whose work has almost exclusively focused on portraits of his birth country (as per Oscarnominee The Scent of Green Papaya, and Golden Lion winner Cyclo), would be the one to do it.

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Tran first read Norwegian Wood in 1994, and immediately knew he wanted to film it. “I think it was the feeling of intimacy – that I have only felt from Murakami’s books. It makes you feel very close to the characters and their story. His stories talk directly to you – there is no distance; and somehow you feel that the book ‘discovered’ you – it recognised who you are. All his stories are really very sad, but people

love them! Because they touch something deep inside us, and the dark side of ourselves.”

she’s very cute, and very lively – he cannot accept her love.”

Tran quickly discovered that Murakami was very reluctant to release the rights of his books to filmmakers – and was on the point of giving up when Japanese producer Shinji Ogawa contacted him; together they arranged to meet the author. Murakami asked to see the first draft of the screenplay, for which he provided extensive and detailed notes (including dialogue not in the original novel). Tran’s subsequent redraft, incorporating these suggestions, marked the end of Murakami’s involvement, with the author giving his blessing for the project.

The other key mood the director wanted to capture was “the beauty of the quality of how people behave towards each other in the book: there is something really delicate in how they are very respectful [of each other]. And this is something that I feel is lacking in life. So I wanted to see people in a movie talking to each other with this kind of softness – and bring some beauty out of [their suffering].”

There were many things in the novel that Tran was unable, or unwilling, to bring to his screen adaptation – most obviously its narrative framing device. But he was determined to maintain the mood, or atmosphere, of Murakami’s story. “The challenge was to follow what happens in Watanabe’s mind,” says Tran. “Very early in the movie you see him meet Naoko, and start a love story with her; but the very next day he loses her – and his life is suspended. It was this feeling of suspension that I wanted to carry through the movie. It’s like someone who changes the way he is breathing – it’s very physical. And I wanted the audience to feel that tension. Even when he meets Midori – and

As with Tran’s Vietnamese films, nature plays a big role in Norwegian Wood, from the windswept landscapes and weeping skies that reflect Watanabe’s melancholia, to cutaways of flora and fauna. “I like to use nature to ‘stick wings’ on the emotions of the characters,” Tran explains, “to give the sense of something wider, bigger. But also to bring some more mysterious feelings – for example, when Watanabe is grieving, because this feeling is so primitive, I wanted to find a place that looked like the beginning of life: just rocks and water, and the violence of nature. And the violence of the waves will break all of the resistance he has inside him, so he can cry.” The use of nature to transmit emotion is emblematic of Tran’s fundamental belief that films should show, not tell. “I like to work this way because it’s mysterious, it’s abstract; and it’s physical – you can feel it, on a primal level.”

I ONCE HAD A GIRL… ublished in 1987, Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood has continued to woo readers with its tale of soul-crushing love in 1960s Japan, as Toru Watanabe recalls the period in his life when he was torn between two women – one from his troubled past, the other from his possible future. Brought to life by Academy Award-nominee Tran Anh Hung, with cinematography by Mark Lee Ping Bin (In the Mood For Love) and a wildy melancholic soundtrack by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, romantic angst has rarely been so beautiful.

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To celebrate the screen debut of Norwegian Wood on October 6, we’ve got FIVE in-season double passes up for grabs. To get your hands on one, tell us one other novel by Murakami.

24 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

WIN!

The discussion naturally turns to another filmmaker who marries nature and emotion: Terrence Malick – whose Tree Of Life played alongside Norwegian Wood in Sydney Film Festival’s Official Competition lineup, just weeks before the interview. “It’s a bad movie,” Hung smiles. “The New World is a masterpiece, but The Tree Of Life is a bad film. And I can show you precisely why it’s not good. It’s to do with the language of cinema – and unfortunately the movies that are made these days don’t work on this level; they don’t use the specific language of this art. They just use cinema as illustration; they use pictures to tell the story. So that’s why they need storyboards and all of this, so they can ‘cover the scene’, or ‘cover the story’. But you lose everything – the meaning of life, the feeling of life, the melancholy of life.” “You have to work on an abstract level,” Tran continues. “Abstraction is how to get inside the heart of people, the emotion, without going through the intellect, or relying on what you can understand. You have to feel it, to understand life, and to make your sensibility go to another level. This is the goal of art.” What: Norwegian Wood – Dir. Tran Anh Hung When: Opens October 6 Where: Palace Norton St and Verona, Dendy Opera Quays


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Mick Molloy

PeepShow: 2010 [VISUAL ARTS] Welcome to Augmented Reality By Bridie Connell

Mick Molloy in The Jesters [COMEDY] Top Dog By Michael Brown

M

ick Molloy answers the phone and I almost want to laugh already. “Just sitting at home, waiting for House to come on,” he says. As we talk about Hugh Laurie, Fry and Laurie, and Black Adder, it’s testament to the impact of the Molloy brand that I imagine him sitting about watching TV in his underwear. “Another hectic day,” says Mick. “I know I come across as a bit of a layabout sometimes, but I’m usually working on something.” ‘Working on something’ is an understatement. Mick is co-hosting two radio shows airing across two states, plus co-hosting AFL chat TV show Before The Game. Today he’s also doing publicity for season two of The Jesters, the Movie Extra series that goes behind the scenes of a fictional D-Gen/Chaser-esque undergrad comedy TV show, in which Molloy plays semi-retired comedian-cum-producer Dave Davies. Mick credits his work ethic to the crew he started performing with in the days of Melbourne University Revues – the group who went on to become the D-Gen, and eventually Working Dog Productions (behind The Castle and The Dish). “I’d never met people who worked harder” says Mick. “And I’ve never to this day met anyone in show business with a bigger bullshit meter. I learned very quickly not to take yourself too seriously and get carried away.” Since those days Molloy has appeared prolifically, from The Late Show, to Crackerjack, an untouched stint as king of drive time radio with Tony Martin, and now to The Jesters. The truth, Mick says, is that “I’m a very niche performer.” He’s often said he can play any character ten degrees either side of Mick Molloy. So when the writers of The Jesters were looking for Dave Davies, they went to Mick. “It was a very hard pitch for the boys. They said, you know, they thought of me immediately. And I said well, describe it to me, and it was, ‘he’s a showbiz

asshole whose best days are behind him,’ was pretty much how it went. So thanks, lads.” Often a jack-of-all-trades, with The Jesters Molloy is pleased to just act, working from the script of the show’s creators Angus Fitzsimons and Kevin Brumpton. “It’s fantastic. To come across my desk, be really really funny, and be something I can do, it’s almost unique. So I didn’t hesitate. I immediately identified them as cut from the same cloth [as the D Gen]. So it was really a very easy decision to make.” The show’s creators have spent time behind the scenes on shows like The Chaser, Comedy Inc. and that SBS gem Life Support. “It all rings true – these guys have chosen a world they know, and that they’ve inhabited. It’s brilliantly observed.” Reminiscent of Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up in the sense that many scenes don’t appear to have a straight man, in The Jesters everyone in the room is funny. “It’s hyper-reality. I wish we were all that naturally hilarious,” says Molloy. “But they’ve kind of amped it up a bit. A lot of the scenes in these scripts are the conversations you’d like to have had, when you remember them five minutes later.” Some of the strongest scenes are between Molloy’s Davies and Deborah Kennedy’s Di Sunnington. Kennedy will be known to most as the actor to smash the line ‘not happy, Jan’ into the Australian lexicon. Di Sunnington is the no-bullshit manager to the stars, including Barry Otto, Nicole Kidman, and Davies. Their work lunches are classic double act verbal barrages. “She’s an enormously talented actor but she’s fucking funny as well, you know, and it’s just this brutal combination,” says Molloy. What: The Jesters - Season 2 More: Out now on DVD

What is ‘Augmented Reality’? Augmented Reality uses GPS to determine the location of a ‘point of interest’. This location is displayed as an image, graphic or text layer over the top of the camera view on your smartphone. This allows you to view a virtual reality in real time. How did Peepshow AR come about? In 2008 we did community profiling in Chippendale and created a map resource of all the cultural and creative industries in the area. PeepShow AR is an extension of that, but instead of making a physical map we’re making a virtual map using AR technology. What kind of information does the app provide? It reveals the secrets of the 2010 postcode based upon extensive surveying we did of the creatives who live, work and play in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. It’s about mapping the places they hold as significant to the identity of the area – anything from historic sites and small bars to creative collectives and cultural institutions. It’s quite eclectic. There are 12 different tour categories and 280 sites people can engage in. It’s very much an app you’d turn to on a Sunday – take a tour of places you never knew existed and just walk around and enjoy the city. Who did you survey? Firstly, we surveyed Queen Street Studio members – performance and visual artists – who live in the area. Then the City of Sydney surveyed theatre

companies, publishers, people in media, architects, designers, people in IT and web, actors, dancers, singers, music producers – the whole gamut of people and ages covering everything from colonial history to pop culture in the '80s to now, giving a really interesting insight into the ever-evolving personalities of the area. Any personal tour highlights? There’s a lot of razor history and stories about colonial Sydney, particularly surrounding Darlinghurst gaol [currently the National Art School] and the types of people that were hanged at the gallows and served time there. There’s a particularly beautiful story about a gay bushranger, Captain Moonlight, who requested his body be buried with his lover. That was denied, but in the '90s some activists were able to exhume his remains and bury him with his boyfriend in regional Australia. BRAG is happy to see our neighbour, the old cattle dog who hangs out on Crown Street, rates a mention… Absolutely! We got pictures of the chalk outlines on the footpath and recorded the dates and times the dog was there. There’s now evidence of that dog acting as an installation on Crown Street! What’s happening for the launch weekend? For those who want to get involved, many of the 280 locations are throwing open their doors for activities and little parties and treasure hunts, etc. Through these you’ll uncover the secret location of the Sunday party, where we’ll have kooky performances and food. People are invited to share their PeepShow AR tour experiences and broadcast their tweets and photos and contribute to the second upgrade of the program! What: PeepShow AR + launch weekend When/Where: tours depart Sat Oct 15 - Sun Oct 16 from 11am–5pm (on the hour) from Cnr Burton & Palmer Streets, Darlinghurst Download the launch guide & hotspot map from Mon Oct 10 queenstreetstudio.com

The Hunter [FILM] Willem Dafoe on How To Act By Dee Jefferson

H

aving been enticed to Queensland in 2007 to shoot the Spierig Brothers’ vampire blockbuster Daybreakers, Willem Dafoe returned to Australia late last year to shoot The Hunter, a thriller set in the wilds of Tasmania’s Tarkine rainforest. Based on the novel by Julia Leigh (writer and director of the Cannes-selected Sleeping Beauty), the film pits a solitary professional hunter-for-hire against inhospitable terrain and locals, as he tries to find a creature believed to be extinct: the Tasmanian tiger. Director Daniel Nettheim adapted the novel with Dafoe in mind as the lead – and so found himself travelling to New York to persuade the famously intense actor to say yes. They talked for about an hour, after which Dafoe committed on the spot. “That filled me with a lot of confidence and inspiration to know that he made a decision so positively and so quickly,” Nettheim admits. “The truth is, you respond to need and intelligence,” says Dafoe, “because if someone says ‘I need you to do this’ and they’re proposing something interesting, I’ll be there. And also those are usually the best situations, for work.” I joke that it’s nice to be needed, and Dafoe replies, “It’s embarrassing to admit, but that’s part of it! A friend of mine, director Paul Schrader, likes to say that actors are like draught horses: they like to be used! (laughs). I agree with 26 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

him – but you want to be used in a way that is specific, and inspired. And in my case, I think it’s always important for it to be personal.” He pauses. “God, I feel like we’re on a marriage show!” Playing the part of a taciturn, almost misanthropic loner, and with most of his scenes taken up by ‘the hunt’, Dafoe put a lot of time and focus into mastering the physical aspects of his performance. “It really was about learning what snares to use for what; how they’re made, where you get them, how to place them.” Through the on-set ‘bushcraft’ adviser he also learned about de-scenting yourself using smoke, and the psychology of being in the bush. “When you learn things it does shift how you see," says Dafoe, "and so that becomes a kind of fuel for crossing over and feeling like ‘I am this guy’. It’s very practical: it’s not like a ‘method acting’ thing as much as you’re taking on a profession. And that profession, in this case, very much defines the character.” “I was very impressed by Willem’s desire to get his props absolutely right,” Nettheim adds. “He could be presented with a knife from the art department, and that’s that – but it was really important for Willem to look at several knives, feel their weight and practise using them. And I think that attention to

Willem Dafoe in The Hunter detail, and authenticity, and accuracy, has a cumulative effect across the film.” One of the key challenges was to reveal just enough of the various characters, while preserving their mystery, which is essential to maintaining the film’s suspense. “You had to feel like he was a professional, and methodical,” Dafoe explains, “so [we had to figure out] how do we accomplish that? Is it enough to just show his toiletries laid out on the bathtub?” (He’s referring to one of the opening shots of the film, which was based on his suggestion). “It’s tricky, because you do want to guide the story, but you don’t want to articulate it into

a lock-step; you want to include these little [details] that might guide the viewers to take on this character’s point of view – it’s a kind of seduction. And I think that by the end, it’s not so much that you’re watching [my character] have a transformation: it’s that you’ve had a shift in how you feel about him.” He pauses, before cracking a grin: “Audience participation, it’s called!” What: The Hunter, Dir. Daniel Nettheim When: Opens October 6 More: For an interview with co-star Frances O’Connor see thebrag.com

Peepshow AR – image by RighteyeCreative

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roduced by the team at Chippendale’s Queen Street Studios, PeepShow AR is a free smartphone application offering guided tours of the Darlinghurst and Surry Hills districts. Combining the insider knowledge of the creative-types who live, work and play within the 2010 postcode, with the latest ‘Augmented Reality’ technology, PeepShow AR takes you on a tour of 280 hidden gems and the faces and stories behind them – everything from quirky bars to creative collectives. Below, Queen Street co-founder and director James Winter walks us through the application, ahead of its launch.


SAM SIMMONS AND THE PRECISE HISTORY OF THINGS WINNER

BEST COMEDY Adelaide Fringe 2011

NOMINEE

MOST OUTSTANDING SHOW Melbourne Comedy Festival 2011

NOMINEE

BEST COMEDY Edinburgh Fringe 2011

AWARD-WINNING COMEDY AT BELVOIR triple j breakfast’s

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BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 27


Arts Snap

Film & Theatre Reviews

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

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

Project Nim

■ Film PICS :: AM

ampersand magazine launch

PROJECT NIM

jurassic lounge

PICS :: AM

21:09:11 :: The State Library :: Macquarie Street Sydney, 9273 1414

21:09:11 :: Australian Museum :: 6 College Street Sydney, 9320 6000

Released September 29 Some of the most messed-up stuff of the ‘60s and ‘70s happened on campuses throughout the West, from violent student protests, to a range of experiments that ruined lives (e.g. the Stanford research that required student volunteers to pose as guards and prisoners, and ultimately left many with post-traumatic stress disorder). Similar “adventurous” hypothesising led to some particularly cruel outcomes for one individual that many came to consider as essentially human. In 1973, a baby chimpanzee was taken from its breeder mother, Carolyn by Columbia University professor, Herbert Terrace, who wanted to challenge famous linguist Noam Chomsky’s argument that language was hard-wired into humans, and could never be replicated in animals. The baby chimp, renamed Nim Chimpsky was allocated to graduate psychiatry student Stephanie LaFarge, who was tasked with raising him as a human. She took Nim home to a house filled with a blended family – Brady Bunch-style – only with some very loose sexual mores, and the little chimp quickly became a loved and loving member of the household.

art & about launch

PICS :: AM

But as the charismatic and manipulative Terrace realised that his student’s lax lifestyle was having detrimental effects on his research – LaFarge had little time for journaling or data gathering – the professor eventually relocated Nim to a private estate, where he could exert more control, particularly since the chimpanzee was growing fast, and would soon mature into a very strong, temperamental animal with fangs. Over the next few years, a series of handlers and teachers worked with Terrace and Nim, and the chimp gained a huge reputation in the academic community, but also in the eyes of the American public, who were already curious in the wake of the cinema and television success of the Planet Of The Apes franchise.

23:09:11 :: Martin Place :: Sydney

Arts Exposed

The beauty of this documentary by James Marsh (Man On Wire) is that it opens a door onto all of the complex relationships formed between Nim and his human handlers and ‘family members’. Even as the audience questions the motivation of some of these interviewees, they quickly find themselves shocked and shaken at what was truly happening. The true subject of this quite beautiful film is one tragic and troubled chimpanzee, but another theme running through Project Nim involves the joy and heartache that he brought into so many lives.

What's in our diary...

ANTENNA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL / OCTOBER 5-12 / DENDY OQ & CHAUVEL Antenna are punching out of the corner this week with an outstanding lineup of local and international documentaries – all making their Sydney or Australian premieres. There’s also a special Australian Competition, short docos and a student section, and a retrospective screening of Chris Marker’s seminal experimental doco, Sans Soleil. The festival opens on October 5 at Dendy Opera Quays, with Robert Nugent’s highly-anticipated Memoirs Of A Plague, and closes on October 12 at the Chauvel, with Philip Cox’s intriguing and crowdpleasing The Bengali Detective; in-between you've got Academy Award-winner Alex Gibney's Magic Trip, Beth Aala's McCarrencentric Pool Party and heaps more. For the full lineup see antennafestival.org 28 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

Tim Milfull ■ Theatre

THE ART AND CRAFT OF APPROACHING YOUR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR A RAISE September 22 – October 2 / PACT Whether it’s Elevator Repair Service’s fivehour reading of Gatz from start to finish, or a collection of short stories sharing the title The Kiss at Belvoir, taking a literary text and bringing it to life on stage without adapting the text is a bit of a hip thing to do at the moment. The difference with Nathan Harrison’s

one-man version of Georges Perec’s 1968 literary experiment The Art and Craft of Approaching Your Head of Department to Submit A Request For A Raise, is the text itself. Far from a typical novel or short story, Perec’s novella is an attempt to mimic the functions of a computer programme in order to write a book based on a flow chart. It reads more like a guide, always in the form of “you do this, then you do this,” taking you through the various options available to you in your quest to achieve a raise – and thus lends itself perfectly to performance. Harrison has matched the slightly dated text with a slightly dated aesthetic. Sound is played from a cassette, the stage is dominated by an overhead projector and there’s a drinks table inhabited by the spirits known to any watcher of Mad Men. There’s also a beautifully giant fish tank. The text is engaging and hilarious, but also exhausting. As Harrison continually takes us through the various options which all at some point or another inevitably lead back to the same place, there are times when you think that if he says the line about circumperambulating the office one more time you’re going to dunk his face in his glorious fish tank. However, it is this very exhaustion with the text that leads to the absolute joy at the moments of success. An experiment like no other that is more than worth your time. Henry Florence ■ Theatre

BOXING DAY Sept 15 – Oct 1 / Old Fitzroy Theatre Christmas day is around the corner and 10-year-old Freya (Holly Austin) has one thing on her wish list – for her family to enjoy a traditional lunch together. With her mother recently passed away and her father (Alan Flower) a beer-guzzling, TV-addicted, mostly absent oilrig worker, Freya’s Nana (Annie Byron) tries to rule the roost and create a normal home life for the vivacious little girl. But when Freya spots a woman wash out to sea, the sleepy Tasmanian town turns upside down with search parties, TV crews and murder theories making this one Christmas they’ll never forget. Phil Spencer has written a script so rich in character and plots that you’re hooked from the get go. The 90-minute play, part mystery and part coming-of-age tale, so cleverly mixes comedy and drama that it feels like you’re riding an emotional rollercoaster. There are too many laughout-loud moments to mention, sitting alongside moments so excruciatingly uncomfortable it’s as though the walls are closing in on you. Director Scarlett McGlynn has secured strong performances from a strong cast: AFI Award-winner Annie Byron (STC’s Hedda Gabler) switches flawlessly between playing Freya’s 9-year-old best friend and 70-year-old grandmother, and Alan Flower (Rake, version 1.0) creates the kind of tension you could cut with a knife. But the true star of the show is Austin, a co-founder of MakeBeLive productions and a former student of French clown-master Pierre Byland. Her portrayal of the 10-yearold Freya is the perfect balance of cheeky liveliness without being too OTT. And not since Kick-Ass has a child dropping the c-bomb been so damn endearing. Emma Salkild

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews


Street Level

DVD Reviews

With Sama Ky Balson

Brits do it better...

THE THICK OF IT: SEASON THREE

INBETWEENERS: SEASON TWO

As behind-the-scenes political shows go, The Thick of It is as Britishly dreary and unromantic as The West Wing is radiantly idealistic. It’s a nasty, Sisyphean farce where the vaguely unlikable characters constantly find themselves twisting themselves in circles, throwing themselves under the public relations bus, and second-guessing themselves, their colleagues, and constituents – only to find, at the end of the day, that something outside of their control has negated all their flailing and self-flagellation. The consistency with which Armando Ianucci’s brilliant and brutal show manages to follow this pattern while thinking up new and depressing ways for politicians and their staff to not matter at all is quite spectacular.

It’s no surprise that UK sitcom The Inbetweeners has found such an adoring and expansive fanbase. On the surface it is a smutriddled series surrounding the exploits of four middle-school students as they haplessly try to win over a series of uninterested females, adopting the same lack of insight and outrageously misplaced confidence that most 17-year-olds possess in spades.

Roadshow/BBC Released September 1

Its greatest gift to popular culture, of course, is spin god Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). The fearsome, pinch-faced director of communications has a gift for insults that would make the cast of Glengarry Glen Ross blush, and casually greets ministers and interns alike with lines like “What’s up with you? You look like you’ve shat a Lego garage.” In series three, Capaldi gets the chance to humanise Tucker just a little by showing him away from the office, and the subtlety with which it’s done is quite lovely, and doesn’t undermine the character’s savage hypercompetence. Rebecca Front (Big Train) is a brilliant bit of casting as new minister Nicola Murray – both generic and toothless enough to be a plausible minister, but quietly capable of holding her own against Tucker when it’s required. After three seasons, two specials and a tie-in film (In The Loop), The Thick of It shows no signs of slowing down, but in the great tradition of British TV bow-outs, it may be best served if the upcoming fourth season is its last. Caitlin Welsh

Hopscotch Entertainment Released October 6

The premise is one as old as time, and with Apatow flooding mainstream cinema with sex comedies of late, it’s easy to roll one’s eyes and dismiss this show as second-rate American Pie-esque shock-schlock. But, like Apatow’s films, The Inbetweeners possesses an air of sweetness that renders the more shocking moments endearingly pathetic, rather than needlessly offensive. In an interview on BBC last year, creator Iain Morris incredulously proclaimed the show hadn’t received any complaints (and this is a series which suggests that the Queen and “King Philip” probably indulge in anal sex). Morris shouldn’t have been surprised; he and co-creator Damon Beesley have crafted a sympathetic world for their characters to fumble about in. In Season One the premise is set and the characters are defined, then given room to grow and shine. By Season Two, things are in full swing: the shock level has risen, the episodes are more densely layered, and we begin to see the cracks in each character’s personality. The more they offend and screw up, the more we see the desperate grasping that is a teenage boy full of hormones, surrounded by sex and rapidly developing female classmates, while being devoid of any know-how, charm or ability to talk to girls. Nathan Jolly

T

he issue of asylum seekers is not new, but with the recent High Court proceedings around ‘the Malaysian solution’ it’s a topical and relevant one – and interesting, thanks to this new production in New Theatre’s Spare Room program. Written by Dutchman Ferenc Alexander Zavaros, and directed by Jaques Lecoq graduate and physical theatre practitioner Sama Ky Balson, LUCKY uses the bodies of its performers to tell a tale about two brothers and a human trafficker who are stuck out at sea, in search of a better world. How did you end up at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq? In 2004 I was working on Legs On The Wall’s physical theatre piece Eora Crossing for Sydney Festival. It was the first time I had worked with such a dynamic team, and I found their physical storytelling abilities inspiring. (Actually, two of them are working on movement and rigging for LUCKY.) One of the performers told me she had trained at Lecoq, which focuses on theatre movement training. During a working holiday to the UK I ducked over to Paris for several days, to see the city and the school – and immediately knew this was where I wanted to train. Besides Lecoq, what is your background in performance? I did 9 years of childhood dance and a year as an assistant director at the Actors Centre Australia, where I learnt valuable skills in text analysis that I still use. What draws you to movement-based theatre? Living and working in countries where I spoke a different language, I realised how much we count on our bodies, our gestures, our body language to convey our stories and needs. One of the most powerful plays I saw was in Oslo, in Norwegian, and yet I understood the themes, the motives and the story of the entire show, because the actors were so engaged corporally. If I couldn't understand a show if I were to switch off the volume, then perhaps it’s better left on paper, as a poem or a song; and if the actions are naturalistic and small, this is acting for television, which occupies less than a square metre of space.

What initially inspired you to direct this show? The subject, the writing, and the fact that seeing the work moved me. I think when a powerful work moves you, you feel the need share it with others. The subject has always been important to me: I have dear friends and family that have come to Australia under asylum, including the family of my son. I have always wanted to become active in creating change; theatre is really the best way I know how to do this. In your experience, how does Sydney’s theatre scene compare to the rest of the world? I’ve noticed that venue programmers tend to want to see your work here first before letting you take part in any the main season – which makes it tricky when you’ve been out of the country for a while. With so few venues willing to take a risk on an unknown playwright or director, I’m grateful to The Spare Room for offering me this opportunity. Perhaps quantity of venues and the inclusion of theatre as part of the culture in Europe, made it somewhat easier to just get things happening there. Also, European theatres seem more willing to take risks. Sydney could benefit from not playing it as safe. What: LUCKY by Ferenc Alexander Zavaros When: October 6 - 22 Where: New Theatre / 542 King Street More: newtheatre.org.au/thespareroom

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BRAG'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO FOOD

Blogroll Roll Call

Frosty and Barney, the fellas behind the Suppertime boutique hom-delivery service, launched their alcohol delivery service in August; called Jimmy Brings, it’s a fully-licensed new contender in the market that brought us the Beer Baron and Blind Pig, with a classy menu that covers everything from boutique beers (Peroni, Little Creatures) and Pipsqueak cider to prosecco, Dom Perignon, top shelf spirits, and a snappy wine list. They cover Sydney’s East and the CBD, they’re open til late, and they deliver within 30-45 minutes. They’re taking orders on 93008884, with online ordering on the horizon (if you register at jimmybrings. com.au they’re offering 20% off your first online order...)

W

e know you love our new food section – but we also know that more Sydneysiders than ever are getting their food fix from the rising tide of blogging bon vivants, who are surveying our city one bite at a time. We tracked down a few of our favourite online food writers to find out how they started, who they read, and their top tips for local feeds.

Top three spots to eat in Sydney? Becasse, CBD; Sultan’s Table, Enmore; Chinese Noodle Restaurant, Chinatown. What would be your death row meal? A starter of ripe brie cheese, white anchovies, olives and crusty bread. Then a steamer full of xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and a bottle of NZ pinot noir. What's the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Crispy fried caterpillars in Oaxaca, Mexico. Tasted just like paprika powder.

BATLOW CIDER

The good news is, you’re never going to get any of that too-sweet bullshit (see below) when you’re dealing with Batlow’s Premium

ROSÉ REVOLUTION?

Just like worker-owned means of production and 'freedom', dry (versus sweet) rosé is a Really Important Cause that is Definitely Worth A Violent Uprising. You know, the wine? And how annoying it is when you order a glass of Australian rosé and it’s, like, too sweet? It’s enough to ruin your avocado-andprawn-cocktail. And then you think, ‘Man, I wish I ordered that French rosé; they always get it right.’ If this happens to you allthefuckingtime, head to rosewinerevolution.com

Cider. They just take the fresh Batlow apples, crush them, add some alcohol magic, and BAM! Cider. And you know it’s got real apples in it, because Batlow grow the apples.

BYE-BYE BETTY

Countless partygoers, students, office-workers and down-and-outers have passed through the doors of Betty’s Soup Kitchen over the past two decades. But after a 21-year run, the Darlinghurst institution has shut up shop. Despite Sydney’s thriving food scene, Betty’s has been serving a dwindling clientele, and owner Ron Ehrlich has struggled to pay over $100,000 in unpaid rent. So say goodbye to the loveably flamboyant waiters and the all-you-can-eat salad bar. We’ll miss you, Betty. :(

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Top perk of your food blogging career? Being invited on a four-day eating tour by Wellington Tourism. Pet peeve? Loud talkers and very dim lighting. LEE TRAN LAM

TheUnbearableLightnessOf BeingHungry.com Lee Tran Lam has been writing for print for over a decade, including for Rolling Stone, The Big Issue, and for 2011's Good Food Guide. She started her blog in October 2007, inspired by a meal at the Bentley in Surry Hills: “I wanted to laser it into my memory forever.” Lee Tran likes to use food as a way to discover new corners of the city; The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Hungry is your ticket to sharing her adventures. Who are some of your favourite food writers? Clotilde Dusoulier. Peter Meehan – and pretty much everything in Lucky Peach. Jessica Tom. Lemonpi. Max Lavergne’s recaps were the best thing about Masterchef. And imagine if Aziz Ansari had become the New York Times food critic...

Who are some of your favourite food writers? It’s hard to go past Ruth Reichl – she writes with such genuine fondness for food.

Pet peeve? That sense of waiterly disappointment/judgment if you choose not to order alcohol. Also, getting Mushroom Risotto Fatigue from that dreaded dish being the only available vego option…

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Silkworm pupae, at a Korean restaurant in Sydney. It arrived in a hot stone bowl, so the sizzling pupae looked like they were still alive!

Top perk of your food blogging career? The travel is wonderful, but it’s meeting producers, readers and people who dearly love food that is the biggest thrill. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? A pickled huhu grub. Not recommended. Pet peeve? Bad service; it’s really quite simple to get it right. What’s your weakness? Anything with a pastry or butter. JOHN BEK

HeNeedsFood.com John Bek started blogging in 2009, after he noticed his reviews on Urbanspoon becoming excessive in length... A written commentary about off-the-beaten-path restaurants around Sydney’s inner neighbourhoods, He Needs Food also features personal recipes and some wonderful food photography.

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Helen Yee started Grab Your Fork in 2004, about a week after stumbling on her first food blog. Since she likes eating more than cooking, she focuses on restaurant reviews; her favourite places are quality, communal and no fuss. Helen now has a regular column for Time Out Sydney, and she’s the Cheap Eats editor for the 2012 Eating and Drinking Sydney. “I’ve always had a passion for writing," she says, "and food is such an integral part of growing up Chinese."

Top three spots to eat in Sydney? Jasmin, Lakemba; La Paula, Fairfield; Shanghai Night, Ashfield.

Who are some of your favourite food writers? Nigella Lawson – although anyone that has a fun or quirky take on food is always good to read.

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GrabYourFork.blogspot.com

Top three spots to eat in Sydney? Black Star Pastry, Newtown; 121BC, Surry Hills; Duke Bistro, Darlinghurst.

Lorraine Elliot started Not Quite Nigella in September 2007, after being prompted by friends. These days her blog features reviews, interviews with chefs, DIY food tours, cookbook reviews and her own original recipes; basically, anything and everything delicious. Lorraine has a book coming out next year, documenting the joys and trials of a blogger – and it will be peppered with brand new recipes, too.

ROXBURY HOTEL

HELEN YEE

How do you make your blog stand out? I don’t try and manufacture popularity. I prefer to write with honesty and an open attitude to all types of food – my goal is to make people hungry.

NotQuiteNigella.com

THE

What’s your weakness? Pork belly. I just can’t get enough!

How do you make your blog stand out? I try not to write in a mechanical way – no one wants to die a slow adjective-by-adjective death.

LORRAINE ELLIOT

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What’s been your most viewed post? My write-up on Pappa Roti in Kogarah. People from all over the world flock to it! (I don’t really understand why.)

How do you make your blog stand out? I keep it clean and simple, and really make my photos do most of the talking.

Pet peeve? Having to wait longer than ten minutes to place your order. It means a longer wait until your food arrives! What’s your weakness? Anything with pork crackling! Resistance is futile. MELISSA LEONG

Fooderati.com.au Fooderati began as a way for Melissa Leong to share food advice with friends; these days, it’s a platform for all things food, written by a food industry insider. She also hosts ‘The Friday Delicious’ on FBi 94.5 and has been published in Time Out Sydney, Daily Addict, Australian Gourmet Traveller and The Sydney Morning Herald. Who are some of your favourite food writers? A.A. Gill – while he’s a complete prick, he isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. Anthony Bourdain also has a unique style, and is a fearlessly prolific eater. I also really like Ruth Reichl from the now defunct Gourmet magazine in the US. How do you make your blog stand out? I think it helps that I can a) write and b) photograph to some kind of standard. I also don’t take free meals and wax lyrical about them – it’s unethical, but rife in the blogging community. Top three spots to eat in Sydney? Bar H, Surry Hills; Porteno, Surry Hills; Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Sheep’s testicles – sliced, crumbed and served like tiny schnitzels by an awesome Italian family who own a deli in Kogarah. Pet peeve? Shit service. If the front of house team can’t get their act together, it destroys the experience. What’s your weakness? Anything involving offal, sea urchin roe (uni), pork or raw ingredients.

Image taken at Arras, courtesy of The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Hungry

Share A Bite With Sydney's Tastemakers

JIMMY BRINGS


BRAG EATS THIRSTY?

food review

HINKY DINKS [DARLINGHURST]

A

miserable, windy Wednesday night is not a bad sort of evening to be holed-up in one of Sydney’s classiest small bars; and so it is that I step off Darlinghurst Road into the warmth and colour of Hinky Dinks, a brand new, intimate cocktail lounge and stylised snapshot of the 1950s middle-American dream; the sort of place a fella could put his feet up and loosen his tie after a long day of dreaming up advertising slogans for cigarettes. There is a slightly darker undercurrent, however: the joint takes its name from Michael ‘Hinky Dink’ Kenna, a crooked Chicago politico of yore who was known for rubbing shoulders with both the privileged and the dodgy on a daily basis. (He’d probably be right at home in modern-day Darlinghurst.) Nevertheless: Hinky Dinks’ retro fit-out makes a charming first impression. Co-owners Dan Knight and Jeremy Shipley have combined the décor and spirit of a golden-age TV sitcom living room (think I Dream Of Jeannie) with a smart-casual array of imaginative cocktails and bar snacks, the playfulness of which belies a dedication to quality, and an attention to detail.

THE BLOODY JERRY @ DIFFERENT DRUMMER 185 GLEBE POINT ROAD, GLEBE Ingredients: Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Caribbean Rum (50ml), Clement Shrubb Orange Liquer 15ml, half a blood orange. Method: Muddle the blood orange in a boston glass, add all the ingredients and shake hard. Strain into a martini glass with a blood orange segment cut to slide onto the side of the glass.

Gin and Jam ($16-18) on my side of the table combines Bombay Sapphire gin, Aperol, cranberry bitters and a home-made rose petal jam – all the nuances of flavour you’d expect from a world-class cocktail.

The kitch nods to the era are all there – a triptych of ceramic ducks in flight on the wall, an oversized Smeg fridge, tiny pineappleshaped leadlight candle holders – but it’s all very subtle, and tastefully executed, and there’s a sense of purpose to the interior design that transcends its theme.

For eats, Hinky Dinks takes traditional finger food and adds notes of the extraordinary. Twin crisp crostinis drizzled in an enigmatic and amazing olive oil arrive; one with exquisitelysubtle white anchovy, parsley and Spanish onion ($8), the other with jamon Serrano, pear, and rocquette ($9). Fried squid paired with a home-made aioli ($16) hit the spot; a panfried olive tapenade and parmesan sandwich ($9) obliterates the spot entirely. And the fine interplay of eccentric flavours in Hinky’s frozen bourbon milk sundae ($17) is the exclamation point of the evening.

Even so, it is the carefully-crafted cocktail list that is the real heart and soul of this bar. My pal sips a Castaway Collins ($16-18), Hinky’s classy take on the traditional pina colada, elevated far above the norm by pomegranate, cinnamon and Sailor Jerry's spiced rum. The

Hinky Dinks is the real deal, a total package of ambience, service and high-quality food and drink, with a golden vein of true charm running through it – a welcome addition to the firstclass nightspots popping up around the Kings Cross-end of Darlo. – Grant Barnes

Where: 185 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 5pm til midnight Phone: 8084 6379

Glass: Martini glass Garnish: Tangent of blood orange Best drunk with: our country style terrine, house pickled baby carrots and sourdough crisps during: a plague of locusts while wearing: a Hawaiian shirt and listening to: our amazing Wednesday night live music.

free stuff

▼ Our food is honest, pure and real.

uth-wateraning Authentic lmo ls and le vegan fa adfeme grille ats

OAK BARREL

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he good folk at boutique bottle shop the Oak Barrel are offering one lucky BRAG reader a double pass to their ‘Boutique Wine Fair’ tasting afternoon, as part of the CRAVE Sydney International Food Festival. They’ve searched far and wide to locate their favourite boutique winemakers, who will be presenting their best selection of unique and hard-to-find wines. Don’t miss out on this chance to buff up on your knowledge, impress a date – or to just get a nice old afternoon buzz on. Oak Barrel’s Boutique Wine Fair tasting takes place on Thursday October 22 from 12-3pm in the OB Cellar room (152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney CBD); to get your hands on a double pass, tell us what year this bottle shop opened its doors. oakbarrel.com.au

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 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

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gear guide A Beginner's Guide To...

WITH

Perfecting Imperfection

W

hen producing music, we all strive for perfection and precision – and with digital technology, powerful laptops, and non-destructive realtime editing we can now fix any problem, fine-tune every beat and re-tune any note with unprecedented ease. With such readily available tools, and the option at every stage to ‘undo’ or go deeper into problem-solving, we should be applying perfection wherever possible, right? Not so. Take rhythm, for example – the timing of each drum hit or note played. When computers first became available to composers, they were stoked that finally perfect timing could be achieved, without the unpredictability of musicians messing up

their masterpieces. But it soon became apparent that, while perfection had a unique feeling, for the most part it sucked. Why? It was the feeling of no-feeling. Amongst musicians, there is an understanding that you should “keep time” but not “play time”; as in, play in time with the band, but don’t strike every hit like a robot or a clock. In fact it’s the tiny mistimings that musicians play – sometimes early, sometimes late, and often deliberate – that give the music feeling. By playing some notes late, it might add a certain laziness, funk or punch to what you’re playing; by hitting a beat early it will add a sense of propulsion or drive. The point is that these subtle differences are a big part of what makes your music move people.

With this realisation, equipment designers and tech manufacturers such as Roger Linn began to strive for imperfection – trying to somehow make deliberately off-grid timings possible in technology. These timings are called 'swing' (one of the three major elements that make up a groove), and these machines, like the Linn-Drum, DMX (pictured) and MPC, defined the sound and genres of their era. These days, hugely powerful swing functions can be found in both software and hardware. Ableton Live, for example, supplies you with all the swing templates from classic drum machines and from other software (like Logic), as well as allowing you to define your own personal swing library. They can even – get this – extract all the groove elements (swing included) from any song or audio that you like the feel of! Next time you’re creating a beat, make sure you play with the swing and quantize settings – making sure things go ever-so-slightly wrong will guarantee that everything sounds so much more right! Instant imperfection that you can, erm, edit and perfect. Adam Maggs Ableton Certified Trainer liveschool.net

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PAUL BUTLER TAYAR FROM THE BUTLER MASTERING Mullard version Thermionic Phoenix, and the API 2500. The Crane Song HEDD pulls it all together and throws us into our muchloved Magix Sequoia DAW. In the world of 1s & 0s, we’re fans of PSP and Algorithmix and a new favourite, the Sonalksis DQ1 dynamic EQ. I’m delving deeply into M/S in the analogue domain – and finally, our Lipinski monitors bring it all back to the most important thing in our studio: my ears. The Music You Make I don’t really get the 4. time to make my own music

Getting Started My audio career 1. began in the live arena

Name Dropping The last two years in 2. our new studio have been

back in 1998, my first gig being Richie & The Creeps (of Tumbleweed fame). From there I started recording and mixing in the indie scene, and quickly progressed to mastering for a growing list of musicians – mainly hip hop and metal in the beginning. While on the journey to full-time mastering, I worked in many other areas, from System Design & Support with Jands, to a Broadcast Engineer role with Austereo, to Live Production for everyone from Kylie to Battles to The Presets to the Big Day Out festivals – all the while mastering from a small but growing studio in my living room.

nuts – in a good way. On top of the hundreds of talented indie musicians, we’ve been working with Faker, Melody Black (of Mass Appeal & Jerk), some ex-Idol finalists, some So You Think You Can Dance crew, international indie label Liquid Music, New York studio Nylon Music and a couple of big names from New Zealand, Cuba and even Nepal. Your Studio We have a hybrid of 3. digital and analogue gear, and I have many favourite pieces on both sides of the converters. Our new Gyraf G14 valve EQ (a Pultec on steroids) is astounding, along with our

anymore; I just help other artists make their music sound the best it can, and work creatively in that sense. Some of the artists that I have helped this year include Ernest Ellis, The Living End, Liam Finn, Cloud Control, Strange Talk, Winter People, Two Door Cinema Club, !!!, Beach House and many more. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Musicians have never had it so good; there has never been another time in history when an artist could record their own music and release it themselves online so easily, retaining full control of their art. Who: The Butler Mastering / Norton Street, Leichhardt Web: www.the-butler.com Phone: 0403 435 686


gear reviews

BACK TO BASICS

We Get Our Hands On Some New Toys...

All about MIDI

AUDIO-TECHNICA LP120-USB TURNTABLE We might be collecting vinyl again, but that doesn’t mean that dealing with transporting or storing records has become any easier. AudioTechnica’s LP120-USB allows vinyl collectors in a digital age to have the best of both worlds – a high quality playback turntable for your home hi-fi system, matched with the convenience of a built in USB sound card & pre-amp for quick and easy recording of your classic vinyl to MP3 or WAV file format.

market is in its inclusion of a direct drive motor – a necessary feature for those looking for the torque to scratch or beat mix effectively. The turntable platter is high-torque, quick start-up, with reverse ‘back-cueing’ play capability – sound-check selecta! It offers 33, 45 and 78 RPM operation, with a high-accuracy quartzcontrolled pitch lock and pitch change slider control, with up to 20% speed adjustment ranges selectable.

ALL YOU NEED

STICK IT IN

Out of the box, the LP120-USB includes everything you need for archiving and playback of your vinyl. The turntable comes ‘fully loaded’ with an AT95E phono cartridge, needle and headshell (negating that awful moment when you bring your new turntable home and realise you don’t have a needle), PC- and Mac-compatible software, and USB cable. Where the LP120-USB stands tall in the

The turntable’s built-in switchable phono preamp, RCA output cables and adapter cables allow connection to a wide variety of music and home entertainment components and systems, including AV receivers that do not have a dedicated phono input. If your vintage, stand alone phono amp has gone the way of the dodo, the ability to plug the turntable directly into a stereo line input will be

a welcome change. ge. And for DJs, with the pre-amp turned on you can plug the LP120-USB into a CD line input on your mixer, or better yet the CDJ channel on your Serato/Traktor box.

YOU’VE GOT THE AUDACITY…

The PC- and Mac-compatible Audacity software converts the audio on a record to MP3, WAV or other digital audio formats, which can then be played back on portable audio players, computers, home media centres and car audio systems – but should you choose not to use Audacity, the LP120-USB can easily be booted as an input source in Garage Band, Ableton and Logic et al. – Mark Crowley RRP: $499 Distributor: Technical Audio Group Phone: (02) 9519 0900 Website: www.tag.com.au

ARTURIA’S SPARK – CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE For those who used to love using hardware drum machines but felt strangled by their lack of variation in tones and groove control, Arturia’s latest hardware and software combination Spark allows you to step into a software-based platform without losing that familiar feel.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The software is easy to install and offers a range of sounds from analogue synthesis, digital sampling of real drum kits and physical modelling to create even more realistic drum sounds – and new software updates further improve the flexibility and integration of the system. Spark offers 480 instruments and 30 kits, so there’s something for everyone. If you love the old drum machines, there are analogue emulations of the TR-80, TR-909, LinnDrum, Simmons SDS-V and more. There are electronic kits compiled to cover a range of genres, ready to go for house, techno, dub or R&B – and best of all, the acoustic kits

included sound amazing! They’ve been built with a combination of real kits that have been sampled, and physical modelling, creating brilliant dynamics and spatial effects that you’d expect to hear from a real kit recorded with microphones.

EASY TO USE

The hardware controller allows you program the step sequencer quickly and easily, and gives you fast access to drum sound editing capabilities. This takes the pain of working with software away, and allows you to explore so many features without even needing to touch the mouse. It is bus powered from the USB connection and installs quickly and easily, and once it’s running with the software, it gives you the familiar feel of working with a classic drum machine and an advanced control surface, all with the power of a serious software engine. You can create shuffle and groove patterns for your drums to give them one of the most realistic feels I’ve come across with a drum

machine in some time, and the hardware controller is easy to set up; once the software is installed, it connects and powers by USB for easy integration with your set-up.

BRING THE FUN BACK

As a stand-alone instrument, or inserted into your favourite DAW, Spark is going to make you rethink the use of drum machines. Forget about drawing out rhythm patterns with a mouse into a sequencer; get back to step sequencing by hand, or even tapping in your rhythms as you go. Spark makes drum programming fun again. – Rob Gee RRP: $699 Distributor: CMI Music & Audio Website: www.cmi.com.au

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) has been the industry standard protocol for the communication of electronic instruments since it was developed by Dave Smith (of Sequential Circuit’s fame) in the early 1980s. So it’s worth understanding what it means. Firstly and most obviously, MIDI code contains information regarding note pitch, length and velocity (intensity). This is essentially the equivalent of classical notation written on a music score. What MIDI does not include is detailed information regarding the tone or timbre of your sound – this is controlled by the MIDI compatible device the code is triggering (i.e. the synthesiser/ software application). This allows composers to write their song structure first utilising MIDI tracks in their computer workstation or sequencer. Once this is done, they can then audition a wide range of sounds for each part – by either swapping out different units or tweaking the tone based controls on each synthesis/sampling unit, without changing the basic compositional features of the track. MIDI operates on a standard 16 possible channels. By assigning different devices to different channels, you can send unique MIDI information to different devices. Standard MIDI devices operate on an IN/OUT/THRU System. An ‘IN’ connection sends MIDI data into the device. A ‘THRU’ connection sends the MIDI signal through the device and into another device untouched – this is how you send information that operates on a different channel to the device in question ‘through’ to the next device in the chain. The ‘OUT’ connection is used by your ‘master’ device – the first device in your chain that will be sending the MIDI information to all others. MIDI also sends a particular type of tempo information called the ‘MIDI Clock’. The MIDI Clock dictates the master tempo of any sequence programmed into devices on the chain. It also sends information about when a pattern should start, stop and reset. Some devices will have their own sequencer/ pattern information, but these can be kept in sync with the rest of your track through the use of a master MIDI clock. – Mark Crowley

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK RUSTIE

Glass Swords is both ridiculous and beautiful. It will make you want to dance, and it will almost certainly make your neighbours hate you.

Glass Swords Warp Records

particularly garish example – sum the sound up well. To your average dubstep-dabbling indie fan, it may feel a bit like a slap in the face.

For someone not well versed in bass music, Rustie’s Glass Swords will seem very strange indeed. On first listen, it appears to be the genre’s equivalent of the ultra-saccharine R&B currently pedaled by the likes of Frank Ocean. Fizzing synths spatter each track as though it were a neon Jackson Pollock rip-off, their monstrous riffs delicately laced with mild-mannered British takes on hip hop backup singers. Countermelodies are prodded out on the slap bass setting of cheap keyboards, popping with reckless abandon like sherbet on your tongue. It’s music that’s not ashamed to revel in its own lurid, synthetic sheen, and it resembles an unhinged take on the most commercial turn-of-the-century chart pop. The titles of his early tracks – ‘Inside Pikachu’s Cunt’ being a

As difficult as it might be for some to love, there’s something stunning to admire in each of these tracks. What’s most peculiar about Glass Swords is how studious and disciplined it feels. A quick look beneath the sickly sheen and roomshaking hooks reveals screeds of complex and inventive rhythm tracks, each orbiting the others in a weirdly sympathetic equilibrium. Though your ear is immediately drawn to how outrageously suggestive the florid synth work is, repeat listens bring the breathtaking detail in each arpeggiator

SLOW CLUB

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

Paradise Popfrenzy

There’s very little to fault in the presentation of Slow Club’s shiny second album. The songs that tumble out demonstrate a potent belief in England, and they’re appealing in how they locate some sense of nationalism alongside the bamboozling of critics waiting to dismiss the hype. The challenge for the Sheffield group lies in sustaining the tunes beyond the limitations of their structure; the twopiece have already achieved enough acclaim to confidently rest in the tropes of alt-folk. Fear is writ large in frontwoman Rebecca Taylor’s demands that we “hold on”; the theme appears in first single and opener ‘Two Cousins’ and is revisted again towards the album’s close with ‘Gold Mountain’. The band repeat themes and phrases both lyrically and musically, as they whip the audience along at a frantic pace with new stories that increasingly hint at the familiar. But it’s a preoccupation that begins to tire, with the hurried pace only able to maintain interest until the album's halfway point. There’s a thirty second blank space at the start of ‘Beginners’ – it would be incorrect to call it an introduction, because it simply contains generic soft percussion under a wet drip of guitar that seems to serve no purpose. And by the end of the album you'll have noticed that every track is riddled with similar attempts to sound important. These pointless intros, littered with occasional found-sound percussion and endless Kate Bushisms, eventually seem a little forced and become distracting. No-one could accuse current Bush impressario Florence Welch of being strikingly original, yet there is still a power and darkness within her music that catches the ear. This is polite music; not bad, just proficient. Benjamin Cooper

In The Pit Of The Stomach Fat Cat Records A review of WWPJ’s debut These Four Walls remarked that singer Adam Thompson seems like he wouldn't be able to buy a packet of cigarettes without it turning into some all-consuming emotional crisis. And although meant as a joke, it’s very true – WWPJ have a knack for making the mundane seem momentous. It seems to be a particularly Scottish trait, one that labelmates Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad have been doing for years. WWPJ overlap with the sound of both bands, although they beat the former for sheer epicness and have the edge on the latter for the strength of the emotions. There’s a touch of Mogwai (more Scots!) in the instrumental builds, but rather than their slowly-unfolding climaxes, WWPJ play everything with an almost punk energy, propelling the listener inescapably toward the crescendo. But as terrific as the band are, it’s Thompson who's their greatest weapon. His hushed, warm brogue whispers intimate nothings in your ear, drawing you into these small-scale dramas. His lyrics are more observational than oblique, but every so often they sum up a situation with devastating insight. And when the time comes to let loose, as he roars his betrayals over gigantic walls of sound, you can feel the catharsis – his and your own. There’s nothing on here quite so spectacular as ‘It’s Thunder & It’s Lightning’ from their debut, but there are plenty of hair-raising moments – ‘Act On Impulse’, ‘Sore Thumb’ and ‘Human Error’, especially. WWPJ are sticking with their formula, but this album sees them taking the time to craft their songs, rather than just going straight for the jugular. An engrossing album that gets better with every listen. Hugh Robertson

GOLD FIELDS

‘Moves’ is a robust, hectic tune that exists somewhere between The Arctic Monkeys and Digitalism. Synths and guitars buzz through your headspace as Donkey Kong percussion slaps you around a rollercoaster of a song, flinging you into the cart as it hurtles recklessly into the darkness. ‘Holy No’ seems almost like a conscious attempt to regain some composure; the slow song of the EP, it’s a smooth fusion of swaying jungle grooves and porn funk. Lead singer Mark Fuller’s husky, hypnotic voice pulls you under the canopy and before you know it you’ve been a part of something very naughty. The guitars and vocals sit back lazily against the drums, which remain thankfully placid, offering a brief respite from the percussive onslaught of the other tracks. ‘Woods’ is a return to pace; ethereal and rhythmic at the same time, it nods more toward the snow-capped-wolf-packpine-tree-Northern-Hemisphere woods than the Grevillea-laden-weekendbushwalk-Lane-Cove-National-Park woods that we’re familiar with. The EP closes with a remix of ‘Treehouse’, which G.L.O.V.E.S spices up the only way he knows how, transforming the single from innocent tropical pop into a rollerdisco classic. Gold Fields’ debut EP gives us a taste of what is going to be a truly impressive full length album – just go easy on those beats, boys. Rach Seneviratne

The Quickening Golden Era Funkoars are the Australian hip hop collective that Australia somehow forgot. When their peers Hilltop Hoods hit the big time and Bliss N Eso came nipping at their heels, the boys with the funniest lines and the best production had to settle for that ‘goofy younger brother’ persona, and wait their turn. While not as immediately grabbing as their 2006 sophomore banger The Greatest Hits, this record packs more

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of a punch than anything since the Bliss N Eso’s Flying Colours, and is certainly miles ahead of the rest of them. This record's success is largely due to the phenomenal ears and sensibilities of rapper/writer/producer Trials (Daniel Rankine), who can unearth samples as well as Kanye and spin them into something spectacular. You can hear his fingerprints all over this thing and it gets more madcap as it progresses, with the rhymes often competing with the backing tracks for ingenuity and downright hilarity. ‘Law & Order’, which rolls in at track ten and is easily one of the record's

Mutemath have it tough. The New Orleans trio are so goddamn good at what they do that they often run the risk of overdoing it, and becoming one of those wanky prog-rock bands that nobody but diehards like... But they’re saved by their knack for melody. Odd Soul follows on from 2009’s Armistice, an album that the group had previously said they specifically wrote to ‘embarrass’ their debut. Playing one-up against oneself doesn’t always work, but MuteMath succeed thanks to some great producers (themselves) and a core instrumental unit that's tighter than superglue. Doing everything in-house (they also release via their own imprint, Teleprompt) means that they could get the sound exactly how they like it before those meddling majors got in. The way I typically describe this band to people who don’t know them is Jamie Liddell fronting a top-notch rock band. Paul Meany certainly has the vocal reach and technique to be anyone he wants, and the melodies spring gloriously from this record because of it. Plus, behind the primary chordal instrument (keys), he’s really setting the mood, while the phenomenal drummer Darren King is in charge of setting the pace. Funky without trying to be and driving without knocking you over the head, Mutemath’s songs sit in this weird little sub-sub-genre that make them a real treat to discover for the first time or re-encounter again. They write instrumentals that are better than many of their contemporaries’ lead singles, and they’ve toned down the weird just enough that it may lead to the public finally getting to know them a bit more intimately. Geeks are good friends to have, people.

Vacation Pieater

Since coming to the rather sensible realisation that playing in a band is preferable by far to dealing with things like jobs or rent, Melbournians Tom Iansek and Jo Syme have been quick to get on with it: half a dozen EPs, including the themed ‘Seasons’ releases, supporting tours with acts like The Vasco Era and Midlake, as well as numerous solo shows. With their debut long-player, the pair have assembled a solid collection that sums up their work to date without quite hitting the electric rawness of their EPs. Loosely unified around the thought that Big Scary are on a holiday from the ‘real world’, Vacation is rife with images of uncertainty. “I can quote my favourite line / I can calculate the distance in sine” Iansek declares on second single ‘Gladiator’, before recognising his inability to effect events: “it makes no difference anyway”. Though some of the material here seems a touch adolescent, Iansek is able to inject a whole universe of frustrated vigour into a line like “I’m just bored / I don’t know what to do with my life” (the pianopowered ‘Mix-Tape’) with a throaty yowl that is completely convincing. Though the genre-tripping for which the pair quickly became known is less flambouyantly displayed here, Iansek’s writing retains all its versatility; the stripped down blues of ‘Purple’ is followed by the synth-blurred ‘Child In A Tree’ and the contemplative downer ‘Bad Friends’, in which Iansek’s beautiful upper register lends “my friends are all getting drunk somewhere without me” a genuine poignancy. But the highlight is a re-recording of ‘Falling Away’ from the Autumn EP, which casts a small shadow across the rest of the record.

A stellar follow-up for a band from which I expected no less.

Impressive as much for the wide-ranging breadth of Iansek’s songwriting as the clear-eyed certainty of the pair’s performance, Vacation is a promising debut LP.

Jonno Seidler

Oliver Downes

strongest songs, demonstrates best what Funkoars are capable of; a mix of high and low culture, American and Australian influences, it mashes up a lyric from Jay-Z’s '99 Problems’ with the tagline from the recent police drink-driving TV campaigns, before shooting off into space with some vicious anti-authority verses care of Sesta and Hons, who I could really listen to all day. There may not be enough thematic variation, but it’s more than ably covered by Funkoars' skill and execution. A fearsome live act and a formidable bunch of lyricists, Funkoars' The Quickening should finally give them their turn in the spotlight. Jonno Seidler

BIG SCARY

Odd Soul Teleprompt/Warner

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK FUNKOARS

Luke Telford

MUTEMATH

Gold Fields Capitol/EMI

Gold Fields' single ‘Treehouse’ was the musical equivalent of that stuff that the BFG blew into kids’ rooms that would make them dream happy things – a wistful, halcyon burst of freshness that's nostalgic and contemporary all at once. Their four track EP goes down a different path; instead of taking the BFG-Happy-Dreams road, they’ve turned left into Throwin'-Shapes-DownAt-The-Abercrombie.

trill and twisted vocal sample into focus. From the euphoric bounce of ‘Surph’ and ‘Ultra Thizz’ to the towering majesty of ‘Globes’, there’s barely a weak or restrained moment.

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

EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints THE JIM JONES REVUE - Burning Your House Down DAS RACIST - Relax

DR. DOG - We All Belong BLINK-182 - Dude Ranch


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pinky tuscadero

:: The Exchange Hotel :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

leader cheetah

PICS :: KC

23:09:11

PICS :: GP

up all night out all week . . .

caitlin park 22:09:11

PICS :: KC

24:09:11 :: The Gaelic Theatre :: 64 Devonshire St Surry Hills 92111687

:: Kings Cross Hotel :: 248 William St Darlinghurst 2010 9331 9900

the dead leaves It sounds like: Atmospheric indie/alt rock Who’s playing: The Dead Leaves, Tim Hart (Boy & Bear), The Owls Sell it to us: The Dead Leaves’ debut, Cities On The Sea, is a majestic rock album that conjures its own panorama of emotions; an immersive experience that engulfs the sum of its parts in a unique alchemy of sound drawn from every well – from Joy Division to Johnny Cash.

Wallet damage: $10 (door) / $7+bf (presale) Where: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel When: Thursday October 6

oaf 4th birthday

23:09:11

eskimo joe

24:09:11

:: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown 9550 3666

stonefield

:: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711

PICS :: KC

Crowd specs: If you’re into Joy Division, Interpol, The National or The Smiths – you like your music with meaning – chances are you’ll be into The Dead Leaves.

PICS :: AM

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Ethereal textures, brooding post-rock soundscapes and jagged, driving electro-inspired rhythms – all meeting up in the context of carefully crafted songs.

PICS :: GP

party profile

It’s called: The Dead Leaves – ‘If The Shoe Fits’ tour

22:09:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711 :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: GEORGE POPOV :: PEA MAS THO :: NS :: DANIEL MUN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR SAM WHITESIDE ::

BRAG :: 430 :: 19:09:11 :: 37


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live reviews

up all night out all week . . .

What we've been to see...

CUSTARD

The Standard, Bourke Street Saturday September 24 After dusting off 1995 hit song, ‘Apartment,’ Custard’s frontman Dave McCormack leaned back, looked at his newly reformed band and yelped, “This is fun! We should do it more often!” As wry as that catchcry may have been, no one argued at Custard’s first Sydney shows in 12 years – two consecutive nights which succeeded in spreading grins and stirring memories.

PICS :: AM

custard

Making their way through their greatest hits with wit and irreverence, Custard delivered not only a statement of their past successes, but impressed us with their ability to pull a tight and enjoyable show together after a decade-long hiatus. Transitions between songs were effortless and smooth, the opening notes of each closet hit eliciting the type of rush reserved for a nostalgia bent. Whether it was the strut of ‘Ringo’, the grind of ‘Singlette’ or the floating serenade of ‘Alone’, the result was still the same; note perfect renditions of near-perfect songs from a wellremembered era.

24:09:11 :: The Standard :: L3/383 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst

But a lot has happened since Custard last played in Sydney; grunge ran its course (regardless of what the 20th anniversaries tell you), the internet dampened the

RICHARD IN YOUR MIND, THE LAURELS GoodGod Small Club Friday September 23

richard in your mind

PICS :: GP

At a glance, The Laurels' straightfaced psych-rock would seem at odds with Richard In Your Mind’s doe-eyed breeziness, but it’s hard to overlook their common ground as trip-bands, either pulling you through a wave of noise or cradling you through a river of ease. The contrast may prove to be a harsh turnaround when they back each other on the same bill, but the idea is still the same; to elicit a journey through music. And last Friday night, both the Laurels and RIYM were worthy travelling companions.

23:09:11 :: Good God Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787

The Laurels were louder than I’ve ever heard them, the low-ceilinged confines of GoodGod Small Club going through an ear-splitting aural punishment as they ran through tracks from debut EP Mesozoic, sandwiched with teases of new material. While many of the tracks from their EP came across as retrospective tips of the hat, the new songs hint at something more adventurous; buzzed samples interspersing their brick-wall-of-sound psych, complementing the sounds of aggravated bliss and leaving ears buzzing for the headliners. Richard In Your Mind arrived to a sold out house and began with the chill-wave

THE PANICS, GEORGIA FAIR The Metro Theatre Saturday September 24

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the panics

Resplendent in their floppy hats and oozing rustic yearning, Northern Beaches’ Georgia Fair seemed the apt choice as supports for the troubadouring headliners. A few souls were stumbling into something that could pass for weekend dancing, and in the half-light of a halffull Metro Theatre, it looked like a couple of band members were threatening to impress with the scratchy beginnings of beards. Frontmen Jordan Wilson and Ben Riley traded verses about picking up a girl (presumably not the same one) on the side of the road, before lobbing a few assured smiles into the crowd. The band seemed happy to let the songs do the talking, moving through the set with the confident hands of those wellacquainted with their parents’ record collections.

24:09:11 :: The Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 95503666

S : ASHLEY MAR OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

38 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

:: GEORGE POPOV

Any concerns about the excesses of touring taking their toll on the slim frontman Jae Laffer were put to rest within the first few bars of The Panics’ set. While the kinetic energy bristled about him, Laffer

power of radio (Custard being on triple j back then meant Custard being on every kid’s mind), and sincerity and wit in pop music were replaced by flippancy and the apathetic (compare the chorus of Custard’s ‘Music Is Crap’ with Art Vs Science’s ‘Parlez Vous Français’...). The point being that since Custard have been apart, their audience has moved on – and the result at The Standard was a disappointingly dull reception. From Matt Strong’s introductory ‘Lucky Star’ riff to McCormack’s squeals on ‘Anatomically Correct,’ the bulk of the crowd barely moved an inch, instead reserved to smiling on the spot with a quietly-sipped beer in hand, rising to action only to clap politely when required. It didn’t seem to faze Custard though; the band delighted in tracing back their past. Dropping their instruments to hug each other halfway through the set, they crooned through McCormack’s ode to his guitarist on ‘The New Matthew,’ one of the set’s sweetest moments not just for the return of the song, but for the public reunification of four old friends. Finishing on a high with the blistering ‘Caboolture Speed Lab,’ Custard ignored murmured calls for an encore (and a persistent request to play ‘Monkey’) to leave their long-awaiting return behind… at least until their next reunion show.

Max Easton

moans of ‘Vision’. Unfortunately, it sounded painfully rough at first, the three sets of vocals (frontman Richard Cartwright, guitarist Jordy Lane and new member, kyu’s Alyx Marwood), 8-bit synth whine and percussion all seemingly out-of-synch, as the sound desk attempted in vain to get it all together by the song’s end. Thankfully, the sound was almost up to scratch a few tracks in, and by the time the lazy swoon of ‘She Took The Sun Away’ hit, Richard In Your Mind sounded as lovely as they do on the record they were launching, SUN. The band’s music hinges on the meeting of the instrumental core with the bizarre synthetic turns of RIYM’s e-wizard, SPOD. The gently finger-picked ‘Tear Filled Ocean’ was interrupted by cavernous bassy thuds supplied by a drum sampler, while moments like the squawking bird samples on ‘Candelabra’ flavoured the set with the required oddities that complete a Richard In Your Mind live show. Walking off stage with a nod, Richard In Your Mind gave all the indications of a band on a continued rise, seeking only the progression of their sound as they welcome their own growth and evolution. While The Laurels aren’t steeped in the same sense of adventure, there’s no doubt they’re on a similar trajectory, both bands growing their reputations as highlights of Sydney’s live circuit.

Max Easton

threw himself about the stage, intermittently hunching over the keys or posturing behind the microphone stand. The Panics make music with all the speed and ferocity that a pedal-steel and organ can muster. The band built love from the room from the start by leaning heavily on old favourites, rather than incessantly flogging their latest (and admittedly pretty good) record, Rain On The Humming Wire. As we bore witness to the array of couple-snuggling going on throughout every song, the band were pumping through their catalogue with startling efficiency – ‘Feeling Is Gone’, ‘Get Us Home’, ‘Don’t Fight It’ – leaving precious little time for us to shake out the creaks between each, or enjoy the richness and drama of their stories. But perhaps wanting a more thorough loving is just being greedy. Though it was much faster than usual, ‘Don’t Fight It’ still inspired one enthusiastic couple on the balcony level to dance with their arms outstretched to the ceiling – and they were still dancing like that long after the glorious chorus of ‘Majesty’ faded out.

Benjamin Cooper


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

COUNTER REVOLUTION

Luna Park Big Top, Milsons Point Sunday September 25 Of the scattered jigsaw left on the floor after Soundwave Revolution festival sadly disintegrated earlier this year, the promoters were left with a lot of bands sorted for flights and accommodation – and nowhere to put them all. After corralling the metallers out to individual gigs, left were a collection of power-pop and punkers, packaged up for the Counter Revolution. I walked in from the dreary, rain-lashed Sunday to catch heavy rockers battling through some sound issues. ‘Hey, that guy looks like Scott Ian,’ I said to myself – and it turns out it was. The Damned Things are a conglomeration of members from Every Time I Die, Fall Out Boy and, of course, Anthrax. But they don’t quite sound like any of them. In a mixture of bluesy heavy rock and shred-worthy thrash, the band didn’t really grab much attention; the fact that most guitar solos went unheard and the band couldn’t hear themselves in the foldback couldn’t have helped, but in the end, they were a bit misplaced in a stable that seemed aimed squarely at the pop-punk kids.

counter revolution

In the largest travesty of the night, veteran Californians Face To Face were relegated to a 30 minute slot wedged in before Yellowcard. As the band tore through the classic ‘Walk The Walk’, I looked at the grizzled punks around me – they didn’t look like they belonged here, but neither did the band. Keeping talk to a minimum, Face To Face just seemed like they wanted to get it over and done with, treating the small crowd to some classics like ‘I Won’t Lie Down’ and the anthemic ‘Disconnected’, which kept the tattooed masses happy. As stampedes of teens flooded the Big Top again, it was time for those ever-so-nice rockers, Yellowcard. Opening with the jagged violin of ‘For You, And Your Denial’, they sped through some tougher punk songs before shifting gears down into poppier territory. The acoustic guitar

came out for their singalong ballad ‘Hang You Up’, and they closed with the sentimental ‘Only One’ and the wholesome ‘Believe’. Then the winners of the ‘Sold The Most Merch’ prize took the stage. With seemingly 50% of the crowd draped in All Time Low tees, the decibel level went through the roof when the boys appeared. Starting with ‘Do You Want Me (Dead)?’, the band dickand fart-joked their way through their set, appealing to their constituency perfectly. As a bra got flung onto the stage, guitarist Jack Barakat, as if to acknowledge the awkwardness of the average age of his fanbase, joked that he was only after a girl under 18 for the night – but whipping through their set, radio-friendly hits like ‘Poppin’ Champagne’ and ‘Weightless’ got 'em all misty-eyed. To culminate proceedings, headliner’s Panic! At The Disco came on stage and, in an impressive show of complete professionalism, played every song the crowd wanted. Opening with ‘Ready To Go’ and dropping hits like ‘The Ballad of Mona Lisa’ and ‘Time To Dance’, they even treated fans to a cover of The Darkness’ ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ – all the while getting screamed at like New Kids On The Block, circa-1989.

Rick Warner

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Welsh hardcore act Funeral For A Friend were much more warmly received. Pushing the energy and tempo vertical, they were honoured with a circle pit during ‘Juneau’, but it was ‘Roses For The Dead’ that showed

the band's technical skill and got the biggest reaction from the building crowd. After a quick hiatus from the crowd, the heavy drones of Story Of The Year’s opening riff managed to dislodge me from the bar. SOTY were tight, energetic and fun. Their enthusiastic fans fed from the band and vocalist Dan Marsala gave his all, traversing from growl to laser-point clarity with ease. Guitarist Phillip Sneed went all theatrical when he scaled the ten-foot amp stack, but only when All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth hopped on stage for a song did the girls in the crowd lose their shit. And when the band finished with smash ‘Until The Day I Die’, so did everyone else.

25:09:11 :: Luna Park :: 1 Olympic Dr Milsons Point 99226644

MÖTLEY CRÜE

pre-recorded backing vocals? Also totally fine, right?

There are bands who can, through extravagant gesture, wit and charm, cross the divide of the cavernous arena distance between audience and artist with an effortlessness which makes it feel as though you’re sharing an intimate secret together, not standing separated by a hundred or so metres and dozens of rows of seats. Bands who can use a space that big to cast a life-affirming spell of spectacle over the faithfully gathered. Bands who can muster from deep within themselves that kernel of eternal commitment to rock and roll, and who can kick out a heartbreaking, ball-busting, spiritually rousing arena rock show, despite all the years they’ve been doing that same damn thing, night after night, as though their life depended on it.

Mötley Crüe have, somehow, been together for 30 years – though a few of those years were in hiatus, or when they replaced Vince Neil with John Carabi. So when Nikki Sixx addressed the crowd, eventually, with “I only want one motherfuckin’ singer in my band, and that’s fuckin’ Vince Neil!”, it rings more hollow than a wheat silo. Mötley Crüe’s attraction as a live band at the height of their ‘80s power was the ever-present threat of their implosion onstage. Now that they are all several years sober, their overwhelming motivation is money, not love for each other. The pall of their acrimony hangs heavily over their show, and no amount of rotating drum kit solos (to a techno track??), art school visual projections, flames or an unconvincing sign reading ‘SIN’ can cover it up.

And then there's Mötley Crüe, who are none of those things. Please know here that I was pretty alone in feeling this at the Entertainment Centre. The river of my bitter, disappointed tears ran counter to the tide of raucous appreciation which greeted Vince Neil every time he held out his microphone in lieu of actually singing a chorus, palming that off to the crowd instead, presumably to save his voice for the few times he could muster the ability to hit a high note. I mean, whatever! That’s ok! It’s not like it’s the frontman’s job to sing or anything. No, it’s the frontman’s job to appear as a pudgy version of his former self whose idea of “California tan” is closer to terrifying Oompa Loompa orange. And on the topic of vocals:

The band had organised the setlist via online fan voting, so there were, of course, all the hits, along with a smattering of tracks from 2008’s Saints Of Los Angeles. Then there was a completely odd moment of segueing into Cee Lo Green’s ‘Fuck You’ – and it was hard to tell if this was out of Mötley Crüe’s genuine appreciation for the song, or a special message to everyone who’d paid the band $160. File under: did not need to see. Pick up a copy of The Dirt and read it while listening to Too Fast For Love instead. Past glories trump the present, sadly, at the Mötley show.

Elmo Keep

mötley crüe

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Sydney Entertainment Centre Friday September 23

23:09:11 :: Sydney Entertainment Centre :: 35 Harbour St Darling Harbour 93204200 OV

S : ASHLEY MAR :: GEORGE POP

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 39


The Minor Chord

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

The Amity Affliction

SAT

8

OCT 8PM 18+

(JAPAN)

+ NO ANCHOR + SLEEPMAKESWAVE ALL-AGES GIG PICKS

(USA)

+ THE STRAIGHT ARROWS + BOVINES (HAMISH & BRAD FROM THE VINES) + FAIT ACCOMPLI + BLOODY LOVELY AUDREY + THE SALVAGERS

+ THE CELIBATE RIFLES + LOS CAPITANES + THE TURPS

Our feature gig this week is Sydney hardcore merchants The Amity Affliction, who, along with UK metallers Asking Alexandria and Gold Coast poppunkers Skyway, will be shouting the roof off of Luna Park’s Big Top on the charmingly named ‘F**k the Reaper’ tour at 8pm on Sunday October 9. Of course, being at Luna Park, rides are also on offer. What Sunday night could be better than listening to one of Sydney’s best hardcore bands and then riding the Rotor until you turn sick? Tickets are still selling, so make sure you catch this triumphant triumvirate of bands before they become too large to see in such an fun-filled environment. On Saturday October 8, American bluesman Robben Ford and his backing band The Renegade Creation will be bringing their bluesy tunes to The Factory Theatre, which opens at 7pm. This guy is a truly legendary session player, having played with everyone from the late Beatle George Harrison to British folkie Joni Mitchell. With forty years experience, this blues and jazz guitarist will do things to his guitar that would probably be illegal in the southern states of America, so don’t miss out. The Renegade Creation

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5

Royalty Crew, Stono Caves, This Sanctuary Riverside Theatre, Parramatta

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8

Robben Ford, The Renegade Creation Factory Theatre

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 The Amity Affliction, Asking Alexandria, Skyway Luna Park, Big Top

The Western Sydney Youth Forum has organised the third annual What’s Up West? forum for Wednesday October 5 at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. According to their press brief, the aim of the conference is to “provide young people aged 12-18 years, who either live, work, or study in Western Sydney, with the opportunity to express their opinions on issues impacting young people in the Western Sydney area.� Of course, the event wouldn’t be the same without some great live music: Sydney’s youngest and best urban dance crew Royalty Crew, singer-songwriter Stono Caves and Western Sydney’s very own Paramoreesque This Sanctuary, who will be lightening up lunch time with their own brand of pop-punk goodness. Just a reminder: Keep an ear and at least one eye out for the numerous allages festivals that will be touring around the country from now up until next February. From the punks at next year’s Soundwave to the surfies wrapped in Australian flags at Big Day Out (whose 2012 lineup was just announced - check rock news at the front of the mag for that one!), there is truly something for everyone around the summer months. And if you want to stay away from the big crowds, there are just as many smaller festivals to tickle your fancy, from New Year's Eve's Peats Ridge Festival to the up-coming Fat As Butter in Newcastle. Finally, a great opportunity: Indent, a project of MusicNSW, are calling for submissions for their 2012 project grants. These grants are specifically for helping young production companies stage drugand alcohol-free all-ages events for the wider community, and they’re a really great way to help out budding promoters stage the shows of their dreams. Plus, it’s really easy to enter! Grants range from $2,500 for open mic nights to $5000 for engaging the professional and local music industry. Visit indent.net.au and apply before Friday November 11.

Send all ages listings & info to theminorchordradio@gmail.com 40 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

The Renegade Creation photo by Nick Glen

W

elcome to the holiday edition of The Minor Chord, folks, where you don’t have the excuse of ‘It’s a school night’ to stop you getting around town and seeing as many all-ages gigs as possible. And during this week, there’s a hell of a lot of gigs to attend – so make sure you get to at least one.


BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 41


g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Black Dice

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

The Julees, Dan Hopkins Kogarah Hotel free 7pm Just Add Music, Tina Alcorace, Hang Fire, Laurie McKern, Tavoi, Starr Witness, Narelle Lewis, Russell Neal Dee Why RSL free 6.30pm

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5 ROCK & POP

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

Black Dice (USA)

Lucky Dragons (USA), Holy Balm $40 (+ bf) 8pm MONDAY OCTOBER 3 ROCK & POP

Allen Toussaint and his Band (USA) The Basement, Circular Quay $65 9pm Andy Mammers Duo Penrith Panthers free 2pm The Beatvilles Boys, The Donovans The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 2pm Brendan Gallagher, Damien Robinson, Julie Nelson, Graham Healy The Hive Bar, Erskineville free 6.30pm Darling Harbour Fiesta: Osvaldo Chacón, Renegado, Watussi, Mucho Mambo’s Tito Puente Tribute, Amandito, Victor Valdez’s Real Mexico, Waldo Fabian, Club Havana Band, Salsa Kingz, El Orqueston, Ritchie Valdez, Black Rio Various Venues, Darling Harbour free 5pm The Hoo Haas Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free

JAZZ

Bazza’s Funkin’ Jazz Band Forest Lodge Hotel 4pm Legends of New Orleans:

Allen Toussaint & Friends The Basement, Circular Quay $60 (+ bf)–$108.80 (dinner & show) 6pm Manly International Jazz Festival: Festival Jam Sessions Manly Fisho’s 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Winter’s End, Joey Arnold, Anita Lenzo, Massimo Presti, Chris Brookes, Russell Neal Kellys On King, Newtown free 7pm

TUESDAY OCTOBER 4 ROCK & POP

Adam Pringle and Friends Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm All Star Trio Bankstown Sports Club free 6pm CarterRollins, Ashleigh Mannix The Vanguard, Newtown $10 The Listening Room - Open Mic The Vault, Windsor free 7pm Moonshakes The Flinders Hotel free 9pm OMG Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm

Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Songs on Stage - Performers Competition Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Strip!, feat ex BNO from Scruffy’s Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 8pm The Temptations, Nate Evans Brass Monkey, Cronulla $56.10 (+ bf) 8pm The Trobes, The Alex Gibson Band The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf) 9pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Tuesday Night Live: Rumjacks, Tor Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Zoltan Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm

JAZZ

Jazzgroove: The Coolerators, James Annesley Quartet 505 Club, Surry Hills$8 (member)–$10 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Ben Wells & the Middle Names FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst 8pm Bryen Willems Westmead Tavern free 7pm Dead Johnny & The Memphis Gun, Mugger, Georgia V, Art Rush Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Desorden Publico The Basement, Circular Quay $45 11.30pm Hazzy Bee, Andy Golledge, Michele Madden, Sinead Burgess Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm JP O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Kingswood, The Dead Leaves Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Live and Local: Gadjo Guitars, Nath & Wils Duo, Niki Thorburn, Daddy Long Legs and the Swamp Donkeys Lizottes, Dee Why $15 Matt Jones Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm The Music of Tom Waits: Johnny Wishbone (The Snowdroppers), Mojo Juju, Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio), James Grim (Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders), Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla), Nick Finch The Vanguard, Newtown $35 (presale)–$40 6.30pm Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt free 8pm A One Noff Affair: Georgia Juliette Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $10 (+ bf) Open Mike Night Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 7.30pm Philip Ricketson Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Sean O’Neill The Brass Monkey, Cronulla The Study Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 7pm The Temptations, Nate Evans Brass Monkey, Cronulla $56.10 (+ bf) 8pm triple j Unearthed launch party: New Navy, Nantes, Rufus, Elizabeth Rose Metro Theatre, Sydney free 7pm Two Minds Scruffy Murphy;s, Sydney free 11pm Uptone Showcase: Enter The Ninja, Hard As Nails, Exit Row, English Avenue, Kill Appeal Annandale Hotel $10 7.30pm

JAZZ

Adam Simmons Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills$10–$15 8.30pm

New Navy Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Ben Williams, Daniel Hopkins Taren Point Hotel free 7pm Carolyn Woodorth Blaxland Tavern free 6.30pm The Idea of North The Basement, Circular Quay $30 (+ bf) 8pm Paul B Wilde, Greg Cade, Sean and Miss Bow, Russell Neal Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Balmain free 6.30pm Rebecca Fielding, Gavin Fitzgerald" , Andrew Denniston Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Booker T. Jones, The Putbacks, DJ Toon The Metro Theatre, Sydney $59 7pm Bryen Willems Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL free 8pm Call To Color, Vasilates, Dirty Youth, Helpful Kitchen Gods Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Glenn Whitehall Sackville Hotel, Balmain free 7pm Greg Byrne Toxteth Hotel, Glebe free 8pm Jack Ladder, Ghoul Brass Monkey, Cronulla 7pm JP Toxteth Hotel, Glebe free 8pm The Living Chair Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm LJ Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Sydney free 7pm Marnie Stern (USA), Unity Floors Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $25 8pm Matt Joe Gow & The Dead Leaves, The Owls FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst $10 8pm Michael McGlynn Greengate Hotel, Killara 8pm The Music of Tom Waits: Johnny Wishbone (The Snowdroppers), Mojo Juju, Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio), James Grim (Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders), Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla), Nick Finch The Vanguard, Newtown $35 (presale)–$40 6.30pm Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Hotel, Rooty Hill free 8pm Nicky Kurta Dee Why Hotel 8pm Panorama Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney free 10pm Peter Jones Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm

Pour Habit (USA), Smoke or Fire (USA) Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $38 (+ bf) 8pm Sam and Jamie Trio Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney 9.30pm Sealion, Sleepyhands, We Are Volcanoes, Them Dreamers Annandale Hotel $10 (+ bf) 7.30pm Sean O’Neill Low 302, Sydney Speakeasy The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham 8pm Spy Vs Spy, Sepora Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $33–$75 (dinner & show) 8pm Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks 9.30pm The Temptations 7pm The Vault, Windsor $40 (+ bf)–$45 Zoltan Northies-Cronulla Hotel – Sports Bar 9.15pm

JAZZ

Bob Montgomery, Fran Swinn Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (member)–$20 8.30pm Jazz A Vienne Super Showcase: The Tricia Evy Trio (France), Charito (Japan), Emma Hamilton, Zooo Superband, Dan Barnett, John Morrison The Basement, Circular Quay $35 (+ bf) 6pm Kinetic Jazz Orchestra, Kinetic Poets St Luke’s Hall, Enmore $15-$20 7.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Michael Peter The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 ROCK & POP

After Party Band Mounties, Mount Pritchard free 10pm Andy Mammers & Crash Avenue Moorebank Sports Club 9pm Anthems Of Oz Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm The Australian Pink Show Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 11pm Ben Finn Duo PJ’s Irish Pub, Parramatta 9pm Bernie Segedin Great Southern Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Big Way Out The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Black Diamond Hearts, Daniel Lissing Duo Crows Nest Hotel 6.30pm Black Dice (USA), Lucky Dragons (USA), Holy Balm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $40 (+ bf) 8pm

“Manic depression is touching my soul. I know what I want but I just don’t know” - JIMI HENDRIX 42 :: BRAG :: 432 : 03:10:11


g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Bon Chat Bon Rat Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Carl Fidler, Dave Stevens Observer Hotel, The Rocks 8.30pm Cover Note Vineyard free 9.30pm Dan Lawrence Parramatta RSL 5pm David Agius Collingwood Hotel, Liverpool 5.30pm Deep Duo Oceans Bar, Coogee 7pm Dollshay Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill 9pm Dragon The Vault, Windsor $30 (presale)–$35 9.15pm Drive: Peter Northcote Bridge Hotel, Rozelle $15 3.30pm Emmanuel Jal, DJ Silvastone (UK), Dark $paid, MXC WOL, MAcc-Too, Future Of Rap The Basement, Circular Quay $35 8pm Fallon Brothers PJ Gallaghers, Drummoyne 10pm Faminaid: Super Florence Jam, Sydney Uni DJs Manning Bar, University of Sydney 8pm Flamin’ Beauties Crown Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Freshmix Trio Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 8.30pm Geoff Rana Grand Hotel, Rockdale 5.30pm Grass Chain The Excelsior Hotel, Glebe 8.30pm The Great Escape Kingswood Sports Club free 7pm Heath Burdell Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee 7pm

Hit Selection Duo Red Cow Inn, Penrith free 8pm Hue Williams Avalon RSL free 9pm Jason Norries Rydges, Parramatta 6pm Johnny Rock Novotel, Brewery Bar, Olympic Park 5pm John Vella Chatswood RSL free 5pm Jungle Kings Club Five Dock 8pm Keith Armitage Macquarie Hotel, Liverpool 4.30pm LJ Yardhouse, Haymarket free 9.30pm Mad Season Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 9.30pm Mark Travers Castle Hill RSL 9.30pm Matt Jones Massey Park Golf Club, Concord 7.30pm Matt Price Duo Mean Fiddler Hotel, Rouse Hill 9pm

Michael & Lucas Kirribilli Hotel 8pm Motion Motive, Distorted Sound Theory Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Muddy Feet Pioneer Tavern, Penrith 9pm Mum: Box Rockets, Hattie Carroll, The Archers, Howler, Nakagin, Komoko, Polographia, Youth, Hey Convict, Death Strobe DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10 8pm The Music of Tom Waits: Johnny Wishbone (The Snowdroppers), Mojo Juju, Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio), James Grim (Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders), Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla), Nick Finch The Vanguard, Newtown $35 (presale)–$40 6.30pm My Hollowed Fantasy, Resonance, Part Is Practice, As Rockets Fall St James Hotel, Sydney $10$12 9pm

Cabins

Neill Bourke O’Malley’s Hotel, Kings Cross 8pm Parris Mcleod Band Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Peabody, Machine Machine, Man & Woman Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville free 9pm Pete Hunt Chatswood RSL Club free 8pm Peter Long Panthers, Wallacia free 7pm Rear View - Pearl Jam Show Bull & Bish, Baulkham Hills Rob Henry Harboard Beach Hotel 8pm Sam and Jamie Duo Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel 8pm Sean O’Neill The Roxbury, Glebe Slow Down Honey, The Ruminaters, Toucan, Lancelot Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 5pm Stole & The Black Train Band Eastside Arts, Paddington $22$28 8.15pm Taberah, Metal Sabretung, Crimzon Lake Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm The Temptations, Nate Evans Campbelltown RSL $56.10 (+ bf) 8pm Tim Kendell Guildford Leagues Club free 8pm Tone Rangers Custom House Bar, Sydney free 7pm The Tongue, Master of Ribongia, Big Dumb Kid, DJ Migs Kings Cross Hotel free 8pm Venus Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill 8pm X, Carrie Phillis & the Downtown Three, The Young Docteurs Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm

Zac Slater Northies-Cronulla Hotel – Sports Bar 9pm

JAZZ

austrLYSIS Electroband, Bill Risby Trio St Luke’s Hall, Enmore $15-$20 7.30pm Armandito y Su Trovason 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (member)–$20 8.30pm Cafe Carnivale: Stole & the Black Train Band Eastside Arts, Paddington$22 (member)–$28 8pm Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Belinda Robinson, Kath Cox, Zachariah Sayed, Russell Neal Ryans Hotel, Thirroul free 8.30pm Pete The Belvedere Hotel free 7pm

COUNTRY

John Williamson Penrith Panthers, Evans Theatre $41.50 7.30pm

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 ROCK & POP

2 Days Hits Trio Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 8.30pm 2 Of Hearts Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm A-Live Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm

Andy Mammers Trio Cronulla RSL 8pm Ben Finn Brewhouse, Marayong 7.30pm Black Diamond Hearts Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay 9pm The Bonettes, The Maladies The Vanguard, Newtown $18 8pm Box Rockets, Collective Sounds System, Tracksuit (WA), Magic Happens Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills 6pm Brendan Deehan, Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks 4pm Cabins, Teeth & Tongue, The Gooch Palms GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $12 9pm Cherri Bomb Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney free 10.30pm Cool Change Maroubra RSL Club free 8.30pm Dave White Experience feat. Nicky Kurta Mean Fiddler Hotel – The Woolshed, Rouse Hill 9.30pm David Agius, Angi Dean Castle Hills RSL 6.30pm Double Whammy Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 8pm Dusty the Concert: Deni Hines, Monique Montez The Basement, Circular Quay $45 (+ bf) 9.30pm Finn with Moonshine Raby Tavern 8pm Fiona Leigh Jones Duo Harbord Beach Hotel 8pm Gary Johns Duo, Jonny Rock Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill 1pm Geoff Rana Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany 7pm

326,7,21 9$&$17

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wed

05 Oct

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

06 Oct

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

07 Oct (5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:30PM - 1:30AM))

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sat

08 Oct

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SATURDAY NIGHT

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

sun

09 Oct

SUNDAY NIGHT

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 43


g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Good Time Music Guildford Leagues Club free 8pm Heath Burdell PJ Gallaghers, Drummoyne 10pm Hue Williams Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton free 9pm Jason Norris, Dora D Duo Northies, Cronulla Hotel 5.30pm Jeff Duff Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Josh Rawiri, Declan Kelly, Anatoli Torjinsky Camelot, Marrickville 7.30pm Justine Clarke Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $28 (+ bf) 10am, 2pm Kooch – Journey of the Gypsies: Davood Tabrizi and The Far Seas Notes, Newtown $31.65 7pm Little Bastard, Whisky Indian November The Hong Kong Rock Club, Annandale Hotel free 4pm LJ Picton Hotel free 8pm Mandi Jarry Novotel, Menu 33, Rooty Hill 6pm Matt Jones Duo Clovelly Hotel 8.30pm Mono (Japan), No Anchor, Sleepmakeswaves Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $34– $40 (+ bf) 8pm New War, Unity Floors, Street Talk, Drum Drum, Sex Tape Black Wire Records, Annandale $10 7pm Nickleback Show Kiama Leagues Club free 9pm Peppermint Jam Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills 9.30pm Remixes Kingswood Sports Club free 8.30pm

Right Mind, Hurt Unit, Deadly Visions, Square One, Wrong Turn Valve Bar, Tempe 1pm Road Crew South Hurstville RSL Club free 9pm Robben Ford & The Renegade Creation (USA) The Factory Theatre, Enmore $65 (+ bf) 7pm Rock Monsters Oatley Hotel free 8.30pm Sam and Jamie Band Crows Nest Hotel 11.15pm Scott Donaldson Kirribilli Hotel 8pm Sonic Porno, Neon Heart, Collins Glass, Junkyard Diamonds, Blackie Valve Bar, Tempe 6pm St Leonards, Lissa, Bonic Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 8pm Talk It Up Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee free 11pm Ted Nash Manly Leagues Club free 8pm Terry Serio’s Ministry of Truth, Rose & Wegener, The Diamond Quills, The Square Capitol Square Hotel, Haymarket $12 8pm The Temptations, Nate Evans Bankstown Sports Club 8pm This Is Artcore: Feicks Device, Spectacles, The Fires Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Thompson Gunners Carousel Inn, Rooty Hill free Throwdown, Rampage, Frank Rizzo Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm Underlights, Made In Japan, Bachelor Pad, Flight Annandale Hotel $10 (+ bf) 7.30pm Velvet Hotel Padstow RSL Club free 6.30pm

Venus Mean Fiddler Hotel, Rouse Hill 6pm Wayne Pearce and the Big Hitters The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Zoltan Revesby Workers 9pm

JAZZ

The Arrebato Ensemble 505 Club, Surry Hills $20–$25 8.30pm Blue Moon Quartet Supper Club, Fairfield RSL Club free 7pm Chiloe, Paul McNamara Trio St Luke’s Hall, Enmore $15-$20 7.30pm James Morrison Quintet, Emma Pask North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray $40 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 5pm Vince Jones Lizottes, Dee Why $33 Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie, Tony Burkys, Paul Furniss, Bob Gillespie Penrith RSL Club free 2pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Hang Fire, Russell Neal Terrey Hills Tavern free 8.15pm Joyce Collins The Belvedere Hotel free 9pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 ROCK & POP

3 Way Split Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm

8 Ball Aitken Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo free 6pm Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm Andy Mammers Trio, Dan Spillane Mean Fiddler Hotel, Rouse Hill 12pm The Amity Affliction, Asking Alexandria (UK), Skyway The Big Top at Luna Park, Milsons Point $47.85 (+ bf) 8pm Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Cambo O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross 4pm Ceara Fox Kro Bar, East Leagues Club free 6pm David Agius Harbord Beach Hotel 7.30pm Finn Bald Rock Hotel, Rozelle 6pm HepConcert 2011: Beccy Cole, Denise Hanlon, Super Florence Jam, Supersede, Julia Clarke Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $25 (+ bf) 6pm Hue Williams Ocean Beath Hotel free 5pm Jezebel Kro Bar, Bondi Junction free 8pm Johnny G & The E-Types Botany View Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Kirk Burgess Waverley Bowling Club free 3pm Low Gear, Mick Quinn, Dirty Sweet, Jekyll and Hyde Valve Bar, Tempe 2pm Lucy DeSoto and The Handsome Devils Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm

L2 Kings Cross Hotel

Wednesday Oct 5

Friday Oct 7

The Amity Affliction

6pm FREE

8pm $12+bf oztix $15 door

6pm $18.40 oztix

Ampersand

Guerre

with

Matt Sztyk

Tin Sparrow

with

+

March of the Real Fly +

The Ghosts

Live to air broadcast!

Thursday Oct 6

THE NOMAD

LATE NIGHT DJs

THE DEAD LEAVES

10pm $15+bf oztix

midnight - 3am FREE

presented by Foreigndub with

Youth (Bris/EP Launch)

(Boy & Bear) 44 :: BRAG :: 432 : 03:10:11

Elevation U2 Acoustic Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm Glenn Whitehall Oatley Hotel free 2pm Shane MacKenzie Cohibar free 2pm Shivon The Belvedere Hotel free 5pm

McKISKO

+

Tim Hart

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

THE PAPER SCISSORS

+

+

Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection The Vanguard, Newtown $18 6.30pm Monks of Cool Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta 2pm The Peter Head Trio & Friends The Harbour View Hotel free The Umbrellas, Hannah James Group St Luke’s Hall, Enmore $15-$20 7.30pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Cronulla RSL free 12.30pm

Sunday Oct 9

Suitcase Royale

The Owls

JAZZ

Saturday Oct 8

Ben Wells & The Middle Names

8pm $10

Zoltan Terrace Bar, Panther, Penrith 1pm

www.fbisocial.com

TIGERTOWN 8pm $10

Mandi Jarry, The White Brothers Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill 1pm Matt Jones Duo Albion Hotel, Parramatta 4pm Mick Thomas, Shackleton, Van Walker, Liz Stringer Coogee Diggers 8pm Mike Bennett, Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks 6pm Reckless, Dave White Duo Northies, Cronulla Hotel 2.30pm River Rhythms: Scotty Baker Armory Wharf, Sydney Olympic Park free Robin Lee Sinclair Band Marrickville Bowling and Recreation Club, Marrickville free 4.30pm Sarah McLeod Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Screaming Sunday Annandale Hotel 12pm all ages The Temptations, Nate Evans Penrith Panthers 8pm Tony Williams Great Southern Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm

Max Gosford Budspells Foreigndub DJs

+

Disco Punx +

Frames

Emily Ulman +

Roller One


gig picks up all night out all week...

7 9 , : , 5 ; :

Booker T. Jones

3QVO[_WWL <PM ,MIL 4MI^M[

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8

triple j Unearthed launch party: New Navy, Nantes, Rufus, Elizabeth Rose Metro Theatre, Sydney free 7pm

Cabins, Teeth & Tongue, The Gooch Palms GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $12 9pm

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6

Mono (JPN), No Anchor, Sleepmakeswaves Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $34–$40 (+ bf) 8pm

Booker T. Jones, The Putbacks The Metro Theatre, Sydney $59 7pm Jack Ladder, Ghoul Brass Monkey, Cronulla $23.50Â 7pm The Dead Leaves, Matt Joe Gow, The Owls FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Darlinghurst $10 8pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 The Amity Affliction, Asking Alexandria (UK), Skyway The Big Top at Luna Park, Milsons Point $47.85 (+ bf) 6pm

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 Bon Chat, Bon Rat Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Emmanuel Jal, DJ Silvastone (UK), Dark $paid, MXC WOL, Macc-Too, Future Of Rap The Basement, Circular Quay $35 8pm

9 6 6 ; : 9 , . . ( , : 6 < 3

The Music of Tom Waits: Johnny Wishbone (The Snowdroppers), Mojo Juju, Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio), James Grim (Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders), Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla), Nick Finch The Vanguard, Newtown $35 (presale)–$40 6.30pm Peabody, Machine Machine, Man & Woman Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville free 9pm

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6*;6),9 ;/ BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 45


46 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


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

brag beats plus:

Baths

Sinden

inside

360 photo by Alex Weltlinger

autoKratz

on rotation

+ club guide + club snaps + columns

BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 47


dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

Galapagoose

DREAMCATCHER & JUNGLE SNAKE FOR SLOWBLOW Growing Up [Dreamcatcher]: One of my 1. first childhood memories of music

Xxxx

is watching ‘Kiss’ by Prince on the TV and fucking loving it. That, and my dad giving me an acid house compilation for my birthday when I was like 9… I lost it though. [Jungle Snake]: Prince was also a heavy feature in my early childhood; my mum has always loved his music. My dad introduced me to Daft Punk, Prodigy and Chemical Bros at age 12. The joys of having a young father.

2.

Inspirations Prince, Moodyman, Cameo, Soul Clap... Bringing the old with the new, you can never lose.

Your Crew DJs Dream Catcher and 3. Jungle Snake are SlowBlow. Think of it as spiritual and sacred synergy between two tribesmen...

4.

The Music You Make We have no releases to date, but we’re busy working

CRAZY P(ENIS) ALBUM

The Manchester outfit formally known as Crazy Penis, who now go round under the decidedly more PG moniker Crazy P, are about to drop their fifth studio album When We On through UK club imprint 2020 Vision, their first album since 2008’s Stop, Space, Return. Having established themselves in the late ‘90s with smooth instrumental house cuts such as ‘You Are We’, the band undertook a stylistic shift over their past few albums, which was largely influenced by the recruitment of vocalist Danielle Moore for

2002’s The Wicked Is Music. That album, and the ensuing LP A Night On Earth, showcased sounds that could be more easily adapted in a live setting, while their subsequent move to 2020 Vision could be seen as an attempt not to stray too far from their dancefloor roots (an intention apparent in cuts such as ‘Sonar’ off the latest album). Chris Todd of the band affirms that When We On is “a little bit more reflective and thoughtful than previous albums”. You can find that out for yourself when it’s released on October 14 through Balance Music/EMI in Australia.

Spank Rock

on a few projects to look out for in the coming months. We play disco/house and love all the stuff coming out on labels like Wolf + Lamb, Innervisions, Hot Creations, Visionquest and C.O.M.B.I. Our DJ sets are generally eclectic; we like to keep people guessing. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I think people have kinda forgotten how to party. We want to remind them. We really dig what James Murphy (DFA) and Tim Sweeney (BIS) are doing in NYC. They’re working on music, DJing, working in radio, making mixes and creating a community! Wolf + Lamb are on a similar vibe. That shit is important; there’s nothing worse than a soulless party. It would be great to create something exciting here in Sydney. We feel it’s happening slowly... Where: SLOWBLOW @ GoodGod Small Club When: Friday October 7

ABLETON LIVESCHOOL

So you’ve got this idea of yourself as the next Aphex Twin or Deadmau5, but just can’t make sense of 21st century recording tools. Well, Deadmau6, you’re in luck! The genii at Ableton Liveschool will be running a live and interactive masterclass on Saturday October 8 at FBI Social, which will feature insights from Michael Di Francesco (Van She Tech, Modular), Adam Maggs (Certified Ableton trainer), Flume (Future Classic) and Galapagoose (Max For Live guru) – live performances dappled with a bunch of hot tips. BRAG are giving away three passes to the masterclass – if you want one, just tell us what your signature DJ move will be once you make it.

VOID GO WEEKLY

The Void crew will launch their new weekly party on Friday October 14 at The Cellar (located on Harris St), a basement venue with no sound restrictions. Four years ago, Void were one of the first crews to push dubstep in Sydney, but in the words of the promoters themselves, “Dubstep [has since] passed its golden era and moved into commercial mediocrity”. Consequently, the Void parties now focus on “non-specific bass music, be it dubstep, drum and bass, techno or whatever”, with DJs given carte blanche to play whatever they like. The Void mandate advises, “Don’t expect any overhyped or overpriced internationals, no big name DJs, no superficial lighting shows or gimmicks; just straight up underground beats from DJs who know their stuff on what is arguably Sydney’s best sound system for bass heavy music – Hijack Sound.” Entry is $10, with further information available at voidsound.com

Aloe Blacc

THE FIELD’S LOOPING STATE OF MIND

Swedish ambient techno producer Axel Willner, aka The Field who toured Australia late last year, will release his third LP, Looping State Of Mind, on the Kompakt label later this month. Renowned by aficionados for his remixes of Battles and Thom Yorke, Wilner has previously completed a pair of accomplished LPs; the aptly named debut From Here We Go Sublime and its follow-up, Yesterday & Today, which moved away from the splintered shoegaze techno sounds of its predecessor towards krautrock influences and even a cover of the Korgis “classic” (using the term loosely), ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’. In a short statement, Wilner discussed his latest album, divulging: “Some of the ideas stretching back to the debut are still there. But we’ve just made a real attempt to grow the sound.” Resident Advisor’s review provides significantly more cause for excitement, with the release being hailed as Wilner’s “most diverse and satisfying statement to date”.

FIELD DAY 2012 LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Fuzzy has announced the lineup for its annual New Year’s Day fiesta, Field Day, which showcases a broad assortment of club, pop and rock(ish) drawcards. Headlining Field Day 2012 is the French duo Justice, who will be revealing their new live show, Crystal Castles, the multi-talented Moby playing a DJ set, Turbo Recordings’ main man Tiga, Ed Banger head honcho Busy P, dubstep proponents Skream and Benga, Gotye, Metronomy, Yuksek (live), Spank Rock, Jack Beats performing live, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Foreign Beggars and 12th Planet. There’s also the enticing promise of “plenty more” to be announced, which will include a comprehensive local lineup. Register at fielddaynyd.com.au for your opportunity to purchase pre-sales from midday October 6 at $128 (+bf), before ticket sales open up to the serfs a week later. You also have the opportunity of purchasing the aptly named ‘More Expensive Ticket’ for $230, which offers an array of extras – VIP cocktail bars, no queuing etc – for those looking to have a more indulgent start to the year.

AEROPLANE MIX IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Vito De Luca, the sole pilot behind the Aeroplane moniker following the departure of former production partner Stephen Fasano, will release a new mix CD called In Flight Entertainment later in the month on Eskimo Recordings. The compilation features cuts from Poolside, Kris Menace, Kolombo, Cosmonauts, James Curd and Moonlight Matters, and apparently evolved from Aeroplane’s eponymous radio show on the Belgian station PureFM. In Flight Entertainment is apparently very much on the synth driven nu-disco, tech house tip, and also offers a new Aeroplane production, ‘Save Me Now’.

ALOE BLACC TOUR

In addition to his performances at the Falls Festivals in Tasmania and Victoria, and the Southbound Festival in WA, Los Angeles soul titan Aloe Blacc will also perform an all-ages Sydney show at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday January 4. A former consultant at Ernst & Young, Blacc – aka Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins – was responsible for last year’s successful single ‘I Need A Dollar’, an anguished credit-crunch anthem about a man made jobless by the recession. The track was something of a game-changer for Blacc, with the accompanying album Good Things being lauded as a confident appropriation of the soul zeitgeist of the 1970s. Blacc will be supported by Australian trio Electric Empire and Maya Jupiter, with presale tickets available online.

“if I share with you my story would you share your dollar with me,”- ALOE BLACC 48 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


NEW ALBUM OUT FRI OCT 7 FEATURING ‘WE LOVE’ & ‘BIG’ SNEAKYSOUNDSYSTEM.COM

MODULARPEOPLE.COM BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 49


dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

he said she said WITH

Choc Quib Town

NICK MCMARTIN

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rowing up, my older brother tried to influence my musical inclinations with a strong rock flavour while, from the other direction, my sister was trying to drown me in a vat of cheesy Madonna. To this day the most valuable sonic wisdom came from my father, who introduced me to strictly classical geniuses like Mahler. I can draw inspiration and creativity from every aspect of all that surrounds me. Everything is like a vibration which has its own unique tone, and can be used as a stroke somewhere in any masterpiece. I’m constantly learning how those strokes fit into my art. As for direct inspiration, people like Emerson Todd, Wehbba, Mihai Popoviciu, Dyed Soundoron, Martin Buttrich, and Kollective Turnstrasse. These are the people that are keeping our ball rolling and our ship a-floatin’. I roll with the Organic Audio Crew, which includes myself, Robbie Lowe, Pash Mann and Eduardo Perlo. I’m also working closely with the guys from SASH and Kontrast. Week to week I hide myself in my studio, basically just doing my thing. From my perspective, my job is to make the dancers throb back and forth deep into the night. To lose themselves and get down to

the chunks and grooves. Do I label it by genre or sound? Why should I? I play what needs to be played in that particular moment in that particular space in time, somewhere between deep, slammin’, tech and minimal. My first release was a remix track for Emerson Todd alongside REBOOT. Then I had a special invite from Dopeamine to remix the first release on his new label with Deepchild. For my latest release, I was handpicked to contribute to Melbourne label Pink Silver alongside their favourite established and upcoming Australian artists. The underground dance music scene in Sydney has been somewhat struggling. Promoters and parties were locked in competition, but now they’re working together, and the future looks bright. We all want the same thing, and new kids need exposure to our sound. It’s really positive to see the great group of regular faces week in week out at all of these parties. And it’s only on the up and up. I’m just throwing sunshine at it, baby! What: Franchi Brothers, Claire Morgan, Javi Sampol, Kerry Wallace, Tom Brereton, Pash Mann and more Where: Infused @ Hunky Dory Social Club When: Saturday October 8

Jamie xx, Blawan and Modeselektor, the latter of whom are themselves gearing up to release their new album Monkeytown, which features collaborations with none other than Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.

Onra

THE MAGICIAN TOUR

Enigmatic figure The Magician it set to embark on his first Australian tour in support of his new single ‘I Don’t Know What To Do ft. Jeppe’, which has just been released on the Parisian electronic label Kitsune (also the Japanese word for fox). The Magician broke through on the back of his cult mix series The Magic Tapes and his remixes of Lykke Li, Yuksek, Beni and Future Classic’s very own Perth band Scenic. He’s also collaborated with France’s Yuksek (who is appearing at Field Day 2012) under the Peter and The Magician moniker. The Magician will perform in the opulent surrounds of Ivy Pool Bar on Sunday November 20.

PURA VIDA

If Shakira is the closest you’ve come to authentic Latin grooves, then you’re in need my friend. Luckily, we’ve got the remedy, and it comes in the shape of the Grammy-winning Choc Quib Town. These guys are the original Afro-Columbian hip hop trio, and they’re down here with Brazilian hip hop sensation Renegado for the travelling Pura Vida Latin Music Festival. If you’re in need of a little Latin loving (and who isn’t), we’ve got a double pass to the double-whammy bill at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday October 6; just email BRAG a description of your favourite dance move...

THE SPICE CELLAR

New venue The Spice Cellar, the labour of love of the Reckless Republic crew, has finally opened its doors, with certain BRAG employees enjoying the generous spread offered at last Wednesday night’s industry launch – for once, we behaved ourselves – and checking out the impressive confines of the club first hand. The Spice Cellar is an atmospheric lounge bar and club located in the basement level of the heritage Overseas Union Bank building at 58 Elizabeth Street in Martin Place, and will be run by the same crew who are behind the renowned after-hours clubbing brand Spice – meaning that Sydney finally has a club owned by music lovers with a penchant for quality house and techno. If you have not yet been to the Spice Cellar, there are several events that should entice you to the venue throughout October, with the likes of Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir, Burnski and Terence Parker all set to play there over the next few weeks.

Architecture In Helsinki

ONRA DOWN UNDER

France’s Onra will tour Australia for the first time later this month, and is set to perform at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday November 3. Born and based in Paris, Onra (or Arnaud Bernaud, as he is known by his close friends and, indeed, his enemies) first appeared on his producer friend Quetzal’s 2006 collaborative album, Tribute. Since then the Red Bull Music Academy attendee has grown in stature through releases like his 2010 record Long Distance, and has garnered accolades for being a beat blender who melds hip hop, disco, electronic and Chinese funk influences all in the name of what Leigh Dennis describes as injecting “a bit of greasy love and boogie onto our dance floors”. Onra’s tour acts as an appetiser ahead of his forthcoming LP, Chinoseries 2, which is due for release in November.

GLIMPSE THIS WEEKEND

UK producer Glimpse returns to Australia to play at HaHa’s next ‘Versus’ party this Saturday at Marrickville Bowling Club. A brief glance at Glimpse’s body of work affirms that he is worthy of his bourgeoning reputation in the underground scene; a founding member of the London-based, Kompakt-distributed Glimpse Recordings imprint, Glimpse has remixed the likes of Robert Babicz, been remixed by a certain Carl Craig, and has released on labels like Cadenza, Buzzin’ Fly and Planet E prior to dropping his debut LP, Runner, on Damian Lazarus’ reinvigorated Crosstown Rebels label 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 online.

DISTORTION FT KOAN SOUND

Fast-rising UK bass double act KOAN Sound will headline the forthcoming Distortion bash at Fake Club on Friday October 21. Signed

to Skrillex’s Owsla label, KOAN Sound’s performances are associated with “dark gripping baselines” but are not restrained by conventional approaches like staying within the secure confines of a single genre. An elaborate support cast of DJs has been assembled, headed by Distortion residents Rubio and Guillotine, as well as Glovecats, Paul Fraser, The Unthinkables, Farj, Saiko, Enochi and DJ Toppsey. Visuals will be provided by Morph, with MC DTech laying down some vocals atop the beats. Doors open at 9pm, with presale tickets available online for $25.

RADIOHEAD REMIX ALBUM

Radiohead have just released TKOL RMX 1234567, a 2xCD/digital set compiling all officially commissioned remixes of tracks from their most recent album, The King Of Limbs. Throughout the English summer – ie the dreary Sydney winter – Radiohead have been issuing a new 12-inch every fortnight, featuring remixes by producers who are currently “exciting and inspiring” them. TKOL RMX 1234567 compiles the King Of Limbs remixes, and features reworks from Caribou, Lone, Pearson Sound, Four Tet, Shed, Illum Sphere, Anstam, SBTRKT,

FALCONA NYE ON THE HARBOUR

Falcona have announced details of their NYE bash, which will be held at the harbourside location of Cargo Bar – a prime firework-viewing vantage point. The lineup will feature a live performance from quirky pop proponents Architecture In Helsinki, who released their latest album Moment Bends earlier this year on Modular Records, the Yacht Club DJs, who wowed the Parklife audiences with their sprightly take on nu disco and house mores, French Horn Rebellion, direct from the USA, and Sampology. Joining the fray will be the Sosueme DJs and local producer Luke Million, responsible for the hit track ‘Arnold’. Early bird tickets go on sale from midday Monday October 10 for $89, through www.cargonye.com

“Stop bailing out the banks and give the Franklins to me,” - ALOE BLACC 50 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


360 Taking Flight By Nils Hay ith his sophomore album, Falling & Flying, just days from release, Melbourne rapper Mat Colwell – aka 360 – is, in a word, excited. “It’s been such a long time coming,” he says. “I’m just pumped to get it out so that everyone can hear it.”

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Although recording was finished by the middle of last year, the release has been delayed twice – the first time because of a go-kart ride, and a subsequent trip to the intensive care unit. I can’t help but ask… “We’d finished the album and we were up in Sydney mixing it, and Bliss N Eso wanted to take me go-karting for my birthday,” he begins. “I wanted to get in a kart, and they wouldn’t let me because I was a bit drunk. Eso was just like, ‘Jump in with my missus, get in the little child seat.’” So what went wrong? “First corner, she goes straight into the fence; I ended up going forward straight into the little child’s steering wheel.” A ruptured scrotum, lacerated pancreas and a torn artery later, the record was on ice. The delay did have an upside though: the extra time allowed Colwell to refine Falling & Flying, adding some new material and removing a couple of tracks – one of which was the freely downloadable ‘I Hate You’. Like a lot of the record, the song draws from his personal life. “That kind of stuff really comes out the easiest for me; the real personal venting kind of shit. If I’ve got shit going on in my life, that’s what I like writing about,” he says. “There’s a song on there called ‘I Hope You Don’t Mind’ … and it’s really full-on, airing out all my insecurities and stuff like that.” It’s not easy to put yourself out there, he says, and the track nearly didn’t make the cut. “One of my friends told me I shouldn’t put it out, but in the end I was like, ‘Nah, I’ve gotta do it.’”

almost got 400,000 fans – and they’ve got it in the bag, really.” (Although you’d think after that go-kart incident they owe him one…) Despite the nomination, the buzz about the album, and the weeks of promotion he’ll be doing before the national tour, 360 is keen to just start writing again already. “I’ve got so much shit that I want to write about at the moment,” he says. “I really want to try to do that in between, even before the tour; try to get a few songs done and out there.” Some artists are coy about their goals, but not this one. “When I wrote [Falling & Flying], I was like, ‘I want to blow this shit out of the water,’” he admits, proudly. “That’s just the goal of an artist in general; to be one of the biggest hip hop acts in the country, have the best live show, have a massive following and really try and be the best.” What: Falling & Flying is out now on EMI Where: The Annandale Hotel When: Saturday November 12

“When I wrote Falling & Flying, I was like, ‘I want to blow this shit out of the water.’ That’s just the goal of an artist in general; to be one of the biggest hip hop acts in the country.”

It’s not all deep, soul-baring stuff though; there are a few fun tracks as well, not to mention a wider variety of musical influences than his debut What You See Is What You Get. He admits that recently he’s been taking in a lot less hip hop in an attempt to diversify his sound. “I got the whole Beatles back catalogue, and have just been listening to them flat-out,” he tells me. “I was listening to stuff like The Presets and Miike Snow and bands like that too; every time I’d listen to them I’d imagine rapping on them and thought, ‘These choruses would sound so good with raps around them.’” Together with producer Styalz Fuego, who’s resume takes in hip hop, dance, dubstep and electro, 360 set out to make a more eclectic record this time around. “We’d go into the studio and start making a beat, and wherever that beat went naturally, that’s where we went. We didn’t set out to make a specific type of sound.” It’s this experimentation that lead to the hit single ‘Just Got Started’, which features a vocal hook from Berlin-based indie rock outfit The Whitest Boy Alive. “I went to Styalz’s house during the day and he had played the song and made a beat from it and said, ‘You guys should use this, just for a free one on the internet; just do a remix of it,’” Colwell recalls. “When we finished it we thought, ‘This could be huge.’” 360 is not the only rapper experimenting with sound these days, and he thinks the scene is stronger for it. “The dudes coming up are really great songwriters, really open-minded musically and they’re just making really great music.” He compares the current scene to his early years: “When I was in high school and I told people I was into hip hop, it was like ‘You want to be black’ or ‘You want to be American.’ Or ‘You’re not a gangsta’ – shit like that.” These days though, he finds it’s the teenage market that’s fuelling the boom of local hip hop, both as the consumers and as the talent. “That’s the cool thing,” he enthuses. “There’s heaps of 14-year-olds trying to rap.” The huge and loyal following enjoyed by local hip hop artists is evidenced by this year’s AIR Awards; four of the ten nominees up for the fanvoted ‘Most Hunted’ category are hip hop acts, 360 included. Colwell, ever the competitive sort, admits that he’s been hitting up his mailing list and trying to drum up some votes – but he’s not overconfident. “All Bliss N Eso need to do is just three posts on Facebook – because they’ve BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 51


Baths Hazy Constellations By Alasdair Duncan

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ill Wiesenfeld is a new breed of musician – an electronic music prodigy, he has been recording and releasing laptop-based music under various aliases since the age of 14, making most of it available for free online. Last year, under the name Baths, he released his first ‘official’ album, Cerulean – recorded in his bedroom in a little over two months, it consisted of hazy, gorgeous, glitched-out electronica, and was lauded by Pitchfork, the AV Club, and just about every other place on the internet that likes to laud good music. Wiesenfeld is also one of the sweetest guys you’re ever likely to come across; the young musician is a self-confessed nerd, a lover of Miyazaki films and board games. When I call him for our interview, he is finishing dinner, which consists of a bowl of Frosted Flakes. He’s that kind of guy. Though known for electronic music, Weisenfeld credits his success to the piano lessons he was forced to take as a youngster. “It took a while to realise how important the piano was to me,” he says. “When I was growing up, I wasn’t emotionally attached to what I was playing – it was mechanical and rigid, just like exercise. After I stopped for a while and came back to it, though, I realised the benefits of having technical skill on the piano, and musicianship, because I was able to carry that over to a lot of things. I’m glad my parents pressed me to do it, because it turned out to be invaluable. The good thing about being able to play the piano is that it just helps ideas come out that much faster – if you have an idea for a melody, you don’t need to take a really long time trying to figure it out, you can just sit down and get it out immediately. The opposite of that is true as well – if you don’t have any ideas at all, you can sit down and play until you catch a

melody, and you’ll be like, ‘Holy shit, where did that come from?’” The music he makes, with its lush, hazy ambience, is often compared to the likes of Toro Y Moi and Flying Lotus, but Weisenfeld’s biggest musical inspiration is Björk. “I’m kind of religious about her,” he says with a laugh. “I saw her in 2003, after Vespertine came out but before Medulla. That show was the first time I heard the song ‘Desired Constellation’, which went on to be probably my favourite song of hers. It was so weird and so quiet. All the elements in music I obsess over, every one of them is in that song. It’s not her best vocal delivery, but sonically, it’s my favourite performance of hers.” Wiesenfeld it coming to Australia next month, with a live show that he promises is going to be exciting (“very danceable and entertaining, and hopefully lots of fun”) – but foremost on his mind right now is his next release as Baths. “The album I’m working on now is the one I wanted to make before Cerulean,” he tells me, “but I didn’t think it would make sense to debut with a really dark album. I wanted to do something more fun and easy the first time around, more of a pop record, something accessible. That was Cerulean. This next thing is going to be a lot more complex and a lot more fucked-up and weird and darker,” he says. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’ve had a lot of ideas brewing, so it’s going to be fun to get that stuff out there.” With: SBTRKT, Ghostpoet, Lunice, Mitzi, Electric Wire Hustle, Tiger & Woods and more Where: Música/Tumbalong @ Tumbalong Park When: Saturday October 22

autoKratz An Evolution By RK

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avid Cox and Russell Crank met under interesting circumstances. So much so that one wonders why punches weren’t thrown – but it’s possibly because the first thing they could talk about was writing music. “Dave and I actually met outside a club one night and we were both a little the worse for wear,” Crank tells me. “I actually ended up being sick all over Dave and his new shoes, but he wasn’t going to beat me up! In fact, after talking we realised we were into the same stuff and the same kinds of music. So one thing led to another; we got some guitars and synths and samples, and got some ideas out. After a couple of tunes, we did some shows around London, and we did a demo to a label and they were really into it – so it all took off from there!” Indeed, their subsequent releases – Down And Out In Paris And London EP and their debut LP, Animal – both did well and took the duo to a lot of different places, exposing them to new people and new sounds. But now, with their sophomore record Self Help For Beginners, autoKratz have changed things up a bit. “It really worked a treat,” chimes Crank, talking of the recording process for the album, which is out now through their fresh label Bad Life. “We spent some time in the countryside working on the new album and things began to take shape; we really felt that we had a body of work that was exactly where we wanted to be. I guess we refer to it as our second album, but either way it’s definitely an evolution for us. We got more confident with our songwriting and the direction we wanted to go in, and also the producers we were working with.”

While the boys admit that this record is more mature than their last releases, it doesn’t lose the charm that their music has had in the past; the songs were crafted in the same measured way as their other releases. “For us, the focus was more on the songwriting and the quality of the tunes; we dig the banging moments, but we’re passionate about covering a whole bunch of different sounds.” The boys clearly aren’t one trick ponies delving into a single genre and sticking to it. The opportunity to work with a diverse array of collaborators like Peter Hook (Joy Division and New Order), Andrew Innes (Primal Scream) and Jagz Kooner means that Self Help For Beginners has a naturally-evolved sound, and it’s not without moments of the tech or electro flavours that the duo have become well known for over the years. “We’ve just tried to make it more rounded,” Crank says. “We both play what we need to play – there is a lot more bass guitar and stuff. The collaborations are great. We got to work with great people and it all came together really well. We even had a few surprises on there from a collaboration point of view as well. We love our hooks and nothing felt more perfect than having a few cool basslines mixed over some really nice sounds.” With luck, autoKratz could be bringing their freshly squeezed tunes down under shortly, too. “Man, last time we were there, it was the most amazing tour of my life,” Crank says of their previous Australian trip. “It was an experience like nothing else – it just continues the cycle of doing cool stuff, again and again!” What: Self Help For Beginners is out now on Bad Life, through Fuse Music

Sinden Weird Dance Music By Alasdair Duncan

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K beat-maker Sinden has been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles recently, and though he’s enjoying the beaches and the fair weather, it’s America’s new-found openness to dance music that’s getting him truly excited. “The perception of dance music here is changing,” he tells me, “and hip hop musicians are becoming a lot more open to it. It’s really good to be able to come over here, making the weird dance music I make, and feel like I fit in. People drive around here blasting dance music out of their cars, rappers are curious about the possibilities of dance music – overall, it feels like a really good time.” While in Los Angeles, Sinden tells me that his aim is to collaborate with as many different people as he can, and at the top of his wish-list is the rapper Kreayshawn – finding the time to work with her may, however, be tricky. “You know this girl, right?” he asks me. “She had a big track, ‘Gucci Gucci’. I’m desperate to work with her, but funnily enough she’s actually in the UK now, and I’m over here! Hopefully there will be a date when we can actually get together and do something. We’ve been talking about it for a long time, so I’m really hoping we can hook that up.” Sinden definitely knows how to pick talent – his last protégé was Katy B who, not long after appearing on the Mega Mega Mega album, went on to very big things indeed. “There’s a track she did a few years back, called ‘Tell Me’,” he says. “It wasn’t even hers, actually, she was a guest on it, but she completely owned it…

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We were so impressed that we tracked her down and convinced her to work with us.” As for the album she brought out this year, Sinden is a fan. “She’s made a pop record, but it’s an interesting one,” he says. “She’s still in the underground, she knows what’s going on. She’s becoming a bit of a dubstep icon, and she’s doing a really positive thing for popular music.” Sinden is a big fan of the festival experience – not only playing to big crowds, but just walking around and soaking up the atmosphere – and he is excited to be heading to our part of the world again for the Fat As Butter festival. “I’ve done a lot of festivals over the northern summer, some really good ones in the UK and Europe,” he says. It’s good that I can come down to Australia in October and get to play in front of big audiences and live the festival lifestyle for a bit longer. It’s going to be spring in Australia which makes it even sweeter, given that the weather back at home in England is probably going to be miserable.” Sinden is coming down here to DJ, so I ask what new music is getting him excited at the moment. “Well, in terms of the stuff I’m listening to at home, I love the Gang Gang Dance record,” he tells me. “That’s one of my favourites of the year, although I wouldn’t necessarily play it out. As for club records, the new Modeselektor stuff is really good,” he continues. “Then there’s the Crookers project, Dr Gonzo, and all the Marble Music stuff, like Surkin and Teki Latex. It’s fun and you

can play it out and it works really well on big sound systems. I might play some of my new productions as well – there are some solo tracks that I think will go really well in a big festival setting, so I really want to get them finished before I come down.”

With: Flight Facilities, Empire Of The Sun, The Living End, British India and many more Where: Fat As Butter @ The Foreshore, Newcastle When: Saturday October 22


Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

LOOKING DEEPER

Soul Sedation

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

Boom Bip

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8

Glimpse Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29 Philip Bader Subsonic Boat Cruise

Mad Racket ft Recloose Marrickville Bowling Club Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir The Spice Cellar

Radioslave asterful producer Matt Edwards, aka Radioslave, will unveil a new compilation in November entitled Works (Selected Remixes 2006 - 2010), a triple CD release on his Rekids label. Comprised entirely of Edwards’ own material, each CD was collated by Matt himself to showcase different aspects of his approach to the remix oeuvre. The first CD collates remixes of vocalled tracks such as UNKLE’s ‘Burn My Shadow’, Trentemøller‘s ‘Moan’ and the melancholic stonker that is Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia’s ‘Dead Souls’. Disc two purportedly showcases “rawer, tougher” dancefloor remixes from fellow electronic artisans like Peace Division, Roman Flugel, Len Faki and Mr G, while the final disc is one for the purists, collecting Matt’s ‘Panorama Garage Remixes’, boasting slow-burning, transcendental remixes of Jamie Anderson, Chicken Lips, and (my personal favourite) the rip-roaring remix of Minilogue’s ‘Space’. What a banger that is.

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Experimental Viennese techno trio Elektro Guzzi, comprised of guitarist Bernhard Hammer, bassist Jakob Schneidewind, and drummer Bernhard Breuer, are set to release a new album, Parquet, on Stefan Goldmann and Finn Johannsen’s avant garde Macro imprint. Lauded as an act resembling “Liquid Liquid for a digital age”, Elekto Guzzi are all about organic approaches to electronic music, performing everything live in real time. Parquet features nine cuts of dark, heady techno, all, of course, played live and recorded straight to analog tape with no edits or overdubs. Given that Elekto Guzzi’s ethos is based on laying down material live, and their resultant reputation for putting on a rollicking live show, I’d also advise you to check out their Live P.A. album, which captures the band’s performance at the Red Bull Music Academy in London last year.

Those waiting on Parquet will need to wait a while longer – the album is due to hit shelves in November (maybe an online pre-order is advisable given the esoteric nature of this release). One of the more respected figures in the deep house milieu, Peter M. Kersten, aka Lawrence, has just released a new compilation, Timeless, through the Cocoon label. Lawrence runs the Dial imprint together with Carsten Jost, a bastion of immaculately-constructed ‘thinking man’s dance music’. As the compilation’s title suggests, the mix is not your standard collection of the latest ‘flavour of the month’ tracks. Instead, Kersten draws on 16 years of productions, including milestones of stripped-back deep house such as the Chez Damier, Ron Trent and Stacey Pullen collaboration ‘Forever Monna’ from 1995, and 1999’s ‘Overcome’ by Thomas Melchior/Baby Ford, alongside contemporary homages to Detroit techno such as Delano Smith’s ‘My Life’ and Pigon’s fantastic dub tech cut ‘Beatmatching’, which was included on the highly recommended 10-Years-Anniversary compilation of Dial Records. Timeless also features cuts from well-known names like Aril Brikha, Isolée and Robert Hood, while Roman Flügel offers ‘Brian Le Bon’, a track based on Duran Duran’s ‘Save A Prayer’. Paris-based duo Sebastien Chenut and Maud Geffray, aka Scratch Massive, will release their third album, Nuit De Rêve, later this month on the Pschent label (test your pronunciation on that one!). Having dabbled in electro-rock and techno, this third album will see the duo take on something of a new wave flavour. Nuit De Rêve (Dream Night) features guest vocals from ex-Bronski Beat and Communards singer Jimmy Somerville, Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson of Gus Gus and Parisian DJ and producer Chloé of Kill the DJ fame. Any Somerville / tech house fans are urged to check out Bjorn Wilke’s ‘Moody’ remix of ‘It’s No Good’ – an underrated gem from a few years back. Given the quality of the guests on Nuit De Rêve, the album is certainly worth seeking out once it’s released. Elektro Guzzi

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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o. If you missed last week’s column: a) you’re forgiven, just don’t let it happen again; b) put this in your googles now: Azealia Banks – ‘212’. I’ll be surprised if you’re disappointed. So, Boom Bip is a name I haven’t heard for a while, but I’ve certainly celebrated a lot of his previous work on the electronica tip. His ‘05 album Blue Eyed In The Red Room, and in particular the track ‘The Move’, is A-grade killer stuff, and worth the effort to track down. The Ohio-based production wizard has returned with a new record entitled Zig Zaj, and the first song off the rank is a collab with Money Mark (of the Beastie Boys) called ‘Manabozh’. It’s a strange track to my mind, and lands a long, long way from the work I know him for; a dark, moody grungy kind of thing. Man’s certainly got some good contacts though, as members of Franz Ferdinand, Empire Of The Sun and Bon Iver all feature on the new long-player as well. More new music: fresh release out from J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science. Undercover is his fourth album, and features badass emcee Lateef The Truthspeaker, among others. Fans of San Fran house, Farina’s Mushroom Jazz series and all things soulful will want to get on board, it’s out through OM records. To the point where reggae, future dub and electronic meet, King Midas Sound’s Waiting For You has undergone the remix treatment. Kevin Martin (The Bug) is the producer of the group: “We have chosen collaborators who we feel are very much on our wavelength as either singers or producers. We linked up with people we feel a kinship with… artists who exist beyond the borders and formulas. We like exploring the freak zones where originality is the key. This revisioned/ reversioned album is about collaboration and mutation; it’s not just another hire-the-bignames marketing product. We worked with people we know and/or respect.” You’ll hear versions from D:Bridge, Flying Lotus, Cooly G, Mala as well as Deepchord presents Echospace. Well, this all sounds very promising. Sydney experimental electronica royalty Sub Bass Snarl are to perform their final ever show this month, as one of the pair plans to leave the country for good. The outfit have been involved in everything from the early acid techno parties in Sydney and surrounds, to legendary dub picnics in the inner west, to producing experimental fringe DnB, to hosting the Paradigm Shift radio show and spawning the legendary Frigid club night. SBS will play the show – a three-hour special – under the Void banner, and you’re tipped to hear some seminal classics on the night. It goes down on October 21 at at new Sydney venue The Cellar (Cnr Harris Street and Broadway). Speaking of Void, that juggernaut rolls on as the promoters launch a weekly party at The Cellar. It kicks off on Friday October 14, is straightforwardly titled Weekly Bass Music, and what follows is their glaringly

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

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

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 Electric Empire Upstairs Beresford

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 Música/Tumbalong Tumbalong Park

Watussi, The Liberators, Afro Nomad The Basement

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29 Silkie, Jon Convex Oxford Art Factory London Elektricity Arthouse Hotel

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3 Onra Oxford Art Factory

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 Mulatu Astatke Factory Theatre

FRIDAY DECEMBER 9 Hermitude The Standard

straightforward concept: “we are not going to tell you who the DJs are as it shouldn’t matter. Don’t expect any overhyped or overpriced internationals, no big name DJs, no superficial lighting shows or gimmicks, just straight up underground beats from DJs who know their stuff on what is arguably Sydney’s best sound system for bass heavy music – Hijack Sound. $10 entry each week with $5 beers and house spirits all night.” You can expect the best in dubstep, DnB, techno, electronic and grime and old skool (although I wish they hadn’t used the term old skool as it remains the most vague, least relevant label in dance music). Soul Sedation will see you down there. On the local live front: Electric Empire will appear Upstairs @ The Beresford, on October 13 to launch their new single, ‘Yes I Will’. Fans of gospel, soul, jazz and funk will get into this groove and get into the very excellent Danny G Felix Project, on support duty. Electric Empire’s EP is out next year. And congratulations to Newcastle three-piece The Last Kinection who were awarded two DEADLYS last week. The outfit won Best Single for ‘Happy People ft Lotek’ as well as taking out Best Band. Their sophomore record Next Of Kin is due out in late October, and you can hear the new single ‘Are We There Yet?’ – which features Simone Stacey – on triple j right now. All coming out on the Elefant Traks label.

Send stuff for this column to tonyedwards001@gmail.com by 6pm Wednesdays. All pics to art@thebrag.com BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 53


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

club pick of the week

Starfuckers DJs

Dirtyphonics

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5

The World Bar, Kings Cross

The Wall

Dirtyphonics (Fr), 16 Tacos, Double Goose, Adrian Gidaro, Glovecats, Spenda C, Allsorts, Special K free 9pm MONDAY OCTOBER 3 Favela, Kings Cross Subsonic & Chemistry Present Adultnapper (USA), Bump DJs, Glitch DJs, Jimi Polar, Jordan Deck, Marcotix, Matt Weir, Mesan, MSG, Simon Caldwell, T n A, Trinity $10-$15 12pm Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale Monday Jam Danny J Felix, Djay Kohina free 9pm Scubar. Sydney Crab Racing 7pm The Spice Cellar, Basement Level, 58 Elizabeth St Spice Luke MCD, Murat Kilic $20 4am

TUESDAY OCTOBER 4 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel DJ Willie Sabor free The Flinders Hotel Moonshakes DJs free 9pm 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 Conrad Greenleaf, Karaoke free

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5 Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Palace Uni Night DJs free 9pm Big Top Luna Park, Milsons Point iD Black Under 18s Music Festival Tatanka, Scope DJ, Ravine, Pulsar, Suae, Skinny, Smash Palace, MC Anthony, Alterior Motivez, D-Forcerz, Kid Finley, Anfinity, DJ Lay, Esskay, Big Dan $34.30$86.60 6pm Cargo Lounge, Sydney Menage a Trois 5pm

The Flinders Hotel Deadbeat and Hazy free 9pm Home Nightclub, Sydney I Heart Unipackers DJs The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Student Nights DJ Moussa The Ranch Hotel, Sydney Black Light Party 2.0 DJ Nino, Joey Kaz, Dim Sim free 9pm Scubar, Sydney Schoonerversity 3pm Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Sincopa free 7pm Theloft, Sydney Piano Man 6pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Dirtyphonics (France), 16 Tacos, Double Goose, Adrian Gidaro, Glovecats, Spenda C, Allsorts, Special K free

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 Bank Hotel, Newtown Paul Master (NZ), Jeremy Kirschner 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Drop Five Coffees, Empire Rising, Mike Who, Ability free 8pm Cargo Lounge, Sydney Thursday’s I’m In Love! $5 5pm The Cool Room, Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill Starf*ckers DJs 9pm Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory Bass Drop Bass Drop DJs free 8pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Tenzin, Cadell, Zannon, DJ K-Note free 8pm Hugo’s Lounge, Sydney Bad Apple $5 8pm Ivy, Sydney Ivy Live 5pm Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale Indie Warhol free 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Chocquibtown, Renegado (Brazil) $55 (+ bf) 8pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Hot Damn $12-$15 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Flaunt 9pm Scubar, Sydney $5 Everything Thursdays DJs The Sly Fox, Enmore Inhale Foreigndub free 9pm Star Bar, Sydney Thirsty Thursdays 8pm Theloft, Sydney Thursdays at Theloft Nad, Stu Turner, Mr Belvedere The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Chappers free (student)-$5

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 34 South, Bondi Hip Hop Fridays DJ Amber Jane free 8pm 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 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Movement Bon Chat Bon Rat free 8pm Broadway Lounge, Ultimo Rat Race Vinyl DJs free 8pm The Burdekin, Darlinghurst DJs 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Liquid Sky 8pm Cargo Lounge, Sydney Good Fridays Rogers Room, Ember, Bangers N’ Mash, Kid Crookes, Docey Doe 5pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Boss Bass Pop The Hatch vs Creeptown, Hydraulix, Bruxism, Autoclaws, Masaki, Bass Riot, Aztec, MC Enkae $15-$20 10pm Cohibar Guest DJ, DJ Anders Hitchcock, DJ Mike Silver free Factory Theatre, Enmore East West Dance Party DJ Taba, Nina Las Vegas, DJ Farid, DJ Saman Santori, MC A.J. $37.50 (+ bf) 9pm FBi Social, Kings Cross Hotel The Nomad (NZ), Budspells, Max Gosford, Foreigndub $15 10pm Gaelic Club, Surry Hills Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney DJ Cadell 5pm Gaelic Club, Surry Hills Shitdisco DJs (UK), Bitrok, Age Of Consent (UK) $20 (+ bf) 8pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! Count Doyle free 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney The (Deep) Acid House Bang Gang, Slow Blow, Softwar, Finger Prince $10 10pm Gypsey Lounge, Darlinghurst Warp Speed Various DJs 9pm Home Nightclub, Sydney Sublime DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Devola, Starjumps, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. DJs, Stoney Roads, Jared Reyes $10 8pm

Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJs free Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Fridays DJ Tone free 9pm Richmond Inn DJ Idol free 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Club Onyx DJ Mish, Dim Sim, DJ D, Discokid 9pm Scubar, Sydney Jagermeister Fridays DJs 7pm Settlement Bar, Sydney Spoilt Andrew Wowk 6pm Shark Hotel, Sydney Pulse8 Jono, Guest DJs free Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney Mixtape free 6pm Space, Sydney Zaia Savvy, Edo, D’Kutz, Em-Tee, Ming, Ace, Flipz, DJ Sefu, MC Suga Shane, Arbee, Suae, Pulsar, Askitz, Jinkang vs Tezzr vs Rhe3, MC D 9.45pm St James Hotel, Sydney Club Blink DJs 9.30pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Eve 9pm Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs free 11pm The Watershed Hotel Bring On The Weekend! DJ Matty Roberts free Whitehouse Hotel Eschalon SFL, Bionic, Seltay, Paul Dread, Devise, SmackTim $5-$10 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM Box Rockets, Hattie Carroll, The Archers, Howler, Nakagin, Komoko, Polographia, Youth, Hey Convict, Death Strobe DJs, MUM DJs $15 8pm

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 ARQ Sydney Dance Dance Dance $15$25 9pm Arthouse Hotel Vamp Music 9.30pm The Burdekin, Darlinghurst DJs 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Disco! Disco! 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Classics Kid Kenobi, Mark Dynamix, John Glover, Robbie Lowe, Simon Caldwell, Matt Nugent, Matttt, DJ Eko, Athson, Mike Hyper $15-$25 9pm Cohibar DJ Mike Silver, DJ Anders Hitchcock free Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly 8.30pm Home Nightclub, Sydney Homemade Saturdays DJs Hunky Dory, Darlinghurst In Fused Franchi Brothers,

“Come on bus, come on bus, come on bus, are you coming here for me,” - ALOE BLACC 54 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11


club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com Claire Morgan, Javi Sampol, Kerry Wallace, Tom Brereton, Joey Tupaea, Pash Mann, Nick McMartin, Steven Sullivan, Nacho Vossler, Amy Fairweather 12pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Miss T, Gabby, Cassette, Alison Wonderland 8pm Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Resident DJs free Marrickville Bowling Club Sydney Versus London Glimpse, Phil Smart, Dean Dixon, Dave Fernandes 10pm Nevada Lounge, Darlinghurst DJ Hayden free 6pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Phoenix Rising $15 5am Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross The Suite Stevie Jay, Dim Sim, Jo Funk, Discokid 9pm Soho, Sydney The Usual Suspects presents Dubspects Will Styles, Glovecats, Kato, Ember, Grimlock, Lights Out, Skinny, wkndprty, Bounce Crew DJs $15 9pm Space, Sydney Masif Saturdays Toneshifterz, Bloweapon,

Steve Hill, Suae, Pulsar, Nik Fish, Amber Savage, Arbee, Hardforze, Peewee, Matrix, Xdream, Cadell, Charlie Brown, Tony Shock, VLN, Mike Hyper, Tezzr, 10pm St James Hotel, Sydney SFX DJs 9pm Theloft, Sydney Late at Theloft Mike Who, Disc Jockey Hansom, Devola, Murray Lake free Vault Nightclub, Scruffy Murphys DJs free 11pm The Watershed Hotel Watershed Presents… Skybar The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! Shivers (Act Yo Age), James Taylor & MC Shureshock, Trent Rackus, Illya, Telefunken, Miss Gabby, E-Cats, Foundation, Adam Bozetto, Vivi, BJ, Daigo, The Jackal, Sushi $15-$20 8pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 Cargo Lounge, Sydney Stick It In 3pm Goldfish, Darlinghurst Martini Club, Tom Kelly, DJ Heidi free 6pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross

Sneaky Sundays Resident and Guest DJs 8pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Easy Sundays Stu Turner, Mr Belvedere, Murray Lake, Pat Ward 6pm Kudu Lounge, Darlinghurst Timeless Sundays Dan Copping, Ravi Ravs, Thomas Waldeier free 2pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone free 7pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Phoenix Rising $15 5am Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Sapphire Sundays Matt Nukewood, Troy T Scubar, Sydney Sundays at Scubar 3pm The Spice Cellar, Basement Level, 58 Elizabeth St Spice Robbie Lowe, Murat Kilic $20 4am 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

club picks up all night out all week...

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5

Renegado

The Ranch Hotel, Sydney Black Light Party 2.0 DJ Nino Brown, Joey Kaz, Dim Slim free 9pm

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill Starfuckers DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Chocquibtown, Renegado (Brazil) $55 (+ bf) 8pm

Ribongia, Big Dumb Kid, DJ Migs free 8pm

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8

Goodgod Small Club, Sydney The (Deep) Acid House Bang Gang, Slow Blow, Softwar, Finger Prince $10 10pm

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Classics Kid Kenobi, Mark Dynamix, John Glover, Robbie Lowe, Simon Caldwell, Matt Nugent, Matttt, DJ Eko, Athson, Mike Hyper $15-$25 9pm

Kings Cross Hotel The Tongue, Master of

The Tongue

Hunky Dory, Darlinghurst In Fused Franchi Brothers, Claire Morgan, Javi Sampol, Kerry Wallace, Tom Brereton, Joey Tupaea, Pash Mann, Nick McMartin, Steven Sullivan, Nacho Vossler, Amy Fairweather 12pm Marrickville Bowling Club Sydney Versus London Glimpse, Phil Smart, Dean Dixon, Dave Fernandes 10pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham! Shivers (Act Yo Age), James Taylor & MC Shureshock, Trent Rackus, Illya, Telefunken, Miss Gabby, E-Cats, Foundation, Adam Bozetto, Vivi, BJ, Daigo, The Jackal, Sushi $15-$20 8pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 The Spice Cellar, Basement Level, 58 Elizabeth St Spice Robbie Lowe, Murat Kilic $20 4am

BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 55


snap sn ap

propaganda

PICS :: DM

up all night out all week . . .

smirnoff nightlife exchange

hybrid

PICS :: AM

23:09:11 :: The Club :: 33 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93574411

the pin up parlour

PICS :: AM

24:09:11 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex Street Sydney 82959958

the australian brewery

17:09:11 :: The Australian Brewery :: 350 Annangrove Rd, Rouse Hill 96794555 56 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

mum

PICS :: TP

21:09:11 :: The Backroom :: 2A Roslyn Street Potts Point 9361 5000

23:09:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 :: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: GEORGE POPOV :: PEA MAS THO :: NS :: DANIEL MUN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR SAM WHITESIDE ::

PICS :: GP

22:09:11 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700


FEATURING JUST GOT STARTED FT. PEZ, THROW IT AWAY FT. JOSH PYKE & KILLER

OUT NOW NATIONAL TOUR SUPPORTED BY GREY GHOST PRESENTED BY TRIPLE J, CHANNEL V, INTHEMIX & STREET PRESS AUSTRALIA TICKETS ON SALE NOW. VISIT 360MUSIC.COM.AU FOR DETAILS

BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11 :: 57


snap sn ap

dj funk

PICS :: SW

hot damn

22:09:11 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93316245

PICS :: KC

up all night out all week . . .

24:09:11 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford st, Darlinghurst 93323711

party profile

blacklight party 2.0

It’s called: Blacklight Party 2.0 It sounds like: Non-stop, mess things up, rock the house party music. Who’s spinning? DJ Nino Brown (Chief-rock ers Crew International), Joey Kaz (Kontrast DJs), Dim.Slim and more. .. Sell it to us: Last recommencement party was off the hook, with over 2500 theme rockers through the door. This time we’re combining it with our most popular theme ever with double the black lights to make your fluoro body paint and clothing beam up like one killer star trek Scotty. (Glow sticks included) Three records that’ll rock the floor: ‘Sorry For Partying’ – Warp A Milli (Lil Wayne Vs Bloody Beetroots); ‘Spac e Junk’ – Wolfgang Gartner; 'Doomsday (Destroy The World Remix)' – Nero. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Nothin g – it’s a f*cking student party. Crowd specs: People who want to rock out and have killer fun. Nuff said. Wallet damage: FREE entry plus $4 spirits / $6 Vodka Mother (9pm – 11pm) and $4.50 schooners, $5 Strongbow cider, $5 cocktails and $5 Heineken ALL NIGHT. Where: HUMP @ The Ranch Hotel – Cnr of Epping and Herring Rds, Eastwood

When: Wednesday October 5

hump @ the ranch

strike

PICS :: AM

21:09:11 :: The Ranch Hotel :: Crn of Herring and Epping Roads Eastwood 9887 2411

the potbelleez

PICS :AM

23:09:11 :: Strike Bowling Bar :: 22 The Promenade, King St Wharf 1300787453

24:09:11 :: Upstairs Beresford:: 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills 9357 1111

58 :: BRAG :: 432 :: 03:10:11

:: KATRINA CLARKE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER CHY :: GEORGE POPOV :: PEA MAS THO :: NS :: DANIEL MUN :: CAI GRIFFIN :: ASHLEY MAR SAM WHITESIDE ::


S Y D N E Y T H E AT R E C O M PA N Y, A D E L A I D E F E S T I VA L A N D A L L E N S A R T H U R R O B I N S O N I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H B A N G A R R A DA N C E T H E AT R E P R E S E N T

concept by

STEPHEN PAGE story by

KATHY BALNGAYNGU MARIKA Stephen Page +

WAYNE BLAIR written by Wayne Blair

SONG, DANCE

+ LANGUAGE

WEAVE TOGETHER to TELL a POWERFUL STORY of

FORBIDDEN LOVE + OPPOSING CLANS

3 OCTOBER – 13 NOVEMBER 2011 WHARF 1, SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY BOOKINGS (02) 9250 1777

Director Stephen Page Set Designer Peter England Costume Designer Jennifer Irwin Lighting Designer Damien Cooper Composer/Sound Designer Steve Francis With Kathy Balngayngu Marika, Elaine Crombie, Rarriwuy Hick, Rhimi Johnson Page, Noelene Marika, Djakapurra Munyarryun, David Page, Hunter Page Lochard, Kelton Pell,Tessa Rose, Meyne Wyatt, Ursula Yovich

PRESENTING SPONSOR

sydneytheatre.com.au/bloodland



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