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BANGITY BANG NATIONAL TOUR

FRI 1ST JUNE

SPECIAL GUESTS

THE METRO SYDNEY

TICKETS ON SALE FEBRUARY 16 TO THE HORSES ALBUM OUT NOW

WWW.LANIELANE.NET BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 3

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Hermitude Tour WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

201 2

Friday 16th March

Oxford Art Factory Tickets selling fast! hermitude.oztix.com.au / Oztix outlets / 1300 762 545 and Moshtix outlets, www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 438 849

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ELEFANT TRAKS & NEW WORLD ARTISTS present

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MANNING BAR A Thousand Lives Tour 2012

Saturday 31 March CAMBRIDGE HOTEL Newcastle Future Shade out now on Elefant Traks / Inertia iTunes Best Australian Hiphop Album 2011

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

he said she said WITH

SAM FROM THE JUNGLE GIANTS (QLD) and eventually took up the drums as my main instrument. I played drums in a bunch of bands during high school, and from there I learned how to play the guitar and started singing.

months. We’ve been on the road a lot lately, and have found that crowds are starting to invade our stage more and more. We love to have fun and make sure everyone else does too.

Justin Vernon from Bon Iver is one of my favourite musicians/songwriters ever.

I remember reading about his album in a magazine one day, and went home to check it out. It is an amazing album and it impacted me instantly. I was really inspired by the minimalist style that he had, and also the amazing textures he created with just a nylon acoustic guitar and insane vocal layering.

The music scene in Brisbane is absolutely booming right now. There are so many great bands coming out of the woodwork and it is really inspiring. I guess the downside to this is that it can be a bit harder for people to notice your music over the rest, but it also leads to people becoming more inspired and influenced by great local bands. We recently did a national tour with Ball Park Music, another great Brisbane band, and they totally changed how we think about live music. They have so much energy on stage – it makes the audience go crazy. Speaking of great bands, we were also lucky enough to see our friends Dune Rats, The Medics and Last Dinosaurs play with The Grates at The Metro in Sydney last year. That is an amazing venue; we’d love to play there some day.

The band is Keelan on drums, Cesira on lead guitar, Andrew on bass and me on vocals/guitar. We met in high school, and get along really well because we share a love for the kind of music we play.

I

had an extremely musical upbringing.

My mum is Irish, so as a kid I had the chance to go back to Ireland and visit the rest of my family over there. They were all really musical, and my uncle taught me a

few things on the piano while I was there.

My older sister is also a professional cellist.

When I was about 13 she bought a drum kit because she wanted to learn. She ended up never touching it, so I began teaching myself,

A lot of our music is based around really rhythmic, minimalist layering. Bands like Cloud Control, Bon Iver, The Strokes and Sparkadia are big influences because they all support that sort of idea. We released our debut EP in March last year, and are really excited about putting out a new one in a few

With: San Cisco Where: Spectrum When: Saturday February 18

UNDERGROUND LOVERS

PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com EDITOR: Steph Harmon steph@thebrag.com 02 9698 9645 ARTS & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Dee Jefferson dee@thebrag.com 02 9690 2731 STAFF WRITER: Caitlin Welsh NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Jay Collier, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Thomas Peachey, George Popov, Rosette Rouhanna, Jared Van Earle

Underground Lovers (we refuse to pander to that stylistic lowercase nonsense) are one of Australia’s greatest bands, even if they didn’t really break too far out of indie-dom during the ‘90s. Touring off the back of their retrospective record, they stop in at Oxford Art Factory on February 17, bringing along the whooshmachine that is Sydney shoegazers The Laurels to support them. Listen to Underground Lovers’ ‘Dream It Down’; 3min 17 seconds in, and it’s like lowering yourself into a warm bath of bliss. Or something.

The Living End

Spookyland

ADVERTISING: Ross Eldridge - 0422 659 425 / (02) 8394 9492 ross@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, Alex Christie, Antigone Anagnostellis 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, Robbie Miles, Peter Neathway, Hugh Robertson, Matt Roden, Emma Salkild, Romi Scodellaro, Rach Seneviratne, Luke Telford, Rick Warner Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 8a Marlborough Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Staff of The Brag.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121

THE LABYRINTH! BOWIE! SPOOKYLAND AND RIYM SOLO SETS! YES YES! BRAG somehow managed to wrangle Bondi OpenAir Cinema into letting us present a film on this year’s program – and after we locked in our fave-of-alltime movie, The Labyrinth, we snuck in a few of our fave-of-all-time musos…

Suckers. If you head down to Bondi Pavilion next Tuesday February 21 from about 5.30pm, you’ll be able to take your pick from a delectable selection of delicious food and tasty drinks, and enjoy solo sets from Richard In Your Mind and Spookyland – before the sun sets and Bowie reminds you of a babe. Pack a picnic if you like (no booze though – there’s a bar for that!), and for heaven’s sake pre-book. This is one of those things that should sell out.

DEADLINES: Editorial: Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Artwork, ad bookings: Thursday 12pm (no extensions).

Ad cancellations: Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600.

PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...

8 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

FREE GIGS @ THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN OF SURFING

At this moment in time, The Living End are desperately trying to rewrite their classic catalogue of festival hits to inject as many surfing references as possible. The reason?

They’re headlining The Australian Open of Surfing at Manly Beach which runs until February 18, and has a huge bumper music program presented by Channel [V] that should have those surfer betties swooning faster than you can say “Get us a Chicko Roll, darl.”

Music starts at 4pm on both Feb 17 and Feb 18 – and Sneaky Sound System, Bluejuice, Grant Smillie, Children Collide, Stonefield and The Living End will be providing it.

‘Second Sunlotion’! ‘Roll On’ (sticking with the sun lotion theme)! ‘Prisoner of Surf-ciety!’

Check australianopenofsurfing.com for more details.

EMMA RUSSACK

Emma Russack is launching her impressive and moody debut album, Sounds Of Our City, with a Sydney show (April 6 at FBi Social, lock it off!) – where, if the title is correct, the Melbourne-based artist will be all like, “this is written about Melbourne” and “this is written about being away from Melbourne” and “this is written about Melbourne in the winter”. Without wanting to fall in the trap of every music writer who’s ever referenced a female vocalist, it’s a little bit Cat Power and a little bit PJ Harvey – and as if that isn’t enough, she’ll be joined

by Rohin Jones of The (late) Middle East, Melbourne pop gem Jessica Says and Caitlin Park, who released what we’re pretty sure was one of the best debut albums last year.

VAMPIRE SLAYERS Richard (In Your Mind)

Melbourne’s The Fearless Vampire Killers are named after an old cult film, but we don’t care so much about that. We care about the

retro surfiness and the Hamburg-era Beatles melodies and the new single ‘I Won’t Stay Too Long’, which glorifies one-night-stands and flings and all that messy fun stuff. They’re touring the single, stopping in at Spectrum on Friday March 2 to stand at the door for a second asking each other, “How on earth are we going to lift the bass amp up all those stairs? Why are there so many Hungry Jacks around here?”

AN HORSE

Brisbane duo An Horse spent last year playing Bamboozle Festival, Osheaga, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Rolling Stone Weekender and CMJ, and have now announced they will return to Australian (April 28 at Oxford Art Factory) to keep on touring in support of their much-loved-the-world-over debut Walls – which has received so much great press that the grammatical minefield that is their name no longer reduces the BRAG team into a scrabbling mess of red pens and white-out.

BROKEN STONE RECORDS

ROAD SHOW

SISTER JANE

The Maple Trail

Magnetic Heads 22 23 24 25

FEB FEB FEB FEB

The lass o’gowrie Newcastle The Standard Sydney The clifton school of arts clifton The baroque bar katoomba

CAITLIN PARK

Tickets available at www.moshtix.com.au Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

w w w. b r o k e n s t o n e r e c o r d s . c o m BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 9

rock music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

RAY FROM THE RAY MANN THREE Growing Up When I was a kid, 1. my Gedo (Egyptian for ‘grandpa’) would make this sound – “Opa!” – whenever he got up out of his chair. I wrote a song about it. And everywhere in the world that I’ve performed that song – Australia, Japan, and now Europe – that word, opa, has a meaning for people in their own culture. I moved to Berlin a year ago, and my first performance there produced surprises all round.

I had no idea back when I wrote it, but in German, ‘opa’ means ‘grandpa’. Pretty magical, that gift from my Gedo.

2.

Inspirations I just returned to Berlin from my pilgrimage to Paris to see reclusive soul musician D’angelo play one of his first shows in a decade… Gee, there’s a lot of “wow” in that sentence.

Your Crew Since moving to Berlin, 3.

I’ve been working even more closely with folks back in Australia – gawd bless Skype – and also in Japan. I

record with The Ray Mann Three when I’m in Sydney, I continue work on those recordings in Berlin, and then the finished songs are mixed and mastered back in Sydney.

Meanwhile, I’m collaborating with producers and artists in Japan (who I met on RM3’s first tour there in 2010) via the internet. And now I’m collaborating with new artist friends here in Berlin too. It’s a new way for me to work and I find it pretty inspiring, knowing that my “crew” is in no fixed place and yet they’re all right here.

The Music You Make I’m currently releasing my new album 4. online, one song – and video – per month. It’s called Sketches, and you can see (and take part in) the process. It started off as an album of lo-fi soul music, but now it seems to be going other places too…

Music, Right Here, Right Now I quickly fell into the folk singer/songwriter 5. scene upon arriving in Berlin, and though that isn’t what or who I am, it’s been an amazing education – in song craft, intimate performance, community and culture. I’m still finding my place here – but then, I spent years trying to find my place in Sydney which, for the time being at least, may funnily enough be Berlin.

What: Sketches is being released online, via ray-mann.com, one track and clip at a time.

Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Thursday February 16

BEN SOLLEE

According to his press release, Ben Sollee plays the cello like a rock star – so we decided to check out this Kentucky-based acoustic artist on YouTube and were all “pffffft” until we released we were standing on the desks with our lighters out. His latest album (Dear Companion) features Jim James from My Morning Jacket (who are also Australia-bound), and is quite beautiful and intricate for a cello-playing rocker. He plays the Basement on March 7 and it’s going to be quite something – so please don’t talk all the way through it like you usually do.

Kimbra

WOMADELAIDE

WOMADelaide (World of Music, Arts and Dance) is 20 years old this year, and to celebrate, they’ve invited over 60 local and international groups to play between March 9-20 at Adelaide’s Botanic Park. A bunch of them are old hands at this WOMAD thing – like Baaba Maal, Pajama Club, Penguin Café,

Bloods

BLOODS

They’re billed as “Sydney’s most endearing gangster-punks”, and having seen them play at The World Bar last Wednesday, we raise no objections. Bloods are Dirk, MC & Sweetie, Sydney’s newest next big thing who’ve been running around town playing with acts like Dum Dum Girls, Step-Panther and Dune Rats – but they stopped in at Straight Arrows’ Owen Penglis’ living room to record a handful of songs. One of them is ‘All The Things You Say Are Wrong’, their first single, and its film clip is as great as the song. Bloods are launching it at GoodGod Small Club on Thursday March 15. You want a double pass? Tell us the last time you were wrong.

MAYER HAWTHORNE

There are two things you should do when funk/soul/yacht rock extraordinaire Mayer Hawthorne asks “How do you do?” when you see him strutting down Sydney streets in a three-piece suit with sneakers. Firstly, giggle uncontrollably because that’s the name of his album but he’s acting all coy like it’s just a question – and secondly, reply with, “I’m doing just dandy Mayer, mostly because I won a double pass to your show at The Metro Theatre on Friday February 24. How did I do that? Well I just emailed those kind folk at The BRAG and told them the name of your debut LP...”

Blue King Brown and Gurrumul, as well as Master Drummers of Burundi, the first ‘world music’ group to cross into the mainstream. But there are some WOMAD first-timers too: UK’s Bonobo, Sweden’s First Aid Kit (more than just a Fleet Foxes cover band! Get their album!), Tinariwen (check out Tassili – it’s a TVOTR collab) and your favourite Jinja Safari are all heading down.Tickets are still on sale. Go get!

BLOOD ORANGE + FLORENCE + MACHINE

Indie-lad Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) lost his voice, re-learnt how to sing, and came back as Blood Orange – a more sexy, sultry Prince-when-he-was-love-symbol version of himself. His album Coastal Grooves is fairly stunning, and he was here at the beginning of the year showing it off. If you liked what you saw, he’ll be doing it all again when he supports Florence And Her Incredible Flying Machine on May 24 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The Holidays

GROOVIN’ THE MOO LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Remember the good old days, when you visited Canberra for the National Mint, and Maitland for Steamfest? Groovin’ The Moo has messed all that up, making us travel to these places for non currency/train-related pursuits. For this year’s festival they’ve booked Public Enemy, City and Colour, Andrew WK, Kaiser Chiefs, Kimbra, Parkway Drive, Matt Corby (who is kicking so much arse at the moment), Bluejuice, Chiddy Bang and many, many others. Look at that lineup and just try and tell us you won’t be at Maitland showground on May 12, or Camberra University on May 13... Tickets are on sale now.

TIJUANA CARTEL

Tijuana Cartel capitalised on Gotye’s success by playing at Peats Ridge just before him, which is pretty much like launching a sitcom straight after Seinfeld in the 1990s. Everyone is already hanging around, watching, absorbing, taking it in – and end up enjoying it enough that they turn up to their show at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday February 18. (Did the simile collapse?)

Tijuana Cartel blend Eastern instruments, UK house beats, Afro-Cuban percussion, and other disparate elements that would confuse any time traveller from the ‘50s who happened to pop up at this show. Also, they’re great live.

GIN CLUB & TEXAS TEA

It’s kinda hilarious when bands launch a live album with a live show. Is it meta? Probably not. In fact, no. But it’s still odd. We’ll allow it in

the case of The Gin Club, because live they are an amazing eighteen-limbed whirlwind of country and folk and rock and all those good sounds – as can be evidenced on The Gin Club Live, which came out last Saturday. They co-headline a national tour with alt-country duo Texas Tea, who sound as homespun as their name suggests. The beverage-themed evening happens March 24 at Spectrum. Leave the spurs at home.

BEACH ROAD @ BONDI

So, here’s the plan: this Wednesday night (February 15) at Beach Road, Bondi we watch The Mission in Motion and I Am Giant play, then we stalk Sam from Home and Away.

Then on Friday night (February 17) we watch Bon Chat Bon Rat play at Movement, the electronica/disco/hip hop night. Then we can stalk Sam from Home and Away...

HOLIDAYS AT CABANA BAR

Cabana Bar and Lounge in St Leonards is celebrating their seventh year with a huge birthday bash on Thursday March 1 – which, like all 7th birthday parties, will feature a Ninja Turtles cake, lolly bags and, more accurately, a live set from The Holidays (who, after a huge 2011, would be in post-Post Paradise paradise by now), plus DJ sets from Hey Now DJs, Rogers Room and Steve Frank. Oh, and they actually do have cake. Amazing!

“While tearing off a game of golf, I may make a play for the caddy, but when I do, I don’t follow through ‘cause my heart belongs to daddy” - MARILYN MONROE 10 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

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The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING NABS SIETTA

BEHIND THE BUTLER/ YOGHURT STOUSH

Universal Music Publishing Group signed Darwin-based electro/soul duo Sietta.

Their singles on Elefant Traks, ‘What Am I Supposed To Do?’ and ‘No Longer Hurt’, got strong airplay on triple j, which included them in its 2012 Next Crop. UMPG director of A&R, Heath Johns, said, “Sietta are a unique proposition and they are not easily filed under any particular genre.”

Poor Danone, the US company behind the new advertisement for Oikos Greek Yogurt. It used social media to source 35 producers to pitch for the ad, that would air before the 111.3 million Super Bowl viewers.

They found young filmmaker brother team Andrew and Remy Neymarc through crowd sourcing company Pop Tent, and were naturally rapt when it proved the second most popular ad during the show – and applied to the Guinness World Records to secure the milestone for Remy Neymarc, who turns 22 in August, as the youngest pro director in Super Bowl advertising. Then the wheels fell off – largely thanks to social media. Fans not only alerted John Butler to the similarity of the ad’s music to his own ‘Zebra’, but caused such a ruckus online that within 48 hours, Danone had rushed out an apology. This hasn’t appeased the Butler people, however, and it looks like we’re in for a ‘Downunder’/‘Kookaburra’-type stoush.

Sydney lawyer Andrew Wiseman of Allens Arthur Robinson told BRR that Australian writers who find their work infringed should, before they take legal action, get their fans to kick up a stink via social media, create a buzz and then go for the big fat cheque.

And in all this, another Aussie act must be having a smirk: Danimals had to change his name to Djanimals before becoming Jonti, due to Danone’s yoghurt product of the same name.

ABC LAUNCHES FOUR | FOUR WITH RUMJACKS ABC Music has set up a new imprint called Four | Four for its more left-of-centre acts, to be overseen by Basil Cook. Four | Four have signed The Rumjacks, the Sydney band who fuse Celtic folk, punk rock, reggae and gypsy swing and formed in late 2008.

THINGS WE HEAR * US reports claim that after a disastrous appearance on Saturday Night Live, Lana Del Rey’s American record label, management and booking agents have pulled her off the road, saying she’s not ready to tour.

Aside from cancelling her Australian visit, the plug was also pulled on a 30-date US tour. * Madonna’s world tour is expected to gross US$686.7 million (AU$633.7 million), which would eclipse the Stones’ efforts – but not U2. * Frontier Touring, which books the acts for the AFL Grand Final, dismissed claims that Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band will play this year’s event. * Clint Boge leaves The Butterfly Effect after their April-June tour, to work on projects including Thousand Needles In Red. * Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon refused to let through a sax player at the auditions after he revealed he had played at her wedding to rapper MC Harvey of So Solid Crew, whom she divorced. * The Nevermind club on Oxford St changed hands, with dance promoter and DJ Johan Khoury taking over earlier this month. * Kiss, who have already given us everything from condoms to coffins, are in negotiations to launch Kiss video games. * Ke$ha gets her assistant to dress up in a ‘penis outfit’ to cheer her up when she’s feeling sad. * Australia gave Foster the People’s Torches its first #1 spot in the world. * The National Folk Festival issued ABC Canberra’s Marcus Kelson (known for his tough music reviews) a challenge: learn the mandolin and perform it at the April event with wife Virginia Cooke, who’s learning the fiddle. * X-Factor Australia winner Reece Mastin has a new tattoo of a microphone to go with the bass and treble clef on his hands. * Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan wants a quiet chat with Kasabian after he heard that they check into hotels under his name.

BRIT ARTISTS DOMINATE UK ALBUM CHARTS British artists accounted for 52.7% of the UK album charts last year – their highest share in 15 years. Obviously Adele’s 21 being the biggest selling album of the 21st century helped – but even without her, Coldplay, Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse and Olly Murs were all selling between 500,000 and 1 million copies during the year. 56 British albums made up the Top 100.

SONG SUMMIT: MORE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED, REGISTRATION OPENS The third Song Summit announced 25 more new Australian and international speakers for its May 26-28 event at Sydney Convention Centre. They include songwriters Paul Kelly, Lior, Josh Pyke, Jen Cloher, Stu Crichton, Brendan Gallagher and Melinda Schneider, as well as industry execs like Jezabels’ manager Dave Batty, producers Lee Groves and Tim Levinson, Pozible founder Rick Chen, and Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner. For the full list of speakers and info on registration (which opens this week), go to songsummit.com.au. A thousand delegates will attend.

‘SHE CAN DJ’ GOING GLOBAL EMI Music Australia announced that its She Can DJ competition is returning in April, and will also roll out globally in various EMI territories. Last week She Can DJ winners Minx and Alison Wonderland headed overseas to play EMI’s after-parties at the Grammys and Brits. “I thought this was a wind-up for about a week… until I realised I’d been booked an around-the-world ticket!” said Alison Wonderland. She’s putting the final touches to her compilation, while Minx’s She Can DJ Presents Minx is set for a March 2 release.

CREATE/CONTROL LAUNCHES Paul Piticco – of Splendour in the Grass, Secret Service Management, Secret Service Public Relations, Secret Service Digital and Secret Sounds Touring fame – is launching a new record label, Create/Control: Innovative, mid-year. It works in a different format to his label Dew Process; it’s for artists who don’t need A&R investment or already have a CD ready, or international acts looking for a label in Australia and NZ. Artists keep 100% of their copyright and get higher returns, as well as access to a digital store to sell music and merch directly to their fans. All campaigns will be overseen by Piticco and run by the core team of Craig May (Head of Marketing), Megan Reeder Hope (Head of Press & Promotions) and Carney Nir (Head of Digital).

RHODA ROBERTS AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE North Coast indigenous and arts community identity Rhoda Roberts (The Dreaming, Vibes) has been appointed Head of Indigenous Programming at the Sydney Opera House. It’s a significant statement about the venue's commitment to reconciliation. One of her projects will be Message Sticks.

SYDNEY'S MARQUEE Tao Strategic Group, who run the Marquee superclub in New York and Tao in Las Vegas, are setting up a three-room 1200 capacity superclub to be called The Marquee at the scandal-plagued Star Casino, Sydney.

WILKINS THE ‘FACE’ OF TICKTEK Nine Entertainment Co. have made Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkins the Events and Entertainment Ambassador for Ticketek. He will provide entertainment news and video podcasts on ticketek.com.au, and guest-edit its weekly newsletter.

TAP TAP TAP SING SING SING ‘Tap Tap Tap Sing Sing Sing' gets music industry execs for four themed Tuesday nights this month at Enmore’s Green Room (156 Enmore Rd). Last week saw Stuart Coupe and Barry Divola discuss being rock nerds; this week (February 14) on Nick Cave – Genius or Jerk?, Clinton Walker and Rhys Muldoon discuss the Nick Cave question, and Mindy Sotiri and Jason Walker include a Cave cover in their set. Rock Critics (February 21) sees Bernard Zuel and another critic discuss rock journalism, while Sotiri and Suzy Connolly play songs about or written by a music journo (the night is dedicated to Andrew McMillan). Radio Radio (February 28) has Eliza Sarlos and the All The Best team from FBi talking about writing and presenting stories about Sydney, while Sotiri and Edward Deer will play a song about Sydney or a Sydney identity.

HILLTOP HOODS LAUNCH UNEARTHED REMIX COMP Hilltop Hoods and triple j team up for the Unearthed Remix comp. They offer a track from their forthcoming Drinking From The Sun album, the Trials-produced ‘Now That You’re Gone’, for aspiring music producers and MCs. Deadline is Sunday March 4; see triplejunearthed.com. The best remixes will be played on triple j throughout the comp, and the Top 5 announced through March 12-18. The winner will be announced March 19 – they’ll get a merch pack and meet the ‘Hoods.

We has internets!

www.thebrag.com Extra bits and moving bits without the papercuts 12 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

Lifelines Dating: Cutie-pie actor Zac Efron and Phil Collins’ actress daughter, Lily.

Dating: Noiseworks’ Jon Stevens and Jodhi Meares.

Split: UK reports say Brit rapper M.I.A. has split with her fiancé, US environmentalist Benjamin Bronfman, who lives in New York with their three-year-old son Ikhyd.

Reunited: Former Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, and racing driver Lewis Hamilton, after their relationship broke down four months ago.

Ill: Reg Presley, of ‘60s Brit band The Troggs (‘Wild Thing’), has quit the band after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Arrested: Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin, after he was pulled over for a traffic violation in LA and (cops say) found with pills and powder.

Sued: Drake, by ex-girlfriend Ericka Lee, who is demanding a co-writer credit and royalties for his ‘Marvin’s Room’.

Charged: Former Cake drummer Peter McNeal, with “oral copulation and sexual penetration of a child under the age of 10.”

BEYONCE, JAY-Z, TRADEMARK ‘BLUE IVY’ Beyonce and Jay-Z have applied to trademark the name of their new daughter, Blue Ivy. They made the move after they heard that the US Patent and Trademark Office already turned down two applications to use the name – one from a baby fashion designer (a designer of fashion for babies, not the other kind – ed.), and another from a fragrance company.

BROKEN STONE SHOWCASE Jonathon Miller’s Broken Stone Records is on a ten-day East Coast run. Punters in Bellingen, Byron and Katoomba are treated to live sets from Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, Magnetic Heads and The Maple Trail, and then hear them talk about their experiences in DIY recording and releasing music. The Sydney date (gig only) is Thursday February 23 at The Standard.

SOUNDS AUSTRALIA HEADS TO NASHVILLE Sounds Australia’s three-year relationship with the Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville (www.americanamusic.org) has seen Aussies play and network there with 1200 delegates. This year’s event (September 12-15) will have four Australian showcases, and Sounds Australia has negotiated three specific events to present Australian acts. You can apply for an official AMA showcase (until March 31) through Sonicbids for free, become an AMA artist member ($35 a year), or contact Dobe Newton at adobe2@tpg.com.au.

Martini café during the day. Martini bar during the night.

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South King Sessions Wednesday 15th Feb - Amanda Lindholm and Adam Fitzgerald Friday 17th Feb - Get Folked and Mongolian Throat Singer Bukhu Saturday 18th Feb - Jackie ball jazz/soul piano Sunday 19th Feb - open decks bring your own records!!

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16 FEB

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MAIN STAGE

Sando Sketch Club Life Drawing

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Unherd Open Mic

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MAIN STAGE

“The Songwriter Sessions” Adam Pringle and Friends

FREE 7:30pm

STREET LEVEL

Funky as F#ck

CHILL STAGE

Spaceticket + Ghost Cat + The Glimmer + Witch Fight

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The Dead Marines + $3 SCHOONERS OF SANDO LAGER

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“Decayed” 2009-1984

and Tiare Helberg Johnathan Devoy + special guests

MAIN STAGE

Helm + Shinobi + Scatterfly

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Video Juke Box

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“PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET” 1pm-5pm “Viperdeathlock Records presents”

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Marty Willson-Piper

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The Kirkvoids + Medicated Youth (Simon Day of Ratcat) + The Abstractionists (ex-Tactics)

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FREE 4:00pm BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 13

music and being a DJ. I originally thought of this as just a side project; that I’d just sell 1000 copies and then go back to the rap thing.”

A Class Act By Alasdair Duncan

‘F

lashy But Classy’ – that’s Mayer Hawthorne’s motto.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan performer is known for his falsetto croon and his immaculate, throwback soul productions, but he walks the walk as well as talking the talk, clothing himself in outfits that hark back to an era when sartorial elegance in music was key. His outfits are retro with a modern twist – snappy suits paired with sneakers and his trademark chunky glasses – and his sense of style is such that he was recently profiled by men’s fashion bible GQ, where he held forth on some of his biggest inspirations.

In the GQ piece, Hawthorne names everyone from Marvin Gaye – the ultimate ladies’ man – and James Brown to Eric B and Rakim as influences on his flashy but classy aesthetic. For him, sartorial elegance is not just something for the stage and photo shoots – it’s a lifelong pursuit. “Dressing well is just part of everyday life for me,” he says. “Even when you go to the record store, you’ve gotta keep it classy. That’s just my personal style, though. That’s what makes me feel good. To each his own, you know?

Whatever makes you feel good, that’s the way you’ve gotta rock it.”

Hawthorne’s love of soul music dates all the way back to his childhood. Born and raised in Michigan, he grew up immersed in the Motown sound – and in fact, his favourite pastime as a child was listening to 45s on his Fisher Price record player. His nickname, Haircut, dates back to this period.

“When I was a toddler, I absolutely hated to get my hair cut,” he tells me with a laugh. “I would have tantrums, man – I was a total baby about it! My parents would buy me 45s to keep me occupied while I got a trim, and that was the only thing that worked. All I ever wanted to do was play records,” he says. “My folks still call me Haircut to this day.”

While Hawthorne had always loved soul music, he didn’t consider a career in the genre until later in the piece – in fact, his first musical forays were as a hip hop producer and DJ. The only reason he started making soul was to have a cheap and easy source of samples for the rap songs he produced. “A lot of the deep knowledge I have of soul music actually came through hip hop,” he explains, “and from digging for all the samples in my favourite rap songs. When I moved to LA I wanted to make rap music, not soul, but I was getting sued for some of the samples that I’d used.

I decided, ‘Well, I don’t want to pay anybody for clearance, I don’t want to be involved in these crazy lawsuits all the time, so I’ll just make my own samples!’ That’s how it started – out of necessity, really.”

But it took time for Hawthorne to fully commit to life as a soul musician. “It didn’t really happen until I had started really touring around and doing a lot of shows,” he admits. “We did some big festivals out here. Definitely a big moment for me was Bonnaroo festival here in the States. We had the 10pm time slot; there were 15,000 people out there in the crowd, and I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, I really could do this for the rest of my life.’ It took a while, you know? There was definitely a period when I thought, this is cool but I’m definitely going to go back to making hip hop

Hawthorne’s breakthrough record, How Do You Do, came out last year to great acclaim, and cemented his transition from hip hop beat-maker to bona-fide soul crooner. Drenched in hooks and with strut to spare, its twelve tracks effortlessly harked back to eras gone by. ‘The Walk’ was a defiant kiss-off to an old lover that could have come directly from the ‘60s, while ‘Hooked’, with its classic brass, was pure Motown joy. ‘Finally Falling’ harked back to the white-boy soul of ‘You Make My Dreams’ by hit-makers Hall & Oates – two more people that Hawthorne cites as style icons.

One of the album’s more surreal moments, however, is ‘Can’t Stop’, which features a guest spot from none other than Snoop Dogg, who doesn’t rap but sings on the track. “That was easy,” Hawthorne chuckles, when I ask how he lined it up. “I’d done some remixes for him before, and Snoop and I share a common love for classic soul. He’s always bumping The Dramatics, The Chi-Lites, Willie Hutch, all that good stuff, and he’s always singing along! He asked what he had to do to get on my album, and I said, ‘You gotta sing!’”

Given the warm, vintage sound of How Do You Do, I ask Hawthorne if he’s one of those musicians – like Jack White – who favours vintage recording techniques, and has to work in a studio full of analogue gear. “Oh no,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m definitely not one of those guys that’s like, ‘Oh, everything has to be analogue equipment and I have to record directly to vinyl.’ I’m not one of those guys at all… A lot of people think that I live in some sort of vintage world where I only listen to Otis Redding in vinyl and I shun technology, but that’s not the case,” he continues. “I’m a young dude – I have an iPhone! Why wouldn’t you take advantage of all the technology that’s available? You’d be crazy not to. Obviously, I want to get that warm sound, but there are other ways you can do that.” So it doesn’t have to be painstaking?

“Right, exactly,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be painstaking for it to work!”

Given the explosive acclaim he has received in recent times, the greatest priority for Mayer Hawthorne right now is just keeping his feet on the ground.

“Oh man, I’m just doing my regular thing, you know?” he says coyly, when I ask how he’s surviving the hype. “I’m still the same old me. I’ve just been doing my best to try and ride the wave, making sure I wake up every morning. I’m thankful for this opportunity I’ve been given to make music for a living, to do what I love for a living.

Above all, I just make sure that I don’t take it for granted.”

What: How Do You Do is out now With: Electric Empire, Fantine Where: The Metro Theatre When: Friday February 24

“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but diamonds are a girl’s best friend” - MARILYN MONROE 14 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

“The music was outstanding, between-thesongs banter was brilliant. Hay is a master storyteller of the hilarious kind.”

—Kevin Triebsch, Silver Tongue “Hay continues to pen superb songs.”

—Sydney Morning Herald “Hay appeared on the popular soundtrack to Garden State, the 2004 movie with Scrubs star Zach Braff. For many, that soundtrack represented the past decade’s face of indie rock—Hay’s song fit right in alongside The Shins and Iron & Wine.”

- The San Diego Reader

15-16TH FEB The Basement 29 Reiby Place Sydney NSW 2000

TIX: www.thebasement.com.au PH (02) 92512797

an evening with

COLIN HAY gathering C ME

compassrecords.com

R

RUY

TO U R 2 0 1 2

debut album launch oxford art factory saturday february 25

tickets & ticket/album bundle available through moshtix www.moshtix.com.au | www.madeinjapan.net.au

debut album ‘sights and sounds’ in stores & online feb 24

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 15

First Aid Kit Sister Act By Jennifer Peterson-Ward

S

wedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg found global fame four years ago, when the then teenage fans of Fleet Foxes uploaded their cover of ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ to YouTube. What began as a fan video became a hit and the start of a career, mostly due to the Soderbergs’ emotionallyarresting vocals. “We recorded the video for fun.

We had seen an amazing Fleet Foxes show a couple of days earlier, and we made it as a tribute to them,” Johanna explains. “We were not expecting it to get many views at all!”

Receiving a massive amount of attention in their hometown of Stockholm, the music industry took the siblings under its wing, and within a short amount of time their debut LP The Big Black & The Blue was released, sparking the worldwide folk phenomenon now known as First Aid Kit. The set of woodsy, imagistic folk-rock songs struck a chord with a remarkably broad range of music fans, the likes of whom included Patti Smith (who was brought to tears by their acoustic, close-harmony cover of her 1979 single ‘Dancing Barefoot’), Fleet Foxes themselves, and Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes fame), as well as fellow Swedish stars The Knife and Lykke Li.

+ present

antiskeptic BACK IN THE GAME TOUR

with special guests

MOVE TO STRIKE

Saturday 25th February Metro Theatre (The Lair) 624 George Street, Sydney, NSW Doors 8.00 pm (18+) Tickets through: metrotheatre.com.au or 02 9550 3666 antiskeptic.com.au 16 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

The nimble finger-picking and watertight harmonies showcased on The Big Black & The Blue also led the sisters to being courted by former White Stripes frontman-turned-producer Jack White, who helped craft the songs on their recently-released follow-up, The Lion’s Roar. “We were on our second US tour, playing in Nashville, when we unexpectedly got a call from Jack, wanting us to come into his studio. We couldn’t believe it. We were starstruck. He’s a modern legend,” Johanna says. “The next day we spent eight intense hours recording in his amazing studio – everything was completely analogue.

Working with Jack was surreal. We share a passion for old Americana, and he really helped bring out something new in us. He had some of his musician friends come in and play with us, and it was the first time we played with a full band in the studio – it all inspired us to have a bigger sound on the new record.”

The music press has been quick to characterise First Aid Kit as “neo-folk,” and although the sisters don’t align themselves with the label, they admit it’s a convenient way to understand their music. “We’re aiming for dreamy, ethereal sounds with a bittersweet effect to it – folk songs with a poppy edge,” Johanna says. “We love Leonard Cohen’s poetic lyrics; there’s something heavy about his themes that we like. Townes Van Zandt is also a huge inspiration – we like that his tunes have a mystical element but are also very simple.

They feel very important, somehow.”

“We were on our second US tour when we unexpectedly got a call from Jack White, wanting us to come into his studio. We couldn’t believe it. We were starstruck.”

Klara adds that a newfound admiration for Joni Mitchell led to an increasing emphasis on introspective lyrics for The Lion’s Roar. “Blue is an absolute masterpiece – the lyrics are so deeply personal, you really feel like you’re reading her diary,” she says. “Now that we’re older and we’ve experienced a lot on the road, we want to take more of a personal approach in our songwriting rather than just singing about nature. We’re now singing about things that mean something to us, and it’s a much more rewarding experience.”

This is most evident in their first single from the new album, ‘Emmylou’ – a pedal-steel-drenched homage to Americana iconoclast Gram Parsons and his muse Emmylou Harris. Although they have yet to meet Harris in person, the song touches on personal experience: on a trip to California the sisters visited the Joshua Tree Motel, where Parsons met his untimely end due to an overdose. “‘Emmylou’ is a tribute to Emmylou and Gram, so we hope that one day, if she hears it, that she can hear how much her music means to us,” Klara says. “Visiting the Joshua Tree Motel was a very emotional moment for us. When we arrived, it was a beautiful warm desert night. The sky was pink and there was some sort of magical feeling in the air. We stayed in a hotel which was close to the room where Gram Parsons died. We really felt like we were in his presence and it was special to feel so close to him. We couldn’t hold back our tears when we saw his shrine.”

It is shared moments like this that the Söderbergs say spur them on, even when hectic touring schedules and media scrutiny push them to the point of burning out. “We’ve been touring pretty constantly for a good few years now and we’ve been away from our family and friends back home, so there are certainly periods of loneliness and isolation. It’s really made us more aware of the importance of communication with the people you love,” Johanna says.

“There are always downsides to being around someone 24/7, of course, but it certainly helps when it’s family,” Klara adds. “We share the pressure, but we also get to share the passion and the priceless moments, so it’s really pretty perfect.”

What: The Lion’s Roar is out now through Liberator With: Caitlin Park Where: The Standard When: Thursday March 15 More: Also playing Womad, held between March 9-12 in Adelaide’s Botanic Park, and at Golden Plains, held March 12-14 in Meredith, Victoria.

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 17

Age. Collaborations quickly followed – a long-awaited partnership with Afghan Whig’s Greg Dulli materialised in 2008, three albums were recorded with Isobel Campbell (ex-Belle & Sebastian), and there were works with English electronica duo Soulsavers and three albums with the Twilight Singers. His last ostensibly ‘solo’ release, Bubblegum, featured a host of collaborations, including Homme, Dulli and PJ Harvey.

“I enjoy doing all kinds of records,” Lanegan says. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a solo album, but I enjoyed it.”

There are loops, drum effects, and a lot of different sounds occurring throughout Blues Funeral, as Lanegan experiments with new approaches. It certainly makes for a stylistically different record to the organic sounds of past solo albums. “I didn’t really think about it going in – it’s just the direction that it took. Once I’d cast a couple of songs in that direction, by writing with people who had a drum machine or a synthesiser, it pointed the album [that way].”

F

or all the talk that Mark Lanegan’s latest LP, Blues Funeral, offers a marked departure from his ‘usual’ sound, the fact of the matter is that his choices have always surprised those who have followed his career.

Born in November 1964, Lanegan was a drug addict before he was of legal age. He was arrested at 18 and sentenced to a year in prison, but was fortunate to go through a diversion program. It was around this time that he met Van Conner and his brother Gary Lee. They formed Screaming Trees in 1985 in Seattle (where grunge was waving its flannel shirt like a flag at the crumbling moshpit), signed to SST, and by their fifth album in 1991 they had joined a major label.

‘Nearly Lost You’ may have won the band wide exposure, but they never hit the mainstream. By the time the Trees broke up in 2000, Lanegan had released a succession of excellent solo albums, culminating in 2001’s brilliant Field Songs. From there he teamed up with Josh Homme, who’d played guitar in Screaming Trees for a stint, to be part of Queens Of The Stone

The songs for Blues Funeral came quickly, and were recorded with Alain Johannes – himself a member of Queens Of The Stone Age and a co-writer of the Lanegan-sung ‘Hanging Tree’ – in his studio in California.

“I don’t know if it was important,” Lanegan offers, on the album’s spontaneity. “It was just the way that it happened. We were really just starting from scratch… I tend to write a lot of songs when making a record, so that part of it wasn’t really a big difference.”

As an artist, Lanegan has prospered by being a maverick, making whatever music that he feels like making with whomsoever he chooses – and Blues Funeral is another fine addition to a collection by a musician who seems tireless. When he tours in Australia with the Mark Lanegan Band, they won’t try to replicate the sound of the record – but the songs will be notably muscular when compared to his previous solo releases. “We’re not going to play an imitation of the record,” Lanegan says. “It’s a version of those songs, and I’ll be playing with four other guys. We’ll be doing them not note-for-note with the record, but with a mix of sound that makes it sound good.”

What: Blues Funeral is out now, through Remote Control Records Where: The Hi-Fi, Entertainment Quarter When: Friday April 20

Stripping Down By Alasdair Duncan

C

anada’s Dan Mangan recently took to the pages of The Guardian to write a treatise on the importance of vulnerability in musical performance. His years of experience – he started singing folk songs in bars in his teens – have taught him that putting on a great show is all about laying down your armour, a proverbial act of getting naked in front of the audience. It was a profound piece of writing, although Mangan seems a little bashful when I bring it up. “The funny thing is that in writing that article, I felt more vulnerable and exposed than I ever do on stage,” he says with a laugh. “I worry that if I talk too much about these things, the magic might go away – but yes, I do feel that to put on a good show you really do have to expose yourself emotionally to the crowd.”

Dan Mangan by hoto credit Derek Branscombe

Black And Blue By Andrew Weaver

Dan Mangan

Vulnerability has been a theme in Mangan’s career of late – a solo performer for many years, he recently opened himself up to the prospect of working with a band, and his music has blossomed as a result. “In many ways, I feel like I’m just beginning to understand what I want to accomplish in terms of music,” he tells me, “and I’m becoming less precious about my material. I’m a lot happier with the idea of letting go of my music a bit more these days – the way my drummer plays on a track might not be exactly what I had in mind, but that’s what works. You have to let the music be whatever it wants to be.”

Mangan’s new album Oh Fortune, his most moving and melancholy to date, is a result of this new openness. It reminds me a lot of another great Canadian album from last year, Feist’s Metals – and when I mention this to Mangan, he tells me I’m not the first to have made the comparison. “A lot of journalists in Canada felt they saw the same progression between my last couple of albums and hers,” he says. “The Reminder was jam-packed with hooky, catchy, jubilant songs, then Metals came along and it was much less flashy. It didn’t have any big hooks and it took a while to sink in. My album Oh Fortune is similar – it’s not as flashy but, to me at least, it feels like a much more important record than any I’ve made before.”

When it comes to playing live, Mangan is adamant that no show of his should be like the one before. “There are a couple of songs that are always in the set list, but overall it feels like this gradually evolving thing,” he says. “I actually stopped writing set lists a little while ago, and it’s been interesting – once we get into the set, we know how it’s flowing and what the mood is, and not having a set list means that there’s a lot of room for spontaneity. We can say, ‘Actually, we don’t feel like playing this song, let’s play this other one!’”

Musicians who play the same songs night-in, night-out can find themselves getting bored – something Mangan combats by singing every song like it’s the first time. “I like the idea of singing each line as if I just thought it up,” he says, “and if I ever catch myself reciting a song rather than performing it, I always think about that. That keeps it fresh for me, and hopefully for the audience as well. People don’t like bullshit, so as long as it’s you, and it’s an honest representation of your craft, that’s all you need.”

What: Oh Fortune is out now through Universal Where: Moonshine @ The Hotel Steyne, Manly / Notes, Newtown When: Thursday February 23 / Friday February 24

Broken Stone Records On The Road By Max Easton

S

ister Jane, Caitlin Park, The Magnetic Heads (pictured) and The Maple Trail are four seemingly disparate Sydney acts with a common thread – their label. As signees of Sydney’s Broken Stone Records, the four ascribe to a philosophy of collaboration and holistic involvement – a philosophy that label-head and Magnetic Heads frontman Jonathon Miller sees as essential to Broken Stone’s ongoing plans.

“It’s a brand, essentially,” Miller explains of the Broken Stone imprint, “but it’s a brand of a certain kind of artist. The key criterion with us is that the bands are self-produced, that they’re the complete architects of their sound – so there’s no machine that A&Rs them into a popular existence, since part of their art is their production. We didn’t want to represent the machine, we didn’t want to be a manufacturer of bands that were brands; we wanted to be a brand that represented bands that were artists. A modern musician needs to be able to do everything, in our opinion.”

This idea of the modern musician stems from the label’s almost folkloric beginnings in Sydney’s inner west. “It was a thing between friends at the start,” he recalls. “We used to go down to open mic nights in Annandale, and after a while there was this great little community of artists. So we thought it’d be really cool to have their records in the public as opposed to just existing in this little live

context. It was something we felt was pretty important to do; to record what was going on, and to give these artists a way to legitimise their work by having it in a group beneath an umbrella.”

It’s this grouping of artists that Broken Stone is bringing across the country as part of its Roadshow Showcase – a series of dates down the east coast featuring Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, Magnetic Heads and The Maple Trail. For Miller, having these bands under the Broken Stone imprint offers the listener an added insight to the bands in question; the roadshow aims to present these acts not just in their own individual guises, but as part of a family.

“I really like knowing where a band comes from,” Miller explains. “I’d always be interested in what label [a band] was on… Not to see what sort of prestige they had, but to see what other artists they were being grouped with. That idea of curation I think is a really interesting one; it gives context to the huge tidal wave of music out there, and it helps you to understand it, and influences the way you appreciate it. You can appreciate it for its internal qualities, for its style or delivery, or for what it reminds you of, and you can appreciate it for the context from which it emerges.

“We wanted to present our artists as a group, and that’s what this show is about,” he

continues. “The label and the group of artists are all intertwined – Caitlin Park performs on The Maple Trail songs, The Maple Trail perform on Caitlin Park songs – so that little collective is more than just an overarching artistic idea; it exists in our relationships. The artists are friends and collaborators. “ In addition to the series of Roadshow dates as a traditional four-act show, a unique artist talks event will take place at Katoomba’s Café Zuppa on February 26. Hosted by Miller, the

talks are aimed at sharing the experiences of self-production and release, with acoustic performances by the Roadshow’s artists after the fact; an opportunity to see the Broken Stone ethos played out in front of your very eyes.

Who: Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, Magnetic Heads and The Maple Trail Where: Broken Stone Records Showcase @ The Standard When: Thursday February 23

“Take this down in black and white. When love goes wrong nothing goes right” - MARILYN MONROE 18 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

Mark Lanegan photo by Sam Holden

Mark Lanegan

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BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 19

arts frontline

free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com

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

five minutes WITH

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE! WIN!

MAEVE MARSDEN OF BLACKCAT PRODUCTIONS

I

n 2009, while studying theatre and media at Charles Sturt, Maeve hooked up with fellow student Phoebe Meredith, to create the fivegirl cabaret tribute act Lady Sings It Better, where women take on pop songs by the boys (and do it, you know, better). Subsequently the two founded blackcat productions: a company devoted to cabaret; their latest offering is blackcat lounge, a season of queer cabaret for the Mardi Gras Festival.

Over the next month, they’ll be featuring Sydney favourites like Brendan Maclean and Lauren LaRouge, alongside cabaret darling Tom Sharah, singer-songwriter Brett Every, and Maxine Kauter and James Edgar Francis’s Disney tribute show, Beauty and the Bastard (ahead of its Adelaide Fringe season) – and heaps more.

It ain’t drag or burlesque – so what is blackcat lounge? It’s cabaret! Which we define as edgy, concept-driven live music; talented musicians performing work which tells a story, expresses an idea or theme, and which messes with pop culture a bit. Cabaret is a wonderful blend of live music, musical theatre and improvisation/comedy, but it isn’t really any of those things either. Confused?

Come and see for yourself!

And what inspired you to create this minifestival? Through producing cabaret act, Lady Sings it Better, we meet loads of other amazing artists. We wanted to create a season showcasing Sydney’s best emerging cabaret talent. We thought by joining forces with

these artists we could help them grow their audience, and we could produce a fabulous event while we were at it!

How did you pick your lineup: Quite simply, we chose acts that entertain. It doesn’t matter how great an idea is on paper, the live experience has to be amazing or we aren’t interested.

Who/what are you most excited about seeing this Mardi Gras? I’ve got tickets to Women Say Something and Fat Tuesday.

But I barely have time to get to most events because of blackcat lounge! I always love Fair Day and Mardi Gras Film Festival.

What else have you ladies got on the boil, projects-wise, for 2012? An Edinburgh Fringe tour! We’ll keep gigging in Sydney til July, and one of our acts, Beauty and the Bastard, are Adelaide Fringe bound next month. Then we’re taking Lady Sings it Better and a few other acts to Edinburgh. We can’t wait!

What: blackcat lounge: a season of queer cabaret When: Opening night February 14 – $22 for samples from all the acts and shows playing at blackcat lounge across the month!

Where: Sidetrack Theatre / 142 Addison Road, Marrickville More: blackcatproductions.com.au

According to the presser, “Preloved and vintage fashion is all the rage among the who’s who of Hollywood and in rock star circles. Many of them gain street-cred and style from their vintage clothes. Now you can too!” But don’t let that put you off – this actually sounds like a good thing: Raid My Wardrobe is setting up a massive swap-party-type-shop-thing at Sydney University, and they need YOU and your old clothes (the good ones, not the dolphin leggings); it’s happening Saturday March 31, there’s gonna be heaps of “preloved and vintage fashion” and you can arrange that stall thing via raidmywardrobe.com.au

DOPPELGANGER DAMES

THIS IS OUR YOUTH

Like manna from heaven, and equally unexpected: Sydney Opera House just announced a surprise season for March that will see Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin starring in Kenneth Lonergan’s acclaimed ‘80s coming-of-age play This Is Our Youth. Emily Barclay (aka smugasallhell) will co-star, in the story about three slackers suffering from severe cases of affluence and anomie. But you don’t really care about the plot right now, do you? You’re just thinking “Michael Cera? Hellz yeah.” There’s just 15 performances, so run (don’t walk) to the internet right now (then hire Igby Goes Down, Arrested Development and Suburban Mayhem). This Is Our Youth runs March 14 – 25. sydneyoperahouse.com

B-STREET

SYDNEY COMEDY FEST

Sydney Comedy Festival has dropped its second round of funny – including Charlie Murphy (aka Eddie Murphy’s brother – and funnier), late-‘90s SNL cast-member Jim Breuer (aka Goat Boy), Canadian Glen Wool, Scotsman Craig Hill, Aussies Felicity Ward, Lawrence Leung, Axis Of Awesome, Barry Morgan (and his World Of Organs), young (Brit) gun Daniel Sloss, Irish rocksters Dead Cat Bounce, and Puppetry of the Penis in 3D. The festival runs from April 24 – May 12 across Sydney, and tickets for these new shows went on sale February 9 – so hop to it. Full lineup at sydneycomedyfest.com.au 20 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

doing their thing…

If you’d like a copy of Crazy, Stupid, Love on DVD, email us with your postal address and one of your all time favourite rom-coms.

Lusty Towers, Delilah du Moan – and a couple of choreographed ensemble performances: Robert Palmer’s ‘Simply Irresistibles’ and Sweet Charity’s ‘Big Spenders’. BAM. See you there. Sunday February 19 from 7pm at The Standard (Lvl 3, 383 Bourke St, Taylor Square) galleryburlesque.com

THE FUTURE IS KNOWN

Upcoming at First Draft Depot in Woolloomooloo is a show by studio resident Madeleine Preston (Darlinghurst Eats Its Young), exploring the post-punk art and music scene of Darlinghurst in the ‘80s – artwork about the eastern distributor, back when that was a new thing, and the squats in Stanley and William streets. She’s enlisted a tiny army of 30 artists, filmmakers, writers and musos who lived in the era at that time, who have contributed their films, photos, posters – and even architectural models; there will also be mix-tapes from sound artists and from Tim Ritchie (who is now at Radio National but was at triple j) and Peter Doyle (who used to do the late night alt music show on triple j). The Future Is Known happens Saturday February 25, 5-8pm. madeleinepreston.com.au

Central Park

SEMI-PERMANENT 2012

Also dropping their lineup this week, our favourite creative conference: Semi-Permanent. The spread is typically eclectic, including Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey (NYC) – and non-Magnum (but still awesome) photographers Bec Parsons (Syd – of LOVEWANT infamy) and Derek Henderson (NZ); artists MEGGS (Melb), Luca Ionescu (Syd) and Gmunk (LA); graphic design powerhouse Vince Frost; Wallpaper Magazine; paper engineer Benja Harney; creative agencies The Monkeys (Syd), Hi-Res! (UK) and Mothership (LA). Three more names are still to come, but early-bird tickets are on sale NOW and the juicy lineup deets are at semipermanent.com

CONFESSION BOOTH

There’s no rational explanation for how much we want to go to this one, it’s probably some combination of Catholicism and alcoholism mixed with an unholy passion for storytelling: next up at The Wall @ World Bar is an evening of live confessional readings called Confession Booth, and featuring Darryn King (Time Out Sydney), Nadine Von Cohen (The Vine! Twitter!), Nathan Harrison (Applespiel), Rhys Muldoon (actor!), Matt Banham (music/laughter) and Symonne Torpy (People Collector). It will be a) hosted

by A.H. Cayley (Pedestrian/Thousands) or b) served with liquor or c) all of the two things mentioned. Wednesday February 22 from 7.30pm. artonthewall.tumblr.com

23rd & OXFORD

Illustrator, painter and graphic designer David Homer (aka co-founder of ARIA-winning design studio Debaser) is returning to MART gallery this week, two years after he opened their doors with Is This It? This time it’s photography, with Homer presenting a series of collages of photos of New York and Sydney, taken from his iPhone. You know, if he’s good enough for Bluejuice and Empire Of the Sun he’s good enough for us. 23rd & Oxford runs from Feb 17 to Sat March 3. martgallery.com.au

23Rd & Oxford Central Park image by David Homer

Like E Street but with less Toni Pearen and more Charlie Garber: B Street, Belvoir’s new theatrical soapie, playing in their foyer every Sunday evening after the show. The series has been co-written by three comedically gifted young writers: Charlie Garber (Masterclass), Tommy Murphy (Gwen In Purgatory) and Rita Kalnejais (whose Babyteeth opens upstairs this week) – so we expect it will involve donkey’s disguised as nuns and babies that rap. Or something. The first ep will star Charlie Garber, Geraldine Hakewill, Bec Massey, Rita Mastrantone, Eden Falk, Terry Serio and Alyssa McClelland; it kicks off Sunday February 19 from 8pm-ish, and bookings (it’s FREE but you need to book) are open from Tuesday February 14, via belvoir.com.au

Forget the Superbowl: head along to Doppelganger Dames this Sunday to see Madge at her best – Lillian Starr will be reincarnating the pop idol, and she’ll be in excellent company, with event wrangler Sheena Miss Demeanour taking on Goldie Hawn à la Private Benjamin, and some of our favourite Sydney performers, including Imogen Kelly, Baby Blue Bergman, Venus Vamp, Rod Lara,

Steve Carell & Julianne Moore

and these guys

This Is Our Youth photo by Dan Busta

RAID MY WARDROBE This Is Our Youth

Happy Valentine’s Day! We love you – even though all you want to do is sit on the couch and watch rom-coms with a jar of peanut butter. We’ve even got presents for you – three copies of Crazy, Stupid, Love, for your stupidly adorable romantic face. Described

by Roger Ebert as “a sweet romantic comedy about good-hearted people” – minus the snark or the raunch – the film follows two couples: one in the process of a meltdown/divorce, and the other in the throes of young love. It’s also a shameless excuse to enjoy these guys:

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

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

TUE 14 FEB THU16 FEB LOVE YOU, LOVE WE...

PA U L C A P S I S T H E WA U WA U S I S T E R S ( U S A ) B R E N DA N M AC L E A N C A N DY B O W E R S Q U E E N I E VA N D E Z A N D T T Y R A N PA R K E musical director LANCE HORNE

LOVE

PARADE

FRI 17 FEB SAT 18 FEB CASS MCCOMBES (USA)

The

Plus

HURRICANE EVIE TOUR

SUN19 FEB THU 23 FEB SHOW CASE

Burlesque IMOGEN KELLY ’ SHEENA MISS DEMEANOUR ’ LILLIAN STARR BABY BLUE BERGMAN MAYA D’JOUR ’ GINGER SNAP LUSTY TOWERS ’ DELILAH DU MOAN LIZZY POP ’ ROSIE RIVETTE ROD LARA ’ VENUS VAMP SOPHIE COOK

SISTER JANE CAITLIN PARK MAGNETIC HEADS THE MAPLE TRAIL

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT MOSHTIX.COM.AU/THESTANDARD WEARETHESTANDARD.COM.AU

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 21

[SCREEN] Sex In The Cinema By Dee Jefferson

T

his year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival is as strong in quality as it is in numbers: new films by arthouse doyenne Christophe Honoré and Canadian indie master Bruce McDonald (Pontypool); debuts by exciting new directors who are making waves around the world; and retrospective screenings of Fassbinder’s Querelle, and Lizzie Borden’s ground-breaking Lesbian sci-fi Born in Flames. Fans of chicks in bands need to see Break My Fall and Bruce McDonald’s Trigger; fans of documentary need to see gender transition doco Becoming Chaz, and The Sons Of Tennessee Williams, about New Orleans’ vibrant, decades-old drag ball culture.

Other films that come highly recommended from the international festival circuit are Tomboy, and Indonesian transvestite superhero film Madame X. Below we look at three highlights from the program. For the full lineup and tickets, see mgff.queerscreen. com.au

DIRTY GIRL (USA) Mardi Gras opens with this supremely feelgood odd-couple road-trip buddy-film about school slut Danielle and a closet queer Clarke, who escape small-minded smalltown Mormoncentral Oklahoma to find Danielle's father in California. Juno Temple (soon to be seen in William Friedkin’s Killer Joe) plays the school skank, Danielle, who gets downgraded to the ‘challengers’ class at school, where she meets ‘cock-smoker’ Clarke (the adorable Jeremy Dozier). She wants to find her father, he wants to get laid. When her mum (Milla Jovovich) decides to marry a Mormon (William H. Macy),

and his parents (Dwight Yoakam and Mary Steenburgen) kick him out for being gay, the two teens set off on a road trip. Set in the ‘80s, Dirty Girl has a nostalgic soundtrack built for sing-a-longs and bedroom dancing (Belinda Carlisle, The Outfield) and the unfolding friendship between the two teens is completely irresistible.

Circumstance

MAN AT BATH (UK) Christophe Honoré has made a career out of relationship dramas, including Les Chansons D’Amour and In Paris. Homme au Bain pitches its tent in-between willowy young filmmaker Omar (Omar Ben Sellem) and his older and far more virile boyfriend, Emmanuel (played by porn star François Sagat). The film opens with fucking and fighting, with Omar leaving to go to New York, for the publicity leg of his new film, and telling Emmanuel to be gone when he returns. Each man spends the rest of the week trying to persuade himself that he isn't really in love with the other, with the film cutting between their various sexual adventures – but also back and forth in time, to show slices from the relationship. The result is a surprisingly affecting (considering the softcore porn element) portrait of a relationship in its last gasps.

CIRCUMSTANCE (USA) Set in upper-middle-class modern Tehran (a place where women can be surgeons, but must not bathe at a public beach) Maryam Keshavarz' Sundance Audience Award-winner explores the forbidden love between teen

besties Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) and Shireen (Sarah Kazemy). Atafeh is a carefree spirit born of privilege and loving, liberal parents, who sneaks into secret nightclubs where she drinks and introduces her less worldly friend to boys and pills; Shireen, living with her grandparents after the imprisonment of her leftwing-intellectual parents, is looking down the barrel of an arranged marriage – but she’s in love with Atafeh. When Atafeh’s brother (Reza Sixo Safai) a recovering crack addict turned devout Muslim, becomes obsessed with her,

it’s like watching a sun-drenched road trip turn into a car crash, in slow-motion. You wouldn’t want to live in one of the corners of the world where being gay is still illegal and there are literally morality police. (And if you like this film, go find Deepa Mehta’s Fire).

When: February 16 – March 1 Where: Hoyts Cinema Paris, Dendy Newtown, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta.

[CABARET] Get A Real Job By Alasdair Duncan [CABARET] Piece Of Her By Alasdair Duncan

W

e’ve all worked our share of crummy jobs, and we’ve all vented about them to our friends and loved ones.

Melbourne comedian Gillian Cosgriff has taken this familiar experience a step further, collecting all her humiliating and demeaning employment experiences and spinning them into comedy gold via her cabaret show, Waitressing... and other things I do well.

F

or as long as most of us can remember, the name Britney Spears has been linked with public meltdowns and marital strife, but if you sit down and listen to the music she’s made over the years, the lyrics trace the narrative thread of an innocent young girl who grows up in the public eye, ultimately to be corrupted by the big bad world. Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank were certainly aware of this when they sat down to write Britney Spears: The Cabaret, the smash-hit show that attempts to find the human being behind the crotch shots and raunchy videos.

A former student of the prestigious WAAPA, Cosgriff left school with big dreams of making it as an actress, but no cash to pay the bills. By way of songs and anecdotes, her show documents various awful sources of employment in that first year out of uni. The most humiliating of these, she tells me, was a brief stint taking donations for Greenpeace.

The star of the show, Christie Whelan (who just starred opposite Geoffrey Rush in Melbourne Theatre Company’s The Importance Of Being Earnest) plays stripped-back versions of Spears’ hits, and alternates these with monologues about the perils of life in the limelight, presenting a picture of a flawed but hopeful young star.

“You look at all these stars, going all the way back to Marilyn Monroe – beautiful, talented girls who appeared to have everything, but for some reason, it didn’t work out. The show explores that.”

To prepare for the part, Whelan did a lot of research on Spears. “I looked into her accent, her behaviour in interviews, and what I found was a fun, bubbly person who was willing to take the piss out of herself,” she says. “These days, we see a much sadder side to her in interviews, or when she’s being snapped by the paparazzi. There are those two sides of her that the show really tries to bring out.”

The show also takes square aim at the tabloid feeding frenzy that surrounded Britney Spears at the height of her meltdown. Like everyone else, Whelan read the stories, and took guilty pleasure in the tales of head-shaving, umbrellawielding insanity – these days, all she sees is a young woman falling prey to a toxic culture.

“There’s something very sick about those stories, and there’s something very addictive,” she says. “Paparazzi and tabloid people will go to any lengths, because there’s a hunger out there, and in the case of Britney, well, if she had died, that would have made things even better from their perspective. I think it’s pretty scary.”

Musically, the show is all about voice and piano-led renditions of Spears’ songs, some fun and campy in this new context, others haunting and sad. “What we do in the show is we take the songs and break them right down to really focus on the lyrics,” Whelan says, “so you can really see the songs for what they are.”

22 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

“I was one of the sign-up people on the street,” she tells me with a shudder. “I did the two weeks training, then lasted about three or four shifts on the job – people can be such jerks to you! It doesn’t help that they start you on the whales campaign, which is the big Greenpeace cliché,” she continues. “People

Christie Whelan As for the repertoire, it draws mostly on older songs. “There’s only one song from her newer albums – ‘Out From Under'; the rest are all from her older albums, and it’s all the biggest hits – ‘Lucky’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Stronger’. We do ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’, which is done in the context of an eight-year-old Britney in her pageant days.

That’s a pretty enjoyable one to do, and kind of dark!”

After graduating from performing arts school and finding herself at a loose end, Cosgriff entered the annual Sydney Cabaret Showcase competition, and wound up impressing the judges (including Helpmann Award-winning performer David Campbell) with her Kate Miller-Heidke-inspired songs.

“They told me I should put together a show, which was quite a scary prospect… [But] I thought about it for a while, and looked at the songs I’d written over the past several years, and realised that they actually fell into a pattern, and told a story about the various humiliations I’d experienced in my life up until that point.” From there, the show was born.

Getting your first one-woman show off the ground can be difficult, something Cosgriff realised early on. “I tend to work in really short bursts of sudden productivity, and then distract myself the rest of the time with YouTube and Facebook,’ she laughs. “Given that I didn’t have a director, because I wrote and directed it myself, I’d have friends of mine come around and sit on my bed and watch as I performed. I got a lot of good feedback from them, and I filmed myself too, using Photo Booth on my computer, and I’d watch them back and give myself notes like ‘be funnier!’”

With Waitressing a hit at the competitive Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and coming to Sydney off the back of a Melbourne season that scored glowing reviews, Cosgriff hopes to take the show to Edinburgh this year. For now, though, she’s still waitressing – but is willing to see the upside of the situation. “To work a job you hate in order to do the thing you love is good for you,” she says. “It means that you’re excited about the thing you love – you don’t get to do it all the time, you’re not sitting there with it, so it’s kind of your escape. It’s your fun thing, which is really cool, because it keeps the love there. I’m not sure that if I had the means to hang out and write and play all the time that it would be as good or productive. [But] maybe I just say that to feel better about myself!”

Britney Spears’ more devoted fans are a famously tetchy bunch – just think back to Chris Crocker’s famous “Leave Britney Alone” rant, which went viral a few years ago – so I ask Whelan if she’s encountered any similar sort of backlash since doing the show. “I do get some Tweets from people accusing me of being mean to Britney,’” she says. “I just want to assure people very firmly that it’s not a pisstake – it is comedic, but only because that’s the best way to tell a story like this… If you go in there trying to make people feel bad, it’s not going to work.”

What: Britney Spears: The Cabaret When: February 15-25 at 7pm Where: Reginald Theatre @ Seymour Centre

will go ‘I have to go to my real job – maybe you should get one?’ The people who survive in that job are obviously really tough.”

Gillian Cosgriff

What: Gillian Cosgriff – Waitressing… and other things I do well When: February 15 - 25 at 9pm Where: Reginald Theatre @ Seymour Centre More: seymourcentre.com

TRIGGER BREAK MY FALL

HIT SO HARD

ROMEOS

DIRTY GIRL

“THE PLACE WENT NUTS”

“GENUINELY FREAKISH AND TREMENDOUSLY SHOWY”

FLASH IN THE CAN PRESENTS

MAT FRASER (UK)

THE ADVERTISER AN END-OF-THE-WORLD COMIC CABARET OF STRIPTEASE, FREAKSHOW AND SONG

PERTH Fringe World 2012 10, 12 -18 FEBUARY fringeworld.com.au

MELBOURNE The Gershwin Room 21, 22 FEBUARY espy.com.au

AND

JULIE ATLAS MUZ (USA)

SYDNEY The Gaelic Hotel 29 FEBUARY, 1 MARCH thegaelic.com.au

BRISBANE Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts 3 MARCH judithwrightcentre.com BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 23

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.

■ Theatre

MIDSUMMER Until March 10 / Drama Theatre, SOH It’s not hard to see why Traverse Theatre’s Midsummer was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009; even better, you can imagine it working just as well in a smaller venue with a limited stage as in the Sydney Opera House’s Drama Theatre – it’s just a fun play (with songs) well executed, by two very charismatic performers.

PICS :: TL

group show

Cora Bissett and Matthew Pidgeon play Helena and ‘Medium’ Bob: a lawyer and a petty criminal, both 35 years old, who meet in a bar one rainy Edinburgh night, after her date stands her up. He’s reading Dostoevsky and waiting for a 'job', she’s getting drunk on expensive wine. They team up in the drinking, and so begins a weekend of sex, spending and Japanese rope bondage, over the course of which they get to know each other’s secrets, and realise that despite any of the traditional Hollywood unresolved-sexual-tension or moral conflict, they might actually be falling for each other.

01:02:12 :: Gallery 9 :: 9 Darley St Darlinghurst

PICS :: TL

worship nothing

Midsummer could be a good film of the Before Sunrise (with a Four Weddings And A Funeral twist) kind; almost as if it realises this, however, it both coopts and takes a good poke at the stylistic (slow-motion, voiceover) and narrative conventions of rom-coms, and it resolutely stakes its claim in the theatre by incorporating audience reactions into the drama and taking the action into the audience (my favourite is Pidgeon getting a very sluggish row D to stand up so that he can run through).

02:02:12 :: The Standard :: 354 Bourke St Surry Hills 9357 1111

At its best, the humour is bizarre (a TickleMe-Elmo going off mid-pelvic-thrust) and surreal (including a fantasy digression, mid-breakfast, into Bob’s brain, where the ‘The 35th Annual Conference of Bob’ is debating the existential question ‘Is This It?’ – very Being John Malkovich).

On the tiresome end of the spectrum are gags that overplay gender stereotypes for laughs (How many times after When Harry Met Sally can we laugh at how much men don’t like cuddling a woman after sex!?).

Pidgeon and Bisset play all the characters in the show – particular highlights being ‘Big Tiny Tam’ Callaghan and Helena’s mildly autistic nephew, Brendan – and bit of guitar and uke to boot. Their character impressions are superb/hilarious, but I could really do without the songs (written for the show by Gordon McIntyre, of Edinburgh’s Ballboy), which, besides breaking up the flow, don’t discernibly improve it. A minor gripe.

PICS :: TL

vaguely painless show

Dee Jefferson ■ Film

02:02:12 :: East Village Hotel :: 234 Palmer St Darlinghurst 9331 5457

THE GREY

From the moment the film opens, the grainy stock and hand-held camerawork tell you it’s not going to be a slick affair. In between bouts of wolfy action, it’s rather more ponderous, as the group dynamics play out in various scenarios – that, of course, are in some cases paralleled by similar power dynamics within the wolf pack. Happily, the scriptwriters allowed humanity to prevail amongst the men, and their characters to grow and improve under stress, rather than simply implode with ego and testosterone. That’s one of the surprises – and the other comes after credits, so consider sitting through them for one final shot.

Dee Jefferson ■ Film

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Opens February 16 My Week With Marilyn is based on the memoirs of a young man (played by somtime-Burberry-model Eddie Redmayne) who found himself embroiled in Marilyn Monroe's personal maelstrom for one bittersweet week during the shoot for her 1957 rom-com The Prince And The Showgirl, directed by and co-starring Sir Laurence Olivier. A line near the end of the film has Kenneth Branagh, as Olivier, saying that despite finding directing the most wonderful joy imaginable, Marilyn cured him of wanting to do it ever again. It was, to say the least, a troubled shoot.

The film opens with a sizzling (and considerably altered, it has to be said) rendition of Marilyn’s ‘Heatwave’ routine from There’s No Business Like Showbusiness (1954), which demonstrates her unique ability to be funny and jaw-droppingly sexy at the same time. And although the main section of the film draws her down from her perch into a more prosaic reality, it closes by returning her to that pedestal. In between, we never really get under Marilyn’s skin; like her friends and colleagues, we are witness to a tangled mess of contradicting behaviours and emotions, from child-like innocence and girlish charm to an almost callous disregard for the effect she had on people. At her best, she sparkled (on screen and off); at her worst, she was constantly late, drugged, paranoid, demanding – and her performances could fall like lead.

Opens February 16

Arts Exposed

The Grey opened #1 at the US box office a few weeks back – which is bound to give you false expectations. What looks like an action or simple survivalist film starring a bemused Liam Neeson in his latest action hero incarnation (see Taken or Unknown) is in fact a two-hour slice of atmosphere, wrapped around a character piece, in which Neeson has never looked more vital and alive. It’s almost hard to believe it’s directed by Joe ‘A Team’ Carnahan – but then again, he also made Narc.

What's in our diary...

The Labyrinth

voiceover, taken from a letter Ottoway has recently written, reveals that she has left him. “I’m no good for this world,” he writes, describing his ‘kind’ as "men unfit for mankind". Of course, when the plane crashes, Ottoway finds he has more fight in him than he’d reckoned on, and becomes the de facto leader of a ragtag bunch of men, who slowly get picked off, one by one.

BONDI OPENAIR CINEMA & THE BRAG PRESENT

LABYRINTH (1986) Tues February 21, 6.30pm Dolphin Lawn, Bondi Pavilion

The centre of the story is John Ottoway, a mercenary wolf hunter employed by an oil company to protect its workers on an Alaskan drilling operation. As the film opens, Ottoway is on the tail end of a job, and the extended opening sequence (before the plane crashes in the Alaskan wilds, leaving the men to fight off killer wolves) is designed to create an impression of a man for whom life holds no remaining charm. Sitting in the mess hall sucking back shots, gun slung over his shoulder, his mind strays into a soft-focus revery where he’s in bed with a woman – while a narrative

xxxx

David Bowie, '80s fashion, Jim Henson, Jennifer Connolly, M.C. Escher, goblins and babes (with power. What power? The power of voodoo): just a few of our favourite things, and reasons to love Labyrinth, Jim Henson’s final fantasy, about a nightmare babysitting gig. Whether you’ve seen it or not, you’ve never seen it like this: big screen, heaps of other people (singing badly) and live Bowie-inspired sets by Richard In Your Mind and Spookyland. Oh, you’re welcome! See you there – doors open 5.30pm, bands at 6.30pm, film at 8.30pm; ‘Dance Magic Dance’ approximately 45 minutes later.

For tickets head to bondiopenair.com.au

My Week With Marilyn

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

24 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 BONDI OPENAIR CINEMA & THE BRAG PRESENT

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

Most interestingly, perhaps, the film reminds us that even though Monroe is remembered for her romantic comedies and screwballs (most notably Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Monroe considered herself a serious actress, and was extremely good at what she did – not just being sexy and funny, but playing up to the camera, and working all the right angles, playing off her screen partners; there was a tremendous sense of play that was irresistible.

Besides looking absolutely incandescent (all pale perfection, platinum blonde waves and ruby-red lips) Michelle Williams also embodies the contradicting aspects of the mysterious Miss Monroe – her carnality, her playful sense of humour, her emotional fragility, and her determination. She rather steals the show from an outstanding support cast that includes Branagh in his element, and British acting royalty Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi.

Alice Hart ■ Theatre

BEST WE FORGET Until February 25 / Old Fitz As far as I can remember, Best We Forget is a crafty assemblage of both the scientific and personal explanations that attempt to provide us with an understanding of what memory is and what functions it serves. But don’t quote me on that because within the first few minutes of the show the audience is told, “Tomorrow you will only remember 35% of tonight’s proceedings.”

Adelaide-based collective isthisyours? have teamed up with the Tamarama Rock Surfers to bring Best We Forget to the

Old Fitz. The collective, directed by Tessa Leong, have used a devised approach to constructing this work, and it ties a thick scrapbook of ideas together, weaving the personal stories of each cast member with a load of juicy information about the mechanics of remembering and forgetting.

Presents

The show starts out as a pseudoconference, where cast members Jude Henshall, Nadia Rossi and Ellen Steele pit opposing ideas of memory against each other, fighting their own fears and fascinations with forgetting. Gradually they break off into moments of personal narrative that add life to the facts and figures, and the show oscillates between these factual and personal perspectives.

A few standout moments include a replay of the first scene dubbed over with the director’s audio commentary; a cringingly embarrassing but lovably human passage of writing from Rossi’s teenage diary; Henshall’s incredible voice, which she uses in a parody of a love song about not wanting to be forgotten, and Steele’s quirky and comical obsession with the Bourne Identity series.

At points the script teeters on the edge of committing information overload at the expense of allowing the audience to connect with the characters and at times, the acting is a little stilted.

However, the amount of fun each cast member is having on stage is palpable and contagious, resulting in a poignant and hilarious romp down a series of (somewhat misguided) memory lanes.

I can’t remember how the show ended…

Was it with a human petting zoo or a choreographed interpretation of a Shakespearean tragedy? Either way, I recommend you head along and find out for yourself.

Roslyn Helper

Street Level With Christian Edwardes (UK)

The fantasy of all fantasies: BRAG presents Bowie on the big screen, in uncomfortably-tight leggings and a spiky mullet.

Featuring pre-screening solo sets from Detail from A Ship Aground by Christian Edwardes

P

eloton gallery opens a group show of site-specific installations on Cockatoo Island this week, exploring “the Western colonialist tropism of island territories as condensed sites of acquisition, containment and control.” (!!) Amongst the lineup of Australians is Christian Edwardes, whose work curator Claire Taylor discovered some years ago when they were working together in the UK. For this show, Edwardes is presenting a mini-installation called Landscape Objects, infused with his childhood fantasies about Australia.

What’s your connection with Australia?

My aunt moved to Melbourne in the ‘60s, and as a child I created a fantasy of Australia from the gifts she would send us.

Tell us about Landscape Objects: There are ten pieces, each a photographic print under a Perspex dome. I wanted the frames to suggest telescope lenses, paperweights or portholes.

What inspired this series? I've worked with similar themes in previous shows, but these were made specifically for this event.

There are a number of artists whose work interested me, like Gayle Chong Kwan and Sea Hyun Lee. The title of the series

is taken from an essay by Veronica Della Dora who writes about the circulation of landscape representations in tourist artefacts.

What was your process? The images were created from knick-knacks found in charity shops, many of which already carry idealized images of place. The final works are composites of crudely cut photographs, cheap fabrics and junk, remade as romanticized landscapes.

RICHARD IN YOUR MIND and SPOOKYLAND. showing

TUESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 05:30 PM - 11:00 PM

BOOK ONLINE

Tell us about this image [pictured]: This work was one of the first I produced for the show. The object has romantic associations with the idea of voyage, global travel, and with the castaway. Being ‘aground’ also suggested a state of suspension. It took about three weeks to get the image I wanted, and as I was producing final images in the negative I had to get used to working in reverse in the studio.

What: Drawing Lines in the Sand feat. Julia Davis, Elizabeth Day, Christian Edwardes, Lisa Jones & Derek Allan, Geoff Kleem, Adam Norton.

bondiopenair.com.au

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

PHOTO BY JAC DILLON

When: February 19 – March 18.

Where: Cockatoo Island More: peloton.net.au/t/projects

OPENAIR CINEMAS RECOMMEND USING PUBIC TRANSPORT TO GET TO OUR EVENTS. BONDI PARK IS AN ALCOHOL FREE ZONE.

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 25

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK SHARON VAN ETTEN Tramp Jagjaguwar/Inertia

Tramp is understated, wellcrafted, bittersweet guitar rock at its best. Enjoy it for what it is.

With Tramp, Sharon Van Etten has made a record that manages to avoid feeling pedestrian, despite its tired materials. It sounds grand and intricate right from the defiant waltz of opener ‘Warsaw’ – a strong start, but second track ‘Give Out’ is better. Over a quietly chugging acoustic, bejeweled with warbling high register arpeggios, Van Etten sounds sultry and wide-eyed, as though she’s singing directly to you while meeting your gaze. She feels so close, so indignant, that when the chorus swoops to damn the hopelessness of any future with the person she’s addressing, it cuts you, not them.

Much of her vocal presence on the record comes down to a taste for following her own melodies with close,

STEVE AOKI

SPEECH DEBELLE

Wonderland Dim Mak/Liberator The CD version of Wonderland comes slathered in brightly coloured, cartoony artwork that shows Steve Aoki and his many, many collaborators in various outrageous poses. The design harks back to the heights of the Ed Banger era, and in many ways, so does the music – Aoki’s long-delayed debut is a collection of a dozen or so sweaty, fist-pumping techno tracks of the sort designed specifically to get festival crowds roiling and raging.

There are a few nods to contemporary musical trends – the dubstep breakdown on ‘Ladi Dadi’ being one of these – but for the most part, it’s just straightforward, pummelling beats.

The album’s saving grace is its list of collaborators – every track features at least one guest vocalist, and often more. The cumulative effect is like being at a big party, where every few minutes someone else takes the mic. There are some gems among these tracks – Lovefoxxx of CSS sounds adrift amidst the pulsing synths of ‘Heartbreaker’ but her detachment somehow works, while house diva Wynter Gordon adds her histrionics to the aforementioned ‘Ladi Dadi’, a prime little piece of over-the-top dance floor release.

‘Cudi The Kid’ – one guess as to who sings on that one – is another shimmering dubstep track, while ‘Control Freak’, which features Blaqstarr & Kay, has an absurd slap bass riff that sits just right side of the funky/ridiculous divide. The obligatory LMFAO collaboration sounds exactly as you’d think one of those would, while Rivers Cuomo of Weezer lends a little insanity to ‘Earthquakey People’ – its resemblance to The Twelves’ remix of Black Kids’ ‘I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You’ is hopefully coincidental.

Wonderland is brainless fun, but it’s fun nonetheless.

Alasdair Duncan

Freedom Of Speech Big Dada/Inertia Brash Londoner Corynne Elliot, aka Speech Debelle, wasn’t even surprised when she beat the likes of Florence + The Machine to win the Mercury Prize for her 2009 debut Speech Therapy. And while happy to accept the amassed praise of the UK press, when sales fell flat she looked towards anyone but herself to lay blame, pointing the finger at her label, Big Dada, for the lack of shifting units.

It’s been a few years between drinks and Debelle has since rescinded her accusations against Big Dada; she’s matured in the process, and delivered a more introspective effort for her sophomore LP, Freedom of Speech.

The cover depicts Speech with fist raised. It’s a defiant stance reflecting her overt political views, but one which could also represent the power she found in Freedom Of Speech to bare her soul to her audience. This is as much a contemplative look at her life as it is a rebellious hip hop album.

The only uptempo number is the opener, ‘Studio Back Pack Rap’, which showcases her skills on the mic more than anything else. For the most part, the musical backdrop is pensive, thick with brooding, overcast beats; live drums, piano, guitar and strings set the sombre mood, complementing the record's lyrical content.

Confrontational songs like ‘Blaze Up A Fire’ (featuring Roots Manuva) and ‘Collapse’ take broad aim at most social woes, while tracks like the heartfelt ‘Elephant’, the reggae-tinged ‘Shawshank’, and beautiful closer ‘Sun Dog’ show her sensitive side.

forceful harmonies. This adds a siren-like edge to each line that is both cloying and compulsive. ‘Serpents’ is perhaps the most vitriolic realisation here, the guitars mirroring the icy, minor-key pirouettes of Van Etten’s poisonous vocal shadowing. ‘In Line’ is laced with cascades of melancholic harmony so intoxicating that it feels like a ladder has been knocked out from beneath you when the vocals retreat into cavernous space.

It’s not all aggression, though. ‘Kevin’s’ is a slumberous country-rock ballad with lilting melodic cadences that manage to lift it beyond a deliberate, lumbering pace.

The optimism of ‘All I Can’ is refreshing, as is Zach Condon of Beirut’s understated cameo on ‘We Are Fine’.

Throughout, deft playing from The National’s Dessner brothers adds a familiar depth that’s bolstered with further gentle contributions from the likes of Julianna Barwick, and Jenn Wesner of Wye Oak. Luke Telford

THE ROOTS

THE 2 BEARS

Undun Def Jam/Universal

Be Strong Liberator

When you’ve been around for over two decades and ten albums, there’s probably not much in the hip hop game that you feel you need to do anymore. Philadelphia’s elder statesmen, The Roots, have reached that zenith. Lead rapper Black Thought has one of the best flows in the game (YouTube his cipher with Eminem and Mos Def from BET 2009), and charismatic band leader and drummer Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson still lays down seriously tight live beats to steer the Roots ship anywhere it needs to go. So what do you do when you’ve reached this peak? You become the house band for a late-night talk show, and release a reverse-linear concept album about some dude named Redford Stephens.

Commencing at Redford Stephens’ death with the instrumental opener ‘Dun’, The Roots tell a tale of drugs and crime – hardly groundbreaking hip hop fodder – but with a different slant. Stephens isn’t the grandiose drug lord with money and hoes; he’s the runner, the small-time hood destined for failure.

Through ‘Make My’ and ‘The Other Side’, Stephens’ life is chronicled by Black Thought and guest vocalists Bilal and ex- Roots member, Dice Raw. Black Thought’s metaphor-heavy rhymes may not always be as potent as on the political Game Theory and Rising Down, but the irrepressible vocal hooks by Dice Raw on ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Tip The Scale’ more than compensate. ?uestlove guides the band through jazz and blues, laying a perfectly grim backdrop to Stephens’ tale. The Roots as a band are as soulful as ever.

Freedom Of Speech is an intelligent (and sometimes confusing) glimpse of a love-lost, self-loathing political activist looking for her happy place.

While not reaching the heights of classics like Things Fall Apart, Undun is still an encapsulation of masters at work.

Rick Warner

Rick Warner

The new Hot Chip album is only months away, but in the meantime there’s Be Strong, the debut solo LP from Joe Goddard’s side project, The 2 Bears.

Side projects are rarely as good as the main event and Be Strong is ultimately no exception, but it’s not without a certain charm. The album’s lead single, ‘Bear Hug’ was entertaining in its own way, but an album full of novelty house tracks like this would be pretty damn unBEARable (if you see what I did there). Fortunately, the record has more to offer than that; Hot Chip’s albums are consistent reminders of the surprising and unexpected ways in which electronic music can tug at the heartstrings and, for the most part, Be Strong continues this tradition.

Goddard and his production partner Raf Daddy have said that the album is inspired by the sounds of London, and it’s a truly eclectic listen, taking on everything from techno and house right on through to reggae and dancehall, with a little bit of ska and new wave thrown in.

When it’s good, it’s certainly really good; ‘Work’ is a classic house jam, with a rolling piano loop and 808 pulses that hark directly back to the early ‘90s, while the ten-minute ‘Shakedown’ brings the album to a stirring close. There are a couple of duff tracks – ‘Time In Mind’ is a twee merging of twangy acoustic guitars and club beats – but for the most part, it’s a breezy listen.

If you feel like getting groped by a couple of pale, sweaty English chaps on the dance floor – possibly with a little weird fur suit action thrown in there – then this is definitely just the thing for you.

Alasdair Duncan

Facts Gaga Digital “Pop songs are really fun to write, who would have thought? We’re going to do more.” So said Alex Bryant, aka Aleks, to Mess and Noise in 2009.

He was talking about ‘Antique Limb’ off the then-fresh Midnight Believer.

The song was the most succinct piece of music the band had put to tape, compressing its obtuse melange of banjo-flecked, manic depressive electric pop into a nifty, radio-friendly package.

26 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

Tough Love Co-Op/Universal Misanthropic Leeds scream-traffickers and fanciers of unusual capital punishment, Pulled Apart By Horses play music that sounds like being smacked in the face with an iron gauntlet by Dolph Lundgren. Legendary live performers and toast of the bootless at last year’s Golden Plains festival, the band return with Tough Love, the follow-up to their eponymous 2010 debut.

For the unfamiliar, Pulled Apart By Horses play a vein of alt-rock/posthardcore that recalls a porridge of influences including early Deftones, Fugazi and Biffy Clyro as well as a mélange of early-’80s British metal (fun fact: their lead guitarist goes by the name of James Brown). Raucous opener ‘V.E.N.O.M’ lazily spells out the song title for its chorus, and despite my personal hate of that technique, I can begrudgingly admit fondness for the track’s fast-paced Tom Morellostyle chord changes, as well as singer Tom Hudson’s distinctive screeching vocals – possibly the band’s greatest selling points.

Tough Love continues on a naturally aggressive course, with an impressive barrage of early songs such as ‘Wolf Hand’, ‘Shake Off The Curse’ and ‘Epic Myth’. Still, it’s not all plain sailing, the record getting bogged down in the concluding stages with numbers like ‘Degeneration Game’ and ‘Bromance Isn’t Dead’ rehashing the pattern established earlier. The riffs begin to sound stale, all too familiar and boring, despite the dynamism of closer ‘Everything Dipped In Gold’.

Tough Love proves to be a game of two halves, the first seeing Pulled Apart By Horses go three-nil up, the second bearing witness to an almost fatal defensive capitulation – conceding two late own goals, but still managing to eke out a narrow win.

Darragh Murray

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK ALEKS & THE RAMPS

PULLED APART

BY HORSES

And Bryant wasn’t kidding when he said they’d do more. Facts is the most cohesive and least indulgent piece of work yet from the Ramps. What once made this band so immediately endearing, so easy to admire, was its unabashed eccentricity.

They played pop, but no musical boundary was too sacred for them to sacrifice in the name of weird fun. While Facts is no huge departure, much has been toned down on this record.

On the surface, this feels like a concession – but it also reminds us that, despite the novel façade of their music, Aleks & The Ramps have never been a novelty band. The songs, while weird, have always been deeply idiosyncratic ruminations on very simple, human

themes – loneliness, love, relationships etc. – and given the recent history of the band (most notably the departure of co-vocalist Janita Foley), it sounds as though Bryant has more of that to sing about now than he had before. The ebullient experiment of past records has been recast to serve as truly inventive arrangements for a collection of tidilywritten love songs.

From the coyly serrated riff of ‘Crocodile’ to the tumbling rhythms and pinging vox humana of ‘Bummer’, you’re never quite sure what’s coming next in Facts – but you know that it’s going to be good.

Luke Telford

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

MAYER HAWTHORNE - Firsts STEP-PANTHER - Step-Panther THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART - Belong

LAKUTIS - I'm In The Forest DAN MANGAN - Oh Fortune

live reviews

Remedy

What we've been to see...

CHAIRLIFT, ELIZABETH ROSE Oxford Art Factory Tuesday January 31 The last (and also first) time I saw Chairlift’s support act Elizabeth Rose, she was playing a lazy acoustic Sunday afternoon gig at The World Bar, and I thought she was just another pretty singer-songwriter with a nice voice – but fairly unremarkable. Things have changed a lot since then: she’s lost the band and taken to a solo synth setup that, along with her more commercial pop sound and a pair of perilously high heels, is giving me audio-visions of a PG-rated Lady Gaga before she got monstrously famous. If only the dudes in the crowd could be a little more subtle with their “Aw yeah! It’s a female! With legs! In a skirt!” whooping.

Chairlift open their set with ‘Sidewalk Safari’, and I am instantly transported to the retro-futuristic comic-strip city it evokes.

Wondering how I can already be fantasising about my career as a cat-burglar, taking risks and pilates classes and climbing skyscrapers in a shiny AA full-body leotard, I soon realise that amid its zoom-zoom synths this song also gives a stealthy nod to the Charlie’s Angels theme in the breakdown.

More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

And it’s not just the allusive songwriting that makes me feel like I’m starring in my own soundtracked animated action film; it’s also in the instrumentation, the way the varied and distinct synth layers and textures, rhythm elements and the crystal clear vocals work together. Oh, and the execution is perfect.

The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Chairlift front-lady Caroline Polachek might actually belong to a superior species of intelligent life, who’s travelled back to us from a more highly evolved future.

She looks like one, she sounds like one, she’s rumoured to have a steely, vice-like handshake… and tonight you would have no idea that she doesn’t normally play keys live, but is filling in for a bandmate who's stuck in NYC – flawlessly wielding not one but two keyboards, along with a breathtakingly acrobatic vocal that sometimes sounds like it’s mimicking Auto-tune (but does it even better). Polachek barely emerges from behind the instruments all night but her stage presence is mesmerising – indeed, the entire band gives off a pulsing energy that draws its audience in and holds us in its thrall for the duration of the performance.

Jenny Noyes

SBTRKT The Metro Theatre Friday February 3

THE HORRORS The Metro Theatre Thursday February 2

MORE SNAPS p. 29

Across their three albums, The Horrors have steadily evolved from big-haired garage goths into genremelding masters. With their second album, Primary Colours, and their most recent release, Skying, they’ve brought together elements of psychedelia, shoegaze, krautrock and synth-rock to produce two of the best records of the last four years. And the entirety of their set for this show came from these two albums, the group having long moved on from the Strange House days. Show-opener ‘Endless Blue’ set the vibe for the night, with its wash of guitars and swirling synths sitting over the solid foundation of the rhythm section.

Singer Faris Badwan’s vocals are deep and gruff but are delivered with a sense of sun-drenched lethargy, particularly on ‘I Can See Through You’ and ‘Changing The Rain’. The mix of Skying’s bottom-heavy tracks and the explosive buzz-saw numbers from Primary Colours provides a distinctive dynamic throughout the set. ‘Sea Within A Sea’, the song that announced the band’s musical shift three years ago, still sounds as mind-blowing as it did on release – and the live version is a particularly good showcase of Joe Spurgeon’s metronomic, propulsive drumming.

The baggy groove of ‘Still Life’ closed the main set before the group returned for a three-song encore. A powerful version of ‘Moving Further Away’ climaxed with a ferocious cacophony of noise, propelled by Josh Hayward thrashing his guitar about the stage and creating wave after wave of squalling feedback.

At 11 songs, it did seem like the show was over before it really began, but it’s a minor quibble. In an age where cutesy guitar bands and overly-earnest indie folk are all the rage, The Horrors stand out as one of the few bands with any desire to keep pushing themselves and their audience into new directions.

Where they take us next is anyone’s guess.

Michael Hartt OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY

MAR

Not since the Ed Banger crew or Diplo’s Mad Decent has there been a force in electronic music like the Young Turks label. In the week leading up to SBTRKT’s second performance in Sydney in under a year, they’ve taken the city hostage (via FBi lunchtime mix sessions, their GoodGod party, and their Laneway stage) – and nobody is complaining: the Turks know how to party. And their centrepiece is lanky London-based downtempo producer Aaron Jerome – aka SBTRKT. SBTRKT’s new take on RnB, with skittering beats and deep bass drops, made his self-titled debut a stand-out of 2011 – and the completely rammed Metro Theatre is testament to that. But one look at the stage setup shows that this isn’t going to be your ordinary DJ-playing-his-beats gig. Electronic gadgetry spills out across a drum kit with live sample pads, keyboards and microphones all hooked into phasers, mixers, god knows what else. When the six-foot man behind the mask enters, you wonder how he’s going to navigate through all that stuff – but with his frequent collaborator Sampha on live vocals, the stage is free for SBTRKT to mess around with all his toys and blow everyone out of the water with his drumming skills.

The concept of a dance act being ‘live’ is one of the more pungent strains of bullshit that has been bandied about by promoters lately (notoriously with Justice at the beginning of the year).

But SBTRKT really does it all with his own two hands: every sample, sound and chord progression is programmed in front of our eyes, chopped, delayed, reworked and served up. Between all that, he manages to sit down on that kit and beat the living daylights out of it, perfectly in time and amazingly intricate.

Nobody saw this coming, and the crowd is beyond excited. The absence of female vocalists is more than made up for by some spectacular looping and warping by the duo, with the Drakeassisted remix of ‘Pharaohs’ bringing the house down.

Between the crystal clear sounds, descents into Latin-inspired samba madness for a 12-minute ‘Hold On’, and some seriously wonky bass stabs, SBTRKT may be the posterboy for what dubstep should have been last year, but he’s starting to look a bit like the next saviour of intelligent pop. The man has unbelievable chops and actually enjoys himself as much as his audience.

Electric and eclectic – there’s a bloody theremin in there – SBTRKT isn’t just a hit, he’s a hoot. A confident, faultless show.

Jonno Seidler

BLACK SABBATH: THE SHOW MUST GO ON

So the much-anticipated Black Sabbath reunion is reportedly pressing ahead, even without drummer (and Ozzy O’s obviously former close mate) Bill Ward. The band seem to have reacted to him going public with his contractual concerns by simply patting him on the head and not giving a shit. A very sorry state of affairs. Three out of four original members might seem okay to fans, given that some reunited acts have only one or two founding members in their ranks, but to miss out on the full complement in this case – simply due to business and politics – is just plain shithouse. But it’s great to see people getting all steamed up about it; the tone of interviews in the lead up to the new album and world tour (which kicks off in Moscow on May 18) will be fascinating…

DAVID LEE ROTH

With all the excitement over the Van Halen reunion with David Lee Roth and a new slab, here’s a thought for the week; why isn’t Roth a huge star in his own right? And we don’t mean as a solo rock act – he’s done that. Our point is, why in the past few decades hasn’t he done as Rollins did post-Black Flag, and tackled other entertainment mediums? Why hasn’t he used his motormouth rep to have his own talk show (where he’d still be the star, no matter who he had as guests), be a regular doco host, seriously act, pump out a steady stream of books or do spoken word shows?

It simply can’t be that all he has exists within the confines of Van Halen… Maybe his recent interview of the VH brothers in the studio will spark something – but then again, the fact that the great man’s big thing these days is training dogs for cattle herding speaks volumes about what’s really behind that huge public ego...

BAD BRAINS

If ever there was a band that deserved to have their explosive life and times blasted on the big screen, it was Bad Brains. And soon that's exactly what will happen. Bad Brains: Bands In DC, directed by Mandy Stein and Benjamen Logan, makes its debut at the SxSW Film Festival in March.

LOUD & PROUD

A recent article on gibson.com ran down The 10 Loudest Rock Bands Of All

Time. Keeping in mind that according to the article anything over 85 decibels is damaging, and that the parameters for inclusion in the list were only those who have clocked 115 dB plus, the list read like this: Motorhead (level not specified), The Who (126 dB), The MC5 (really? not specified), AC/DC (130 dB), My Bloody Valentine (ridiculously loud but not specified), Deep Purple (117 dB – which, according to legend, actually knocked three fans out cold at the gig), Led Zeppelin (130 dB), Manowar (129.5 db), Leftfield (137 dB) and Kiss (136 dB). We reckon that between 1978 and 1983, Rose Tattoo were major contenders each and every night – and there’s that great story about a punter being thrown several feet after standing too close to The Swans’ PA, not when they were actually playing but when it was simply switched on.

METALLIFEST

Metallica are going into the festival business with the launch of a New Jersey event called Orion, held over two days in June. Heavy hitters having their own bashes is nothing new (Ozzy, Korn etc), but what’s interesting is that this one won’t be a strictly metal bill – far from it. The Gaslight Anthem, Hot Snakes, Lucero, Roky Erickson and The Black Angels will be playing alongside the more metal likes of Avenged Sevenfold and The Sword.

ASTBURY: LOU REED IS FRAIL AND FRAGILE

Still kinda speaking of Metallica, The Cult’s Ian Astbury was at his musing Jim Morrison-esque best in an interview with Rolling Stone for the band’s new slab, Choice Of Weapon. He wanders all over the joint, but makes some reasonable points about critics in an age when everyone seems to be one (“What were the major events of your life that give you this kind of unique perspective?”). But in an attempt to give the Lulu haters a serve, he inadvertently let some stuff out of the bag that the notoriously private Uncle Reed would probably have much preferred was kept off the public record. “If you know anything about Lou Reed, he’s not well right now. He’s deteriorating, his body’s sick, he’s getting frail and fragile. He’s chosen Metallica to be his muscle, to be his armor.” We can hear the slow measured drawl of the 2am phone call now: “Ian, this is Lou Reed….”

Metallica

ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is the excellent Sunnyboys’ comp, This Is Real – Singles/ Live/Rare. You can talk about great modern pop bands all you want, but these guys were the sparkling end of it in this country in a sense – and didn’t they storm through the joint in style. Intensity? Check. Great hand on broken heart songs? Check. Ripping twin guitar interplay? Check. Something to get really excited about? You bet. Relive their day today. Great stuff.

TOUR AND INDUSTRY NEWS Lest anyone forget, the mighty Boris hit town on March 22 at the Metro with guests Laura and sleepmakeswaves.

2011 was a big year for Sydney’s Melody Black releasing their debut album Love Your Demons to critical acclaim (“a dazzling concoction” reckoned a 3.5/4 rave in Rolling Stone), while their first video for lead track ‘Pretty Ugly’ copped repeated airings on MTV and Rage.

Now, following a three-month break, they return to the live arena with the Love Your Demons Tour: Part II kicking off in Sydney on March 16 at The Bald Faced

Stag. Graveyard Rockstars and Vanity Riots are in support.

To coincide with Dirty Three’s upcoming Australian tour, guitarist Mick Turner is hosting a travelling art exhibition. Covert Art And Morsels will include limited edition reproduction prints of cover art images from Dirty Three slabs, along with a selection of Turner’s recent work. In Sydney it’ll be happening between March 20 and April 3 at the Mart Gallery, 156 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. And of course, the D3 will be bringing their frenzied majesty to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on March 21.

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

Pics to art@thebrag.com www.facebook.com/remedy4rock BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 27

live reviews were you there?

LANEWAY FESTIVAL

Sydney College Of The Arts, Rozelle Sunday February 5 The weather gods couldn’t have picked a better day to bring Sydney our first taste of summer (although the first day of summer would've been nice...). The sun ricocheted off the bright white sandstone and the crowd hung back behind their Raybans, pouring in early for the openers: NME’s new favourites DZ Deathrays, Melbourne’s next Fleet Foxes, Husky, and Total Control, who should be Australia's next biggest thing.

Geoffrey O’Connor opened the Car Park Stage with a show that was praised by everyone who saw him – including The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, who followed him on stage. Pains were an early highlight: with the most clear-hearted, cheerful Billy Corgan songs you’ve ever heard, they could have soundtracked every one of your favourite ‘90s coming-of-age-in-America films.

Especially that bit in Empire Records when Renée Zellweger sings from the roof.

EMA opened the floodgates for all of the female-fronted, drum-driven acts at Laneway (see: Austra, Chairlift, Anna Calvi, Givers), with a dark, swirling set of fuzzy psych rock and a huge-as-hell sound. Over at the

Windish stage, Jonti was looking diminutive behind his mess of hair and mountains of gear, but built an excellent, swirling, hypnotic sound from all his bits and pieces. It ended unexpectedly: after standing dorky and sincere behind a uke for a song, he dropped a Skrillex track, then Rick-rolled it, then laughed his way off stage.

The next few hours were lost in a blur of running around: could we just please catch at least one full set? Most of the stages are small at Laneway, with a narrow and long view from the back – which is fine when there’s a Florence or Mumford to keep the mobs at bay, but proves problematic when each act is cut from a similar cloth and splits the huge crowd exactly three huge ways. (The new Young Turks stage was great, but hardly made a dent in the masses at the others).

So I saw only a snippet of Austra from the side; the jaw-dropping, breathtaking power of the teensy shredder Anna Calvi from right at the back; and hardly a morsel of Active Child, who came on stage just as I entered a huge queue for food – which ran out before I got there. “They should split this over two days,” someone said, as we were smooshed in a traffic jam trying to leave Givers. (They'd sounded amazing up the front of the Windish stage, but descended into airy twee faff up the back.) “Or put it back in the city, book less

bands and sell less tickets.” ...Is Laneway getting too big for its little black boots?

After a day filled with P4k-friendly electronica, instrument-swapping indie rock and chillwave surf-pop, it was refreshing to be hit in the face by the rock’n’roll balls of The Panics, Neil Finn (in the form of Pajama Club) and Yuck, whose festival-friendly songs drew in the crowd from the dining knoll. But the day was still won by the women: Laura Marling lapping up the rapturous adoration, with the sound at the Car Park Stage continuing to rule, and Feist – in excellent mood and breathtaking voice – delivering a spectacular, mesmerising set as the sun went down.

After a lengthy wait at the Eat Your Own Ears stage, SBTRKT came on and absolutely killed it. Euphoric energy, insane talent, a happy audience, and the perfect way to end the festival – unless of course you’d opted for M83, who left the rest of team BRAG ecstatic and speechless. If the worst that can be said about a festival is that too many good acts made it hard to choose between them, and too many tickets sold made it hard to get around, you’re really not doing badly. But please book more food trucks in 2013 – we did nothing to deserve those dagwood dogs.

Steph Harmon

OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS : TIM

GIRLS

Oxford Art Factory Thursday February 2 When a band or artist seems to make no effort whatsoever to engage or communicate with their audience, it doesn’t really matter how great they sound – it’s not going to be a touching performance. Generally speaking, one doesn’t go to a concert solely to hear the songs as they sound on the record. You can do that at home in your own time. It’s the creation of an electric atmosphere – an energy that connects the performer with their audience – that ultimately distinguishes a good gig from a bad one.

Unfortunately for San-Fransiscan indie-pop sensation Girls, their lack of stage presence and blatant disregard for their fans was to their detriment – and made for a pretty ordinary night at the Oxford Art Factory.

The chance to play a sideshow outside of the crammed festival environment, and the intimacy of a room full of fans who’ve bought tickets just to see them, can be galvanising for a band. Not for Girls. Perhaps frontman

LEVY & ASHLEY MAR

Christopher Owens isn’t exactly the most outspoken individual, but the very least he and his bandmates could have done was acknowledge the crowd’s existence. Instead, Owens sung breathlessly into his blonde fringe, his voice as sparse as his ratty hair. About halfway through the set, the crowd’s disinterest became apparent as people conversed with each other during songs, filled up their glasses with more frozen mojito – a few even ventured over to the gallery bar for the Sweet Teeth EP launch.

In terms of material, Girls opted for a mixed bag of fresh, classic and previously unheard tracks.

And despite producing a decent sound, certain elements of the glossy production of Father, Son, Holy Ghost failed to translate live. The angelic backing vocals and gleeful enthusiasm that made the album the ultimate indie pop package were overshadowed by Owens’ lack of charisma.

As they left the stage, I didn’t stick around for the encore and left to catch the last of The Fighting League… a little more of a spectacle.

Greg Clennar INA CLARKE

catcall

PICS :: RR

OUR PHOTOGRAPHER : KATR

01:02:12 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 9267 3787

28 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

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

party profile

the australian open of surfing

It’s called: The Australian Open Of Surfing gigs, presented by Channel [V] It sounds like: Surf, sand, sounds and skate.

Who’s playing? Sneaky Sound System and The Living End headlining over two days, with Bluejuice, Grant Smillie, Children Collide and Stonefield.

Sell it to us: The world’s top action-sports athletes are set to converge at the birthplace of professional surfing, Manly Beach, for the country’s biggestever surf, skate and music event, presented by Hurley and Billabong. The inaugural nine-day event will see an exciting mix of the world’s best surf athletes competing in six-star men’s and women’s ASP-sanctioned surf contests, men’s and women’s pro junior star-events, a world-class skate bowl featuring the world’s best skateboarders, and two live music concerts on the Channel [V] music stage.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Rubbing shoulders with world-class surfers and skaters, to some of this summer’s hottest music acts.

Crowd specs: Anyone looking for a good time.

Wallet damage: This is the best part – FREE! Where: Manly Beach

the horrors

PICS :: AM

When: Feb 17 and Feb 18 / festival runs from February 11-19

bondi openair launch

PICS :: KC

02:02:12 :: The Metro :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

03:02:12 :: Horden Pavilion :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 8117 6700

off with your head

PICS :: KC

incubus

PICS :: AM

05:02:12 :: Bondi Pavilion :: 1 Queen Elizabeth Dr Bondi Beach 9130 1235

03:02:12 :: FBi Social :: Kings Cross Hotel 244-248 William St Kings Cross 9331 9900

spaceticket party profile

It’s called: Spaceticket

It sounds like: Nirvana meets some good psychedelic acid on the way to a garden party where all the cool kids hang out.

Who’s playing? Spaceticket, Ghost Cat, Witch Fight, The Glimmer.

Sell it to us: The grunge/psychedelic trio of Spaceticket are fully geared to celebrate the release of their debut film clip, and have brought along their favourite Newtown bands to make party of it. Stand outs on the night will be Spaceticket’s Yoshi and Witch Fight’s Boskie (formerly Platinum Brunette, Benleesacarnt, Distain, Grimm Love, DSMB and Swamp Lizard), both bar-hitting stickmen who take the art of drumming and turn it into a wellorganised crime worthy of a television series on Channel 9.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The tremendous amounts of energy, noise and hard hitting rhythms that you will be exposed to after witnessing Yoshi and Boskie firsthand.

Crowd specs: Mostly human Wallet damage: $10 Where: The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown

:: KATRINA CLARKE :: JAY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER Y :: GEORGE POPOV :: ROSETTE CHE PEA MAS THO :: NS MUN IEL COLLIER :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAN TNEY LE :: TRISH WATSON :: TIM WHI ROUHANNA :: JARED VAN EAR

das racist

PICS :: TL

When: Wednesday February 15 / 8pm

04:02:12 :: Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi Beach 9130 7247 BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 29

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

pick of the week

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14 ROCK & POP

Bluejuice

Manly Beach

Channel [V] Live:

Australian Open Of Surfing FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17

Sneaky Sound System, Bluejuice, Grant Smillie 4pm free

JAZZ

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18

The Living End, Children Collide, Stonefield 4pm free MONDAY FEBRUARY 13 ROCK & POP

Guy Le Claire’s Extraordinaire Empire Hotel, Annandale $16 8pm Mandi Jarry Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm

Rockin’ With Rah Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel free 8pm Steve Tonge The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Thomas Dolby, Peter Vogel Notes Live, Enmore 8pm

JAZZ

Ian Blakeney Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm

Aa (USA), Alyx Dennison, Pyramid Scheme DJs, Radiant DJs Hiberian House, Surry Hills $12 8pm Adam Pringle and Friends Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Bondi Jam Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Dave White Experience Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm Emma Hamilton Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $26 8pm Geoff Yule Smith Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel free 2pm The Graveltones Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Hue Williams Jack’s Bar & Grill, Erina free 7pm Love Me: Paul Capsis, The Wau Wau Sisters (USA), Candy Bowers, Brendan Maclean, Queenie van de Zandt, Tyran Parke The Standard, Surry Hills Michael McGlynn Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Mickey Pye Novotel Homebush, Homebush Bay free 5pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Rod Stewart (UK), Diesel Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $130.40–$394.80 7pm sold out They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Thomas Dolby, Stephen Taberner Notes Live, Enmore 8pm The Wall: Roger Waters (UK) Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park $99.90– $399.90 8pm Zoltan Cabravale Diggers, Canley Vale free 5.30pm

James Muller Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8pm Monday Jam: Danny G Felix, Djay Kohinga The Lansdowne, Broadway free 9pm Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $10 (+ bf) 7pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Kid Vegaz, Russell Neal Kellys On King, Newtown 7pm

Alfredo Malabello The Basement, Circular Quay $30 9pm John Hill Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Mike Rivett Quartet, Andy Fiddles 505 Club, Surry Hills $8 (conc)–$15 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Jackie Bristow, Joy & Lara, Kar Grainger, Suzy Connolly Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $20 (+ bf) 8pm The Songwriter Sessions Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 ROCK & POP

2SER’s Live at the Loft: Richard In Your Mind The Loft, Broadway free 5pm Andy Mammers Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9pm Ben Finn Duo Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm

Cara Kavanagh Duo O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9pm Casey Donovan, Joe Moore The Vanguard, Newtown $20 (+ bf) 8pm Co Pilot The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Colin Hay The Basement, Circular Quay $45 9pm Dan Spillane Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm The Dead Marines Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Jamie Lindsay Northies, Cronulla free 7.30pm Jonny Rock Novotel Homebush, Homebush Bay free 5pm The King’s Singers Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House 8pm Kirkvoids Town & Country Hotel, St Peters free 8.30pm Kristina Olsen (USA) Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Live & Local: McKenzie Gledhill, James Willing, Oliver Thorpe Trio, Get Folked Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $16 8pm Luke Dixon Summer Hill Hotel free 7.30pm Mark Easton Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 7pm Mike Bennett The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 9.30pm The Mission In Motion, I Am Giant Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach 8pm Mothership Showcase: Bayside Wreckers, Broken Thought Theory, High Noon, Madame Wu & Elise Graham, Rif Raf Annandale Hotel $8 7.30pm Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt free 8pm Rod Stewart (UK), Diesel Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $130.40– $394.80 8pm Samba Mundi Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Space Ticket, Ghost Cat, The Glimmer, Witch Fight Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm The Study: Kaching The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills free 7pm Tin Sparrow, Playwrite, Saloons Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm TrickFinger Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Unity Floors FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel free 1pm The Wall: Roger Waters (UK) Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park $99–$399.90 8pm West Tigers Home Heroes: Smokin’ Mirrors, Jeff, Angels Of The Tattoed Generation, William Wandermade, Revolver Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm

JAZZ

Greg Poppleton Bakelite Broadcasters, Jimmy Vargas, Liliana Scarlatta Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $15 7.30pm Jo Elms Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm Julien Wilson’s Coat Hangers 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 (conc)–$15 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Greg Sita, Dane Loyd, Aaron Prentice Cookies Lounge and Bar, Bakehouse Quarter, North Strathfield free 8pm John Chesher, Gavin Fitzgerald, Sean Renford, TAOS Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm Laura Bishop, Raoul Graf Taren Point Hotel free 7pm Paul McGowan, Ken Stewart, Kid Vegaz, Russell Neal Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Balmain free 6.30pm

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16 ROCK & POP

Casey Donovan Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Colin Hay The Basement, Circular Quay $45 9pm Decayed 2009-1984: Marty Wilson-Piper and Tiare Helberg Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $20 8pm Domino, Feicks Device, Vienna Circus, Chico Seeds Annadale Hotel $10 7.30pm The Drew Rollan Band, Ezra Lee & The Steel City Band Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm The Dyno-Mics, Big Village MCs Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Geoff Yule Smith Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel free 5.30pm Ginger & Drum, Fever Pitch, DJ Skar, DJ Nic Yorke The Lansdowne, Broadway free 8pm The Heart Attack Machines, Yae! Tiger, Julia Why?, Gilbert Gantry Union Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Hot Damn!: Confession, Caulfied, Wake The Giants, Sunsets, Madison Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15 (guestlist)–$20 8pm Israel Cannan Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $24 8pm Johnathan Devoy Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Marty From Reckless Coogee Bay Hotel free 10pm Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Hotel, Rooty Hill free 8pm Neighbourhood Watch: Lime Cordiale, Winter People, Cogel, Love Parade The Standard, Surry Hills $5 8pm Open Mic Night Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7pm Outlier Duo The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Playwrite, March Of The Real Fly Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm The Ray Mann Three, Briscoe, DJ Nick La Rosa GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $20 9pm Ropes End: Go Roll Your Bones, Colours, Phobiac FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Roxette (Sweden), 1927 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $89.90 (+ bf) 8pm Rufflefeather, Emmy Lou, Adam George The Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills free 8pm

“I wanna be loved by you, alone! Boop-boop-de-boop!” - MARILYN MONROE 30 :: BRAG :: 449 : 13:02:12

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Shushan Petrosyan, Marcus Rivera Notes Live, Enmore 8pm Speakeasy The Whitehouse Hotel, Petersham 8pm TNL: Tales In Space, Unspeakable Curiosities, Camera 4 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm The Widowbirds, Ashleigh Mannix, Fonnie Wood, The Alter Egos The Vanguard, Newtown $17 (+ bf) 7pm Youth Lagoon, Oliver Tank Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $33 (+ bf) 8pm

JAZZ

Declan Kelly 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 (conc)–$15 8pm Jeremy Rose Trio The Spice Cellar, Sydney free 4pm Kristy Garrett Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm

Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks 8pm Steve Davis, Clive Lendich Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $18 (+ bf) 9pm The Widowbirds The Vanguard, Newtown $17 (+ bf)–$52 (with dinner) 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Dave Wilkins The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm Glenn Whitehall Sackville Hotel, Balmain 7pm Peter Phelps, Russell Neal Kogarah Hotel free 7pm

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17 ROCK & POP

Australian Open Of Surfing: Sneaky Sound System, Bluejuice, Grant Smile Manly Beach 4pm

The Living End

Ben Finn Trio Level 1, East Leagues Club free 8.30pm Bones Atlas, Burning Blue Sky, Psyberia, Hairy Baby, Chris Neto, Matty Cordero Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm B-Massive Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm The Brutal Poodles Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Casey Donovan The Vault, Windsor 8pm Chasing Karma Engadine Tavern free 7.30pm Constant Project Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Cotton Keays & Morris Lizotte’s, Dee Why $44 6pm Cougar Vineyard Hotel free 9pm Courtyard Sessions: Dyan Tai Seymour Theatre Centre, Chippendale free 6pm allages The Cracks, The Vaudeville Smash, Sinead Burgess, DJ Spenda C Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 6pm Dave Mason Cox The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 5pm Devour the Martyr, Deprivation, Datura Curse Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt $10 8pm Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges (USA), Jenny Marie Landg, Kara Grainger The Basement, Circular Quay $35 8pm Flamin’ Beauties Mortdale Hotel free 8pm Gary Robertson Guildford Leagues Club free 10pm

Geoff Yule Smith Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel free 6pm Girls Talk Kingswood Sports Club free 7.30pm Graveyard Train, Cash Savage Annandale Hotel $17 (+ bf) 8pm Harbour Master Chatswood RSL free 5pm Helm, Shinobi, Scatterfly Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $15-$20 8pm Ian Moss, Crooked Saint The Vanguard, Newtown $35 (+ bf)–$70 (with dinner) 7pm Jim Conway’s Big Wheel Empire Hotel, Annandale $20 8pm Jive Bombers Eastern Suburbs Legion Club, Waverley free 8pm Kill City Creeps, Mother & Son, The Ghosts Spectrum, Darlinghurst 8pm The Killgirls The Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 8.30pm The Loungephonics Ton & Country Hotel, St Peters free 7.30pm MUM: Mum DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Nativosoul Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Northern Beaches Music Festival: The Pigs, Sal Kimber & The Rollin’ Wheel, Pat Drummond, Kevein Bennett & The Flood, Fred Smith, MC Conway, Robbie Long (UK), Luke Escombe, The Wheeze & Suck Band, The April Maze, Green Mohair Suits, Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra Tramshed Community Arts Centre, Narrabeen 7pm

Off With Your Head: Sures, Claire, Bang Bang Rock ‘n’ Roll, Bin Juice, Rabbit Hole DJs FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $12 8pm Pluto Jonze, Cub Scouts The Standard, Darlinghurst $12 (presale)–$15 8pm The Pod Brothers Coogee Bay Hotel free 10pm The Raids, Universe, The Zebs, DJs The Lansdowne, Broadway free 9pm Reckless The Orient Hotel, The Rocks $5 9.30pm Roxette (Sweden), 1927 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $89.90 (+ bf) 6.30pm Sleepmakeswaves, Dumbsaint, Solkyri, Kasha Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $13.30 8pm Speedster Mounties free 9pm Steve Edmonds Band, DJ Urby Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Superheavyweights Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm Swingshift Cold Chisel Show Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 8pm Tongue and Groove The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Underground Lovers, The Laurels Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $22 (+ bf) 8pm

JAZZ

Aron Ottignon, Ollie McGill The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $20-$30 8pm

Bembeya African Dance Club: Karifi, Okappi Guitar Band, Paul Mbenna The Red Rattler, Marrickville $10 8pm Eaon Beats 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8pm Gang of Brothers featuring the Martinez Brothers Blue Beat, Double Bay $10 10pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Well Connected Cafe, Glebe free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Johnny Rock The Belvedere Hotel free 8pm Peter Long Panthers, Glenbrook free 8pm Rick Fensom Collaroy Beach Hotel free 5.30pm

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 ROCK & POP

Absolute Power, Mad Charlie, Supports, DJs The Lansdowne, Broadway free 9pm Amodus, Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel, Tensions Arise, DJ Jizz The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville $10 7pm Australian Open Of Surfing: The Living End, Children Collide, Stonefield Manly Beach 4pm Cass McCombs (USA), Songs, The Singing Skies The Standard, Darlinghurst $41 (+ bf) 8pm

wed

15 Feb

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

16 Feb

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

17 Feb (5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

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

sat

18 Feb

SATURDAY NIGHT

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

sun

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

Feb

SUNDAY NIGHT

19

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 31

g g guide gig g COUNTERFEIT Tribute Night - Showtunes: Rex Havoc, Sally Hackett, Josh Shipton & Alicia MacArthur, The Jerry Ortism Foundation, Laura Nolan, Justin Holt & Leyne Elbourne, James Edgar Francis of Beauty & the Bastard, Neon Turtle, Lovesick DJs, Nothing Rhymes With David, Kitt O’Connell, The Fresh Prince of St Clair, Babylon 2012, David Allen Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Dave Tice and Mark Evans Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm Dirty Deeds – The AC/DC Show Padstow RSL Club $5-$10 8pm Don Raven and the Blackjack Wolfpack, The Dirty Surfin Bastards Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm Dub FX, Flower Fairy & Cade, Svelt, Royalston, Drachemann, Loz Nonesense Valve Bar, Tempe 8pm Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges (USA) Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm

Finn Pendle Inn, Pendle Hill 8.30pm The Furious Five Jannali Inn free 7pm Glenn Whitehall Duo Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm Hooray For Everything Coogee Bay Hotel free 10pm Ill Brigade, Vigilante, Civil War, HURTxUNIT, Ten Paces, Blow Your Brains Out Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm In Measures, The Ocean Party, Oyster Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm The Killgirls, Screaming Bikini, Lime Cordiale, DJ Kristy Lee Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 6pm Kristina Olsen (USA), Anatoli Torjinsky, Spike Flynn Notes Live, Enmore $34.70 (+ bf) 8pm Less Than Strength Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt 8pm Little & Sanders Riverwood Inn free 8.30pm The Louisiana Roadshow Marrickville Bowling Club $20 7pm Love & Care Foundation Fundraiser: Marlow, delSanto, Neotokyo, The

San Cisco

Hungry Mile Annandale Hotel $18 6pm Mark Da Costa & The Black List, Sam & Jamie Trio, DJ Urby Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Northern Beaches Music Festival: The Pigs, Sal Kimber & The Rollin’ Wheel, Pat Drummond, Kevein Bennett & The Flood, Fred Smith, MC Conway, Robbie Long (UK), Luke Escombe, The Wheeze & Suck Band, The April Maze, Green Mohair Suits, Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra Tramshed Community Arts Centre, Narrabeen 12pm Peppermint Jam Level 1, East Leagues Club free 9pm Phil Spiller Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Pluto Jonze, Cub Scouts Yours & Owls, Wollongong $12-$15 8pm Professor Groove & the Booty Affair present Blaxploitation Blue Beat, Double Bay $5-$20 10pm The Radiators Blacktown RSL Club free 10pm Renae Kearney The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm Replika Rock Trio Carousel Inn, Rooty Hill free 8.30pm Robert Susz & the Continental Blues Party Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free San Cisco, The Jungle Giants, Sures Spectrum, Darlinghurst $12 (+ bf) 8pm sold out The Sounds of Seduction The Vanguard, Newtown $15 (+ bf) 8pm

The Sounds of Steely Dan: The Bodacious Cowboys The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 9pm Sweet As Sunshine Experience featuring The Bland The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills free 7pm Swingshift Cold Chisel Show Oatley RSL free 8pM Thunder Love, JD Mo, Hard as Nails, Kaato Live House, Lewisham $10 8pm Tijuana Cartel, Tin Can Radio Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $25 (+ bf) 8pm Trilogy The Orient Hotel, The Rocks $5 9pm Ungus Ungus Ungus, Shanghai, Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra The Factory Theatre, Enmore $10 (+ bf) 8pm The Unnamed Sources Caringbah Bizzo’s 8pm Viper Death Lock Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm West End Story: Helpful Kitchen Gods, Lollipop Sugar, Call To Colour, Fabels West End Hotel, Balmain free 6pm Yum Kingswood Sports Club fre 8.30pm

JAZZ

Brian’s Famous Jazz & Chilli Crab Night Lizotte’s, Dee Why $19 6pm Jazz Nouveau Supper Club, Fairfield RSL Club free 7pm Michelle Nicole, Tina Harrod 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8pm

Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks 5pm Sandy Evans Sextet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10-$20 8pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Well Co. Café, Leichhardt free

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Benn Gunn Rosebay Hotel free 7.30pm Dan Hopkins Royal Exchange Hotel, Marrickville free 7.30pm Funkstar The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm Laurie McKern, Paul B Wilde, Russell Neal Terrey Hills Tavern free 7.30pm LJ Hollywood Bar & Café, Hoyts Broadway free 6pm Nova Tone The Belvedere Hotel free 9pm

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 ROCK & POP

The Beatvilles The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm The Birdmann & The Flying V Formation, Imogen Kelly, Toy Death The Vanguard, Newtown $16 (+ bf) 7pm Blue Sunday: Dauno Martinez Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $10 8.30pm Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm

Cash Savage, Bourbon & Blues House Band, Frank Sultana Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Doppelganger Dames: Imogen Kelly, Sheena Miss Demeanour, Lillian Starr, Baby Blue Bergman, Maya D Jour, Ginger Soup, Lusty Towlers, Delilah Du Moan, Lizzy Pop, Rosie Rivette, Rod Lara, Venus Vamp The Standard, Darlinghurst $25 (+ bf) 7pm The Dunhill Blues Botany View Hotel, Newtown free 7pm Elevation U2 Show The Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm Erykah Badu (USA), Fantine Sydney Opera House $79– $129 8pm sold out Farmer Barrett, N. Martin, The E.L.F., Billy Burke Black Wire Records, Annandale $7 3pm all-ages Harbour Master Waverley Bowling Club free 3pm Horse (Scotland) The Basement, Circular Quay $30 8pm Hue Williams Ocean Beach Hotel free 5pm Kirk Voids, The Medicated Youth, The Abstactionists Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm Leonardo Live Riverside Theatres, Parramatta $13.50 1pm all-ages Matt Finish Lizotte’s, Dee Why $38 6pm Northern Beaches Music Festival: The Pigs, Sal Kimber & The Rollin’ Wheel, Pat Drummond, Kevein Bennett & The Flood, Fred Smith, MC Conway, Robbie Long (UK), Luke Escombe,

www.fbisocial.com

L2 Kings Cross Hotel

Tuesday February 14

Wednesday February 15

JURASSIC LOUNGE AFTER PARTY:

LUNCH BREAK PRESENTED BY ALBERTS ~ featuring ~

Thursday February 16 A STORY NEVER TOLD presents ROPES END

GO ROLL YOUR BONES + COLOURS + PHOBIAC

Valentines Day Special Young Romantics DJs + FBi’s Sweetie & Shag

UNITY FLOORS

9pm // FREE

Live Broadcast on FBi Radio 94.5FM!

Friday February 17

Saturday February 18

Sunday February 19

OFF WITH YOUR HEAD

TOUCAN + TIM FITZ + PEAR SHAPE

AFTERNOON DELIGHT:

presents

SURES + CLAIRE + BANG BANG ROCK n ROLL + BIN JUICE + RABBIT HOLE DJs

RADIANT LIVE: 8pm // $12

32 :: BRAG :: 449 : 13:02:12

1pm // FREE

8pm // $10

+ LATE NIGHT SOCIAL: UNIVERSE + LOPAN (Melb) + FRAMES Midnight - 3am // FREE Live Broadcast on FBi Radio 94.5FM!

8pm // $10

LOOSE JOINTS (3-5PM) & FOREIGNDUB AIRWAYVZ (5-7PM) + Guests - IRON GATE SOUND! 3PM // $5 Live Broadcast on FBi Radio 94.5FM!

San Cisco by Lisa-Businovski

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

gig guide send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com The Wheeze & Suck Band, The April Maze, Green Mohair Suits, Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra Tramshed Community Arts Centre, Narrabeen 12pm Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club 4.30pm Screaming Sunday: Helmut Uhlmann, Courage for Casper, Cake or Death, Modern Day Tragedy, Gutter Tactic, Many Ions Apart, George Stav, DNF, Flaming Wrekage, Release the Hounds, Sugar Sun, Tunnelvision, Enter the Ninja, KACEN Annandale Hotel 12pm The Slowdowns Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm Spenceray Coogee Bay Hotel free 7.30pm Thieves Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt free 4pm

Vibrations At Valve Band Competition: Masta Gravity, Rubix, The Corridors, Beneath The Shore Valve Bar, Tempe The Widowbirds Brass Monkey, Cronulla 8pm

JAZZ

The Birdmann & The Flying V Formation, Imogen Kelly The Vanguard, Newtown $16 (+ bf) 8pm Blue Sunday: Dauno Martinez Blue Beat, Double Bay $10 9pm Jive Bombers Cronulla RSL free 12.30pm The Peter Head Trio The Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks 4pm The Subterraneans Town Hall Hotel, Newtown

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Domenicos, Carolyn Woodorth Salisbury Hotel, Stanmore free 2pm James Parrino The Belvedere Hotel free 4pm John Vella Level 1, East Leagues Club free 6pm Kirk Burgess Oatley Hotel free 2pm LJ Bayview Tavern, Gladesville free 6pm Pete Hunt Collaroy Beach Hotel free 2pm The Return of Cool Ton & Country Hotel, St Peters free 3pm Russell Neal Hotel William, Darlinghurst free 6pm Shane MacKenzie Cohibar, Darling Harbour free 3pm

Charli, Velvet Road, Merilyn Steele, BlakHatz, Nick

gig picks up all night out all week...

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14

Cass McCombs

NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

AN EVENING OF DISCO/HOUSE, DUBSTEP, HIP HOP, LEFTFIELD ELECTRONICA & FUTURE SOUL

17 FEB

BON CHAT BON RAT ALL LIVE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT 8PM TIL MIDNIGHT

Aa (USA), megastick fanfare, Alyx Dennison (kyu), Pyramid Scheme DJs, Radiant DJs Hiberian House, Surry Hills $12 8pm Roger Waters (UK): The Wall Live Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park $99.90–$399.90 8pm

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15

BEACH ROAD PARTIES

2SER’s Live at the Loft: Richard In Your Mind The Loft, Broadway free 5pm Colin Hay The Basement, Circular Quay $45 9pm Space Ticket, Ghost Cat, The Glimmer, Witch Fight Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16 Neighbourhood Watch: Lime Cordiale, Winter People, Cogel, Love Parade The Standard, Surry Hills $5 8pm The Ray Mann Three, Briscoe, DJ Nick La Rosa GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $20 9pm Roxette (Sweden), 1927 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $89.90 (+ bf) 8pm Youth Lagoon, Oliver Tank Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $33 (+ bf) 8pm

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 Cass McCombs (USA), Songs, The Singing Skies The Standard, Darlinghurst $41 (+ bf) 8pm

Thursday 23/2 - 7pm THE SDS BROKEN BONES Party FEATURING...

TURING...

San Cisco, The Jungle Giants, Sures Spectrum, Darlinghurst $12 (+ bf) 8pm sold out Tijuana Cartel, Tin Can Radio Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $25 (+ bf) 8pm

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 Erykah Badu (USA), Fantine Sydney Opera House $79–$129 8pm sold out

+ CORBIN HARRIS PRO BOARD LAUNCH + THE FADERS + DJ GIAN PAULO

Friday 24/2 - 7pm

Love & Guts ARTT SHOW + AFTERPARTY FEATURING...

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17 Graveyard Train, Cash Savage Annandale Hotel $17 (+ bf) 8pm MUM: The Mountains, Morning Harvey, The Grease Arrestor, Belle & The Bone People, Rascals & Runaways, Seagreen Clarence, Felix Lloyd Presents High Tea, MUM DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Sleepmakeswaves, Dumbsaint, Solkyri, Kasha Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills $13.30 8pm

Saturday 25/2 / - 7pm

Erykah Badu

VANS BOWL-A-RAMA 2012 AWARDS NIGHT FEATURING...

+ DJS THROUGHOUT WEEK, DAVE SLADE, FRANK XAVIER & SCOTT WOLFE

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

brag beats

dance music news

Headman

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

five things WITH

NICK FROM GARCON GARCON

said, ‘You’ve been talking for two hours and you haven’t actually said exactly what you’re talking about, but I know what you mean.”

MAYA JANE COLES

The much-vaunted Maya Jane Coles is mixing the next in !K7’s DJ-Kicks series, which is set to be released on April 17. For anyone not on the MJC bandwagon, the UK producer has risen quickly up through the ranks of house music, first coming to widespread attention with the ’90s indebted, organ-utilising What They Say EP, and the ethereal Humming Bird EP. She also records under the Nocturnal Sunshine moniker, and is one half of live duo She Is Danger with Lena Cullen. Her mix for DJ-Kicks, the first commercially available mix she has released, is a varied selection that traverses cuts from Marcel Dettmann and Caribou alongside a new track from MJC herself, ‘Not Listening’, and a second exclusive cut from Nocturnal Sunshine, ‘Meant To Be’.

CHEMISTRY MARDI GRAS

Growing Up The Music You Make My dad would play really loud Greek music, Our music is essentially synth pop, 1.

4. and my mum would be blasting KISS while ranging from electroclash influences right she vacuumed the lounge room – so how I ended up making electro pop beats me! Nathan grew up watching his sisters obsess over new romantic music, but then he rebelled and turned into a Nirvana-loving, guitar-playing bad ass.

2.

Inspirations I used to listen to a lot of Björk – I think it was the first time that I had actually heard non-conventional music on the radio and read about it in mainstream publications. I guess I always rated her because she was proof that pop music could be cool and interesting.

As a group, Nathan and I are really inspired

by MIA, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Knife, Fischerspooner, LCD Soundsystem…

Your Crew I started playing music from a really early 3. age. I’m a completely self-taught producer although must credit Tommy Trash, who gave me a heap of advice when I first moved to Sydney. Nathan was singing and teaching himself the guitar from an early age too, growing up in the indie band scene.

NILE ROGERS’ DAFT PUNK COLLABORATION

Last week we reported that Nile Rogers, the mastermind behind seminal New York disco troupe Chic, is playing a Playground Weekender sideshow with Chic at The Metro Theatre on Monday March 5. After a strong reader response demanding more Nile Rogers coverage in BRAG, the prayers of thousands have been answered with news that Rodgers is working with Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo – the pair incidentally release under the title of ‘Daft Punk’ – on a new album. “They came

through to classical and rock influences. We have just released our debut EP – which to no surprise is called EP – and we have also just completed a remix for Patrick Wolf’s new track ‘Together’, which is doing really well for us in the UK. We think our music is pretty sincere for electro music.

Local underground house and techno brand Chemistry is hosting the fourth instalment of its now annual Mardi Gras fiesta on Saturday March 3 at new venue One22, located at 122 Pitt Street.

Both the formula and the imperious attitude that has imbued the Chemistry Mardi Gras parties of years past will remain as (un)adulterated as ever, with a handpicked selection of Sydney’s finest club impresarios spinning over the two levels. The lineup oozes quality, with the likes of Future Classic’s Jamie Lloyd, Phil Smart, Glitch DJs, Trinity, Dylan Griffin and Dave Stuart representing. Doors open at 9pm, and the party runs until well past your bedtime, with $10 presale tickets currently available online: head to residentadvisor.net

HEADMAN SPICES IT UP

Switzerland’s Rob Insinna, who produces under the pseudonym Headman, will headline the Spice Cellar on Friday March 30. A chap who has straddled the post funk indie disco tech (I could go on) realms since the early noughties with releases like ‘So Then’, Insinna last put out an album back in 2010 with 1923, which was released through his own Relish label and featured Steve Mason of Beta Band, Dieter Meier of Yello and Katrina Noorbergen of hometown talent Casette Kids. Insinna’s studio output has also comprised a number of acclaimed remixes of rock groups like The Gossip and Franz Ferdinand, as well as Roxy Music’s ‘Virginia Plain’, which my father tells me is excellent.

Yacht Club DJs

Music, Right Here, Right Now It’s an interesting time right now in 5. music. All you need is a Facebook and SoundCloud account and you can pretty much connect to anyone, anywhere. We feel really lucky to be making music right now – but on the other hand, it’s really bloody hard to make any cash out of it! The business side of things isn’t so fun… We’re loving the Sydney scene right now though! We saw Chairlift last week and they were freaking insane. I also caught Amiina at the Sydney Festival – damn those Icelanders know how to make some beautiful music.

What: EP is out on Tuesday February 14

over to my crib today around breakfast time and it’s now evening,” Rogers drawled animatedly, punctuating the conversation with enormous sips of whiskey. “I basically had to almost kick them out. We were having so much fun just in an informal setting that we decided to make it formal. And it’s very formal. It’s gonna be amazing.” After demanding another bottle of Glenfiddich, Rogers continued his interview by comparing the budding partnership with Daft Punk to his working relationship with a certain David Bowie. “Like Bowie, they can speak in abstract terms and I know exactly what they’re talking about. So it was funny – at one point I

YACHT CLUB DJS

One of the finest exports from Ballarat since, uh, Tony ‘Plugger’ Lockett, Future Classic’s Yacht Club DJs are embarking on a national tour over the next few months that will include a huge show at The Standard on Saturday April 21. To bring any stragglers up to speed, Yacht Club DJs have so far played parties all over Australia in the course of their musical career, including Meredith Music Festival, Splendour In The Grass, Parklife, Falls Festival and Field Day. In terms of their sound, they take on the mash-up genre and push an array of classic pop, disco and even theme songs, along with everything else under the sonic sun – so expect anything and everything when they play The Standard. (Within reason of course.)

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 35

dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

he said she said WITH

DANNY DAZE money on vinyl, but the last four years have been all music for me. It’s great to be your own boss, but also stressful as hell!

I just make music. I hate sub-genres, and pretty much DJ the same way. I’m all over the place when it comes to DJing. I do usually stick to electronic music unless I feel I can get away with playing some old Sugarhill Gang Records. A DJ set should tell a story, not just be a power hour.

The scene is great at the moment. The only thing one has to overcome as an artist is caring about what anyone else has to say about you, and pigeonholing yourself into one style. It takes time to let an audience really know who you are as an artist; once you’ve done that, you’ll be happy. An artist can express themselves with many forms of music; I really dig what guys like Jamie Lidell do, as they just do what they do.

I

grew up in a Cuban household. My dad was an opera singer who also played in salsa bands, but would tune into Power 96 – which is where I got the itch for electronic music. The Beverly Hills Cop theme song was another starting point.

My influences come from Miami bass (2 Live Crew, DJ Laz), Detroit techno/electro

ICICLE

Drum’n’bass party Inhale returns for the first time in 2012 with a headline set from UK-based Dutch producer Jeroen Snik, aka Icicle. Renowned for his technical proficiency, Snik’s productions are tinged with the intricate drum patterns that evoke Photek (who you’ll recall is preparing to release a mix for DJ-Kicks, which will hit shelves in late March prior to the aforementioned instalment from Maya Jane Coles). After commanding the attention of the masses with releases on labels such as Shogun Audio, Soul:R, Renegade Hardware and Critical, Icicle made the move from Holland to London back in ‘08, and now officially reps Shogun Audio.

‘Spartan’, Icicle’s debut on Shogun, broke

(Dopplereffekt, Ectomorph, Juan Atkins) and German stuff like Anthony Rother and Thomas Schumacher. I’ve been listening to this since the age of 13 and constantly go back and listen to stuff to grab ideas.

I got into music pretty much through the breakdancing scene in Miami. I used to work killing bugs for a living and spent my a musical mould and securely positioned his elaborate engineering skills on the proverbial map. Supporting Snik on his sonic journey across said proverbial map will be locals Kakhand, Sam The Chemist and Foreigndub. From 8pm, Thursday March 1 at Sly Fox Hotel – 199 Enmore Rd, Enmore.

With: Chic (feat. Nile Rogers), Boy & Bear, Neon Indian, Unkle Sounds, Black Lips, Bonobo (live), Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Manchester Orchestra, Elizabeth Rose and loads more Where: Playground Weekender @ Del Rio Resort, Wisemans Ferry When: March 2-4

DIE ANTWOORD

Die Antwoord have announced they’ll be hanging around after the huge Future Ninja Music Festival to showcase their new record, TEN$ION – the follow up to their what-the-fokk-whoare-these-guys-I-don’t-understand-it-at-all 2009 debut, $0$. If you like your rap-rave fuelled by hip hop, your haircuts weird, your bands peculiar/offensive, and your rympies sal jou fokken kop skop (?), head to the Enmore Theatre on Friday March 9. We’ll give a double pass to whoever can translate whatever we just typed.

(Seriously. It was in their press release.

We have no idea what it means.)

Yolanda

HOUSE INSPECTION

There are a lot of phrases that make BRAG nervous, including “house inspection”, “trust me” and “beginning at 10pm”. But we’re willing to throw caution to the wind when House Inspection presents Trus’me on Saturday February 18 at The Spice Cellar. Apart from the UK maestro, Nic Scali, Marc Jarvin and Bella Sarris will also be tearing up the decks.

It all kicks off at 10pm – and if you want get along, just email BRAG with Trus’me’s real name. A hint can be found on page 37...

Tim Simenon aka Bomb The Bass

GAPPY RANKS

After headlining GoodGod Small Club’s SMAC Award-winning birthday bash last year, UK reggae musician Gappy Ranks returns to the same venue for a bash this Friday February 17. Ranks has claims to being one of the region’s biggest reggae exports, having signed a publishing deal to Greensleeves Records, Britain’s longest running reggae

James Murphy

THE ORB AND BOMB THE BASS

Two UK electronic luminaries, The Orb and Bomb The Bass (featuring Paul Conboy) are heading into town for Playground Weekender, and will perform a doublebill headline show at the Metro Theatre on Saturday February 25. Bomb The Bass is the moniker of Tim Simenon, who worked his way up the UK producer food chain in the ‘80s and ‘90s through his work with Neneh Cherry, before later producing Depeche Mode’s Ultra. The troubled and trying DM album work apparently took so much out of Simenon that he spent several of the ensuing years recovering. In fact, Bomb The Bass went largely quiet after 1995’s On-U Sound clash Clear, with no new album released until 2008’s Future Chaos, which featured a certain Gui Boratto as co-producer and maintained Simenon’s ties with Depeche Mode through a guest appearance from Martin Gore. The Orb meanwhile are an English group who hold a reputation as one of the preeminent purveyors of ambient house, and have hits like ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ and ‘Blue Room’ etched onto their sonic CV, which also features multiple releases on the esteemed Kompakt imprint. Presale tickets are available online for $49.70.

FUTURE CLASSIC DFA STAGE @ FMF

It has come to light that local brand Future Classic will be hosting the DFA Records stage at the forthcoming Future Music Festival. DFA Records is of course the hipper-thanthou NYC label founded by James Murphy (he of LCD Soundsystem fame), former UNKLE member Tim Goldsworthy and Jonathan Galkin, which was the driving force in conflating electronic and rock influences in the early part of last decade. But we’re not here for a history lesson, so I’ll focus on who you can expect to see performing on this stage if you decide to head along to Randwick Racecourse on Saturday March 10. The LCD Soundsystem duo of James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, Hercules & Love Affair, The Juan Maclean, Holy Ghost!, Benoit & Sergio (“my baby does K all day”), Horse Meat Disco (note the proximity to the Ketamine quotation), and the FC boys themselves – those rascals – will all be spinning. And with a lineup like that, you’d be excused from not moving from the DFA tent all day, though surely Aphex Twin would warrant the migration away from the area at some stage... Future Music Festival tickets are still available online.

36 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

and dancehall label whose output is shared by such heavyweights as Yellowman, Vybz Kartel and Elephantman. Ranks crashed through on the back of his 2010 Peckingsproduced album Put The Stereo On, before following it up with the LP Thanks & Praise.

Between the two albums, he’s crafted cuts including ‘Stinkin’ Rich’, ‘Heaven In Her Eyes’, ‘Tun Up’ and ‘Long Time’. And as for his musical ethos? Well, as he told BRAG last time he was in town, in the end it all comes back to reggae. “It’s not that I don’t want to explore or record songs in other genres, but reggae brought most of these genres,” he affirmed. “I believe you have to understand the beginning to understand everything that came after it. Reggae was the beginning.” Support on the night will come from Hoops, DJ Naiki, African Essence Dancers, Judgement & Sing, DJ Daddy and MC Shantan Wantan Ichiban.

RONSKI SPEED AND INFECTED MUSHROOM

German progressive proponent Ronski Speed will perform a Sydney show at The Metro Theatre this Saturday February 18, alongside the one and only Infected Mushroom. Infected Mushroom hail from Israel, and will perform a 90 minute live set that will incorporate trance, psychedelia and “rocktronics” – whatever that means – including material from their latest album, Army Of Mushrooms. Not to be forgotten, Ronski Speed has produced with Above and Beyond, ATB and Emma Hewitt, and remixed Armin van Buuren, Majera and home-grown Aussie duo Binary Finary. Support DJs on the night include Lui Raptor, Ozzy, Keirra Jade and one of the unsung heroes of the Australian underground scene, the veteran DJ and reluctant sex symbol Galaktik. $60 presales are available through the Metro website.

AC Slater Party Like Him Marissa Demetriou

A

C Slater is a man with his hands full – running his own label, Party Like Us Records, causing mayhem with the New York-based Trouble and Bass label crew, and touring his brand of thunderous basslines all over the world. But today, he’s just at home in Los Angeles trying to set up his TV. “I’m sorry, could you hold on one second?” he interrupts, as the cable guy turns up. “I just moved here [from NYC] three weeks ago, so I’m still settling in a little bit.”

Slater is audibly excited by the move, and is already putting the finishing touches on collaborations he’s begun with West Coast locals like 12th Planet and Kill The Noise.

“It’s a really nice, open community out here.

That’s one of the reasons I moved here; every time I came out it was inspiring, so we’re definitely going to be seeing a lot of collaborations this year I think. I have a lot of producer friends that are out here.”

Having toured Australia many times over the years (he laughs as he recalls the Parklife juggernaut of 2010: “It was like summer camp for DJs – quite an experience!”), he returns Down Under to promote a new EP on Aussie label Sweat It Out Music, run by Ajax and Yolanda Be Cool’s Johnson Petersen.

The EP is due out shortly, but he teases at more remixes and singles in the pipeline

for later in the year, with plenty more tours planned too.

A recent post on Slater’s website features an extremely dated rave flyer he had unearthed from 1998, which lists the many ideals of the rave scene. “Raves are not the latest thing,” the poster decrees. “They are not a passing fad. Motivated ravers have been throwing parties for over a decade now and there is no end in sight.” I ask him what he thinks of the scene he was once a part of. “Oh my god – it’s changed so much!” he laughs. “It’s funny you saw that; finding that was like a blast from the past. That whole attitude from the rave scene has pretty much disappeared, or at least changed a lot. It’s crazy how mainstream that kind of music is now… In 1998 I would have said, ‘Yeah right, that’s never going to happen.’ I just saw the cover of Billboard magazine, and it had people like Diplo and Skrillex and A-Trak on it – these guys are about to take over the world!” Slater says. “I feel like the harder the times are, the more people look to music – especially how the global economy is so crazy right now.

People just want to go and rave out!”

And that’s not the only change that Slater has seen over the past few years. “I play house tempo stuff but I’ve always been into

dubstep, and four years ago I would go and play gigs and throw in a couple of dubstep tracks – and I had a promoter literally yelling at me, ‘What is this?!’ Now it’s almost like the opposite – they’re all, ‘Where’s the dubstep’?” Like so many others in the dance music scene, AC Slater is surprised at how quickly the dubstep movement caught on.

“It’s a crazy phenomenon. You couldn’t have predicted it, but I think it’s a relatable tempo – you can do a lot with it.”

On top of consistently touring his own catalogue of bass-driven floor fillers (who can forget the explosive ‘Jack Got Jacked’ remix that blew up dance floors from Sydney to Moscow, not to mention the self explanatory ‘Banger’?), Slater heads his own label Party Like Us, which boasts up-andcomers like New York-based Udachi (who has an EP coming out soon) and Pittsburgh’s B Rich – and he is keen to fill me in on the latest talent he’s brought on board too, like North Carolina duo Clicks and Whistles. “All these young producers are doing so many different things – it’s crazy!”

With: Peking Duk Where: Chinese Laundry When: Saturday February 25

Trus’me Mistakes Were Made By Alasdair Duncan

D

avid Wolstencroft hails from Manchester, a city with a long and deep history of electronic music, but he’s currently residing in Singapore – where club culture has yet to fully take hold. But for Wolstencroft (who makes beats under the name Trus’me), that’s just fine. “Escaping the UK winter is the main reason I came to Singapore,” he says, “plus I play a lot in Asia and Australia at this time of year, so it makes sense. Singapore is in its infancy when it comes to an underground scene, but don’t let that fool you. There are people who know what’s up, and the mixture of a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and expats makes throwing a party great fun!”

While he still loves Manchester, Wolstencroft admits that he’s sometimes had a troubled relationship with the city’s electronic music scene. “When I started making records, I was very conscious of the ego bubble that exists there,” he tells me. “I found a nifty way of escaping that by releasing my earliest records anonymously on a Chicago imprint, which means I ended up with the number one selling 12-inch at Piccadilly Records in Manchester before

they had any idea that it was just David from down the street!” The city’s taste is eclectic, Wolstencroft says, and it’s still a major influence on him, from his DJ style to the tracks that he produces. “That’s the difference between Manchester and most major European cities,” he says. “You can happily be talking to a Detroit techno diehard while sitting in Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club.”

When explaining how he puts together those slyly-melodic techno tracks, Wolstencroft says that he always attempts to present the unexpected. He works with a mixture of analogue and digital gear, but his aim is to make things sound as though they’re happening live and in real time, applying midi controllers to change parameters on the fly. This can lead to mistakes and odd sounds, but it’s those moments of imperfection that can form the vital building blocks of a Trus’me track.

“Some of my most famous tracks are from turning the Juno 60 on and a weird sound coming out, that I then throw in the track,” he says. “Mistakes sometimes work in your favour. When I’m lost for ideas on an arrangement, I arrange blind, just throw chucks of sound around and then press play. You can come up with some interesting sounds and passages of music that the brain would never have thought of in a million years.”

As with many producers who also DJ, Wolstencroft uses his live sets as a means of testing and refining tracks he’s currently working on. “For me it’s a chicken and egg scenario,” he says. “You can’t be a great DJ if you don’t understand the fundamentals of how a track was made, and vice versa – you can’t create the energy in a track if you don’t understand what rocks a crowd when you’re performing the music live.” This also means Wolstencroft is able to play his tracks months ahead of their release on his Prime Numbers label, which is invaluable to his craft as a producer. “Sometimes you just hear a track a different way when mixing it with another 12-inch – you have that eureka moment where you realise what your track needed.”

Sydney fans can catch Wolstencroft when he plays at the Spice Cellar later this month, and I ask him what we can expect from the show. “House to techno, dark, deep and endless energy is the way I like to play,” he says. “Spice is always a fun party, with a great team and honest music promoters – I love to play for them. I’m excited to see their new venue, too, as I’ve heard great things!”

With: Nic Scali, Marc Jarvin and Bella Sarris Where: House Inspection @ The Spice Cellar When: Saturday February 18

Stafford Brothers Number One By Annabel Maclean

M

att and Chris Stafford want a #1 chart smasher. The sibling party DJ duo have been touring globally over the last year while filming season two of their reality TV series The Stafford Brothers, which recently premiered on FOX8. When we speak, the brothers have just landed in Perth after a stint in Thailand, where their manager spent a few days at a wellness centre while the boys played gigs and wined and dined in Thai heaven.

“I think he just absolutely hated us,” Matt Stafford laughs. “We were having the time of our lives. He had to do that for his health – he was quite fat in the first series.” But it wasn’t all fun and games for the Stafford Brothers.

Chris ended up getting a foot infection, and Matt almost got smashed by a Muay Thai championship boxer. In an episode of the second series, a Thai doctor attempts to heal Chris by pouring warm water on his infected foot – an act which did not help the cause.

“I’m going to have to say no,” Chris says, laughing, when asked whether he wisely chose to not mix alcohol while on antibiotics for the infection. “I definitely did drink while on antibiotics. To be honest, it was quite painful walking on it.”

The filming for the second series began early last year and the final episode hasn’t yet been shot; with roughly a year’s worth of footage from so many different countries, Matt’s feeling confident. “Season one has got nothing on season two, that’s for sure.” The goal set by the boys at the beginning of the second series is to have a #1 track, and the season is centred on that – alongside the distractions of general party behaviour, Joey’s outbursts and Brooke Evers’ (Matt’s girlfriend) media and DJ career. “We ended up working with a really big Australian producer – and we got an amazing female vocalist,” Matt says, of the track they’re hoping to take to #1. “The

track has been building throughout this time and should be released on the last episode.”

Although it’s been exciting globetrotting nonstop, the lads do wish they could spend more time in the countries they tour. “We went to Whistler and we only got to do a show there; we didn’t even get to go snowboarding,” Chris says. “Even in Thailand, every day we’d do a show and then we’d have to fly to another place – so for us there’s so many places that I’d like to stay, like Canada in the snow, and places like Ibiza.” Touring has also stretched the relationship between Matt and Brooke, who recently moved to Sydney from the Gold Coast.

“It’s been really tough, and it’s not getting any easier to be honest,” he says. “She just had three weeks off and I’ve seen her two days because I just haven’t been home, so it’s just bananas.”

Both Chris and Matt say their background in sport and business degrees have both been handy in their rise to stardom. “It does definitely help with alcohol, because if you stay fit then you tend to be able to do more of that. We try and train every day, so we try and stay healthy and run the hangover out of us,” Matt says, and Chris agrees: “I think our performance helps [with fitness]. We jump around a lot, so we’re pretty energetic out there I think. And as for business degrees – it’s more being out in the field that’s helped us, but you know, it was good to get them. Mum was really happy when we got degrees, and that’s the main thing,” he laughs.

With: New Order, Skrillex, Fatboy Slim, Friendly Fires, Die Antwoord, Swedish House Mafia, The Wombats, Tinie Tempah and more Where: Future Music Festival @ Royal Randwick Racecourse When: Saturday March 10

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 37

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

club pick of the week Trus'Me

The Lansdowne, Broadway Vultures DJ Skar, DJ Nic Yorke free 8pm Low302, Darlinghurst Thursday Switch DJs free 9pm The Orient Hotel, The Rocks Party DJ free 9.30pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Hot Damn Hot Damn DJs $15-$20 8pm The Red Rattler, Marrickville Queer Prom DJs 6pm allages Ruby Rabbit, Darlinghurst Resident DJs 9pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Flaunt Resident DJs 8pm Soho, Potts Point Femme Fatale Resident & Guest DJs 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Mush & MIT free (student)–$5 9pm

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 The Spice Cellar, Sydney

Trus’Me (UK) Nic Scali, Marc Jarvin, Bella Sarris, Robbie Lowe $25 10pm MONDAY FEBRUARY 13 Goldfish, Kings Cross We Owe You One 6pm Scubar, Sydney Crab Racing 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Jazz DJs free 7pm

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel DJ Willie Sabor 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Jurassic Lounge After Party Valentine’s Day Special Young Romantics DJs, Sweetie, Shag $5 9pm Goldfish, Kings Cross We Owe You One 6pm Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Frat House free Scubar, Sydney Backpacker Karaoke 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross 38 :: BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12

Coyote Tuesdays DJs free Various Venues, Marrickville The Foreign Legion Warehouse Party Adi-B, Zyklus, D&D $20 (presale)–$25 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Tuesdays DJs free 8pm

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 Epping Hotel DTF Resident DJs free 8pm The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst Hip Hop DJs free 8pm Kit & Kaboodle Supper Club, Kings Cross Resident DJs 8pm The Lansdowne, Broadway Frat House Wolf & The Gang free 9pm Ruby Rabbit, Darlinghurst Resident DJs 9pm Scubar, Sydney Schoonerversity 3pm The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale Gaynor Tension, Bryce Halliday $20 7.30pm all-ages

The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Son of Kick (UK), Brown Bear, Zotty, Damsel, Ennsu, E-Cats, Brothers Grimm $5 9pm

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16 The Arthouse Hotel, Sydney Lounge DJs 8pm Cargo Lounge, Kings St Wharf Dance The Way You Feel 6pm The Cool Room, Australian Hotel and Brewery, Rouse Hill Anti-Valentines Day Party Steve Play, Shifty, Bill Will, Anthony K 8pm The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst Hippies from Hell DJs free 8pm Goldfish, Kings Cross We Owe You One 6pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Resident DJs free 8pm Ivy, Sydney Ivy Live DJs free 6pm

34 Degress South, Bondi Get Down DJs free 8pm Arq Nightclub, Taylor Square Beyonce and Beyond Charisma Bell free 9pm Arthouse Hotel, Sydney After Dark Resident DJ 9pm Auditorium, South Sydney Juniors, Kingsford Justice Crew, Young Men Society $40 (+ bf) 8pm allages Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Movement Cadillac free 8pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Button Down Disco Sherlock Bones, Pretty Young Things, Hoodlmz, Snatch, Main St 8pm Cargo Lounge, Kings St Wharf Kick On DJs Chinese Laundry, Sydney Wolfgang Doctor Werewolf, Mane Thing, Neon Stereo, Bounce Crew DJs, Empress Yoy, No Good Mischief, Anodique, Simpler $15 10pm City Hotel, Sydney One Night in Cuba Mani, Nandez, DJ Yamaya, Av El Cubano, DJ Coco $15 8pm Civic Underground, Sydney Volar Resident DJs 10pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Jeddy Rowlands, DJ Anders Hitchcock free Enmore Theatre Game (USA), Savage (NZ), Monsta Gunjuh, DJ Gunz, Moto Tikelz $82.10–$178.15 8pm all-ages Epping Hotel Flirt Resident DJs 9pm GoodGod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! Yo Grito! DJs free 9pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Gappy Ranks (UK), Hoops, DJ Naiki, African Essence Dancers, Judgement & Sing, DJ Daddy, MC Shantan Wantan Ichiban & DJ Naiki $16 (+ bf) 8pm Home The Venue, Sydney Delicous & Sublime Fridays Resident & Guest DJs 9pm Hotel Chambers, Martin Place F**k Me I’m Famous Resident DJs $15 9pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Rat Pack DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Joyride, Kristy Lee, Hobophonics, Starjumps, Stoney Roads $10 8pm Kong’s Jungle Lounge, Bondi Junction

W!ldlive Fridays Resident DJs $10 10pm The Marlborough Hotel – Level 1, Newtown Resident DJs free Oatley Hotel We Love Oatley Hotel Fridays free 8pm Metro Theatre, Sydney Cut Chemist (USA) $49.70 (+ bf) 8pm Paragon Hotel, Sydney Tiago Da Luca free 1pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Feel Good Inc. DJs free 10pm The Roxy, Parramatta Fridaze DJs 4pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Payday Fridays Seduce, Resident DJs 8pm Soho, Potts Point Soho Fridays Resident & Guest DJs free 8pm Space, Sydney Zaia Resident DJs 9.45pm Tunnel Nightclub, Kings Cross Why Sleep? DJs $10-$15 10pm The Watershed Hotel Bring On The Weekend DJ Matty Roberts free The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM MUM DJs $10-$15 8pm

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 Arq Nightclub, Taylor Square Dance Jake Kilby, Jayson Forbes, Rob Davis, Jimmy Dee, Justin Scott $15-$25 9pm Arthouse Hotel, Sydney Armageddon - The Battle Charlie Brown 9.30pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Big Guns Zomg! Kittens!, Disco Volante, Sherlock Bones, Dirty Cutlery, Acid Mouth 8pm Cargo Lounge, Kings St Wharf Kick On DJs Chinese Laundry, Sydney Renaissance Anthony Pappa (UK), Rollin Connection, Jeff Drake, Chris Fraser, Mike Hyper, Def Tonez, Mat wonder, Twobble Twins, LeBronx $20 9pm Civic Underground, Sydney The Glimmers (Belgium), Marcus King, Long John Saliva, Mirror Mirror, Perfect Snatch, Andy Webb $20-$30 10pm Club 77, Woolloomooloo Starfuckers Starfuckers DJs 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour DJ Brynstar, Mudrockets free Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly Saturdays Resident DJs 9pm

Epping Hotel Back Traxx Back Traxx DJs 9pm Establishment, Sydney Sienna Valentine’s Special G-Wizard, Troy T, Lilo, Def Rok 9pm Factory Theatre, Enmore Club Arak DJ Chadi $40 (+ bf) 9pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Late Night Social Rogers Room, Adam & Eve, Frames free 11.59pm Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor The Potbelleez $25 (+ bf) 8pm The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst Horne Dogg free 8pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Musik Matters Garry Todd (UK), Lee M Kelsall, Tom Brereton, Matt Cahill, Amy Fairweather, Ryan Simpson 6pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Balam Acab (USA), Dro Carey, Jonti (DJ Set), Thomas William, Preacha, Generic DJs, Wedding Ring Fingers $22 (+ bf) 9pm Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills Motion Todd C, Dean Dixon, Agent 00 Soul, Burn-Hard, Northern Soul Poster Boy $5 8pm Home The Venue, Sydney Homemade Saturdays Agent Greg (Greece) $20 9pm Hotel Sweney’s Rooftop, Sydney Bare Essentials Dean Tyler, Mattt, Sam Roberts, FAF, Cam Berry, Jesse Alexander $10-$15 3pm Ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy Ember, Sir Charles, Oh Glam, Digital Love, Recess, Jon De Beers, Bilman $20 8pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Ultimate Party Venue Resident DJs free Kit & Kaboodle Supper Club, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Resident DJs 8pm The Marlborough Hotel – Level 1, Newtown Resident DJs free Metro Theatre, Sydney Infected Mushroom (Israel), Ronski Speed (GER), Keirra Jade, Lui Raptor, Ozzy, Galaktik, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor $60 10pm One22, Sydney Loose Kaboose Haul Music Live featuring Craig McWhinney & Mike Callander, Simon Caldwell, Jimi Polar, Claire Morgan, Trinity $15-$20 10pm Ruby Rabbit, Darlinghurst Resident DJs 9pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross

Game

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

The Suite Resident DJs 8pm Secret Basement Club, Darlinghurst Never Mind The Deviance!

Dicky Trisco (UK), Rocco Raimundo (UK), Pete Dot, Innerwestsoul, Will Price $15-$20 9pm Secret Society Warehouse, Surry Hills Secret Society Warehouse Party Miss Roberta (Malta), Amy Fairweather (UK), Gabby, Wowk, Amber Savage, Delbridge, Methodix, Mark Craven, Shepz, Dylan Griffen, Edoardo Perlo, Frashin, Shalvy, Adaja Black, Drummer Girl free-$15 7.30pm Selina’s Nightclub, Coogee Bay Hotel Resident DJs 8pm Spectrum, Darlinghurst Kittens Kittens DJs $5-$10 11.30pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Trus’Me (UK), Nic Scali, Marc Jarvin, Bella Sarris, Robbie Lowe 10pm Tunnel Nightclub, Kings Cross

TRUS’ME

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19

ONE Saturdays DJs $10-$20 10pm UNSW Roundhouse, Kingston Roller Disco Temnein, Will Styles & MC Hayley Boa, M.I.T., Totally Barry DJs $15$35 7pm Valve B ar, Tempe Dub FX, Flower Fairy, Cade, Svelt 7pm The Vanguard, Newtown The Sounds of Seduction DJs $15 (+ bf) 8pm The Watershed Hotel Watershed Presents…

Skybar The World Bar, Kings Cross Wham Adam Bozzetto, Pipe Mix, Garage Pressure, Boonie, Hannah Gibbs, Oakes N Lennox, Grits N Gravy, Jo Gadget, Gabriel Clouston, Pablo Calamari, Nate Perry $15-$20 8pm Yarra Bay Sailing Club, Randwick Summer Wobble! Nick Field, Andy Donaldson, Lee Etherington, Tony Spencer 2pm all-ages

The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays Resident DJs free 5pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Afternoon Delight Iron Gate Sounds $5 3pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Martini Club free 6pm Gypsy Nightclub Sensation Sundays Resident DJs $10-$15 11am Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Sneaky Sundays Resident DJs 8pm Name This Bar, Darlinghurst Sunday Sets DJs 6pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sets DJ Tone free 7pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Loose Ends Matty Vaughn free 10pm Ruby Rabbit, Darlinghurst Resident DJs 9pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Sapphire Sundays Resident DJs 8pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Spice After Hours Robbie Lower, Murat Kilic $20 4am Sugar Lounge, Manly Jungle Fever Jnr, Lucian, King B free 7pm The Watershed Hotel Afternoon DJs DJ Matty Roberts free The World Bar, Kings Cross Dust DJs free 7pm

club picks

PRIME NUMBERS | UK

SAT 18 FEB SHADES OF GRAY LIVE BEEF RECORDS | CZ/AUS

SAT 25 FEB YOKOO

up all night out all week...

PLASTIC CITY | FRA

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14 FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross Jurassic Lounge After Party Valentine’s Day Special Young Romantics DJs, Sweetie, Shag $5 9pm

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 Ruby Rabbit, Darlinghurst Resident DJs 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Son of Kick (UK), Brown Bear, Zotty, Damsel, Ennsu, E-Cats, Brothers Grimm $5 9pm

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Wolfgang Doctor Werewolf, Mane Thing, Neon Stereo, Bounce Crew DJs, Empress Yoy, No Good Mischief, Anodique, Simpler $15 10pm

Civic Underground, Sydney The Glimmers (Belgium), Marcus King, Long John Saliva, Mirror Mirror, Perfect Snatch, Andy Webb $20 (+ bf)-$30 10pm

Enmore Theatre, Enmore Game (USA), Savage (NZ), Monsta Gunjuh, DJ Gunz, Moto Tikelz $82.10–$178.15 8pm all-ages

Goldfish, Kings Cross Musik Matters Garry Todd (UK), Lee M Kelsall, Tom Brereton, Matt Cahill, Amy Fairweather, Ryan Simpson 6pm (free before 9pm)

GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Gappy Ranks (UK), Hoops, DJ Naiki, African Essence Dancers, Judgement & Sing, DJ Daddy, MC Shantan Wantan Ichiban & DJ Naiki $16 (+ bf) 8pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Joyride, Kristy Lee, Hobophonics, Starjumps, Stoney Roads $10 8pm

The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst Hippies from Hell DJs free 8pm

Metro Theatre, Sydney Cut Chemist (USA) $49.70 (+ bf) 8pm

The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Mush & MIT free (student)–$5 9pm

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Movement Cadillac free 8pm

GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Balam Acab (USA), Dro Carey, Jonti (DJ Set), Thomas William, Preacha, Generic DJs, Wedding Ring Fingers $22 (+ bf) 9pm

CLAIRE MORGAN HAUL MUSIC | AUS

SAT 3 MAR

Metro Theatre, Sydney Infected Mushroom (Israel), Ronski Speed (GER), Keirra Jade, Lui Raptor, Ozzy, Galaktik, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor $60 10pm One22, Sydney Loose Kaboose Haul Music Live featuring Craig McWhinney & Mike Callander, Simon Caldwell, Jimi Polar, Claire Morgan, Trinity $15-$20 10pm

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Renaissance Anthony Pappa (UK), Rollin Connection, Jeff Drake, Chris Fraser, Mike Hyper, Def Tonez, Mat Wonder, Twobble Twins, LeBronx $20 9pm

b a s e m e n t

l e v e l ,

5 8

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i n fo @ t h e s p i c e c e l l a r . c o m . a u t h e s p i c e c e l l a r . c o m . a u Gappy Ranks

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 39

snap

the cool room

PICS :: AM

martin eyerer

PICS :: CB

up all night out all week . . .

02:02:12 :: Australian Brewery :: 350 Annangrove Rd Rouse Hill 96794555

the exchange hotel

PICS :: KC

04:02:12 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney

young turks takeover

PICS :: GP

03:02:12 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93601375

02:02:12 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787

It’s called: Meet@TheRabbit It sounds like: Fun, funky house, dance.

Who’s spinning? Dave 54, Eddie Coulter and guests.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: ‘Pump ed up Kicks (Gigamesh Remix)’ – Foster the People; ‘Le Bump’ – Yolan da Be Cool; ‘You Take Me Higher’ – Roger SeventyTwo. And one you definitely won’t: Anything too doof doof.

Sell it to us: As the night goes on, so do the levels. Relax in the eatery bar, engulfed by poppies on the wall and endle ss amount of food, or cruise on up to the dimly-lit cocktail lounge where for the night with refreshing cocktails, until you’re you can strike a pose ready to hit the fierce night club – where you find yourself lost in a wonderland!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Pink walls, Barbie toilets and handpainted ducks.

Crowd specs: After work cool kids, fashionistas and keen bean partygoers.

Wallet damage: Minimal – free entry, $5 drinks until 11, $10 Havana Club mojitos and $10 Patron margaritas!

Where: Ruby Rabbit / 231 Oxford St, Darlin ghurst When: This Friday... And all those to follow!

40 :: BRAG :: 449: 13:02:12

propaganda

PICS :: DM

party profile

meet@the rabbit fridays

02:02:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 LEY

:: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASH S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER ROUHANNA :: TIM WHITNEY ETTE ROS :: OV POP RGE GEO MAR :: DANIEL MUNNS ::

BRAG :: 449 :: 13:02:12 :: 41

snap up all night out all week . . .

party profile

martini club sundays It’s called: Martini Club Sundays @ Goldfish It sounds like: A jungle of sound from the last 40 years of music, from Ghost Busters to Teen Spirit, Salt n’ Pepper to the Ting Tings. Anything and everything and mostly – funky!

Who’s spinning? The Martini Club, DJ Heidi, DJ Stand Up Steve, Tom Kelly Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Re-m ashed versions of Calvin Harris’ ‘Bounce’, MGMTs ‘Electric feel’ and Ginuw ine’s ‘Pony.’

And one you definitely won’t: Belinda Carlis le… (We can’t say that for sure though).

Sell it to us: Where else in the Cross can you get seven of Sydney’s finest musos jamming until the wee hours of Monday? It’s the perfect weekend knock-off drinks – or precursor to that Monday morning meeting.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The cheek y snogs at the side of stage – and excellent espresso martinis.

Crowd specs: Lucky people who don’t work on a Monday!

Wallet damage: Minimalist if you get in early, with the $10 cocktails from 6-10pm.

hot damn

PICS :: GP

Where: Goldfish / 111 Darlingurst Rd, Kings Cross When: Every Sunday from 9pm

bass mafia

PICS :: AM

02:02:12 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 93601375

the wall

PICS :: RR

03:02:12 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 82959958

slow blow

PICS :: KC

01:02:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

03:02:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER HANNA :: TIM WHITNEY ROU ETTE ROS :: OV POP RGE MAR :: DANIEL MUNNS :: GEO

42 :: BRAG :: 449: 13:02:12

adult disco

PICS :: AM

mum

PICS :: DM

03:02:12 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787

26:01:12 :: The Civic Hotel :: 388 Pitt St 80807000

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