The Brag #492

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

five things WITH

JORDIE LANE (VIC)

Growing Up My mum dressed as a 1. sleazy male cabaret singer, and my dad as a police woman in a marching band. They were part of a travelling theatre troupe, and took us kids along on the road. My mum turned out to be a comedian and my dad a clown; I remember he brought a bunch of ukuleles to my first school to teach the kids how to play. I rebelled against that eventually, got myself a six-string electric, and started a rock’n’roll band before I finished primary school.

Because performing was such a great part of my family life, it just felt natural – but my folks did warn me it was gonna be a real up-and-down lifestyle: “Maybe you should continue your love for numbers and be an accountant, Jordie?” I said, “Nah, I wanna be financially fucked like you guys are!”

Inspirations The first time I heard 2.

Bob Dylan’s ‘Times They Are A-Changin’’ it blew my mind. I’d

never understood how to focus on just lyrics in a song until I heard Bob. The people around me every day inspire me the most, though.

Most of them I don’t know or have just met – I’m on the road all the time. But there’s a certain sense of freedom and a feeling you won’t be judged when you talk to a stranger.

I learn people’s stories, and it helps me learn mine.

Your Crew Tom Biller. He’s my man in 3. the producer’s hat; a Californian resident who I have been working with since my last album, Blood Thinner. We met in a bar in LA in 2010, and have been great mates ever since. One major difference is that he likes things done on first instinct. I like to push them further and further.

The Music You Make Past releases include loose 4. stools, dark urine, and minimal blood at times. Oh, and my latest record Blood Thinner (being serious now), and my brand new single, ‘Fool For Love’, which we

are touring around the country until the end of the year.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I think the music scene right now is amazing; it’s so freakin’ awesome how well us Aussies are doing overseas. There are so many obstacles, though: people telling you you’re crazy, people telling you to get a real job, industry bullshit, schemes and fuck ups, blah blah blah... I’ve recently been touring with Billy Bragg, doing the Woody Guthrie Songbook – that’s been amazingly insightful. I’ve seen great stuff at The Vanguard, The Basement, Notes and The Brass Monkey, and I’m sure the new Newtown Social Club will follow in Northcote’s footsteps very well…

Lookin’ forward to that one.

What: ‘Fool For Love’ is out now With: Jordie Lane & band, Liz Stringer, Ryan Nico Where: Notes Live, Newtown When: Saturday December 15 xxx

LIL BASTARD

Much like Creedence Clearwater Revival before them, Sydney’s Little Bastard don’t let the fact that they have never experienced the bayous and whiskey-jugs of the Deep South stop them from making an incredible racket that sounds like it was brewed in the belly of the region. Five-part harmonies, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, all ready to shake you up at their Sydney headlining show – Thursday December 27 at The Annandale. If you are planning to Peats Ridge it for New Year’s Eve, they’ll be there, too. Challenge the banjo player to a fiddle duel.

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The Boss

SPRINGSTEEN!

Rumour has it that when Bruce Springsteen recorded the four-track demos for his (best) album Nebraska, he carried the one tape copy he’d made of it around in his top pocket (no case), showing it to various label reps and muso friends, while trying and trying to record the definitive versions of the songs. He soon realised the demos were actually far better than anything he was pulling off in the stale, studio recreations, and therefore that beaten-up tape is the record we all know and love. So next time you listen, pay attention to the pocket lint – it’s in there. Also, if you missed it last week, Bruce Springsteen is playing Sydney Allphones Arena on March 18 with his longtime group The E Street Band, and you can buy pre-sale tickets from noon this Wednesday December 12; general sale December 14.

THE DEFTONES TOUR

If you belong to a certain age bracket, you will have numerous friends who cite The Deftones as the main reason they got into heavy music/ started playing the bass/started tuning down their instruments. And the best thing about a band like The Deftones is that this formative flourish hasn’t faded with time, which is why their May 15 show at The Roundhouse is likely to sell out at roughly 9:04AM this Thursday December 13. Frantic, musicallycomplex hardcore band Letlive play support.

FOR PEATS SAKE

Peats Ridge could have announced 100 new acts last week. It would have been a clean, rounded addition to an already impressive bill, headed up by John Butler Trio and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. But they opted to leave it at just 98 new additions – which

sounds ridiculous when you preface it with the word ‘just’. Here are a few of the acts playing from December 29-January 1 at Glenworth Valley, on stages with weird names like ‘The Pirate’s Lair’ and ‘Dub Shack’: Kobra Kai, Slowblow, George & O’Sullivan, Shamik, Sensient, The My Tys, Mike Who, Mr Rogers, Dub Terminator, Wahoo vs Chappo, The Book of Ships, Hooves, Ghettafunkt and many more. The rest of the massive arts and music lineup is at peatsridge.com.au, along with tickets for you to buy.

STONE ROSES!

It happened. The Stone Roses, that Manchester-bred band responsible for one flawless album, one bloated-but-brilliant album, and a handful of classic singles and B-sidesthat-shoulda-been-A-sides, have announced an epic Sydney sideshow – March 6 at Hordern Pavilion – in addition to their Future Music Festival appearance (March 9, Royal Randwick Racecourse). Tickets on sale this Thursday December 13, and support will be DJ/popular broadcaster Zan Rowe Zane Lowe.

MT. EERIE

Phil Elverum makes intricately layered, lo-fi, mysterious-sounding music, and then releases it under the apt name Mount Eerie (he spent 12 years creating similar sounds under the name The Microphones). You’ll be able to watch him layering loop pedals, harmonies and whatever else he can loop (firehoses?) on January 25 at York St Anglican Church.

Royal Headache

BECK HANSEN’S SONG READER: TAKE II

The team behind Beck Hansen’s Song Reader – the evening that’ll have Josh Pyke, Dappled Cities, Jonathan Boulet, Caitlin Park, Richard In Your Mind and more performing Beck’s brand new sheet-music-only album Song Reader in full – have just announced spoken word performances from Brendan Cowell (Love My Way, The Slap, all the good Aussie stuff) and Sarah Blasko (whose new song ‘Here’ is a heart-stopper). They also added Melodie Nelson to the already impressive musical bill, with The Green Mohair Suits acting as session band behind some of the vocalists, and DJ sets from Adam Lewis (FBi Radio) and Conrad Greenleaf (Richard In Your Mind). It’s the only event of its kind in Australia, the only way you’ll get to hear Beck’s new album live and in full, and all proceeds go to the Sydney Story Factory, a non-profit writing centre for kids in Redfern, which was inspired by Dave Eggers’ 826 National centres around the world. It all happens on Wednesday December 19 at The Standard, and tickets are very close to selling out – so get yours from Moshtix, stat.

BDO FTW

Organisers of The Big Day Out are frantically rushing around as I type this, changing all the branding for the festival to say “The Bigger Day Out” after adding The Medics, Something With Numbers, Urthboy, Thy Art Is Murder, Deep Sea Arcade, Royal Headache, Bob Log III, Chance Waters, Good Heavens, Stereogamous, The Griswolds, Fishing, The Gooch Palms and Donny Benet to their already heaving lineup (RHCP, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Animal Collective, Troy from Community, Vampire Weekend).

It’s false advertising to merely refer to it as ‘big’ – kind of like how Baz Luhrmann was forced to change his film to The Adequate Gatsby, but the opposite. Oh – and maps and timetables are available at bigdayout.com. Start printing and circling!

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rock music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

DALE FROM NEW GODS (VIC) that we haven’t done previously. Personally I’m excited to be playing music with some really talented musicians and songwriters who are also good friends. We’ve all got different influences, but there’s enough crossover that it feels like a cohesive relationship to me.

The Music You Make We just released an EP that was a 4. combination of home recordings, a session at Sing Sing Studios with Steven Schram, and some extra recording and mixing with Scott Horscroft at Forgotten Valley Studios. We’ve been experimenting a lot with compression and layering to create something that sounds good to us, which we try to recreate live as well.

Growing Up I grew up going to a lot of folk festivals 1. around Australia. My dad has played in many bluegrass and folk bands over the years, so that was a big part of my upbringing. We always had musicians staying at our house and rehearsing, and we had a room just full of instruments: double basses, mandolins, guitars, banjos – pretty much every acoustic instrument.

2.

Inspirations At the moment, I’m enjoying all of Nile Rodger’s work; he’s an incredible musician and producer. Then of course there are songwriters like Neil Young, Bob Dylan and

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

When a band manages to craft a diverse, dark and impressive body of work, in which the two most successful ‘crossover’ singles have them a) stoning our Kylie to death, and b) opening with the line “I don’t believe in an interventionist God”, it’s safe to say their live shows will be majestic, brooding, beautiful, artful, and unlike any other you are likely to experience. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have announced a new record, Push The Sky Away (out February 15), and a national tour that was only set to stop at Sydney Opera House on February 26 and 27 – until both shows sold out. They then added a third show for the next night, which not only sold out but broke the internet. So they added an extra show, for Saturday March 9 at The Enmore Theatre.

Tickets were on sale at time of print, but, well, no promises…

BLACK CHERRY NYE

Black Cherry are throwing a NYE party because they are Black Cherry and they are known for parties, and NYE is a Capitalised Party. It’s their usual heady mix of burlesque, ‘50s rockabilly, blues, ska, swamp, and all that stuff that is responsible for the quiff you are sporting right now. For this one, they’ve put together a huge lineup, featuring ska-kings Area-7, Melbourne party pillagers Barbariön, Celtic-punk band The Ramshackle Army, plus The Drey Rollan Band, Sunset Riot, The Dead Love, Jungle Rump Rock‘n’Roll Karaoke, Twist And Shout’s ‘60s dance room (if you don’t wanna skank, then

Townes Van Zandt who’ll I’ll probably be listening to my whole life. I’m also inspired by the soundtrack work of Giorgio Moroder, Goblin and Ennio Morricone. The local scene is also a huge influence; anyone telling their story is inspiring, especially when you’ve grown up in the same scene and you have this shared history. I love watching local bands.

Your Band We’ve all known each other from around 3.

Melbourne; some of us have even played in bands together before. This is an exciting band for all of us, because it represents a fresh start where we can explore new sounds

shimmy), plus Tasia, who is doing Star Wars burlesque because that ticks all the boxes, really.

There’s loads of other acts, DJs and drink specials galore, and early bird tickets are only around the $40 mark from factorytheatre.com.au. Trust us: you want to get in on this.

Music, Right Here, Right Now We’re from Melbourne, so we don’t really 5. go out to see music in Sydney that often. Last time I went and saw a band in Sydney was at the Hopetoun Hotel, which sadly appears to have closed. The Melbourne music scene is very inspiring though; there are always great new bands to watch. Recently I’ve enjoyed seeing Dick Diver, Montero, Bushwalking, Romy, The UV Race... So many.

What: New Gods EP is out now Where: Goodgod Small Club When: Saturday January 12

JORDIE LANE

Folk troubadour Jordie Lane is known around these parts for his mournful tales of lost love, but his latest single is a step in another direction. ‘Fool For Love’ is a joyful ballad that echoes the bayous of Creedence, has backing vocals from the Eagle Rock Gospel Choir, and speaks of a story we all know too well: being left a little red-faced after an epic romantic gesture falls flat. The psych-country rambler is on the road for his single tour, which lands at Notes Live on Saturday December 15; for a shot at a double pass, tell us the most foolish thing you’ve done for love.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE

Customs officials should really start getting suspicious in regards to how often alt-country artist Justin Townes Earle has made the Nashville-to-Australia trip in the past four years – our count is six visits, which should soon spark investigations of slide-smuggling or something unless he slows his roll considerably. Listening to his fourth album though, the beautifully defeatist tome Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now, we hope he makes at least six more visits before Customs cotton on. February 10 at The Annandale Hotel; tickets on sale now.

ROBERT PLANT!

Most rock chicks, and roughly a third of rock guys, attempt to approximate the sex-dripping bansheewail of Robert Plant, so instead of watching those admittedly fine variations on the theme, why not get a tickets to Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters’ (yup!) at Sydney Entertainment Centre on March 28. They’re here to play Bluesfest, and tickets to the sideshow go on sale Monday December 10 at 9am. (Fun fact: Plant was the singer in Led Zeppelin, a somewhat popular rock group of the late ‘60s/‘70s.)

Garbage

FUCK YEAH DEATH GRIPS AT OAF

The genre-splicing, sample-pillaging buzz band Death Grips were recently dropped from Columbia for leaking their own album online, which is both extremely punk rock of the band, and an extremely reasonable response from a major label who planned to, you know, sell the record to make money. None of this nonsense overshadows the awesome music though, which is why their January 19 show at Oxford Art Factory will almost definitely sell out, if it hasn’t already done so. Quick, tickets via Moshtix.

Public Image Ltd are the ultimate post-punk band, with lead vocalist John Lydon leading The Sex Pistols through punk’s brief heyday. But while The Sex Pistols hammered out one album of quite-good pop (c’mon, they were basically Herman’s Hermits tracks if you trim the buzzsaw guitar and abortion-speak) and courted a whole lot of controversy, PiL are widely regarded as one of the most influential bands ever – their nine records have all those ideas in them you thought you invented in uni. All of them! After a 20-year hiatus, PiL are coming back to Australia off the back of their new record, This Is PiL. It happens on April 10 at Enmore Theatre, but you’ll be required to buy a ticket much earlier – they go on sale this Thursday December 13.

GOTYE THIS FRIDAY

God damn, Yeezy! As if 2012 wasn’t already marked in capitals as “BEST YEAR EVER” on Gotye’s decade-planner (you guys use decadeplanners right?), on the eve of his celebratory lap/ tour around Australia comes news that he has scooped three Grammy nominations: Record Of The Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (for that Kimbra thing), and Best Alternative Music Album. Slap him on the back during his show this Friday December 14 at The Entertainment Centre. Tickets are still available!

CLIFF NOTES

Jimmy Cliff has had a glorious career spanning over 50 years, in which he has revitalised the

lives of so many with songs of freewheelin’ joy, and chronicled war, race relations and hardship. But guess what? He is also the voice of a little song called ‘Hakuna Matata’ from The Lion King soundtrack! He’s out for Bluesfest, as you well know, but he’s also squeezing in a March 28 show at The Metro Theatre. Tickets are on sale now.

SMAC AWARD NOMS

FBi Radio have just announced the nominations for next year’s Sydney Music, Art & Culture Awards – and it reads like a list of our favourite things ever. BRAG is proud to present the Best Major Festival Award, with nominees Vivid LIVE, The 18th Biennale of Sydney, Graphic, Sydney Film Festival and Harvest. Record Of The Year is being battled out by Flume, Chasm, Hermitude, Deep Sea Arcade, Collarbones and Jonathan Boulet. Up for Next Big Thing are Giselle, The Preatures, Dro Carey, Palms and Caitlin Park, and nominated for Best Music Act are Hermitude, Kirin J. Callinan, Holy Balm, Royal Headache, Straight Arrows and The Preatures. Best Music Event has highlighted Outside In, Sunset People, Goodgod Danceteria @ Vivid LIVE, Dr Seuss Meets Elefant Traks, The Gate and Sound Summit, and Best Song is between Dappled Cities, Palms, Regular John, Jagwar Ma, Kirin J. Callinan’s, Catcall and Hermitude (remixed by Flume). The awards are being held on January 17, and you can vote for your favourites at smacawards.com – where you’ll find all the artsy and foody nominations as well.

Xxx photo by Xxxx

Think about how many frontwomen try to be Shirley Manson. And how many records try to sound like Nevermind. Well, Butch Vig made Nevermind sound that way, and Shirley Manson is Shirley Manson, and they are both going to be appearing at Garbage’s Sydney Soundwave sideshow (they call them ‘Sidewaves’) on February 25 at The Metro Theatre. In support is The Dear Hunter, which is Casey Crescenzo from Massachusetts hardcore band The Receiving End Of Sirens’ lighter-yet-loftier solo project. Tickets on sale this Thursday December 13.

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Last week, there were clues about an “unholy performer” making an exclusive appearance just in time for Highway 125’s Pit Stop Christmas Party. Well the secret’s out: Chris Bailey’s iconic The Saints will be on hand for a special performance, along with support slots from Bears With Guns and Ollie Brown. The party’s going down on Friday December 14 at Trackdown Studios in The Entertainment Quarter, and we’ve got a double pass and their latest LP King Of The Sun up for grabs. For a chance to win, tell us the name of The Saints’ first record – four runners-up will get the new album too.

Death Grips

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The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR

* Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ two shows at the Opera House sold out immediately.

Promoter Billions Australia added a third show, which sold out in an hour – and crashed the Opera House website in the process. An extra date at The Enmore Theatre was tacked on at the end of the tour, set for Saturday March 9. * Aussie promoters Boom Boom posted on their website that they plan to take legal action against Chicago DJ/producer Lil Louis, for blowing out his July visit at the last minute. For starters, they want their $11,700 advance back. * It’s the attack of the reunited AOR bands: Stevie Nicks, while announcing a 34-date North American run for Fleetwood Mac, said they’d hit Europe in the northern summer, and “then we might do 15 or so shows in Australia.” Meantime, guitarist Steve Lukather, who’s here in late summer with Ringo Starr’s Allstars, told this column that Toto would be here in 2014. * At the nominations for this year’s AACTA film awards (previously the AFIs), The Sapphires got 12 nominations (with Jessica Mauboy up for Best Supporting Actress), while Kid Mac was gonged twice for Best Direction and Best Cinematography in the Documentary category, for his Fighting Fear. * US rapper Tyga, who opened for Nicki Minaj’s tour, was on the Gold Coast last week filming a video, with the inevitable bikini babes on a luxury yacht. * Andrew G(ünsberg) has quit as host of

TMN: 2012'S BIGGEST SONGS ON COMMERCIAL RADIO

The Music Network released its Hot 100 list of most played tracks on commercial radio in 2012. The list was topped by Fun.’s ‘We Are Young’ followed by Coldplay’s 'Paradise', Ed Sheeran’s ‘The A Team’, The Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’, Sheeran’s ‘Lego House’, Matt Corby’s ‘Brother’, Train’s ‘Drive By’, Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Call Me Maybe’, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’, with Maroon 5’s ‘Moves Like Jagger’ rounding off the Top 10. For those of you who like numbers, Universal and Sony

MCM Media’s nationally syndicated radio show, The Hot Hits, after ten years. * Who are the “legendary musicians” playing as The Shivering Fits at this weekend’s Festival Of The Sun? Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson is also hopping on stage on the Friday. And who is the guest who’ll come on to sing ‘Fairytale Of New York’ at Carols By Blowtorch on December 13 at the Union Hotel in Newtown? The event will see the likes of Urban Guerillas, Mayday Dreamers and The Browny Show doing carols in a one-chord punk manner. “They sound more realistic [that way],” Guerillas lead comrade Ken Stewart insists. * In Aussie correspondent Lars Brandle’s Billboard report on Sydney's Electronic Music Conference, he came up with some figures for Tiësto. The Big T listens to 100 new records each week, flies 240 times a year, visits America’s EDM capital Las Vegas 20 times a year, and has a full time staff of 35. * Kaiser Chiefs’ drummer and songwriter Nick Hodgson has quit after 15 years to concentrate on his Chewing Gum record label and Chewdio studio, where Vaccines, Mark Ronson and Ryan Jarman have recorded. * The Canberra Raiders confirmed that the National Rugby League punished player Blake Ferguson, who was thrown out of the VIP area of Canberra’s Foreshore Music Festival (November 24), for spitting on other guests. * Bruno Mars is toying with Halle Berry’s feisty fiancé Olivier Martinez, after admitting on radio that the line “Your sex takes me to paradise” from his ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ hit is about her.

had 30 entries, followed by Warner with 29, EMI with 12 and Inertia with two. It goes without saying that the list wasn’t full of Aussies. There were 14 in all (16 last year), including multiple entries from Guy Sebastian and Timomatic, along with Gotye, Hilltop Hoods, Pete Murray, Justice Crew and Delta Goodrem.

THREE NEW NAMES FOR AAM BOARD

At the Association of Artist Managers’ AGM on November 30, Umbrella Music’s Greg Carey, Bossy Music’s Claire Collins and Mucho

Bravado’s Ben Preece were voted to the board. Standing down were Kim Thomas, Gregg Donovan and Heath Bradby. Cath Haridy was re-elected chairperson, Briese Abbott as vice chair and Tom Harris of White Sky as treasurer. Others remaining on the board are Bill Cullen, Denny Burgess and Buzz Bidstrup.

DEEZER ANNOUNCES FREE PLATFORM

At an event in Sydney, music subscription service Deezer announced it was launching its free ad-supported service in Australia on Tuesday December 11. Aiming at a mass market audience, it is offering users up to 12 months of unlimited free music if they register before June 2013. After that, users will receive two hours per month of free listening on PCs and laptops only, and get a free month trial of Premium+ (PC/ laptop and mobile) upon mobile activation, encouraging music discovery on mobiles and tablets. The launch event, at the Oxford Art Factory, saw live sets by Flume, Urthboy, Bertie Blackman and Bento streamed to 160 countries. Thomas Heymann, head of Deezer Australia/NZ, called the stream “a great example of Deezer connecting artists with their fans globally in the most compelling fashion.”

MUSIC LICENSING DIRECTORY

Twin brothers Winston and Adrian Giles unveiled the Music Licensing Directory (musiclicensingdirectory.com), for artists and music rights holders to get their music licensed, and to tap into a global multi-billion dollar industry. It lists and analyses 400 companies around the world that license music into film, TV, advertising and games, as well as new companies that license music directly to brands and new media. The company’s CEO, Winston, is a musician and producer whose music has been licensed

by Nokia and Coca-Cola; he said no other platform offered such a “quick and simple” service, and that branding and sync were becoming the most important revenue earners. Adrian has also set up the successful internet measurement company, Hitwise.

NEW STUDIO IN GLEBE

Glebe has a new studio, courtesy of Justin Shave and Charlton Hill’s music and sound production company, Uncanny Valley. It’s just moved into the area from Tamarama, sharing the premise with audio post house Plasma.

This Week

BEATLES FESTIVAL IN PORT MACQUARIE

E HIFI 1300 TH O C M.AU

Port Macquarie will host the inaugural Beatles Festival on March 1-3. There will be tribute bands, street parades, dances, markets and more. The idea, which came from former Port Macquarie-Hastings administrator Neil Porter, was inspired by the Elvis Festival, which draws 15,000 to the NSW town of Parkes.

Paul Kalkbrenner (GER)

THEHIFI.

Sat 15 Dec SELLING FAST

SE LL IN G

SE LL IN G

FA ST

FA ST

Coming Soon

Kid Ink (USA)

65daysofstatic (UK)

Maximo Park (UK)

Sat 22 Dec

Wed 2 Jan

Thu 3 Jan

Blood Red Shoes (UK)

SE LL IN G

FA ST

Fri 4 Jan

Marduk

(SWE)

Sat 12 Jan

The Boys Of Summer Tour 2013 Sun 13 Jan

(CAN)

Crystal Castles

Dub FX

Thu 17 Jan

Sat 26 Jan

THE HOLDING PATTERN CONTINUES GROWTH

The Holding Pattern, a new Australian-based platform for indie and emerging acts to promote, license and sell music, is growing at a rapid rate. MGM Distribution has moved its entire catalogue to THP, as now so is UK distributor Ditto Music. “The virtual shelves of our little digital indie store are packed and expanding further every day, with some of the most amazing independent music on the planet,” founder and chief executive Nick Arnold says. “You can also listen to, search and explore THP’s catalogue straight from your phone for free.” For more information, see www.holdingpattern.com.

HILLTOPS INITIATIVE BACK

Kerser

From The Jam (UK)

Gin Blossoms (USA)

Sat 2 Feb

Sun 3 Feb

Sat 9 Feb

An Evening with The Hoff (USA)

FA ST

Fri 15 Feb

DIGITAL MUSIC TO OVERTAKE CDS IN AUSTRALIA?

SE LL IN G

Bring Me The Horizon (UK)

Tim Rogers & The Bamboos

Tue 26 Feb

Thu 7 Mar

Fri 15 Mar

Dinosaur Jr + Redd Kross (USA) Sat 16 Mar

FA ST SE LL IN G

FA ST

Fri 8 Mar

SE LL IN G

O 11 N S DE ALE C

Ensiferum (FIN)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (USA) Sat 9 Mar

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (USA)

Mutemath (USA)

Otep (USA)

Sun 24 Mar

Thu 25 Apr

ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY

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The Hilltop Hoods Initiative is back next year, with one hip hop/soul act up for a $10,000-value grant. The grant includes legal advice from David Vodika and Media Arts Lawyers, and a Shure Microphone pack. To be eligible, you can’t have released an album yet, and must be an APRA member and an Australian resident.

Digital music sales will overtake CDs in Australia this year, predicts the Australian Financial Review. The report points out that in 2011, physical sales fell to $242 million, while digital rose fivefold to $141 million. If digital rises by 30% this year as expected, then it will overtake physical. This happened in America in January, and in the UK in May. Of course downloads are being challenged by streaming; the big question for the biz is, do today’s consumers prefer to own their music, or just listen to it?

DRE: HIGHEST PAID MUSICIAN

Dr Dre is the highest paid musician on the planet, according to US business magazine Forbes. Between May 2011 and May 2012, his music and business investments (including HTC buying a 51% stake in his Beats headphone company) grossed US$110 million. He toppled last year’s winners U2. Dre is followed at #2 and #3 by Roger Waters ($88m) and Elton John ($80m), who have been touring their butts off. U2 followed with $78m, then Take That ($69m), Bon Jovi ($60m) and Britney Spears ($58m). Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift tied at #8 with $57m, Justin Bieber and Toby Keith tied at #10 with $55m. Rihanna was at #12 with $53m, then Lady Gaga ($52m), then Foo Fighters ($47m), with Diddy and Katy Perry tying at #15 with $45m.

GRAMMY GOTYE

As Gotye launched his Australian tour last week, news broke that he scooped three nominations for the Grammys in February.

‘Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)’ is up for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Making Mirrors vies for Best Alternative Music Album. Record Of The Year is the most prestigious; Wally is the first Aussie to be nominated it for it since Olivia Newton-John won in 1975. Meantime, ‘Somebody’ was named the UK’s biggest-selling single of 2012, selling 1.28 million copies since it entered the UK singles chart at #1 in February.

NEW GRANTS, SMALL LABELS

The Australia Council’s music board set up a new pilot grant scheme for small to medium labels. It will offer up to $50,000 to help with costs including recording, websites, marketing and administration. Earlier this year, the board liaised with industry bodies, artists, managers and others, and got Associate Professor Shane Homan from Monash University to compile a report. Everyone agreed that small to medium firms needed the most support; the report can be found at australiacouncil.gov.au. “We would hope that the outcomes of this pilot program will further strengthen the case for increased support for music recording,” said OzCo’s director of music, Paul Mason. Application deadline is February 18.

Lifelines Split: One Direction’s Liam Payne and singer Leona Lewis, before things got too heated. She’s back with her ex, Dennis Jauch, and he with dancer Danielle Peazer, who joined him at their acclaimed New York show last week.

Dating: Johnny Ruffo and Home & Away colleague Samara Weaving, just weeks after she split from Axle Whitehead.

Hospitalised: Yothu Yindi’s Mandawuy Yunupingu, after collapsing at his Northern Territory home, most likely from the stress of their ARIA induction.

Suing: Fugees rapper Pras Michel takes action against Marshall Tyler, whom he hired to direct his Paper Dreams movie about being held hostage by Somali pirates – for refusing to hand over the film.

Indicted: Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe, on manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic, after a three-month investigation by authorities for the death of a fan who died two weeks after being allegedly injured at the band’s concert in Prague in 2010.

Died: Iconic US jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck (‘Take 5’, ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’), whose 1959 exotically rhythmic Time Out album was the first jazz album to sell over a million copies, and remains one of jazz’s best sellers. The 91-year-old was on his way to his cardiologist when his heart failed.

Died: Influential US guitarist Mickey “Guitar” Baker, 87. Part of the pop duo Mickey & Sylvia, he set the groundwork for ‘50s rock’n’roll, appearing as session guitarist on as RnB hits like Ruth Brown’s ‘(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean’ and Big Joe Turner’s ‘Shake Rattle & Roll’, and heavily inspired The Who’s Pete Townshend.

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MAXÏMO PARK Positive Tension By Joshua Kloke

M

axïmo Park’s frontman Paul Smith has been quoted as saying that his band’s latest album, The National Health, is about “taking back control, and being a force for change in your own life…

That’s always been a Maxïmo Park thing: look at yourself.” It’s a determined approach from a band that, four albums into their ascent up the UK radio-rock ladder, is finally solidifying their sound. Or at the very least, becoming more comfortable with it.

16 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

“I’ve certainly realised how positive the songs are,” says Smith, reflecting back on The National Health. “While we were making the record, we realised that, in terms of themes, there’s the idea of coming through something and having a new day; putting your troubles behind you. It can be a very negative world, so we’re trying to find the positive – the title track is about travelling on a train as a way to overcome frustration. So when we play those songs, it’s great to see people smiling.”

Reached by phone at his home during a rare touring break, there’s a relaxed, thoughtful charm to Smith. “This is my week off, where I get to sleep in my own bed and do the washing. That’ll take up most of my time,” he says. The 33-year-old’s pensive and mild manner contrasts his manic onstage attitude, but he hints repeatedly that when it came to writing The National Health, things weren’t always calm and rosy. The album’s focused credo is an easy narrative to create in hindsight, but at the time, as Smith tells it, the band had to come together in order to move forward.

“When we were making this record, we found it difficult to form one single idea about where the band was headed,” he says, hinting at discord. “We’re all quite headstrong, the five of us, and we all have a hand in writing the songs… There

are all sorts of little difficulties in trying to unify the band, and trying to make a record in the first place.” (Refraining from detailing any particular conflicts, Smith insists that the five-piece is “trying to remain friends, so we’ve been focusing on the positives.”)

With each band member entering the studio with a different idea about where to take their sound and vision, Smith admits that the demos for The National Health sounded more like imitations of their influences than attempts to harness what they do best.

Evolution might have been on the band’s agenda, but, he says, they became overwhelmed with opportunity, and lost their focus.

“We tried to evolve too far,” he says.

“We recorded a few songs, demos, that we thought could work for the album, and they were almost in My Bloody Valentine territory; kind of dreamy and overdone. We’d go back and listen to the songs and there was something not quite right about them.”

Had their new album ended up sounding as muddled and meandering as their previous two releases, the Maxïmo Park name may have been damaged beyond repair. But with age comes perspective and self-awareness – and once the band admitted they had made mistakes, something had to give. “That was a breakthrough

for us, because we were able to approach the songs differently, with a very clean slate,” Smith says. “We got very happy, thinking, ‘Yeah, finally – this sounds like us, but it sounds fresh.’

“Sometimes when you’re writing songs, you’re trying to move away from what you’ve done,” he continues, “and sometimes you move too far. We realised we didn’t need to, because we’ve got our own sound.”

While from the outside, The National Health plays out like a critical examination of England’s place in the world, throughout the album Smith puts his band under the microscope as well. “A lot of the music on the record, at least from a textual aspect, can be applied to the band itself. The song ‘Waves Of Fear’ ends the album, and it was written on a very personal basis.

It felt like after the last record we still had more to say as a band,” he says. “Each time we make a record, we’re thinking the same way: ‘Does the world need this record? Should we be making it?’. And lately we’ve felt like we should. It’s good to have some level of self-assessment.”

With that in mind, Smith pulls no punches when we discuss the lacklustre reception of Maxïmo Park’s previous two records. “There is a balance between going too far and sticking to a formula. It might be

difficult to reach out to people that’ve written us off, but [The National Health] sounds unlike anything we’ve ever done,” he says. “It’s a tricky balance, but we’ve been talking a lot more about stuff than we ever have.

We’re trying to remain friends. It’s necessary for members of the band to be a bit critical of things you’ve done, but if you focus more on what you’re doing right, you’re able to get so much more done.”

The results speak for themselves.

Sounding energised but never repetitive, the new record left Maxïmo Park “in a good place,” according to Smith. With the growing pains now behind them, the band spent much of 2012 on the road.

No intense, camera-laden therapy sessions were needed; instead, they just had to look long and hard in the mirror. And ultimately, they liked what they saw. “We’ve accepted ourselves and we’re revelling in it,” Smith says. “We’ve been able to write pop songs that we’re proud of, and if we look back at our original aim, it was that: to write pop songs that bring out the best in people.

And as an entity, we’ve discovered that writing catchy songs that people can relate to is nothing to be ashamed of.”

What: The National Health is out now through Co-Op Where: The Hi-Fi When: Thursday January 3 More: Also playing Falls Festival alongside Beach House, Best Coast, Django Django, Hot Chip, The Flaming Lips and more, held December 29-January 1 in Marion Bay, Tasmania (all-ages), and December 28-January 1 in Lorne, Victoria (18+, sold out)

San Cisco photo by xxx

Maxïmo Park broke through with their 2005 debut, A Certain Trigger.

The Mercury Prize-nominated album came at the height of the post-punk revival, when snappy and polished rock was flooding the airwaves. Great Britain, once a bastion of diverse and groundbreaking music, began churning out bands of a similar ilk at a great speed, and the market was soon flooded. As with any rising sub-genre in the 2000s, the post-punk revival was short lived.

Where, then, did that leave Maxïmo Park? The rise and fall of the genre they were associated with didn’t change the fact that A Certain Trigger was still a contagious listen – but their following two albums, 2007’s Our Earthly Pleasures and 2009’s Quicken The Heart, were confusing in terms of both their ambition and scope. The band was treading water, afraid to totally ditch their hooky pop-rock, but still refusing to take grand leaps in sonic aesthetic. Three years separated the release of Quicken The Heart and The National Health, the longest Maxïmo Park has ever taken between records. The time off did them good.

“Each time we make a record, we’re thinking the same way: ‘Does the world need this record?

Should we be making it?’. And lately we’ve felt like we should.”

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Best Coast

SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS

Growing Up By Sean Sandy Devotional

A

fter a year on the road, Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino spent the day in a backyard Jacuzzi – a rare spot of indulgence earned after the band’s relentless tour of their sophomore album, The Only Place.

Speaking from her home in Eagle Rock, the celebrated nexus of Anytown suburbia and a rich bohemian playground, Cosentino is enjoying the opportunity to devote herself to more idle pursuits after a frenetic year.

“I think just being so busy and travelling so much and waking up in different timezones – I can’t believe it’s the end of the year already. I have a difficult time keeping track of what day it is,” she says, in her pitch perfect Southern California drawl. “I have a difficult time deciphering whether I should be in tour zone or home zone. I would say I still experience a bit of a hangover from that, for sure.” With Cosentino’s 2012 highlights including a collaboration with Iggy Pop for the True Blood soundtrack and an appearance on Conan, it’s hard to begrudge her a bit of time off.

“We finally have sort of slowed down, and started to take a bit of a break,” she says. “It’s been a great year and I’m sad to see it end. We feel really lucky that we’ve been this successful.”

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The Falls Festival and an east coast tour in January will mark the band’s third trip to Australia in less than two years, following recent billings at Golden Plains and Big Day Out. The trip comes ahead of a long US stadium tour with Green Day beginning in February, and while Cosentino is enthusiastic about the months ahead, her constant absence from LA has definitely made itself felt on the band’s latest record. “When you’re gone all the time, it’s definitely difficult to keep any relationship above water,” she says. “I have a lot of friends and it’s hard to keep any of my relationships perfect. Travelling city to city you’ve got a lot on your mind and it’s hard to focus. I wanted to make a record that was more centred on that kind of personal stuff.”

Cosentino’s former relationship with Nathan Williams of fellow Californian band Wavves brings itself to bear on The Only Place in a much less saccharine way than the jangly love songs on Best Coast’s debut. There’s certainly more of a maudlin note in the clip for the album’s third single, ‘Do You Love Me Like You Used To’. Shot around Santa Monica, the montage of happy couples holding up signs professing their love for each other and jaunting around an amusement park seems like a bit of a downer compared to earlier promos, with their ensemble cast of cats, or the singer running down Venice Beach with Ronald McDonald.

The much-hyped romance between Williams and Cosentino did a great deal to lift the profile of both bands, and was publicly flaunted enough to earn the pair both the title of “hipster power couple” and the dubious honour of an Urban Outfitters fashion spread; naturally, the sort of people who get cross about that sort of thing were less than kind to the pair once the relationship ended. Mindful of the criticism she copped for flaunting her private life, Cosentino says the new album came about as a result of

“Stuff on the internet is so easy to access, and that makes it a lot more difficult to live a private life. I don’t know if I necessarily regret sharing anything ... but now I try to be more guarded.” a newfound emotional maturity, and a decision to be a little more circumspect when presenting herself to the world. “I think making this record – making a bit more of a grown up record – was a step in the right direction,” she says. “I was going through a lot of emotional stuff. I turned 26.

I wrote a lot of songs when I was feeling down and out, and I feel a lot more grown up and a lot more stable and more together than I did before.”

“A lot of it’s about growing up while you’re trying to change and grow in the public eye. Stuff on the internet is so easy to access, and that makes it a lot more difficult to live a private life. I wanted to pull back a bit, figure out what to say and what not to say, what to share and what not to share. I don’t know if I necessarily regret sharing anything, but at the beginning of my career I was talking very freely in interviews, and now I try to be more guarded.”

That guardedness is on display when discussing the critical reaction to The Only Place, not all of which has been as gushing as the band’s fans are. The consensus on the album seems to be that a worthy improvement in production values doesn’t make up for the rehashing of song structures and endless California worship of 2010’s Crazy For You. With plans to record another EP sometime in the new year, Cosentino says she doesn’t feel any need to placate the expectations of critics. “I just kind of feel that whatever naturally comes out of us is what’s meant to be. We don’t try to make things too specific... I just kind of write and let what happens happen,” she explains. “We make music that we’re proud of and happy with, and that’s what’s important to us. Whatever we do next will be a natural progression of growth from this year.”

With: Dune Rats, Pear Shape Where: The Metro Theatre (lic., all-ages) When: Thursday January 3 More: Also playing Falls Festival alongside Beach House, Bombay Bicycle Club, Django Django, Hot Chip, The Flaming Lips and more, held December 29-January 1 in Marion Bay, Tasmania (all-ages), and December 28-January 1 in Lorne, Victoria (18+, sold out)

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BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 19

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Don’t Call It Retro By Benjamin Cooper

“I’m not some 20-something-year-old Taylor Swift or Beyonce, imitating a sound. I’m not doing a version of soul music, because I am soul.” with Sugarman 3 saxophonist Neal Sugarman, and took Jones and the newly-formed band to Spain. After a summer in residence at Barcelona club La Boite in 2001, the group released their debut LP, Dap-Dippin’ With Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings. Despite having a limited initial run of a few hundred copies, the record still managed to make an impact in Europe and America, and by the time they arrived back home, Roth had a stack of requests from festival promoters and club owners all over the world. What had started out as a summer holiday quickly became a touring and recording monolith that was far greater than the sum of its players.

“I

’m not some 20-something-year-old Taylor Swift or Beyonce, imitating a sound. I’m not doing a version of soul music, because I am soul.” Sharon Lafaye Jones has undeniable style and swagger, and is completely unafraid to call out today’s trending stars for their temporality. The frontwoman of Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings has seen a lot of styles come and go, and she’s understandably annoyed when critics focus on the ‘revival’ tag that people attach to the funk and soul group.

“I’ve been telling people for years: I’m not retro.

There are all these strange ideas about what this kind of music should be,” she says. “People are always talking about how soul music has to come from a dark place, a depressive place

where the singer has lost something, and that just isn’t true. Soul music just has to come from the heart, and most of it is just good, you know?

Shit,” she exclaims, with a little shout of laughter, “sometimes they even talk about how only black people can really do soul! I mean, you only have to look at what Hall & Oates were doing, and how they were getting people on their feet in the late ‘70s, to know that the only thing that matters is heart.”

The story of The Dap-Kings began in the mid‘90s, when Philip Lehman and Gabriel Roth met Jones while she was singing backing vocals for the legendary deep funk singer Lee Fields.

Shortly after, Roth founded the vinyl-pressing and analogue equipment-favouring Daptone Records

More than a decade later, the group have released four studio albums as well as last year’s collection of non-album tracks, Soul Time!. Taking the tunes around the world, their electric live show has gained particular notoriety at festivals; Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings will be returning to Australia at the end of this year, for a headline set at Peats Ridge. “We love the festivals, every inch.

We try to make it so that everyone can bring their kids along and show them something new,” Jones says. “We bring the music they don’t hear that often – maybe some Motown, or a little Supremes for the afternoon – and we bring something entirely new and real. Just the other day we were at a bluegrass festival in Colorado, and people were having a great time dancing to our tunes. I mean here I am, a black woman performing at a hillbilly festival, and they loved every minute of it! That’s a powerful thing, because ultimately it’s about people just sharing a love of music. We’re lucky to be a part of that.”

The conversation turns to Jones’ great friend Mr. Charles Bradley, The Screaming Eagle Of Soul.

Another luminary of the genre, and a champion of Golden Plains Festival, Bradley has been signed to Daptone since being discovered by Roth in 2001. At the time, he was performing club shows as a James Brown impersonator under the moniker Black Velvet. “Look at that beautiful man, living his dream,” Jones says, with obvious

affection. “He was out there imitating James Brown, and then people gave him a chance to do his own thing.” Jones is proud of the important role she played in enabling Bradley to become more than just an impersonator. “I just sat him down one day and said, ‘You need to stop being James Brown – you just be Charles Bradley.’ And he grumbled a bit and asked me what I meant, so I told him: ‘You don’t need to do the splits like him, or do anything like him. You can take James Brown and you make him yours, because you’re too good not to stand on your own.’”

Jones is standing on her own when we speak, on the porch of a house she bought for her mother in rural South Carolina. The house represents a milestone for the artist, who was born just across the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia. “One of my main goals in life was to get my mum out of the projects, so it meant a lot that I was able to buy this place for her just before she passed away in March. She only got to have a few months here, but I know she got some enjoyment out of it.” Has Jones’ relocation from New York provided her with some enjoyment as well? “Shit yes! I’ve just come back from fishing out on the river, and I caught 28 fish! I even went out in the boat this time, when normally I stay on shore.

“But that’s what you gotta do: keep learning and pushing,” she continues. “I’m 56 and it seems to me that my life is just beginning. It feels like everything, all my dreams, are slowly coming true.”

With: John Butler Trio, Kaki King, The Black Seeds, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tijuana Cartel, Electric Empire, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes and more Where: Peats Ridge Festival @ Glenworth Valley When: December 29 – January 1 More: Also playing at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Friday January 4

The Hives Go Right Ahead By Chris Martin

T

he last time The Hives were on stage in Sydney, frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist pulled a handwritten note from his pocket.

He’d received it earlier in the day, he told the Enmore Theatre crowd, and it was addressed to bandmate Dr. Matt Destruction. “Can I play your bass,” the note read, “for ‘Hate To Say I Told You So?’”

“Yes, you may,” announced Almqvist, inviting the young fan and author of the message up for a performance that quickly sent Hives devotees around the world manic with jealousy.

18 months on, Almqvist’s brother and livewire guitarist Nicholaus Arson remembers the moment. “That was probably the first time we ever did it, I think, but ever since then [the footage] has been up on YouTube and stuff … and [now] people sometimes come up with signs wanting to play the same bassline.”

The young Sydneysider nailed the part, but The Hives are a little wary of allowing any more wannabes to hijack their gigs. “It takes more than just 40 seconds of bass playing to become a Hive,” says Arson. “There’s a bit more to it.”

Although the Swedish group’s songs speak loud enough for themselves – and that remains true on their latest record, Lex Hives, which opens with a breakneck provocation entitled ‘Come On!’ – much of the band’s popularity derives from their immense reputation as showmen. It’s a familiar old formula, but Howlin’ Pelle stands alone these days as a charismatic ringleader of rock. Where have all the other great frontmen gone? “I don’t really know, actually,” says Arson. “Little Richard, Mick Jagger, you know … they’re all masters of their trade. When you start doing your first shows [as a band], you don’t really know, until it starts going down, who’s going to be shy or who’s going to be whatever. But for us … we were trying to be the most energetic band around, and we were trying to have a fun time.

“There were punk bands we used to listen to that were all in it to have a good time,” he continues. “We do it for the same reason.” If it’s all that simple, I wonder, then why does punk music still matter? “Why? Because it’s one of the top, I would say, three inventions of all time: rock‘n’roll music and punk music and the great white shark are the top three inventions of all time. That’s the reason why it still matters.”

The great white shark? “It’s a fearless animal,” Arson explains. “It’s stood the test of time, really. It’s basically a dinosaur that still works – to perfection. Maybe you’d want to build in a slightly bigger brain so you could talk to it, but otherwise it’s perfect.”

Still, when The Hives’ rock’n’roll juggernaut comes back to Australia this summer, Arson won’t be too keen to spend time with his favourite animal. “I wouldn’t want to hang out

“The great white shark is basically a dinosaur that still works – to perfection. Maybe you’d want to build in a slightly bigger brain so you could talk to it, but otherwise it’s perfect...”

20 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

with them much. I’d rather go to the punk and rock’n’roll shows. I mean, if the great white shark bought a ticket to our shows, I’d meet them and they could possibly be in a different sort of mood, you know? They’d be buying vinyl records and talking to you about how good the show was. Maybe those sharks are the ones I’d like to meet, but the sharks that eat my legs I would stay away from.”

As at many of their destinations overseas, The Hives’ visits to our shores tend to take in a number of festival appearances. Last time it was Splendour In The Grass; over the coming New Year they’ll play the Falls and Southbound festivals, alongside stand-alone gigs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. “I think festivals are made for The Hives,” Arson opines. “If you have 80 000 people in a field and then you have rock bands come on, and The Hives are one of the best rock bands, you want them to play.”

And while they might be raising an army of bands to fill the void they’ll eventually leave, The Hives have no plans for retirement just yet. “I can’t really see that far ahead,” says Arson. “We played with The Rolling Stones a couple of years ago, and they’re kind of still reasonably strong at least … still rocking out pretty hard. So that kind of led us to believe that yeah, we can keep going for quite some time. We were one of those bands that thought we’d never make it past 30, and now we’ve passed 30 and it’s good, things are still moving along, things are still changing, things are great.”

With: Dune Rats Where: The Metro Theatre (lic., all-ages) When: Monday January 7 More: Falls Festival @ Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania from December 28– January 1; Southbound Festival at Busselton, Western Australia, January 4 & 5

The Hives photo by Tobias Sutter

With The Hives’ famous sense of selfaggrandising humour in mind, I tell Arson I’m surprised the band hasn’t taken this opportunity to train an army of new Hives, one by one, to take over the world of rock music for good. Their plan for universal domination, he replies, is much more sophisticated than that. “We’re already, in fact, breeding a new Hives army. The touring that we do is basically our retirement fund – we have to [make sure] that good music is played all around the world so that we can, when we get old, sit back and listen to all those bands that we inspired during our lifetime. So us doing the shows is basically like saving up for retirement; you

have to go out and inspire the kids to form great bands.”

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BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 21

The D.O.T.

Where The Music Meets The Streets By Benjamin Cooper

“I

doing, rather than have us shove it down their throats.”

f I wanted to go back to The Streets, I could – no one is stopping me.” Mike Skinner doesn’t sound annoyed at the mention of his old band. Despite the involvement of other artists, like percussionist Johnny Drum Machine and vocalist Kevin Mark Trail, Skinner was the beating heart of the Birmingham group. After beginning in 2002 with the NME-heralded Original Pirate Material, The Streets went on to release another four successful albums, before wrapping things up last year with the onlineonly mixtape album, Cyberspace And Reds.

Fast-forward a year and Skinner has just returned to London following a tour with his new project, The D.O.T. Although originally a solo adventure for Skinner, devised to allow him time and space to explore the possibilities of production, the project has developed into a two-piece with the help of Rob Harvey, who you’ll remember from another once-great UK act: The Music. Combining Skinner’s dark and grimy production with Harvey’s loud, soaring, gruff vocals proved a hit.

For a man who confesses to be “living in an almost permanent state of confusion”, Skinner speaks with surprising energy. “One night I’ll be on my own, DJ-ing in Vienna or Paris, and literally the next day I’ll turn around and we’re

The online videos were followed by the release of an album collecting the tracks: And That came out in the UK in October through Skinner’s The Beats label. The demand for the duo’s live show has meant they’ve rarely been off the road since, a reality of the touring life that Skinner, despite his best efforts, just cannot escape. “You often think that people with normal jobs actually like getting dressed up and going out, but when you spend your life performing every night you really enjoy the normal stuff at home,” he says. “I love just catching the bus and having a look at the people around me, or going to a sauna and just sitting in the steam room and closing my eyes. playing [a band set] in a small room in Oxford.”

The D.O.T. allows him to connect with the audience more intimately than he ever could with his festival-favoured Other Band, and he’s loving it. “It’s so completely different [to The Streets],” Skinner explains. “We’re not really sure what direction it will develop in the future, but at the moment we’re enjoying playing these tiny rooms – it’s actually quite a lot like being on the comedy circuit. Except much louder, because Rob is actually the loudest singer I’ve ever worked with. And we’re probably not very

funny guys...” he says drily.

The D.O.T. releases have been appearing on their website for the last year, with each song released as part of a video diary – a decision that Skinner made in order to give greater freedom to the music consumer. “The diaries are sort of like a TV show, and it means that the fans can see what we’ve been doing over an extended period of time. We wanted fans of The Music and fans of The Streets to be able to make up their own minds about what we’re

“I’ve learnt it’s important to take that time off,” he continues. “If you spend all your focus on album launches and release dates, everything feels like a competition. The great thing about where I’m at now is that it’s a much more sustainable lifestyle, which is good because when you bring in all that unnecessary stress and panic it’s not creative at all. It ends up fucking it up, really.”

What: And That is out now on The Beats, through Shock

Alabama Shakes Southern Charm By Joshua Kloke

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f there’s any doubt at all about the authenticity of Alabama Shakes’ roots, guitarist Heath Fogg quickly puts them to rest when he answers the phone from his northern Alabama home. “I’m just hanging out at the house, getting ready to cook dinner,” he says, in a thick, affectionate southern drawl. “Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and fried okra. Real healthy stuff.”

Fogg has found himself craving southern food and drink since earlier this year, when his band’s public profile exploded and they committed themselves to life on the road. “I keep coming back to [Southern food],” he explains. “I might not have realised how much I loved it until I started travelling. We have a lot of sweet tea here, with a lot of sugar and milk in it. We cool it down, too. And that’s not even nationwide – you go past Tennessee and it’s hard to get sweet tea. I find that’s something I crave when I’m on the road.”

Fogg seems sincerely taken aback by the success of Boys And Girls, the band’s debut full-length. Their insanely contagious soul-tinged roots rock has landed them on a variety of late night television shows, on the covers of reputable magazines, and on tours throughout North America and Europe. From November 2012 to April 2013, Alabama Shakes will touch down on five continents; it’s as varied a tour as a modern band can set out on, and Fogg chuckles after the schedule is read out to him. “I certainly had no idea we were doing all of that,” he says, through a laugh. “We just try to take things one day at a time. The promo stuff is starting to build though.

In the spring, Brittany [Howard, lead singer] and I did a promo run in Europe. For a couple of days, we were doing interviews all day. That was really strange. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that – otherwise, I just take it in stride.”

While the media attention just rolls right off, the acclaim of fellow musicians has left a lasting

impression on Alabama Shakes. Jack White has publicly lauded the band, and soon approached Fogg and co. about releasing a series of 7-inch singles on his label, Third Man Records. “I’d say that’s one of the best feelings in the world, to be praised by someone you respect or admire,” Fogg says. “I think that’d be in any field, too; I’m sure that if you played baseball and one of your heroes said you had a good fastball, it’d feel the same way.”

The big-up from Jack White will certainly help Alabama Shakes move forward; Fogg admits that the band only signed a one-album deal with their label, ATO Records. “We just didn’t want to be tied down to anything, especially seeing as how we were so naïve at the time.” Has this naïvete produced any real learning experiences for the band? “Every time we go on tour it’s a learning experience,” he admits. “That’s the nature of the beast; you have to make decisions quickly and learn on the fly. We do have a lot of good people behind us, though; we’re not doing this alone, that’s for sure.”

Still, the idea of releasing a follow-up album soon, to capitalise on the success of their debut, is far from Fogg’s mind. Instead, his band are taking it easy and enjoying the ride. “We’re so fortunate to be in a good position right now,” he says. “We’ll get to our next album when we feel good and ready. We’ll just be on our own making a record again, so nobody feels too much pressure right now.”

With: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, Sleigh Bells, Foals and more Where: Big Day Out @ Sydney Showground When: Friday January 18 More: Thursday January 17 @ The Metro Theatre (sold-out)

Julia Holter Breathing Room By Benjamin Cooper

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ulia Holter is at home putting the finishing touches on her Australian tour plans, but she’s been waylaid by a pesky national holiday in America. She’s got her hands full – simultaneously trying to fix her scanner, while explaining the intricacies of home recording to an Australian writer – but she speaks with a calmness that belies the stresses of combining life as a successful independent musician with Thanksgiving’s necessary family commitments. “Oh, I’m doing fine, don’t you worry about me,” she says brightly. “Although I would appreciate some technical assistance, if you can spare the time… Is there any chance you can somehow magic-up a solution for this shitty scanner? I really don’t want to be prevented from coming to Australia because of some small technical problems.”

Her second album Ekstasis, released earlier this year on New York tastemaking label RVNG, was very much a solo effort: she spent more than three years working on it at home, while also finding the time to release her debut, Tragedy, in 2011. The sophomore release drew in reams of admiration, with media quick to draw comparisons with other experimental multi-instrumentalists like Laurie Anderson and Joanna Newsom.

Critical praise is all well and good, but Holter’s main source of pride comes from the hard 22 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

Holter’s next album, tentatively titled Gigi, will be much more collaborative than previous releases. Exactly who is going to appear on the record is still something of a secret, with the lady herself not giving away any clues. “I will say I’m working with some friends that I know,” she hints. “It’s really great because I wrote most of the parts with specific people in mind, and so I think that gives us a bit of breathing room. Everyone knows what they’re doing in the recordings, and that creates this feeling of confidence, which in turn makes me feel so incredibly supported. In many ways it’s made my job easier, because I have more time to focus on the important things.”

The most pressing issue at the moment, though, is finishing her scanning before lunch at the family home. “It’s really crunch time here,” she laughs. “Got to finish getting things ready for Australia, and then eat a whole bunch of food!”

With: Bat For Lashes, Alt-J, Of Monsters And Men, Yeasayer, Perfume Genius, Chet Faker, Flume, Cloud Nothings, Twerps, Pond, Divine Fits, Nite Jewel and more Where: Laneway Festival @ Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle When: Saturday February 2 More: Also playing an all-ages sideshow with Dear Time’s Waste, at Paddington Uniting Church on Thursday February 7

Alabama Shakes2 photo by Don Van Cleave

Given her history of collaborations, it comes as no surprise that Holter isn’t shy about asking for help when she needs it. Fans of the Californian multi-instrumentalist were blown away by her upbeat and joyful ‘What We See’ with Nite Jewel (Ramona Gonzalez) on the Light From Los Angeles compilation, which was released by internet radio station Dublab last month. “I always want to work with other artists, and I try to bounce ideas off friends and people I respect as much as possible,” she explains. “There are elements of what I do that are inescapably lonely, though. Writing is a very solitary process, so sometimes it’s nice to get input and to share.”

slog that she endured to get the album made.

“The great thing – or maybe it’s a terrible thing – for me is that I’ve always been writing,” she says. “I have so much stuff, so many ideas and partially-written bits, so when I get to see those ideas come through on an album, it’s really rewarding. The exciting part, once an album’s done, is that I can then continue working on some other strand of material. At the moment I’m working on something new, and I have to be honest – I’ve never done something quite like this before.”

BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 23

arts frontline

free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com

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

five minutes WITH

NICK COYLE

She had written a tribute to her secret lover before she died, so to honour her I perform both tributes. It’s a lot less complicated/more fun than it sounds. Basically I’m going to be performing two joke tributes about two made up dead people. Merry Christmas Sydney! Who’s in it?

Me. Nick Coyle. What more do you need. Some would say plenty, but I can’t hear them.

O

When and why did you start writing it? I started thinking about it ages ago, and started writing it about a month ago. And I started really writing it about two weeks ago. My lack of time management skills is getting less and less adorable. For me, a big part of figuring out the premise of a one-person show is justifying to myself and to the audience why I’m up there jabbering away. Eulogies or tributes are a familiar situation to most people, so I thought that would be a good starting off point.

The show is ridiculous, and about death, and hopefully funny. That’s another thing I think about while I’m writing it. I want people to have a good time. I want people to say, “You know what, Penny? I don’t regret going to that.” Also, I started writing it because I’m working on these bigger, complicated plays – when I say ‘working on’ I mean ‘thinking about’ – and I wanted to do something low pressure and fun. So I booked the venue, opened my laptop, said: “C’MON BRAIN!” and had a glass of wine.

What’s this show about? Who’s in it? TELL US! The show is a tribute to my dead girlfriend.

LOL. It’s fictional though, so get ready to laugh!

This show was a little delayed...what happened there? (You can tell us, we won’t judge). Too much wine. The show was meant to open two weeks ago. While I always intended the show to be a bit bonkers, at that stage if it

ff the back of his Club Cab Sav Xmas show, Nick is bringing the funny to 107 Projects this week, for just three nights.

C'mon, you won’t regret it (unless you hate funny).

Tasia

A VERY CAPRA CHRISTMAS

“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.”

If that doesn’t ring your bell, you haven’t seen Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life – definitely the most likable, big-hearted film you’ll see this year, and possibly ever (unless you watch another Frank Capra film). It’s showing for cheap at Dendy Opera Quays on Monday December 17 at 10am and 6pm – and for the tender price of $9, they’ll even throw in an audience of authentically classic/old audience members. We assume. If you like Jimmy Stewart and good vibes, we’ll see you there. dendy.com.au

THE PROJECTS

Having served up The Standard and The TATE, the Lo-Fi crew and the Riversdale Group have teamed up to transform yet another venue into an art project; on Sunday they launched The Projects at The Vic Hotel (formerly the Vic On The Park) in Enmore – transforming the car park into a beer garden cum outdoor venue, with a graf wall and space for markets, live music, and just generally tooling around in a creative fashion. Check it out on weekends at 2 Addison Road, Enmore.

FRIDAY-NIGHT FEATURES BLACK CHERRY

If you’re wondering what this babe is doing for New Year’s, head along to Factory Theatre on December 31 for their massive party of bands and burlesque. Petite pin-up Tasia is leading a lady-pack that includes Kira Hula-La and Frankie Faux, wrangled by MC Lauren LaRouge.

Twist & Shout are hosting their own room of '60s pop, with dancefloor inspiration by the Go-Gette Go-Go Dancers; plus there’s drink specials and Russian cocktails, rock’n’roll karaoke, DJs, and a live lineup headlined by Area-7 and running the gamut from Celtic punk to bluesyrock and party-grunge. Tix from factorytheatre.com.au

DEAR PLUTO POP-UP SHOP

Dear Pluto are jumping on the pre-Christmasshopping bandwagon this week, with a pop-up store open from Monday December 10 to Sunday December 16 at 106 Redfern Street (a mere hop skip and a jump from their Hibernian digs, and in oh-so convenient proximity to 107 Projects…) They’ve stocked up on vintage threads and knick-knacks specially for the occasion and will be re-stocking daily – you’ve been warned.

Hours are 10am to 5pm, check out the cut of their jib at dearpluto.com 24 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

GIRLS! ON DVD! WIN!

Friday night double-features are back at Palace Verona – starting with E.T. and Jaws this Friday, December 14, followed by James Whales’ Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein (December 21). After a brief holiday hiatus, they’re back on January 11 with (the original, natch) The Thing and An American Werewolf In Paris, followed by a triple-treat coinciding with the release of Hitchcock: Psycho on January 18, and The Birds + Rear Window on Saturday January 19. The award for the weirdest pairing goes to The Big Lebowski + Scarface on January 25 – but make up your own mind at palacecinemas.com.au

had gone ahead people would have thought it was very brave, very raw performance art. So I spoke to 107 Projects and they said they had a later slot and I nabbed it. The extra time has allowed me to improve it badstyle.

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions? I’ve never done a tax return and everyone goes mental when I tell them that, so I’m keen to do one of those guys. I always tell people my new years resolution is to read more books, which I never do... So, yeah, read more books. Just to be creative and working on good projects and watching less cat videos online I guess.

What were your top five 2012 moments?

I took my last one-man show Me Pregnant! to Brisbane Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival, which was pretty fun. Although they hated me in Brisbane. In that show I played a medieval teenage girl who saves her village from a monster. Nuff said. When Gillard tore Abbott’s head off by the ears, that was a pretty cool moment. Theatrically, Whelping Box at Carriageworks and Medea at Belvoir were awesome. I have a feeling doing Double Tribute might be in my top five 2012 moments but I don’t want to jinx it. Welp, I’ve jinxed it now!

If we had to get to the heart of whipsmart TV comedy Girls, we would focus on two small moments: in the first episode, when protagonist Hannah (writer/director/star Lena Dunham, of Tiny Furniture fame) tells her parents earnestly “I think I might be the voice of my generation, or at least a voice of a generation” and in the second episode when she says after sex, also earnestly, “I almost came”. It was the smartest show of 2012, it’s releasing on DVD/Blu-ray/iTunes on Wednesday December 12, and if you want us to send you The Complete First Season (not just a couple of episodes) you should email us and tell us which actor plays Hannah’s love interest throughout the series. (And your postal address, we're not mindreaders yo.)

Lena Dunham (centre) in Girls

What: Double Tribute by Nick Coyle When: December 14-16, 8pm Where: 107 Projects / 107 Redfern St, Redfern More: 107projects.org

skill (filmmaker? Photographer? Sculptor?) a creative outlet where whimsy and passion are king, rather than clients/money. The first eight horses out of the stable have created works of love – including a documentary, a sculpture, wallpaper, light-boxes, an installation... Many of the works will be for sale, and there’s a partay (important) on Friday December 14 at the former Paramount Pictures building (Corner Commonwealth & Hunt Streets), Surry Hills from 7pm til laaate.

ART MONTH 2013

Partners in art, crime and awesome, Alexandra Clapham and Penelope Benton have dropped their first teaser lineup from their March 2013 Art Month program – and top of the list is a series of discussions in which dynamite Sydney creative duos discuss their relationship – platonic, familial and romantic – including: Kylie Kwong X Nell, Agatha Gothe Snape X Michael Snape; Sean Cordeiro X Claire Healy, Emma X Katie Price (of queer performance/art troupe The Kingpins), and of course Clapham and Benton themselves. The rest of the announcement includes everything from an AES+F show at Anna Schwartz to a nontstop dance class with Firstdraft’s David Capra –so check it out properly at artmonthsydney.com.au

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

Les Française! The Alliance Française French Film Festival has dropped the first instalment of its 2013 lineup, and it’s pas mal: feted new Assayas (his sexy-nostalgic May ’68 film) and Ozon (psychosexual thriller!), some face time from Juliette Binoche and the horrifically ugly Audrey Tatou; a documentary about Christian Louboutin’s colab with French burlesque house Crazy Horse (ooooh la-la); and a documentary of intimate personal stories about being closeted in homophobic pre-war France.

The AFFFF runs March 5-24; for the rest of the program so far head to affrenchfilmfestival.org

SKETCH THE RHYME

Sketch The Rhyme pits rappers against various Mr Squiggles in a live Pictionary comp in which the audience judges the winners (but we’re all winners yo). Artists speed-sketch pictures, and rappers have to freestyle their way to correctly guessing what’s in front of them.

It’s the brainchild of Big Village record label box Joel Rapaport, who will be headlining a special one-off show at Newtown Hotel on Tuesday December 18, with Jeswon from Thundamentals and P. Smurf from Daily Meds.

It’s free, starts at 7pm, and apparently the Newie still serves beer – so all the good things! newtownhotel.com.au Director Conor Finnegan's Fear of Flying

NEW THEATRE 2013

New Theatre have announced their 2013 program, running the gamut of Australian and international works classic, contemporary and totally fresh, and with a lineup of directors that ranges from established to emerging. Standouts include Martin McDonagh’s modern classic The Pillowman, directed by NIDA 2012 grad Luke Rogers; the Australian premiere of Dying For It, Moira Buffini’s internationally acclaimed 2007 adaptation of Nicholas Erdman’s antiStalinist satire The Suicide, directed by NIDA 2012 grad Harriet Gillies; and the Australian Premiere of young British playwright Lucy Prebble’s hugely successful Enron. For the full lineup, see newtheatre.org.au

A LOVE BRIEF

Eight emerging designer slashies come together this week in A Love Brief – the first in a series of shows devised to give design graduates who also have another

FLICKERFEST 2013

Flickerfest Short Film Festival dropped the first instalment of their January lineup last week, with the full program online from Wednesday December 12. The Australian and International competition sessions return, as do the kids, highschool, comedy and green-flicks sessions.

This year’s special programs include Elvis-centric shorts, celebrity film and past Oscarwinners; Australian must-sees include Dendy Award winners Yardbird and The Maker, alongside nominees Dave’s Dead and B I N O (also a Berlinale award-winner). We’re also putting French short The End on out hitlist, coz we heart Charlotte Rampling. Flickerfest runs from January 11-20 at Bondi Pavilion; for the full lineup, see flickerfest.com.au

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BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 25

JB Smoove Bringing The Ruckus By Lachlan Kanoniuk

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very so often in television, a supporting actor and a supporting role achieve such a perfect union that they threaten to steal the screen from the main attraction: Omar in The Wire, Ari in Entourage, Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad… And it was to similar effect that comedian Jerry Brooks, aka JB Smoove, debuted in season six of Curb Your Enthusiasm, in the role of Leon Black – the unwitting foil to Larry David’s onscreen persona.

As it turns out, the man behind the character is equally captivating; and while he is dissimilar to his screen alter ego in a lot of ways, both have a penchant for philosophising.

“Leon’s a very particular guy, man,” says Smoove. “You have no idea what he’s been through. He says things in the moment that make sense – I call it stupid-sense,” he laughs. “The character is so funny, and you can’t help but have a little bit of that guy in you. I think we share a lot of stuff. But there are certain things that he says that are ridiculous, but so innate. Like I said, it’s stupid-sense. Even when I get to the set to shoot, I speak about him in the third person. It’s me, but it’s not me.”

With a history in stand-up and improv, Smoove brings an unorthodox approach to creating his character. “On Curb, we get an outline for the show. I don’t like reading the outline of the show, because I feel I would overthink it,” he explains. “So what I’ll do is get to the set, go to my trailer and get dressed in my Leon clothes. ... Me, I like to dress; I can wear shades, I can look cool. But Leon doesn’t have a lot of clothes. … he’s not the most well-dressed person. He gets by on his hustle, his confidence. … He gets the women, all this stuff. He could start a fire with his voice – he’s that guy. But I’m totally different. [And] in order for me to get into the character of Leon, I have to get dressed as him, go to the set, [and] find out from a writer or Larry what exactly we’re doing today. I’m better off the cuff.

“After I shoot all day and I’m driving home, I call my wife and she’ll ask ‘How did today go?’ And I’ll say ‘Leon is crazy’. … I’ll speak about Leon as though it’s not me,” Smoove explains. “That’s the only way I can process what he says.

I step out of myself to become Leon. I go blank... When I watch the show, because it’s improvised, it’s new to me. ... I honestly don’t remember half of the stuff Leon says. I’ll watch the show like a new viewer. I motor-mouth sometimes as Leon. I see it and I’ll be laughing my ass off, thinking ‘Oh shit, I don’t remember that!’”

Smoove has a back-up plan, however: “I did put a bug in Larry’s ear; I said, ‘Look Larry, I like your work, but if we don’t come back, why don’t we spin-off Leon and do a TV show called The Ruckus. Come on man, what the hell! …I’d watch The Ruckus my damn self.”

In the meantime, he’s getting back to basics in a series of stand-up shows. Long before his breakthrough as Leon Black, Smoove trained at Harlem’s Uptown Comedy Club in the early ‘90s, graduating to writing and regular spots on Saturday Night Live. Through this, he developed a comedy persona that Louis C.K., a longtime fan and former collaborator, describes as ‘wild goofball.’”

“You know what, my style is very different and very unique,” Smoove admits. “As a stand-up comedian, I’ve been doing it for a while. But let me tell you man, I’m one of the comedians that breaks every rule in comedy. I don’t consider myself a stand-up comedian, I consider myself a comedic performer. I’m not a one-liner guy; I dive into a topic – no matter what it is – I stay in that little pocket until I get the most laughs I can get, and move on.”

Who: JB Smoove, Matt Okine When: Friday December 14 Where: Factory Theatre, Enmore Tickets: factorytheatre.com.au

SIGHTSEERS! KILLERS! WIN!

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e love that this mashup of British realism and horror-comedy is getting a Boxing Day release – just in time to shatter anyone’s latent illusions about caravan holidays. Produced by Big Talk (who did Edgar Wright’s Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz), Sightseers is about two dysfunctional Midlands misfits in their thirties who embark on a romantic, sight-seeing caravan holiday – and discover a shared taste for homicide along the way. Directed by Ben Wheatley (whose indie-horror film Kill List was a cult hit of 2011), the film is the demented brainchild of comedians Alice Lowe and Steve Oram, who developed the characters over several years, before pitching it in the direction of Edgar Wright – and the rest is horror-comedy history…

WIN!

Sightseers opens on December 26, exclusively at Dendy Newtown. We have ten in-season double passes up for grabs; to get your hands on one, email freestuff@thebrag.com with the title of one other horror-comedy (not mentioned above) and your address.

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S AY W EA IV G

Alice Lowe and Steve Oram in Sightseers

With the finale of each season of Curb comes the question, “Will it return?” In later seasons, each narrative arc has concluded with a satisfactory wrap, barely leaving the door ajar for a follow-on run of episodes. As for whether we will see a season nine, Smoove remains optimistic. “I’ve been asking Larry what he plans on doing, but there is no answer as of yet. Here’s what I think will happen: I think he’s gonna get this movie out of the way, edit it, give it to HBO, then he’s gonna get bored, then he’s gonna think about how he wants to come back. I think he’s gonna come back late 2013. You might not see anything until 2014, but I think he’s coming back.”

xxxx

Seasons six through eight of Curb are rife with some of the series’ most definitive moments – from the Seinfeld reunion narrative arc to Larry David’s Michael J. Foxinstigated eviction from New York.

Like any true fan, Smoove struggles to narrow his favourite moments down to a single episode.

“I like the one where Larry and Rosie O’Donnell are competing for the same woman,” he muses. “I can tell you all of my favourites, but every one of those favourites has at least five different versions. Larry picks the one which works best. But that one, where Leon is giving Larry the Viagra to beat Rosie O’Donnell– ‘You want me to juice?’ ‘I want you to win’ – I love that one,” he recalls while laughing as if it was the first time viewing the episode. “I love the Michael J. Fox episode, I think that is classic Curb Your Enthusiasm.

There is one bit I think is so damn funny, where Larry gets a soda from Michael J. Fox and it sprays up in his face, then Leon says, ‘Good thing it wasn’t a dick, because it would have shot sperm in your face’.

Just ridiculous. That’s the thing with Leon, he’ll give you a stupid example. It’s so silly, but it makes stupid-sense.”

n the perplexing array of Sydney Festival’s summer offerings, the About An Hour program stands out for several reasons: the shows are short, they’re cheap(er), and they’re conveniently located in the one place – Carriageworks, in Eveleigh. Even better, the the scheduling of early and late shows, and the fact that they all take place between January 11 – 17, means that on most of those dates you can catch several excellent, groundbreaking local and international works in one go. Below, we pick four highlights from the eight-strong lineup; for the full About An Hour and Festival program, see sydneyfestival.org.au

I

The result is Othello c’est qui (Othello – who’s that?), a two-person investigation of the relationship between the black Othello and his white wife, Desdemona. “They have a funny conversation about a lot of topics, but really they are touching on the topics of Othello,” Gintersdorfer says.

Cornelia Dörr and Franck Edmond Yao in Othello c'est qui

Yao speaks only French, so German actress Cornelia Dörr translates for him, as well as providing the voice and figure of Desdemona.

“We had two people working from very different systems. Franck, he is a showbiz star in his own country, he has lots of songs and video clips. And Cornelia, she went the way that is quite typical for [an actor in] Germany. So that was the way we worked, we talked a lot about the German theatre system. Franck was quite astonished [to learn] that we give so much [importance] to the text that we keep the same text for 400 years. And at the same time [as rehearsing], there were a lot of Othellos that took a lot of attention [in Germany], and Cornelia actually analyses them on stage.”

The Moment I Saw You I Knew I Could Love You photo by Hugo Glendinnin

magine, if you can, a world where you don’t know how Othello ends. The name (Otello in most European languages) is an instant touchstone for most, conjuring images of strangled damsels and uncomfortable racial stereotypes. But on the Ivory Coast of West Africa, where Othello may well have hailed from had he been real, the name means almost nothing.

he Moment I Saw You I Knew I Could Love You is about the things you feel deep down; it’s about the kinds of strange, visceral emotions that many refer to as ‘gut feelings’. And it’s set in the belly of a whale.

“The audience are sort of swallowed right into the show from the foyer,” says the show’s cocreator, Leslie Hill, gleefully. “They enter into a piece in progress – a pitch black space with performers waving torches to guide them to a series of life rafts. The whole time, there’s this sound playing – a low, subliminal rumble. It’s a metaphorical kind of swallow.”

The show is the work of Hill and her partner-incrime Helen Paris, who together form Curious – a UK theatre company dedicated to “edgy, humorous interrogations of contemporary culture and politics,” in the form of multi-media works. “We’ve done a lot of work with the senses,” says Hill, “and I guess the idea of a ‘gut

“They had a telephone company called Otello for some time,” director Monika Gintersdorfer laughs. “I don’t think it is there anymore!” She first came across this intriguing dissonance while working with Ivorian dancer and performer Franck Edmond Yao on an earlier project.

“Otello is a very important role, a black role, but he didn’t know that at all. And he didn’t know that Shakespeare existed. And I thought that was an interesting position to start the play.”

It's Dark Outside photo by Richard Jefferson

When: January 11-14, early and late shows More: sydneyfestival.org.au/othello

The Moment I Saw You explores this idea though a haunting mixture of film, music and live action, and places the audience in the guts – or at least the belly – of a whale, to experience it.

“The filmmaker we worked with, Andrew Kötting, is very visceral – not afraid to put his hands in a bucket full of guts!” Hill laughs. “What you see [in his footage] is mostly the stomach lining, which has a very weird alien texture… In black and white 16mm, it looks quite abstract and interesting. We certainly weren’t going for gross!”

There are times throughout the show when Hill and Paris climb into the life rafts with the audience members, for a more literal

That same band of theatremakers – Tim Watts, Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs – is back this year with a follow-up: a show about an old man with Alzheimer’s, who goes wandering into the wild west at sunset on an adventure that may or may not be entirely in his mind.

Inspired by Peter Goldsworthy’s poignant novel Wish, about a gorilla and a man who fall in love, Watts and Gray set out a couple of years ago to explore the animal tendencies, or 'wildness', in humans. But as they developed their play around this unusual romance, another narrative thread began to emerge – about an old man.

“Tim’s grandparents – and now mine as well – are suffering from Alzheimer’s,” says Gray. “There’s this weird syndrome called

The brainchild of LOTW’s Artistic Director Patrick Nolan, Symphony is envisioned as the first in a series of works for which musos will be commissioned to reinterpret one of Beethoven’s nine symphonies – to which the company’s performers will then choreograph movement, accompanied by video. For the inaugural instalment, Nolan approached Gregory (formerly the guitarist for Faker, but these days better known for his scores for Sydney Theatre Company and Belvoir, including The War Of The Roses and Thyestes), who chose to adapt Beethoven’s 7th Symphony for solo electric guitar.

How the hell does that work? “All the different parts of it required really different treatments to make them work for the guitar,” says Gregory (who’s taking a lunch break from rehearsals for Belvoir’s Peter Pan). “For example, the first movement is very jaunty, and so I changed the time and feel of it entirely, and put it in a different time-signature – but kept the melody. … The idea is not to faithfully represent every single part, at all… The point is to make a new piece of music – but inspired by the original.”

The original was written in 1812, at the height of Beethoven’s career, and considered by the composer to be one of his greatest achievements. Its best-known motif arrives in the second movement, the Allegretto – a sombre, dramatic strings riff that has featured in dozens of films, at climactic moments.

feeling’ is about rapid sensory processing – the gut as a second brain.”

n the 2011 lineup for About An Hour, it was a little show that made the biggest waves: a whimsical epic about love and environmental disaster told with stick-figure animation and puppetry. It was called The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer, and it was made by an intrepid young trio of Perth theatre-makers. By the time it hit Sydney in January 2011, it had already won awards at the New York and Adelaide Fringes, and it went on to receive critical acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe later that year. It was The Show You Wish You Saw.

Arielle (masked) and Chris in It's Dark Outside

Gintersdorfer has a way of making a potentially cerebral project sound visceral and alive as well as intelligent – something that’s also visible in the YouTube clips available of the show. It has been performed all over Europe and also in several African countries, where the reaction has been positive, says the director, “because how to play Othello is not so important there – it’s more about how the two [characters] behave together.” – Rebecca Saffir

ore often behind the scenes and following the director’s lead in creating theatre scores, Stefan Gregory is taking centre stage this January and setting the tone – in Symphony, an audiovisual theatre work

by Legs On The Wall.

exploration of guts. “I give an ultrasound reading, sort of like a tea leaf reading, to one of the audience members in each boat,” Hill says. “People can see their own guts, and have them seen by others … once, we even saw someone’s baby!” Did the woman know she was pregnant? “Yes!” Hill laughs.

“I sometimes get the sense that women are checking just to make sure they aren’t…”

– Alasdair Duncan When: January 11-13, early and late shows More: sydneyfestival.org.au/moment

‘Sundowner’s Syndrome’ [in which] wandering increases at sunset. We found it really fascinating that when your capacities as a human are shut down, your instinct is to go into the wild – into a place where you’re very vulnerable and unsafe.”

Abandoning the gorilla storyline altogether, they used the image of an old man wandering into the wild at sunset as their leaping-off point, and spun the ensuing ‘Western adventure’ out of animation (created by the self-taught Watts), Bunraku-style puppetry, and masked performance. “You can really achieve things with [puppets] that you can’t with a human,” Gray points out. “For instance, a human can’t fly (laughs).”

Gray and Watts met while studying performance at Edith Cowan University, and started collaborating straight out of uni; a couple of years later they met Isaacs, a writer, theatre technician and jack-of-all-trades. Independently and together they’ve been heavily outputting innovative comedy and interactive performance for seven years now – most recently, an elaborate, interactive theatrical ‘whodunnit’ called Pollyanna, which was the stand-out of Perth Fringe – and have developed a reputation as one of the most exciting emerging troupes in Australia. Watch this space. – Dee Jefferson When: January 11-15, early and late shows More: sydneyfestival.org.au/dark

“My association with people playing classical music on electric guitars is those YouTube videos of kids playing really cheesy bits of Mozart,” the guitarist admits, “and I really tried to stay clear of that. But at the same time, some of the interpretation is supposed to be funny – it plays with this [cliché]…. I guess I took on this project because I thought it was not only a technical challenge but also an aesthetic challenge,” he laughs, “to make it sound beautiful and not cheesy, and interesting.”

A YouTube trailer for the show indicates a score that ranges from the epic to the gently lyrical. Gregory will perform his piece live on stage, alongside five performers in full flight, and visuals that range from spare to technicolour and strobing. “One of Patrick’s focuses of the piece was the interaction between me performing live and the dancers,” he says, “and the energy that gave to the piece as a whole.” –– Dee Jefferson Stefan Gregory plays live in Symphony

When: January 11, 12, 13, 15, 16; matinees, early and late shows More: sydneyfestival.org.au/legs BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 27

Arts Snap

Film & Theatre Reviews

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

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

■ Comedy

SARAH SILVERMAN November 30 / Sydney Opera House

PICS :: TL

this time it's personal

28:11:12 :: Sun Studios :: 42 Maddox St Alexandria 9641 5555

Supporting Silverman is her friend, comedy peer and fellow New Yorker Todd Barry, a font of sarcasm, dark humour and deadpan delivery, with the soft, smooth croon of a late-night love-song-dedications radio host. He isn’t sure of the audience, and they aren't sure of him it’s fair to say, but he massages us into a suspicious kind of submission with observations about New York real estate, micro-exercise, and the benefits of joining a fraternity.

Barry’s shtick is poking holes in the world around him, through which to better see its ridiculousness. He’s really very good, and I hope he comes back on his own terms.

34b burlesque

PICS :: TL

Silverman is the kind of divisive comedian and strong personality that commands loyalty bordering on devotion from her fans.

It feels like she could fart into the mic and the Concert Hall would give her a standing ovation. There is some new material tonight and some old stuff – including a reprisal of her controversial TED Conference bit about adopting terminally ill mentally retarded children, but with a crucial (and revealing) alteration: instead of making ‘retarded kids’ the butt of her joke, she makes it babies.

30:11:12 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34-44 Oxford St Darlinghurst Sydney 9331 3100

Arts Exposed

She has a few tricks in her bag: one of them is a straight-talking approach to vaginas, dicks, body-hair and masturbation; another is her attack on taboos, which tonight included incest (“There was a time when I was choking on my dad’s cum,” she says in a piece about the miracle of conception, before adding, “I was 5. I’m sorry it came into my head and I didn’t want to be alone with it.”) and the elderly (a song about dying that she performed in her grandma’s nursing home). Another tool in her kit is a wealth of self-deprecating material about growing up Jewish in New Hampshire. Her best bits attack the logic of an argument or scenario, thus inverting her audience’s perspective. If the Jews hadn’t killed Jesus, she points out, he wouldn’t have died for your sins. “You’re welcome,” she adds with that killer-sweet smile.

The evening’s guilty pleasure is an inspired put-down: when a man in the audience heckles her to "show us your tits", she pauses, smiles sweetly, and says: “I actually understand what you did there: you just want attention. You’re like ‘look at me! Look at me!’ It’s sweet.” By which she means: it’s pathetic.

What's in our diary...

107 PROJECTS: THE CHRISTMAS SHOW Thursday December 13, 6-9pm / 107 Redfern Street, Redfern Christmas stockings is one thing, but boiled puddings and winter fir-trees is just ridic – so 107 Projects have asked thirty-or-so of their artist friends to make Australianinspired Christmas trees and decorations specially for this show, including: Bronwyn Bancroft, painter Hiske Weijers, illustrator Jordan Clark, author-illustrator Helen McCosker, photographer Matt Venables, textile sculptor and installation artist Rosie Deacon, textile sculptor Lucia Scurrah (or this one!), ecodesigner Bec Paton, and painter-illustrator Victoria Lobregat. Besides the stuff you can buy, opening night features (free!) performances by local wordsmiths and musos, and even the odd glass of vino at hand…

Or check it out until December 23, Thursday to Sunday, 12-5pm. 107projects.org 28 :: BRAG :: 492:: 10:12:12

Dee Jefferson ■ Film

LIBERAL ARTS In cinemas from December 13 It’s easy to look warily upon the two films Josh Radnor has written, directed and starred in. In 2010’s Happythankyoumoreplease (oh god, that title) and now Liberal Arts, the handsome star of How I Met Your Mother writes himself into the role of a sensitive lothario to a cast of lovelies. On paper, it smacks of the kind of narcissism that fuelled Zach Braff’s insipid Garden State.

Fortunately, all that baggage is easy to cast aside when watching Liberal Arts: a harmless rom-com that trades in cliché and

Liberal Arts carries over the sitcom sensibilities of Radnor’s small-screen work, and the academic milieu, complete with references to David Foster Wallace and Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony – signifiers of superficial ‘edge’ that give a gussied-up quality to the film. But it’s easy to dismiss these shortcomings when the chemistry between Radnor and Olsen is so engaging.

It’s tempting to chalk it all up to Olsen, who made a stunning screen debut as a scarred escapee of a dangerous backwoods cult in 2011’s Martha Marcy May Marlene and proves to be just as winning in lighter fare, adding substance to what could’ve been a stock Manic Pixie Dream Girl (see Natalie Portman in Garden State and Zooey Deschanel in just about everything she’s done).

The less said about Zac Efron’s cameo as a kooky hippie-stoner, the better.

On the other hand, a subplot involving Jesse’s chance encounters with a socially awkward, manic-depressive lit major is emblematic of Liberal Arts as a whole: Radnor irritatingly writes himself into the role of a wise, platitude-spouting hero, but it’s saying something about his spirit of generosity that this sideline character, ripe for ridicule in a crasser film, is afforded the humanity he gets here.

Ian Barr ■ Theatre

PSYCHO BEACH PARTY Until December 15 / Bondi Pavilion Having dipped their feet in Sydney waters last year with Pictures Of Bright Lights, Melbourne’s Little Ones Theatre return this month with a joyous, shlocktastic welcome-to-summer celebration – Psycho Beach Party. Charles Busch’s exuberant cult classic play sets out, tongue firmly in cheek, as a winking tribute to the silliness of the Gidget-style surf and beach-party movies of the 1960s, but midway through has a head-on collision with the equally retro schlock pop-psychiatry found in the best B-grade, high-camp horror moments of Mommie Dearest. The result, as brilliantly executed in this production helmed by director Stephen Nicolazzo (Sex.Violence.

Blood.Gore), is a hysterical romp that never feels the need to be anything other than a rollicking great time.

From the opening moment we’re thrown onto a Malibu Beach in which the boys surf (or at least strut and boast and wrestle in the sand in the finest homoerotic fashion), the girls stay on the beach to preen and prowl, a mysterious starlet arrives incognito and – gasp! – someone is attacking people on the beach, shaving off all their body hair as they sleep.

This clever production takes the casting back to its original gender-bending intentions, with Ash Flanders taking the lead role as the super-perky, virginal surfer-wannabe Florence ‘Chicklet’ Forrest, who appears to have not just a menacing alter ego but a whole inner menagerie of alternate personalities clamouring to be heard. Flanders is captivating to watch as he shifts gorgeously from teen ingénue to the sexually voracious femme fatale Anne Bowman. Genevieve Giuffre steals scenes all over the place as Berdine, Chicklet’s Sartre-quoting, sunscreen slathered, existentialist best friend. The cast, without exception, are excellent, clearly having a blast inhabiting such wonderfully realised characters. A special mention must go to Caitlin Adams as the not-so-much washed-up as gently-sweptashore B-grade actress Bettina Barnes, in a stunning performance that channels all of the wide-eyed pathos and exhausted sensuality of Marilyn Monroe in her more damaged latter years.

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Xxx

Sarah Silverman might look like she’s 30, but she’s 42, and she’s been making cult comedy runs since the early ‘90s; so it shouldn’t be surprising that the crowd that turned out for her first Sydney show ranged from teens to fifty-something-year-olds – but it was surprising the extent to which the audience skewed old. Less surprisingly, it also seemed to skew gay. Tonight’s lineup played to that demo, opening with Wil Anderson in metrosexual mode, slinging out plenty of queer-targeted material, and embracing his age with references to Donnie Darko and being an uncle.

He was obviously chuffed to be hosting Silverman and support act Todd Barry, both of whom he’s previously shared lineups with, he owned his home turf, with a selfdeprecating, straight-talking shtick and boyish enthusiasm.

cuteness but nonetheless goes down a treat, without the sour aftertaste that similar offerings usually leave. Radnor plays NYCbased school admissions advisor Jesse, invited by his beloved Kenyon College professor Peter (Richard Jenkins) back to Ohio to attend his retirement dinner, during which Jesse begins a tentative romance with Peter’s much-younger 19-year-old daughter (Elizabeth Olsen).

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

I hate to think how many polyester cheetahs were slaughtered by the design team, but the resulting sets from Owen Phillips and cheeky costumes by Eugyeene Teh and Tessa Pitt go hand-in-hand to bring a level of eye-searing kitsch to the proceedings without ever overwhelming the action.

then he gets fired for sexual harassment (he sent a colleague some flowers at her home address); and his doctor tells him he has a brain tumour. His ex-wife tells him she’s getting remarried. And his tweenage daughter tells him she doesn’t want to visit him anymore, because he’s boring.

With rocking song and dance moments, coming out stories, a psychotic mother and beach bums galore, this tightly directed production is all killer, no filler.

And only at this point, when the audience has been thoroughly massaged into feeling sympathetic, does writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait (behind the also-bizarre World’s Greatest Dad) have the suicidal Frank shoot a teen reality TV star in the head, after which he reluctantly joins forces with one of her schoolmates, the 16-year-old sass-machine Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), on a road-trip that involves killing anyone who (as Roxy says) ‘rips their cock off’: people who talk and take calls during films; people who are rude; people who park badly; people who use ‘rockstar’ as an adjective and misuse ‘literally’. There’s a pet peeve here for everyone – plus some valid observations of American culture and media, and some worthy anger. It’s also pretty funny in the first half (after which the tone becomes more earnest than dark).

Jonathan Hindmarsh ■ Film

GOD BLESS AMERICA At Hoyts Cinema Paris & Dendy Newtown from December 6 If you’re sick of cookie-cutter fare, don’t let possibly the most unusual and morally questionable feature of the year pass you by: a black comedy about a middle-aged man and a 16-year-old girl who go on a cross-country killing spree – not because they’re particularly fucked up or damaged people, but because they don’t like jerks.

Frank (played by Joel Murray) is your average overweight and under-appreciated single white American guy, whipping himself into a (graphic) homicidal fantasy involving his noisy, arsehole, inconsiderate neighbours and their baby-cum-air-raidsiren. Unable to sleep through their noise, he cable-surfs, taking us on a voyage into the dark heart of American culture, channel by channel: reality TV, American Idol (thinly disguised as American Superstars), fundamentalist Christians, right-wing talk-show hosts, gun worship, jingoistic patriotism, homophobia, racism, extreme sports… The next morning he goes to work, and all anyone can talk about is last night's episode of American Superstars;

But it’s asking a lot of an audience to empathise with characters who kill people for the heck of it. Another December release, Sightseers, also takes this route, and gets away with it by being a genre spoof and having clearly loony protagonists; Oliver Stone does it as cultural commentary in Natural Born Killers, and again, his killers are psychopaths; Besson arguably gets away with having a teen hit-girl in Le Professionel by making her genuinely damaged, and her victims clearly bad.

Goldthwait, however, makes little attempt to explore the morality of what his protagonists are doing or the psychological consequences, and asks you to empathise with them right ‘til the end – and the effect is more exploitative than I feel comfortable with. Worth talking about, though.

Dee Jefferson

MATT OKINE because I have no idea about politics. In fact I still don’t know whose side the “left” and the “right” are on. Unless you’re referring to an airplane. I’ll let people who know about that stuff talk about the real issues, and I’ll stick to the things I know. Like being broke, and eating chips.

A lot of comedians say they find themselves looking for the one person in the room who’s not laughing and obsess over trying to win them over – do you do that? You can’t help but do that sometimes.

Although it’s always amazing how often the people who don’t laugh once throughout your entire act will then be the ones who come and tell you how much they enjoyed it after.

Also, sometimes people just don’t like the cut of your jib. That’s understandable, but when you’re up on stage working your ass off, it’s hard to accept that. I usually just assume that the person has had a horrible accident that prevents them from using their face muscles...

B

risbane comedian Matt Okine was raised on a high-protein comedy diet that included regular servings of Eddie Murphy’s Raw and Chris Rock’s Bigger And Blacker. He started stand-up in 2004 at the age of 18, and 2012 has been his breakthrough year: he won the Best Newcomer Award at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, opened for Aziz Ansari’s Melbourne and Sydney shows, did a two-week run at London’s Soho Theatre, was picked as the ‘face’ of Sydney Comedy Festival – and he just released his first DVD. He’s also a pretty cool guy. You'll like him.

Was there a moment where you knew you were destined for stand-up? The thought of doing stand-up comedy is always excruciatingly terrifying right up until the very moment you get your first laugh. After that first laugh, you realise that it’s not impossible at all.

Are there any lines in the sand for you, or areas that you just won’t approach in your material? I don’t do political stuff. Mainly

GUERRE / MOON HOLIDAY GNOME / LANTERNS ASTRAL DJS

WED 19 DEC THU 20 DEC BECK HANSEN’S

JOSH PYKE, JONATHAN BOULET, DAPPLED CITIES, CAITLIN PARK, RICHARD IN YOUR MIND, AIDAN ROBERTS (BELLES WILL RING), THOMAS RAWLE (PAPA VS PRETTY) BRIAN CAMPEAU & ELANA STONE

FRI 21 DEC SAT 22 DEC

Street Level WITH

FRI 14 DEC SAT 15 DEC

Sun

JAE HAYDON BELLE & THE BONE PEOPLE

Coming Up IN DEC / JAN 28th 2nd 16th

KID MAC – Christmas party UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA CHILDISH GAMBINO - SOLD OUT!

What was it like supporting Aziz Ansari?

TELL US EVERYTHING! The Aziz gigs were some of my favourite gigs ever. It’s not often you get to play in Australia’s most prestigious venues in front of 2000+ people. After each gig he would have a little party backstage with some audience members and everyone would be taking pictures and drinking. It was pretty much like that R. Kelly song ‘Hotel’, but without a hotel. Or R. Kelly.

What’s this DVD all about? It’s my show Being Black N Chicken N Shit, which was filmed at the Sydney Comedy Store and is also the show I won Best Newcomer for in Melbourne. It’s a show about a trip I went on with my dad and how shit got a bit real. I also talk about seafood a lot. It’s got a bunch of really funny extras too, and I’m hoping everyone in Australia buys seven copies.

OPEN TIL 3AM

What: Being Black N Chicken N Shit Where: Available on DVD & digital download now More: Fore more info about his Sydney Comedy Festival appearances, check out sydneycomedyfest.com.au BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 29

Album Reviews

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK UV RACE

Racism In The Red/Fuse

EXAMPLE

KE$HA

The Evolution Of Man Ministry Of Sound Throughout his fourth studio album, Elliott Gleave (initials E.G., hence Example) spends a lot of time telling us he’s grown up, that he’s changed. New fiancée Erin McNaught should be thoroughly relieved.

The Evolution Of Man is Example’s admission that perhaps the drink, drugs and women weren’t such a good idea, as he considers the consequences of past fuck-ups. It’s a 54-minute-long apology for being a dickhead, set against a winning backdrop of dubstep beats and ravey synths. It’s to his credit that Gleave has turned all this soul-baring into a solid album that will thrill the fans, and you get the sense that, after two successive hit LPs, he has mastered his own personal pop parlance. On The Evolution Of Man, Example’s signature sound has been given a calculated upgrade to ensure that there’s something here for everyone.

A greater rock influence is evident right from the grungey opening riff on the Benga-produced curtain raiser ‘Come Taste The Rainbow’, but those who rate Example as a deft rhymesmith will be immediately placated too: “Without the need for coke or ketamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine/ Maybe one day I’ll think about settling”.

But the album’s appeal doesn’t come from Example’s ability to use an 11-syllable word without breaking his flow, or from his therapy-couch honesty; it comes from insanely infectious tunes.

You want to hate anthemic lead single ‘Say Nothing’ for being a Coldplay carbon-copy, but you can’t help singing along and imagining yourself, arms aloft, under a green laser. Despite the self-loathing subject matter, every song is expertly and unashamedly crafted for the mainstream.

The Evolution Of Man is a compelling confessional that sticks to the formula – but that’s no bad thing.

Family, or at least the traditional family form, is abhorred throughout. The simple word association of ‘Nuclear Family’ – “I wanna drop a bomb on the nuclear family” – builds into the delightfully crass “I wanna wipe my chode on the nuclear family, I wanna blow my load on the nuclear family”. ‘Raw Balls’ is a venomous belter that tears itself apart while pointing out that your mum “looks like Spock”.

SCOTT WALKER

Warrior Sony

There is a website that sells pills filled with 24K gold leaf, the idea being that if you swallow one, your poop will sparkle when it comes out. They sell for a cool $425, although at the time of writing they were listed as ‘Temporarily Unavailable’. I mention this because it’s not unreasonable to assume Ke$ha bought up the entire supply and used it to create her new album.

If that sounds like an insult, it’s not really; over the last couple of years, Ke$ha has taken the idea of being a glitter-caked piece of shit and turned it into the basis for some really enjoyable pop tunes. Ke$ha is just a girl, standing in front of the world, asking it to be skeeved-out by her, and Warrior cements her position as the crown princess of this particular trashy aesthetic.

The tunes are shamelessly hooky – you would expect nothing less from uber-producer Dr. Luke, who has a hand in almost all of them – but a big part of the album’s appeal is Ke$ha herself. She’s far more droll than your average pop star, and when she sings about having sex with a ghost on the histrionic power balled ‘Supernatural’, you get the sense that, yes, she is very much in on the joke.

Ke$ha said that this was going to be her rock album, but I think she meant in spirit more than in sound. Aside from ‘Gold Trans Am’, which bites pretty shamelessly on Joan Jett, and ‘Only Wanna Dance With You’, which sounds like The Strokes and actually features cameos from two of them, pumping, synthed-up dance pop is the order of the day.

At its best – on ‘Die Young’, ‘C’Mon’ and the aforementioned ‘Supernatural’ – Warrior is pure, stupid fun.

Alasdair Duncan

David Wild

On first listen, Bish Bosch might seem to be the very serious work of a very dour man, but you only have to listen to some of the lyrics to realise that there is a lot of (dark) humour to Walker’s songs. Lines like “I’ve severed my reeking gonads/Fed them to your shrunken face” or “Blowing up bullfrogs with a straw/Staring into their eyes just before they burst”, delivered in Walker’s quavering baritone, are nightmarish, yet absolutely, gutwrenchingly hilarious.

You will find little in the way of any sort of verse-chorus-verse structure to the nine tracks. Several times, particularly during the near-22-minutelong ‘SDSS1416+13B (Zercon, A Flagpole Sitter)’, there are vast gaps of silence interrupted by the occasional orchestral jolt. The accompaniment seems more soundscape than song; some tracks feature found sounds like barking dogs, grinders and clinking machetes. Only ‘Epizootics!’ really comes close to resembling anything conventional, and even then, it’s a sinister, pummelling track which feels like Walker has taken on the role of hell’s own lounge singer. With its reverb-heavy washes of guitar, album closer ‘The Day The “Conducator” Died (An Xmas Song)’, wouldn’t sound out of place next to something by Slowdive.

It’s a challenging listen – indeed, the frequencies occasionally feel like their intention is to induce nausea – but Bish Bosch is a very interesting album made by a man with a distinctive vision.

Sisters are doing it for themselves; Melbourne-based pop-punk group The Spazzys can attest to that. Their new album was born after the trio – sisters Kat (guitar) and Lucy (bass), and their friend Ally (drums) – raked in enough funds themselves for its mixing and mastering, after being trolleyed financially by the industry.

Stalled by a drawn-out court skirmish, the band – sitting on a half-finished Dumb Is Forever – battled their independent label who, they argued, were controlling the advances, collecting the money, and refusing to show them quarterly statements. After two years they finally won back the rights to the record, and financed the finishing touches themselves.

Dumb Is Forever is the kind of album that could be an accompanying soundtrack to a roller derby night. It opens with ‘Dissolution’, a surf-rock beat-driven chant with three-note guitar hooks and a cheeky wink at The Dum Dum Girls. The album stays on this densely-layered and predictable fuzz-rock arc for the first six tracks; ‘Creeping’ sticks it to the establishment, and ‘Best Waves Ever’ contends with cajoling a mate out of depression.

Their middle-of-the-record tandem is a pared-back country croon titled ‘Try My Love’, with arrangement that pays homage to Gillian Welch. The Spazzys could have sat in this midtempo pocket for at least two more tracks, as it finally offers a little more stylistic scope. Instead, the remainder of the album charges on with the same sort of zeal as the first half, failing to distinguish The Spazzys as a band willing to push genre boundaries – and without leaving behind a commercial calling card like 2005's ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’.

Dumb Is Forever is a solid yet static release from The Spazzys.

King Of The Sun Independent Chris Bailey has long deflected accusations of misleading, or even unconscionable conduct, in using The Saints moniker in the continuing absence of Ed Kuepper. Certainly, the Bailey-only Saints are a galaxy away from the protopunk buzz-saw attack of the one-time Kid Galahad And The Eternals. Yet almost counter-intuitively, Bailey has carried on The Saints without diluting the band’s historical legacy, while taking the band into territory of his own choosing.

30 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

‘A Million Miles Away (La De Bloody Da)’ would, if attended to in a brutal punk manner, be one of the great garage rock songs; here, it’s an intriguing acoustic track of surprising depth. And then there’s the concluding opus 'Mini

Take a moment to consider the fact that Nicki Minaj’s new album is called Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up. It’s the most ridiculous fucking thing you’ve ever heard, right? The only reason it’s allowed to exist is because Nicki Minaj has an ego the size of Jupiter, and at this point in her career nobody has the guts to say 'no' to any of her ideas.

Fortunately, her crazy is vibrating at just the right frequency to produce some incredibly entertaining pop songs. Just to clear up any confusion, this album is actually a repackage of another one that came out earlier this year, containing eight new tracks. Minaj started out as a brilliant, unhinged rapper before turning towards more chart-friendly pop fare; in many ways, this new release sounds like an attempt to counter the backlash that followed, and re-establish her rap credentials.

Opening track ‘Up In Flames’ is a pretty neat summary of the bombast and ridiculousness on offer here. Over a dramatic choral hook and a grinding dubstep beat, Minaj alternately boasts about her success and threatens to slap detractors with her penis, a pretty common theme in her music of late. ‘I Endorse These Strippers’ has the same cold, minimal style as ‘Beez In The Trap’, and features still more penis talk, but it’s not as ridiculous as ‘High School’, with some truly cringeworthy innuendo courtesy of Lil’ Wayne. Of course, the pop stuff can’t help but come out at the end: Cassie collaboration ‘The Boys’ is lithe and refreshingly weird, while the Dr Lukeassisted ‘Va Va Voom’ is the kind of fun, throw-away banger that Minaj does better than anyone right now.

She may be fond of repeating album titles, but Nicki Minaj is keeping it relatively fresh in the music department.

Elizabeth Kennard

Michael Hartt

King Of The Sun is the latest Saints record. With only minor exception, it’s Bailey in his finest whimsical folk-blues guise. The title track has a whiff of literary pretension, its lyrics a set of seemingly non sequitur statements built around a simple melody and Bailey’s disaffected vocals. ‘Sweet Chariot’ is arguably the classic contemporary Saints style: a lumbering blues-based pop lick, and an aesthetic that sits perfectly with Bailey’s modern day Lord Byron persona.

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up Young Money/ Universal Republic

Dumb Is Forever Fuse

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE SAINTS

NICKI MINAJ

THE SPAZZYS

Bish Bosch 4AD/Inertia

Since 1995’s Tilt, Scott Walker has sporadically released a series of “uneasy listening” albums light years removed from the kitchen sink pop melodrama of his work in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s. His 14th studio album finds Walker continuing to delve deep into the avant garde with a collection of tracks that are in equal measure disconcerting and highly enjoyable.

There is a moment of resolution during Autonomy & Deliberation, where, after a nonstop barrage of in-jokes, bad dubbing and fanciful idiocy, the fourth wall is broken as Marcus candidly expresses what UV Race means to him. It’s an escape from the mundane – in his case, the confines of his hometown of Warragul. It is explicit sincerity, a strain of which is found throughout everything UV Race produce.

Lachlan Kanoniuk

Mantra Part 1', in which Bailey embarks on a Stones trip and has a wild time.

Concertina guitar freak-outs play out over a crescendo beat, while Bailey – ever the mad poet – leads the band on into the psychedelic rock abyss.

The record comes with a bonus disc of Songs From The Stash, including ‘Just Like Fire Would’, ‘Ghost Ships’ and ‘All Fools Day’. It’s a useful reminder that there’s far more to The Saints than those classic first three records.

Chris Bailey is idiosyncratic, to say the least. But he’s kept The Saints alive.

Patrick Emery

Alasdair Duncan

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

TELEVISION - Marquee JULIA HOLTER - Ekstasis KID SAM - Kid Sam

DAS RACIST - Shut Up, Dude KELPE - Margins EP

Xxxx photo by xxx

UV Race are not normal. UV Race are better than normal.

Racism, the third LP from affable miscreants UV Race, is an exploration of identity, a celebration of frontman Marcus Rechsteiner’s self-assuredness.

‘Be Yourself’, as the uplifting opening track commands.

It’s been a banner year for the Melbourne-based collective, recently venturing into the celluloid realm with indie film Autonomy & Deliberation plus accompanying soundtrack. Racism was recorded in mid-2011 by garage Midas producer Mikey Young, with producer and band both venturing into new territory. Punk scorchers are balanced out by down-tempo compositions replete with synth, handclaps, xylophones and acoustic guitar.

Garnished with callbacks both lyrical and musical, the record is a rich, enveloping package. The downtrodden ‘Bad Egg’ riff blends seamlessly into the surprisingly resplendent horn-line of ‘Gypsy King’, and the cry of “Ain’t life a pig” recalls the earlier proclamation of ‘I’m A Pig’. The bounding ‘Life Park’ could well function as the fabled Catcher In The Rye, with the protagonist leaving his wife and kids to take up a life in the park protecting the “ancient old” trees.

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Remedy

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

More Than The Cure Since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

SPIRITUALIZED

NICKI MINAJ

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House Sunday December 2

The Entertainment Centre Friday November 30

There’s a very real danger to carrying expectations into a gig.

This was Spiritualized’s second show in Sydney in 18 months – following on from last year’s Vivid LIVE performance of their 1997 opus, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space – and it had a lot swinging in its favour: Jason Pierce’s band were to perform their brand of neo-psychedelic pop amidst the stately climes of the Concert Hall; earlier this year they’d released Sweet Heart Sweet Light, a magnificent return to form that was three years in the making; and, perhaps most importantly, J. himself was in good health following years of battling degenerative liver disease and two heart attacks.

But the writing was on the wall from the first few bars of the evening’s performance, when Pierce reached down from high atop his stool to pick up his guitar and mangle ‘Hey Jane’.

The new album’s opening track is a ten-minute epic that, in its recorded studio form, increases in intensity as the repeated and thrusting guitar lines combine with chaotic ferocity. Tonight, however, Pierce could only manage a barely lumbering parody; there was no bile or conviction to his repeated phrasing, and the band seemed to have no awareness of the necessary tension that Pierce’s song requires.

Who was this sloppy collection of musicians, occupying the stage and Spiritualized’s much loved and respected back catalogue with all the skill of a Midlands covers band? Sure, we DID get to hear the obligatory title track from the aforementioned seminal ‘90s album, albeit augmented by a light show and background visuals whose cheap visage constantly distracted from what was happening on stage.

ROLLINS BAND LIVE ON

A mum and daughter in matching pink wigs and mini-skirts lounged on the steps of the first floor as we entered. Upstairs by the bar, a nine-year-old emerged from a corner to share a bag of Maltesers with her little sister, both in matching Minaj T-shirts that went down past their ankles. As we took our seats above the dancefloor, we spotted a group of tiny tiara’d children in green tutus, posing for a photo with their misguided dance teacher before stepping (in time) to an aggressive and quite terrible hip hop track, whose chorus seemed only to consist of the word “drink”.

Right from the get-go, this show was ridiculous. The opening bars of ‘I Am Your Leader’ blasted through the room, as INCOMING TRANSMISSION blazed across the back screen: suddenly, we were hurtling through cartoon space before honing in on a pink spaceship as it flew towards Earth. “It’s pink!” a small child next to me yelled.

“THAT’S HOW YOU CAN TELL IT’S HER!” The spaceship was suddenly on the stage, and its door opened to reveal a squatting Nicki Minaj, fiercely rapping ‘Come On A Cone’ into what appeared to be a glittery pink penis: “If you wasn’t so ugly, I’d put my dick in your face”.

The under-10s dance troupe below us didn’t miss a step.

Minaj has an abundance of alter egos, but there were really only two that counted tonight: the gangsta rapper (she got her start in Queens with underground mixtapes and guest spots), and the electro pop star (since then she’s worked with Guetta, released a perfume, and judged Idol). The stage was set up like a two-storey building with doors and windows, and staircases leading up to a balcony; projections lit it up alternatively as a Hilton-esque hotel, and grafitti-laden projects.

“Sydney, how are you, my beautiful darlings?” Minaj cooed. “Where my sexy boys? If you have something in your pants dangle it right now…”

It was an enormous stage show: six dancers, four costume changes and outrageous set pieces, including pyrotechnics, T-shirt cannons, a bright pink bubble car (!) and a silver bathtub. Minaj can rap and dance way better than she can sing, but she can dance while she mimes, so that saves the choruses. She’s just as shiny and synthetic in person as she is on film, and flips between moods with aplomb: narrow your eyes and tilt your neck for bitchy; roll them and grimace for mockery; bat your lashes and widen your mouth for bimbo; snap your joints for wind-up doll. Basically, she’s completely compelling.

We got the full range of her tunes tonight, too. The dub-flavoured bangers (‘Pound The Alarm’, ‘Automatic’), the swirling ballads (‘Marilyn Monroe’, ‘Save Me’), the gangsta raps (‘Did It On ‘Em’, ‘Roman’s Revenge’ – and in a 20-minute mixtape, she dropped the ‘Monster’ verse), and the massive club hits (‘Va Va Voom’, ‘Superbass’, and the huge encore ‘Starships’). But the unsung star of the show was the absurd hype man who distracted us through the costume changes.

“HEY LADIES,” he screamed, “HOW’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW??” – cue the obligatory air horn. “IF YOU’VE BEEN DRINKING ALL NIGHT, PUT YOUR CUPS IN THE AIR!!!” A few tweens meekly raised their bottles of water, but it didn’t take him long to modify his pitch: “If you’re here with your family member, HOLLAAAAA!!!”

Steph Harmon

More snaps on page 34

The spacey ‘Take Your Time’ from 1992’s debut album Lazer Guided Melodies was a rare highlight later in the set.

The dynamically-disinclined percussionist Kevin Bales was unable to dominate the mix for once, and as Pierce kept things to a whispered hum it was possible to shake the sense that the swathes of middle-aged fans were the only ones who still gave a shit.

Enmore Theatre Wednesday December 5 The last time I spent any significant time in Newtown, Bobby Gillespie was spiralling into the psychedelic ether, courtesy of a lifestyle that makes for salacious tabloid reading and problematic neurological prognosis. Primal Scream was in the midst of the early ‘90s acid house and psychedelic rock potpouri; like most of their contemporaries the flame burned brightly, before the band’s combustible fuel ran out.

Andrew Innes is a striking figure, aesthetically and sonically; always there, but never overstaying his welcome. Barry Cadogan – Little Barrie to his many

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On December 1, soon to be re-tourists Dinosaur Jr. celebrated the 25th birthday of the pop-sludge-glory-meets-Dischargeness classic You’re Living All Over Me, in New York City. Not only did they play the entire record from start to finish, but they did a second set of “greatest” other hits, with guests including The Melvins’ Dale Crover, Al Cisneros (of Om and Sleep fame) and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.

SONIC OLD

Speaking of Sonic Youth: great as their Smart Bar – Chicago 1985 is, we were kinda disappointed that they went that way rather than releasing the excellent semi-official bootleg Walls Have Ears, which was recorded in London that same year. Still, that’s a minor gripe. Anywhere and anytime SY are allowed to stretch their legs and their wings is fine with us.

VISTA CHINO

The members of Kyuss Lives!, who collectively were the subject of legal action by Josh Homme over use of the name, are now also operating under the name of Vista Chino.

Whether this new moniker is the result of the legal thing or not is unknown.

SUNNYBOYS DIU!

The Sunnyboys’ tear-inducing return performance on April 22 this year at The Enmore, as part of the Hoodoo Gurus Dig it Up! invitational, has been immortalised on DVD. Billed on the day as Kids In Dust, they tore through a wonderful set of tough but tender pop, with Jeremy Oxley – a man who has literally been to hell and back – front and centre, in what was nothing short of a triumphant moment. See what you missed, or just sit back and relive the moment, with Sunnyboys – Dig It Up! Live At The Enmore Theatre 22.4.12. It’s available now. Give some real magic for Christmas, why don’t ya.

NUGGETS

The Australian ‘60s punk scene was pretty much an ignored genre, until Glenn A. Baker, in the wake of the Nuggets and subsequent Pebbles, Boulders and Off The Wall comps, was spurred to first release 7-inch EPs by the likes of the Purple Hearts, and ultimately unleash the pivotal Ugly Things series. The baton has since been passed on, but two new collections should turn that still-glowing ember into a full-scale blaze once again. Originally out in 1972, the re-issued Down Under Nuggets: Original Artyfacts is a retracing of the story with some detours and byways, featuring everyone from The Masters Apprentices (who were snotty as hell before they started happily imploring people to “do what you wanna do”), The Black Diamonds, The Creatures, The Missing Links and The Loved Ones. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era contains remakes and remodels of a stack of original Nugget-y classics by the new breed of Oz garage howlers, such as The Straight Arrows, Pond and King Gizzard. And just to give it that added touch of authenticity, it comes with liner notes by the man who brought the original Nuggets set into the world, Lenny Kaye.

Last week we were blubbering that The Stones had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at their first London show, by offsetting the presence of Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor with performances by Jeff Beck (which wasn’t so bad) and Mary J. Blige (which really was). For the second show it was worse on that front, with Eric Clapton (no disrespect intended, Sir…) and Florence Welch countering Wyman and Taylor. Angus Young and Malcolm Young would have killed to play that gig.

Chuck Berry too. Buddy Guy. And Peter Green. And Slash.

And Joe Perry. You really gotta wonder who signs off on some of these arrangements...

supporters – is the next generation mod rock’n’roll legend, and a hero to elder contemporaries as demanding and cantankerous as Paul Weller. Cadogan throws a Keef of chunky rock riffs into original guitarist Innes’ already rich mix. Simone Butler – who replaced My Bloody Valentine’s Debbie Googe, who’d replaced the erstwhile Mani, after the latter was sucked back into the turbulent beast that is the Stone Roses reunion – has the best flicked mullet and choker combination on offer since 1984; if you’re indulging that fashion statement in the modern age, you might as well be in a band.

The set is a mix of psychedelic wandering, Stonessanctioned riffage and acid house flashbacks. The classic pop songs – viz. ‘Moving On Up’, ‘Loaded’ – are the obvious highlights; the tender moments are as deep and meaningful as those beautiful early morning revelations that come with ecstatic experience.

The band finishes with the Rolling Stones’ ‘Rocks Off’, and the sonic atmosphere is as thick and chunky as a steak and kidney pie on a Sunday afternoon at an English pub.

The members depart the stage, and Gillespie offers an enthusiastic wave to the crowd. The room is drenched with an intense house beat, exaggerated by a spell-binding light show. Just as we contort the dangerous reality of complete cognitive overload, it ends. Good times.

Patrick Emery

ON THE TURNTABLE On the Remedy turntable is Canned Heat’s ridiculously smokin’ Live At The Topanga Corral, which sees the boogie-and-blues monsters in all their overweight, boozeand-chemicals-charged glory. The opening version of ‘Bullfrog Blues’, with crazed guitarist Henry ‘Sunflower’ Vestine ripping it up like a man even more possessed than usual, sets the grimy tone perfectly.

TOUR AND INDUSTRY Not only are Thin Lizzy – who seem to still be so named despite an announcement to the contrary a little while back – opening for Kiss and Mötley Crüe, but they are doing their own Oz shows. On March 2 they’ll be at Selina’s at the Coogee Bay Hotel, and March 8 at the Evan Theatre, at Penrith Panthers.

Remedy heroes Earthless are at the Annandale on December 14.

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

Nicki Minaj photo by Ashley Mar

15 years later, and Gillespie has emerged from the fog of chemical experimentation and ‘90s acid rock indulgence.

The evidence of those halcyon days is etched into his naturally chiselled and marginally gaunt features. The open-black-shirt-and-dress-pants ensemble affords a level of fashionable respect; his gaze is periodically distant, but never aloof. During ‘Come Together’, Gillespie does his utmost to elicit a crowd sing-along; the result isn’t completely satisfying to either side of the audience-stage divide, but not all of us are charismatic Scottish rock casualties. There’s a hint of a swagger in his walk and stage affectations – you can take the boy out of Glasgow, but the Glaswegian can still break your fookin’ face.

DINOSAUR SR.

DEPT. OF WTF

Benjamin Cooper

PRIMAL SCREAM

The Rollins Band live again! On a double vinyl set of The End Of Silence demos, at least. This is most exciting in our little world. That original album marked the tipping point when the outfit fell into a boiling amalgam of Miles Davis’ early ‘70s voodoo funk and prime, Ozzy-era Sabbath.

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snap sn ap

strange talk

PICS :: TL

up all night out all week . . .

arias

PICS :: AM

30:11:12 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100

29:11:12 :: Sydney Entertainment Centre :: 35 Harbour St Darling Harbour

heaps of bands bro!

nicki minaj

It sounds like: From punk to new-wave electronic; from electro-jungle to indie pop.

Who’s playing? Chicks Who Love Guns, SURES, The Khanz, 1929 Indian.

Sell it to us: This guy will be there: “Okay, so I still live with my parents, which I admit is both bogus and sad. But at least I have an amazing cable access show! And I still know how to party! But what I’d really love is to do Wayne’s World for a living. It might happen! Shyeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.” Party on Wayne. Party on Garth.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Beer pong, ringing ears, late-night dumplings – and that sneaky pash you had in the corner.

Crowd specs: Bros, babes, bands.

Wallet damage: $10 Where: The Standard / Lvl 3, 383 Bourke St, Taylor Square When: Friday December 14, from 8pm

PICS :: AM

28:11:12 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587

party profile

vice launch party

PICS :: AM

It’s called: Heaps Of Bands Bro!

:: KATRINA CLARKE :: BREE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NS :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MUN IEL L :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAN CORVELL :: MARY JANE CASWEL

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the living end

PICS :: KC

30:11:12 :: Sydney Entertainment Centre :: 35 Harbour St Darling Harbour

27:11:12 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Road Moore Park

snap sn ap

deep sea arcade

PICS :: KC

rock'n'roll xmas markets

02:12:12 :: Manning Bar :: Manning Rd University Of Sydney Chippendale

30:11:12 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

PICS :: MJC

26:11:12 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711

the good ship

PICS :: MJC

bertie blackman

PICS :: TL

up all night out all week . . .

01:12:12 :: The Sando :: 387 King St Newtown 9557 1254

a very radiant christmas

01:12:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 9357 7700

party profile

mum

PICS :: BC

It’s called: A Very Radiant Christmas It sounds like: Everything you ever wished Carols By Candlelight would be.

Who’s playing? The Holy Soul and friends, joined by guests including Melodie Nelson, Sarah Kelly (Good Heavens), Glenn Thompson (Custard/ The Go-Betweens) and Wintah Thompson (Little Lovers), Marcus Whale (Collarbones), Matt Banham, Loene Carmen and Peter Head, Daniele Marando (The Maladies) and Joseph Leonard (MachineMachine).

Sell it to us: We’ve pulled together some of our fave singers, teamed them up with local legends The Holy Soul, and doused them all in festive cheer.

Expect to hear everything from Mariah to Dylan, plus plenty of surprises. And the proceeds go towards keeping FBi Radio on air!

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: You’ll wake up with tinsel in your pockets. You’ll never think of carols the same way again.

Crowd specs: Festive cheer is for everyone. Bring those relatives that came to stay.

Wallet damage: $12 Where: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel

PICS :: PX

eagle & the worm

lagwagon

29:11:12 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9572 6322

PICS :: MJC

When: Saturday December 15, from 8pm

01:12:12 :: Manning Bar :: Manning Rd University Of Sydney Chippendale :: KATRINA CLARKE :: BREE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NS :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MUN IEL DAN :: MAR LEY L :: ASH CORVELL :: MARY JANE CASWEL

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

pick of the week FRIDAY DECEMBER 14

Tame Impala

Enmore Theatre

Tame Impala, The Growl $44.80 (+ bf) 7pm MONDAY DECEMBER 10

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11

ROCK & POP

ROCK & POP

Carl Fidler The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Grimes (CAN) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst sold out 8pm Regina Spektor (USA), Only Son Sydney Opera House sold out 8pm

JAZZ

Rob Eastwood Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Willow Neilson 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm

Alexisonfire (CAN), House Vs Hurricane Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park sold out 8pm all-ages Grimes (CAN) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst sold out 8pm Mandi Jarry Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Regina Spektor (USA), Only Son Sydney Opera House $103 (+ bf) 8pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Sons of Mercury Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney free 10pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Russell Neal, Kelly Breuer, Bart Thrupp, Anita Lenzo Trio, Huntley Mitchell, Chris Brookes, Massimo Presti Kellys On King, Newtown free 7pm 36 :: BRAG :: 492 : 10:12:12

JAZZ

Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection, Mick Stewart Polymba Trio 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 8.30pm

Shane Flew Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Darren Bennett, Black Diamond George IV Inn, Picton free 7.30pm Handasyd Williams, Roland K Smith Botany View Hotel free 7pm Russell Neal, Kelly Breuer, Bart Thrupp, Vanesa Trujillo, Yetti, Paul McGowan, Samantha Johnson, Anita Lenzo Taverners Hill Hotel, Leichhardt free 7pm Sons of Mercury Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12 ROCK & POP

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Arse Eyes, Glen Chesthair,

Micko The Sicko The Valve, Tempe free 7pm Captured 2.0 Grand Finale: The Upskirts, Stone Parade, Doc Holliday Takes The Shotgun, Riley & Donna, Jess Beck, Fox (DJ set) FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel free 6pm Dan Spillane Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm David Agius Summer Hill Hotel free 7.30pm Gang Of Brothers, Cheyenne Cavana Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 7pm Glen Bidmead Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Illy, Sosueme DJs, Jackie Onassis, Still Water Giants, Joyride Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm Ivy league’s 15 Year Reignof Terror & Christmas Party: The Mess Hall, The Rubens, Lanie Lane, Alpine, Sures, Toby Martin, Catcall DJ, Deep Sea Arcade DJs, Ivy League DJs Annandale Hotel $20 8pm Jeff Martin (CAN), Dawn Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $48–$90 (dinner & show) 8pm Kate Plummer, Jim Moginie, Joe West, Jess Starreveld Notes Live, Enmore $19.40 7pm Lonely Boys Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 11pm Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt free 8pm The Now Now Festival 2013 Program Launch: Hard Hat, Chris Abrahams, Holy Balm, Kynan Tan, Rapaport The Red Rattler, Marrickville free 7.30pm Sarah Paton The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Steve Tonge Duo O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm TrickFinger Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm The Trouble With Templeton, Dirt Farmer, Bec Sandridge Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst 8pm Whipped Cream Chargers, Day Ravies, The Nugs, MAngelwurzel, DJ Velvet Gallagher Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 8pm Zoe Elliot The Manly Fig $12 (student)–$15 7pm Zoltan Coogee Bay Hotel free 9pm

JAZZ

Greg Sita, Nathan Cole, Luke Aitken Cookies Lounge and Bar, North Strathfield free 7.30pm Russell Neal, John Chesher, Gavin Fitzgerald, Simon Marrable, Paul McGowan Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 ROCK & POP

2 Voices: Diana Rouvas, Carmen Smith Brass Monkey, Cronulla $30.60 7pm Anthems of Oz Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 9pm Bang!: Winter People, Seabellies, Callithump Annandale Hotel free (early bird)-$10 7pm City Riots Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm Cub Scouts, Phebe Starr, Jessica Cerro Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 (+ bf) 8pm Filthy Creatures, Bruthaboi, Yakult (DJ set), Ziggy, FC DJs FBi Social, Kings Cross $10 8pm Harbour Master Sackville Hotel, Balmain free 7pm Hot Damn!: Hawthorne Heights (USA), Sienna Skies, Where The Enemy Sleeps Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15$20 8pm Jeff Duff’s Camelot Christmas Show: Jeff Duff, Glenn Rhodes, Jess Ciampa, Alison Avron Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $20 7pm Jesse Davidson Low 302, Surry Hills 8pm Kingston Flavaz Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Luke Escombe & the Corporation Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $25 8pm Mezzanine, The Goldhearted, Columbia Buffet Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale free 8pm Missing Children, The Ghosts The Backroom, Kings Cross free 8pm Mr Scot Finnie Woollahra Hotel free 7pm Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Hotel, Rooty Hill free 8pm Owen Campbell The Workers, Balmain free 8pm Restless Leg, The Metal Babies, Aerotrope Guild The Green Room Lounge, Enmore free 8pm

Rock Chic Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm Shezbot, The Blind Hot Gems, Mary Gunn The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe $12 8pm The Smith Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Tame Impala, The Growl Enmore Theatre $44.80 (+ bf) 7pm Thursday Thirteen: Castlecomber, Belle And The Bone People, The Short List, Enerate, The Electric Vogues, Whitecat, Ron Pazzo The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney $15 (+ bf) 7pm The Toot Toot Toots, Mother & Son, DJ Jack Shit Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 7pm Urban Guerillas, The Mayday Dreamers, The Browny Show Union Hotel, Newtown free 8pm

JAZZ

Cumbiamuffin Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $25 7pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why RSL Club free 6.30pm Muddy Waters Tribute – A Night Of Red Hot Chicago Blues Blue Beat, Double Bay $25 (+ bf) 8pm Nic Jeffries & Friends – The Soul Of Christmas The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm Sirens Big Band 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Daniel Hopkins Olympic Hotel, Paddington free 7.30pm Joanne Hill Corrimal Hotel free 7.30pm Russell Neal, Nick Domenicos, Spencer McCullum, Patrick McCarthy, Joe Hala Kogarah Hotel free 7pm Warren Munce, Carolyn Woodworth Forest Lodge Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm

FRIDAY DECEMBER 14 ROCK & POP

Altitude Cabbage Patch Hotel, Fairy Meadow free 8.30pm Conics, The Colonies, Sons Et All Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm

Emma Pask Blue Beat, Double Bay $20 (+ bf) 8pm The Idea of North The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm Jonathan Zwartz 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 8.30pm The Piano Diaries: Joanna Weinberg The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $20 (conc)–$25 8pm Richard Calabro’s Alpha Omega, The Book Of Vilah Brass Monkey, Cronulla $19.90 7pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Blue Faced Liars, Chris Garside, Dan Beckman, Jacqueline Young, Richard Brown, Andrew Denniston Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Balmain free 7pm

Alpine

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Chicks Who Love Guns

Darren Percival South Sydney Juniors, Kingsford 8pm Dragon, Jordan Millar Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $49–$107 8pm Earthless (USA) Annandale Hotel $30 8pm Elevation U2 Tribute Ettamogah Pub, Rouse Hill free 9pm Evil Ugly, After Thirtenn, Fatal Effect, Domino Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Finn, Flamin’ Beauties Crown Hotel, Sydney 8pm Gotye, Bertie Blackman, PVT Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $79.90 (+ bf) 8pm Heaps Of Bands Bro!: Chicks Who Love Guns, Sures, The Khans, 1929indian The Standard, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 8pm

Hue Williams Goulburn Railway Bowling Club free 7.30pm Ignition Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10.30pm Jeff Martin (CAN) The Factory Floor, The Factory Theatre, Enmore $37 (+ bf) 7pm J-LO (USA), Kate Alexa Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park sold out 8pm Katie Noonan, Jack Carty Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $25 (conc)-$30 7.30pm Kingswood, The Owls Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 (+ bf) 8pm MUM: Young Men Dead, Sons Et Al, The Mountains, I Know Leopards, Cuervo, King Colour, Thunderthief, Ratbag, S.W.I.M Team, MUM DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm

The Music Makers Club: Battleships, The Dead Heads, The Money Go Round, Bell Weather Department, The Cadres, Major & The Fires, Jep & Dep Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm The My Tys Blue Beat, Double Bay $15 (+ bf) 7pm Original Sin INXS Show Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain free 9.30pm Renee Stone Customs House Bar, Circular Quay free 7pm Roots Spectrum, Darlinghurst $10 8pm Rumours – A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac Brass Monkey, Cronulla $30.60 7pm Sabotage: The Sculptures, Hay Horze, St Buffalo

The Forbes Hotel, Sydney $10 8pm Steve Edmonds Band The Beach Club, Collaroy free 8pm Stormcellar Lakes Hotel, The Entrance The Stukas, The Bland, Underground Airforce, Tom Stone and the Soldiers of Fortune Sydney Livehouse @ Lewisham Hotel 8pm Suicidal Tendencies (USA), Unwritten Law (USA), The Dudesons UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington $81.60 (+ bf) 7pm all-ages Sydonia, Milkk, Berkshire Hunting Club The Square, Haymarket $15 8pm Tame Impala, The Growl Enmore Theatre $44.80 (+ bf) 7pm TFT, Dirty Sweet Nothings, Daniel Keating, Stray Pixels Roxbury Room, The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe 8pm Toucan & Sun City, Dan Crestani, Bernie Dingo Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 6pm Vanity Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi free 9pm WhatIsPsych Launch #1: Psychlops Eyepatch, East River, Lyyar, Dead Radio, God K, Dead China Doll Upstairs, The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $10 8pm

JAZZ

Josh Kyle Quintet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (student)–$20 8.30pm

Keyim Ba Notes Live, Enmore $23.50 Sinatra Rocks The Basement: Jeff Duff, Frank Bennett, Grant Galea The Basement, Circular Quay $30 (+ bf) 7.30pm Steve Barry Trio, Mike Nock, James Greening 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8.30pm

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15 ROCK & POP

Anthems Riverstone Memorial Club free 7.30pm Audio Vixen James Squire Brewhouse, Sydney 8pm Beef Jerk, Milk Teddy, King Tears Mortuary, Full Ugly, East River The Square, Haymarket $10 8pm Catcall, Model Citizen, Four Door, DJ Del Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $15 (+ bf) 8pm Classic Rock Show: Barry Leaf Band Brass Monkey, Cronulla $34.70 7pm Colour Therapy, Wildbloods, Laugh Riot Valve Bar, Tempe 12pm The Corps, Dark Horse, Inebrious Bastards, Hostile Objects, Unknown To God, Roadside Burial Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Darren Percival The Concourse, Chatswood $33–$140 8pm Elevation U2 Tribute Hastings Hotel, Wauchope $10 9pm

Emergenza National Final 2012: Go Mason Go, Usual Suspects, Nighsafe, Shadow At Play, Blue Candy, Auribus, Cuervo, Rattlesnake, Cascade, Wahlin & The Men, Throw Catch Metro Theatre, Sydney $35 6pm Flamin’ Beauties Home Tavern, Wagga Wagga free 10pm Generation Gap Carousel Inn, Rooty Hill free 8.30pm Gladstonebury Festival: Helpful Kitchen Gods, Boxing With Ghosts, Silver Foxes, Honey Stompers, Red Zora, Men From U.N.C.L.E, Dirty Sluts, Fabels, Gen Baijan, Kerryn Stanton, Bobby Mahers, Izzetin Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale free 4pm Green Day Show Pathers Club, Cardiff 8pm Half Nelson Huskisson Hotel free 8pm Half Time: Guerre, Moon Holiday, Gnome, Lanterns, Astral DJs The Standard, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 8pm The Headliners Putney Bowling Club free 8.30pm Hue Williams Olympic Hotel, Paddington free 9pm J-LO (USA), Kate Alexa Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park 8pm Johnny Cash – The Concert: Daniel Thompson, Alanna Cherote, Stuie French, The Tennessee Studs Theatre Royal, Sydney $65 (+ bf) 8pm

tue

11

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

Dec

wed

12 Dec

(9:00PM - 1:00AM)

thu

13 Dec

(9:00PM - 1:00AM)

fri

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

14 Dec

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

Dec

SATURDAY NIGHT

15

(9:00PM - 1:30AM)

sun

16 Dec

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SUNDAY NIGHT

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Jordie Lane, Liz Stringer, Ryan Nico Notes Live, Enmore $17.85pm Kingswood, Tom Ugly, Mark Da Costa & The Blacklist, DJ Urby Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 7.30pm Kittens: Polar Knights, Colour Coding, Kittens DJs Spectrum, Darlinghurst $10 9pm Kurt Williams Bexlet RSL free 7.30pm Leadfinger Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor 9pm Lily Dior and the Soul Contenders 505 Club, Surry Hills $20 (conc)–$25 8.30pm Mad Season MB20 Show South Hurstville RSL Club free 9pm

Monsieur Camembert Christmas Show Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $30 7.30pm Parkway Drive, I Killed the Prom Queen, Northlane, Survival Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park $45.70 7pm Pleasure & Pain Divinyls Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 10pm Psychotic Turnbuckles, Bad Reactions, Cousin Betty Band Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $20 (+ bf)–$25 (final release) 7.30pm Rascals & Runaways, Tiffany Britchford, Laura Attwood, Ivi Roxbury Room, The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe $12 8pm

Melodie Nelson

38 :: BRAG :: 492 : 10:12:12

Richard Valdez Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Rock Busters Oatley Hotel free 8.30pm Sons Et Al, Sea Legs, Private Life, Liz Bird Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 6pm Souled Out Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10.30pm Spencer P Jones & The Nothing Butts, Jed Kurzel, The Bittersweet Kicks Annandale Hotel $25 8pm Steppin’ Razor, Chaz.H.Scally, Sweet Teens, Cap A Capo, Obat Batuk, Everything I Own is Broken, Tom Denton, Alex Party-Cat Sepansky Town & Country Hotel, St Peters free 5pm Steve Edmonds Band Hornsby Inn free 8.30pm Stormcellar Royal Hotel, Bondi free 8pm Sweet Teeth, Corpus, Phobiac, Lenin Lenon Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Sydonia, Let The Number Be X, Benj Axwell, Fire Fish Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle $15 8pm Tilley, Bek Sarkoezy The Newsagency, Marrickville $15-$20 8pm Tour De Force – Tribute Show: Elton Jack, Bigshot Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $34 8pm True Funk Soldiers Present A Night Of Prince The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm The Vaudeville Smash, Joyride (DJ set), Hobophonics, Bernie

Dingo Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm A Very Radiant Christmas: The Holy Soul with Sarah Kelly, Melodie Nelson, Matt Banham, Loene Carmen & Peter Head, Joe Leonard, Glenn & Wintah Thompson, Daniele Marando, Marcus Whale FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $12 8pm WhatIsPsych Launch #2: Roboter Haus, Broadcasting Transmitter, Nhomea, Making, No Art Upstairs, The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills $10 8pm

JAZZ

Craig Calhoun (USA) Blue Beat, Double Bay $20(+ bf) 7pm Greening From Ear To Ear The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10 (student)–$20 8.30pm Jazz Nouveau Supper Club, Fairfield RSL Club free 7pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Well Co. Café/Wine Bar, Leichhardt free 7.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Dane And Aaron Cookies Lounge and Bar, North Strathfield free 8pm Darren Bennett, Samantha Johnson, Black Diamond Chippendale Creative Arts Centre free 11am Susie Hurley The Factory Floor, The Factory Theatre, Marrickville $10 (+ bf) 7.30pm

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16 ROCK & POP

Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm Alloway Brass Monkey, Cronulla $14.30 7pm Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Cell Block 69, Leisure Suit Lenny Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $16 (+ bf) 8pm The Datsuns (NZ), The Treatment Annandale Hotel $28.60 8pm Finn Home Tavern, Wagga Wagga free 6pm Hue Williams Imperial Hotel, Mt Victoria free 12pm Jeff Martin (CAN), Minnie Marks The Vanguard, Newtown $43.80–$78.80 (dinner & show) 8pm JP Huskisson Hotel free 4pm Kurt Williams Bayview Tavern free 6pm LJ Moorebank Hotel free 4pm Oliver Thorpe Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 3.30pm Pat Ogrady Albion Hotel, Parramtta free 2pm Rock For X: Amalgam, Stellar Addiction, The Damned Humans, Parenthia, The Chase, Jimmy Hale, Perception, Shift, Mike Danger, This Is

Animal Valve Bar, Tempe 12pm Steve Edmonds Band Beaches Hotel, Thirroul free 5.30pm Suite Az, DJ Kitsch78 Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 9.30pm Sydney Blues Society Botany View Hotel, Newtown free 5.30pm

JAZZ

Billy Field Dove & Olive, Surry Hills free 6pm The Idea of North Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $34–$92 (dinner & show) 8pm Soulfood Sunday: Bobby Singh, Adrian McNeil, Afref Toloe Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $20-$25 6.30pm

COUNTRY

Hunter & Suzy Owens Band Marrickville Bowling Club free 4.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Illawarra Folk Festival Showcase: Mike McLellan, Pat Drummond, Shameless Seamus & The Tullamore Dews, Jan Preston, The Handsome Young Strangers, Okapi Guitars, The Volatinsky Trio Cat & Fiddle Hotel, Balmain $15 1pm Phoenix and the Twins Oatley Hotel free 2pm Russell Neal, Peach Montgomery, Daniel Draft, Waiting for Tuesday, Calestial Underground Salisbury Hotel, Stanmore free 2pm

gig picks

up all night out all week...

Regina Spektor

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11

FRIDAY DECEMBER 14

Alexisonfire (CAN), House Vs Hurricane Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park sold out 8pm all-ages

Earthless (USA) Annandale Hotel $30 8pm

Regina Spektor (USA), Only Son Sydney Opera House $103 (+ bf) 8pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12 Captured 2.0 Grand Finale: The Upskirts, Stone Parade, Doc Holliday Takes The Shotgun, Riley & Donna, Jess Beck, Fox (DJ set) FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel free 6pm Ivy league’s 15 Year Reign Of Terror & Christmas Party: The Mess Hall, The Rubens, Lanie Lane, Alpine, Sures, Toby Martin, Catcall DJ, Deep Sea Arcade DJs, Ivy League DJs Annandale Hotel sold out 8pm The NOW Now Festival 2013 Program Launch: Hard Hat, Chris Abrahams, Holy Balm, Kynan Tan, Rapaport The Red Rattler, Marrickville free 7.30pm Whipped Cream Chargers, Day Ravies, The Nugs, Mangelwurzel, DJ Velvet Gallagher Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $10 8pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 Bang!: Winter People, Seabellies, Callithump Annandale Hotel free (early bird)–$10 7pm Hot Damn!: Hawthorne Heights (USA), Sienna Skies, Where The Enemy Sleeps Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15-$20 8pm The Toot Toot Toots, Mother & Son, DJ Jack Shit Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 7pm

Gotye, Bertie Blackman, PVT Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $79.90 (+ bf) 8pm Heaps Of Bands Bro!: Chicks Who Love Guns, Sures, The Khans, 1929indian The Standard, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 8pm

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15 Catcall, Model Citizen, Four Door, DJ Del Goodgod Small Club, Sydney $15 (+ bf) 8pm Jordie Lane, Liz Stringer, Ryan Nico Notes Live, Enmore $17.85 7pm Parkway Drive, I Killed The Prom Queen, Northlane, Survival Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park $45.70 7pm A Very Radiant Christmas: The Holy Soul with Sarah Kelly, Melodie Nelson, Matt Banham, Loene Carmen & Peter Head, Joe Leonard, Glenn & Wintah Thompson, Daniele Marando, Marcus Whale FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $12 8pm

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16 Cell Block 69, Leisure Suit Lenny Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $16 (+ bf) 8pm The Datsuns (NZ), The Treatment Annandale Hotel $28.60 7.30pm

Parkway Drive photo by Tom Barnes

Parkway Drive

BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 39

40 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

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

brag beats

inside

paul kalkbrenner

the gaslamp killer + nite jewel

+ mightyfools

berlin calling

also: e uid + club gnaps + club s kly + wee column

We has internets!

www.thebrag.com Extra bits and moving bits without the papercuts BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 41

dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

Alex Taylor

PRINCE OF THIEVES Inspirations [David]: Like most musos, 2.

I try and listen to everything. My

3.

Growing Up [David]: Growing up in 1.

Waterloo, I could identify with songs from 2Pac and Biggie. I think coming from such a rough neighbourhood, and seeing the struggle around me, gave me the drive to do what I do now, and made me really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had.

[Adam]: Music was just something that I took to from day one. We’ve got hilarious/ embarrassing videos of me doing my own one-man production of Grease when I was five. I guess it built my confidence up really early. Now I feel right at home on stage.

Your Group We actually met playing twin brothers in a tele-movie when we were 12. It was based on Bryce Courtenay’s novel The Potato Factory – if you’ve read it you’ll understand how that’s even possible. After that, we went to the same performing arts school.

From the start we had a close connection, so it was a natural progression into Prince Of Thieves. We’ve also got a great five-piece band – Joshua Munn,

TOGETHER ON BOXING DAY

DJ HELL TOUR

German club veteran Helmut Geier, aka DJ Hell, will perform a Boxing Day night show at Goldfish on Wednesday December 26. Hell has ticked plenty of boxes over the course of his career; first and foremost, he collaborated with Grace Jones, Bryan Ferry and P. Diddy on ‘The DJ’, which spawned an epic 28-minute Radioslave remix that put Diddy’s advice to “play the 20-minute version” into practice, and even includes a ten-minute piano riff courtesy of Tom ‘Cagedbaby’ Gandey (rumour has it they initially wanted to crack the hour mark, but ran out of time). Hell has also been remixed by house and techno figureheads, with particularly memorable cuts including Henrik Schwarz’s remix ‘The Angst’, and the timeless Superpitcher rework of the collaboration with Billy Ray Martin, ‘Je Regrette Everything’. Hell’s Australia jaunt coincides with the release of a 35-track strong compilation of remixes from his Teufelswerk (‘devil’s work’) album, which features a who’s who of dance music reinterpreting cuts from his most recent album.

DJ Hell

Following the raging public holiday success of their Anzac Day bash, Chemistry and Loose Kaboose will again come ‘Together’ for some public holiday merriment on Boxing Day, with the Shrug crew also set to influence proceedings. The local showcase will feature some of Sydney’s foremost proponents of house, techno and whimsical electronica, with Alphatown playing live, and Mad Racket’s Jimi James, Pocket 808, Future Classic’s Peret Mako, CO-OP DJs, Matt Aubusson, Subsonic’s Marcotix, Mesan and Jordan Deck all spinning, alongside techno glamour couple Trinity and Dave Stuart. ‘Together’ will run over both rooms of The Abercrombie on Broadway from 2pm on Wednesday December 26 until sunrise the next day, with entry a mere ten bones.

The Music You Make Festival-grade urban pop, 4. with stanky funk and main room electro elements thrown in for fun. Our live shows are like one big party; we like to get amongst it and play with the crowd. We play our originals, and crazy mash-ups of popular classics.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

It’s no surprise that the music industry is changing rapidly with the digital age. That has its pros and cons, but it has allowed us to develop ourselves from the start and spread our music to an audience that otherwise would have been inaccessible.

What: On The Brink Of… EP is out now Where: Rock Lily @ The Star When: Friday December 14 More: 50% of all EP sales will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation

HAHA UTR #020

Reputed underground party crew HAHA will host the next in their Under The Radar Warehouse Party series on Saturday December 15. The lineup features Melbourne selector Phil Ransom and Mad Racket’s Ken Cloud, with D&D – aka HAHA residents Dean Dixon and Dave Fernandes – throwing down as always. The party also comes with a cryptic and slightly ominous message from the

xxx photo by xxx

favourite musicians would be James Brown, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, 2Pac and Biggie. More recent artists that inspire me would be Van She, Kendrick Lamar, Dizzy Wright and Childish Gambino.

[Adam]: Musiq Soulchild has been a massive influence on me. I used to listen to his albums on repeat, around the time that I realised singing was what I wanted to do for a living.

I’m constantly scouring for new music online. Lately I’m loving stuff from Flying Lotus, Clams Casino, Jungle Giants, Frank Ocean and Theophilus London.

Andres Hyde, Ross Stavrou, Thomas Cox, Julian Bel-Bachir – and a handful of DJs (Kid Phresh, Steve Frank, Rowie, The 14th Minute, DJ Libre) for our nightclub gigs.

HED KANDI NYE @ BUNGALOW 8

With far more glamour and class than your usual New Year’s Eve, global club and music brand Hed Kandi, together with Bungalow 8 and theloft, are set to give Sydney-siders a night to remember. Hed Kandi NYE ‘Disco Heaven – The White Party’ will play host to a harbour view, a hot crowd and a lineup bursting at the seams, featuring Alex Taylor, Venuto, Frankie Romano and Miss P (UK).

We have a huge prize pack to give away for you and three friends: VIP Pre-Party Packages that include tickets, pre-party drinks and canapés, and access to some cheeky VIP areas to boot. For a chance to win, tell us your New Year’s resolution.

organisers: “Our days may be numbered by an unknown force come the 21st of December... so we decided that it was time to stand our ground in what could become an epic final fanfare into the ever so bright shine of the daylight hours, for what will quite possibly be our longest warehouse soirée yet: our ‘Apocalypse Now’ 20th Warehouse Party!” The revelry will run from 10pm ‘till sunrise, with further details available through the HAHA website.

The Presets

UPCOMING AT MARQUEE

The December lineup for Marquee, located atop the Star, has been unveiled. This Friday, Bag Raiders and Cassian will share top billing, before the Stafford Brothers headline on Saturday December 15. Sydneysider Cassian recently released his third solo EP, The Love Cuts, and has been featured on Kitsune Maison Compilations over the years, having established himself with remixes of names like Bag Raiders, The Rapture and Miami Horror. The Bag Raiders are well-loved in local circles due to their affiliation with Modular and remixes of The Lost Valentinos and Digitalism. Looking further ahead, the likes of Nervo and Thomas Gold will spin at The Star, before Dirty South throw down on New Year’s Eve.

DOMINO DROP MOTION SICKNESS

42 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

THE PRESETS NATIONAL TOUR

In the new year, Sydney-based duo The Presets will embark on their first national tour since that acid-washed spring of ’09, and will perform at the Enmore Theatre on Monday February 11. The Presets were voted as Best Live Act at the 2012 In The Mix Awards, with ITM decreeing, “It’s been four years between album releases, but Kim and Julian prove they are still a major drawcard and that they can rock a stage, being of the first local acts to ever headline a Parklife lineup.” There was also the small matter of the release of their third LP, Pacifico, which showed that the duo of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes still understand Australian youth club culture and pop music better than most of their compatriots. Presale tickets are currently available online.

Xxxx

Domino Records have just released a compilation, Motion Sickness, which collates remixes of tracks from their impressive artist roster courtesy of some of the foremost figures in the club milieu. Taking its name from the opening track of the most recent Hot Chip album, the 20-track selection features Daphni (aka Caribou) reworking Hot Chip, the Australia-bound Carl Craig’s classic remix of ‘Like A Child’ by Junior Boys, Joy Orbison’s rendition of Four Tet’s ‘Love Cry’, and a rework of About Group by Theo Parrish’s (who is also playing in Sydney in early January). Remixes of Tricky and Juana Molina from Maya J Coles and Reboot respectively also demonstrate Domino’s (welcome) proclivity to venture into club terrain, while Mike Simonetti’s rare take on Devonte Hynes’ Blood Orange project and the underrated gem that is the Alan Braxe and Fred Falke remix of Test Icicles’ ‘What’s Your Damage?’ also feature. Motion Sickness is out now on double CD – a prime stockingfiller, if ever there was.

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8084.0587 BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 43

dance music news

free stuff

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

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

on the record WITH

Mightyfools

GUERRE

The First Record I Bought: I don’t remember the first 1. album I ever bought. I don’t think

The Last Thing I Recorded: There’s a double A-side, 4.

‘Rashad (Loose Pace)’/‘For

I had that kind of upbringing; I wasn’t that kind of kid. I tend not to collect things. I couldn’t afford any albums until recently, so I used to steal CD-Rs. I think the first I stole was probably Sufjan Stevens’ Come On Feel The Illinois. A very beautiful work.

Qwanisha’. They can be found at music.yespleaserecords.com.

Urban laptop folk. Spoken word.

The Record That Changed My Life: 5.

Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People. It was my first foray into indie rock music, which has a deep history in Canada, where I was raised. Other than being an incredibly adventurous and energetic record, the fact that they were from Toronto, from where I grew up, made it a very personal experience for me. And listening to it as a teenager, you can be very susceptible to the sort of ideals and energies that are presented in that album. It opened up a world of possibilities for me, both musically and in terms of what I could do with my life. It gave me spirit.

The Last Record I Bought: I downloaded an album 2.

by Ballaké Sissoko entitled At Peace. I’d seen his name pop up in several sites/labels/videos, and to be honest with you, I just enjoyed the way his name looked. He’s a noted player of the kora, this traditional West African string-based instrument. I’ve been recently researching and getting deeply into African music, and this album struck me as an introduction into more modern takes on traditional African song.

It’s an incredible record.

3.

The First Thing I Recorded: My brother had two mp3 players, both with record functions. The first thing I

recorded was just me singing one layer of vocal lines and playing that through the speakers, while I had the other mp3 record with me singing live and the pre-recorded voice. I

repeated this process maybe four or five more times; it created this sort of lo-fidelity chant that sounded like it was buried under mountains of tape hiss and low pass filter.

CHALI 2NA Liefko

Chali 2na will return to Australia early next year, to perform at The Factory Theatre on Friday January 11. 2012 has been a fruitful year for the former Jurassic 5 frontman, with Chali collaborating with our own Hilltop Hoods on ‘Speaking In Tongues’ – which unsurprisingly proved hugely popular Down Under, garnering significant radio play – and US surf/ska super group, Slightly Stoopid. He also released a collaborative album project with Stones Throw artist Roc ‘C’, and crossed over into bass music through his venture with DJ Swamp.

An amazingly engaging and charismatic performer, Chali 2na’s venerated standing is well documented and well deserved. The tour coincides with the release of Chali’s ‘Against The Current’, which will be available for free download at chali2na.com on December 12.

With: Moon Holiday, Lanterns, Gnome, Astral DJs Where: Half Time @ The Standard When: Saturday December 15

MAD RACKET NYE

“Who needs overrated international producer/ DJs?” the Racketeers brazenly proclaim. “Not us!” Mad Racket will ring in the New Year at Marrickville Bowling Club with an all-local affair, adding two of Sydney’s most respected DJs, Kali and Peret Mako, to the four residents Ken Cloud, Zootie, Jimmi James and Simon Caldwell. Kali has built a solid reputation as one of Sydney’s leading DJs through her Picnic company, which has toured the likes of DJ Harvey and Andrew Weatherall over the years – and that’s not to mention the forthcoming Sydney Festival bash with Darshan Jesrani and Daniel Wang. Meanwhile, Mako is an extremely talented and versatile musician who has supported everyone from Optimo and Charles Webster to DJ Krush and Blackalicious, and played saxophone for Jamie Lidell’s live show

MIGHTYFOOLS

There’s no better way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon than poolside, soaking up the sizzling summer sun, right? What if we added to that sets from some of the best electro acts around? This Saturday December 15, you’ll be soaking in the vitamin D while dancing to the freshest beats. It’s another Chinese Laundry Pool Party at Ivy Pool Club, this time featuring vibrant Dutch duo Mightyfools, alongside J-Trick, What So Not, The Hump Day Project, Ya Jokin and more. We’ve got two double passes floating around; for your chance to win one of them, tell us which Australian music festival Mightyfools played at earlier this year. in Sydney. He also released the excellent LP Devil’s In The Detail in 2008, through Future Classic; as a DJ, you can expect Mako to traverse hip hop, techno, jazz and deep house influences in his set. Presale $40 tickets are available through Resident Advisor.

AN21 and Max Vangeli

S.A.S.H’S DISUSED NIGHTCLUB 003, FT AFRILOUNGE

The next in S.A.S.H’s secret ‘disused nightclub’ (read: warehouse) party series falls on Friday December 21, and will be headlined by Liefko, from Berlin trio Afrilounge. Melbourne DJ Luke McD, who always does the business when he makes the trip interstate, will also be playing, along with James Taylor, Raulll and S.A.S.H main men Kerry Wallace and Matt Weir. While the venue will not be announced until the day of the party, we can relay the following hint: “This party will never be repeated in this venue due to the nature of its forthcoming renovations.” Presale tickets to the event are on sale now and, given previous S.A.S.H warehouse – pardon me, disused nightclub – parties selling out, you’d be advised to grab one soon.

Darshan Jesrani

DARSHAN JESRANI + DANIEL WANG

PLAYER HATERS NYE

44 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

PACHA @ IVY – NYE

Pacha Sydney has announced its New Year’s Eve bash at The Ivy, which will offer sets from high profile DJs AN21 and Max Vangeli, Junior Jack and Kid Crème, and Infinity Ink. Anna Lunoe will be on support duties together with The Only, Yolanda Be Cool and Pacha Ibiza resident Mo Funk, and locals Cassette, Yokoo, Marc Jarvin, Trent Rackus, Pat Ward, Devola and Matt Nugent. Beyond the selectors, the event is touted as a “mad burlesque of circus, dance and sensory overload” – and those after further opulence can seek out a platinum VIP ticket, which provides exclusive access to Pool Club until 11.30pm, where you’ll receive canapés and a complimentary Heineken or cocktail upon arrival. First release $99 tickets are now on sale at pachasydney.com

Xxx

Goodgod Small Club will host a Player Haters Ball on New Year’s Eve that will span every inch of the venue. The Left Eyes ft. Milan Ring will headline proceedings, and are apparently set to recap “all the best tributes of the year, including Destiny’s Child, The Neptunes, R Kelly and TLC”. DJs Shantan Wantan Ichiban and Mike Who will also be spinning party jams, while in the front room Smart Casual and Daniel Darling serve up “rollicking dancebarn stormers” across garage rock, blues and soul soundscapes. Entry to the NYE party is a mere $20, with the revelry commencing from 8pm.

One half of Metro Area, Darshan Jesrani returns to Australia to play a Sydney Festival instalment of Picnic at Paradiso, Town Hall on Saturday January 19, joined by Daniel Wang in an international double bill.

Jersani’s work as Metro Area explores sounds that actively pay homage to the organic dance influences of yesteryear, namely disco, synth-pop and RnB. Breaking through with the landmark self-titled debut LP earlier in the decade, the pair have since released a string of EPs along with a mix for Fabric. Jesrani has also undertaken separate solo projects such as co-writing Tracey Thorn’s single ‘It’s All True’ along with Klas Lindblad and Ewan Pearson, and further original material is due this year on his new Startree imprint.

Meanwhile, Mr Wang oversees Balihu Records, and remains best known for his 2001 album Idealism, which was appropriately released on Morgan Geist’s Environ imprint. Support will be in the form of Picnic’s Kali and Andy Webb, and tickets are available from the Sydney Festival website for $36: sydneyfestival.org.au

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BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 45

Paul Kalkbrenner x Berlin By x Calling By Alasdair Duncan

B

erlin’s Paul Kalkbrenner has been in the electronic music game since the late ‘90s, yet his sixth album, out this month, is called Guten Tag. It’s a curious title for an established artist; Kalkbrenner, who has headlined festivals around the globe and even starred in a cult movie, Berlin Calling, would seem to need no introduction. But it turns out that, for native German speakers, the phrase can convey a lot more than just ‘good day’. “You can do a lot of funny things with that phrase,” Kalkbrenner explains. “You can turn it into something that means ‘Now it’s your turn’, or ‘What do you have to say?’ It can also be ‘That’s me’. When I was looking for a title, I wanted something that could be spoken out loud without problems all around the world, something that could be understood.”

Guten Tag is Kalkbrenner’s second release on his own label, after many years on the iconic BPitch Control imprint. “Right now, I don’t have to negotiate with anyone,” he says, of his newfound freedom. “I can do things my way – I can decide how things should look, how they should sound, how much they should cost and

when they should be available. That brings way fewer problems than before.” BPitch Control, founded by the legendary Ellen Allien, launched the career of techno artists from Modeselektor to Apparat; I ask Kalkbrenner how the label took his decision to split. “I was with them for a number of years, but I grew out of it and wanted to go out on my own,” he says. “They very happily accepted that. There is no bad blood between us at all, and it’s always good to see them.”

Kalkbrenner is a long-time resident of Berlin, and still lives and works there. Unlike many of the city’s artist residents, however, he is not overly sentimental about the place he calls home. “The city certainly inspires me,” he says, “but I would like to think that my inspiration is not limited to just my physical location. I think I could be inspired by any place I was living in.” Still, Kalkbrenner has no plans to leave Berlin any time soon. “I do love it here. It’s something I can’t verbalise, but when you walk through the city in autumn, when it’s foggy and the street lights are coming on, there’s a certain something in the air that I find very inspiring. I have a studio a little bit outside the Berlin city centre. I like to go there in the late afternoon to the early evening to work, and there’s really nothing like it.”

Guten Tag is a stark and beautiful album; like all of Kalkbrenner’s work, it does a lot with a little, finding tiny moments of euphoria amid the samples and loops. And it’s entirely instrumental.

“I have quite a few things to say about my life and the state of the world, but I’d prefer to say those things with the music rather than on top of the music in words,” he explains. “The composition is my way of expressing myself, I suppose.” Many electronic musicians say that their inspiration comes from the gear – a unique analogue synth sound or an eccentric sequencer might lead to an all-new work. Kalkbrenner, however, doesn’t choose to work this way; with years of experience behind him, he’s decided that working in the box is best, and uses only Ableton Live and samples to construct his tracks.

“I have quite a few things to say about my life and the state of the world, but I’d prefer to say those things with the music. The composition is my way of expressing myself.”

“There’s a lot less experimentation in what I do now than there was at the beginning,” he says.

“When I made this album, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I was able to do it, with no experimenting to find the right sound and no trial and error. When it comes to making a track, the biggest thing for me is to know when it’s ready. You can spend an infinite amount of time playing with it, tweaking it. You have to know when it’s finished, and that’s something you learn over time.”

Though his tunes are pretty rigidly structured, Kalkbrenner’s on stage set-up does allow for a certain amount of spontaneity, and he’s able to rearrange his tracks on the fly. This leads to new discoveries and new bursts of inspiration, even in tracks he knows back-to-front – yet he tells me that the live show he’ll be bringing to Sydney this weekend is still much the same beast it was the last time he was in our neck of the woods. “I’ve done my live show hundreds of times,” he says, “and my way of presenting it hasn’t changed a lot over the years.

Since the last time I came to Australia, the visuals and the crew have changed a bit, but from where I’m standing it’s still exactly the same.”

What: Guten Tag is out now through Paul Kalkbrenner Music Where: The Hi-Fi When: Saturday December 15 46 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

Paul Kalkbrenner photo by Thomas Lohr

As a DJ who frequently tours the world, I ask Kalkbrenner if there’s one show that stands out as the most memorable. “I played in Munich earlier in the year in front of a crowd of 20,000 people,” he says. “They made a special allowance to let the show happen in the city centre. It was the most outstanding party of the year so far.” It may well be difficult for Australia to live up to that one, but we’ll certainly try – and Kalkbrenner is excited to be making his return. “I’m really looking forward to coming to Australia again,” he says. “The crowds down there are great, they’re always really receptive and they really want to have a good time. Also, it’s been so fucking cold in Germany lately – coming down to Australia will be a really good escape!”

BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 47

The Gaslamp Killer Breaking Through By Simon Hampson

A

n alter ego of William Bensussen, The Gaslamp Killer is a perfect extension of his personality. Bensussen grew up in San Diego, where he started DJing as a teenager. After moving to Los Angeles in 2006, he helped start the influential club night Low End Theory, which doubled as a laboratory for some audio experimentation.

Low End Theory celebrated six years in October; since opening, they’ve spread out to San Francisco as a monthly event and to Japan quarterly, and their influence has been felt across the world, with artists including Flying Lotus, The Glitch Mob, Daedelus and Nosaj Thing all citing the brand as an important part of their rise through the scene.

After nearly a decade, The Gaslamp Killer finally dropped his debut album, Breakthrough, this year; released on Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder, the LP is a melting pot of genres and styles which are all uniquely his. When I reach him on the phone Bensussen has just finished a late lunch and is in a great mood. He’s excited about his BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix that’s about to air on the weekend. “My BBC Essential Mix is a big deal for me. It’s one of my favourite DJ mixes that I have ever done!”

2012 been a big year for Bensussen, and things aren’t slowing down. “My album has done its thing, and the music video came out for ‘Seven Years Of Bad Luck For Fun’ last week, which is pretty cool. I have my Essential Mix coming out Saturday. Doing Low End Theory and my Coachella cruise.

Then I’m getting ready for my New Zealand and Australia tour,” he says. GLK is heading to Sydney to play the bass, house and future beats extravaganza that is January’s huge Hold Tight!, alongside Digital Mystikz, Rustie, Theo Parrish and more. “I like to be at home, but when I find new mixes and new songs, and have new ideas about how to present what I’m doing to the world, I get really excited to go out. I’m really excited to go to Australia, because it’s been a year!”

When he performs as The Gaslamp Killer, Bensussen has a rare energy that gets the whole crowd involved. It’s almost like watching a band’s performance – he’s constantly moving behind the decks.

“I appreciate you saying that,” he says reflectively. “It’s hard sometimes. It’s not always fun, and sometimes it feels like work, [but] then I just have to push through my whatever-it-is. It’s not always fun but I appreciate that… I try to play music that has a certain type of energy that will keep me pumped up. I grew up DJing for dancers – break dancers, freestyle dancers, and serious music people that were into being taken on a journey. I had to keep the energy levels high.” Still, he says, it’s not always easy. “All it takes is one idiot in the audience to give you bad vibes and it can totally throw you off your frequency. I’m not always tapped in. Sometimes I’m forcing it.

What: Breakthrough is out now With: Digital Mystikz (DMZ – Mala & Coki), Rustie, Theo Parrish, Space Dimension Controller and more Where: Hold Tight! @ The Metro Theatre When: Saturday January 5

Computer Love By Alasdair Duncan

N

ite Jewel’s Ramona Gonzalez has been a Kraftwerk fan since junior high, but the story of how she came to be performing their classic album, Computer World, is a strange one indeed. “It started out with this restaurant called Hard Rock Cafe,” Gonzalez tells me. “I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it’s a piece-of-shit fast food restaurant that has music associated with it. They wanted to be more relevant, so they hit upon this idea where they would get local artists to perform their favourite albums. The artists they chose were really random, but I had a friend who was doing it, and asked if I would too. They were paying a little bit of money, so I said yes, and I chose Computer World.” The album was the obvious choice for Gonzalez – she knew it back-to-front, and was confident she could bring something new to tracks like ‘Pocket Calculator.’ The show itself, however, was one of the strangest of her career.

“I showed up and performed at Hard Rock Cafe to 20 people who were fans, and a restaurant full of tourists who were eating their chicken fingers and clanging their silverware really loudly, and it was really bizarre,” she says. It sounds like a pretty soul-destroying experience – smokehouse sandwiches don’t necessarily go well with synths – although Gonzalez assures me that by the end, she had won herself some new fans. “It was weird, because that entire album is a combination of some of Kraftwerk’s most harsh and psychotic and unrateable themes with some of their most relatable melodies,” she says. “I made it so ‘Computer Love’ was last, and by the time that came around, the tourists were definitely interested, and there was a big round of applause at the end.” After all of that, the show went so well that some artist friends in LA suggested that Gonazles should do it again; a year and a half later, she’s preparing to bring it to Sydney Festival with help from DJ, hip hop producer and Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf.

Covers exist for a variety of reasons: they can be a tribute to a favourite artist, or a way to put a unique stamp on a classic song and make it one’s own. For Gonzalez, reinterpreting Computer World was a little of both. “I’m trying to emphasise the things about Kraftwerk’s music that I feel I relate to the most, and that other fans can relate to as well,” she says. “The cool thing with Kraftwerk is that all kinds of people can approach it. I come from a jazz-oriented background, and I’m playing the show with Peanut Butter Wolf, who’s coming at it from a funk and soul background – but we’re both equally into it. The thing about Kraftwerk is that no matter what genre of music you claim to be attached to, there are certain things in their music that can resonate with you. Their combination of programmed beats and beautiful melodies is so appealing. We wanted to take the intimate side of their music – the beauty – to the front, more so than the experimental side.”

Kraftwerk emerge from time to time for live shows, and I ask Gonzalez if she’s been able to catch any of these herself over the last few years.

She hasn’t, but she did watch a lot of videos in preparation for her show. “I’ve watched everything from their early ‘70s psych stuff to their robot stuff, all the way to their recent MoMA performances,” she says, referring to the eight consecutive nights over which Kraftwerk performed a career retrospective, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. “I’m basing our show more on those MoMA performances, where they all stand in a line. In a way, what we’re doing is performance art: we’re standing on stage pretending to be German robots.”

What: Kraftwerk’s Computer World, performed

by Peanut Butter Wolf and Nite Jewel Where: Sydney Festival @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Honda Festival Garden, Hyde Park When: Sunday January 27, 11.30pm

Mightyfools The Flying Dutchmen By Benjamin Cooper

M

they worked with fellow countryman Jordy Dazz (Jordy Lishious) on the tribal and surging ‘Drum Fail’. “We already knew Jordy personally, but we became great friends during the making of the track. It was a really fun studio session – [although] we did basically live on McDonalds,” Keizer says. “We sent the track over to The Bingo Players [Paul Bäumer and Maarten Hoogstraten], they replied almost instantly saying that they loved it, and it was out on their Hysteria label soon afterwards.”

ightyfools have played some of the biggest festival stages in the world, including Sonar in Barcelona and Creamfields in the United Kingdom. The Dutch DJ and party-starter pair, known separately as Andy Samin and Jelle Keizer, have performed alongside dance luminaries and electronic artists as diverse as Eric Prydz, The Gaslamp Killer and Adrian Lux – but performing as part of Australia’s Summadayze Festival earlier this year was a clear career highlight. “That was definitely our favourite,” Samin enthuses.

“We shared the main stage with the likes of Snoop Dogg [now Lion], Calvin Harris and the Justice guys. We also got to meet some great Australian DJs, like The Stafford Brothers and Ruby Rose – she actually got us to do a remix for her. And then there were the crazy guys from Bombs Away, who were flying remote controlled helicopters backstage!”

The pair started releasing single cuts and remixes back in 2008, through independent labels like Belgium’s Lektroluv Records, as well as major distributors such as Sony and Universal. The resulting hype led to them being playlisted by DJs like Laidback Luke, Paul Oakenfold and Tiësto; it also meant that they were able to visit Australian shores early in 2009 – an opportunity they’ve been embracing every summer since. “In 2009 we’d been DJing together for less than a year, so it was a huge experience for us to come to Australia.

Everything we saw was new and amazing, and the fact that we were selling out shows on the other side of the world was just crazy. Actually,

48 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

it’s still crazy!” Keizer laughs. “We’ve been back every year!”

Given that the duo spend so much time touring internationally, it comes as something of a surprise when they reveal that very little of their remixing and track work happens on tour.

“Actually, none of our tracks have been made on the road,” Keizer explains. “Whenever we have

a few days off at home we jump straight into the studio, or we make some time in our travel schedule for production. It’s so hard to focus while on a noisy airplane with just headphones.

And let’s be honest – a hotel room isn’t the most inspirational place…”

Collaboration remains an important part of Mightyfools’ work ethic and output: most recently,

Mightyfools are working on a number of different projects at the moment, but because of the involvement of some big names they’re keeping their mouths shut. “We’ve just signed a deal with Spinnin’ Records, which is one of the biggest labels out there, so we’ve got some huge things lined up for the coming year.” Their move to Spinnin’ seems a natural fit; as the home of pop/ DJ superstars like Martin Solveig and Duck Sauce, the Dutch label is uniquely positioned to take the duo’s sound to even larger audiences.

For the time being, however, all they can think about is their upcoming trip to Australia, and the opportunity to play at Ivy Pool Club. They can’t promise they won’t be jumping in, either; “We’ve packed our swimming shorts, so the weather better be good enough for a swim!”

With: What So Not, J-Trick, The Hump Day Project, Jamie Lyn, Ya Jokin and more Where: Chinese Laundry Pool Party @ Ivy Pool Club When: Saturday December 15, from 12pm

xxx photo by xxx

“It’s the job of a performer. Once you set a certain standard you have to keep it moving, you know? You have to keep it going and keep it exciting.” To that cause, GLK throws a healthy dose of experimentation into his sets. “The better the vibe that I get from an audience, then the more I will try things out.

Like, if they seem like they’re there for me and they’re real Gaslamp Killer fans I’ll just go all over the place and I’ll try new shit out. If I feel like I’m in a club with a bunch of teenagers who have no idea who I am or what I’m trying to get across, then I might play it a little more safe than normal.”

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

club pick of the week Paul Kalkbrenner

Mean Dartin, Camo, Ra Bazaar free 5pm The Lewisham Hotel Garbage 90s Nights Resident DJs free 7pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Hot Damn Hot Damn DJs $15$20 8pm The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood Hump Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Cream Resident DJs free 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Swag Resident DJs $10 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda DJ Pooch (UK), DJ Urby, Propaganda DJs free (student)-$5 9pm

FRIDAY DECEMBER 14

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15

The Hi-Fi Sydney, Moore Park

Paul Kalkbrenner (GER),

Simina Grigoriu (GER), Club Junque, Gabby $60 (+ bf) 9pm MONDAY DECEMBER 10 Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Grimes (CAN) sold out 8pm Scruffy Murphys, Haymarket Mother Of A Monday DJ Smokin Joe free 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Latin Jazz S.W.I.M Team DJ free 7pm

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel Salsa DJ Willie Sabor free 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Grimes (CAN) sold out 8pm Oxford Art Factory - Gallery Bar, Darlinghurst C U Next Tuesday Various DJs free 8pm Scruffy Murphys, Haymarket Frat House DJs free 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Coyote Tuesday – Shore Thing Pre Party Resident DJs $10 9pm 50 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

The World Bar, Kings Cross Jam Hands Down, Astrix Little free 8pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Illy, Jackie Onassis, Stillwater Giants, Joyride (DJ set) free 8pm Epping Hotel DTF Resident DJs free 8pm Ivy, Sydney Salsa At Ivy DJ Dwight ‘Chocolate’ Escobar free 7pm The Lansdowne Hotel, Broadway Frat House Wednesdays Mean Dartin, Camo, Ra Bazaar free 5pm The Lewisham Hotel Garbage 90s Nights Resident DJs free 7pm The Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Assembly Wednesdays The Swiss $10 10pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Cream Resident DJs free 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Tigerlily, Natnoiz, Creature Colour, Amber Savage, Leah Mencel, E-Cats, King Lee vs Dude Dempsey, Fingertips, Whatis?, Floth $5 9pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 The Abercrombie, Broadway Hologram Hologram DJs free 9pm The Cool Room, Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill The Cool Room’s 2nd Birthday Bash – Uniform Party Hook N Sling, Big Will Troy T $10 7pm Epping Hotel DTF Resident DJs free 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Filthy Creatures, Bruthaboi, Yakult (DJ set), Ziggy, FC DJs $10 8pm The Flinders, Darlinghurst Bananas Resident DJs free 8pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Hi-Beams Resident DJs free 8pm Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Greenwood Thursdays Resident DJs free 8pm Ivy, Sydney Salsa At Ivy DJ Dwight ‘Chocolate’ Escobar free 7pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Resident DJs free 9pm The Lansdowne Hotel, Broadway Frat House Wednesdays

The Abercrombie, Broadway Totally Barry Bad Barry DJs free 9pm Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park JLO (USA), Kate Alexa sold out 8pm And, Bondi Junction Tsuba Label Party Kevin Griffith (UK), Ben Korbel, FT Mode, Jay Smalls free 10pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Starjumps, DJ Georgia free 8pm Burdekin Hotel – Dugout Bar, Darlinghurst Connected To House Neil Smith (UK), Rosey (UK) free 10pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Nightmoves 2busy2kiss, Chickflick $10 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Bass Mafia Spectrasoul (UK), Audio (UK), Struz, Step Brothers, Blog Wars DJs, Rit Locus, Capture, Perossa $15$25 10pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! Yo Grito! DJs free 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Compound Subaske, Community, Aaron Andrew, Zeus $10 11pm Hotel Cremorne 50 Shades of Trance Amber Savage, Zac Slade, Matty Duress, D-Activate, Mixxie, Avian, Tonto, Sound Psychology, Matt Dawson, Brett Jay, Nexus, Eric Liu $10$25 9pm Ivy Pool Club, Sydney Moonshine Marc Jarvin & Nic Scali, Alley Oop, Murray Lake, Toni Toni Lee 9pm Loft Bar, UTS, Broadway The History of Hip Hop Frenzie, Huwston, DJ Complex, Suff Daddy, Merrick free 7.30pm The Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Bag Raiders (DJ set), Cassian $20 10pm Oatley Hotel Field Day Warm Up Party DJ Nukewood, Alter Ego free 8pm Omega Lounge, City Tattersalls Club, Sydney Unwind Fridays DJ Greg Summerfield free 5.30pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Girlthing – Winter Wonderland Cunningpants, NatNoiz, Tigerlily, BenLucid, Sveta, Astrix $15 10pm Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont Prince Of Thieves, Adam Katz, DJ Kitsch78 free 6.30pm Space Nightclub, Sydney Zaia Resident DJs 9.45pm Tatler, Darlinghurst POST Lorna Clarkson, Jony Tek, Resident DJs free $10 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM Young Men Dead, Sons Et Al, The Mountains, I Know Leopards, Cuervo, King Colour, Thunderthief, Ratbag, S.W.I.M Team, MUM DJs $10-$15

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15

SUNDAY JUNE 24

Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park JLO (USA), Kate Alexa 8pm And, Bondi Junction Thank You 2012 Roger Shah, Nick Arbor, Thomas Knight, Krish Titan, VLN, Dejan, Antony Carpena, Toby Matrix, Punk Ninja, DJ Ange, Nathan Cryptic, Zac Slade, Duress, Pablo Anon, Scotty, Byjon, Edison Li, I&S Project, Eonic Big J, Floody $20 9pm Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst The Techno Bug Defined

By Rhythm, Twin Towers Of Techno, Marcotix, Shepz, QuZen, Raffi Lovechild $15 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Big Guns Vengeance, Sherlock Bones, Disco Volante, Pretty Young Things, Acid Mouth, Chickflick, Art Of Boosey, Amy Lee, Grizzly $20 9pm Cargo Bar, King St Wharf Kick On Resident DJs free 6pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Kid Kenobi, Lancelot, A-Tonez, Samrai, Kraymer, Raulll, Whitecat, Athson, Fingers, Sam Watkins, Shaolin & Skinny $15-$25 9pm Club 77, Darlinghurst Starfuckers Starfuckers DJs 10pm Establishment, Sydney Sienna Saturdays Def Rok, Troy T, Lilo, Regz, Joey Kaz 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Hands Up Staggman, Clockwerk free 11.30pm Goldfish, Kings Cross House Classics Matt Caseli, Alex Taylor, Johnny Gleeson, Liam Sapras, Johnny G 8pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Jingle Jangle Presents Coconut Smokey La Beef, Smart Casual $5 11pm The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Cause/Effect Infusion, Robbie Lowe, Jamie Stevens, Ben Korbel, Simon Caldwell, Paul Flex Taylor, Ken Cloud, Daniel Crocetti, Tim Culbert, Carlos Zarate, John Ferris, Illya, Tony Neal, Sari, Sam Roberts, James Fazzolari, Andy Glitre, Mike Dotch, Phibs & Sach $45 2pm The Hi-Fi Sydney, Moore Park Paul Kalkbrenner (GER), Simina Grigoriu (GER), Club Junque, Gabby $55 (+ bf) 9pm Ivy, Sydney Pacha John Course, DCup, Minx, Mo’Funk, Baby Gee, Chris Fraser, Cassette, Sam Roberts, Trent Rackus, U-Khan, Thomas Lisse $40 8pm Ivy Pool, Sydney Chinese Laundry Pool Party Mightyfools (NL), What So Not, J-Trick, The Hump Day Project, Ya Jokin, JamieLyn, Offtapia, Cheap Lettus, Front2Back, Ctrl Alt Delicious, Social Hooliganz 12pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Resident DJs 9pm The Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Stafford Brothers $30 9pm Nevada Lounge, Darlinghurst DJ Hayden free 6pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Halfway CrooXmas Captain Franco, Levins, Elston $10 10pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Up Dayclub Resident DJs $15 5am Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross The Suite Resident DJs 8pm

Captain Franco

Catz 'n Dogz Secret Pool Location, North Sydney Alleanza Secret Pool Party Sian, Jewel Kid, Ben Ashton, YokoO, Bella Sarris, Scuba Stew, Mark Craven $60 12pm The Sly Fox, Enmore Shake That Monkey Bury, Hypercolour, Drox Typhonic free 9pm Space Nightclub, Sydney Masif Saturdays Resident DJs 10pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Catz ‘n Dogz (PL) $25 10pm The Standard, Surry Hills Half Time: Guerre, Moon Holiday, Gnome, Lanterns, Astral DJs $10 (+ bf) 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Trademark Saturdays Resident DJs 9pm Warehouse, Sydney UTR #020 - Apocalyse Now Phil Ransom, Ken Cloud, D&D $25 10pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Cakes Surecut Kids, Airwolf, Tigerlily, Pablo Calamari, Made In Paris, Nanna Does Smack, Deckhead, Brown Bear, Thmas Lissé, Sami, Mike Hyper, Snillum, Aaron Smith $15-$20 8pm

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16 Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway S.A.S.H Sundays Special Guests, Anna Leevia, Jake Hough, Robbie Cordukes, Cam Cooper, Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace $10 2pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Miss Bondi Final DJs free 2pm The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays Resident DJs free 3pm The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Sounds On Sunday Sebastian Leger (FRA), Offtapia, Illya, Jace $30 (+ bf) 1pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sets DJ Tone free 7pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Daydreams Daydreams DJs 4.30am The Spice Cellar, Sydney Spice After Hours Murat Kilic $20 4am The World Bar, Kings Cross Soup Kitchen Soup Kitchen DJs free 7pm

club picks

Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

up all night out all week...

Alex Smoke Grimes

G

Illy

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15 Chinese Laundry, Sydney Kid Kenobi, Lancelot, A-Tonez, Samrai, Kraymer, Raulll, Whitecat, Athson, Fingers, Sam Watkins, Shaolin & Skinny $15-$25 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Jingle Jangle Presents Coconut Smokey La Beef, Smart Casual $5 11pm The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Cause/Effect Infusion, Robbie Lowe, Jamie Stevens, Ben Korbel, Simon Caldwell, Paul Flex Taylor, Ken Cloud, Daniel Crocetti, Tim Culbert, Carlos Zarate, John Ferris, Illya, Toby Neil, Sari, Sam Roberts, James Fazzolari, Mike Dotch, Phibs & Sach $45 (+ bf) 2pm Ivy, Sydney Pacha John Course, DCup, Minx, Gabbu, Matt Nugent, Pablo Calamari, Mo’Funk, Baby Gee, Chris Fraser, Cassette, Sam Roberts, Trent Rackus and more $40 8pm

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Grimes (CAN) sold out 8pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12

Ivy Pool, Sydney Chinese Laundry Pool Party Mightyfools (NL), What So Not, J-Trick, The Hump Day Project, Ya Jokin, Jamie-Lyn, Offtapia, Cheap Lettus, Front2Back, Ctrl Alt Delicious, Social Hooliganz $25-$35 (+ bf) 12pm Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst Halfway CrooXmas Captain Franco, Levins, Elston $10 10pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Catz ‘n Dogz (PL) $25 10pm

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Illy, Jackie Onassis, Stillwater Giants, Joyride (DJ set) free 8pm

The Standard, Surry Hills Half Time: Guerre, Moon Holiday, Gnome, Lanterns, Astral DJs $10 (+ bf) 8pm

The Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Assembly Wednesdays The Swiss $10 10pm

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16

The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Tigerlily, Natnoiz, Creature Colour, Amber Savage, Leah Mencel, E-Cats, King Lee vs Dude Dempsey, Fingertips, Whatis?, Floth $5 9pm

Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway S.A.S.H Sundays Special Guests, Anna Leevia, Jake Hough, Robbie Cordukes, Cam Cooper, Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace $10 2pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13

The Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney Sounds On Sunday Sebastian Leger (FRA), Offtapia, Illya, Jace $30 (+ bf) 1pm

The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda DJ Pooch (UK), DJ Urby, Propaganda DJs free (student)-$5 9pm

FRIDAY DECEMBER 14

The album marks a welcome return to the moody electronic soundscapes that he does so well, after a period when he focused on projects such as composing a semi-classical score for FW ‘Nosferatu’ Murnau’s seminal 1926 silent film, Faust, which was performed by Scottish Ensemble and premiered at the 2011 Glasgow Film Festival. “The last couple of years have been annoyingly marred by health issues,” Menzies confesses.

“I couldn’t work nearly as much as I’d normally like. I had composed Faust but had then had a long time not being able to write much, so when I could work again I suddenly felt a new lease of life, a feeling which I hadn’t had since my early days. I think the time away from working probably did me good in hindsight.” Despite divulging that making the re-adjustment from classical to electronic soundscapes was a difficult process, because “the brain was just in an alternate mode, a mode for classical music,” Smoke has now regained his mojo with a cathartic album that is one of the better and more confronting electronic LPs of the year – it even samples George W. Bush’s words from when the US attacked Iraq on March 20, 2003. “I’m looking around and we have everything," Smoke says. "Just so much.

But we’re lacking some basic things in our modern society, which means we’re never going to be satisfied no matter how high our standard of living is. Money is the only thing our culture puts much value on.” For all the subtext, Wraetlic is above all an immersive listen that transports one into the murky, bubbling sonic cauldrons that have been explored on the previous Alex Smoke albums Incommunicado, Lux and Paradolia. It’s great to be back.

Inspired by Alex Smoke, it is time to respond to some negative ‘inspiration’ in a constructive fashion: last weekend, I saw Kompakt Records’ Michael Mayer play a typically excellent and adventurous DJ set at Oxford Art Factory. The experience also illuminated why clubbing in Sydney is corroded by the same hyper-regulation/ nanny-state mentality that shackles our city on so many social and cultural fronts.

Security guards, with chests puffed out and shoulders swaggering, repeatedly bumped and pushed past punters who were

Chinese Laundry, Sydney Bass Mafia Spectrasoul (UK), Audio (UK), Struz, Step Brothers, Blog Wars DJs, Rit Locus, Capture, Perossa $15$25 10pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Compound Subaske, Community, Aaron Andrew, Zeus $10 11pm Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont Prince Of Thieves, Adam Katz, DJ Kitsch78 free 7pm

laswegian minimal don Alex Menzies, who makes music as Alex Smoke, will release a new LP in the imminent future: December 17, to be precise. Entitled Wraetlic, meaning “Wraithlike” in the esoteric dialect of Anglo Saxon, the album offers a delectably twisted collection of dark, anguished minimal cuts.

To hell with sunshine, lollypops and all that gummy bear garbage, I say – the best art is born out of oppression, pain, suffering and despair. As Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant once declared, “That’s the thing about negative energy… It can be positive.

It throws into relief all the things you know you like. It tells you, by elimination, what you’re about.” And surely getting to the bottom of what you’re about, and what you’re afflicted by, is a prerequisite for making great art – or just living a genuine life, for that matter. “I’m fascinated by the sense of separation between ourselves and society,” Menzies said, commenting on his inspirations for the record. “And a sense that it doesn’t represent us… There’s also a more personal strand, to do with my own relationships.” By the sounds of things, Wraetlic is the result of some serious brooding on the part of Menzies.

Sebastien Leger

enjoying themselves up the front of the dancefloor. As a sober attendee standing towards the front, I had the perfect view of these oversized birds of prey interrogating patrons (in the middle of the dancefloor) who were merely having a dance and displaying no overt signs of intoxication.

On more than one occasion, punters were bumped and shaken from their harmless escapism by the ogres shouldering their way through the crowd in search of their next vulnerable prey. I observed several people accosted and interrogated, while dancing, by security guards who appeared to possess the perceptive capabilities of an ailing donkey. Some dancers were sternly escorted to the exit.

Given how much money clubs make off the bar, there seems something a little wrong if the same venues are evicting people for being only ‘tipsy’ – and by that I mean happy and inoffensive, minding no-one’s business but their own while having a dance. In other words, the very state that attracts many people to drinking.

Which brings us to the role of a security guard: does it extend to the prowling of a dancefloor in search of people who may be slightly merry circa 2am Sunday morning? Surely not. What I saw last weekend could be politely described as ‘overzealous’ – and I won’t go beyond that, though it is worth noting that less than two months ago, fast-rising Future Classic artist Flume had his arm broken when he was thrown into a metal post by security after indulging in some crowdsurfing during the performance by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who he had supported. “I hit it with the side of my face – the only reason my eardrums didn’t burst is because I had hearing protection in," Flume told ITM when he was interviewed shortly after the event. "I had a concussion the next day. But nothing’s broken, so it’s alright.” While you have to admire Flume for being a good sport, it’s not alright. I am embarrassed when I compare our heavyhanded paternalistic night club supervision to venues in Berlin, where people are pretty much free to do as they please – and, surprisingly, behave like adults rather than children. It is time that approaches to regulating Sydney nightclubs adjusted to the fact that there is a responsible way to drink, take drugs (gasp) and have fun – even if that means crowd-surfing (shock horror!). Let adults be adults, and treat patrons with the respect they deserve.

LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY DECEMBER 15 HAHA ft Phil Ransom Warehouse Party

SATURDAY DECEMBER 22

Subsonic Pirate Boat Party TBA Laura Jones Goldfish, Kings Cross

TUESDAY JANUARY 1 Luke Slater The Abercrombie

Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 51

snap up all night out all week . . .

It’s called: Together – presented by Loosekaboo se, Chemistry and Shrug.

It sounds like: Each and every amazing under ground house and techno party you’ve been to this year, wrapped up and delive red together in one wicked (Boxing) day of music.

Who’s playing? Alphatown (live), Jimi Jame s (Mad Racket), Pocket 808, Peret Mako (Future Classic), CO-OP DJs, Matt Aubus son (Glitch), Marcotix (Subsonic), Jordan Deck (Chemistry), Trinity (Loosekabo ose), Dave Stuar t (Shrug), Kate Doherty, Magda Bytnerowicz (4our), Kali (Picni c), Bad Apple DJs, Mesan (Deeper Sounds).

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: ‘Dead ly Christian Vance; ‘Return It (Steffi remix)’ – Kim Venom’ – Alphatown; ‘Pandanus’ – Ann Foxman.

And one you definitely won’t: ‘Frosty The Snowman’.

Sell it to us: Some of Sydney’s best artists from some of Sydney's best parties, with both the outdoor and indoor infamous Funkt ion 1 soundsystems cranking for the only underground Boxing Day party of 2012.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Remember?

Chances are you’ll still be dancing...

Crowd specs: Expect high levels of friendly, mixed with excessive awesome.

Wallet damage: $10 all day Where: The Abercrombie / 100 Broadway, Chipp endale When: Wednesday December 26

kastle & light year

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party profile

together boxing day

assembly

28:11:12 :: Marquee :: Star City Sydney 9657 7737

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harbourlife

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01:12:12 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

s.a.s.h sundays

02:12:12 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9211 3486

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sosueme xmas party

30:11:12 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711 52 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

PICS :: MJC

01:12:12 :: Mrs Macquarie's Chair

:: KATRINA CLARKE :: BREE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NS :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MUN IEL DAN :: MAR L :: ASHLEY CORVELL :: MARY JANE CASWEL

BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12 :: 53

snap

santa barbara launch

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up all night out all week . . .

paris social club

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29:11:12 :: Santa Barbara :: 1 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross

29:11:12 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711

It’s called: Cruise Bar presents NYE 2012 Destination It sounds like: House music is disco’s reven ge.

Who’s spinning? Radio INK DJs feat. Rache l Campbell, Sista P, Matt Rober ts, Yogi & Husky, The 14th Minute, Darren Mason, DJ Strike.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Calvin Harris ft Neo – ‘Let’s Go’; Tiesto ft Sneaky Sound System – ‘I Will Be Here’; Swed ish House Mafia – ‘Don’t You Worry Child’.

And one you definitely won’t: ‘Gangnam Style’!

Sell it to us: The ultimate party with unforg ettable views of the fireworks display against the stunning backdrop of the Opera House finest house DJs entertain you across two theme and Sydney Harbour. Sydney’s d levels – let your FANTASEA become a reality on the Harbour waterfront with pumping vocal house, or step onto GILLIGAN’S ISLAND for some more soulfu l sounds to welcome 2013.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Check your photo booth strips.

Crowd specs: House fiends.

Wallet damage: 2nd release – $119 (+ bf) Where: Cruise Bar, Circular Quay When: Monday December 31, from 6pm

sounds on sunday

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kollektiv turmstrasse 02:12:12 :: The Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue St North Sydney 9964 9477 54 :: BRAG :: 492 :: 10:12:12

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29:11:12 :: The World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 9357 7700

party profile

propaganda

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nye 2012 destination

01:12:12 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: BREE S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) NS :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MUN IEL DAN :: MAR L :: ASHLEY CORVELL :: MARY JANE CASWEL

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS

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