STRANGE
TALK +SHE REX (LIVE) +SHE REX (LIVE) +BERNIE DINGO +BERNIE DINGO
+JOYRIDE +JOYRIDE +DEVOLA +DEVOLA
S W. SIDE IDES SHOW. HOW. W E D NN EE SS DD AA YY WED
FEB FEB 6TH 6TH
OPT15686_FPC_TB_1
GIVE 4 HOURS. GET GIVEN 1 EXCLUSIVE CONCERT TICKET.
APRIL 11, HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY Earn your ticket by giving 4 hours to a community volunteering project. Only 5,000 tickets are available, so make sure you register and tell your mates today.
Search ‘Optus RockCorps’ or call 1800 ROCK 800
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 3
4 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS
! S D! T Y E A S A SE EA SD W L E RE UR N ST TH JU
TH
IS
FIRST A USTRAL
IAN HEA DLINE
TOUR
7 FEB. C O N C E RT HA TICKET S F R O M L L* $59
‘PEERLE
SS, EFFO RT L E S S
AU T U M N
AL FOLK ’
THE LIS T, U K
‘MUSIC AT THE HOUSE’
TO BOOK SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM/MUSIC *TRANSACTION FEE OF $5-$8.50 APPLIES TO ALL BOOKINGS EXCEPT INSIDERS
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 5
rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly
five things WITH Growing Up My mum really tried to get 1. me into music when I was young. She made me play piano for like three years and I hated it, then I played saxophone for three years in the school band. Then when I realised how lame the saxophone is I started playing drums, and my teacher was such a loser that I quit music all together. But then when school finished I started to try to play guitar and was grateful that I kinda knew a little bit about music after having all those music lessons. Inspirations I guess I have heaps of 2. favourite musicians. I like Jonathan Richman, Keith Morris, Ty Segall, John Dwyer, Jay Reatard, Del Shannon, Black Lips... I dunno, there are too many. Other than music, I guess I draw inspiration from skateboarding, art (especially old punk artwork), and ’80s and ’90s punk/skate videos. Your Band Wax Witches is pretty much 3. just me. I write, record and mix all
ALEX WALL FROM WAX WITCHES
the music myself in my bedroom. It’s good like this cause I get to do everything my way and don’t have to listen to anyone else. Then when we play live, my friend Brett Jansch, who drums in [my other band] Bleeding Knees Club, plays with me too. The Music You Make I guess our music is kind of 4. garage skate punk from space. So far I’ve released 2 EPs, a compilation on cassette through Weiner Records, and am about to release my debut album Celebrity Beatings through Jerko in Australia and Burger Records in the USA. At the moment our live show is just a two-piece and it’s pretty fast and punk. But I want to try get a full band going soon so we can fuck up your face. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I think the music scene is pretty cool. It seems like there are a bunch of new bands that are killing it. And it looks like garage and DIY kind of music is getting more popular – if only this had happened like five
years ago when we were starting to try to make people listen to this stuff. The shit thing about being in a band is that no one pays for music, and it’s expensive to tour and stuff. I buy all my music on record cause I know how much it actually helps the bands. I’m from the Gold Coast so there isn’t a local scene! Recently I saw Straight Arrows again; they have such good energy on stage. I also saw OFF! at BDO which was epic. They inspire me heaps. If I’m in Sydney there are so many places for bands to play so I couldn’t really pick out one place. I like playing at Oxford Art Factory because the sound’s always really good there. What: Celebrity Beatings When: Out February 8 through Jerko/MGM Also: Album launch Friday March 15 @ Goodgod Small Club
ZZ? TOPS!
PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com EDITOR: Dee Jefferson dee@thebrag.com 02 9690 2731 ASSISTANT EDITOR: Caitlin Welsh STAFF WRITERS: Benjamin Cooper, Alasdair Duncan NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mary-Jane Caswell, Katrina Clarke, Onur Karaozbek, Roxy Lee, Ashley Mar, Pedro Xavier COVER DESIGN: Sarah Bryant ADVERTISING: Ross Eldridge - 0422 659 425 / (02) 9690 0806 ross@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 8394 9027 les@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Conrad Richters - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) ONLINE & SOCIAL MEDIA: Tanydd Jaquet INTERNS: Natalie Amat, Katie Davern, Tanydd Jaquet, Mina Kitsos
Fun fact: the only member of ZZ Top without a massive beard is the drummer, Frank Beard! You couldn’t script this shit. Anyway, those classic Texan rockers, who once documented their amazement at a woman’s ability to operate her legs, are coming Down Under to support Guns N’ Roses, and figured, because the plane ride is fairly long, and they have all their gear and everything, they’d play a headlining show March 15 at Metro Theatre. Tickets are on sale NOW. Use your Internetfingers.
GROOVIN!
Imagine you finally moved to that little country town in the Hunter Valley because you figure yourself as something of a Laura Gibson figure (although she moved to a coastal town, so you are more like that couple from Always Greener) and your first day in town happens to be April 27, on which date the entire hamlet is overrun by scores of city kids busing in for the Groovin’ The Moo, in order to see – in alphabetical order ‘cos things are more organised in the country – Alison Wonderland,
Alpine, The Amity Affliction, The Bronx, DZ Deathrays, Example, Flume, Frightened Rabbit, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, The Kooks, Last Dinosaurs, Matt and Kim, Midnight Juggernauts, Pez, Regurgitator, Seth Sentry, Shockone, Tame Impala, Tegan and Sara, The Temper Trap, They Might Be Giants, Tuka, Urthboy, Yacht and Yolanda Be Cool. Well, it wouldn’t be the most idyllic start to your new adventure, would it? Steer clear of Maitland Showground, maybe? (Tickets on sale this Tuesday, February 5).
DESCENDENTS
What’s up 1998? We’ve kidnapped some of your brightest young punk rock bands and have locked them in the dystopian future that is 2013 (spoiler alert: Livid Festival is DEAD. Bwahaha!) and are forcing them to play a show with legends Descendents on February 7 at Big Top Luna Park Sydney. We have Americans Bouncing Souls, as well as homegrown punks Frenzal Rhomb and Bodyjar, and we won’t bring them back until you deliver one billion pairs of cargo shorts. And don’t scrimp on the wallet chains, either! (Tickets still on sale).
JOAN AND DARKNESS
The Darkness are a fake rock band that a lot of people take dead seriously, while Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are a dead serious rock band that a lot of people think are fake. Guess that’s the inherent sexism of rock and roll, but let’s not get into that here, riot grrrls – let’s instead be chuffed that both acts are coming to Australia and playing in the same arena (Joan Jett wrote that Freak and Geeks theme tune, too). It all happens April 5 at the Hordern Pavilion, with tickets on sale from February 11, at 9am. Jackson Firebird are in support, too.
The Flamin’ Groovies
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Benjamin Cooper, Alasdair Duncan, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Anna Kennedy, Chris Martin, Sheridan Morley, Jenny Noyes, Hugh Robertson, Rebecca Saffir, Jonno Seidler, Rach Seneviratne, Roland K Smith, Luke Telford, Rick Warner, Alex Sol Watts, Krissi Weiss, Caitlin Welsh Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this address 8a Marlborough Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9552 6333 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of The BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephen Forde : accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial: Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Artwork/ad bookings: Thursday 12pm (no extensions). Ad cancellations: Tuesday 4pm Published by Cartrage P/L ACN 104026388 All content copyrighted to Cartrage 2003 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get The Brag? Email distribution@furstmedia. com.au or phone 03 9428 3600. PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...
6 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
DIG IT UP!
Hoodoo Gurus were kinda showing off last year when they assembled Redd Kross, The Sonics, The Sunnyboys and numerous others for their Dig It Up festival, as if to say “Look who came to our party, even though it’s hard to get to Enmore from Washington/California/ Bondi” (effin’ CityRail!). Well, they’ve done it again with their 2013 first lineup announcement, presenting us with The Flamin’ Groovies (‘Shake Some Action’ is such perfect power pop), UK seminal punk band The Buzzcocks, Blue Oyster Cult, (weird sci-fi heavy punk stuff), Peter Case (from The Nerves, whose original version of ‘Hangin’ On The Telephone’ makes the Blondie version sound like Sugababes) and Aussie ‘80s pop band The Stems, who were Hourly Daily before Tim Rogers was even Hi Fi Way. Plus the Gurus will be playing their second record Mars Need Guitars in full, plus this is just the first announcement, plus it all happens April 21, in and around the Enmore Theatre, plus there’s a vegan pork roll place there now, plus we’re still hoping they’ll announce The Bangles. Like wow, wipeout!
Joan Jett
COMING UP *BEFORE 11PM
FRIDAY 8TH
SATURDAY 9TH
F E B R U A R Y
SHARKSLAYER FILTH COLLINS
F E B R U A R Y
(FIN)
(UK)
(SPAIN)
SWISS DUB t STRUZ KRAYMER tAUDIOBOTZ TOM & JERRY t LA TECH
" 50/&; t #-";& 53*11
8)*5&$"5 3"6--- t & $"54 t '*/(&34 "5)40/ t -004& $)"/(& t 413"8-
FRIDAY 15TH
SATURDAY 16TH
F E B R U A R Y
CALYX & TEEBEE VERTIGO CELSIUS t CAPTURE t NEMO
MAXXI SOUND SYSTEM EDU IMBERNON
F E B R U A R Y
(UK)
MARCELL DETTMANN BLAWAN
(GER)
(UK)
TURNT UP t ZODIAC
U-KHAN t FINGERS t KING LEE t FRONT 2 BACK YA JOKIN t ANDOSOUND t J-MAC t RA BAZAAR
FRIDAY 22ND
SATURDAY 23RD
F E B R U A R Y
A-TONEZ & SAMRAI
ON 6 DECKS & 2 MIXERS
F E B R U A R Y
FLOSSTRADAMUS LUNICE 41&/%" $ t 0''5"1*" t U-KHAN
(USA)
(CAN)
POP THE HATCH t HYDRAULIX AUTOCLAWS tKOMBAT BRUXISM t TRANSFORMA t BASSRIOT
CHEAP LETTUS t WHITECAT t HYDRAULIX FINGERS t MIKE HYPER t LOLA SIREN
FRIDAY 1ST
SATURDAY 2ND
M
A
R
C
H
AEPH DOCTOR WEREWOLF (UK)
BLACKMALE t VERTIGO COMMIT t THEM KIDS BLESS THE MESS
M
A
R
C
H
HUXLEY WHAT SO NOT (FLUME & EMOH INSTEAD) (UK)
MORE TBA
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 7
rock music news
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
five things WITH
TEGAN & SARA
SPIRIT VALLEY Growing Up The first music I remember 1. is the beat in The Troggs’ ‘Wild Thing’. When I was five I couldn’t go to sleep without Eurythmics’ ‘It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)’ on repeat. Try it out next Sunday on the sofa – still works. Jazz teachers taught me how to play. Sydney punk mentors and thrash funk bands in garages taught me how to play live when I was thirteen. My sax teacher looked/ acted like Columbo. The first tape I bought was Michael Jackson’s Bad. I used to put my boom box out the window, sit next to it and play it to the whole street at full bore like a thug. Inspirations Wu-Tang make me want to 2. party like Barney Rubble. Rocket From The Tombs make me want to write music and then be bummed that it’ll never be as good as them. Murder City Devils make me want to play shows forever. TV Colours make me not care about making any money. Dave Spirit and Chris Valley make me want to play in Spirit Valley ‘til death. Done
Your Band We are currently leading/ 3. trailing the world in ‘doomshine’. Music You Make See Above. 4. The Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Music right now is fucking awesome, it’s everywhere for everyone to get a hold of and everyone is doing something different with it. I think the hardest thing is finding a way to become self-sufficient doing something you care about and for us, finding a way to fund playing millions of live shows is pretty much where it’s at. I think musicians of the past would kill for the resources available to bands now and it’s exciting to try and be a part of it. Go listen to DIIV. Now. With: Danger Beach, Varlets Where: Gallery Bar @ Oxford Art Factory (free entry) When: Saturday February 9
GOTYE TALKING
High Tension
Ok, indie kids, sit down. Now, there are a few changes on with the latest Tegan and Sara record, Heartthrob. Firstly, Chris Walla isn’t producing this time around. Yes, I know he is near royalty due to his peerless string of production credits on Decemberists and Nada Surf records, and of course all those amazing Death Cab For Cutie records. Now, the good news is that there’s synths on this record. Lots of synths. And Greg Kurstin, who helmed the last Shins album, produced it, so it’ll still be the Tegan and Sara you love, just a little more poptastic – and sparkly. To win one of five copies of Heartthrob, simply tell us your postal address and your favourite song by a set of twins, aside from Tegan and Sara, of course.
THE TEA PARTY! DVD!
Although they broke up in ‘05, “Moroccan-rollers” The Tea Party changed their tune from “we are never ever getting back together” to “we are never ever breaking up again” (probably the title of TSwift’s next chart-topper) and reunited, celebrating with a tour of Oz last year, the set spanning all their biggest hits. Now they’re releasing an exclusive signature series CD/DVD of the tour on February 6, concisely titled The Tea Party: Live In Australia. Thanks to Via Vision we’ve got five signed copies up for grabs. To score one, send us your postal deets and tell us what country the band hails from.
Gotye
God damn Yeezy! First, Gotye, you release that song with Kimbra that tricked the entire world into falling in love with you even though it sounds an awful lot like a Sting track. Then you shrug the whole thing off, as if to say “oh, that old thing, I have about twenty better songs than that [which you do] and I’m also a kick-arse drummer [which you are] for a kick arse beat-pop band [which The Basics are]”, then the night after you inevitably win all of the Grammys, and knock out Chris Brown (for Australia, please?) you are jetting back to Enmore to take part in 2SER’s wonderful In Conversation Q&A series, which happens on Valentine’s Day (February 14, obviously) at Green Room. Entry is free, but limited, so quickly email inconversation@2ser.com to reserve a spot. Quickly!
Nantes
OH HAI TENSION
There’s a new Melbourne band called High Tension which mashes together members of Young and Restless, The Nation Blue, and Love Like…Electrocution and ends up sounding nothing like any of those bands. This stuff is heavy and slow and lighthearted and massive-sounding, and they are doing an all-ages show March 9 at Annandale’s Blackwire Records (easily the best venue for all-ages shows in ol’ Sydney town) in support of their debut, self-titled 7-inch. So come along nice and early, ‘cos things are going to get crammed in there.
MORE MACKLEMORE
“So like, triple j has totally lost its way, I mean what’s this privileged white-boy hip-hop crap Macklemore and Ryan Lewis thing that topped the Hottest 100? Man, it’s like they’ve lost touch, and have stopped playing the stuff that makes triple j so vital, like The Whitlams and Beasts of Bourbon.” Therein lies the argument of every late-30s out-ofdemographic-triple-j-hater. Meanwhile, both triple j and Channel [V] know the kids love Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, which is why Channel [V] have locked them in for their latest Island Party on Sydney Harbour next Friday, February 15, which you can attend by hitting up vmusic.com.au and entering their competition. If you win, send us a pic of yourself with Billy Russell – we love that guy!
Benny Walker loves alliteration so much that he is following up his soulful swaggering Summer Sun EP with the summersoundtracking, songwriting showcase Sinners and Saints. It’s his first full-length foray and he’s launching it February fourteenth at the f... uh, King St Brewhouse. 8 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
DEAD IN A MONTH
Sydney band Dead In A Second (must have severed the femoral artery) are planning a run of February shows with Karnivool member Steve Judd’s new band The Arsonist (must have lit up a mattress, judging from the speed at which the place went up), stopping in at the Factory Floor, February 28. The tour is misleadingly titled Festival In Your Lounge Room, but I’ve been here three weeks now without leaving, and all I’m seeing are reruns of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Ahh, Harvey, when will you ever learn…?
NANTES DEBUT
Sydney post-punk band Nantes have had a dream run since the release of their debut EP eighteen months ago (as opposed to a nightmare run, in which you are running the 800m at your school carnival and realise you are naked, and also Vinnie from Home and Away is there for some reason and nobody thinks it’s odd) with US college radio clinging on furiously to their single ‘Fly’, propelling it into the CMJ charts. Now their debut record BeingsBeing is due on March 15, with a launch date to be announced very soon. Stay tuned.
Xxx photo by Xxxx
BENNY!
PENNYWISE
’90s SoCal punk rock fans still angrily refer to last August as ‘Betrayal August’, or ‘Black August’, as that was the cruel winter when Pennywise cancelled their Australian shows due to some reason we are too annoyed to remember. Well, kids, welcome to Redemption April, the fifth day of which sees the perennial punks play UNSW Roundhouse, bringing along original vocalist Jim Lindberg, and fellow SoCal slackers Face To Face. All August tickets will be honoured, and other tickets will go on sale this Friday, February 8.
CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT & BLUESFEST TOURING PRESENT
AUSTRALIA
201 3
TUESDAY 9 APRIL THE METRO THEATRE SYDNEY
WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH UNI BAR • WOLLONGONG THURSDAY 28 MARCH THE ABBEY • CANBERRA SUNDAY 7 APRIL LIZOTTES • NEWCASTLE
ON SALE NOW GO TO CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM OR BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU FOR MORE INFO
ALSO PLAYING BLUESFEST
NEWTONFAULKNER.COM • CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM • BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU
TUESDAY 26 MARCH
SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE ON SALE NOW ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100 JASONMRAZ.COM | CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM
2008 St. Jermone’s Laneway Festival alumni return… “The band has grown. The music has evolved. But the message of feeling alive despite all odds is more apparent than ever.” – Paste
WITH SPECIAL GUEST PHEBE STARR
SY DNEY SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY FACTORY THEATRE
factorytheatre.com.au |
ON SALE NOW
27 MARCH ENMORE THEATRE TICKETS ONWEDNESDAY SALE TOMORROW TICKETS ON SALE 6 FEBRUARY
OUT NOW
TICKETEK.COM.AU OR 132 849
YOUARESTARS.COM CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM
CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM
MANUCHAO.NET BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 9
The Music Network
themusicnetwork.com
Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR *The Sydney, Melbourne and Perth legs of Laneway Festival all sold out. Meantime, the Canberra leg of Optus Flix In The Stix, marking the return to action of The Whitlams, has also sold out. * Which collaborator is Justice Crew about to work with under great secrecy? * The Sapphires picked up six more awards at the AACTAs. * The London Sun revealed some interesting travelling habits of bands: Mumford & Sons don’t fly British Airwaves or Virgin to America because they serve peanuts. Keyboard player Ben Lovett is allergic to them, and they don’t
want him to accidentally eat some and suffer a drama … Jon Bon Jovi only flies at 9.30 am on the band’s private jet, and doesn’t let anyone else sit on his seat … The Rolling Stones insist on travelling with their own pool table. * 50 Cent reckons that Rick Ross staged his own drive-by shooting. Ross said he crashed his Rolls-Royce into an apartment building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as someone was firing at him. “Hahaha fat boy hit the building?lol it looks staged to me. No hole’s in da car,” Fiddy tweeted, and included an Instagram link to a photo of the car. (There were holes in his windscreen, however). Ross now has 24-hour security.
* The annual revenue made globally by EDM records, DVDs, events and merchandise is estimated to be $4 billion. * In a first for an Australian audio company, Jands is doing the PA for the entire Pink world tour, Live Nation boss Michael Coppel told Billboard. * Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe listened to heavy metal while he was preparing for his role in forthcoming horror film Horns. * Will UNFD announce a new metal festival called Singularity, on February 21? * Northern Rivers police warned off the promoter of an illegal two-day bush doof in Kyogle, when they heard 2000 ravers were heading there.
RDIO OFFERS FREE STREAMING Digital service Rdio (www.rdio.com) is offering Australians free streaming for six months, from their library of 18 million tracks. You can curate your own playlist, find new music and see what your favourite acts are listening to.
PEATS SAGA CONTINUES... Figures released by liquidators Jirsch Sutherland show that the Peats Ridge Festival owes $1.2 million to creditors. The most affected are Gosford-based Sorted Events, who ran the bars ($283,726), headliner John Butler Trio ($95,579), and festival booker Elastic Entertainment ($49,477).
DEEZER X LANEWAY X DRAPHT EMI AUSTRALIA: OFFICE CLOSES BUT NAME TO CONTINUE This week sees a new era for EMI Music Australia, in the months after it was acquired by Universal Music. The EMI office in Surry Hills is being closed, with an estimated 70% of the staff moving to Universal’s pad in Millers Point. Between 20 to 25 staffers were made redundant last week, according to a source. A clearer picture will emerge when EMI staffers offered jobs decide whether to stay. Universal Music Australasia's George Ash called the redundancies “unfortunate”, adding that EMI would remain a stand-alone company. “EMI is retaining a significant portion of its people with its own dedicated Marketing, Promotions and A&R functions. The company will have integrated and expanded services within our business in shared areas such as sales, licensing, new business, merchandising, catalogue, finance and supply chain.” A new head of the EMI label will be announced shortly.
AMP SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED Coopers Australian Music Prize (aka AMP) announced its full list of shortlisted albums at Amp Alive, the concert last Friday at Melbourne’s Federation Square. The nine contenders for the 8th AMP are Flume’s Flume, Tame Impala’s Lonerism, The Presets’ Pacifica, Grand Salvo’s Slay Me
In My Sleep, Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors’ My Little River, Liz Stringer’s Warm In the Darkness, Daily Meds’ Happy Daze, Hermitude’s Hyper Paradise and Urthboy’s Smokey’s Haunt. The AMP received 300 applications, 71 of which made it into the long-list. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on March 7.
NEW INTERNATIONAL DANCE MUSIC BODY The Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) has been set up to globally address and lobby for the growth of the dance music community. With offices in the US and the UK, it brings together reps of artists, DJs, managers, labels, promoters, publishers, agents, retailers and broadcasters. It was put together by Richie Hawtin’s manager Ben Turner and entertainment industry lawyer Kurosh Nasseri, (Afrojack, Basto, Deep Dish, Paul van Dyk). Dance pioneer Nile Rodgers is its ambassador. Among those on the advisory board are Swedish House Mafia’s manager Amy Thomson , David Guetta’s agent Maria May, Ultra Records’ Patrick Moxey, and Tiesto’s agent Paul Morris.
VALE MATT SYKES Matt Sykes, drummer for Paul Greene & The Other Colours, died in a boating accident near Jervis Bay. He was 27. The keen spear fisher was diving in Currarong when struck by a fisherman’s boat. Greene said, “Matt,
what an amazing bloke you were. Talented on the piano and kora, and one of the best drummers I know; you lived for what you loved and never let money dictate your life; you knew how to love and put all your love into whatever you did. Our thoughts are with Beth, and your family. So glad I got to know you, mate.” At his funeral last Friday at Nowra School of Arts, mourners were encouraged to dress in thongs and board shorts. His family said, “Matt was a deeply spiritual man who lived what he believed. He lived his life to the full; he was very passionate about everything he did.” Sykes was 9 when the family migrated from England. He attended Nowra High School, before studying at the Canberra Conservatorium of Music. Sykes also played in South Coast band Southerly Change. The local music community met outside a café in Huskisson, cranked up the music and danced in the streets in tribute.
THY ART IS MURDER SIGN WITH NUCLEAR BLAST Sydney extreme metal band Thy Art Is Murder has signed worldwide with Germany’s Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Their album Hate is out in the US and Europe in April. The deal excludes Australia and NZ, where they are with Halfcut/Shock, and Canada (Distort Entertainment). Hate reached #35 after entering the ARIA chart, and a video has clocked over 650,000 views. The Nuclear Blast deal was done with Monte Connor who, as A&R chief at Roadrunner, signed Slipknot, Trivium, Coal Chamber, Soulfly and Stone Sour. Guitarist Andy Marsh said, “To say we now share a label with the greatest extreme metal bands of all time is ridiculous. It was never a dream, it was impossible!”
TRIPLE J LEFTOVERS Wonder which tracks didn’t make it into the triple j Hottest 100? See www.triplej.net.au/ hottest100/12 for songs #200 – #101. This year, 1,516,765 votes were cast, up 10% on last year. 51% of votes were via social media. 2702 parties were registered in 55 countries.
E HIFI 1300 THO M.AU THEHIFI.C
GUVERA APPOINTS HAMILTON
FA ST SE LL IN G
SE LL IN G
FA ST
Coming Soon
Crime And The City Solution (USA)
Sleeping With Sirens(USA) + Woe, Is Me (USA)
Bring Me The Horizon (UK)
Fri 15 Feb
Thu 21 Feb
Mon 25 Feb
Tue 26 Feb
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (USA)
JOSH PYKE OFFERS HIS HAND
SE LL IN G
SE LL IN G
FA ST
FA ST
An Evening with The Hoff (USA)
Bullet For My Valentine(UK)
Mindless Self Indulgence (USA)
Tim Rogers & The Bamboos
Wed 27 Feb
Thu 28 Feb
Thu 7 Mar
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (USA) Sat 9 Mar
Ensiferum (FIN)
Dinosaur Jr + Redd Kross (USA) Sat 16 Mar
FA ST SE LL IN G
FA ST
Fri 8 Mar
SE LL IN G
Fri 15 Mar
Mutemath (USA) Sun 24 Mar
Otep (USA)
Enhanced (UK)
Norma Jean (USA)
Thu 25 Apr
Sat 27 Apr
Fri 3 May
ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY
10 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
Australian digital music service Guvera appointed Scott Hamilton as GM of its Australian operations, while its Gold Coast founders are in New York looking after its global interests. After being overtaken by other services, Guvera is relaunching itself with a new mobile streaming app. Singer-songwriter Josh Pyke and APRA have teamed up to offer one unsigned musician a mentorship and funding of $7500, to record, tour, or take time off to write. The mentorship includes an initial meeting with Pyke, manager Gregg Donovan and Stephen Wade of the Select Music agency to establish a business plan, with a followup meeting three months later. Applicants must submit a business plan (two pages max) detailing how they’d use that $7500, with their name (and stage name), contact number, state they live in and a link to a site (such as SoundCloud, Myspace or Bandcamp) where at least one of their tracks can be streamed. Apply by email to partnership@joshpyke.com by Friday May 31.
INPUT AT FBI SOCIAL FBi Social at Kings Cross Hotel is hosting INPUT this Saturday February 9 from 1-4.30pm, a forum where up-andcoming music producers can engage with established producers and key players including Gloves, The Finger Prince, Motorik Records, Elizabeth Rose, The Francis Inferno Orchestra, Stoney Roads and Ableton Australia. There’ll be short presentations, performances and Q&A sessions, covering production techniques and industry pathways, and tickets cost $30. For more info, see liveschool.net
Music subscription service Deezer has set up partnerships with St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival as its music streaming partner, and with Perth hip hop-per Drapht, presenting his 20-date Uni-Verse college tour. Thomas Heymann, Deezer’s Head of Australia and New Zealand, says more partnerships are coming. The company has also launched Deezer 4 Artists, in which “we are giving the keys to Deezer to artists and labels to help re-establish the magical connection with fans worldwide. Our network of 182 countries, more than 3 million subscribers and 35 million users is just the start.”
VENUES FOR SLAM DAY Over 200 venues have signed up for SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) Day 2013, on Saturday February 23. The 30 participating NSW venues/events include Blackchords at Oxford Art Factory, Bonjah at the Annandale, Pete Murray at the Hoey Moey in Coffs Harbour and The Snowdroppers at the Clarendon. SLAM is run by "a collective of non-politically aligned, independent, local music-loving citizens". For the full list of gigs you can attend/support, see slamrally.org
Lifelines Born: son Ashley John Wallbridge to manager Laura Wallbridge (Gossling, Guineafowl) and husband Anthony. Ashley joins brother Jake, 4, and sister Cassie, 19 months. Expecting: Michael Bublé and actress wife Luisana Lopilato, their first. Engaged: Tool guitarist Adam Jones was so overcome watching the wrestling on TV that he proposed to his girlfriend. Injured: two members of Tool injured themselves on separate scooter accidents (one dislocated shoulder), delaying the recording of their next album. Hospitalised: Morrissey in America, for a bleeding ulcer. Ill: Noel Gallagher had a brain scan to get to the bottom of the constant ringing in his ears. In Court: Lights Over Paris singer Robert Mawhinney faces 30 years in prison after allegedly getting $6 million in bank loans using fake documents. Suing: Marilyn Manson takes action against musician and occult filmmaker Yolanda Tharpe for calling him a Nazi who didn’t like being seen with African American women. She made the claim after he’d asked her to stop claiming they were engaged. She also said he stalked her and killed her two cats. Died: pioneering US funk band Ohio Players’ singer ‘Sugarfoot’ Bonner, 69. Died: influential Melbourne virtuoso jazz sax-player, flutist, synth player and composer Brian Brown OAM, 79, whose style mixed jazz with world music and classical. He founded the Improvisation Studies course at the Victorian College of the Arts, urging students to find a sound beyond American jazz.
Sundays 09 FEBRUARY
Emerson Todd Florian Kruse Nick McMartin Wizard of Odd Matt Weir Kerry Wallace
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 11
hen researching in preparation for my interview with Norah Jones, I almost missed a fairly crucial detail. I was so convinced that her equally famous father, sitar legend Ravi Shankar, had died in early 2012, that I’d prepared three or four questions in case she was in a candid frame of mind and felt like talking about how that had affected her. (Yes, journalists are the worst.) When I went to check the date of his death, I found he didn’t have one, and thanked the interview-prep gods for not letting me inform Norah Jones her father had died when he in fact had not. We mentioned him only briefly, as he and daughter (Jones’ half-sister) Anoushka had both been nominated for separate Grammy awards for best world music album the week before. Jones, whose relationship with her father really only began when she was an adult, was on tour in Argentina when we spoke and said she hadn’t heard the good news, shrugging it off: “I’m kind of in no-man’s land at the moment!” The day after the nominations were announced, Shankar had undergone heart-valve surgery at a hospital in California, and was suffering respiratory difficulties by the time of our interview a couple of days later. If that news had reached her and there was worry in the back of her mind,
A Dangerous Method By Caitlin Welsh she didn’t show it; she spoke cheerfully about Argentina (“It’s hot – Texas hot!”), her strong working relationship with Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, and how journalists are the worst. Shankar died the next day. The loss is obviously a sad one for both Jones and the music world as a whole, but the Texas-raised, New York-based singer seems to be getting better at working through pain in her music. Her last two albums, 2009’s The Fall and last year’s Little Broken Hearts, both dealt with the fallout from difficult breakups, and as a pair seem to represent the beginning of a second age of Norah Jones. The first age began in 2002, when she debuted on iconic jazz label Blue Note Records with the enticingly subdued Come Away With Me. It went on to sell ten million copies, and she followed it with two more albums in a similar vein. During those years she collaborated with OutKast, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, and a litany of other stars who couldn’t get enough of her smoky voice, eventually heading in a more indierock direction with The Fall, writing with Adams and Will Sheff. For Little Broken Hearts, she limited her collaborators to just
12 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
As the album took shape, becoming focused on a story of betrayal and breaking up that took some inspiration from Jones’ last relationship, she and Burton exchanged influences (“He likes twangy guitars, and I like twangy guitars, but we like them in very different ways... I like country music, but he likes Morricone twangy guitars!”) and ideas. The album that emerged was a different beast again from The Fall, with Burton’s signature sparkling-analogue pop production nuzzling up against Jones’ torchsinger tones and newfound adventurousness in her subject matter (more on that later). “I don’t think anybody was trying to push anybody in a weird direction so much as we were both really open,” she says. “And I was in his [studio] space, so of course I was looking for stuff that he did that I don’t do in my own space. And that was really nice just to get somebody else’s take on things.” The cover of Hearts is based on the poster for Russ Meyer’s
Mudhoney – one of several Meyer posters hanging in Burton’s studio. It’s tempting to assume that the album’s dark tone might have been influenced in part by the choice of this aesthetic, but Jones seems to have been feeling a little stabby after the latest breakup. ‘Miriam’ – a single, somehow – is a simple, lovely lullaby that slowly reveals itself as a murder fantasy. “I’d worked through most of it, it’s just…” Jones thinks for a moment. “Y’know, we all go through this stuff. It’s nothing new. So it makes for good material sometimes. And it’s fun to write with Brian – he writes pretty dark stuff too, so it kinda added to the darkness.” It’s hard to phrase a question about The Departure or The New Sound, to compare the Danger Mouse album to the one that was in every café, car and cocktail lounge a decade ago, without sounding a bit patronising. “Tell me about it!” laughs Jones, not without an edge. “But it doesn’t matter. People sensationalise things too. Is it that different? Yeah, it’s a little different. But is it crazy different? Well, no, it’s not a black metal record. Is it a nice change? Yeah, great! OK! You either like it or you don’t, and you either like me or you don’t. I don’t know. I’ve stopped analysing it.” The sweet-voiced Jones is, in fact, what a fellow Texan might call a straight shooter. When I ask if she ever reads her press, she turns the question back on me bluntly: “No, I think it’s destructive. Are you going to tell me about it now? Are you
Norah Jones might exist in your mind as soft-spoken and starryeyed – and maybe she used to be – but she’s an industry veteran now, smart and downright steely. “You just have to be confident in what you’re doing, and not let stupid things distract you and tear you down,” she says simply. “And I’ve always made music from the heart, and I’ve always done what I do because I enjoy it. And I’ve never done it for a quick buck, or to get on top of something silly. I’ve always done that, and I always will.” With: Cory Chisel When: February 15, 16 & 17 ALL SOLD OUT but check online for last-minute final release tickets. Where: State Theatre And: Little Broken Hearts out now
San Cisco photo by xxx
“Is it [the new album] different? Yeah. But is it crazy different? Well, no, it’s not a black metal record...”
one – producer Brian Burton, whom she’d befriended while working on the Danger Mouse/Daniele Luppi album Rome. “He has an amazing ear for melody, and he’s a great songwriter,” Jones says. “I was looking for somebody to work with, and I was trying to do something different and interesting. And I didn’t have any songs after my last album, and I wasn’t writing a lot, and he wanted to go in and write together [starting from scratch] – which I had never really tried.”
one of those people?” (Not after ‘Miriam’, I’m not.) It’s not easy to clamber out from under the shadow of an ubiquitous smash-hit record, and Jones has managed it, for the most part. Come Away With Me is an unassuming record that happens to make for lovely background noise, and it was abused as such. There’s a sense among some critics and audiences that no matter how many times she works with Mike Patton, Q-Tip, Charlie Hunter or Dolly Parton, Jones will still be that nice singer your mum likes – well, nice if you’re charitable, boring if you’re not. That perception is likely to dog her for her whole career, and she’s had a decade to work this out and decide how to handle it. “I’m smart enough to know that what really matters is that I love what I do,” she says firmly. “And I connect with my audience – they come to the shows, and I feel great.”
T H I S
W E E K
A T
T H E
9PM Y A D S R U H T Y EVER X E R E H T N I S E LIVE BLU
MEXICAN CONSTITUTION DAY PARTY
TACO LIVE MARIACHI BAND STAND REAL LIVE DONKEY F R O Z E N MARGARITAS SATURDAY 9TH FEBRUARY 2PM
PRESENTS
Sat 9 Feb
+ FRAMES
(MELB)
+ HOBOPHONICS +ISBJORN
FREE 8PM
FA C E B O O K . C O M / B E A C H R O A D H O T E L BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 13
Brendan Maclean Let’s Get Stupid By Alasdair Duncan
B
rendan Maclean is no stranger to public humiliation, but with his latest single, ‘Stupid’, he has decided to turn the tables. A sprightly electro-pop tune, it deals with the fallout of an unrequited crush – a very specific one, as it turns out. “That song is actually all about falling in love with a comedian,” Maclean tells me. “Not only did this person refuse to date me, but he ended up using me as material for his shows! I was this desperate guy who would keep asking him out, and he would just keep shutting me down. I’d turn up to his gigs and I would be in the new piece that hundreds of people were laughing at.” Approaching the topic with humour seemed like the only viable choice. “I withdrew myself and the song was the fullstop,” Maclean says with a laugh. “I tried to put an end to my desperation in the most dignified way possible.” Accepting the fact that he likes to make people laugh, Maclean tries to write songs that are humourous without spilling over into actual comedy. “I guess I see myself as sort of a Jens Lekman-style figure,” he explains. “His song ‘An Argument With Myself’ is a big, beautiful inspiration.” The key, he says, is to write songs
I’ve been doing ‘Dancing On My Own’ a lot recently, so I might slip that one in.”
that make people laugh, but that won’t bore them once the joke wears off. “With a song like ‘Stupid’, I think the situation is authentic and relatable,” he continues. “People can laugh at some of the words, but they can still feel a deeper connection with what’s going on underneath. It’s a storytelling song.”
Maclean is a devoted Robyn fan, and he cites her as a key inspiration for ‘Stupid.’ “For me, I just love to go into that poppy dance world every now and then,” he tells me. “I think ‘Stupid’ is a really good way to do that. The way that the song is structured, it sort of starts with a simple ukulele, then it adds more studio elements, then it breaks out into this great big pop world.” He pauses to reflect on this for a brief moment. “It’s sort of the sound of my career in a nutshell,” he continues. “I think that song gives everyone a taste of everything, then brings it back to the songwriting, which is what really matters.”
Maclean will soon be seen performing at the Blackcat Lounge, part of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations. “We have new band members, new sounds, and all new ways of presenting the music,” he says. “I’m bringing more keyboards and electric guitars, and I’ll be putting on a really special show, which will cost a lot, but will be totally fabulous.” In terms of the setlist, he promises everything from new and unreleased songs through to the classics – Brendan Maclean’s greatest hits!” he says with a laugh. And he wouldn’t be able to hold his head up as a gay man unless he included at least one or two Robyn covers – “I play a lot of her songs,” he says. “They’re poppy but she brings such sadness to them.
What: Blackcat Lounge, featuring Maxine Kauter Band, Brendan Maclean and Lady Sings It Better When: February 14, 16, 22-24, all at 8pm. Brendan plays February 22. Where: The Factory Floor@ The Factory Theatre, Marrickville More: blackcatproductions.com.au
Jens Lekman
Civil Civic
Dreaming and Doing By Zoë Radas
Homecoming Kings By Andrew Pretorius
I
n case you were wondering, the conversational sensitivity that marks Swede Jens Lekman’s beautiful, simple songs comes through just as clearly over the phone. He’s in his native Gothenburg when we speak. He left his one-time home of Melbourne a few years ago, and in the time since has recorded and released I Know What Love Isn’t, his third studio album. The record has a hopeful tone, full of the optimistic timbres of flutes and chimes. Lekman agrees that while that mood was certainly his intention, he also challenged himself to write the new songs with a less baroque approach to arrangement.
F
lying to your country of origin after many years spent living overseas would stir up strong feelings in most people. But for the members of electro-scuzz-punk duo Civil Civic, the emotions evoked by their upcoming trip to their native Australia are not just connected to the typical routine of catching up with friends and family. On the day that bass player Ben Green and I speak, he and London-based bandmate Aaron Cupples (a fixture in the Melbourne scene and Drones collaborator) have been practicing for their impending tour; the trip will see them play the first day of Melbourne’s I’ll Be Your Mirror festival (curated by All Tomorrow’s Parties) in conjunction with the Australian release of their towering, fuzz-happy debut album, Rules (which was released in Europe in 2011). For Green, the upcoming trip to Australia from his current home of Barcelona is likely to evoke a completely different degree of nostalgiatinged emotion than if he were simply taking an ordinary holiday. This is the band’s first ever tour in their homeland; and Green hasn’t seen all that much of Down Under in recent years. “There’s so much to look forward to really, because in my case I left Australia eight years ago and I’ve been back twice,” he says. “So any time I go back to Australia is exciting – friends, family, etcetera. But going back with Aaron to play shows just… stacks up the excitement another level. And then when you put the record release and playing at [All Tomorrow’s Parties] into the mix it gets pretty exciting. We’re both pretty excited about the whole thing.”
14 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
From the sheer number of shows they’ve played throughout Europe in recent years – in 2011 alone they performed 53 gigs – it seems there are already quite a few people who consider them to be a really good band. This is probably at least partly due to their diligent attitude, but it might also have something to do with their delivery. “We like to evoke a range of emotions but it’s all pretty ecstatic,” Green says of their live sets, which whip up the audience as their instrumental post-punk plunges off cliffs and builds walls out of busted drum machine beats and frantic guitars. “We like it to be ecstatic and kind of a bit hysterical. Ideally people are just tearing their hair out and just hugging strangers and crying and…that kind of stuff… That’s what we’re aiming for with Australia, that’s the goal,” he laughs. Green likes his shows to pack a punch, and when he says that in Australia he wants to create a “sea of fucking hysteria”, there’s no reason not to believe it will happen.
Lekman solicits little missives, notes or opinions in email form from his blog followers – and he actually answers them. “It seems like I always have time to reply to all the emails,” he says. “I see it as a writing exercise, in a way, because I write more freely when I... communicate with
Lekman believes that those who write to him and come to his shows are “often people who are dreamers”, – surely a reflection of the songwriter himself. On I Know What Love Isn’t, Lekman continues the tradition of his unashamedly romantic maxims (‘You don’t learn to get over a broken heart / You just learn to carry it gracefully’) mixed in with sweet humour (‘Bats are sucking on cherries from the trees / hasn’t anyone told you what your fangs are for, little buddies?’). It’s wrong to mistake Lekman’s gentleness for passivity, though. We talk about the golden key which he sometimes wears around his neck and what it signifies; although it started because Lekman admired the accessory on another musician (“And I thought, that looks nice”), he soon came up with a story. “[People] write to me about, you know, ‘There’s this girl at the grocery store, I really fancy her but I don’t have the guts to talk to her’,” he says. “And I wanted to make something, a little object that you can put around your neck and say ‘Well, tonight, it’s going to happen, no more waiting’. So it’s sort of like the opposite of the abstinence ring or the purity ring, but not in a sexual way; just in general. I’m just against waiting.” With: Courtney Barnett & Melodie Nelson When: Thursday February 14 Where: Oxford Art Factory
And their plans once they return to Europe? “We’ve got a lot of work to do, to be honest…” says Green. “We’ve got to write new material, because we’ve been playing the same material in Europe for basically kind of the last 18 months…We need to write, we need to record [and] preferably release something by June if we can, and just keep the ball rolling.” With: Bad Jeep When: Friday February 8 Where: Brighton Up Bar @ 77 Oxford Street More: Rules out now through Remote Control / Also playing I’ll Be Your Mirror in Melbourne, February 16-17, alongside My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Einstürzende Neubauten, Beasts Of Bourbon and heaps more
Xxx
And if their indefatigable attitudes are anything to go by, the finished product will be well worth hearing. “We’ve been down in a little basement studio in London city rehearsing and recording the rehearsal and then sitting down and listening to the rehearsal and going ‘Oh, God, we suck’ and then playing the song again,” Green explains. “Basically trying to make sure that when we
hit Australian shores, we’re a good band, a really good band.”
“I think when I was looking at the album before this one, Night Falls Over Kortedala, I seemed to think that in order to point out ‘Here’s the chorus’, I needed to put as many instruments as possible in there,” he says. “A song like ‘Sipping On The Sweet Nectar’, I think at one point there was, like, 200 trumpets, in the chorus. And it’s like ‘Do I have enough trumpets? Do they understand that this is the chorus now?’ And I think when I was making this record I started thinking, I don’t really need all that, all I need is something more aerodynamic. To me, a flute, for example, sounds like a feather going through the air. It’s going up and down, it’s just riding on the wind. And it is a hopeful sound, I think. I think if you’re writing about these subjects, it’s nice to contrast that with a sense of hopefulness, in music.”
people in this way. Often I go back to my sent folder of my email program and I just look for certain words or themes and I will find myself expressing myself in a very natural way, and a lot of those communications have become song lyrics. It’s an important thing for me.”
Roger Hodgson Logical Progression By Krissi Weiss
R
oger Hodgson, former co-frontman and founding member of British prog-rock/ pop band Supertramp, embarked on his first major US tour in 30 years in February of last year. His return to the world of performing began in the late ‘90s, but this latest world tour is his largest in a while. In the late ‘70s, Supertramp was one of the most successful acts in the world, and Hodgson’s songwriting was leading that charge. Despite sharing writing duties with frontman number two, Rick Davies, it was Hodgson-penned classics like ‘The Logical Song’, ‘Breakfast In America’, ‘Dreamer’ and ‘Take The Long Way Home’ that catapulted the band into global stardom. Nevertheless, Hodgson never felt at ease with the rock star lifestyle, and at the height of the band’s success he moved to California in pursuit of spiritual awareness and family life. Tension had been brewing in the band for a while and the distance didn’t help: in 1983, Hodgson announced his departure from the band. Although he continued making solo albums for a few years, he eventually entered into a sabbatical, of sorts. Davies has reformed and reshaped Supertramp many times over the years – the latest incarnation was as recent as 2011 – but without Hodgson, it has never enjoyed the same success. And a Hodgson/ Davies reunion is apparently never, ever going to occur: Hodgson sent out an olive branch in 2011, offering to return for a tour, but Davies flatly refused. Hodgson is a humble, softly-spoken man, with a warm manner and tendency towards
“There were times when it was super important to me to come up with something special for the world. Now it’s not... I’m just grateful enough to have a legacy”
effusiveness in conversation. He’s enjoying a return to the stage, he says; he loves exploring the old songs as much as performing his newer material, but it has never been more about the music and less about the business than it is now. This is no nostalgia tour – Hodgson feels his new music is just as moving and relevant as anything else he’s written. “I like to set up the concerts so that every song has an effect,” he says. “To be honest, most people in the audience might know ‘The Logical Song’, ‘Give A Little Bit’ and ‘It’s Raining Again’, yet they can be disappointed if they don’t get to hear enough of the other songs from Supertramp that weren’t on the radio as much.” Nonetheless, Hodgson says he’s surprised how often people express their enthusiasm for his new material as well as the older, more well-known Supertramp material. “Is there a comparison between what I did after ‘Breakfast In America’ and those later songs? I guess there is, but I never really paid much attention. These days, if you want to hear good music you have to go digging for it, you’re not gonna find it on the airwaves, so I think people are used to that and embrace that at my shows.” An artist’s greatest achievement is often, unfortunately, seen as a benchmark that they must continue to exceed – once a band gets a number one on the charts, then anything less is a failure. Hodgson manages to ignore these sorts of unreasonable expectations when he creates new music. “You’re talking to an artist that’s very at peace with himself,” he says with a chuckle. “But I certainly wasn’t all my life. I think there were times when it was super important to me to come up with something special for the world. Now it’s not; I’m not out to have a massive career. I’m just grateful to have a legacy of songs that have been a part of so many people’s lives all around the world... [When] I look out into my audience and there are four generations sitting there, it’s amazing and I truly know the power of music.” Hodgson has always gravitated towards music for its power, passion and emotion, rather than awards and prestige. But he frequently expresses his gratitude for his past successes
as we chat, while maintaining that every song – from the chart-topping hits to the tribal folk – is a gift to be shared and a moment to be embraced. He jokes about having never been one to practice his instruments, preferring to always play just for pleasure. “For me, [writing and performing is] constantly an exercise in giving a little bit, not expecting anything in return,” he says. “As well as that, as an artist it was always more important to me to give birth to a song that fulfilled its potential and in that way I am driven. ‘The Logical Song’, for example, fulfilled its potential but a lot of other songs didn’t do that, and I can see that. Its potential doesn’t have to be global success, though.” There is a tone of resignation when Davies’ name is mentioned and Hodgson seems to
prefer to talk about Supertramp’s past rather than the embittered present. “I do live very much in the present; the trophies of the past don’t mean that much to me,” he explains. “But I’m very grateful for the joy it has brought to people and I appreciate every experience I had with Supertramp. Beyond that, all I can do onstage is my best, and I’m not in control of whether people like it or not.” With: Paul Simon, Robert Plant, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Status Quo and more Where: Byron Bay Bluesfest When: Thursday March 28 – Monday April 1 Also: April 3 & 4 @ The State Theatre
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 15
Swans
Mighty Morphing By Lachlan Kanoniuk into their initial performance, [a recording is] a remnant. These days, it’s a series of ones and zeroes. So you try to create an architecture and an environment that people can walk around in. Hopefully you can achieve or glean some sort of emotional experience. Live, it’s unknown. It’s unfolding in the moment. You have to commit to making horrible, embarrassing moments happen or make moments of ecstasy happen. My goal live is to be always on the edge of that.” The sets, Gira adds, have been running up to three hours long lately.
F
The release of The Seer was followed by ‘career best’ hype – but Gira isn’t buying into it. “Let me look at it this way, if there were two shits on a white plate I would not be able to choose between them,” he deadpans. “I don’t really care. I’m happy to be working. I’m happy to be making music. I’m happy to hear that some people enjoy it. That’s about it.” Gira seems more enthusiastic talking about the live shows than the albums, in fact: “In a recording situation, it’s abstract,” he explains. “No matter how much emotion the band has put
“The material changes, not every night, but it gradually morphs,” he continues. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like a bionic blueprint that keeps morphing with the imprint of ourselves and circumstance. We play the same set every night, but it’s constantly changing within itself… I don’t give a shit about the past.
Repetition is a stand-out feature throughout most of the Swans canon – the kind of thing one finds more commonly in EDM acts, but with a far more nuanced effect. “It’s not about doing the same robotic groove over and over,” says Gira. “The music is playing us, and we follow where it goes. There’s a group from your part of the world called The Necks – they’re one of the best things to come out of Australia ever. They’re loosely described as jazz music, but they’re not. They play a stand-up bass, a drum set, and a piano. They just start playing, but they don’t improvise in the sense of jazz noodling, they create grand waves of sound… They just start playing, then after an hour that’s it. I feel a tremendous affinity with them. Though we are far more pedestrian than them, I must say.” When: Wednesday February 13 Where: Manning Bar Also: All Tomorrow’s Parties presents I’ll Be Your Mirror Melbourne, February 16-17, with My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Einstürzende Neubauten, Beasts Of Bourbon and heaps more
The Bronx LA Story By Benjamin Cooper
J
oby Ford is in a strange place right now. The guitarist and songwriter of Los Angeles’ finest hardcore act, The Bronx, is in the studio handling production duties for another band; despite years of working as a producer for acts like British indie rockers The Enemy and Gallows, he still finds it tricky to reconcile his twin roles. “This whole process is super awkward,” he says. “The band I’m working with are really cool, but it’s strange to be placed in a studio with people you don’t necessarily know all that well for five days. Don’t get me wrong – if I have time I always work as a producer, because I like the challenge... I guess it’s a bit like interviewing a guy from another country!” he laughs. “You’ve gotta connect up the dots to find some kind of through-line.” Ford founded The Bronx with singer Matt Caughthran and drummer Jorma Vik in 2002, and they quickly earned a reputation for aggressively scintillating live performances. After just a handful of shows they were courted by a number of major labels, but decided to release their first material through their own White Drugs label. Their self-titled debut album was released in August 2003, setting a pattern of eponymous album titles that was to follow for their sophomore in 2006 and its follow-up in 2008. With the support of their legion of loyal followers, and also just because they felt like it, the trio spent the years after their first three studio albums releasing two albums of mariachi-style music: both are titled Mariachi El Bronx, and both were recorded at Brando’s Paradise Studio in San Gabriel, with producer/owner John Avila (Oingo Boingo). Their last headline tour of Australia was in their Mariachi El Bronx guise, in January 2012. “The Mariachi El Bronx tour for Big Day Out was awesome,” Ford enthuses, “because
we got to play as both versions of our band. There’s a freedom to doing things in Australia: when you play a festival, there’s this camaraderie between all the bands... It did get pretty hot there at one point, though. We wear these wool suits when we perform the mariachi stuff, and I look so good in a wool shirt that I sleep in that motherfucker – why wouldn’t I?” he laughs. “I look amazing in that shit!” With their fourth studio album about to drop – their first as The Bronx in five years – Ford is feeling positive about the future. “I can’t help but feel happy that we’ve had the ability to be a band for more than ten years,” the guitarist admits. “Sometimes it’s interesting just to stop and reflect on the weirdness of it all.” Throughout all the weirdness The Bronx’s independence has remained a constant and defining attribute, with Ford arguing that their identity comes from kicking hard against the perceived falseness of their hometown. “Who we are, and how we are, all comes from this town,” he says. “I hate so much of the shit here: I fucking hate all the people here who think they’re better than everyone else, or worse than everyone else. I fucking hate rock stars, and people who act more entitled than everyone else. The only thing that’s ever mattered to us is being together and, as strange as it sounds, being real. That’s what’s important and I think that comes across when we’re on stage together. When we’re sweating it out... that’s the most honest representation of who we can be – and it seems to resonate.” What: The Bronx (IV) When: Out Friday February 8 through White Drugs/Shock
Thee Oh Sees Always On By Lachlan Kanoniuk
T
hee Oh Sees released their latest album, Putrifiers II, just last September; they’ll released their next, Floating Coffin, this April. In between, they’re maintaining a hectic touring schedule, including their now-annual trip to Australia. “We tend to get ahead of ourselves,” says bassist Petey Dammit, perhaps understating things a little. “There might be two weeks when we’re not on tour and we’ll write a couple of songs, then throw those into the live set. Basically, after playing them live a few times they become a lot more natural. When we come back off tour we’ll write another couple of songs, so within six or seven months we learn enough stuff for a new record. We’re always writing and always messing around. Instead of writing an album’s worth of material before the studio, we’ll have it in the bag already by the time we get there.” When you’re constantly expanding your back catalogue, honing a setlist can be an ongoing challenge; but as Dammit explains, TOS’ process is instinctual: “There are songs that you notice getting a stronger crowd reaction, so we keep the classics in. Really we never have a setlist, we just write out the songs we can remember offhand. Then we have that one sheet of paper next to John [Dwyer, lead singer], and he will either start playing a song or tell us what it is. Then we just follow along, really.” One of the most commanding aspects of Thee Oh Sees’ live show is the metronomic swivel of Dammit’s skull. “We played a show
16 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
in France one time and this lady came up after the show and said, ‘I am a doctor, what you’re doing is wrong, you’re going to hurt yourself.’ That kind of made me a little scared,” he chuckles. “It’s strange, because very rarely I will be sore at a show or the next day. But the funny thing is, if I’m watching a support act or something and start to get into it and move my head, then it almost immediately hurts. For some reason I can’t do it with other bands, I can only do it with ours.” In the past year or so, Thee Oh Sees have established a rapport with local outfit Total Control, resulting in joint tours on both sides of the pond. “We had played a show in San Francisco many years ago with Eddy Current [Suppression Ring], I believe it was their first American tour. And we immediately fell in love with those guys. They’re just the nicest guys and an incredible band. When we came to Australia for the first time we got to play some shows with them again, making friends with them, and being friends with Mikey [Young] – and that’s how we became friends with Total Control. They wanted to come tour here and we asked them to play with us. It’s amazing to see a band that good play every night. I could never get sick of seeing them play.” When: Sunday February 10 Where: Factory Theatre Also: All Tomorrow’s Parties presents I’ll Be Your Mirror Melbourne, February 16-17, with My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Einstürzende Neubauten, Beasts of Bourbon and heaps more
Xxx
or a long while there, it looked like revered American outfit Swans was well and truly dead and buried – as maintained by founder Michael Gira ever since the band’s late-‘90s demise. Unexpectedly, Gira revived the project in 2010 with the resounding LP My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky, and continued their forward trajectory this year with the acclaimed album The Seer. Following on from their triumphant Australian debut touring My Father…, Swans will return for the resurgent local incarnation of All Tomorrow’s Parties, with a Sydney pit-stop along the way.
While many bands of Swans’ vintage are content with strolling down memory lane in their setlists, Gira shuns nostalgia. “The set is half new material, completely unrecorded material, that we’ve worked up in rehearsals and soundchecks; then three or four songs from The Seer, then one old song… ‘The Coward’, from 1986. Which has changed completely.
I’ve done things, we’ve all done things. I guess I’m not ashamed of it, anyway. We’re not out to play our records or please people in that way.”
Foals Fire In The Belly By Benjamin Cooper
W
e’re 15 floors above Sydney’s CBD on the hottest day in recent memory. In the hotel room that their label have arranged for interviews, Foals’ Walter Gervers and Edwin Congreave are standing in front of the air-conditioner, visibly relieved to be getting such an intense blast of icy cold after enduring the stinking heat of the streets below. “I went out for breakfast to this place two blocks away from the hotel, and I nearly died. I had to get a cab back here,” Congreave says.
“I’m actually not doing too badly,” Gervers chimes in cheerfully. “I know it’s disgustingly hot, but when I popped downstairs to the buffet I saw Cliff Richard getting some eggs. Imagine that – Sir Cliff, at breakfast! I was blown away.” Gervers and Congreave flew into Australia the previous day with the other band members to play Big Day Out’s summer tour, as well as a handful of headline shows. In the 24 hours they’ve been in the country, they’ve balanced their time between spotting aging British pop stars and sampling some of the city’s small bars. They’ve got precious few moments of free time – unlike their previous visit in 2011, when they rented a flat in Bondi for a month prior to touring, the months following this summer’s brief sojourn are filled with touring commitments in support of their latest album, Holy Fire. The Oxford band’s third studio effort is their biggest yet, both in terms of its scope and execution. Previous pigeonholes applied by the
“We border on the neurotic because we’re very ambitious. We’re always aware that our art could be better... But we’re also learning how important it is to be confident.”
hyped-up music press such as “math rock” and “new rave” are rendered futile as the layered and spacey ‘Prelude’ gives way to gnarled-out early single ‘Inhaler’ – and that’s just the first eight minutes. It’s the sound of a band confident in taking risks, certain that they’ll pay off. The band’s rhythm section – Gervers is on bass and Congreave handles keyboards, with both providing backing vocals for frontman Yannis Philippakis’ lead – acknowledge a certain shift in proceedings. “We don’t really see it as a lot going on in terms of the actual songs,” Gervers explains. “I think this album is actually quite simple in the sense that the songs that are very pop or straightforward are actually quite reserved: they’re not layered and mastered beyond belief. “If anything I think this album is quite honest, in that if a song is quite heavy we’ve allowed it be like that, or vice versa; if something is quiet and stripped back we’ve left it alone and allowed it to be so,” he continues. “I think all of that is to the album’s benefit, because it shows we’re actually confident to put our material out as it is, without trying to blur the edges too much.” Holy Fire was produced at London’s Assault & Battery studio by Flood (Mark Ellis) and Alan Moulder. The duo have a formidable resume, having worked with New Order, U2, Nine Inch Nails and Yeah Yeah Yeahs over careers spanning more than three decades. “They were actually incredibly humble,” Gervers says, “but they know their stature so they’re very confident as well. One of the best things about the whole process was the communication between them and us from very early on. They came down to Oxford when we were still writing to do some pre-production, so we were able to enjoy each other’s company from the start. They made us feel worthy, so we were able to justify working with them, and it’s good to know that we’re at that point professionally.”
we border on the neurotic because we’re very ambitious. We’re always aware that our art could be better... But we’re also learning how important it is to be confident in what we’ve done. With this album there’s a few things that reflect that confidence – the title itself is a bit ‘look at us, holy fire!’ It’s quite ballsy, for want of a better word, as is a song like ‘Inhaler’. I don’t think there’s necessarily pride there, but there is an awareness of the power of what music can be, and it’s designed in some ways to make itself as big as possible.”
Despite their success so far, the group’s creative and professional confidence is something they’re still working on. “I think we’ll get probably get prouder of our output with time,” Congreave says. “I think collectively we’re very anxious, and I think that, artistically speaking,
Foals maintain control of their constantly evolving aesthetic by working with artists such as Tinhead and Dave Ma – the latter of whom creates many of their film clips including the arresting visuals for ‘Inhaler’. “As Edwin said,” Gervers adds by way of explanation, “that
slight neurosis dictates that we want to approve and have direct contact with everybody we’re working with. But I think the aesthetics behind what we’re doing with the artwork and the videos are always changing.” “And from the beginning of the band there has been a conscious effort to make this world around us,” Congreave says. “It involves a consistency, because we want it to be a three-dimensional experience that incorporates the audio as well as the other aspects like the artwork, the videos and the online presence. We want people to want to engage with it, and be in awe; like we were when we listened to the best bands as teenagers.” What: Holy Fire When: Out February 8 through Warner
Xxx photo by JXxx
However good they were on record The Tea Party were always a more moving and visceral experience live. Now imagine owning a limited Edition Hand signed DVD/CD version of their epic return recorded Live in Australia. The Tea Party lay down their patented style of Moroccan-roll through favourites such as The River, Sister Awake, The Bazaar, Save Me, Temptation, Fire In The Head, Requiem, The Messenger, Winter Solstice, Lullaby, Psychopomp, The Badger and a few surprises thrown in to boot... including a Bonus CD featuring 8 tracks from the live Australian performance!
Available now at
While stocks Last BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 17
arts frontline
free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com
arts, theatre and film news... what's goin' on around town and more...
five minutes WITH
MARK DREW
M
expressions, certain lyrics just fell into place. It was a one day affair, putting the whole thing together. When doing things like this for my own amusement, nothing gives me more satisfaction than just making it happen.
ark Drew is old school in Sydney’s lowbrow art scene; a co-founder of China Heights gallery, an self-trained artist and graphic designer, and a lover of ‘90s hip hop. His upcoming show brings together childhood obsessions into a zine and a set of large-scale canvases that mash up the Peanuts cartoon strip with his favourite lyrical cuts.
What made you move to Tokyo, and what’s the art – and hip hop – scene like there? Outside of the gallery, my work is graphic design – So it was appealing from a motivational perspective to leave Surry Hills and get involved in an excessively visually stimulating foreign environment. I would have to say I am much more fond of the Australian art scene (at this level) – Tokyo is still working out its middle ground. The hip hop scene is small, but world class. I saw The Pharcyde perform twice in one day, and ate McDonalds with Jeru The Damaja!
When did the hip hop obsession begin, and how? 1986? One of my older brothers had Run DMC’s Raising Hell when it first came out – It was the only hip hop in his collection, the rest of it was Cold Chisel and pub rock stuff. Seeing Beat Street and the Electric Boogaloo movies on Saturday afternoons around the same time had me aware something was going on in the USA that wasn’t happening in my neighbourhood. I was super interested from that point on. What are you top five albums? Can’t ever take this question too seriously so let me bust a freestyle: Nas – Illmatic; KRS ONE - Return Of The Boom Bap; Gang Starr – Hard to Earn; Beastie Boys – Check Your Head; The Psychonauts Essential Mix (1996). Who are you currently digging? The China Heights studio iPod. I’ve been away for a while, and the boys have been busy collecting freaky dance mixes and yacht rock discographies.
Star Guide
What else does 2013 hold for you? I’ll bounce back to Tokyo just after the exhibition to continue working on my T-shirt label, CHRONIC YOUTH – and China Heights will begin its 10th year. What gave you the idea to mash up lyrics with Peanuts? I had the idea many years ago, and had a spare Sunday afternoon in Tokyo recently, so sat on my balcony reading Peanuts books and listening to '90s rap. I know the music inside out, so looking over the books and the characters' art, dance parties, and a rich sense of history emanating from the sandstone walls. You can visit this magical place at 77 George St from next Thursday – don’t forget to check out their Facebook page to register for the events that tickle your fancy.
DRAGON BALL, THE
LATE NIGHT LOVE
Do you, like, like love? Nah, neither do we. Do you, like, love free wine and free cheese? Now you’re talking. This week’s instalment of the City Of Sydney’s ever-wonderful Late Night Library series is a simple concept: Stories About Love. (It’s also timely – there’s some love-related event coming up next week, can’t remember the details right now.) Come
Leos Carax's latest film was one of our most satisfying cinema moments in 2012, and yes, one of the weirdest. Rather than explain it too much, we suggest you just take our word for it, and make sure you watch it with the lights off and no distractions. Consider it your holiday from reality, logic and ‘normality’. And yes, that’s Eva Mendes above – she’s just, like, swooning over a crazy goatish dwarf who eats everything. Holy Motors is out now on DVD through Icon Home Entertainment – and we have FIVE copies up for grabs; if you want one, email us with your postal address and the name of one other actor who stars in the film. along and listen to some excellent storytellers – Jess Bellamy, Bruce Cherry, Nick Coyle, Eddie Sharp and Jennifer Wong – crack open their patched-up hearts and pour their memory-words all over our heads. They’ve told us tissues are a must. Surry Hills Library, Thursday February 7 – free entry, and free booze and dairy in which to drown your sorrows. Love it. Sacred Heart (self-portrait)
LOVE ME SKULK
Sydney street artist and illustrator Skulk opens a show of new paintings and illustrations this week at M2 Gallery, with a lil' help from his friends at Westsyde Connection. Expect curious characters, various vessels, and the motif of ‘pouring’, which seems to interest Skulk… Apart from this, he writes that the current work “concerns itself with ideas of the spirit, shamanism and nature, defined through symbolism, object and the figure.” As always, what we REALLY care about is that it looks rad. Check it out Thursday February 7 from 7pm at M2 Gallery @ Shop 4/450 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills, with limitededition prints available on the night. m2gallery.com.au
CAKE WINES TROP-UP
Cake Wines are continuing their mission to support, promote and intoxicate creative types with a new pop-up bar in the Rocks, in partnership with Tropfest. It all kicks off on opening night, Thursday February 7, with a Best of Tropfest short film mini-festival; check out the other film-related events, including a Metro Screen speed-networking night, and of course, the Tropfest afterparty. But there will also be food, music, love, conversations, 18 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
Head up to The Standard on February 24 for a delightfully undefined, unrefined evening of love songs and performance, simply titled Love Me. Featuring Montreal’s scrap-puppet duo Cabaret Decadanse (currently starring in Sydney Opera House’s summer variety show, La Soirée), Sydney cabaret queen Christa Hughes, singersongwriters Elana Stone and Steve Smyth, drag star Courtney Act and more – all under the expert musical direction of Lance Horne (yes, his real name), who’s worked with Meow Meow, The Dresden Dolls, Alan Cumming and Sandra Bernhard, to truncate a very long and impressive list of names. A percentage of proceeds will also go to ACON’s Anti-Violence Project, so really, you’ve no excuse not to skip over to Moshtix for your tickets now.
CONFESSION BOOTH V
The Confession Booth storytelling night at The Wall @ World Bar is a treasure trove of the unexpected: cheaters, public nudity, personal history that has half the audience in tears, lost dreams, secret pasts, and a disturbing amount of underage criminality…all delivered with wit, heart, and a level of candour usually reserved for late-night drinking games, in the sumptuous setting of World’s upstairs bar. Edition The Fifth features Pip Smith (of Penguin Plays Rough fame), music writer Kate Hennessy, author Tristan Durie, zine queen/food blogger/ FBi Radio presenter Lee Tran Lam, and muso Nathan Roche (of Marf Loth and Camperdown and Out). It’s free entry and starts at 7.30pm (get in early if you want to sit!) on February 13.
TEXTA QUEEN
Remember that time you used your sister’s ‘special textas’ to draw dinosaur scales all over your body? And no-one was at all impressed? Well if you were older, you’d be able to call that performance art, or at the very least just ‘art’. If you like that kind of thing, check out the upcoming show by Arlene TextaQueen, featuring self-portraits in felt-tip. Or, if you hate texta, you can check out the new, equally colourful (but less portrait-y) show of ‘irrational geography’ by Kate Shaw; specifically, her new works explore landscapes where nuclear testing has occurred (which, you’ll be relieved to know, look really really pretty). Both shows open February 16 and run til March 9, at Sullivan + Strumpf (799 Elizabeth Street, Zetland). sullivanstrumpf.com
TextaQueen: Sacred Heart (self-portrait), felt-tip markers, coloured pencil and glitter on Stonehenge cotton paper, 2012
Those whimsical party animals at the City of Sydney have dug up a wonderful Sydney tradition – The Dragon Ball. The first ball was held in 1938 as a fundraiser for Chinese orphans during the second Sino-Japanese War; it soon became the glittering jewel in the Sydney Chinese community’s social calendar, serving as both its biggest fundraising event and a debutante ball, where Chinese girls entering society would be presented to the Chinese Consul-General. Political issues with Taiwan saw the event cancelled in 1972, but with its 2013 revival – complete with big band playing hits old and new for your swing-dancing pleasure – you now have an excuse to buy an extremely beautiful vintage silk dress in which to sweep through the lush surrounds of Sydney Town Hall. Sound like your cup of tea? It’s on Saturday, February 23, and tickets start at $60(+bf) from Moshtix.
What: Deez Nuts When: Opens Friday February 8 from 6pm Where: China Heights / 16-28 Foster St, Surry Hills More: makingends.com / cytyo.com
HOLY MOTORS! WIN!
Mrs Warren’s Profession [THEATRE] Women’s Work By Simon Binns
W
hen you’re a theatre director, regular employment is a pretty rare beast – which makes it all the more sweet that Sarah Giles has recently been made one of three Resident Directors at Sydney Theatre Company. As part of a new initiative now that Andrew Upton has taken over as sole artistic director, the role is set up to give directors a clear trajectory towards the main stage. As Giles explains, this structure means “you can try things, you can fail, you can be ambitious and direct shows you might not have otherwise. It’s about opportunities.” In her first outing in the new role – and her first main stage production – Giles is taking on the George Bernard Shaw classic Mrs Warren’s Profession. “[The 19th century] is the furthest I’ve ever gone back,” she says. “It’s liberating! The idea that the playwright isn’t alive to come around and see it is not such a bad thing from my perspective.” In fact, Shaw was notorious in his day for being an absolute stickler for directors producing his plays ‘faithfully.’ Giles is sure he’s spinning in his grave at the prospect of her forthcoming production: “He’s definitely rolling and screaming, ‘You’re not listening to my stage directions!’” she laughs. “He has these elaborate descriptions of what the stage ‘has’ to look like, and I’ve sort of ignored all that.” Sarah Giles
That said, Giles is a fan of both Shaw and this particular play. “[He]’s got a pretty bad rap,” she admits. “I know a lot of young people think he’s really dreary and dull and everything theatre shouldn’t be. [They assume] there’s heaps of flouncing about in enormous, over-the-top costumes and boring witticisms and boring ideas.” For Giles, the opposite was true. “When I read the play I was startled at how modern it was, and how clever and funny and bleak it was.” Set in 1890 (although not performed until 1925, due to its taboo subject matter), the story revolves around young Vivie (Lizzie Schebesta), who is one of the first women in England to study at Cambridge. After she graduates, her mum (played by the everhilarious Helen Thomson) wants her to move back home – at which point Vivie realises that her independent and comfortable lifestyle has been paid for by her mum’s rather ‘unorthodox’ work. The play then spirals into a complex mix of questions about mother/ daughter relationships, class and privilege, and moral relativism.
Take My Breath Away aniel Mudie Cunningham can’t quite define what it is about performance art that he, and increasingly audiences as well, finds so fascinating, but he tries anyway: “I guess it is the immediacy, the focus on self and the potential for manufacturing persona and fictional identities.”
D
between connection and disconnection by using a balloon as a kind of ‘shared lung’ – a device to share breath. In my version, co-performed with artist Dani Marti, our mouths never meet, our gaze never breaks, as we recycle each other’s breath and essentially get high off each other.”
In our current political climate, where the mainstream press is actually talking about feminism again, it seems the right time to be staging the play. “It’s so depressing in one sense that he wrote this play 100 years ago and the things he’s talking about we’re still dealing with in Australia,” Giles says. “It’s outrageous, you know – the $100 off the Newstart allowance for single mums, and now there’s been a huge increase in applications to brothels – and that’s only in the last couple of days. The constant debates about women going back to work too early after giving birth, or women not going back to work and [instead] bludging on the dole – it starts to feel like you can’t win. It’s bonkers.”
Whatever the appeal, performance art is enjoying a renewed attention, with major museums the world over scrambling to accommodate the once ‘alternative’ medium. “Certainly in Australia,” he adds, “the Kaldor [Public Art] project 13 Rooms has renewed interest in performance, though there is a rich tradition and history of performance in this country.”
Perhaps it’s the so-called modern condition that gives the re-imagining potency – where once the artists were literally bound together, now there is mediation; where once the performance was live, it is now screened on video; and where once the narrative tended towards romantic and allconsuming oblivion, the reference now seems kinkier, with a different psycho-sexuality at play.
13 Rooms, opening in April and featuring a lineup of artists established and emerging artists performing ‘living sculpture’, is one of many reasons Mudie Cunningham’s latest work, Take My Breath Away, is so timely; it taps into the long and undeniably challenging tradition of performance in visual art. Taking as a point of departure an iconic 1970s performance work by Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Take My Breath Away sees Cunningham forcefully engaged with the immediacy and intensity of the medium.
Mudie Cunningham says that the other point of departure was a kind of paraphilia (sexual obsession with ostensibly non-sexual objects) involving balloons (practitioners are known as “looners”). “I encountered this phenomena last year,” he explains, “and was struck by how human breath contained in a balloon could be an essential property for what I think is such a potent and bizarre sexual fetish.”
In a medium that is full of classic fables of men and their triumphs, it’s also a coup for Giles to be directing a play that’s actually about women. “There are lots of plays that purport to be about women but they’re not; they’re about the relationship those women have with the men around them. This play is about a relationship between a mother and daughter, and you don’t often see that on stage.”
Sarah Giles by Grant Sparkes-Carroll
Performers Daniel Mudie Cunningham & Dani Marti
What: Mrs Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw Where: Wharf 1 Theatre, Walsh Bay When: February 14 – April 6; extended season July 4-20 More: sydneytheatre.com.au
[ART] Performance Enhancement By Kate Britton
The performance, documented on video and screened throughout the exhibition, is based on the 1978 work Breathing In, Breathing Out, which saw Marina and Ulay lock their mouths together and breathe in each other’s air for the 17 minutes it took them to recycle all their oxygen and fall unconscious to the floor due to carbon dioxide intake. In Take My Breath Away, Mudie Cunningham re-imagines this work using a balloon as a proxy lung. “In Marina and Ulay’s work, their mouths are locked and the sound of breathing in and out [is] amplified by microphones taped to their throats”, he explains. “I was more interested in a tension
There is a layering of mediation at play in Take My Breath Away, between Abramovic and Ulay and Mudie Cunningham; performance and its documentation; raw human encounter and the object; reality and performance; and ultimately between a dense art-historical narrative of performance and the audiences that continue to flock to experience it. What: Take My Breath Away When: Until February 23, in conjunction with Sydney Margi Gras Where: Peloton / 78A Campbell Street, Surry Hills / peloton.net.au More: Kaldor Public Art Projects’ 13 Rooms April 11-21 @Pier 2/3; kaldorartprojects.org.au
Lincoln [FILM] Method in their Madness By Alicia Malone
D
aniel Day-Lewis knows he has a reputation, thanks to his famously intense style of method acting. But in person, the Irish actor is anything but serious, as he recounts a prank he played on the set of his latest film, Lincoln: “I had a really sweet old driver who took me to work every morning. He’d heard all these rumours about me, and so he was a little nervous at first. I said ‘Morrie, just to wind them up, go and tell your captain I’m insisting that I need to travel to work in a horse and carriage every day, and you’ll have to go through a training program to get your license.’” Playing the 16th US President in a film about his quest to abolish slavery has earned Day-Lewis his fifth Oscar nomination, third Screen Actor’s Guild Award and second Golden Globe. His transformation into the iconic leader has been heralded as ‘more Lincoln than Lincoln’. Day-Lewis worked on the character for over a year before filming, including starving himself to lose weight (which he dismisses as “part of the job, like anything else”). But despite being always in demand, DayLewis always leaves a gap of at least two years in between films, which doesn’t help his reputation as something of an eccentric. “The time that I spend away allows me to make the films in the way I choose to do them,” he explains. “People think I’m
a hermit, but that’s not how it feels to me. Some actors do back-to-back movies because they have to, and I completely respect that. Truth is, I would sooner find work in a construction crew than make films back-to-back, because it would completely destroy my enthusiasm for the work.” Day-Lewis’ transformation into an icon might be getting star billing, but as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, two-time Oscar winner Sally Field holds her own. The actress, who is 20 years older than the real Mary at that time, had to fight for the role. She proved herself to director Steven Spielberg by screen testing with Day-Lewis, in full costume and completely in character. “I’m method,” Field admits, “I have always worked like that, but I’ve tried to hide it, because people ridicule you. Real acting is a form of self-hypnosis, you have to hypnotise yourself into believing a reality that isn’t true, is. I don’t know an actor who doesn’t work like that to some degree. When we did Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks was Forrest Gump all the time. He still calls me Momma, to this day! Andrew Garfield, who I just worked with as Spiderman, was Spiderman all the time. He never spoke with a British accent, his physicality was different. It just about killed him. The more you stay in it the deeper you become that person. My son said to me when Lincoln wrapped, ‘Thank God, I
Sally Field and Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln couldn’t stand talking to that woman on the phone!’” Field even says that because Day-Lewis also stayed in character throughout the entirety of filming, they never really “met”. “We were the two characters the whole time. He never knew me as anyone else, I didn’t know him as anyone else, and I didn’t want to. I hadn’t seen him since we wrapped, and I just saw
him when this whole press tour started, and he looks like Daniel now, I look like me now, and he said, ‘Oh my God, it’s half of you!’ because I was quite a bit heavier [during fiming],” she laughs. “So I’ve only just met Daniel Day-Lewis now! And he’s great!” What: Lincoln – dir. Steven Spielberg When: In cinemas from February 7
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 19
Street Level
Film & Theatre Reviews
OLIVER WATTS
At the heart of the arts
WITH
a way that we know the law; or the image of Prince Harry killing people from an assault helicopter as an updating of the Prince on a white steed. We love and believe in the law and our systems of government through these images. The law needs parties, celebrations, and images as much as it needs dry legislation and judges. So in this way, a Grimm fairytale is as good a place as any to tell us what we think of the law and the way we desire power and freedom.
Oliver Watts, The Sea Hare, 2013, HD Digital Video (production still)
Eryn Jean Norvill
Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper
How did you come across The Sea Hare? It was first brought to my attention by an illustration of David Hockney’s. Mine is an updating of Hockney’s illustrations, but in a more weird and absurd way.
C
halk Horse co-founder and curator Oli Watts opens a show this week drawing on a Grimms fairy tale, and featuring a fusion of paper cuts, performance (by Sydney thesps Ewen Leslie and Eryn Jean Norvill) and video. But what does it all mean? Watts has created a world of paper, in which Leslie and Norvill perform a script based on The Sea Hare, while wearing paper costumes by Yuliy Gershinsky – and then he’s made that into a short film, for your viewing pleasure. Expect something a lil bit David Hockney, a lil bit Dada. What was the starting point for this show? My background is in art history, with a particular interest in the nexus of art and law. Not copyright and things like that, but how the law needs aesthetics to create belief in it. So for example, I think we should take the Royal Wedding seriously as
How did you choose these two actors? Ewen and Eryn are both fantastic actors, among the best in the business. It was a privilege for me to be able to work with them. What drew me to these guys, though, is that they both wanted to do something more experimental. The video speaks to silent cinema from the ‘20s, Dada and surrealism or, from a more theatrical point of view, Brecht and absurdist theatre. The actors here play caricatures really, which is different from the modern plays that they have been working on lately. Eryn especially has a lot of experience in clowning and improv and she brought this to bear on the piece. And what about your other collaborators? John Connell is a fantastic young writer whose debut novel comes out through Picador this year. We worked together on the script. As a fashion designer, Yuliy often experiments with different materials, so it was a really good fit. What: The Sea Hare by Oliver Watts & Co. When: Opens Thursday February 7, 6pm Where: Chalk Horse / 8 Lacey Street, Surry Hills More: chalkhorse.com.au
Arts Exposed Chinese New Year AKA Year of the Snake February 8 – 24 / Belmore Park, Sydney Town Hall, Chinatown and more
Xu Wang: Portraits of the Silenced
43 REASONS TO SEE MOVIE 43
REASON #41
YOU HAVE WEIRD PUBES TOO! Strong crude humour, sexual references, nudity, violence and coarse language
IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY 7
20 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
MOVIE43MOVIE.COM.AU
Russell: awkward, touching and hilarious. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s perfectly wonderful.
In cinemas from January 31
Dee Jefferson
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK A comedy about existential angst and family drama set in the ‘burbs? Must be David O. Russell. For his sixth film, the original ‘rebel on the backlot’ of the ’90s indie boom gets back to what he does best: writing awkward/uncomfortable and supremely offbeat comedies, casting them perfectly, and coaxing raw performances from talented actors. Of course, at this age and stage of his career, his pickings are a little more rarified, including actress of the moment Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper, who is successfully deconstructing his Hangover rep via a string of complex dramatic roles (Limitless, The Words, and the forthcoming Place Among The Pines among them) that reveal him to be far more than just a comedy or action star. I was a big fan of Russell’s previous film, the feelgood underdog drama The Fighter – but it felt as though there were several agendas at work in the script, and not all of them his. Here he’s in his element, working the same suburban territory he sliced up in Spanking The Monkey, Flirting With Disaster and I Heart Huckabees, though with less farce and more feeling. Like his debut, Silver Linings Playbook (based on the novel by Matthew Quick) deals with a young man struggling against mental illness and a claustrophobic family situation to rebuild himself, but Russell spins this familiar stuff into a rom-com.
What's in our diary...
Ophidiophobes beware – it’s the Year Of The Snake. Everyone else, take note of some of the spectacular events planned for Chinese New Year this month. Our picks: food, music, arts and even karaoke at the markets in Belmore Park, including the festival launch party on Friday February 8 (day and night, Feb 8-10); The Dragon Ball (see item in Arts Frontline, page 18); Snake Snake Snake, an exhibition and celebration of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Australian art (Town Hall, February 5-23); the Twilight Parade, a feast of light, music, dancing, and martial and circus arts (February 17); ‘Gangnam Style’ dance contests and more at the Korea Town Lunar New Year Festival (February 16); and the Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival (February 12-18). For tickets and more info, visit sydneychinesenewyear.com.
■ Film
Cooper plays Pat Solitano Jr., a thirtysomething teacher suffering from bi-polar disorder and marital woes. When we meet him, he’s being discharged from a psych clinic into his parents’ care (cue the wonderful Jacki Weaver, and Robert De Niro in his first truly dramatic role in some years), eight months after a court ordered him in there. Pat has two immediate missions: to become a better person, and to win his wife back – after she cheated on him and he beat her boyfriend almost to death. This scenario is rich with possibilities, as Russell looks at the suburbia of his youth through the eyes of an outsider – one who, like many people suffering from depression, feels enlightened on the subject of social conditioning, and completely unfettered by the rules of ‘normal behaviour’. Pat says and does what he thinks and wants, not what would be considered ‘polite’. Through him, Russell (lovingly) appraises the suburban social landscape and says ‘Hey, if this is normality, being a bit crazy is just fine.’ And then, in the style of all good romances, Pat meets an equally odd bod: young widower and recovering nymphomaniac Tiffany (Lawrence), who needs a little TLC, and who in turn helps him reach his potential (via a rather spectacular and hilarious dance number). Ultimately, the romantic scenario in Silver Linings’ Playbook is pretty by-thenumbers, but the characters are not, and neither is the comedy, which is pure
■ Sydney Festival
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY January 24 / Sydney Opera House I’ve seen a few of these movies-with-livescores performed in my time, including a fairly spectacular performance and screening of The Godfather, as well as Akira – but there is not a film out there that can hold a candle to the incredible relationship between sight and sound manifested in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. Clashing super-futurism with classical standards like Johann Strauss’ ‘The Blue Danube Waltz’, and the eerie warbling of a ghostly choir, 2001 is a masterclass in juxtaposition. Its dreamlike quality, and the unease and paranoia that seep through the surreal atmospheres of the major setpieces, are vastly improved by the elegance of the score. In the years since the film’s release, it has almost become cliché to associate objects gliding through space with dancing and grace, as the rhythmic waltz winds itself up into a full-on frenzy. Further still, the “dun-dun-dun-dun” drum bellows of Richard Strauss’ ‘Thus Spake Zarathustra’ is now a too-obvious choice for great moments of revelation, but here, juxtaposed against the looming monolith or the birth of the Star Child, and performed with the furious energy of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, these pieces sounded fresh and as vital as ever. Generally, sci-fi films require digital sounds – instruments like synths and theremins – to evoke the emptiness of a digital environment. In 2001: A Space Odyssey the classical score and the inclusion of György Ligeti’s choral epic ‘Requiem’ challenge these preconceptions, and the contrast of such familiar tones and sounds against unfamiliar terrain only adds to the increasing sense of isolation and decay the film explores. Performed live, the score provided more insight into what is an intentionally oblique film. Mild criticisms of the experience include the lighting that often dimmed the screen when the choir or orchestra needed to read their sheet music, but how to avoid that, I couldn’t say. The Sydney Philharmonia Choir's lighting obstructed a clear view of the utterly spectacular sequence ‘Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite’, where the planets align before Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) is pulled through space in a frenzy of light and colour. For anyone who hadn't seen the film before, it would have been a shame to lose the impact of that scene. Otherwise, the film was perfect for an event such as this, and I hope to see more of these works performed in Sydney. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the greatest film of all time (yeah it is) and this was a wonderful way to experience it anew. Kirsty Brown
See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews
Arts Snap
rox & the blue guitar
PICS :: RL
Where you went last week...
artbar
PICS :: KC
26:01:13 :: Tap Gallery :: 45 Burton St Darlinghurst 93610440
91xnmb
PICS :: TL
25:01:13 :: Curated by Brook Andrew @ MCA :: West Circular Quay, The Rocks
24:01:13 :: Lo-Fi Collective @ The Standard :: L2 383 Bourke St, Darlinghurst
43 REASONS TO SEE MOVIE 43
REASON #9
YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE SOMEONE KICK THE SH*T OUT OF A LEPRECHAUN. Strong crude humour, sexual references, nudity, violence and coarse language
IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY 7 MOVIE43MOVIE.COM.AU
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 21
Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK PVT
presents a band unencumbered by expectations and focused on making hard-headed pop.
Homosapien Create/Control PVT’s set at Sydney Opera House last year ambitiously showcased material they’d finished recording just months before, and it gave the sense that the group finally felt both powerful and accomplished. Older anthems provided the triumphant bookends, but it was the newer, vocalheavy songs from the Sydney-via-London trio that gave those in the comfy chairs plenty of reason to admire the evolution of their sonic assault. Assured and subtle work from Australia’s premier pop experimentalists.
Their fourth album doesn’t try in the way their previous releases have done, and that’s its greatest strength. Where the most recent Church With No Magic and their sophomore O Soundtrack My Heart were weighted with equal parts bombast and the experimentation of youth, Homosapien
LOCAL NATIVES
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
Hummingbird Frenchkiss/Liberator
It’s been almost three years between drinks for Local Natives, who, for an LA group have a remarkably “Brooklyn” sound: hand claps, shiny piano and the occasional “ooh-ah” – which is cemented by the fact that on their sophomore LP, the band worked with The National’s Aaron Dessner and NYC producer Peter Katis (Interpol, Jonsi). The result is Hummingbird, a more consistent record than Gorilla Manor, and one with more depth both thematically and instrumentally. Overall, it’s a cleaner sound but not a great departure from their earlier songs. While this could be a disadvantage for less confident musos, Local Natives run with what they know, and make it sound good. Highlights include ‘Heavy Feet’, which is probably what Coldplay would wish they sounded like if they weren’t making so much money being onenote stadium superstars. Lead single ‘Breakers’ and falsetto ballad ‘Three Months’ show off the band’s excellent layered harmonies, and the mournful ‘Columbia’ wisely allows the vocals to be the focus. Album closer ‘Bowery’ features National-esque organ and swelling instrumentation to end on a high note. It is well-curated album with very little filler. While their debut was remarkably assured, there were still a few unformed moments. With their second album, these guys have clearly settled into their groove, but are still willing to push their sound in a more polished direction. Hummingbird reaches the holy grail of the Second Album – it manages to show the band’s growth since their debut, while still maintaining the successful elements that set them apart in the first place. Natalie Amat
Conduit is a welcome departure from the poppier moments heard in their previous effort, 2010’s Welcome Home Armageddon. The band has become a little bit more pissed off and has thrown down a lot of heavy riffs to convince us all. Singer Matthew Davies-Kreye still drifts towards a safety net of too-familiar vocal melodies, but against the heavyhanded, frenetic guitar work of Kris Coombs-Roberts and Gavin Burrough, it actually works well most of the time. The most surprising moments on the album are when the band turn up the volume and get a bit raucous. Songs like ‘Grey’ and lead single ‘Best Friends and Hospital Beds’ are fast and ferocious and signpost the hardcore direction the band has taken in general. ‘The Distance’ is an excellent example of when DaviesKreye’s pop sensibilities work well with the heavier content, whereas songs like ‘Travelled’ show where it just doesn’t gel at all. Conduit could be the most straightforward album Funeral For A Friend has ever made, and that’s probably why it’s one of the most interesting. Rick Warner
Working with Ivan Vizintin (Ghoul) on the mixing of the album has yielded enormous benefits. Previously, tinges of melody such as the addition of vocals would have been manipulated, distractingly looped and segued into a mess of noise. Things are different now: as opener ‘Shiver’ foretells with its balanced mix of loud and soft, PVT welcome the opportunity to craft a kind of pop that is nuanced without being obsessive. The final 40 seconds of the introductory track blossom to an entirely unexpected resolution – the
In light of that strong debut, Collections is a puzzling follow-up. It’s not the dog that many critics are claiming, but it definitely represents a drastic change in tone and style. The most obvious difference is in the arrangements – where the older songs were densely packed with bleeps, flutters and pulses, the new ones feel far more spare and strippedback. Often, the focus seems to be on just one element, like the stirring, Eastern-style strings on ‘Baiya’ or the piano on ‘Tears Before Bedtime’. James Cook’s vocals are also much more prominent this time, which makes it a lot harder to ignore the nasal quality that they sometimes have. Opening song ‘Of The Young’ shows that Delphic are quite capable of producing rousing, hands-in-theair bangers when they choose to, while ‘Atlas’ is a weepy six-minute power ballad complete with dubstep breakdowns – a feat that few other bands would be game to attempt. If anything, Collections sounds like an album that was made to be played live – these leaner and more muscular songs will probably translate more readily to festival stages than those on Acolyte. As an album, though, it doesn’t hang together in the effortless way that their first one did.
Heirs And Graces is an outstanding example of impeccably executed synthpop. Full of promise, the LP sees the five-piece progress from their 2010 Gold On Gold release, energetically bounding into new, more refined electro-synth territory. The LP opens with guitar track ‘My Shadow’ and is quickly followed by triple j favourite ‘Heartbreak’, featuring Melbourne vocalist Chela. It’s a sweet ode to unrequited love and disappointment – “Standing in your shadow always / Standing in the hallways / Standing in your shadow always / Don’t even know my name”. The album slowly moves towards darker, late-night electro sounds and it’s here that Clubfeet really excel. ‘Everything You Wanted’, the best track on the album, grows into a spacious slow-jam. The LP closes with ‘Kinski’ and ‘Nastassja’; both are sticky, pulsing electro tunes, light on lyrics and heavy on synths. While the influence of Cut Copy, Hot Chip and others is palpable, the latter half of the album is so damn good you’re willing to forgive the similarities altogether. Heirs And Graces is not, however, without moments of clumsiness. The LP struggles through the middle, with ‘Cape Town’ a notable example. Lyrically, it is far removed from the melancholic beauty of ‘Heartbreak’ (‘Everyone buy me a drink / It’s my birthday / Everyone dance with me / It’s my birthday’) and despite its slick production it never quite reaches its potential. ‘Acapulco & LA’ is similarly unremarkable. It’s not perfect, but Heirs and Graces has a little something for everyone.
Elements of Light Rough Trade/ Remote Control This is a continuous recording of a threetonne carillon (filled with 50 bronze bells), augmented by electronic manipulation and live instrumentation. And it’s actually not that strange: for the last five mornings I’ve listened to the full album before work, and experienced at least two hours of zen-like bliss before yelling at a screen. It’s very clever work, but then that’s to
22 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
A$AP ROCKY Long.Live.A$AP RCA/Sony
On the back of a hyped mixtape, a Tumblrfriendly aesthetic, a tour with Drake and a collab with Lana Del Rey, New York’s young gun A$AP Rocky is announcing himself in a big way with his debut. Surrounding himself with Midas-touch producers in Hit-Boy, Danger Mouse and Drake’s homeboy Noah ‘40’ Shebib, Rocky infuses Long.Live.A$AP with effortless Harlem swag and grand bombast. He’s playing it very smart too, getting not just hip hop cred but accessibility, via ‘Wild For The Night’ (featuring Skrillex) and the soaring ‘I Come Apart’ (with Florence Welch). The success of ‘Wassup’ and ‘Palace’ on the Live.Love.A$AP mixtape saw the return of producer Clams Casino on the debut, his hazy, druggy style a perfect foil for Rocky’s lazy-charm flow. The fuzzy synths and hollow, reverbed kit are much bigger, and A$AP raps with gusto on ‘LVL’ as he claims to “introduce you niggas to the new swag”. On posse cut ‘1 Train’, Rocky and six more of the game’s best right now – Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T – drop innovative flows and wicked one-liners (special mentions: Joey Bada$$’ verse, as well as the idiotically amazing Danny Brown). Rocky raps over a glitchy, catchy beat on ‘Fashion Killa’, name-dropping about fifty designers. He references the classics (Dior, Versace), but shows proper knowledge of the fashion game – he likes girls dressed in Raf Simons and Ann Demeulemeester.
Collections is definitely ambitious, but it never quite finds its own voice.
Mostly thoughtful lyrics, superbly produced indie-pop and just enough electro to have you dancing around your room in your underwear.
A$AP Rocky was never meant to be small-time, and with his pretty face, expensive taste and this huge debut, he’s jumped from mixtape maestro to stadium status just like that.
Alasdair Duncan
Liz Brown
Rachitha Seneviratne
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK PANTHA DU PRINCE & THE BELL LABORATORY
Benjamin Cooper
Heirs And Graces Illusive
Collections Cooperative Music A couple of years back, Manchester trio Delphic arrived on the scene with an outrageously confident debut. Acolyte drew on reference points like early ‘90s New Order and the Haçienda sound, but found a style all of its own – it was a seemingly effortless combination of indie rock and vintage rave music, and each of its tracks got the endorphins rushing.
repeated synth line continues as a muted and warm keyboard joins in, freely tumbling through the clearly demarcated instrumentation of the artificial world around it.
CLUBFEET
DELPHIC
Conduit Roadrunner/Warner
It must be a tough gig to be acknowledged as one of the flagbearers for a faded music genre that completely fucking sucked. Such is the case for Welsh band Funeral For A Friend. Coming up in the early 2000s, they dived headfirst into that whole emo wave. To give them credit, they never wore make-up; but they did rock those scenester asymmetrical haircuts for a while. In any event, they survived and managed to keep making records long after the mascara was shelved at the back of the bathroom cabinet. The 2013 version of Funeral For A Friend sees them get a bit more blunt.
Big numbers like the title track and ‘Nightfall’ hark back to the snarl and drive of the band’s early years; the fades dripping off Richard Pike’s vocals simply drift away, and allow his brother Laurence’s drumming to tightly anchor proceedings.
be expected from Pantha du Prince (real name Hendrik Weber), an artist and composer who’s constantly hunting for new ways to shift and expand the parameters of techno. He’s experimented with minimalism and field recordings, and this collaboration with Norwegian composer Lars Petter Hagen and percussion quartet The Bell Laboratory sees him reimagining some aspects of producer Jeff Mills’ 1997 track ‘The Bells’. Each movement is named after a quality or element of the visual spectrum. The introductory ‘Wave’ offers a gentle tinkling of the innermost bells alongside gentle handclaps, before a stumbling and uneasy melody emerges. As ‘Particle’ seamlessly takes over, the larger bells call out, adding
texture wth their accompanying ambient echo. Later in the movement, aggressive drums patter up and down, as Weber’s chaotic rhythm yields to distorted strings. The battle between melodic and rhythmic recurs throughout the shaken ‘Photon’; ‘Spectral Shift’ abandons the unceasing rush in order to focus the bells towards a more traditional call-and-response hook, before things come to a close with the bare ‘Quantum’. Clever and calculated risk-taking from the German master, divested of the emotion that broader instrumentation offers. Benjamin Cooper
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... THE DEAD HEADS - Go Ape Shit! APPARAT - Krieg Un Frieden (Music For Theatre) VARIOUS - 50 Years Of Australian Rock & Roll
BORED NOTHING - Bored Nothing CALEXICO - Algiers
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 23
live reviews What we've been to see...
HERMITUDE, JONTI Oxford Art Factory Saturday January 26
With a most triumphant 2012 under their belts – a critically-acclaimed, hugely successful new album, awards by the handful, multiple sold-out shows at notinsignificant venues – Hermitude are taking a well-deserved victory lap around Australia before they go back in to hibernation and write a new record. And what better time for this celebration than Australia Day? The temperature might have been starting to drop outside, but every extra body cramming into Oxford Art Factory was raising the mercury noticeably; so it’s both a relief and a surprise that more people didn’t arrive early enough to catch Jonti’s opening set. Like Hermitude and many of his labelmates on the renowned Stones Throw, Jonti makes music that defies categorisation, gathering samples from anywhere he can and blending them all in to something that's not quite electronica, not quite hip hop, but a whole bunch of awesome.
The audio-visual set up remains the same, with tiny cameras filming the boys hard at work on synths, turntables, samplers, beat pads and more, and the Hermits work hard to show you that they are playing live – at various times, both walk out from behind the decks with samplers around their neck, allowing them to play their samples live and to interact with the crowd like any rock'n'roll band. In the weeks leading up to this gig, the band were sending out email newsletters full of exclamation marks, incredulous that they were adding more and more shows to the tour. The final count included three gigs each at both OAF and Melbourne’s The Corner – an amazing feat for a couple of dudes making beats in their Blue Mountains bedrooms. But as unprecedented as it is, I can’t say I’m surprised: when I saw this same show in March, I wrote in these pages that it was as complete a realisation of the band’s creative vision that you could hope to see. And almost twelve months later, it’s still just as good. Hugh Robertson
By the time Hermitude arrived on stage and hit us with the one-two punch of ‘Engage’ and ‘All Of You’, I could barely tell my sweat from everyone else’s. Elgusto and Luke Dubs had the crowd eating out of their hands and letting loose with the sort of energy and enthusiasm you don’t always get from Sydney audiences. And all despite the fact the Hermitude live show remains almost exactly the same as the one I saw at this same venue in March.
PERFUME GENIUS The Famous Spiegeltent Sunday January 27
It’s raining steadily on the roof of the Famous Spiegeltent when Mike Hadreas and his band emerge onto the tiny stage, and the wistful, puckish figure known to fans as Perfume Genius says he likes it that way. “I can play when it’s sunny,” he murmurs into the mic, with a conspiratorial half-smile, “but it’s easier when it’s not.” Given the choice between watching his charming, sparse performance in the Australia Day heat or grey drizzle, I’m glad we came today. The audience is deathly quiet in the tiny space, our damp clothes steaming slightly as Hadreas’ raw little songs flicker to life for 45 minutes. Many live reviews describe Hadreas’ habit of “visibly deflating” or switching off at the end of each number, and it’s true; however powerful the song, however committed his performance, the spell is broken the second the song finishes, as Hadreas retreats back into himself, like a teenage girl pulling her sleeves over her fists, bashful and self-effacing. He’ll often look straight to his synth player and boyfriend Alan Wyffels, as if for approval or reassurance. Hadreas told me last year that he’s “not the most professional dude”, and relies heavily on Wyffels and
FOALS
Oxford Art Factory Wednesday January 23 Foals’ genesis is in the heart of Oxford’s student/music/party scene – they’re a band that played at raucous house parties like the ones in Skins, where the entire night was essentially one big fuckfest. Their show at the aptly-named Oxford Art Factory kinda emulated the house party vibe, and the band were visibly chuffed to be playing a gig that was – for want of a better word – ‘intimate’. Normally the word ‘intimate’ brings to mind Feist and flickering candles and a harp player dressed in earthy greens, but this show was whatever the opposite of all that is. The band looked extremely at ease, as if they had been transported back to the early days where anything goes. Indulging in sometimes-brooding, sometimes-manic, jammy intros to crowd favourites from Antidotes, and pulling it back for the slow burners from Total Life Forever, Foals showed us why they are one of the best live bands on the circuit right now. Frontman Yannis Philippakis has really come into his own in the past year
NUGGETS: ANTIPODEAN INTERPOLATIONS Paradiso @ Town Hall Friday January 25
You can count the number of must-own compilation albums on one hand, but the Nuggets compilation put together by Patti Smith’s guitarist Lenny Kaye is one such essential item. As definitive a snapshot of a vibrant, global, idiosyncratic subculture as any four-disc, 108-track collection could ever be, Nuggets has been widely credited as the initial spark that kick-started the garage rock revival of the 1970s. To celebrate its 40th anniversary last year, a tribute album was released with a number of up-and-coming Australian garage bands playing covers of songs from the original compilation, and tonight featured seven bands featured on that record playing short, sharp sets in the sumptuous surrounds of The Sydney Town Hall. Sydney’s Bloods began the night, sounding for all the world like a grungy Ronettes. With the light, sweet voices of the two female lead singers bubbling along over the top of driving guitars, their track ‘You’re The One That I Want’ made immediately clear the connection between those original Nuggets and the bands on the bill tonight. IER PHOTOGRAPHER : PEDRO XAV
24 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
Newcastle’s Gooch Palms were up next, with singer/guitarist Leroy Macqueen
drummer Eric Corson to keep him in time. This doesn’t show too much, but his performance is certainly more focused on emotional honesty than technical proficiency. At times it seems it’s all he can do to depress the keys and tremble out a few syllables; his songs are usually short and halting, saying just as much as they need to and disappearing again, but even a few covers in the setlist are truncated, with a lovely version of Sade’s ‘By Your Side’ consisting of just one verse and one chorus. (Luckily, he manages twice as much of Neil Young’s ‘Helpless’, the genuinely spellbinding set closer.) Perhaps it’s a ploy to parallel the audience’s mix of slight disappointment and yearning for more with the disillusioned sense of longing that is one of his main themes – or perhaps Hadreas doesn’t feel he should take up too much of our precious time. Whether it’s down to that, to the general lack of catharsis or resolution in his small catalogue of songs, or simply the sad, sweet beauty of the many moments when Hadreas manages to transcend his shyness and leave himself open to the audience, we stumble out into the whitegrey light of a sodden Festival Garden in a slightly hushed daze, as if woken in the middle of a dream. Caitlin Welsh
or so, developing this brash, confident, yet distant onstage persona. One minute he’d be flinging himself carelessly into the crowd and sculling cocktails standing on the bar, the next he was spitting water into the faces of the front row (and not saying much in between songs). They played a similar setlist to previous shows, but left out two fan favourites, ‘Black Gold’ and ‘Cassius’, to make way for two new cuts off their upcoming third album Holy Fire. Playing ‘My Number’ mid-set, the band seemed pleasantly surprised when the whole crowd sang along, already up on the lyrics for a song that’s only a few weeks old: “You don’t have my number / we don’t need each other now”. An aggressive energy was teeming through the crowd throughout the night – the kind of energy that culminates in a silly fight at a house party. This energy exploded during Foals’ new stoner tantrum anthem ‘Inhaler’, as Philippakis screamed himself hoarse, egging on an unexpectedly violent mosh that wouldn’t have been out of place at a Parkway Drive concert. Busy, hectic fun. Rachitha Seneviratne
greeting those assembled by mooning everyone and then playing the rest of the set in the nude, as is his habit. It’s a tired schtick, and it might be working against them – the chatter after their set was more about Macqueen’s balls than the music, despite the duo playing a captivating set. Then Sydney’s Step-Panther played what was probably the set of the night, sounding tighter, louder and more grown-up than when last I saw them. It was a great advertisement for their upcoming second album, and proved that even a 20-minute set can be a devastating weapon in the right hands. The Murlocs and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard are like two split personalities of the same band – possibly because they share a number of members. Both brought some ramblin’, Southern-y, rock’n’fuckin’roll to the evening, never better than The Murlocs’ cover of Count Five’s ‘Psychotic Reaction’. They locked in to that deep groove right from the start, and despite a number of tempo changes, crashed back in to the rhythm like clockwork. By the time Straight Arrows sort-of-literally wrapped up their blistering set by covering the 120-year-old Centennial Hall in toilet paper, no one was in any doubt that the sound of Nuggets remains as essential as it ever has. Hugh Robertson
snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .
feelings single launch party profile
It’s called: Feelings ‘Intercourse’ single launch It sounds like: Simon “Berkfinger” Berckelman finally being himself, with a little help from his friends from Art Vs Science and Dappled Cities. Do you like Brian Eno? Do you like Ween? Do you like Outkast? Then maybe you like us? Who's playing? Feelings, Hayley Couper and Jordan Sly. Sell it to us: It’s free... The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Dropping drummer Dan Williams off at his mother’s house after a nude swim and possibly some pashing in the car. Lending Dave your guitar pick because he lost his, again. Crowd specs: This is a concert. Most of the people will there to see the music. Some of them will be highly strung, but we will help them relax and forget their troubles. Wallet damage: It’s free because we’re rich. Have you seen my house? It’s huge. I don’t even think about money anymore. I just want to share what I have to say with the kind and warm inhabitants of Australia. Where: Upstairs @ Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills
yeah yeah yeahs
PICS :: AM
When: Friday February 8 from 8pm
australia day @ the vic
PICS :: OK
22:01:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666
5.6.7.8's
PICS :: AM
26:01:13 :: Victoria On The Park Hotel:: 2 Addison Rd Enmore 9557 1448
ymusic
PICS :: TL
24:01:13 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711
24:01:13 :: Sydney Town Hall :: 483 George St Sydney 9265 9189 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: MARY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MAR LEY BEK :: ROXY LEE :: ASH JANE CASWELL :: ONUR KARAOZ
the question fruit
PICS :: MJC
osaka monaurail
PICS :: PX
23:01:13 :: The Famous Spiegeltent ::
26:01:13 :: Annandale Hotel :: 17 Paramatta Rd Annandale 9550 1078 BRAG :: 498:: 04:02:13 :: 25
snap sn ap
discovery:kssr
PICS :: KC
up all night out all week . . .
24:01:13 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587
woods
PICS :: AM
holiday sidewinder
PICS :: PX
25:01:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9361 3379
26:01:13 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587
party profile
fbi social It’s called: The Dead Nervous Fuck Outs present: The We’re Popping Our Cherry! February ‘13 Tour It sounds like: Garage / psychedelic / pop / post-punk / experimental. Acts: The Dead Heads (Syd) / The In The Out (Melb) / Box Of Fuck (Syd)/ Nervous (Melb). Sell it to us: The In The Out and The Dead Heads are going to be two of the seminal psychedelic/pop/garage acts in Australia! The Dead Heads will be launching their new Summer Series EP at the show, trying to top their amazing LP of last year, Go Ape Shit! The In The Out have just released their new single ‘Heat’, the follow-up to their 2012 self-titled EP that featured their FBi-playlisted single ‘It’s OK!’ The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Talking shit with Oscar from The Dead Heads, The In The Out’s drummer with cut tendons (seriously), wearing a The In The Out T-shirt, holding The Dead Heads’ new EP… The AM will never come and you will be trying to start your own band. Crowd specs: Loaded. Wallet damage: $10 Where: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel
23:01:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666
:: KATRINA CLARKE :: MARY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MAR LEY BEK :: ROXY LEE :: ASH JANE CASWELL :: ONUR KARAOZ
26 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
a place to bury strangers
PICS :: KC
vampire weekend
PICS :: AM
When: Friday February 8
25:01:13 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711
Remedy
More Than The Cure Since 1989 with Murray Engleheart
The Flaming Lips
AC/DC BOOK
There’s another book on Bon Scott and AC/DC due this month titled AC/DC: The Early Years with Bon Scott. We’re not sure how much new material can be unearthed at this point, after so many other books – most notably Clinton Walker’s Highway to Hell and, yes, our own AC/ DC Maximum Rock and Roll – but hey, who knows? For some reason this new tome has an opening rave by Uriah Heep guitarist Mick Box, who is a lovely bloke (and wears amazingly powerful cologne), but…
BLACK / FLAG
Black Flag are back in action on not one but two fronts – with neither version featuring Henry Rollins. There’s one reunion lineup fronted by Ron Reyes with Greg Ginn, Gregory Moore and “Dale Nixon” (a pseudonym used in the past by Ginn, Dave Grohl and Minor Threat’s Brian Baker). The other, which will be known simply as Flag, brings together Keith Morris (currently of OFF!), Chuck Dukowski, and Descendents’ Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton. Splitting the Ginn/Dukowski element is interesting and will no doubt add to the cries of “No, we’re more worthy” that are bound to flow. The Ginn lineup will be recording a new album, which will heat the issue up even further. We sure hope it’s better than the Ginn solo stuff.
ALL ALLMAN
A huge seven-disc box celebrating the greatest of guitarist Duane Allman is on the way in March. Titled Skydog:
The Duane Allman Retrospective it was co-produced by the late great man’s daughter, Galadrielle. It’s a pretty exhaustive rundown too, with almost everything he did with the latter-day Allmans on the Capricorn label, stuff by The Allman Joys, some of his many guest spots with other artists, and several previously unreleased jams, plus an entire disc of his faves that he loved to play along with at home and on the road.
SUPER LIPS
Who’da thunk that The Flaming Lips would get a gig of any description at the ultimate ritual of maleness that is the Super Bowl? But they’re part of a Hyundai Santa Fe commercial which includes their new tune, ‘Sun Blows Up Today’ and several appearances by the band.
WILKO ILL
Very sad to hear that former madcap Doctor Feelgood guitarist, author and Game of Thrones actor Wilko Johnson has been diagnosed with cancer. There’s not a much better tonic for a bad day than a Doctor Feelgood slab.
DRIVE-IN REISSUES
While it seems for the moment at least that the ridiculously unique The Mars Volta are no more (with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’ Bosnian Rainbows the first act to rise from the ashes), two of At The Drive-In’s albums, from opposite ends of the band’s short career, are getting the reissue treatment: their 1996 debut, Acrobatic Tenement, and 2000’s sign-off, Relationship of Command. They’re due in March and April, respectively.
ON THE TURNTABLE Fleetwood Mac
tue
05 Jan
(9:00PM - 12:00AM) (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
wed
06 Feb
thu
(4:30PM - 7:30PM) (4:30PM - 7:30PM)
07 Feb
fri
(9:00PM - 12:00AM) (4:30PM - 7:30PM)
08 Feb
(9:30PM - 1:30AM) (4:30PM - 7:30PM)
On the Remedy turntable is Fleetwood Mac. Shocked? Ya won’t be when we explain ourselves. Some folks are pretty excited about the reissue of the Mac’s Rumours, the recording that along with Hotel California was the subject of so much of ’70s punk’s venom. Funny thing is that it isn’t a bad record, far from it. The songs are great and the production’s not bad either. But we’re been delving further back than the late seventies when it comes to the mighty Mac. In fact, we’ve been flogging the pants off a whole other Mac – the band’s three-guitar Peter Green lineup from 1970. Specifically, their Boston Tea Party set over three nights in February of that year. This is when they were in a position, believe it or not, to challenge Led Zeppelin in the blues-rock wallop stakes. Have a listen to the near-30-minute ‘Rattlesnake Shake’ and tell us we’re wrong.
sat
09
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
Feb
sun
10 Feb
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
(8:30PM - 12:00AM)
Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays. Pics to art@thebrag.com www.facebook.com/remedy4rock BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 27
g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
pick of the week Julia Holter
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7
Divine Fits (USA/CAN), The Delta Riggs Manning Bar, University of Sydney, Camperdown $46 (+ bf) 8pm Fleur Wiber And The Apparitions, Edema Ruh, Library Siesta The Vanguard, Newtown $13.80 8pm Immortal Band Competition Grand Final Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe 7pm Jeff Martin (CAN), Ray Beadle, Terepai Richmond Brass Monkey, Cronulla $44.90 7pm Jessie Ware (UK) Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills sold out 8pm Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt free 8pm Replika Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 11pm Strange Talk, She Rex, Bernie Dingo, Devola, Joyride Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm
Leigh Carriage 505 Venue, Surry Hills $10$15 8.30pm Pure Bohemia Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $25 8pm
Afterparty: Relentless, One Vital Word, Thorns, Street War, Hot Damn DJs Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15$20 8pm Jay Dee Soul Tribute The Maxc, Surry Hills free 9pm Jeff Martin (CAN), Ray Beadle, Terepai Richmond Brass Monkey, Cronulla $44.90 7pm Julia Holter (USA), Kieran Ryan, Dear Time’s Waste (NZ) York Street Anglican Church, Sydney 7pm all-ages Kings Of Convenience (NOR) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $59 (+ bf) 8pm Love Parade, The Carraways Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Hotel, Rooty Hill free 8pm Nick Latta Blue Beat, Double Bay $18 9pm No Rapture: Twincest, Food Court, Maux Faux, Sir William Montgomery The Standard, Surry Hills $5 8pm Way Angels, The Wisemans Circus, Ivona Budys The Vanguard, Newtown $15.80 8pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
JAZZ
JAZZ
York Street Anglican Church, Sydney
Julia Holter (USA), Kieran Ryan, Dear Time’s Waste (NZ) Vale free 7pm Russell Neal, Chris Brookes, Massimo Presti Kellys On King, Newtown free 7pm
ROCK & POP
Dead Can Dance Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay $69 (+ bf) 9pm MS MR (USA), YesYou Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $38.50 (+b bf) 8pm
JAZZ
Latin & Jazz Open Mic Jam The World Bar, Kings Cross free 7pm Miss Little 505 Venue, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm The Monday Jam: Danny G Felix and the Monday OGs Gingers, The Oxford Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK Royal Band Cabravale Diggers, Canley 28 :: BRAG :: 498 : 04:02:13
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 ROCK & POP
The Goon Squad Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm Justin Townes Earle (USA) The Basement, Circular Quay $55 (+ bf) 7.30pm Polica (USA) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $45 (+ bf) 8pm Sleep ∞ Over (USA), Rites Wild The Square, Haymarket $20 (+ bf) 7pm Tom Lark, Driffs, Gang Of Youths FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 7pm
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 ROCK & POP
7pm all-ages MONDAY FEBRUARY 4
Andrew Denniston Royal Hotel, Springwood free 7.30pm Creatives Uncovered: Nikkita Alexander, DJ Soul Mama Tortuga Studios, St Peters $25 7pm Russell Neal Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Balmain free 7pm TAOS, John Chesher, Gavin Fitzgerald, Sean Renford, James Nicol Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm The Wooden Music Festival: Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Bearded Gypsy Band The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf) 7.30pm
JAZZ
Jazzgroove 107 Projects, Redfern 8.30pm Old School Funk and Groove Night 505 Venue, Surry Hills free 8.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Andrew Denniston, Michael Kerr Five dock Hotel free 7.30pm Darren Bennett George IV Inn, Picton free 7.30pm Russell Neal Newington Inn, Petersham free 7pm
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6 ROCK & POP
Cloud Nothings (USA), Violent Soho Annandale Hotel $42 8pm
Bad Moon Rising Creedence Clearwater Revival Show The Basement, Circular Quay $25 (+ bf) 7.30pm Darren Jack and Tyran Hall Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $15 (+ bf) 7pm Descendents (USA), Bouncing Souls (USA), Frenzal Rhomb, Bodyjar, Irrelevant The Big Top, Luna Park, Milsons Point $77 7pm Driverside Airbag, Everything I Own Is Broken, Another Broken String, Larange Bucket, Pharaos Of The Farout Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe 7pm Elevate Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm Emerald City, La Huva, Andy & Maggie Union Hotel, Newtown free 8pm GrimSkunk (CAN), Angel Awake The Wall, Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt $12 8pm Group, The Jones Rival, The Rude Heads Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst $5 8pm Hot Damn! – Descendents
Nogara Afro-Beat 505 Venue, Surry Hills $10$15 8.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK Daniel Hopkins, Beck Fielding Olympic Hotel, Paddington free 7.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 8pm Russell Neal Forest Lodge Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm The Wooden Music Festival: Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Bearded Gypsy Band Moonshine, Hotel Steyne, Manly free 5pm
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8 ROCK & POP
Baby et Lulu The Vanguard, Newtown $33.80 7pm Barry Gibb Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour $99.90-$199.90 8pm Civil Civic Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst $18 (+ bf) 8pm Classic Rock Show: Barry Leaf Band Brass Monkey, Cronulla $34.70 7.30pm
The Dead Heads, The In The Out, Box Of Fuck, Nervous FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Deer Tick (USA), Two Gallants (USA) Annandale Hotel $38.50 8pm Feelings, Hayley Cooper, Jordan Sly Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 6pm The Fixators, Fields of Mars, Leo Rose, Octavian The Wall, Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt $10 8pm Garry David, The Holy Soul, The Warm Feelings The Green Room Lounge, Enmore free 8pm The Headliners Westmead Tavern free 8pm Hell Bent Forever, Thundasteel Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe 7pm John Field Customs House Bar, Circular Quay free 7pm Lakes, Low Life, Justin Fuller, Model Citizen The Square, Haymarket $10 8pm Lola Lovina: The Margaret Street Project, One The Stoop Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $15-$20 7.30pm Mad Season Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm MUM: Lurch & Chief, Dan Davey, Laugh Riot, All The Colours, Swim Team DJs, Danny Cruel, 10th Avenue, Joyride, Cries Wolf DJs, Ra Bazaar, Defender Sound System, DJ Morgs, Teefreqs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Saturday Night Fever Tribute Taronga Zoo, Mosman $39$59 7.30pm Shady Lane, Twin Lakes, Little Lovers, Bearhug Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Shannon Noll, Simon Shapiro Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $49 8pm Yo Put The Bag Back On, Upsides, Obviously Your Superhero Sydney Livehouse, Lewisham Hotel $12 8pm
JAZZ
Jeremy Rose Quartet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10$20 8.30pm Urban Gypsies 505 Venue, Surry Hills $15$20 8.30pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK The Enterprise Band Cabravale Diggers, Canley Vale free 8.30pm John Chesher Mr Big Stuff, Maroubra free 7pm
The Delta Riggs
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Black Wire Records, Annandale 7pm
Stars
JAZZ
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9 ROCK & POP
Altitude Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket free 10pm Backsliders, Reg & Pete from Dog Trumpet Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $29 8pm Exekute, Dystopic, War Of Attrition, Illicit, To Engineer An Exorcist Sydney Livehouse, Lewisham Hotel $15 (+ bf) 2pm all-ages Gin Blossoms The Hi-Fi, Moore Park 8pm I Am Duckeye, Lomera, Red Bee, Plight Of The Mysticals Dugongs The Square, Haymarket $15.30 8pm Jive Bombers Penrith RSL free 2pm
Kittens: Briscoe, The Jones Rival, Colour Therapy, Kittens DJs Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15 9pm Koolta, Electric Elements Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst $10 8pm London Cries, Creo Annandale Hotel $20 8pm Maiden Oz, Live Evil Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe 6pm Old Time Glory, Nudist Colonies of the World, 51percent, That’s The Last Straw, Team Justice Sydney Livehoue, Lewsham Hotel $12 8pm Party Anthems Paragon Hotel, Circular Quay free 9pm Peter Northcoater’s DRIVE with Brydon Stace and Virginia Lillye Brass Monkey, Cronulla $29.60 7pm
Retro Night Out South Hurstville RSL Club free 9pm Rock Fossils Oatley Hotel free 8.30pm Rock N Roll Mayhem: Stand Alone, Johnny Roadkill, Nekrofeist, Hazmat, Skuldugory, Atomesquad, Mad Charlie, Cryptic Scorn, Terrorential, Steelswarm The Wall, Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt $25 3.30pm Saturday Night Fever Tribute Taronga Zoo, Mosman $39$59 7.30pm Spirit Valley, Danger Beach, Nhomea Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Stars (CAN) The Factory Theatre, Enmore $51.30 (+ bf) 7pm Tax, Oily Boys, Lakes, Ghastly Spats
El Orqueston The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf) 7.30pm Flyte Supper Club, Fairfield RSL Club free 7pm Lily Dior & Edoardo Santoni 505 Venue, Surry Hills $15$20 8.30pm Peter Head Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 5pm Roil The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale $10-$20 8.30pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Well Co. Café / Wine Bar, Leichhardt free 7pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK
Ange The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney free 9pm Darkness On The Edge Of Newtown – Springsteen Tribute: Emad Younan, Zero Fret, Wil Maisey, James Scott, Daniel Hopkins, Cassandra Smiles, Alan Watters, L J Phillips, Steve Clark, Peach Montgomery, Russell Neal Forest Lodge Hotel, Glebe $15 8pm The Enterprise Band Cabravale Diggers, Canley Vale free 8.30pm Miriam Lieberman, Vanessa Forbes Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $20-$25 7.30pm Wooden Music Festival: Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Quarry Mountain
Dead Rats, Bearded Gypsy Band The Vanguard, Newtown $23.80 7pm
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 ROCK & POP
Greta Gertler, The Universal Thump Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $20 (+ bf) 6.30pm Jeff Martin (CAN), Ray Beadle, Terepai Richmond Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $49 8pm Justin Townes Earle (USA), Robert Ellis (USA) Annandale Hotel $50 2pm Mike Champion, The Cool, Ms Tracy Rose, Neo Pitso, DJ Klasik 1 The Standard, Surry Hills $20 (+ bf) 6pm RSF Benefit Festival: Hot Grass, J-Flat Squared, Civility Lost, Risen Dred, Larry Ledfoot, Noveaux, Upside Down Miss Jane, Coredea, Steel Swarm Valve Bar & Venue, Tempe 12
Sarah McLeod Brass Monkey, Cronulla $23.50 7pm Thee Oh Sees (USA), Nobunny, Mining Boom The Factory Theatre, Marrickville $44 (+ bf) 7pm The Vagrants Ball: Hobo Bordeaux, Fields Of Wolves, La Tarantella, Godfrey Uke & His Orchestra The Vanguard, Newtown $21.80 7pm
JAZZ
Peter Head Band Harbour View Hotel, The Rocks free 4pm
ACOUSTIC & FOLK Bop Louis Duo Oatley Hotel free 2pm Elevation U2 Acoustic Orient Hotel, The Rocks free 4.30pm The Enterprise Band Cabravale Diggers, Canley Vale free 8pm Joanne Hill Corrimal Hotel free 6pm Russell Neal Salisbury Hotel, Stanmore free 2pm
Shady Lane
ALSO OUT NOW
The follow up to the critically acclaimed 2009 album Acolyte. Produced by Ben Allen (Bombay Bicycle Club, Animal Collective) and Tim Goldsworthy (Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem) Collections fuses elements of electronica, hip hop and house to create a distinctive and unique soundscape. Features the single Baiya.
EELS WONDERFUL, GLORIOUS “One of the most prolific, adventurous and moving songwriters of the past decade.” - Q Magazine
JIM JAMES REGIONS OF LIGHT AND SOUND OF GOD My Morning Jacket’s Jim James releases his debut solo album. “An incredible, one of a kind slow-burner.” -triple j magazine
COMING SOON MAJOR LAZER, BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, DARWIN DEEZ, KIERAN RYAN, JOHN GRANT, VERONICA FALLS, COLD WAR KIDS, BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & DAWN MCCARTHY, CAITLIN ROSE, THEME PARK.
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 29
gig picks
up all night out all week...
Jessie Ware (UK) Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills sold out 8pm
Kings Of Convenience
Strange Talk, She Rex, Bernie Dingo, Devola, Joyride Beach Road Hotel, Bondi free 8pm
MONDAY FEBRUARY 4
Sleep ∞ Over (USA), Rites Wild The Square, Haymarket $20 (+ bf) 7pm
Dead Can Dance Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay $69 (+ bf) 8pm
Tom Lark, Driffs, Gang Of Youths FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 7pm
MS MR (USA), YesYou Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $38.50 (+b bf) 8pm
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 Poliça (USA) Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $45 (+ bf) 8pm
30 :: BRAG :: 498 : 04:02:13
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6 Cloud Nothings (USA), Violent Soho Annandale Hotel $47 8pm Divine Fits (USA/CAN), The Delta Riggs Manning Bar, University of Sydney, Camperdown $46 (+ bf) 8pm
Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7
Spirit Valley, Danger Beach, Varlets Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm
Kings Of Convenience (NOR) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $59 (+ bf) 8pm
Stars (CAN) The Factory Theatre, Enmore $51.30 (+ bf) 7pm
Love Parade, The Carraways Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8
Justin Townes Earle (USA), Robert Ellis (USA) Annandale Hotel $50 2pm
Civil Civic Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst $18 (+ bf) 8pm
Thee Oh Sees (USA), Nobunny, Mining Boom The Factory Theatre, Marrickville $44 (+ bf) 7pm
The Dead Heads, The In The Out, Box Of Fuck, Nervous FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Deer Tick (USA), Two Gallants (USA) Annandale Hotel $38.50 8pm MUM: Lurch & Chief, Dan Davey, Laugh Riot, All The Colours, Swim Team DJs, Danny Cruel, 10th Avenue, Joyride, Cries Wolf DJs, Ra Bazaar, Defender Sound System, DJ Morgs, Teefreqs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10$15 8pm Shady Lane, Twin Lakes, Little Lovers, Bearhug
Love Parade
Jessie Ware
brag beats
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
free stuff
dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
on the record WITH
EDU IMBERNON (SPAIN) The First Thing I Recorded: My musical influences started when 3. I started to play the piano and drums as a kid, but my first contact with electronic music was when I was 17. It started with me testing everything out. Every song I was making was kind of practice, then when I was 19 I made a Beatport No.1 and that changed everything from a hobby to work. Although I don’t consider making music “work” because sitting in my studio playing synths and rhythms is very enjoyable. The Last Thing I Recorded: Last thing I recorded is a new single 4. called ‘Ditto’ featuring vocals from Rosina (Crosstown Rebels, Culprit). It’s such a special song for me and took around two weeks to finish, worth every hour. The remixers are, as mentioned before, Agoria, and Rodriguez Jr. It will be released in April on Eklektisch. The Record That Changed My Life: I would say Gregor Tresher’s music in 5. 2007/08. I remember DJing and playing 60% of his records, as his music was very inspirational to me... Especially records like ‘Full Range Madness’ or ‘Tronic’, and also ‘Open The Gates’ by Guy Gerber. Great memories!
1.
The First Record I Bought: I think it was Agoria – Les Violons Ivres. It totally blew my mind and it’s still one of my favorite records ever. Agoria is currently remixing one of my upcoming singles for my own label, Eklektisch, and that makes me so happy!
2.
The Last Record I Bought: Last record I bought was Michael Mayer – ‘Baumhaus (The Mole mix)’ on KOMPAKT. I can imagine playing this song during a sunset somewhere hot and it really gives me goosebumps!
NIGHT SLUGS
Agoria
AGORIA
Frenchman Agoria returns Down Under to play at Goldfish in King’s Cross on Saturday March 2. Agoria has always ranked as one of the more interesting figures in the underground club scene, releasing the acclaimed LP Blossom, which included a collaboration with Bristol’s Tricky and attracted a remix from Michael Mayer, while his discography also includes the ambitious Impermanence and the soundtrack to the Luc Bessonproduced film Go Fast. As a DJ, Agoria’s At The Controls and underappreciated Cute & Cult mixes are necessary pillars in the collection of any serious dance music aficionado, while his Balance 16 and fabric 57 compilations are also worth seeking out. Agoria’s propensity to explore an eclectic spectrum of sounds as a DJ means that he will play tracks you won’t have heard before – or will play a track that you do know in the most unexpected of contexts.
L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok, collectively Night Slugs, will make their Australian debut at Goodgod Small Club on Friday February 22 courtesy of Astral People. Night Slugs first came into existence in ’08 when the duo linked up to start a night dedicated to hybrid sounds and experimental club music, which remains a staple in the London club scene today. The Night Slugs record label soon launched, and has released cuts such as Lil’ Silva’s rugged grime interpretation ‘Pulse vs. Flex’, Jam City’s ‘Magic Drops’ and Girl Unit’s ‘Wut’ over the years. Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990 also have formidable production pedigrees: Bok Bok explored grime soundscapes on ‘Ripe Banana’ and ‘Citizens Dub’ before the more recent Southside EP showcased a respect for house and techno; L-Vis 1990 has followed a similar path, channelling a love for classic house and pop music into several EPs and a debut album. The pair will be playing back-to-back throughout their first Australian tour, with Cliques, Moriarty and Preacha also throwing down at their Sydney show. Pre-sale tickets will set you back $25.
With: Maxxi Sound System (UK) plus A-Tonez, Fingers, Loose Change, Blaze Tripp, Raulll, Whitecat, Athson, E-Cats, and Josh Riley Where: Chinese Laundry When: Saturday February 9
‘chameleon-like’ sonic palette that melds jazz, techno, funk, soul, house and down-tempo influences. Chicoine is also a resident teacher at Auckland Music and Audio Institute, as well as a masters student at the University Of Auckland, but despite the frenetic schedule, he still manages to churn out consistently laudable
RED BULL FLYING BACH
If you think classical music and breakdancing together is just bull, you have been Bach-ing up the wrong tree. Classical-music-and-break-dancing-together proponents Red Bull Flying Bach will be hitting up our shores this March, presenting their internationally acclaimed show at the State Theatre. But what does it all mean? It means b-boys responding to 18th century virtuoso Johann Sebastian Bach’s fugues, with the juxtaposition of stroked piano keys and pop-locking making for an unmissable experience. Choreographer Vartan Bassil says, “There is a huge urban art following here and this performance will not only bring something unique to the scene, but will also allow classical music and high art fans to experience the best in street culture.” We have one double pass to the (sold out) Sydney show on Thursday March 7; just tell us which dance style and musical genre you’d like to pair up on the dancefloor.
releases. His most recent EP featured remixes from Oliverwho Factory and Detroit’s Andrés, who continued the form that made his New 4 U EP one of the best releases of last year with a refashioning of ‘Electric Sunshine.’ Pharley, U-Khan and Simon Caldwell will be providing support, with $15 pre-sales available online.
Kelis
THE KNIFE
Swedish duo The Knife have unveiled details of their much-anticipated follow up to 2006’s Silent Shout, a 13-track album entitled Shaking The Habitual. The LP will include a 19-minute epic, ‘Old Dreams Waiting to Be Realized’, while Light Asylum’s Shannon Funchess features on ‘Stay Out Here’. Lead single ‘Full of Fire’ is out now, and is a promising harbinger for what to expect when Shaking The Habitual is officially released in three months. It comes with an interesting video clip, which is worth watching on YouTube as we count down the months, weeks, days till the album is finally upon us.
CHARADES FT RECLOOSE
The Charades party brand descends on Tatler on Friday February 22 to host Matthew Chicoine, who produces as Recloose. Recloose burst on to the scene when he was signed to Carl Craig’s canonical Planet E label, after he slipped a demo into Craig’s sandwich when working at a café (it’s an old story, but a good one nonetheless). Recloose has since performed as a turntablist for Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra, while releasing acclaimed albums on labels such as Sonar Kollektiv and Peacefrog, developing a
PACHA FT KELIS
Kelis will perform live at Pacha at Ivy on Saturday February 16. Kelis started out working with hit-making songwriters and producers The Neptunes (aka Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), creating genre-bending RnB and peculiar alt-pop as she embarked on a journey that would lead her to the top of the pop tree with 2004’s infectiously frothy single ‘Milkshake’. She’s since released singles such as ‘Bossy’, ‘Trick Me’, ‘Lil Star’ and the David Guetta-produced ‘Acapella’, among others. Despite the best attempts of the music industry and media, Kelis is reluctant to concede that she is a pop star. “There’s a difference between a pop star and an artist. Pop stars have to be perfect all the time; an artist is allowed, on occasion, to suck. And I put myself in that category because I sometimes suck.” Indeed, some say the song ‘Milkshake’ is about sucking, though that’s in an entirely different context. First release tickets are available for $35 online.
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 31
dance music news
free stuff
club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery
FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM
he said she said WITH
MATT WEIR FROM S.A.S.H. Inspirations I’ve listened to such an 2. array of different music over the years, there is no possible way I can limit it to even one genre. Punk, rap, rock, Top 40, house – everything. Shit, when I was younger, Boyz II Men got a run. I can’t see the correlation between me listening to them and being the DJ I am today, but they were definitely a solid part of my younger years. Your Group It’s just me and the 3. midget (Kerry [Wallace]) who
at a very young age. My oldest memory is taking a soundtrack of a TV show at the time called
Tour Of Duty into my musicmad second-grade teacher’s class and playing a Supremes track. Don’t think that had any influence on what I listen to now.
4.
The Music You Make The music I make is house. A few different forms, but primarily just house. I write it with local guys Julien Beltzung,
AKA YokoO, and Pete Nouveau, as I don’t have a studio at mine. But to be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve been in the studio, as I’ve been pretty busy with all things S.A.S.H. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The underground music scene in Sydney right now is thriving. Although, what was underground 12-18 months ago is now becoming a little more crowded by a lot more people wanting a piece of the pie and therefore making it a little more accessible. I believe that being consistent every week and pushing acts/artists that aren’t necessarily what everyone wants to hear is important. Instead of being safe, push the boundaries a little and see where it takes you. With: Emerson Todd and more Where: S.A.S.H. Sundays @ The Abercrombie When: Sunday February 10 (and every Sunday)
GOOD LIFE @ RANDWICK
The Good Life festival, organised specifically for underage ravers, returns to Randwick Racecourse on Sunday March 10. Constructed for 13-17 year olds, Good Life has grown exponentially since its debut in 2010. The 2013 lineup includes chart-topping Swede Avicii, who emerged back in 2011 with the single ‘Levels’, which racked up over 50 million YouTube views, and was touted by David Guetta, as his ‘tune of 2011’. Also entertaining dem young sconies will be Psy, Timmy Trumpet, Bombs Away and Ruby Rose, among others. Tickets are available from goodlifefest.com.au
Nas
Live Nation and Niche Productions have teamed with American hip hop luminary Nas to organise the inaugural Australian Movement Festival, which will go down on Friday April 26 at The Hordern Pavilion. The Movement Festival lineup features an array of international and local acts handpicked by the festival’s headliner and co-curator, Nas. ARIA Award-winners and multiplatinum-selling local outfit Bliss N Eso, Def Jam signee and Kanye West collaborator 2 Chainz, Joey Bada$$, Angel Haze, Chiddy Bang and Thundamentals will all be performing. Movement tickets go on sale 9am Monday February 11.
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER
Holy Other (or is it it?) ?)
HOLY OTHER
Manchester producer Holy Other will play a Laneway Festival sideshow at Goodgod Small Club this Wednesday February 6. Known for not revealing his identity and performing in near darkness with his head covered by a hood, Holy Other’s attempts to avoid the spotlight have not prevented him from touring with the likes of Beach House and Thom Yorke, and enjoying a breakout year in 2012. Continuing the momentum he created with his With U EP, Holy Other’s fulllength debut, Held, conflated the ethereal kinetics of UK Garage with the euphoria of vocal house, to create a collection of “songs past yearning”. Holy Other will be supported by ALBA and Astral DJs.
32 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
MOVEMENT FESTIVAL
Brooklyn-based Daniel Lopatin, aka Oneohtrix Point Never, will play his first ever show in Sydney on Friday March 15 at The Civic Underground. The son of Russian immigrants and professional musicians, Lopatin released his first album Betrayed In The Octagon on cassette in 2007. The release was picked up and pressed to vinyl by noise exponents No Fun Productions, introducing the world to Lopatin’s ubiquitous arpeggios and cracked-up tape hiss. Lopatin found a wider public with the 2009 No Fun double-CD Rifts, and reinforced this interest with the Editions Mego-released album Returnal the following year. 2011 saw the release of his album Replica on his own label, Software, which received Pitchfork’s ‘Best New Music’ tag, before Lopatin joined forces with acclaimed sonic sculptor Tim Hecker last year. Sharing the bill with Oneohtrix will be veteran sound-mangler Pimmon, one of Sydney’s most respected electronic artists. Thomas William, who released the album Deccan Technicolour and was a finalist in FBi Radio’s recent Northern Lights competition, will also be performing, along with the Astral People DJs. Doors open at 9pm.
MARQUEE FEBRUARY
Marquee nightclub, located at The Star in Pyrmont, has announced its full February program. Having recently released his first four-track EP, Brightness, 18-year-old Sydney based producer and DJ Walden hits the decks on Saturday February 9 to showcase his ability to create electro basslines. The
SUMMER ANTHEMS
Forget Beyoncé’s lip-syncing schemozzle; a bigger anthem is on its way this summer. A compilation of summer anthems, actually. No need to approve tags on bad photos taken at Stereosonic, Big Day Out or Field Day – all your favourite shenanigans from this year’s festival season will be bundled into 2 discs on Summer Festival Anthems, mixed by Aussie DJ Generik. Those unrelentlessy catchy hits by Avicii, Icona Pop, Bingo Players, Knife Party, 360, Calvin Harris, Florence & The Machine, Rudimental, Flume, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, Tiësto, Labrinth and Justice, that you remember dancing to in between wiping someone else’s sweat from your forehead, are among the party favours. We have three copies, each with a double pass to the launch at Scary Canary on Thursday March 7. Just tell us which summer festival song gets you nostalgic (and why, of course - points for the most epic anecdotes).
grill-toothed ‘King of Crunk’ Lil Jon returns to Marquee on Wednesday February 13 for a Valentine’s Day lingerie party, before the Potbelleez throw down on Saturday February 16. Rounding off the month, DJ Nukewood will be spinning on Saturday February 22.
POLE
Sound/Light/Stone returns with a diverse lineup of electronica, soundscapes and audio manipulation at York St Anglican Church on Friday March 22 headlined by Germany’s Stefan Betke, aka Pole. Taking the name Pole from the model of a synthesiser that he dropped and broke early in his experimentations, Betke’s productions explore dub techno sounds and cropped atmospherics, weighted by an omnipresent reggae back beat, and have a strong improvisational quality. A production veteran, Betke started his Scape label in ’99 together with Barbara Preisinger, before releasing two EPs and an album on Daniel Miller’s Mute Records label, ahead of dropping his solo album Steingarten in ’07, which was lauded by the cognoscenti as a masterpiece. More recently, Betke has released his trilogy of Waldgeschichten EPs, which delved into minimal dub reggae soundscapes. Support will be provided by Melbourne’s Galapagoose and Hinterlandt, with $25 presale tickets available online.
Flume
HOT COINS
Scottish-born electronic musician Danny Berman, who now resides in Berlin, has recently released a new album under his Hot Coins pseudonym, Damage Is Done, on the Sonar Kollectiv record label. Berman is best known for his output under his Red Rack’em moniker, and has crafted remixes for the likes of Tricky, Joubert Singers, The Revenge and Ron Basejam over the years. In contrast to the housier sounds of his output as Red Rack’em, Berman’s work as Hot Coins explores disco influences and throwback avant-pop, with Damage Is Done drawing from influences of post-punk, disco and euro electro sounds of past decades.
GROOVIN’ THE MOO
Following on from last year’s sold out tour, some of Australia’s foremost proponents of dance music will again be representing at the regional touring festival Groovin’ The Moo, which will roll into Sydney at Maitland Showground on Saturday April 27. Future Classic ‘it boy’ Flume, Midnight Juggernauts, Urthboy, Alison Wonderland, Yacht and Yolanda Be Cool will all perform at an event that will cater for all ages (16+ recommended). Tickets are $99.90 + bf and go on sale 9am local time on Tuesday 5 February.
Generik photo by Rukes.com
run S.A.S.H together. But in saying that, we rely on a whole host of Sydney’s best to play music there week in, week out. We’ve added a few residents recently as well – Mike Monday, Gabby, Jake Hough and Robbie Cordukes – which helps take the load off too. Growing Up Only ever remember 1. listening to my dad’s records
Generik
Flosstradamus We Can Haz Mixtapes? By Jody Macgregor
Y
ou can tell a musical genre is breaking through when you see it turn up in memes. Trap music hasn’t been memeified as thoroughly as dubstep yet, but it’s on the way. Condescending Wonka smarms: “OH, YOU LISTEN TO TRAP MUSIC? PLEASE, TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW CURRENT YOU MUST FEEL” while Morpheus from The Matrix posits: “WHAT IF I TOLD YOU... THAT TRAP MUSIC IS JUST RAP INSTRUMENTALS”. Morpheus is wrong this time, though. Trap takes the southern hip hop sound of UGK or OutKast as a starting point, but combines it with modern American dance music, putting 808 kicks and snares alongside beefed-up bass. Curt Cameruci is half of trap duo Flosstradamus, where he goes by the nickname Autobot. Back in 2005 he met his partner in music, Josh Young (AKA J2K), in Chicago, where they’d both been DJing similar tunes. “We were always into it,” he says. “All the Southern hip hop is what influenced Josh and I, way back in the day – even the early incarnations of Flosstradamus. It’s just that now everyone thinks that trap is something new, but in the States it’s been on the radio; it’s been what Flosstradamus is since the beginning.”
working on a mixtape in Ableton – we can work on that back and forth together – or whether it’s him doing the production on one of our songs, and then I master it here in New York.” It’s clear that the internet is where Flosstradamus thrive. They’re darlings of the trap music forum on Reddit, and they’ve become so synonymous with the rise of the genre that they’ve even become part of memes themselves. “THEY WOULDN’T TAKE ME TO FLOSSTRADAMUS”, glowers Disaster Girl in front of her burning house. “I WOULDN’T TAKE THEM TO THE HOSPITAL.” What: Saturday February 23 Where: Chinese Laundry More: chineselaundryclub.com.au
Friendly Fires Up Past Their Bedtime By Alasdair Duncan
M
After running a successful club night called Get Out Of The Hood together for several years, they eventually committed to making their own music. That meant teaching themselves how to use Ableton. “I actually have a design degree and I was doing design work,” Cameruci explains, “so we both were doing side jobs and were self-taught on the DJ end of things. We would make little edits and stuff here and there but we didn’t really know how to produce.”
ixtapes can serve a lot of purposes – you can craft one for a furtive crush to make your true feelings known, or assemble some tunes to accompany the most kickass road trip of all time. These are all fine and noble causes, but let’s not forget that mixtapes are also about showing off – proving just how interesting and eclectic your taste is. When it came to assembling their entry in the Late Night Tales series of compilations, Ed Gibson of Friendly Fires admits that this occurred to him and his bandmates: “You want to look cool as fuck with your selections, for sure,” he says with a laugh. “With something like this, you have a great opportunity to share the music that you love. One thing I really like about the other compilations in the series is that I don’t know too many of the tracks on them – hopefully we’ve done something similar with this.”
Their first destination was the internet. “We taught ourselves from kids on YouTube or forums, things like that. You can learn anything from anybody these days, you don’t even have to go to college for it. You could just watch a YouTube [video] or read a forum and teach yourself quantum physics – or production.” In no time at all they were releasing their own EPs and mixtapes, collaborating with De La Soul and remixing Major Lazer’s ‘Original Don’. Their latest release is Banned 2, which appeared suddenly, without fanfare or warning, on their Soundcloud on the morning of our interview. “We kind of snuck it up on everybody. We released it via torrents as well. Right now we have a little bit of downtime because we’re done touring between our US and European cycle so we had a month off. We’ve been in the studio and it’s been kind of like, dead silence on the internet from us, so we just thought we’d throw together a mixtape for the fans.”
Friendly Fires’ mix is broad in its scope, taking in everything from old-school disco through to contemporary club tracks and dreamy early-‘90s indie. It’s certainly an eclectic collection of songs – only in the surreal world of Late Night Tales would Cocteau Twins rub shoulders with Olivia Newton John. For the band, it was about finding the perfect balance of tracks to reflect their individual tastes and personalities. “It’s difficult sharing a mix between three people,” Gibson says. “Divvying out the songs is the easy part – from there, you have to choose which songs you want to include, and figure out how they might all sound next to each other. In the end,” he continues, “we decided that we couldn’t be too precious about having every single song we wanted. We knew it would be best if we just concentrated on making a mix that would flow in distinct sections.”
The other thing that’s changed since their early days is that Cameruci has moved away from Chicago. The two of them still spend plenty of time together when they’re touring, and when they’re apart, they can still work together daily. “Again, it’s the internet,” Cameruci says. “Josh lives in Chicago and I live in New York and there’s great tools such as Dropbox that we can put a session in, whether that’s like
The impulse to share your musical tastes with others is certainly a strong one – when I’ve had a little too much to drink at a party, I’ve been known to plug my iPod into the stereo and begin an impromptu DJ set of my own. Gibson admits the Friendly Fires boys also share this impulse, and it’s a constant struggle to control it. “It’s difficult, because you can look like a real music snob when you’re forcing your tastes onto people,” he says. “I had a party recently, and there was some diabolical music being played, but people were dancing to it. The urge to commandeer the stereo kicked in but I had to resist it.” Gibson is quite adamant that the tyrannical impulse to control the tunes at a party comes from a place of love. “It’s only because you care so much about music that you want to hear the good stuff!” Each of the Late Night Tales compilations ends with a spoken-word track, usually a well-known actor reading a snippet of a short story. The newest instalment features the vocal talents of Benedict Cumberbatch, star of the BBC’s Sherlock, and apparently, a Friendly Fires fan. “It was a bizarre sort of thing,” says Gibson. “A friend of ours read an interview where he said he got out of character by listening to our first record. It was a crazy compliment, and we realised we could use it to our advantage! We approached him ourselves and he was very keen.” Despite the warm reception, the lads were slightly star-struck. “It was amazing and surreal to have someone like him involved,” Gibson says, “but it’s fortunate things came together the way they did.” What: Late Night Tales: Friendly Fires When: Out now through Central Station Records
José James (Not) All That Jazz By Bob Gordon
José James photo by Janette Beckman
J
osé James’s new album, No Beginning No End, has been out for a week when we speak, and it seems it’s all good so far. On the day of release he and his band appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, a major score for any artist. “It was fantastic, man,” James says, on the phone from his home in Brooklyn. “It’s one of those New York milestones, Letterman and the Ed Sullivan Theatre. As a musician and an artist, doing that was fantastic. But it was freezing, man. Everyone was walking around in jackets [inside]. You’re thinking, ‘Why are they all wearing jackets?’ Then you go, ‘Oh, that’s why’ – it’s cold!” No Beginning No End is James’ second album release and was produced by Pino Palladino (who also plays bass in The Who). James feels that it’s the best representation of himself as an artist so far – and the critics and punters have given it the seal of approval. When it came out last week in Japan, it went to #1 in the RnB chart. “It took so long to make it, I can look at it and feel comfortable with it as a product,” says James. “I’m emotional about it, but not so emotional as if it were a first album. The
industry understands that it’s a different kind of album; you might need to listen to it once or twice. I wasn’t sure if everybody was going to come on board, but so far all the rock guys, all the pop guys, all the jazz guys and the hip hop guys all agree that they really like this album.” Unsurprisingly, James’ musical upbringing was as diverse as the music he now writes and performs. “Like everybody, I liked Michael Jackson first,” he recalls. “He was like, the most complete artist. The thing about him is that he was kind of a musical omnivore, there was a lot of different styles of music on his albums. Then in the late ‘80s he had a sort of a reassessment of music in a way and he came out with a lot of electronic stuff, a lot of hip hop and new rock… I was a late ’80s/early ’90s kid, and I liked a lot of hip hop... Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest, and Soundgarden and all that kind of stuff too. Then through getting into hip hop samples, I got into jazz.” That said, James baulks at the inescapable descriptions of him as a jazz singer. While the genre itself is far from limited, the label is limiting. “Especially in the industry,” he says. “As soon as
you hear ‘jazz’ it’s like, ‘OK, I know what this is gonna be, some standards and some solos, and it’s probably gonna sell 2000 copies...’ When MTV hear the word ‘jazz’ they just take off, you know what I mean? It’s interesting, you see bands like Grizzly Bear, like new indie rock or whatever, there’s a lot of solos in there, but also a lot of improvisation, a lot of jamming. When you call it jazz, it just puts a whole other spin on it. And it does limit you... and the audience, the venues and the marketing.” With the album now released, James will be hitting the road all year with a band that he clearly revels in working with. “Everybody in the live band now is on the album as well,” he says. “It’s all guys I’ve been working with for up to four years. We’re all really good friends and they know the music really well. It’s a real international band. And I’m going to be playing all around the world with them, which is really exciting for me.” When: Saturday February 23 Where: The Standard / Lvl 3, 383 Bourke St, Darlinghurst
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 33
club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Jackmaster
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
Goodgod Small Club
Numbers featuring
Jackmaster (UK), Nelson $30 (+ bf) 11pm MONDAY FEBRUARY 4 Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket Mother of a Monday DJ Smokin’ Joe free 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Latin Jazz Resident DJs free 7pm
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel Salsa DJ Willie Sabor free 8pm Scruffy Murphy’s, Haymarket I Love Goon Resident DJs free 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Coyote Tuesday The Zoo Project, Resident DJs $10 34 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Jam Jam DJs free 8pm
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Strange Talk, She Rex, Bernie Dingo, Devola, Joyride free 8pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Holy Other (UK), Alba, Astral DJs $25 (+ bf) 9pm Lewisham Hotel Garbage 90s Nights Resident DJs free 7pm Tortuga Studios, St Peters Creatives Uncovered Nikkita Alexander, DJ Soul Mama $25 7pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Doctor Werewolf, E-Cats, Brown Bear, Matt Ferriera, Harper, Hubble, Dude Dempsey vs King Lee, Fingers, Jace Disgrace,
Taylor Wolf free (early bird)$5 10pm
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 Civic Underground, Sydney Shlohmo (USA), Polographia, Charles Murdoch, Future Classic DJs, Astral DJs $25 (+ bf) 10pm The Cool Room, Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill We Love Thursdays Jay Bahi, Resident DJs 8pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst El-P (USA) $36 (+ bf) 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Swag Thursdays Resident DJs $10 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda DJ Dan (UK), Gillex, Dan Bombings, Becci Hearts free (student)-$5 9pm
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8 Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Fresh Fridays Reggae Party Resident DJs free 8pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Night Riot!, Sherlock Bones, Tova, Say Oh $10 8pm Cherry Bar, The Star, Pyrmont Simon Caldwell free 6pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Bass Mafia Shark Slayer (FIN), Filth Collins, Swiss Dub, Struz, Kraymer, Audiobotz, Tom & Jerry, LA Tech $15-$25 10pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour Gimme Five Shamus, DJ Mike Silver free 5pm Eleven Nightclub, Paddington A Creole Valentine DJ Lord Gee (CAN) $15 9pm The Empire Hotel, Kings Cross The Polish Invasion Arctic Moon, Indecent Noise, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor, Big J, Nathan Cryptic, Dejan $30 9pm Goodgod Front Bar, Sydney Yo Grito! Yo Grito! DJs free 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Pelvis $10 11pm Havana Nightclub, Darlinghurst Arctic Moon (POL), Indecent Noise, Matt Bowdidge, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor, Big J, Dejan $20-$30 9pm Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour The Guest List Tigerlily, Peewee Ferris, Brown Bear, Mitch Lowe, Hamish Radford, Le Brond, Coltek 9pm Ivy Changeroom. Sydney Love Gun Fridays Tina Turntables, The Apprentice & Hooligan 8pm Ivy Pool Club, Sydney Moonshine Cassian, Alley Oop, Shivers, YokoO, All The Colours DJs 9pm Jacksons On George, Sydney DJ Aron Mana, DJ Rain Julz free 9pm Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Bobby Burns 9pm Oatley Hotel We Luv Oatley Hotel Fridays DJ Tone free 8pm One22, Sydney Klute (UK), Nymfo (NL), Sariss, Vertigo, Whitey, Rush MC $27.50 Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Ultramagnetic MCs (USA), Loose Change, Mike Who, Frenzie $50 (+ bf) 8pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Girlthing – Fuck Valentine’s Cunningpants, Sveta, Tigerlily, Fingertips, Twincest $15 10pm The Red Rattler, Marrickville Backdoor Barn Dance Adonis, Princess Pony-Up, Huckleberry Spin, Billy Gay Cyrus, Hayfever, Hiccy $10$15 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross MILF – Man I Love Fridays Resident DJs 8pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Kruse & Nuernberg (GER), YokoO, Robbie Lowe, Morgan, Marc Jarvin $25 10pm The Standard, Surry Hills Filastine (USA), MC Nova (Indonesia), The Gypsy Dub Sound System, Cinco Cinco Cinco, Luke Snarl $15 (+ bf) 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Celebrate Fridays Resident DJs 9pm The Watershed Hotel, Darling Harbour Bring On The Weekend! DJ Matt Roberts, Candidate free 5pm
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
SUNDAY JUNE 24
Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway An Afternoon With... Butch (GER), Aboutjack, Whitecat, Antoine Vice, Space Junk, Ben Ashton $25 2pm The Argyle, The Rocks Release Yourself Shantan Wantan Ichiban, DJ Lavida, Chivalry, Aviery Jamieson free 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Falcona Saturdays Drop Frame, Frames, Hobophonics, Isbjorn free 8pm Bella Vista Boat, Sydney Harbour Zooper Dooper Harbour Cruise Starfuckers DJs, Doctor Werewolf, Banggang Deejays, Vengeance, Secret International DJ, Manst, Va Dnci, Step Bros, Audio Trash, Front To Back 12pm Candys Apartment & Whaat Club, Kings Cross Vamp Presents Felix Cartal, Vengeance, Kyrio & Bomber, Sherlock Bones, Robust, Sydney Be Heard DJs, Stalker, Hey Shep, Night Riot!, Chick Flick, 2busy 2kiss, Sticky Bandit $20 9pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Maxxi Sound System (UK), Edu Imbernon (SPA), A-Tonez, Blaze Tripp, Whitecat & Raulll, E-Cats, Fingers, Athson, Loose Change, Sprawl $15-$25 9pm Club 77, Darlinghurst Starfuckers Starfuckers DJs 10pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour Yellow Sox DJ Anders Hitchcock free 8pm Establishment, Sydney Sienna Resident DJs 8pm FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Hands Up! Staggman, Clockwerk free 11.30pm Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale Celebrating 20 Years of DSS Fangle, Foreigndub, Mad Cow, Insurgent, Distemper, Sam Da Chemist, Double Robin, Highly Dubious, Victikm, Sakura, Blackout, Actuator, Sook, Kieran Helmore, Commit, Vertigo, Linken, Capture free 9pm Goldfish, King Cross M.A.N.D.Y. (GER), Matt Cahill, Alan Thomas, Johnny Gleeson, Tones, Lee K Kelsall $35 9pm Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Numbers Jackmaster, Nelson $30 (+ bf) 11pm Hermann’s Bar, University of Sydney, Darlington Summer Reggae Party Gappy Ranks (UK), Basslines, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, JamRock! Sound Crew, Dance Studios 101 $22 9pm The Island, Sydney Late Nite Tuff Guy, Stephen Allkins, Kali $70 (+ bf) 3pm Ivy, Sydney Pacha TJR (USA), DJ Yoda (UK), Minx, Mo’Funk, Ember, John Glover $40 6.30pm Ivy Pool Club, Sydney Carl Cox & Eric Powell’s Mobile Disco Carl Cox (UK), Eric Powell (UK) $79 (+ bf) 12pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Simon Laing, DJ Michael Stewart free 9pm The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney Reef The Lost Cause (USA), Snowgoons (GER), Sammy Gallows $40 (+ bf) 8pm Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Walden 9pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Hermitude, Fishing sold out 8pm
The Red Rattler, Marrickville Ya Leil DJ Gemma $22 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross The Suite Resident DJs 8pm Space, Sydney Masif Saturdays Presents Judgement Judge Jules, Sean Tyas, DJ Ange, Thomas Knight, Nick Arbor, VLN, Astral, Krish Titan, Eonic, MC D, Steve Hill, Suae, Pulsar, Xdream, Hard Kitty, HSB, Radio Rockerz, Germ, Import, Khemist, Midshifter, A-Starz, DJ Bennett, Artistz, MC Napsta $30 10pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Michelle Owen (DE), Tornado Wallace, Cassette, Murat Kilic, Robbie Lowe $25 10pm Tatler, Darlinghurst Charades Shades of Gray, Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace, Bella Sarris, Pharley, U-Khan, Cam Cooper $20 8pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Trademark Saturdays I Am Sam, Troy T, Cadell, Robbie Santiago, Jason K, MC Deekay 9pm Warehouse Location, Sydney UTR #021 - Direct Hit! Canecutter vs Ilki, Zyklus, D&D $25 10pm The Watershed Hotel, Darling Harbour Skybar Saturdays Resident DJs $20 The World Bar, Kings Cross Cakes Go Freek, Tigerlily, Chaisme, Brown Bear, Mike Hyper, Academy, Oakes & Lennox, Thomas Lisse, Jack Bailey, Hannah Gibbs, Goodfella, Bounce Crew $15$20 8pm
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway S.A.S.H Sundays Emerson Todd, Florian Kruse (GER), Nick McMartin, Wizard Of Odd, Kerry Wallace, Matt Weir $10 2pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Sundays Resident DJs free 3pm The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays Resident DJs free 3pm Civic Hotel, Sydney House Your Soul Rooftop Party Kristel Morin (UK), George Kristopher, Mr-X, Mike Kon, Dimitri free 2pm Jacksons On George, Sydney Aphrodisiac Resident DJs free 5pm Oatley Hotel Sunday Sessions DJ Tone free 7pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Hermitude, Fishing sold out 7pm Q Bar, Darlinghurst Fair Play – Fair Day After Party Cunningpants, NatNoiz, Kristy Lee free 6pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Sapphire Sundays Resident DJs 8pm Tatler, Darlinghurst Dust Simon Caldwell, Robbie Lowe, James Taylor, Alley Oop free-$10 10pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Sinister Sundays Resident DJs free 8pm The Watershed Hotel, Darling Harbour DJ Matt Roberts free 2pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Soup Kitchen Rcnt & Matt J, Ollie Stokes, Revilo, The Soupy DJs free 5pm
club picks
Deep Impressions
up all night out all week...
Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery
DJ Koze
A Shlohmo
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Holy Other (UK), Alba, Astral DJs $25 (+ bf) 9pm
Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway An Afternoon With... Butch (GER), Aboutjack, Whitecat, Antoine Vice, Space Junk, Ben Ashton $25 2pm
The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Doctor Werewolf, E-Cats, Brown Bear, Matt Ferreira, Harper, Hubble, Dude Dempsey vs King Lee, Fingers, Jace Disgrace, Taylor Wolf free (early bird)-$5 10pm
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 Civic Underground, Sydney Shlohmo (USA), Polographia, Charles Murdoch, Future Classic DJs, Astral DJs $25 (+ bf) sold out Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst El-P (USA) $36 (+ bf) 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda DJ Dan (UK), Gillex, Dan Bombings, Becci Hearts free (student)-$5 9pm
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8 Chinese Laundry, Sydney Bass Mafia Sharkslayer (FIN), Filth Collins, Swiss Dub, Struz, Kraymer, Audiobotz, Tom & Jerry, LA Tech $15-$25 10pm Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Ultramagnetic MCs (USA), Loose Change, Mike Who, Frenzie $50 (+ bf) 8pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Kruse & Nuernberg (GER), YokoO, Robbie Lowe, Morgan, Marc Jarvin $25 10pm
Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Falcona Saturdays Drop Frame, Frames, Hobophonics, Isbjorn free 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Maxxi Sound System (UK), Edu Imbernon (SPA), A-Tonez, Blaze Tripp, Whitecat & Raulll, E-Cats, Fingers, Athson, Loose Change, Sprawl $15-$25 9pm Goldfish, King Cross M.A.N.D.Y. (GER), Matt Cahill, Alan Thomas, Johnny Gleeson, Tones, Lee M Kelsall $35 9pm Hermann’s Bar, University of Sydney, Darlington Summer Reggae Party Gappy Ranks (UK), Basslines, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, JamRock! Sound Crew, Dance Studios 101 $22 9pm Ivy Pool Club, Sydney Carl Cox & Eric Powell’s Mobile Disco Carl Cox (UK), Eric Powell (UK) $79 (+ bf) 12pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Michelle Owen (DE), Tornado Wallace, Cassette, Murat Kilic, Robbie Lowe $25 10pm
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway S.A.S.H Sundays Emerson Todd, Florian Kruse (GER), Nick McMartin, Wizard Of Odd, Kerry Wallace, Matt Weir $10 2pm
nything released by masterful Hamburg producer Stefan Kozalla, AKA DJ Koze, demands a listen, but his forthcoming LP, Amygdala – which features guest spots from Caribou, Apparat, Dirk von Lotzow, Hildegard Knef, Matthew Dear, Ada and Milosh – is the stuff that any electronica fan’s dreams are made of. Koze has only released one full-length solo album previously, Kosi Comes Around, which dropped on Kompakt Records in ’05. Since then, he has released memorable tracks such as ‘I Want To Sleep’ and ‘Mr Bojangles’, crafted remixes of Matias Aguayo, Matthew Herbert and Efdemin, and founded his own label, Pampa, through which Amygdala will be released. Described in its own press release as “Koze’s Sgt. Pepper,“ the forthcoming album apparently channels Koze’s output with his band International Pony, exploring the “familiar insecurity about whether a piece is a song or a track”. But beyond challenging dance music taxonomy, the album is really about “inviting all the different soundscapes on stage, and initiating a dialogue between them”. Amygdala will also include a remake of deceased German singer Hildegard Knef’s 1975 track ‘Ich Schreib Dir Ein Buch’ (which translates in English to ‘I Write You A Book’), Koze’s second dalliance with Knef after his remix of her song, ‘Ich liebe Euch’. It is rare an album looks as good as DJ Koze’s Amygdala does on paper. With all the talent on board, Amygdala is a must buy on spec when it drops in late March. Before Amygdala drops, however, there’s another upcoming release on Koze’s Pampa imprint that demands listeners’ attention: the upcoming Allowance EP from Rajko Müller, AKA Isolée, which will hit shelves next month. Best known for his timeless cut ‘Beau Mot Plage’ released back in ’98 on Playhouse, and credited with the first ‘microhouse’ album in his 2000 debut Rest, Isolée cemented his reputation with the release of 2005’s We Are Monster. This was (finally) followed with the release his most recent LP, Well Spent Youth, in 2011. Allowance consists of three tracks that venture towards an ambient and pop-influenced
take on house, maintaining Müller’s trademark experimentation and defying any clear-cut genre classification. One of the big movers last year in Sydney’s underground scene, the 4our crew, has announced their first international guest for 2013. Eli Verveine, the Red Bull Music Academy graduate from Switzerland, will play at Goodgod Small Club on Friday March 8. Verveine stalks the middle ground between house and techno in her DJ sets, and is close friends with some of the leading gals of the European scene, Julietta and Vera, who've each invited Verveine to their residencies at clubs in Munich and Offenbach. Rising to prominence through her guest mixes for the now-defunct blog mnml ssgs, Verveine launched her own record label Tardis last year with Oscar Schubaq, and inaugurated the imprint with a collaboration between herself and Schubaq. 4our residents, Trinity and Magda Bytnerowicz, will be spinning in support. The intriguing Terre Thaemlitz, who works under the monikers KamiSakunobe House Explosion (K-S.H.E) and DJ Sprinkles, has put together a mix for Japanese label Mule Musiq entitled Where Dancefloors Stand Still. The mix is apparently a reaction to Japan’s baffling fuzoku laws, which allow police to enter and raid clubs for the ‘crime’ of dancing. (Suddenly my complaints about the over-regulation of Sydney clubs seem somewhat petty!) Thaemlitz moved to Japan from the US over a decade ago, and is known for exploring the link between music and politics, having written and lectured extensively on gender and social issues over the years. Where Dancefloors Stand Still includes rare tracks from underground ’90s house figures such as Fingers Inc, Gene Farris, Braxton Holmes and Classic Man. Cuts from Russian deep house producer Alex Danilov and the now defunct MyMy collab between Nick Höppner and Lee Jones provide some contemporary flourishes to ensure you’ll be moving for the duration of Where Dancefloors Stand Still – and there’s nothing the police can do to stop you. Or is there?
LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16
Luis Flores
Luis Flores One22
SATURDAY MARCH 2 Dino Sabatini One22
Mano Le Tough The Abercrombie
FRIDAY MARCH 8
Eli Verveine Goodgod Small Club
Butch
Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13 :: 35
snap up all night out all week . . .
cakes party profile
It’s called: Cakes It sounds like: The perfect concoction of all things house, garnished with lashings of hip hop and party, and just a sprinkling of cheese. Who's playing? What So Not, Danny T, Go Freek. Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Contr ol Movement – ‘Gesaffelstein’; Van She – ‘Idea Of Happiness (What So Not Remix )’; Duke Dumont – ‘The Giver’. And one you definitely won’t: Avicii – ‘Level s’. Sell it to us: A pearly oasis in the Cross where respite can be sought from bad music, bad crowds and any form of pretentiousn ess, set in a labyrinthine Victorian mansion, jam-packed with hidden audio treasu res. Oh yeah… Don’t forget the delicious cocktails served in teapots! The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Big beats , dirty dance moves, fuzzy faces and potentially very little in detail… Crowd specs: 18-25, but we encourage anyon e and everyone to come join in the fun! Wallet damage: $10 before 10pm, $15 after (on the guestlist). Where: The World Bar, Kings Cross
boom boom says andrés
PICS :: KC
When: Saturday February 9, and every Saturd ay
PICS :: AM
boss bass
peanut butter wolf
PICS :: AM
25:01:13 :: Tatler :: 169-173 Darlinghurst Rd Darlinghurst 9326 0222
23:01:13 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587
PICS :: AM
s.a.s.h. sundays
agwa yacht club after party
27:01:13 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9211 3486 36 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
26:01:13 :: The Burdekin :: 2-4 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9331 3066
:: KATRINA CLARKE :: MARY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MAR LEY ASH :: LEE Y ROX :: BEK JANE CASWELL :: ONUR KARAOZ
PICS :: PX
25:01:13 :: Cargo Bar :: 52-60 The Promenade Sydney 9262 1777
kwp!CPR11772
BRAG :: 498 :: 04:03:13 :: 37
snap
mind electric
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
27:01:13 :: Marquee :: Star City Sydney 9657 7737
sosueme It sounds like: An electronic pop house party. Who's playing? Live – Strange Talk, She Rex; DJs – Devola, Joyride, Bernie Dingo. Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Strang e Talk – ‘Eskimo Boy’, She Rex – ‘11th Hour’, Toto – ‘Africa’. And one you definitely won’t: Nikki Webs ter – ‘Strawberry Kisses’ (we hope). Sell it to us: A night of tomfoolery in the middl e of the week with free entry, mindmelting music and, to sweeten the deal, free popcorn and fairy floss. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: That mania c who jumped on stage and stole the mic – that was you! Oh, and those sexy bands. Crowd specs: Real Bondi Hipsters without the irony. Wallet damage: Free entry, popcorn and fairy floss. Where: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi When: Wednesday February 6
sounds on sunday
PICS :: AM
21:01:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666
party profile
the bloody beetroots
PICS :: AM
It’s called: SOSUEME @ Beach Road Hotel
sasha
PICS :: AM
27:01:13 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue St North Sydney 9964 9477
26:01:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 38 :: BRAG :: 498 :: 04:02:13
:: KATRINA CLARKE :: MARY S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) :: PEDRO XAVIER :: OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER MAR LEY ASH :: LEE Y ROX :: BEK JANE CASWELL :: ONUR KARAOZ
Strong crude humour, sexual references, nudity, violence and coarse language
IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY 7