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BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 5

rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Mina Kitsos and Lisa Omagari

follow us:

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THE BRAG

speed date WITH

LARISSA MCKAY What Do You Look For In A Band?

I’ve played with a diverse mix of 1. musos over the years and now I look for personality fi t over anything else. I want to share the experience with people I like to hang out and have a laugh with. Also, they have to be a great player, be reliable and like my songs. I let each player bring their own style to the song as it gives each track a new life and the player feels more invested in the project.

Keeping Busy I’ve been busy planning my EP 2. launch, from fairy lights to choosing the venue to contacting press. I’m so pleased it’s all come together and I can tie some of the loose ends up in my head and celebrate. I’ve also been working on some collaborations with DJ/producers L D R U and Yahtzel and have another collaboration going that’s more an R&B/pop vibe. I’ll be touring interstate over summer, so I’m really looking forward to playing the EP to new audiences and making a music video for the next single.

Best Gig Ever One of my sets at The Great Escape 3.

Festival in the UK was pretty magical. I played in an old church and the acoustics

SOUNDWAVE SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ARTS EDITOR: Lisa Omagari lisa@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 STAFF WRITERS: Alasdair Duncan, Jody Macgregor, Krissi Weiss NEWS: Chris Honnery, Mina Kitsos, Rebecca Whitman ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry COVER PHOTO: Ken Leanfore SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Karl Braasch, Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Bianca Lockley - 0412 581 669 / (02) 9212 4322 bianca@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Rob Furst MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600, 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600

Soundwave has dropped a gargantuan second lineup for its 2014 incarnation. Leading the charge is A Day To Remember and Mastodon, followed by HIM, Pennywise, Jimmy Eat World, Glassjaw, Panic! At The Disco, Eagles Of Death Metal, Mayday Parade, Sevendust and many more. They join a lengthy lineup that already includes Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Placebo and AFI, among others. The festival takes place at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday February 23.

OKKERVIL RIVER

Texan-bred rockers Okkervil River will play Oxford Art Factory on Friday February 21 off the back of their appearance at Perth Festival. The band’s seventh album, The Silver Gymnasium, riffs on frontman Will Sheff’s hometown of Meriden, New Hampshire, and his memories of the rural town circa 1986. Heading Down Under for the sixth time, Okkervil River ain’t no strangers to our shores and we reckon with their new record in tow they might just bring the ’80s party like never before.

were beautiful, the room was silent and it was a great accomplishment for me careerwise. Worst gig has got to be when I was first starting out. Larissa & The Wild Grey played at the Cat and Fiddle in Balmain on Mother’s Day and my extended family came to watch, and up the front was a drunk yelling, “Where’s ya fuckin’ guitarist?!”

Kinda funny now though.

Current Playlist At the moment I’m really digging 4. downtempo electronic stuff like Safia, Chrome Sparks, Purity Ring and London Grammar. I can’t go past City and Colour and John Mayer though, they’re my favourites. I saw Daughter play at Splendour this year and they were really captivating and gave me goosebumps.

Your Ultimate Rider I just discovered COYO ice cream, so 5. if we’re playing this game, defi nitely a tub of that, booze, a masseuse and an array of keyboards.

What: In The Clouds EP Launch Where: William Street Studios, Fairlight When: Saturday November 16

ERYKAH BADU

The always extraordinary Erykah Badu has announced her Bluesfest sideshows, including one date in Sydney. The multitalented soul singer, songwriter, producer, director and actor has been warming ears since the release of her 1997 debut album, Baduizm. Following her 2012 conquest at the Opera House, Badu plays The Star on Thursday April 17.

Hollie Smith

JINJA SAFARI

Jungle pop collective Jinja Safari put out their debut album earlier this year, and they’re headed back on the road to play it for the masses. It’s not hard to imagine the high-energy duo at Jinja Safari’s core, Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight, speaking to each other in African tongues. Still, they’ve translated their worldly thoughts into some damn fine musik for our consumption – and their live show is a rollicking experience. See them on Friday December 27 at the Mona Vale Hotel, Saturday December 28 at The Entrance Leagues Club, and Saturday January 4 at Newcastle’s Small Ballroom.

GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATORS: Lucy Smith, Helen Vienne, Nick Timms, James Dunlop gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag. com (dance, hip hop & parties)

Elvis Costello

AWESOME INTERNS: Mina Kitsos, James Dunlop, Nick Timms, Helen Vienne, Lucy Smith, Rebecca Whitman REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Marissa Demetriou, Christie Eliezer, Chris Honnery, Cameron James, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Jody Macgregor, Alicia Malone, Daniel Prior, Amy Theodore, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Rick Warner, Krissi Weiss, Augustus Welby, David Wild, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227

HOLLIE SMITH

Deck the halls with boughs of Hollie Smith. She’s your favourite new New Zealand steal, having achieved double platinum and gold status for her albums and come to be regarded an icon in her homeland (and therefore the perfect candidate for an Aussie claim). Her enchanting vocals and soul-infused tracks will look good under your overlyadorned-sort-of-contrived tree this Christmas. And you might even look good if you hit up her gig on Thursday November 14 at swanky jazz club Venue 505 in Surry Hills. Be there.

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: Luke Forrester: 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).

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6 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

MORE ACTS FOR DENI BLUES & ROOTS

Deni Blues & Roots Festival has dropped its second lineup announcement ahead of the Easter weekend event, held in Deniliquin in southern New South Wales. Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Boz Scaggs, Michael Franti and Spearhead and Steve Earle & The Dukes head up the second batch of acts, joining the already-announced John Mayer, Dr John & The Nite Trippers, The Doobie Brothers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and more. Deni Blues & Roots goes down on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20. Tickets from denibluesfestival.com.

PETE MURRAY

Pete Murray’s Feeler record and its title track provided the soundtrack to summer ’03/’04. Ten years down the track, Murray’s celebrating the anniversary with a tour and special edition rerelease of the album, out on Friday November 15. Murray plays the Enmore Theatre on Friday March 28. thebrag.com

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 7

rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Mina Kitsos and Lisa Omagari

five things WITH HUGH

JILL SCOTT

MATTHEWS FROM PRETTY CITY shoegaze soup. Drew is a pretty rad prog rock-style drummer and that gives everything a really lush, expansive feel. We are friends and we’ve all had other projects which have crossed paths. Being a three-piece means we can all interact and improvise a little. We are fairly vague with the structures when we play live and focus more on ambience, swells and rhythms.

The Music You Make Our first two releases, ‘Part 4.

Of Your Crowd’ and ‘Ignoring

Growing Up My earliest memory of music 1. is the jazz piano my dad used to play in our lounge room. Mum had Disraeli Gears on vinyl and I listened to that all the time and knew how all the solos went, even before I played guitar. It’s a weird mix but I guess it taught me the things I like; interesting chords, melancholy and free-spirited jamming.

I got into synths, shoegaze 2. Inspirations

and also film music. All those influences were there when we started Pretty City and they’ve grown into the sound of the band. I think the strength of Pretty City is the way each of us brings a unique set of influences to the table, and expresses those influences with absolute freedom.

Your Band Pretty City has existed for 3. a year and this band is really simple: ambient rock, psych and

My Friends’, were actually the iPhone demos that brought the band together in the first place. We thought they were an honest and punchy reflection of the band so we put them out.

Our debut EP, Heights, takes the lo-fi aesthetic of our early releases and makes the jump to lightspeed. It was recorded with Jez Giddings (Kingswood, King of the North) at Melbourne’s Hothouse Audio, and the result is a vast, cinematic sounding rock record with explosive jams and ethereal vocals. The lead single ‘Falling In And Out Of Love’ throws a nod to our shoegazing forefathers, and has a bit of a Madchester lope to it a la The Stone Roses.

raking up 1.6 million views online. He brings his Scandinavian serenade to Australia in March, playing Wednesday March 5 at Oxford Art Factory.

WEST AFRICAN FESTIVAL

You’ve gotta love African festivals, especially ones with exotic music, dance, workshops, food, art and crafts. And all for free. Breathe.

On Saturday November 16, Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park will become a mecca for African culture, with world music and the very best of African arts on offer.

Showcasing new collaborations between West African musicians and dancers and their Australian counterparts, the festival will be marked by performances from a huge lineup of hand-picked artists. The stage will become a cross-section of culture, with a Ghanaian big band, a Senegalese dance band and a percussion ensemble all amongst the collectives playing. Check out westafricanfestival.com.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

We’ve been to Sydney a bunch of times and have felt totally accepted by the awesome scene here from the beginning. Our first show at MUM was loose and sweaty; a real party vibe and we loved it. We played at FBi with The Carraways previously and had a rad night in one of the best band rooms in Sydney. Last time round we hit up Brighton Up Bar and Oxford Art Factory with High-Tails and Harriet Whiskey Club, all such nice dudes and truly rocking bands. Johnny discovered a place called Mr Crackles that will sell him roast meats and crackling at 2am.

Generally speaking, the only thing better than the music scene in Sydney is the late night junk food scene. Who knows what greasy, Moorish delight we will stumble across after our EP launch at FBi Social on November 15? If anyone has a place in mind they should totally come to the gig and join us for a late night feast to celebrate.

With: The Ivory Drips, Hoy, The Carraways Where: FBi Social When: Friday November 15

That now-iconic music show on the weekly television calendar, RocKwiz, has put out another volume of its Duets compilations on CD and DVD. Drawing from episodes in series seven, eight and nine, The Rockwiz Duets Volume 4: ‘With A Little Help From Our Friends’ includes performances from Joe Camilleri, Oh Mercy’s Alexander Gow, Chris Cheney, Megan Washington, and a cracking collab between Kimbra and Ben Salter. We’ve got five CDs and DVDs to give away – for your chance to win a copy, visit thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us the name of your dream duet.

Austra

WIRE

Wire you looking at me like that? Yes, I’m serious. They’re coming back. Yes, you should probably cancel all those extremely important reservations you made for Thursday February 20 and memorise the quickest way of getting to Oxford Art Factory. Yes, Wire’s discography is the shit, and you have it all on your iTunes and floppy discs – 40 years and 13 albums is a hell of a lot of gigs. And I don’t mean gigabytes, but that too.

SUNNYBOYS

’80s alt-rock icons Sunnyboys are heading out on a headline tour for the first time in over 20 years. In support of their Our Best Of release, due out on Friday December 6, Sunnyboys return with singer/guitarist Jeremy Oxley at the helm. In 2012, they played on the Hoodoo Gurus’ Dig It Up! bill, and followed it up with a triumphant Sydney Opera House show earlier this year. The 2014 east coast run will be Sunnyboys’ first headline tour since 1991. See them with The Stems, The Frowning Clouds and Dig It Up! DJs on Saturday March 29 at the Enmore Theatre.

AUSTRA

Canadian synth-pop outfit Austra will play a 2014 Perth Festival sideshow at The Standard on Friday February 14. Austra were saluted at Laneway Festival 2012 for their live renditions of tracks from debut album, Feel It Break.

The band then released Feel It Break’s follow-up, Olympia, earlier this year.

A record of contrasts, Olympia takes its cue from the world of dance while simultaneously incorporating baroquestyle woodwind.

MODELS

Melbournian virtuosi Models are back with a new set injected with a mix of slick new tracks and old favourites. Trailblazers of the Aussie alternative music scene, Models led the ARIA catwalk in the early ’80s with seminal minialbum Cut Lunch. Their 1983 LP The Pleasure Of Your Company, however, stole the show, paving the way for 25 years of platinum releases and anthemic cuts. On Friday December 13, Models will take to The Standard to preview new tracks from their upcoming album, with support from Dog Trumpet and Sophie Hanlon.

THE PRETTY LITTLES

MIKHAEL PASKALEV

KINGS OF LEON

Ever since Kings Of Leon walked out onto stage at the then-Acer Arena in 2006 supporting Pearl Jam, things have only got bigger. The debate will go on and on about whether they sold out, maannn, but one thing’s for certain: the Followills’ following has only swelled. That makes the latest announcement all the more special: a one-off intimate show at the Enmore Theatre this month. Returning to Oz in support of their sixth album, Mechanical Bull, KOL will be joined by local favourites The Growl. See them on Wednesday November 20. Tickets on sale 9am Wednesday November 13.

Remember those guys in high school that lugged around their musical gear and asked you for money in the canteen line (DUDE. I said no!)? Well, awkward for you because as The Pretty Littles they’ve finally scrounged up enough dough to put together their first LP. And even more awkward for you – it’s pretty darn good. Throw your tuckshop-lady arms in the air because Mash is a smashing mix of 11 tracks named because “she was a big ol’ mix of scrappy rock’n’roll, a bit of scrappy punk, some scrappy ballads and some other genres that I can’t think of right now.” Vague? Check them out by pushing in line at the Lansdowne on Saturday December 7. thebrag.com

Kings Of Leon photo by Dan Winters

8 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

ROCKWIZ DUETS

MIKELANGELO

Someone call David, ’cause Mikelangelo’s in the house! Fresh from touring the UK, Europe and beyond, award-winning entertainer Mikelangelo has put together a Classic Albums series – a musical exhibition of sorts, inspired by dreams he’s experienced after falling asleep to his own songs. Pretentious? Try a naked statue. He plays The Vanguard on Sunday November 24 and Camelot Lounge on Thursday November 28.

Kings Of Leon

Being called “the best thing to come out of Oslo since fjörds” puts a lot of pressure on an artist. The same pressure one would feel as a 14-year-old playing live to a bikie gang, or having to say ‘Mikhael-Paskalev-is-comingto-Sydney-OMG’ really quickly to just about everyone you know. While you’re taking care of the latter, Paskalev has already achieved the former, proving an expert at keeping it cool and charismatic, his glittery folk-pop and indie soul soundscapes sweeping over audiences in Norway and now Oz. Signed to the Mumfordfounded label Communion, Paskalev’s I Spy EP sure pasks a punch, the title track already

A bona fide neosoul superstar – and former leading lady in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Jill Scott is on her way to Sydney this month for a couple of Enmore Theatre dates. Scott has worked alongside industry luminaries like Questlove and The Roots, who featured on her 2000 debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words And Sounds Vol. 1, and she recently told the BRAG: “If I’m not moving the crowd in some way, shape or form then I’m not doing my job.” You can see Scott getting on with business on Saturday November 23 and Monday November 25, and we’ve got two double passes up for grabs. Just head to thebrag. com/freeshit and tell us: if you were a private detective, what would you name your agency?

Sunnyboys photo by Lucinda Bilson

Sunnyboys

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

L R A C V O N 1 2 THU G I A CR INVITATIONE Y B M P 8 Y FROM M 10PM TILL LAT R T N E T S E U FREE G ERAL PUBLIC FRO ELLAR.COM.AU GEN SPICEC

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 9

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR

* During BeyoncĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stop in Sydney, some of her entourage spent two days filming a new video for her in the Hunter Valley.

The crew was also filming in the sand dunes of Stockton, according to an Instagram posted by choreographer Anthony Burrell. La BeyoncĂŠ herself couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it down due to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;scheduling conflictâ&#x20AC;? and will be inserted into the video via green screen technology. * Daniel Johnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; long-awaited solo album is still juicing. Lordeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-writer and producer Joel Little let slip to Billboard that he had been writing with that Johns.

Little said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working on his solo record. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been a fan of those guys [Silverchair], so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been really cool to do some stuff with him.â&#x20AC;? * Newcastle live entertainment venue The Brewery is heading for a new owner. Operator Michael Hoggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company Queens Wharf Brewery Pty Ltd is being wound up, with a receiver and liquidator assessing the financials and seeking expressions of interest from other venue owners. Despite Hoggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard work, attendances dropped and the National Australia Bank pulled the pin. * Meantime, Aaron Little and Ashley Doran, promoters of gay club nights, have moved their Unity club to the Crown

15% RISE IN COMMUNITY RADIO LISTENERS

The latest Community Broadcasting Association of Australia National Listener Survey shows that the 350+ community radio stations in Australia are drawing more listeners. An average of 29% of all radio listeners tune in each week. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5,204,000 of 18,109,000 Australians aged 15 or older, and a rise of nearly 15% (from 4,446,000 listeners) since 2012.

MOSHTIX, BASEMENT EXTEND DEAL

Ticketing provider Moshtix and music venue The Basement have extended their ten-year partnership for at least another five years.

The club was Moshtixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first client ten years ago, setting up a ticketing model based around paperless ticket delivery and low consumer fees. In April, when new owners took over the Circular Quay venue, they did a review of the ticketing systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capabilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ticketing underpins our business so it was critical we had a partner that had the capability and credibility to support our objectives,â&#x20AC;? pointed out The Basementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

& Anchor Hotel at 189 Hunter Street, Newcastle. They were turfed out of the Sydney Junction Hotel in September when a new owner took over. * Rihanna has made chart history after her single with Eminem, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Monsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, went straight to number one on the Official UK Singles Chart. The Barbadian babe joins Elvis Presley and The Beatles as one of just three acts to have scored a number one single over seven consecutive years. * Motley Crue have hired Jackass movie series director Jeff Tremaine to helm the film adaptation of their 2001 biography, The Dirt: Confessions Of The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Notorious Rock Band. Tremaine admitted

entertainment manager Nathan Farrell. But their research found Moshtix was best for them, and that its tools â&#x20AC;&#x153;give us the ability to be much more nimble and flexible in the way we manage our businessâ&#x20AC;?. Moshtix owner and managing director Harley Evans said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear our objectives are highly aligned as far as customers, technology and service are concerned. I think the relationship will move to a new level over the next few years for the benefit of the people who attend events at this iconic venue.â&#x20AC;?

ROCK MUSICIANS NOMINATED FOR SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS

Musicians who emerged from rock backgrounds, such as Custardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s David McCormack, Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, Gotye producer Francois Tetaz, David Hirschfelder, Josh Abrahams, Ric Formosa, Michael Lira (who started in a Sydney punk band aged 14) and one-time The Mess Hall co-leader Jed Kurzel are among those nominated for the 2013 Screen Music Awards. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be held on Monday December 9 at Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Theatre. For the full list of nominees, see the websites of

Build Your Music Empire Today 1300

THE HIFI

OM.AU THEHIFI.C

Info here:

This Week

Big Sean

(USA)

Fri 15 Nov

Coming Soon

Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club (USA) Sat 16 Nov: All Ages

Hits & Pits 2.0 feat Black Flag (USA ) Sun 17 Nov

Insane Clown Posse (USA)

Sat 7 Dec: All Ages

heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turned down a lot of scripts but has wanted to do The Dirt since the book came out. * It looks like Foo Fighters have ended the self-imposed hiatus they took so Dave Grohl could work on the Sound City film project. The Foos have been announced to play to 55,000 people in Mexico City on December 13 with The National. * The Hanging Tree will re-form for a show for suicide awareness charity beyondblue. To be held Wednesday November 27 at the Factory Theatre, also playing are The Potbelleez, Skunkhour, Juice, Mitchell Anderson Orchestra, King Clam and Tax.

APRA|AMCOS or the Australian Guild of Screen Composers.

PANDORA HIT BY ITUNES RADIO ARRIVAL

iTunes Radio, which launched in the US on September 18, reached 11 million listeners in its first week and 20 million by the end of last month. It certainly hit Pandoraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status as biggest internet radio service. Pandora lost 1.8 million listeners in October, down to 70.9 million.

But its CFO Michael Herring said this was â&#x20AC;&#x153;in line with our expectations and showed the resilience of our business.â&#x20AC;?

Herring preferred to stress the 9% increase in listener hours during October, to 1.47 billion. It took the share of US radio listening to 8.06% from 7.77% in September.

LIVE MUSIC TASKFORCE RELEASES ACTION PLAN

Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Live Music and Live Performance Taskforce, chaired by jazz guitarist and live music activist John Wardle, has released its action plan of 57 recommendations to foster live music.

These include simplifying the approval process for small events, turning unused community spaces into rehearsal spaces for bands, putting musos in affordable housing schemes, being flexible about parking tickets during load-ins and loadouts, appointing a City Of Sydney live music and performance liaison officer to cut red tape for venues and run a mediation process, and protecting areas with live music history. Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to set up a live entertainment precinct, called the plan â&#x20AC;&#x153;ground breakingâ&#x20AC;?.

IS THE ALBUM DEAD?

Is the growing popularity of streaming putting the focus on singles and rendering the album extinct? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the question the US music industry is debating. In the first week of November, US album sales dropped to an all-time low of 4.49 million.

Katy Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prism sold 300,000 units that week â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but that was more than the next eight acts on the US charts combined, including Pearl Jam and Drake. How will artists respond to the possible end of the line for albums? Some like Radiohead and David Byrne are pulling out of digital services in support of the album format.

ROBERT RIGBY TO MANAGE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE VOICEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; AT UNIVERSAL Deerhunter (USA) Tue 10 Dec

The Brian Jonestown Massacre (USA) Thu 19 Dec

Kylesa (USA) Thu 12 Dec

Waka Flocka Flame (USA) Fri 20 Dec

Looptroop Rockers (SWE) & Sage Francis (USA) Fri 13 Dec

Earthless (USA) & The Shrine (USA) Sat 4 Jan

Melvins (USA) & Helmet (USA) Sun 15 Dec

Crystal Fighters (UK) Thu 9 Jan

Wehrmacht (USA) Rotting Christ (GRE) Kerser Dark Fri 17 Jan Grave (SWE) Sat 8 Feb: All Ages Tranquillity (SWE) Primate (USA) Sat 29 Mar Sat 11 Jan ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY

10 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

As The Voice expands next year to become both an adultsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; series, Universal Music Australia has brought in Robert Rigby as executive manager of A&R for The Voice. He will work with Mercury GM Peter Karpin. Rigby, onetime managing director at WEA Records at Warner, has more recently been running Ambition, the label he set up in 2009. It was behind the platinum breakthrough of Russell Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sharkmouth.

EMMANUEL TO HEADLINE BUSHFIRE BENEFIT

Tommy Emmanuel headlines the Australian Institute of Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (AIM) Bushfire Benefit at the Bald Faced Stag on Sunday November 17. He will be joined by Belle and The Bone People, Cuervo, Darren Percival, Alex Gibson and Katie Carr as well as bands from AIM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the AIM High School Band, Civilians and Lana Rita and The Soulbeats.

Proceeds go to the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal.

2DAY FM LOSES COURT BATTLE OVER PRANK

2Day FM lost its court battle to stop the communications watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, investigating the infamous royal prank call. The station argued that ACMA acted as â&#x20AC;&#x153;policeman, prosecutor, judge, jury, prison warden and parole officerâ&#x20AC;? when it delivered the preliminary findings in June. But the judge dismissed the claim, leading the way for 2Day to face huge fines and constraints on its licence. The stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent Southern Cross Austereo already lost $130 million of value on the share market for the two days after Kyle & Jackie O quit.

SMAC NOMINATIONS OPEN

Nominations are open for the 2013 SMAC Awards to acknowledge those who contributed to the arts, music and cultural scene in the past year. Go to fbismacawards.com.

TRIPLE J UNEARTHED NOMINATIONS

The nominees for triple jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Unearthed Artist of the Year are Remi, Jackie Onassis, Dustin Tebbutt, Wave Racer, Jeremy Neale, SAFIA and Tigertown. The winner will be announced at the J Awards on Friday November 22.

SURVEY: MUSIC VIDS TOO SEXUAL, VIOLENT

A study by parenting website Netmums found that 87% of parents think todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pop stars are â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;far more explicitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; than they were in their own youthâ&#x20AC;?; two-thirds feel young female singers are exploited; 73% try to protect their children from watching music videos; 56% reckon pop stars are more like porn stars; and 24% believe acts are being exploited by the music business.

SONNY TRUELOVE JOINS ARTERY FOUNDATION

Songwriter and producer Sonny Trueloveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central Coast-based STL Studios has joined management company The Artery Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roster. Acts recording there of late included The Amity Affliction, For All Eternity and Prepared Like A Bride. For bookings and other info, contact matt@thearteryfoundation.com.

Lifelines Recovered: Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, diagnosed with Hodgkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lymphoma earlier this year, says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now in remission.

Arrested: DMX (yet again!), this time for allegedly driving under suspension, having an uninsured vehicle and not having a licensed vehicle.

In Court: a 44-year-old Townsville man was fined $900 after dancing wildly in a club. He kept bumping into other dancers, and security threw him out. A scuffle began outside and cops were called.

In Court: two Cairns brothers who were busted with a bag containing 496 ecstasy pills told the judge they were taking them to share with friends at a music festival.

They were sentenced to six monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jail.

Died: US blues rock guitarist Bobby Parker, 76. The riff to his 1961 track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Watch Your Stepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;inspiredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Beatlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Feel Fineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Led Zeppelinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Moby Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and was covered by The Spencer Davis Group, Dr Feelgood and Carlos Santana, who once said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bobby inspired me to play guitar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the few remaining guitarists who can pierce your heart and soothe your soul.â&#x20AC;?

Died: US pickup and guitar designer Bill Lawrence, 82. Born Willi Lorenz Stich in Germany, he built his first magnetic pickup in 1946. He worked with a number of companies including Fender, Gibson and Peavey. At Gibson he designed their S-1, L6-S (the modern reissue is the L6S), the Super Humbucker and the Ripper bass. He also ran his own company. His innovative Lawrence Audio electric piano became a favourite of artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Miles Davis.

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The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You is out now through Anti Records.

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A

h, LA. Centre of Western culture.

Home of the B-grade movie, the toy poodle and the failed TV pilot.

Whether you see it as a blight on the cultural landscape or a bastion of the creative elite, there is no denying the power of its output. The Sunset Strip has given birth to much music over the decades. Such luminaries as The Doors, The Byrds and Frank Zappa honed their craft in the many clubs that dominate this fabled avenue.

However, all of that rich historical tapestry may be safely ignored, for this land of show and sell was the birthplace of the greatest form of music known to humankind – glam metal.

Those in the UK might contest this claim, citing Whitesnake, Def Leppard or even Black Sabbath as the seeds from which glam grew, and they might even be right. But it was in LA that heavy metal was nurtured into the vivid flower that today still thrusts its gaudy finery up through the concrete of the Strip. The flower bloomed in the ’70s and was washed away in the great grunge flood of 1992, but it did not die a total death. The flower of glam metal rose again in the form of Steel Panther.

Booked to play only once a week in one of the most famous clubs in LA, times were tough.

“We were always trying to get a deal but we needed to make money. So if we couldn’t afford a stripper we’d do a gig and make some 12 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

money.” Every struggling artist can empathise.

This typical working-class background is clearly defined by the lyrics to ‘Stripper Girl’: “Stripper girl / Heaven sent, pay my phone bill, pay my rent / Stripper girl / I love you, all my friends really love you too / I really love your boobies”.

In 2012 the band played the Soundwave Festival alongside big names like Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. “I went surfing at Bondi, went to the zoo, then went to pretty much every strip club that we could get to,” says Starr. “That was one of the best experiences of my life; I’m not just saying that. Coming to Australia for the first time and getting the response we got, it was fuckin’ great, man. Travelling with a bunch of bands like that, going town to town, setting up, it was like being in a carnival.”

Soundwave 2012 also exposed the band to the performer Starr calls the most evil man in metal, Marilyn Manson. “He actually beats his guitar player when he doesn’t play good.” But isn’t Steel Panther an evil metal band too? “No, I would say we’re on the side of…” He pauses.

“I’ve never been asked that question. I would say we’re on the cusp; we’re on both ends. We do some evil stuff, but we do it with love. I think our message is very positive. Yeah, we are righteously evil, bro.”

But evil wafts off this band like steam rising from fresh custard, if the custard were cooked with hairspray and cocaine. With such lowbrow lyrics as “I’ve got an extra dong for double penetration / Just squeeze my balls and activate vibration,” do Steel Panther cop a lot of flak from moral commentators? “No, not one, not even Kanye West,” says Starr.

“But I know why Kanye West never tries to get offside with us – ’cause he’s a fucking pussy.”

Just wait for the attention-seeking Deadmau5 to set his Twitter sights on you. “I wish he would; I wish he had the keyboard courage, he doesn’t even have that.

“Look, as far as we’re concerned, we’re a politically incorrect band that you can’t play in your work space or your office space.

Anywhere else in the world except Japan you can play our shit anywhere. It’s on the radio, it’s on MTV, it’s everywhere. In the States they’re still freaked out by it. There’s a lot of people [there] that are real uptight. It’s like, ‘Just fuckin’ relax, have a fuckin’ beer and fuckin’ party.’”

Steel Panther play music from a time of excess and exuberance, deftly capturing the vital elements of glam metal and concentrating them into a potent elixir like spandex-clad alchemists. “Have a fuckin’ beer

“I KNOW WHY KANYE WEST NEVER TRIES TO GET OFFSIDE WITH US – ’CAUSE HE’S A FUCKING PUSSY. I WISH [DEADMAU5] WOULD; I WISH HE HAD THE KEYBOARD COURAGE, HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE THAT.”

All jokes aside, Steel Panther have captured something from history and made it their own.

In this age of musical reflection on the past the question of authenticity is irrelevant. What matters is the show. With this in mind the band is taking it further with a new YouTube series. “Right now we’ve started a thing called Steel Panther TV. We have our own segments that we’ve come up with. It’s our brand of humour and how we approach our life. It’s really fun and you can check it out online for free.”

This is the success of Steel Panther. They provide a reminder of what music used to be and could one day be again. It’s not just an act. I ask if Starr ever breaks character. “What did you ask? How much cocaine do we do?”

Uh, no.

“Oh yeah yeah. Look, when I walk into a supermarket, I still look like this. I’m the same guy onstage as I am offstage. The only difference is I don’t walk around in my spandex. We’ve always been guys that like to have fun onstage. Our music is a reflection of that. Once we started interjecting how we really are into our music, that’s when Steel Panther became what it is today. And we just never stopped, we just kept embellishing it because we really enjoy it. Offstage we joke around all the fucking time – that’s just the way we are.

“We love anything that incorporates the lifestyle of partying, having a good time and rocking, so that can be any kind of metal.”

With: Buckcherry, Fozzy Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Saturday December 7 thebrag.com

Steel Panther photo by Ken Leanfore

Steel Panther began as Metal Shop, playing regular gigs at The Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard, a club boasting Johnny Depp as a founder and Tom Waits as a founding consultant. “We were playing The Viper Room every Monday night and we put out our own record,” says Steel Panther lead vocalist Ralph Saenz, AKA Michael Starr. The band’s self-produced debut album Hole Patrol was released in 2003 under the Metal Shop name.

Later the band was known as Metal Skool, and it was only in 2008 that Steel Panther was born. In 2005, Hole Patrol was reissued with a new track added, a cover of Ian Hunter’s song ‘Cleveland Rocks’ (you may know it as The Drew Carey Show theme song). “That was our very first independent release,” says Starr. “That album had ‘Fat Girl’ on it and ‘Stripper Girl’, so when we got the record deal we recorded everything again, like, in a real studio.”

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and fuckin’ party” may seem a simple philosophy but it’s one that goes unheeded by many.

‘Death To All But Metal’, one of their original and best songs, calls for the end of Beyoncé and Blink-182. But how best to destroy those skater punks? “That’s pretty easy; they pretty much did it themselves with their last release,” says Starr. “The only way they could save themselves is if the singer started singing like he grew up.”

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BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 13

Reel Big Fish Real To Reel By Krissi Weiss

I

n the late ’80s and early ’90s there was something in the water along the Californian coastline, just south of LA. Bands like Reel Big Fish came crashing onto the scene with ragefilled lyrics, punk-inspired rhythms and contagious horn sections, and from this stew of sounds, ska punk reached the mainstream. While the Huntington and Long Beach crews owe a massive debt to the likes of Fishbone and The Specials, everyone else can trace their success to Reel Big Fish, Sublime and company.

Somehow Reel Big Fish are still kicking it with the best of them – albeit after many lineup changes and a dizzying turnover of horn players – but the heart and soul of the band, frontman Aaron Barrett, has always managed to find kick-arse players willing to follow him to the ends of musical sanity and ever-deeper into rhythms that will blow the mind.

Drummer Ryland Steen is excited to be doing Vans Warped Tour as it makes its triumphant return to Australia. No stranger to gigging on this scale, Steen has been manning the skins for over a decade and notes that the audience on Warped is comfortingly familiar. “It’s all the same, in a

way – though after all these years, the only thing that changes is the fashion,” says Steen. “Kids are angry and confused and excited for life, and that hasn’t changed at all since we were kids. They’re kinda pissed off at life too, so I guess we’re just there to tell them that everything’s OK, at least for an afternoon.”

A Reel Big Fish gig can easily have an audience of two generations sharing the pit and dancing in communal joy. Despite this, Steen reckons the biggest change he’s noticed over the past ten or so years has been the growing connectedness between youth cultures. “There’s no more division between people who live in the big city and people who live in the country; it’s almost like everyone is a part of this one giant culture whether you live in Australia or America or Europe,” he says. “I think there seems to be this unification within youth culture in particular that makes playing shows around the world very interesting. There is something exciting about the connectedness between culture that’s so different to how things were a decade or so ago. It’s like everyone knows what’s going on and it’s an even playing field. That natural progression that people take as they grow up, that is the one constant, though – that has never changed. You see a crowd of kids when everything seems possible to them, and as a band that’s been around for 20 years we’ve seen that a lot.”

“Kids are angry and confused and excited for life, and that hasn’t changed at all since we were kids ... We’re just there to tell them that everything’s OK, at least for an afternoon.”

Steen says the era of instant communication means there is an increased expectation on the band to speed up its output, but there are no immediate plans for new material. “It seems like we’re always trying to cook up new project ideas, but right now we’re still so focused on touring.

Even if it’s just having a jam and not consciously working on new things, there’s always stuff being created in a way. Most of it all reverts back to Aaron, who’s the musical mastermind of Reel Big Fish. Once the stew has been brewing enough and is ready for consumption, then he lets us in on what he’s wanting to do. I’m just as anxious to find out what’s next. It’s good; it keeps you on your toes, being in this band.”

Reel Big Fish’s sound has profited from existing in a niche, but this has its pitfalls. There’s not a lot of room to experiment – or at least, there doesn’t appear to be – within the style of music they so comfortably inhabit. Somehow they’ve still remained fresh for over two decades. “I think the natural progression of a band when you first start is just to create music, to get it out there and to start building a fan base, and I think what happens is that if you’re lucky enough to tick all those boxes like we were, you can get comfortable.

“Some bands end up taking their situation for granted, and I think what then ends up happening is that you reach this point where you feel like you need to prove yourself to your fans again. I think we reached that point a little while ago, where we wanted to show our fans that we’re just as excited as we ever were, and that we want to bring that fun and chaotic live show to our fans. As far as creating music – I mean, the band has had a lot of lineup changes over the years – but the common thread is with all the musicians that are in the band, and that have ever been in the band, is that we all feel compelled to play music. None of us can imagine doing anything else or being as passionate about something as we are about playing music. They’re the key reasons as to why the band has survived to this day.”

If Barrett is the mastermind in creative control, does he remain content in the leader’s role, or could Reel Big Fish be winding to a close? “I’m usually pretty good at answering a lot of questions, but that’s a good question and a question for him,” Steen laughs. “It’s probably the only question that I cannot answer at all, so yeah – good on you for asking it, and I just don’t know.”

What: Vans Warped Tour With: The Offspring, Parkway Drive, Simple Plan, The Used, We Came As Romans and more Where: Barangaroo, Sydney When: Sunday December 1 14 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

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BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 15

Jordie Lane Moving People By Krissi Weiss

W

ith his shiny new EP Not Built To Last in hand, expat Melbournian Jordie Lane is taking the long haul flight from his adopted base in Los Angeles back to Australia for a two-month tour. After three years in the States, and having spent much of this year on the road, it’s looking like the best chance Lane will have to enjoy some time in the land of his birth. “[California] really has become home in as much as any place can become home for me at this point,” Lane says, sounding surprised himself. “I’ve been there for a while now but I spend so much time travelling anyway that having a home base is a bit strange for me.

The thing that has surprised me is how happy I am to get back there. Even when I go to different parts of America – and for all that LA isn’t the prettiest or even the most well laidout city – I still get excited when I find myself heading back.

“The difference I’ve noticed over there – it’s not that there’s necessarily more money going around, it’s not that people are getting paid a lot more, but there is a greater level of professionalism,” Lane says. “That comes through at every level to from engineers to session players to journalists. I found that

back in Melbourne a lot of time got wasted because people weren’t confident enough to just say, ‘This is what I’m gonna do,’ whereas when I got into the studio with my producer in Nashville and then with the band it was like a train moving forward; decisions just got made quickly and things got done. The band are all based in Nashville but I will get to play with them at some point. I only really met most of them just before we went in to record.”

With his previous releases building on each other in both quality and success, Lane is a hard-working songwriter who relies on more than just lithe tales and simple chords to breathe life into his complex, folk-inspired tales. He adds that the professionalism of those around him in the States seems to breed enthusiasm, which, in turn, produces more opportunities. “I find that it’s not just the musical opportunities that I’m enjoying over there but also a whole range of creative pursuits. There just seems to be a whole lot more going on, and it’s great to be able to be a part of that with various friends that are involved in theatre and visual art and all these other mediums.”

But what about us? Australia has missed Mr Lane – and he in return, us – and though

you never quite know how many people will be joining him onstage, he assures he’s bringing out some old faithfuls for this tour.

“I’ll be playing with [my] Melbourne band for some of this tour back out in Australia, so it’s going to be really interesting to hear the music that was recorded with the Nashville band played with the Melbourne band.

I’m really looking forward to getting back into a room and playing with those guys, though. The thing I’m not looking forward to is trying to pack my life into suitcases and making sure I have everything I need for two months. The next day is stressing me out quite a lot.”

What: Not Built To Last out now through Vitamin Records With: Old Man Luedecke Where: The Basement When: Saturday November 16 More: Also playing Sunday November 17 at Grand Junction, Maitland; Monday November 18 at The Music Lounge, Brookvale; Wednesday November 20 at Lizotte’s Central Coast; and Thursday November 21 at Lizotte’s Newcastle

AFI The New Republic By Krissi Weiss

A

FI came in ahead of the hardcore/ hair rock tide of the ’00s, and despite an image that screamed style over substance, they’ve still consistently delivered when it comes to musicianship. There’s something that seems forever fragile about their career, though, and while commercial success has appeared to fall in their favour, every album feels like it could be their last.

Their latest release, Burials, is no different – immediately identifiable as an AFI album, familiar without being entirely derivative, but somehow hinting at a farewell. Or maybe that’s just what they like us to think.

Working with powerhouse producer Gil Norton (The Triffids, Pixies, Dashboard Confessional), AFI finally got to realise what they felt they were unable to on 2009’s Crash Love. “We initially spoke with Gil about working on Crash Love but unfortunately scheduling did not allow [it],” says frontman Davey Havok. “When he expressed interest in working on Burials, we were thrilled. His history with Echo & The Bunnymen, the Pixies and Catherine Wheel first attracted me to his work. His expertise and dedication to our record was invaluable. Gil was able to highlight detail within the multiple layers of the record.”

Havok has been quoted describing the album as “shamefully honest”, among other things, so where in the honesty lays the shame? “The shame comes from a few places,” he says.

“Firstly, the record is very dark, as would be expected of AFI. I’d have much preferred to move on from such redundant themes but couldn’t do so honestly. Secondly, the weight given to the subject matters far exceeds their relative worth. There is a solipsism and weakness at the core of the collapse that drives the lyrical tone of Burials … The record was written at a chaotic time in my life. This chaos informed the themes of panic, anxiety, collapse, betrayal and spite that carry through the work.”

After floating around unsigned for a while, Havok and co. were able to find a home for

their tortured contemplations in the form of Universal’s Republic Records – and this, apparently, helped the creative process quite a bit. “Simply knowing that there is a team behind you who are passionate about supporting what you create allows for a more creative environment,” Havok says. “Also, having the financial support of a label allows us the time in the studio to realise our work in a way that could not be done otherwise. I’m very grateful to be part of the Republic roster.”

With Havok in an open and reflective mood, he takes to the topic of artistic sincerity with the same brutal honesty he seems to approach most issues. “I’d say that this album is far more sincere than those of the early days.

When we began, we hadn’t found our voice.

Our influences were more pervasive and our desire to be part of a movement pushed and pulled us in ways that they never would again after we’d grown as individuals, musicians and songwriters.”

AFI may well have another 20 years of recording and touring in them, but you just never know – they’ve already been in this hamster wheel longer than most. Two questions are begging to be asked. The first; what keeps AFI going? “Our ability to grow artistically with every release,” says Havok, “and the luxury of a wildly passionate fan base that looks forward to that progression.”

So what then, would make AFI stop? “Artistic stagnation,” he says. They’re not there yet.

What: Soundwave Festival 2014 With: Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, Placebo, A Day To Remember, Jimmy Eat World, Less Than Jake, Korn, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Rob Zombie, Megadeth and more Where: Sydney Olympic Park When: Sunday February 23 More: Burials out now through Republic Records/Universal

Midlake Opposites Subtract By Chris Havercroft idlake are a much-loved Denton, Texas outfit who have put out an impressive run of experimental yet accessible albums. This investigational nature was recently put to the test when long-time frontman Tim Smith left the band midway through recording another LP. Guitarist Eric Pulido stepped into the role left by the singer as Midlake forged on to make their fifth album, Antiphon.

M

and it made for a much more dynamic record in many ways.”

“There was kind of a transition, now that I look back with hindsight,” says Pulido of Smith’s departure. “It was no secret that Tim wasn’t a big fan of touring and at times he was unsatisfied with some of the music that we were making. Even at that time he was pulling back and I was singing most of the melodies with him and standing in the middle of the stage and doing most of the talking. The big leap that it could have been wasn’t as drastic due to the transition I had.

“You feel a sense of freedom and creativity,” says Pulido, “as we have all been playing together for many years. To jump off that hamster wheel and then apply it in a different way… it had some growing pains, don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t like it was a walk in the park. There was a big hill to climb. We had to write and record an album without the singer-songwriter of the band that was. I was probably more daunted because I felt that the onus was on me, but we all embraced it and bonded together as we moved forward.”

“When he decided to leave it was still a daunting task as there was still so much I didn’t know. We were used to doing things in a different way and it shaked things up.

As you know in life it can be a good thing to break out of the mould of something and test yourself and see how it goes.”

The fact that Midlake has always been a band to push the boundaries and take a left turn with each new album turned out to be their saving grace. “There was a type of naivety that came along because it was almost like starting over,” says Pulido. “We did literally start over on the songs and the record, so in that moment you try to define what it is that you are doing. Once Tim left we all got together within 24 hours and put the pieces back together. We did it in a way where we felt that we could all feel ownership over it. I think we got more out of everyone’s voice, figuratively and literally,

Although Midlake still talk about Smith’s departure and its relevance to the making of Antiphon, it’s been over a year since he left and the band has come to terms with it.

They’re now in the headspace to embrace what is ahead of them instead of looking back at what once was.

An ‘antiphon’ is regularly defined as a responsory song by a choir or congregation, or a call-and-response style of singing heard from Gregorian chants to sea shanties.

While Pulido had heard the liturgical definition, he is more inclined to look at antiphon to mean ‘the opposite voice’.

“In terms of call and response, this is our response to what happened with Tim … Also, I feel it is about the plight of man – where it is not about what happens to you in life, but how you respond to it; [that’s] how you are defined. I thought it was a nice word that tied up in a little bow to capture what this time as a band and [as] friends is for us.”

What: Antiphon out now through Bella Union/[PIAS] Australia Xxx

16 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

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The John Steel Singers Through The Streets Of Your Town By David James Young

B

etween waltzing the wife of a widower and throwing bricks from the overpass, The John Steel Singers brought the sunshine, the wonder and the romance back to Brisbane’s indie pop scene. Their 2010 debut, Tangalooma, won over listeners, critics and musicians alike, scoring the adulation of heroes like Custard’s Dave McCormack and The Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster, who produced the album. After a much-deserved break, the quintet regrouped and headed for the west coast of America to begin work on album number two – only to find their California dreaming would soon turn nightmarish.

“We worked with a producer in LA, who was this really awesome dude who was on the same level as us,” says Tim Morrissey, the band’s lead vocalist, guitarist and primary lyricist.

“Once we got into the studio, though, you’re on the clock trying to pull the sound together – and it wasn’t quite working for us. We kept thinking that we were running out of time, always trying to move on to the next thing as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we’re the kind of band that takes a lot of time with our

stuff – and, eventually, if you keep doing that with every different part of a song, it just doesn’t work out the way that you want it to.

When we got back from the States, we just decided to give it a go ourselves.”

It was with this that the band assigned itself to the idea that if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. Back through LAX and across to the starkly different surrounds of the Sunshine Coast, where they set up in the home of lead guitarist Luke McDonald’s parents. From there, JSS took their fresh new ideas and ran with them, basking in the kind of freedom that Los Angeles simply could not have offered. Making a departure from their brisk, sunny pop-rock, they leapt down the proverbial rabbit hole to see what they could find. Early in the process, they stumbled across one of the strangest tracks they’ve ever written – the album’s title track, ‘Everything’s A Thread’; its name ascribed by the aforementioned Forster.

“That song is really confusing,” Morrissey says of the unexpectedly popular tune. “I still don’t get that song or its structure – and I wrote it!

There were a few times that we were thinking of cutting the song entirely from the album, and then the final mixes came back from Nicolas [Vernhes] in New York. Once we sent the songs to our label, they pointed to it as a song that could be a single. We were like, ‘What?!’ It has a crazy structure to begin with, but Nick made it even more crazy with his production, putting delays on the vocals and things like that. It was definitely strange that it was picked as a single, but there you are.”

The fearless freakiness continues throughout the album, as JSS match lush vocals with squiggly guitar lines and thumping drums.

Perhaps the greatest musical departure, however, comes in the form of ‘MJ’s On Fire Again’, a shimmering roller-disco that’s equal parts ‘Dancing Queen’ and Dappled Cities.

Morrissey points to it as his favourite song on the album, but also the one that has proven the most difficult to play live.

“[‘Everything’s A Thread’] is really confusing. I still don’t get that song or its structure – and I wrote it!”

“It’s got a chorus that requires some high notes,” he explains, “and if you don’t hit them then you’re going to end up sounding like those yelling goats on YouTube. In the studio, things like that are fine – you can always do one more if you don’t get it right the first time around. Live, though, you’re only going to get one shot at it. It’s in quite a difficult vocal spot for a lot of us, and we had to try what seemed like hundreds of ways to work out how to actually sing it live. Everyone tried one another’s parts until we got it right – it was the first time we actually looked up singing lessons online in order to try and achieve the way that we wanted to sing. Hopefully it’s paid off.”

In September, the band undertook a brisk east coast run of club dates to not only promote then-current single ‘State Of Unrest’, but to reintroduce themselves to Australian audiences after an extended time away from playing live.

The way these shows went, it was almost as if they’d never left. Naturally, they are anticipating bringing a full range of fresh material to fans both old and new as they undertake a proper national run of dates.

“Those shows were really good,” says Morrissey, reflecting on the State Of Unrest tour. “They were our first shows ‘back’, so to speak. I was actually kind of petrified that no-one was going to be there, so it was very nice to see a lot of faces out there. It was super pleasant to be playing live again. The difference this time around was the fact that we had to learn how to play all those new songs, as they hadn’t been played live before. It took a while, but I think we finally got there after a few months of intense practising. We’re looking forward to sharing these songs on a much more comprehensive tour.”

What: Everything’s A Thread out now through Dew Process/Universal With: Go Violets Where: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi / The Small Ballroom, Newcastle / Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst When: Wednesday November 13 / Friday November 15 / Saturday November 16 18 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

thebrag.com

THUR DECEMBER 5 THE ANNANDALE HOTEL, SYDNEY tickets on sale now from lifeisnoise.com, oztix and the venue

INSPIRED BEGINNINGS SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER, 7PM SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER, 2PM

A tribute to the Inspired Beginnings of Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn Join Willoughby Symphony for their final concert of 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Featuring the works of three master composers and the inaugural performance of the winning work of the 2013 Young Composer Awards.

Students only $20!

1300 795 012

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Georgia Fair Young At Heart Benjamin Cooper

J

ust to be clear, Melbourne-via-Sydney’s Georgia Fair are wholesome and pleasant lads. The music made by Jordan Wilson and Ben Riley might be characterised by its rough and ragged appeal, but the creative minds in the band continue to be the upstanding young men their mothers raised on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Wilson is amused at the suggestion that touring with The Panics frontman Jae Laffer for his solo shows in October has matured the band. “Ha,” he laughs, “I’m not sure if that’s the case. We’re probably still the same guys who met in high school.”

Yo La Tengo The Master Kaplan By Lachlan Kanoniuk

T

he descriptor ‘indie’ is bandied about frequently these days, to the point of near-meaninglessness. New Jersey icons Yo La Tengo, however, have become synonymous with the term unlike no-one else, maintaining perennial acclaim since their breakthrough with Matador Records in the early ’90s, while mostly avoiding the eye of the mainstream.

This year saw the release of Fade, the first proper Yo La Tengo album since 2009. As such, 2013 is proving as busy a year as ever for the trio, says founding member Ira Kaplan. “It’s nothing we have to think about, [but] we don’t have enough time to do all the things we want to do. It just seems to work out that way. Especially this year, we’ve just been almost overwhelmed with how busy we’ve been. What I’m really trying to do is find time to go to movies, see some baseball and do other things I like to do… The band has occupied so much time, between doing shows and doing other tangential things, there just isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things we want to do.”

Kaplan is dismissive when I enquire about the long term future of Yo La Tengo, making it clear decades-long forecasts have never been part of the band’s plan. “We’ve never looked that far ahead, ever. It’s funny, in 1991 we were encouraged by our manager at the time to stop renting vans and buy one.

So we did, we took out a loan. It was the first time we really had to say, ‘We have to do this for another five years, so we can pay off the van.’ We never really looked that far ahead, to say we’d borrow money and pay it off in the lifetime of the band. To a certain extent, it doesn’t change. Not that we expect to be together a year from now, but what the future brings and what form it will take is something we don’t think about, something we don’t like to think about.”

2011 saw Yo La Tengo set out on what was perhaps the most conceptually ambitious

tour of their career, bringing a spinning wheel on the road to decide what each night would entail – ranging from material from their Condo Fucks side project, to songs starting with ‘S’, to read-throughs of old Seinfeld transcripts. “That was fun. We had made that [Fuckbook] record under a different name, the Condo Fucks, and we liked playing that way, but we didn’t really want to do a Condo Fucks tour. A few things just fell into place and we came up with this idea that, like a lot of things that appeal to us, seemed simultaneously audacious and funny – to not know what we were going to play on any given night; to keep at our disposal hundreds of songs.”

Still going as strong as ever as they approach their third decade of existence, Yo La Tengo’s key to longevity is a simple one. “We’re happy being a band,” Kaplan says. “That’s successful. [But also] a band that stops playing on their own terms is successful – I don’t think success is only defined as continuing. It depends on the group. We enjoy playing. And I gotta say, I almost feel like I enjoy playing now more than ever. There are countless examples of bands that our younger selves would define as successful, but they didn’t enjoy it. Maybe you have to readjust what you’re looking for. That’s something we’ve always been good at; extracting what is good at any given moment. There is always going to be something you can enjoy, there is always going to be something you won’t enjoy. If you can focus on one while riding out the other, that’s a good way to be happy.”

Wilson and Riley remain the unaffected fellows who bonded during drama class in year eight.

It’s just that now they’ve toured the world and released two memorable and successful longplayers, produced by some of alternative country and punk’s finest sound engineers. Oh, and they’ve become firm friends with The Panics, fellow Melbourne imports and Western Australia’s vanguard of purposeful instrumentation.

They first toured together towards the back of 2011, between the release of Georgia Fair’s second EP Times Fly and debut album All Through Winter. Fast-forward two years and Georgia Fair are in a similar position: they’ve just finished supporting Laffer and have released their second album, the Ted Hutt-produced Trapped Flame. They’re also looking at a huge run of shows to meet the summertime demand of fans.

“There’s something about the back end of the year for us,” Wilson says. “We always seem to be busy at that time of year. Even if we’re not playing shows we’re working away on something, whether it’s recording or trying something out, around then. And I keep fairly busy anyway, ’cause I’m always writing wherever I go.”

The band chose to travel to California earlier this year to work with Hutt – a founding member of Gaelic punks Flogging Molly and producer of Dropkick Murphys and Old Crow Medicine Show – after spending a glut of 2010 in North Carolina working with Band of Horses

bassist Bill Reynolds on Times Fly and their debut album. Los Angeles offered different opportunities to those in the Tar Heel State – working with an alt-country maestro is one thing, but recording in the same studio where The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds was created is a whole other prospect.

The drums, bass, piano and guitars were recorded and tracked at EastWest Studio on Sunset Boulevard, before vocals and overdubs were mixed onto the record. “I haven’t fully got my head around the process of an album,” Wilson says. “But I still feel as though it’s the best way for us to be doing what we do. The way it works for me is that there’s always something there, going on, that I need to write about. And this is the best way for that to be expressed.

Writing is probably the thing that makes me feel worthwhile.”

Hutt’s prescience saw musicians Steve SideInyk (PJ Harvey, Madonna) and Jonny Flaugher brought in to augment the rhythm presence, on percussion and bass respectively. Despite the added instrumental bulk introduced during preproduction, Wilson argues there is a minimalism which defines the record’s aesthetic. “The title Trapped Flame really embodies the record. Ben managed to get these sounds that have that bare-bones quality we were searching for for ages.”

The structures of Trapped Flame’s compositions were shaped by the California sojourn, Wilson adds. “It feels like these songs were all built slightly differently. Right from the start, the contributions and the rehearsing and the writing were all happening in different ways than they have before.”

Just don’t say Georgia Fair are all grown up.

“Every time I walk in the room – even yesterday at FBi – I still feel like the youngest person,” Wilson laughs.

What: Trapped Flame out now through Sony Where: Hibernian House When: Saturday November 30 / Sunday December 1

What: An Evening With Yo La Tengo Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House When: Thursday March 13 And: Fade: Deluxe Edition out Friday November 15 through Matador/Remote Control

Old Man Luedecke The Tender Touch By Josh Fergeus

“M

y influences played into it,” says Chris Luedecke. “I’ve listened to a lot of ‘mountain music’, for want of a better word.” I’m speaking to Luedecke on the eve of his Australian tour, as he explains how he came to write his latest album, the bluegrass-inspired Tender Is The Night. “It underlines the influences of a lot of the songs I write in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

“The thing is, I’ve really come out of a singersongwriter scene,” Luedecke continues. “And I’ve gone and made a bluegrass-sounding record, I guess. My typical scene has been more of a folk scene. There is a wonderful bluegrass scene in Canada, some great bluegrass in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick – I know some of the players, but I haven’t really been getting many gigs in that world yet. I don’t know that bluegrass people would listen to this and go, ‘Now this is a bluegrass record.’”

Luedecke recorded Tender Is The Night live in Nashville over four days with producer and multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien. “I just wanted to work with Tim,” Luedecke says. “Tim played on my last record which had pedal steel and a drum kit and that sort of thing. It was less focused; there were fewer bluegrass kind of songs. I thought to myself, ‘While it is more

palatable for some people to have electric guitars on the background on this, I would rather there not be.’ I wanted to try a project that was more stripped down. Not quite half the songs have any form of percussion on them.

Most of the songs are trio songs really – just me, Tim and a bass player. There’s no drum kit on any of it.

insights into the industry. “Folk singers are considered ‘folk’ until they sell enough records, and then they move to pop,” he says. “Like Bob Dylan or something, though he probably still makes folk music, truly. I wasn’t really aware of that [genre separation], I just made the record I felt I needed to make. I think if I should be really great at something it should be at being myself.”

“The songs that make it onto the record are the ones that, no matter when in the process, pop up with some sort of inspiration. The songs that I end up keeping have blown past the self-doubt of sameness or whatever, that happens when you strum a G-chord on any kind of instrument and wonder if you can come up with something new. I usually sit down with some form of intent – I’d like to write a song about this or that – and those songs usually end up getting written, but they’re not always the ones that produce results.”

On the Australian leg of the tour, Luedecke will be supporting Australia’s own Jordie Lane. “I think I actually met him in February this year in a hallway at a conference in Toronto,” Luedecke remembers. “But then I properly met him about three weeks ago, in the daylight. I’ve certainly been in similar situations before and I know Jordie a little bit now. We’ll probably play some music together every day, which I’m really looking forward to. You tend to hear about people first, and then meet them at some point.

It is a small world.”

And is Tender Is The Night producing the results Luedecke was hoping for? “It’s on a bigger label than my last few releases, so it’s gotten more attention,” he explains. “I’ve been able to get down into the US a little more with it, and down there people really seem to enjoy it too. I haven’t really travelled in Canada with it this year; I’ll be doing that in February. It’s been fun; it’s a quality album, it doesn’t really have one big hit on it or anything. I’ve felt lucky that an album of substance has gotten traction in the world.”

The process of breaking out of folk music somewhat has left Luedecke with a few new

What: Old Man Luedecke supporting Jordie Lane Where: The Basement When: Saturday November 16 More: Also playing Sunday November 17 at Grand Junction, Maitland; Monday November 18 at The Music Lounge, Brookvale; Wednesday November 20 at Lizotte’s Central Coast; and Thursday November 21 at Lizotte’s Newcastle And: Tender Is The Night out now through Planet/MGM xxx

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arts frontline

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Rebecca Whitman and Mina Kitsos

five minutes WITH

STEPHEN MOULD

and Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Ealpurgisnacht. We took time out with Mould to talk shop about the program and what to expect.

W

illoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir are paying homage to classical composers Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn in Inspired Beginnings, the last concert of the 2013 Symphonic Passages series. Stephen Mould will conduct the community orchestra, commencing with Beethoven’s Calm Sea And Prosperous Voyage, followed by Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2

Tell us about your background in classical music and how you came to be Chair of Operatic Studies at the Conservatorium of Music.

My background in music is largely operatic, having worked with opera companies in Germany, Belgium, USA and Asia for most of my career, including 15 years with Opera Australia.

I have conducted opera, ballet and symphonic music and am also active as a coach and accompanist. My interest in teaching and also writing and research led me to the Sydney Conservatorium.

Talk us through the Inspired Beginnings program.

The program is a fascinating mix of works and styles, from Beethoven’s rarely-performed ‘Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt’, to a brand new work by young Queensland composer Rachel Merton, which won the Fine Music Young Composer’s Award.

In addition there is Chopin’s

Piano Concerto No. 2 played by exciting pianist Brenda Jones.

And to top it all off there’s an unjustly neglected choral work by Mendelssohn, ‘Walpurgisnacht’, which is a masterpiece full of melodrama, fire and brimstone.

What’s it like to work with the Willoughby Symphony and Choir?

I’ve worked with Willoughby Symphony at least half a dozen times. They’re a fantastic community orchestra comparable in standard with many professional orchestras.

This is the third choral program I’ve conducted with the choir – the first was Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ where the lights went out 3 minutes before the end of the final concert. This will be my first experience working with them in their new home. They also have a fantastic spirit, and it’s incredibly rewarding both musically and personally to conduct them.

You work alongside guest soloist Brenda Jones.

Elaborate.

This is Brenda’s first performance of this concerto, so it’s great to have the chance to work on

AGNSW ILLUMINATES

MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2013/14 PROGRAM

Save the date because you’re set to have a ball of a time at Maltesers Moonlight Cinema. This season will have you on a cinematic roll with advance previews of contemporary, classic and cult films kicking off soon.

The side-splitting Anchorman 2, the Disney comedic-musical Frozen, the Meryl-Julia-dream-team black comedy Osage Country, the nail biting sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the heart-stopping Philomena and the thrilling action cut Captain Phillips will all be on offer, along with a menagerie of mother cinematic masterpieces you probably won’t want to miss. Hold on though, because the second half of the program will be announced on Saturday February 1 next year.

Pack your picnic rugs and hit up moonlight.com.au for dates, times and tickets.

YellowKorner has swept up the globe in a romance of photographical sorts.

Founded by friends Alexandre de Metz and Paul-Antoine Briat, the YellowKorner concept is a simple one: to introduce photographers from all over the world to different creative landscapes to increase the number of copies of their work in order to make it accessible to as many collectors as possible. Collectors and art enthusiasts alike won’t want to miss the chance to experience what Metz and Briat offer up in the way of contemporary photography. Head down to Westfield Bondi Junction to check it out or visit yellowkorner.com for more information.

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MACHINAL AT STC

Bringing Sydney Theatre Company’s 2013 season to a wrap is the rarely-staged Machinal by playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell. A product of American expressionism, Treadwell’s theatrical world brings to life the story of the first woman to be executed by the electric chair in New York State after being convicted of murdering her husband. First staged in 1928, Machinal’s proto-feminist exploration of passionless marriage, unwanted motherhood and deprivation of freedom was ahead of its time. STC’s Imara Savage directs a cast comprising Harriet Dyer, Ivan Donato and Brandon Burke among others in the touchstone piece. Machinal presents at STC’s Wharf 2 from November 21 through December 7. Visit sydneytheatre.com.au for more.

What do you hope listeners will come away with from Inspired Beginnings?

The wonderful energy and inspired music making of Willoughby Symphony and Chorus, the chance to hear some unfamiliar works by major composers, reminding us that there’s always more to be discovered in classical music, and the chance to hear the world premiere of a choral piece composed specifically for Willoughby [Symphony] by a talented young composer.

There’s something for everyone and it can’t but leave audiences uplifted.

What: Inspired Beginnings with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir Where: The Concourse, Chatswood When: November 16-17 More: willoughby.nsw.gov.au

FORESHADOW! TIX! WIN!

Independent feature Foreshadow is a supernatural thriller directed by Carmelo Musca. The film tells the story of Jesse Milton (Justin Burford) who is living the highlife – cash, surf and hot babes aplenty – until he discovers his latest blonde bombshell dead. When the coroner rules out foul play and the police close their investigation, Jesse decides to go after the killer himself. Add to this a centuries-old, soul-sucking demon, a complicated love story and a Dominican priest and you’ve got yourself one helluva combo.

We’ve ten double passes to give away to a screening of Foreshadow at Hoyts Broadway on Friday November 15 at 6.45pm. To win, just head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us how you’d destroy a killer demon.

THE SIGN PAINTERS AT THE STANDARD

Directors Faythe Levine and Sam Macon filmed The Sign Painters in 2010 to capture the unique craft of signage. Lo-Fi Collective in collaboration with ID/Lab and Sumo Visual Group will present the film at The Standard on Saturday November 21 for its premiere Australian screening. Signage is one of the world’s most ubiquitous advertising tools but it’s not often the experts who’re recognised for their craft. The Sign Painters explores a growing trend to seek out the traditional painters in a renaissance of the trade and features the stories of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States. Check out wearelofi.com.au for more information.

RAW SYDNEY PRESENTS FINAL SHOWCASE

Forget bland health bars and undercooked meat – a soul-satiating type of raw is coming to town.

RAW Sydney will present its final showcase for the year, Encompass, at Parramatta’s Roxy Theatre on Wednesday November 27.

Forty emerging artists will tackle a spectrum of genres spanning fashion, music, visual and performing arts, and film in a night of creative explosion. Having hosted shows in more than 80 countries around the globe, RAW showcases are equal parts inspiring, entertaining and educative. “There is no doubt Sydney is a talented city. There is a creative buzz at RAW Sydney showcases that is quite electric. Sydney prides itself on being an international city and that extends to creative pursuits as well. Our artists aim to be the best in the world, not just in their home country,” said Executive Director Kristen Wehlow. Head to rawartists.org/ sydney for more information and tickets.

THE OOPSATOREUM: A FICTION BY SHAUN TAN AND FRIENDS

New Powerhouse Museum blockbuster The Oopsatoreum: A Fiction By Shaun Tan And Friends opens on Saturday December 7. Inspired by a world of forgotten unsuccessful inventions, author and illustrator Shaun Tan has teamed up with the Museum to present the fictional tale of unsuccessful inventor, Henry Archibald Mintox.

Helen Whitty curates a selection of artefacts reimagined by Tan – think an automatic tea-maker, sheep clippers, an early hearing aid and a portable typewriter. The premise?

All inventions, no matter how successful, begin as daring acts of imagination. “Our aim is to inspire unbridled creativity in our visitors, and have a little fun,” said Powerhouse Museum Director Rose Hiscock. Visit powerhousemuseum.com for further details.

INTERNATIONAL SCREEN ACADEMY

It’s hard to imagine screen royalty like Cate Blanchett and Baz Luhrman not being good at what they do. Now you have the chance to be trained by the dream team behind your idols.

International Screen Academy, responsible for cultivating the crème de la crop both domestically and internationally, are bringing their all medium-mastering curriculum to Australia to maximise experience in digital, TV, film, gaming, 3D and advanced effects, enabling students to launch into acting, film production or animation. Run by industry leaders including renowned voice coach Bill Pepper, former NIDA and American Conservatory teacher Kevin Jackson, and Australian Dance Theatre choreographer Julia Cotton, you won’t want to miss out. To audition, apply before Friday November 15. isasydney.com.au/auditions thebrag.com

Xxxxx

YELLOWKORNER LAUNCH AUSTRALIAN GALLERY

Founding artist of Euraba Artists and Papermakers, Aunty May Hinch, wants the younger generation of the Goomeroi people in the communities of Toomelah and Boggabilla to learn their culture and who they are. Illuminate, presenting at Corroboree Sydney at the Art Gallery of NSW from November 16 through January 27, takes the form of a collaborative sound art installation by Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones and the Euraba Artists and Papermakers. A makeshift mission home made from paper plays host to a ‘theatre’ inside which Matthew Priestly’s film about his relationship with the community over the past 15 years is screened. Illuminate foregrounds the significance of home by highlighting the region’s important lived history and contemporary experience. For more information head to artgallery.nsw.gov.au.

the piece and try out new and unexpected musical ideas with her. I’m sure that her performance of the work will appeal to young and old alike.

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The Directors’ Cuts

Heidrun Lohr

[PERFORMANCE ART] Then And Now By Adam Norris

A

be a practising artist anymore. It ended up being such a happy transition, and I’ve never really looked back. Other people’s work really excites me. I’m a facilitator, an enabler, and that’s what I do really well.

s Performance Space moves towards its 30th birthday, the Ghosts of Directors Past have descended on Carriageworks for twelve days of horror and history. At least, this is what I imagined would be on offer as part of You’re History: The Directors’ Cuts, a name that simply screams education and bloodshed. After talking with co-director Bec Dean however, it seems the reality is far less frightening. With a program featuring nine former artistic directors showcasing live art, music, performance installations, conversation and a petting zoo, Dean reflects on why she has the best job in the world.

AN: I was always a little suspicious of those who seemed to legitimately enjoy promoting the work of others and not creating anything of their own.

The more people I meet in curatorial roles, though, the more I see how rewarding these positions are.

BD: I find it enormously rewarding. Also the fact that I’m interested in so many different artistic things – it’s really impossible to do that sheer number of things yourself, you know? And there are amazing people out there doing that work, and such exciting artists working right here in Sydney, that even as a spectator it’ll keep you satisfied for years and years. That’s the wonderful thing about working at Performance Space. I’ve had my eyes opened to everything and it’s such a rewarding place to be in.

Adam Norris: Afternoon Bec! So you’re a writer who trained as a visual artist, moved into curatorship, and now co-direct Performance Space. Have you ever worried that with your own creative background, you won’t be an impartial judge when it comes to programming other artists?

Bec Dean: Good question. I was practising for quite a long time after I finished university – basically right up until the moment I moved to Sydney from Perth and found myself quite isolated from the community that I’d worked in for so long. For a long time I’d struggled with my own practice, and quite frankly, I was growing more interested in other people’s work. So after a few stressful months, I decided it was ok not to

proscriptive about what exactly we wanted from them. Each of them has come back to us with very different programs. We decided to run it as last director first, so Daniel Brine kicks off opening night and we finish with Mike Mullins, the founding director. It’s going to be a pretty exciting program. We’re also working with our wonderful curatorial assistant, Tulleah Pearce.

She’s doing all the hard yakka.

AN: For Performance Space’s 30th anniversary celebrations, you’ve co-directed You’re History!

The Directors’ Cuts. What can we expect from the program?

AN: What I find interesting is in the name, You’re History – you are history. I’ve always found the relationship between production and audience is almost as compelling as the actual content.

Does Performance Space feel the same?

BD: We invited each of the former directors to curate a night and we didn’t want to be

BD: You know, Performance Space is almost its own entity because of the various people who

Voodoo – Flowers – Paris

hold its history, the people who are invested in its present and future. That’s what we really wanted to honour, and it’s not only the artists and directors. It’s also our audience, this growing community of active participants. We wanted it to be as much about the audience experience of remembering Performance Space, of owning it and inhabiting it. That was really important to us.

All of these people are still potent forces here, in our history, our future. That’s one of the things we want to respect.

What: The Directors’ Cuts Where: Performance Space, Carriageworks When: November 20-30 More: performancespace.com.au

Graham Blondel, Mr Blue Eyes, 2013

[VISUAL ARTS] In Your Face By Natalie Amat

M

ulti-disciplinary artist Graham Blondel is a study in contrasts – he is at once serious and playful. There is a lightness in the execution of his work, while the message that peeks through his painting, collage and assemblage is carefully considered. Blondel’s latest outputVoodoo – Flowers – Paris is a sprawling collection of 100 works. “Certainly it’s evocative and provocative, and I like the idea of taking bits of other people’s statements even though I mightn’t comprehend them, adding them to other images and doing that Dada-istic type of thing where [it’s] in your face,” he says.

For Blondel, creating provocative art is key to engaging audiences with work that attempts to find meaning in the here and now. “It’s a significant combination of words – a combination of images to provoke people into seeing the world we live in, which is pretty chaotic, but hopefully with a sense of humour.”

The large-scale exhibition is an experiment of sorts for Blondel. It features sculpture, painting and collage divided into three distinct yet related groups. As far as the reactions the show inspires?

“I really don’t care what other people think. I hope it does provoke and it does because there’s

offensive language … and cause the images are incomprehensible. But from my point of view they all have a narrative. Once they’ve come together, they tell a story about my life … I’ve collected a bit of the paint off this wall, or the brick off this street, I pack away with me a bit of Paris, or Venice, or Berlin and it’s actually embedded in the work, which is an interesting thing in itself.

There’s detail in every one of them and if you’re serious about looking at work, you’re going to have to look.”

When it comes to his own inspiration and appreciation he is indiscriminate. “I’ll look at everything and then I’ll make my decision as to whether I like it or not or what’s good or what’s bad or whatever. Everyone’s got a chance at it – I’ll look at anything! Doesn’t matter what it is, in everything there’s something to be seen … and to be appreciated.”

Blondel’s approach to self-criticism is similarly relaxed. “Once I’ve finished a work I might think that it’s the best one, but that changes often. And also I’m not that precious about them, once it’s painted, finished, whatever and they’re out there let’s get on with the next one. I don’t like to stay still. Or go back. You revisit things, but you have

to push the barrier a little bit and make it obvious that you’re moving on, it’s a bit of a backwards process if you’re repeating everything and that’s not what artists should do.”

The boundless curiosity and openness to the world beyond what he knows is something Blondel sees as essential to his practice and the making of art in general. Collected debris and experiences gleaned from his travels were a significant inspiration behind much of the work in Voodoo – Flowers – Paris. “That’s the thing with artists closing their minds off and a lot of them do it unfortunately – go down one path. And artists have so many ideas, it’s so limiting to stick to one ideology or one technique or whatever … I think it’s essential for artists to not have that closed mind thing, and to travel and see other cultures, other art – to see the world as it is, good and bad.”

What: Voodoo – Flowers – Paris by Graham Blondel Where: 107 Projects When: November 21 – December 1 More: 107projects.org

Hannah Gadsby: Happiness Is A Bedside Table

[COMEDY] Growing Pains By Cameron James

H

annah Gadsby never wanted to be an adult. Not for fear of aging, or shirking of responsibilities. Rather, because it “seemed boring”, as she says in the dry manner that’s become hers. But in her latest stand-up show Happiness Is A Bedside Table, one of Australia’s hardest working comedians begrudgingly accepts that she is growing up.

“I’m having a go at it,” Gadsby begins. “I have plants now, that has to mean something, right?”

Plants aside, Hannah Gadsby certainly has the workload of a grown up human person. There are the endless stand-up performances, there’s the touring, the co-starring role on ABC’s Adam Hills Tonight, and the comedy lectures on art history.

All of which have been steadily building since Gadsby took out the RAW Comedy National Final in 2006.

24 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

For a comedian who revels in mistakes, both present and past, it might seem that the career choice is to blame for her ambivalence towards adulthood. “Growing up was just as difficult before comedy came along,” she laughs. “My life has been a collection of humiliations. I’m the Aesop of failure.”

So does talking through these memories on stage sooth the burn of the blush? “Absolutely.

As I get older, I care less and less about things,” says Gadsby. “Now my biggest fear is that I’ll stop being embarrassed all together. Maybe I’ll become...”

And if you’ve seen Hannah Gadsby on stage, you’ll know this to be true. Indeed, her life is a wealth of the type of cringe inducing memories that many young comics would die to have. Her life is her material. And you can hear in her voice, that she takes much joy in sharing it. “I played putt putt with my Mum and sister on my 18th birthday, and I was wearing a brand new suede jacket,” she says.

“I tried to do something tricky, and I slipped and fell into a pond. My Mum and sister laughed so hard they wet themselves.”

“Perfect?” She audibly shudders and laughs the idea away.

But it’s not self-pitying. “That was the hardest I’ve ever laughed,” she says. “Then the three of us were wet.” And that seems to be at the core of Gadsby’s comedy; it’s an awkward moment, yes, but it’s an awkward moment that brings people together.

There’s a pause.

The last few years have been crucial for stand up comedy, as a more personal and intellectual style of the form has become embraced the world over. The ego has replaced airplane food.

The observations are still there, but nowadays, it’s likely turned inwards. It’s fair to say that as an internationally touring comic, Gadsby represents this confessional comedy for Australia. “You could also look at it this way: I technically don’t have a job,” she laughs. “I’m just treading water here, and hoping it all works out.”

If it’s the lack of a set nine-to-five that’s keeping Hannah Gadsby from feeling like an adult, it’s worth reminding her that she’s a university graduate and a job surely exists out there for

her. “I have an art history degree. So, I could’ve been working in a shop,” she says. Despite her mockery, the art world has played a surprisingly large part in her stand-up career so far. The past four years have seen her give comedy art tours with the National Gallery of Victoria, as well as the odd bit of lecturing at open exhibitions. Her festival shows have even included artistic works as the lynchpin of the material.

So is there an ideal project out there that can combine both of these passions? “There’s a few bits and bobs that I’m working on,” she says. “But mainly I’m hoping that my knowledge of art will replace ‘humiliation’, when I finally become perfect.”

Until then, we can continue to enjoy her failures.

What: Hannah Gadsby: Happiness Is A Bedside Table Where: Sydney Comedy Store, Entertainment Quarter When: November 21-24 More: comedystore.com.au

thebrag.com

Film & Theatre Reviews

Reel Life IT'S A WRAP WITH NIA KARTERIS

Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town

T

he Greek Film Festival is gracing the silver screen this month with 35 films including nine shorts at the Palace Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. A celebration of Greek culture and innovative filmmaking, punters can expect to gain rich insights into the cinematic prowess of contemporary Greece. We caught five with Festival Chair Nia Karteris to get a program wrap.

The Fifth Estate

Anaconda ■ Theatre ■ Film

ANACONDA

THE FIFTH ESTATE

Until November 21

In cinemas November 14

Anaconda opens with a bang, or several actually, as the character of Phil Walker (Simon Lyndon) physically breaks his way through the set with an act of violence that becomes the catalyst that changes the other characters’ lives.

Julian Assange doesn’t get to the movies too often these days and if he did, it certainly wouldn’t be to see The Fifth Estate. In a recent open letter to lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch he wrote “the fi lm is based on a deceitful book by someone who has a vendetta against me and my organisation” and later described the fi lm to an NY Times reporter as “a reactionary snoozefest that only the US government could love”.

Director Bill Condon has comfortably exceeded these expectations as Cumberbatch gives a convincing performance as the paranoid renegade hacker Assange and his interplay with collaborator Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) – whose tell-all book about Wikileaks forms the basis of the fi lm – leaves you wanting more.

The challenge of representing such a signifi cant internet phenomenon on fi lm proves difficult. The Fifth Estate spends much time trying to balance Assange’s hero and monster persona, and despite Cumberbatch’s best efforts, ultimately leaves us with little insight into Wikileaks or its founder.

Tim Armitage

Anaconda uses the Trinity Grammar sex abuse scandal as a contextual springboard, but its main concern is the aftermath – who do the people involved become? What kind of shadow does that experience cast over their lives? And, perhaps most significantly, how does silence contribute to the cycle of abuse?

Writer/Director Sarah Doyle is matter-of-fact in both her language and the staging. The symbolism behind the large-scale triangles that form the bones of the set is left to the audience to determine their own meaning, and Max Sharam’s sound design is subtle yet effective. Doyle doesn’t shy away from challenging questions. In one scene Walker asks Matty “What did I do to make them choose me?” It’s an anguished question, and one that Matty, and by virtue the audience, doesn’t have a simple answer for.

Lyndon is particularly funny and heartbreaking as Walker, the victim who’s become a perpetrator. Leeanna Walsman keeps Bivva from veering into caricature, exposing her disbelief as she tries to understand where Matty, and by proxy herself, fit in to the past that has become their present.

How did you go about curating this year’s program and what criteria did you use when selecting participating films?

Selecting films is a year round process and in addition to maintaining regular contact with directors and producers and the Greek Film Centre (Greece’s equivalent to Screen Australia), we closely monitor the international film festival circuit… We have a committee that is representative of a wide cross section of the community including film industry professionals who review the films and provide their feedback.

Bookending the program are Christoforos Papakaliatis’ What If… and CostaGavras’ Capital. What made these films opening and closing night material?

Both these films although very different have one thing in common – an intriguing storyline that keeps the viewer watching.

The opening night is usually the film that is

selected as the one that is expected to be the most popular, the closing as the one that is believed to have the most impact with the audience.

Your top five festival picks? It’s difficult to pick five from such a great lineup as all films deserve a mention. The inclusion of some of the old favourites mixed with the new make it an almost impossible choice. What If.. and Capital are top choices as is Tassos Boulmetis’ A Touch Of Spice in the ‘Best Of’ selection of films and a personal favourite of mine.

What does the Greek Film Festival contribute to Sydney’s creative landscape and what kind of experience are you hoping viewers will have? Audiences should be open to the evolvement of Greek cinema as an intense new breed of filmmakers experiment and push boundaries and share with us the exciting and innovative new trends emerging from a nation that is in financial turmoil. In addition to enjoying their experience, no matter what films they select to watch, we’re hoping that viewers come away impressed with the quality and direction of Greek cinema.

What: Greek Film Festival Where: Palace Chauvel Cinema When: Until November 24 More: greekfilmfestival.com.au

Giveaway What's been on our TV screens this week

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

S AY W EA IV G

The Fifth Estate is at its most engaging when the transgressive, righteous thrill of Wikileaks comes to the fore.

As Assange weaves in and out of international airports rallying his cyber troops to uncover shady dealings in Swiss banks and the deaths of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, one begins to believe in the transformative effect of Wikileaks on modern journalism. The fi lm manages to evoke the best kind of geopolitical thriller, addressing an era that continues to play out . Unfortunately, its focus deviates and becomes distracted by a series of dramatic subplots – causing signifi cant questions about privacy, transparency and security to go unanswered. The plight of informant Bradley Manning is only briefl y touched upon.

Sydney barrister Matty lives an outwardly successful life with his wife Bivva in the city where their main concern is whether to sell their investment property on South Dowling Street. Then one night a brutal murder dredges up a tragic event from Matty’s past that he’s tried to suppress and this is when things get real.

This year, the Greek Film Festival celebrates its 20th year. How has the program developed over the years and what does this tell us about Australia’s engagement with international film?

The growth of the Greek Film Festival has been progressive and the fact that it’s still around 20 years on is not only a testament to Greek Orthodox Communities who work tirelessly to curate the program, but also to the innovativeness of Greek cinema as the industry adapts and demands to be noticed.

What began as a film festival specific to Greek speakers has now become a film festival that screens international awardwinners and films that are being recognised by critics as comparable to some of the best when it comes to international films.

A.C.A.B. All Cats Are Brilliant

How I Live Now

Anaconda is a lean, thoughtful exploration of guilt and the aftermath of a tragedy that no-one will acknowledge out loud. It is at times difficult to watch, but manages to balance humour with tough questions. And in its aim to create a dialogue about abuse and the silence that allows it to breed, it succeeds.

Natalie Amat

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

La Sylphide Sydney Opera House Until November 25 The Australian Ballet has mounted a new production of La Sylphide, one of the last surviving ballets of the Romantic period. Presenting at the Sydney Opera House until November 25, audiences can expect La Sylphide a moving tale of love, betrayal and loss. Story goes: A man names James is engaged to a local girl called Effie, but in the dark of the night James is visited by a magical sylph who he falls in love with. James then leaves Effie for said sylph before encountering an evil witch who ultimately tricks him into killing his true love. Tragic yes, but delightfully entertaining. Visit australianballet.com.au or sydneyoperahouse.com for further information and tickets.

BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL TIX! WIN! T

he inaugural British Film Festival is about to touch down in Sydney. Running from Wednesday November 20 through Sunday December 1 at Palace Verona in Paddington, the festival will grace cinema-goers with a diverse program of contemporary and classic films to show off some of the industry’s best emerging talents and respected auteurs. Festivities kick off with opening night winner One Chance telling the rags to riches story of Paul Potts – the shy winner of the first season of Britain’s Got Talent – directed by David Frankel. Closing night entertainment will be provided

by Stephen Frears’ Philomena, the true story of one mother’s search for a lost son starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Other program highlights include Good Vibrations directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and How I Live Now directed by Kevin Macdonald.

We’ve ten double passes to give away to your choice of any film (including opening and closing night events). For your chance to win, head to thebrag. com/freeshit and tell us what your favourite British film is and why.

BRAG :: 538:: 11:11:13 :: 25

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS Everything’s A Thread Dew Process/Universal

Most bands will push the vocals forward as the main ‘catchy part’ of a song. Not these guys. And that’s saying something for a group that utilises majestic group harmony better than any of their contemporaries. Yes, the vocal hooks are important, but just as integral are the jagged guitar lines, the driving bass lines, and the blessed-out rhythm section. Everything’s a hook on Everything’s A Thread.

Xxxx It’s still a fun album, but it feels less tongue-in-cheek than their last record. There’s no ‘irony’.

No self-aware genre riffing. Just good music. The thread? Talent.

This record pushes their weirdo rock further out there than 2010’s Tangalooma, but somehow holds it together in a much tighter way than the previous effort. The scuzzy sounds cuddle up against the blips and choral melodies, and don’t let go until the final track fades out. Why does the

dissonance work? What is the thread? It’s pretty obvious – good tunes. These guys are great songwriters. Every part is necessary, every second vital. The songs would sound good as stripped-back pieces, but the layered chaos elevates it. This can be seen nowhere better than the future stoner classic ‘MJ’s On Fire Again’.

The thread is literal as well, weaving its way through the album from atmospheric opener ‘The Needle’, through the title track and lead single, and into the album’s triumphant pop moment, ‘Common Thread’. Not to suggest that this is a concept album by any means, but the vague thematics imply a maturity for JSS. A universal awareness. An existential understanding. Or something. Maybe not. It’s probably just a good party record. But singing the lyrics “It’s irrelevant, what we do” after a few beers might ring too true for some ageing hipsters at the house party.

Cameron James

MOTÖRHEAD

GUINEAFOWL

BEAR’S DEN

Aftershock ADA/Warner

I Hope My City Loves Me Still Dew Process/ Universal

Without/Within Communion/Dew Process

Did you know Motörhead now have 21 studio albums? Drummer Mikkey Dee said of Aftershock, their 21st: “It is … one that really does define everything this band stands for.” That is an accurate description.

What does this album do? Have you heard Motörhead before? That’s what it does. It does Motörhead and it does it damned well. I’m not a diehard Motörhead fan, but to me they’re a vital part of musical history. Who can forget their classic appearance on The Young Ones playing ‘Ace Of Spades’? Who doesn’t love the story of Lemmy being fired from Hawkwind? Supposedly it was for his drug arrest but we all know it was because they were pissed about him doing the vocals for their biggest hit, ‘Silver Machine’.

Motörhead aren’t messing with the formula at all; there’s nothing new here. But I’d still rather listen to this than any other pretender band you care to name.

It’s still raw, still rough, still dirty. It is samey though. There is not a song on this album that does not sound like a previous Motörhead song. If this album came on in a random Motörhead playlist you would find it difficult to pick it out. Is this a bad thing? Well, do you like ‘Ace Of Spades’?

If you like Motörhead, you will like this album. If you don’t like Motörhead, you will not like this album. If you’ve never heard Motörhead and you like heavy blues rock, then you may as well check out this album first, before diving into their immense back catalogue.

Jesse Hayward

It’s very catchy. It’s very slick. It’s more complex than most pop music. It’s just holding us at arm’s distance.

It’s rare that an EP can hold so much potential for an artist. From the first moments of opener ‘Little Death (Make It Rain)’, it’s clear this guy is going to be huge one day. He has to be. And if anything this record serves as a signifier of his future success, but little more than that.

Andrew Davie, Kev Jones and Joey Haynes – three London lads – make thoughtfully crafted music filled with rich harmonies and melancholic lyricism that if you’re not careful will tug on your heartstrings.

Refined under the wings of UK label Communion, Bear’s Den have polished their own folk finesse to produce their debut EP, Without/ Within.

Guineafowl is something of a Sydney legend. And why not? He has the story: frustrated muso makes record on his own in a Bondi apartment, gets signed to major label, releases critically acclaimed EPs, and tours the country to great success. It’s a great story. This new release comes with a story too, one that sees Sam Yeldham wandering the city by night, and visiting haunts of first kisses and bar fights. Again, great story. But at a certain point, the music should be telling the stories, not the press release.

Consisting of six tracks, it’s a compelling 26-minute collection of hushed brush drums, shimmering fingerpicking and a pillowy falsetto that at times wanders dangerously close to Mumford & Sons territory.

There’s no denying the guy has talent. His baritone croon is enough to make you sit up and take notice. The musicianship is flawless. And maybe that’s the problem; it’s too precise.

Too calculated, perhaps? I don’t even think this is ‘throw away’ music. Listen to the lyrics – he’s saying a lot more than any pop star. And with titles such as ‘Little Death’ and ‘Heartbreak Highs’, he wants us to listen to the message. I just wish I didn’t have to dig through layers of crisp, zeitgeisty production to get to it.

‘Don’t Let The Sun Steal You Away’ is a stripped-down effort with a slowbuilding crescendo. The track is driven by intricate work on the banjo before meandering guitar riffs intertwine over the top of a sturdy bass drum.

The vocals’ delicate tenacity recount the nostalgic pain of a dwindling love.

“I’m scared of hurting someone / The way I’ve been hurt by you”; “I don’t want to touch you in the night / If I cannot hold you in the day / But as the sun slowly rises / Your love for me decays”.

Guineafowl is good. He’s proven he’s good. I can’t wait for the next record, when he doesn’t have to prove it anymore, and we can finally hear him.

Without/Within is a tranquil acoustic album that manages to imbue classic folk sensibilities.

Although sometimes the tunes can be underwhelming, as a whole the EP makes for an exciting and promising debut.

Cameron James

Psychedelic instrumentals open ‘Sahara Pt. I’, with subtle harmonies that are set adrift into the air. The single willingly melts into a caressing reverb of acoustic strumming, slipping into ‘Sahara Pt. II.’ Understated percussion layers steady under Davie’s swish blend of vocals.

Kiera Thanos

BLITZEN TRAPPER

HARRY HOOKEY

VII Vagrant/Shock

Sometimes Warner

Throughout Blitzen Trapper’s career, songwriter Eric Earley has applied his absurdist literary gaze to everything from Americana, country and ’60s folk rock to power pop and glam rock. On the group’s most successful records (particularly 2007’s Wild Mountain Nation), the audacious juxtaposition of various styles eschews the idea of an intrinsic artistic identity.

On VII, Earley again corresponds with many tenets of American songwriting, kicking off with barnyard romp ‘Feel The Chill’, followed by the soulful ‘Shine On’ (complete with female gospel backing vocals) and the straight country number ‘Ever Loved Once’. These songs are decent genre examples, but the familiar tropes aren’t craftily reapplied to illustrate an innovative new perspective.

However, VII begins to get interesting on rambling folk number ‘Valley Of Death’, when the armed and drunk narrator looks out “across the valley of the shadow below” and thus commences a sequence of genre transgression. ‘Oregon Geography’ is a murky take on Odelay-era Beck that has Earley reporting/rapping about rural peculiarities over a maligned banjo loop and the sound of falling rain. Next up, ‘Neck Tatts, Cadillacs’ is a paranoid neo-funk number with a female vocalist taking over for the rousing chorus.

Later comes ‘Drive On Up’, a return to the more conventional tact employed early in the record (this time an adept homage to The Band’s roots rock) but, by virtue of being surrounded by the bold genre explorations, it resonates with much greater force.

VII could be construed as a conceptual journey; what begins as a down-home affair starts to take unpredictable turns as the protagonist wanders beyond the comfort zone. Ultimately it has mixed results, but it’s a fascinating attempt and a worthy addition to Blitzen Trapper’s catalogue.

Augustus Welby

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK BEC SANDRIDGE Wild Heart Independent/ Bandcamp Australia produces some of the best female voices in the world. There are so many incredible artists singing in so many different styles, it’s become overwhelming. Many artists now attempt to find and hold a certain atmosphere, a musical signature to separate themselves from the chorus of other beautiful voices.

More recently this has resulted in the overproduction of songs; everyone needs

26 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

to have an orchestra or an immaculately engineered sound. Bec Sandridge does away with these habits while managing to maintain her unique style.

Wild Heart possesses a sound as gentle as a dream. Opener ‘Cars’ sets the mood; that of watching the stars whirl in the night sky. ‘Stones’ is a slow waltz with trumpets playing in the deep, rising slowly like the coming dawn. The title track is a floaty melody with the soft echo of guitar strings reaching out like an embrace.

‘Ghost’ and ‘Red Jumper’ pick up the pace somewhat – the heavy double bass on ‘Ghost’ thunders along with a quicker singing style, nestled amongst

the accordion and harmonies, while on ‘Red Jumper’, fast guitar picking and brass notes create a feeling of anticipation and excitement. The final track ‘Go Home’ is filled with contemplation, and a constant reminder from the singer: “It’s time to go home / It’s time to go”.

Wild Heart keeps hold of its grassroots through its sparseness, adding the brass and strings and harmonies to the mix without losing any innocence. It reminds us all that, at its core, this is still a record about a singer with a guitar and a beautiful voice.

Harry Hookey has the voice of a country crooner but his lyrics are filled with the urban angst of a Woody Allen film. A bit paradoxical – which could definitely make for an interesting listen, but the added genre-hopping of this EP just makes it sound disjointed and unsure.

Opener ‘Sometimes’ is a meandering, bluesy track with a narrator who sounds like a barfly sharing cautionary tales. The chorus may not be that imaginative – “Sometimes everybody gets lazy / Sometimes everybody gets sad / Sometimes everybody gets crazy / Sometimes everybody gets mad” – but it definitely gets lodged in your brain.

You may be forgiven for thinking you’ve been transported back to the late ’90s when ‘Misdiagnosed’ gets cranking. Very reminiscent of bands like Three Doors Down and (dare I say it) Nickelback, it’s an underwhelming rock song with predictable highs and lows. While the lyrics may be tortured and ripe with feeling, the overproduction on this track leaves you feeling not much of anything.

Things take a turn stylistically with ‘Where I’ll Be Found’, and it’s definitely the standout of the EP. Pretty guitars entwined with whimsical lyrics tell a story of a young man yearning for an Into The Wild-style adventure… hopefully with a happier outcome.

‘Lovin’ Touch’ sounds the most distinctively country of these tracks, but that dated rock element creeps back in. Just when Hookey was on to something good he pulls the rug out from under us to reveal a very welltrodden floor of musicians past.

What ultimately lets this EP down is its lack of cohesion. When Hookey settles on a style he will definitely be worth another listen.

Helen Vienne

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

SHANNON AND THE CLAMS - Dreams In The Rat House YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Show Your Bones ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI - Moment Bends

CHROMEO - Fancy Footwork EMMA DAVIS - Emma Davis

Daniel Prior

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 27

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

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, ALEX CAMERON, EAST RIVER The Standard Saturday November 2

It’s always an exciting thing to see a band live just before they get massive. Judging from the energy generated both onstage and in the audience at The Standard, it seems King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard are in that very sweet spot.

East River were the first of two supports for the show. They played a fine set of sloppy ’60s fuzz pop that was in a similar vein to King Gizzard. Alex Cameron of Seekae’s solo set that followed, however, was one of the most baffling and infuriating live shows I’ve seen in a long time.

Cameron came onstage with slicked back hair and a green suit, recalling mid-’70s Bowie and Bryan Ferry. He played synthdriven, new romantic music, derivative of mid-’70s Bowie and Bryan Ferry. And he carried on like someone with the stature of mid-’70s Bowie or Bryan Ferry, getting angry at his band, the sound guy and the audience for no reason at all. If you didn’t know beforehand, it didn’t take long to realise that it was all to some degree a joke, but one of those annoying, Andy Kaufman-style jokes where the people involved are the only ones who find it funny.

So whether taken as music or comedy, it was a waste of time.

If you’re yet to see King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard live, their stage set-up is impressive: two drummers, two basses, two guitars, plus a harmonica/ keyboards player. But it isn’t just for show; every instrument adds to a powerful sound that hits you in the gut. Theirs is a style that is trending in indie music at the moment, with Tame Impala, Ty Segall and The Men all mining similar grounds. But King Gizzard jump around styles and tempos so frequently that they have their own unique experience to offer.

PHOTOGRAPHER : ASHLEY MAR

I can’t recite the setlist (they’ve released three albums in less than a year, and I’m still catching up), but a highlight was ‘Head On/ Pill’, easily their best song at this point. It was a blur of distortion pedals, moshing and strobe lights that was thrilling for its entire 16-minute run time.

So go and see King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard soon, and you can brag to your friends that you saw them “before they were big”. Because they will be big.

Leonardo Silvestrini

BODYJAR, LUCA BRASI, THE SINKING TEETH The Hi-Fi Friday November 1

“Greetings! We’ve got a new album out but we’re gonna play some new ones and a shitload of old ones eh…” Bodyjar had taken the stage at Sydney’s Hi-Fi and lead singer Cameron Baines knew just what the crowd wanted to hear. Everyone was stoked for a night of ’90s throwback punk rock and old-school ska.

Melbourne trio The Sinking Teeth opened the gig, kicking things off with some punk metal tunes from their recently released EP White Water. Playing a solid set including ‘Carcass’ and ‘Tongues’, the boys rocked the stage even though the crowd was sparse and the night young. Before closing the set with current single ‘Temporary Living’, vocalist Julian Doan hollered praise to headliners Bodyjar: “These guys are fucking rad.”

RKE PHOTOGRAPHER : KATRINA CLA

In keeping with the punk rock theme, Tassie five-piece Luca Brasi followed

JEREMY NEALE, MAJOR LEAGUES, RICHARD CUTHBERT, OKIN OSAN Goodgod Small Club Thursday October 31

Had you walked into the Danceteria at Goodgod Small Club on this Thursday night, choking on the smoke which filled the venue, you would no doubt have caught the silhouette of a tall lanky figure who looked as if he had just been let down from the rack after a good stretch to his arms and legs, and was bopping about the place like Jack the Ripper on ecstasy. But fear not; this is Australia and Halloween is simply an excuse to dress up and go out to see some great music. The lone, Gumbyesque silhouette was Jeremy Neale, dancing along to Sydney three-piece Okin Osan.

The band was energetic and vibrant, so much so that once they finished the crowd cried out for an encore, with Neale at the forefront. When the band said they were out of songs, Neale started up a “First song again!” chant. They decided on a song which keyboardist Rainbow Chan was unfamiliar with, and simply jammed along, occasionally letting the beat drop, but overall adding to a great act.

Following up were Richard Cuthbert and Major Leagues, both wearing various Halloween costumes. Cuthbert played great music but barely interacted with the crowd

28 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

or even acknowledged their presence, which later was reciprocated when the audience began to ignore the next set. In fact, Major Leagues were a particular downer to the show. Their fuzzy surf pop seemed more lazy and sloppy than relaxed and mellow. They picked up toward the end, livening up a little and enjoying themselves a bit more.

Jeremy Neale and his band took the stage, dressed in capes and wishing everyone a happy Halloween before launching straight into the music. Blasting through ‘Do Do Do’, ‘Merry-Go-Round’ and ‘Lone Tiger’, Neale quickly worked up the crowd into a frenzy, gathering everyone onto the dancefloor to get freaky in their costumes. The audience, due to the various other events taking place all over the city, only filled out a little over half the room, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in enthusiasm.

Once he got onto ‘Darlin’’, the crowd was eating out of his hand. Band members began to steal the audience’s outfits, and by the end of the set, fans were up onstage dancing with Neale, Barack Obama on guitar, Dracula on bass, a pirate on keyboards, and a drummer at the back desperately trying to play as his kit was knocked over by the dancing stage invaders (to his credit, he went all-out for the finale). If Halloween is always like this, then Australia should definitely take it up as a national holiday.

Daniel Prior

VERONICA FALLS, GO VIOLETS Goodgod Small Club Wednesday October 30

Goodgod’s notorious Danceteria was transformed into an indie rock den for a night as UK darlings Veronica Falls swept in with the unseasonal northern breeze.

Supporting them were Brisbane’s Go Violets.

OK you guys, pretty sure Lea Michele ran away from Glee, dyed her hair blonde and decided to front an indie girl band. If you don’t believe me, go YouTube search their latest single ‘Wanted’. It’s the sweetest ‘fuck you’ break-up song I’ve ever heard. Listening to this band is like being transported to a world of teenage lust, angst and rebellion.

They could easily soundtrack an entire Diablo Cody movie, or five.

Eyes firmly planted on their Converse sneakers, Go Violets took shoegazing to a whole new level… and it kinda worked for them. Mumbled onstage banter and ‘shy girl’ personas aside, these women owned the stage in their own special way.

Alternating vocals and instruments, this multi-talented group won the room over with super fun, grungy rock tunes underpinned by a distinctively youthful surf guitar twang, handclaps and plenty of harmonised ‘oooh’s.

Now to the main act, Veronica Falls. These guys ’n’ gals are a bit of a big deal in their native England and have an underground but blog-heavy presence pretty much

with some fun ska sounds. The floor was slowly filling and energy levels rising as the band played boisterous tunes including ‘Southbound’ and ‘Viva Tassie Cabrones’.

After several years’ hiatus from the music world, Bodyjar opened their Sydney comeback with the new album’s title track, ‘Role Model’. As promised, the iconic punk rockers mixed it up, playing a quality selection of old and new. “We’re stoked to be back playing gigs again, guys,” Baines announced before jumping into ‘Not The Same’. “Thanks for sticking by us.”

While the crowd took to the new songs, jumping, singing and getting their ska on, it was obvious most were there for the familiar and fun punk tunes that the Aussie legends are famed for.

From ‘Remote Controller’ to ‘Fairytales’, ‘Underwater’ and ‘Is It A Lie?’, the guys rocked the venue, proving that while they might be a little older, they’ve sure as hell still got it.

Julienne Gilet

everywhere else in the world. I recently caught them play a massive festival set at Latitude in the UK and it seemed a little sad to see this unassuming alt-pop powerhouse group in such a minimal atmosphere. It just goes to show how firmly chained to the radio Australian music fans are. Sigh.

That said, it is about time they visited our shores. Their brand of jangly, pop-infused rock’n’roll is so timeless and transcends all genres. It is just good music. Dreamy vocal and guitar melodies were to-and-froed between boy and girl bandmates, conjuring a playfully romantic scene throughout the set while a strong rhythm section kept it tight as can be.

Touring off the back of their latest album, Waiting For Something To Happen, there was plenty of new material on show.

Adolescent anthem ‘Teenage’ won hearts with lyrics like, “Driving late at night, I let you listen to the music you like,” while the up-tempo ‘If You Still Want Me’ got some feet moving amongst the small crowd.

The deliciously haunting 2010 single ‘Found Love In A Graveyard’ was befitting on the eve of Halloween and proved exactly why so many people around the world freaking love this band. They also fitted in a touching ode to Lou Reed before closing the night off to an infectious stream of applause.

Claire Knight

thebrag.com

SuNdAy 3Rd SuNdAy 10Th GANG OF BROTHERS

ALL THE DEAD COLOURS DEAF DEARS

HEARTSTOP MUSIC, HARBOUR AGENCY & THE MUSIC PRESENTS

JORDIE LANE NOT BUILT TO LAST TOUR

SuNdAy 17Th

FRONT END LOADER SPARROWS THEM DREAMERS CELEBRATING DRUM and PERCUSSION CO OP OPENING

SuNdAy 24Th NEVER MIND

THE SWILLFEST FREE MUSIC EVERY SUNDAY! NOV 14 YOURS & OWLS, WOLLONGONG W/ OLD MAN LUEDECKE

NOV 15 CLARENDON GUESTHOUSE, KATOOMBA W/ OLD MAN LUEDECKE

NOV 16 THE BASEMENT, SYDNEY

W/ OLD MAN LUEDECKE & ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS

NOV 17 GRAND JUNCTION, MAITLAND W/ OLD MAN LUEDECKE

NOV 20 LIZOTTES CENTRAL COAST, KINCUMBER W/ OLD MAN LUEDECKE

BRAND NEW EP NOT BUILT TO LAST IS OUT 18 OCTOBER 2013

4PM - 4AM DAILY

JORDIELANE.COM OLDMANLUEDECKE.CA

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 29

snap sn ap

ac presents lady killers

PICS :: KC

up all night out all week . . .

newtown hotel birthday halloween

PICS :: KB

31:10:13 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100

oaf halloween 6th bday party

PICS :: KC

31:10:13 :: Newtown Hotel :: 174 King St Newtown 9557 6399

wednesday 13

PICS :: KC

01:11:13 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

british india

PICS :: AM

31:10:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

01:11:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

30 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

S :: KARL BRAASCH :: ASHLEY

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER ROUSE

IEL

MAR :: KATRINA CLARKE :: DAN

thebrag.com

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i am apollo

PICS :: KC

up all night out all week . . .

01:11:13 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100

garage syndicate, vol. 3 party profile

It’s called: Garage Syndicate, Vol. 3

It sounds like: Pop music that isn’t very popul ar, but should be.

Acts: The Guppies, Designer Mutts, Servic e Bells, Claws & Organs Sell it to us: Anyone caught asking “When does the DJ start?!?!” gets a Chuck Taylor to the face. Twerking is allowe d though.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The songs . You have no say in this matter, ’cause we guarantee you’ll be singin g your new favourite song over the ringing in your ears. We’ll also autograph your face (whether you asked us to or not), before shoving a Designer Mutts EP down your shorts as we send you on your merry. So, there’s that.

Crowd specs: For fans of Nirvana, Sonic Youth , Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, You Am I, Redd Kross, Idlewild, Pixies and any other band that’s changed your life with an honest song and fuzz pedal.

Wallet damage: $10 Where: FBi Social

little scout

PICS :: KC

When: Thursday November 14, 8pm

01:11:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9572 6322 S :: KARL BRAASCH :: ASHLEY

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER ROUSE

thebrag.com

IEL

MAR :: KATRINA CLARKE :: DAN

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 31

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Foxes

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Big Band Tuesdays - feat: Sirens Big Band The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $5.

Old School Funk And Groove Night Venue 505, Surry Hills.

8:30pm. free.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Mingus Amongst Us Venue 505, Surry Hills.

8:30pm. $15.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Nat Bartsch Trio The Foundry 616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $25.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 Oxford Art Factory

Foxes + Cosmo’s Midnight + Stoney Roads DJs 8pm. $36.80.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 11 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Happy Monday!

Venue 505, Surry Hills.

8:30pm. free.

Motown Mondays - feat: Soulgroove The White Horse, Surry Hills.

8pm. free.

Reggae Monday Civic Underground, Sydney.

10pm. free.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK Damien Dempsey

32 :: BRAG :: 538 : 11:11:13

The Vanguard, Newtown.

10pm. $41.80.

Songsonstage - feat: John Chesher + Stu Tyrell + Jess Porfiri + Chris Brookes + Massimo Presti + Rick Taylor Kelly’s On King, Newtown.

7pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Bernie Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Oliver Goss The Orient, The Rocks. 8pm. free.

Charlie Parr + Luke O’Shea The Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $29.

Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. free.

Pulp Kitchen And Folk Club - feat: live Rotating Folk Bands Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Songsonstage - feat: Andrew Denniston + Anthony Silvestrini + Bradley Lee + Hollie Winter Collector Hotel, Parramatta.

7pm. free.

Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery + Paul B Wilde Sackville Hotel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. free.

Songsonstage - feat: Helmet Uhlmann + Dean Michael Smith + Tim Busuttil + Lucas Hakewill + Bradley Primmer The Loft (UTS Loft), Ultimo.

6pm. free.

SSA Showcase - feat: Taos + Gavin Fitzgerald + John Chesher + Ken Mclean + Paul McGowan Charing Cross Hotel, Waverley. 7pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12 ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Songsonstage - feat: Carolyn Woodorth + Blonde Baggage + Jess Porfiri Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown. 7:30pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Champagne Jam - Open Mic Night Dundas Sports Club, Dundas.

7:30pm. free.

Co-Pilot The Orient, The Rocks. 9pm.

Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney.

9pm. free.

City Slickers Band Competition Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15.

Gemma Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

Jamie Lindsay Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee.

9pm. free.

Joe Echo Duo O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 9:45pm. free.

The John Steel Singers + Go Violets Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

Lunchbreak Presented

By Alberts - feat: Made In Japan FBi Social, Kings Cross.

8pm. free.

Mark Travers The Orient, The Rocks. 9pm. free.

Secret And Spontaneous Warm Up Gig - feat: Julia & Penny Django Bar, Marrickville.

6pm. free.

Superchunk + Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7:30pm. $38.90.

Uni Bar100 Bar100, The Rocks. 9pm. free.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 .ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Live Music Thursdays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free.

Sal Kimba & The Rollin’ Wheel Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $17.70.

Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery & Guests Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge. 7:30pm. free.

SOS For RFS - feat: Chris Raicevich + Confession&Denial + LJ Phillips + Brian Manning + Charli + Paul McGowan Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free.

Wayne Leffler’s Run The Red + The Joel Leffler Band The Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $15.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Cole Soul And Emotion feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills.

8pm. free.

Hollie Smith Venue 505, Surry Hills.

8:30pm. $16.

Skyzthelimit Padstow RSL Club, Sydney.

7:15pm. free.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Claire Daly Quintet Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $35.

The 1920s Jazz Gang Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Bondi Junction. 6pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alex Hopkins Open Mic Night Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 7:30pm. free.

Andy Mammers Duo Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free.

Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

Dave White Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney.

9:30pm. free.

Foxes + Cosmo’s Midnight + Stoney Roads DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $36.80.

Garage Syndicate III - feat: The Guppies + Royal Chant + Service Bells + Claws & Organs FBi Social, Kings Cross.

8pm. $10.

Go Van Go Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

8pm. free.

Greg Agar Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7pm. free.

Matt Jones Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

7:30pm. free.

Neutral Milk Hotel + M Ward + Superchunk Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

7:30pm. $74.20.

Sal Kimber & The Rolling Wheel + Fanny Lumsden & The Thrill Seekers Django Bar, Marrickville.

7pm. $15.

The Murlocs + The Chitticks + Food Court Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

The Sweet Apes The Loft (UTS Loft), Ultimo.

8pm. free.

Tom Stone & The Soldiers Of Fortune + Marosi Di Buriana Gordan & The Good Times Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10.

White Bros The Orient, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

World’s End Press Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.30.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Damien Leith The Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $35.

Dave Anthony Optus Centre, 3pm. free.

Dave Mac Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free.

Flamin’ Beauties Mortdale Hotel, Mortdale.

8:30pm. free.

Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Scott Floyd General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham. 7pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Armchair Travellers Duo Courthouse Hotel, Newtown.

10pm. free.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: The Italian Project The Sound Lounge, Sydney.

8:30pm. $35.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Tina Harrod Band Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $25.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

A-Team Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

9pm. free.

Bec Laughton Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Ben Finn Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

9pm. free.

Black Diamond Hearts Peachtree Hotel, Penrith.

9:30pm. free.

Born Jovi - The Bon Jovi Show Pioneer Tavern, Penrith.

9pm. free.

Brendan Deehan O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 8pm. free.

Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10pm. free.

Cambo Massey Park Golf Club, Concord. 7pm. free.

Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

6:30pm. free.

Dave Field Duo thebrag.com

Xxx

pick of the week

free.

Greg Agar Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. free.

Onerepublic + Boyce Avenue + Emma Birdsall The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $99.90.

Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

4pm. free.

Dave Phillips Greystanes Inn, Greystanes.

8pm. free.

Dave White Experience New Brighton Hotel, Manly.

11pm. free.

David Agius Duo Cronulla RSL, Cronulla.

7:30pm. free.

David Bridie Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $27.70.

Franz Ferdinand Metro Theatre, Sydney.

8:30pm. $67.30.

Geoff Rana Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. free.

Gerard Masters Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 5:30pm. free.

Greg Agar Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free.

Heath Burdell Duo Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

8pm. free.

Hoy + Pretty City + Ivory Drips + The Carraways FBi Social, Kings Cross.

8pm. $10.

I Know Leopard Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free.

James Fox Higgins Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free.

Jamie Lindsay The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood. 5:30pm. free.

Jess Dunbar Novotel, Darling Harbour.

5:30pm. free.

Joe Echo + The Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Sydney.

9pm. free.

John Field Duo Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 8pm. free.

Keith Armitage Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free.

Klay Vetter Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9pm. free.

Kristen Fletcher Trio Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Lime Cordiale + Castlecomer + Moonlight Cowboys Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt.

9:30pm. free.

Luke And Ben Trio Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free.

Mark Da Costa Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free.

Matt Jones The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. free.

Matt Price The Grand Hotel, Rockdale.

5:30pm. free.

Nile + The Faceless Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $65.30.

Nova Tone North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 7:30pm. free.

Panorama Duo The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

Replika Duo Horse And Jockey Hotel, Homebush. 7:30pm. free.

Riz Hallows Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

10:30pm. free.

Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

Rock’N’Roll Holocaust feat: The Archaic Revival + Hypergiant + Fouulhawk + The Defiant Few + Blacksmith Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo.

7pm. $10.

Sounds Like Sunset feat: Royal Chant + Yes I’m Leaving + Claws And Organs Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free.

Stonefield The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. $22.95.

Sydney Rocks For Hope Cancer Fundraiser - feat: Soundproofed Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 8pm. free.

The Deep Ambarvale Tavern, Ambarvale. 8pm. free.

The Donovans Windsor Leagues Club, 9:30pm. free.

The John Steel Singers Small Ballroom, Newcastle.

8pm. $18.40.

The Lonely Boys Unity Hall Hotel, 9pm. free.

The McQueens + Jenny Broke The Window + Albert Salt + March Of The Real Fly The Standard, Surry Hills.

8pm. $10.

The Murlocs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.30.

Three Rams Penrith Gaels, Kingswood.

8pm. free.

Tim Conlon Parramatta RSL Club, Parramatta. 8pm. free.

Tom T Duo Parramatta Leagues - The Firehouse, Parramatta.

7:30pm. free.

Totally Gordgeous Django Bar, Marrickville.

6pm. $15.

Zoltan Colonial Hotel, Werrington.

9:30pm. free.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK Craig Thommo Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Bondi Junction.

8:30pm. free.

Greg Lines The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 8:45pm. free.

Jordie Lane The Basement, Circular

Quay. 8pm. $24.80.

Larissa McKay + Mark Matic William Street Studios, Fairlight. 7pm. $10.

Leonard Cohen Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour.

8pm. $141.40.

Live Music Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 4pm. free.

Russel Nelson Club Ashfield, Sydney. 8pm. free.

Stormcellar The Royal Hotel, Bondi.

8:30pm. free.

Two Minds The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. free.

Whitley + Seagull Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $23.50.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Barney Mcall Trio Venue 505, Surry Hills.

8:30pm. $30.

Jim Conway’s Big Wheel Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $27.70.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Sirens Big Band + Claire Daly The Foundry 616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $30.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival - feat: Twilight Jazz featuring The Jo Fabro Quintet Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 4:30pm. free.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Bloodlines – Jade Macrae And Joy Yates The Sound Lounge, Sydney.

8:30pm. $30.

Yuki Kumagai - feat: John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 11am. free.

mon

tue

11

12

Nov

Nov

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

wed

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thu

13 Nov

14 Nov (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

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

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

16 Nov

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON sun

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

17 Nov (8:30PM - 12:00AM)

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS A-Team Duo Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

7pm. free.

Alex Cannings Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. free.

Alex Hopkins Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free.

Between The Buried And Me + The Contortionist Metro Theatre, Sydney.

8pm. $59.

Big Way Out Marlborough Hotel, Newtown. 10:30pm. free.

Black Mamba + Lost Without Life + Fools Wit Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo.

12pm. $10.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club The Hi-Fi, Moore Park.

7:30pm. $61.60.

Born Jovi - The Bon Jovi Show Ettamogah Hotel, Kellyville

Franz Ferdinand

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 33

gig picks

g g guide gig g

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Ridge. 9pm. free.

Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

3pm. free.

Christine Jane + Bayonets For Legs + Harvey Swagger Band Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. free.

Daniel Lawrence Sir Joseph Bank Hotel, Banksmeadow. 7pm. free.

Darren Johnstone Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free.

Darren Sylvester + Montero Golden Age Cinema, Surry Hills. 10:30pm. $14.

David Agius Helensburgh Workers Club, Helensburgh. 8:30pm. free.

Electric Anthems Trio Paragon Hotel, Sydney.

9:30pm. free.

Endless Summer Beach Party Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Geoff Rana Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

9pm. free.

Heath Burdell Duo Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9pm. free.

Hooray For Everything Sutherland United Services Club, Sutherland. 7:30pm. free.

Jess Dunbar The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 6pm. free.

Jim Conway’s Big Wheel Django Bar, Marrickville.

7:30pm. $25.

Joe Echo PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park.

9:30pm. free.

Jonti + Safia Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

Josh McIvor Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 8pm. free.

Leon Fallon Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Luchi + Jozz Scott + Arctictech FBi Social, Kings Cross.

8pm. $10.

Macson Parramatta Leagues - The Firehouse, Parramatta.

7:30pm. free.

Matt Jones Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free.

Matt Price Panthers: Domiques Bar, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Muddy Feet Courthouse Hotel, Newtown. 10pm. free.

Nancy Vandal + Chinese Burns Unit + Batfoot

The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $20.

One Hit Wonders Colyton Hotel, Colyton.

9pm. free.

Pop Fiction The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free.

Private Life + Tales In Space + Hoodlem + Bobby Gray Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Red Remedy + Like Thieves + We Without + Mandala The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7:30pm. $15.

Reels On Fire PJ Gallagher’s, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Rob Henry Greystanes Inn, Greystanes.

9pm. free.

Rock Fossils Oatley Hotel, Oatley.

8:30pm. free.

Rock Of Ages Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 9pm. free.

Shane Flew Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. free.

Sons Of Mercury Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free.

Spank Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

10:30pm. free.

Teenage Hand Models + MC Filth Wizard + Robosexual + Swine The Standard, Surry Hills.

8pm. $10.

The John Steel Singers Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.40.

The Lonely Boys The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

Wedding Anniversary Rock Out - feat: Domino + Atomesquad Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo.

8pm. $15.

Zoltan Stacks Taverna, Sydney.

6pm. free.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney.

6pm. free.

Krishna Jones Dick’s Hotel, Balmain. 4pm. free.

Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm. free.

Nic Cassey + Telegraph Tower Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. free.

Raoul Graf Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 3pm. free.

Stormcellar Wallarah Hotel, Catherine Hill Bay. 2pm. free.

Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

The Bland Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo.

12pm. $10.

Toni Bird Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 2pm. free.

Whitley + Seagull Small Ballroom, Newcastle.

8pm. $20.95.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Armchair Travellers Duo Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 1pm. free.

Les Bagatelles Django Bar, Marrickville.

6pm. $10.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Sirens Big Band + Claire Daly Foundry616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $30.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Bloodlines The Sound Lounge, Sydney.

8:30pm. $30.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Twilight Jazz feat. Jo Fabro Quintet Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 4:30pm. free.

Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival feat: Virna Sanzone And Paul Grabowsky Present The Italian Project Riverside Theatre, Parramatta. 3pm. $47.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alex Hopkins The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 1pm. free.

Antoine O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 8pm. free.

Colour Therapy - feat: No Flack + The Underground Architect + Ivany Drops Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo.

6pm. $10.

David Agius Horse And Jockey Hotel, Homebush. 3:30pm. free.

Elevate Duo Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 6pm. free.

Heath Burdell Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 9pm. free.

Hits & Pits 2.0 - feat: Black Flag + Boysetsfire + Bad Astronaut + Snuff + No Fun At All + Good For You + Off With Their Heads + Jughead’s Revenge The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 5pm. $90.

James Fox Higgins Mill Hill Hotel, Bondi Junction. 3pm. free.

Leonard Cohen Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour.

8pm. $141.40.

Mark Travers Ettamogah Hotel, Kellyville Ridge. 1pm. free.

Mi Sex + Max & The Refined Rouges The Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30.

Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

8pm. free.

Three Wise Men Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

3pm. free.

The John Steel Singers

MONDAY NOVEMBER 11 Damien Dempsey The Vanguard, Newtown. 10pm. $41.80.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12 Onerepublic + Boyce Avenue + Emma Birdsall The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $99.90.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13 The John Steel Singers + Go Violets Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm.

Free.

Superchunk + Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7:30pm. $38.90.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 Hollie Smith Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $16.

Garage Syndicate III - Feat: The Guppies + Royal Chant + Service Bells + Claws & Organs FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

Neutral Milk Hotel + M Ward + Superchunk Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $74.20.

World’s End Press Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.30.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 Bec Laughton Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Franz Ferdinand Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8:30pm. $67.30.

Hoy + Pretty City + Ivory Drips + The Carraways

FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

Lime Cordiale + Castlecomer + Moonlight Cowboys Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Nile + The Faceless Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $65.30.

Stonefield The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. $22.95.

The McQueens + Jenny Broke The Window + Albert Salt + March Of The Real Fly The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $10.

The Murlocs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.30.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 Jordie Lane The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $24.80.

Leonard Cohen Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $141.40.

Whitley + Seagull Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $23.50.

Between The Buried And Me + The Contortionist Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $59.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $61.60.

Nancy Vandal + Chinese Burns Unit + Batfoot The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $20.

Red Remedy + Like Thieves + We Without + Mandala The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7:30pm. $15.

Teenage Hand Models + MC Filth Wizard + Robosexual + Swine The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $10.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 Hits & Pits 2.0 - Feat: Black Flag + Boysetsfire + Bad Astronaut + Snuff + No Fun At All + Good For You + Off With Their Heads + Jughead’s Revenge The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 5pm. $90.

Bec Laughton

Jordie Lane

34 :: BRAG :: 538 : 11:11:13

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BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture inside

brag beats also + club g : + club s uide na + weekl ps y column

jon hopkins

xxx photo by JXxx

dave seaman father figure

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BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 35

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

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

WAMP WAMP

five things WITH

XXYYXX It all depends on my college plans.

The Music You Make The music I make really 4. varies [depending] on where I am in life. Now I’m 18 and people are expecting the same music I made when I was 16 and that’s dead wrong. I’m not sure what kind of set I’ll do [in Australia]. I’m really into footwork and songs with textures and space. I love very out-there music as well.

Having risen from the ashes on a number of occasions, local club brand Wamp Wamp has again been resurrected for a night of revelry at Goodgod Small Club this Saturday November 16 that will be curated

by DJs Kato, Levins and special guest Melbournian, Tranter, of Gameboy/Gamegirl fame. Since being conceived in ’06, Wamp Wamp has pushed crunk, Baltimore club, Baile funk, grime and hyphy – don’t ask me, bro – while playing host to the likes of Diplo, Dre Skull, DJ Klever, Roshambo, The Bag Raiders and Jaime Doom. The party organisers are urging attendees to, “dig up an old Modular t-shirt, dye your hair neon and come pump your fi st as we pay homage to one of the best eras for new club music ever.” The nostalgic raving will commence at 11pm, and run ’til late.

Eelke Kleijn

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I think the music scene is alive and

Growing Up I have this guitar and it was 1. the first acoustic I’d ever played.

It belonged to a girl named Amy, daughter of my mum’s best friend, whom I had grown up with. I still record with it – I think playing it at their old house is my key childhood musical memory.

I didn’t have much of a musical household but playing instruments most definitely runs in the family!

My mum played clarinet and was

in a band for a while, but I’m not sure about my dad. I think being an only child with a single parent made me focus on doing things with and for myself such as music.

Inspirations I can’t even list my favourite 2. musicians, it’s so hard! A lot of things inspire me, such as photography, some people’s art, the weather, and definitely my environment too.

Your Crew I have a crew of friends, 3. you could say, back at home – we don’t do much but make music and smoke, honestly.

We fi nd really strange music and can sometimes bond over that too. It’s a really small but awesome network of friends and I love them to death. I think they inspire me the most. As of now I don’t really have a day job or anything but I might [soon].

well; millions of forward-thinking artists doing what they absolutely love. Sadly I think the listeners have a shortening attention span nowadays, which is difficult, especially if you make even semi-challenging music. ‘Semichallenging’ these days is almost anything that isn’t a banger. That’s kind of upsetting to me, as I want to be able to fully express myself but no-one seems to care about expression anymore. I’m sure I’ve just been over-thinking it, though.

The only obstacle musicians must overcome is being blocked by fear.

Fear of rejection, fear of anything – just do what you love.

With: Wave Racer Where: The Standard When: Thursday February 6 And: Also appearing with Chvrches, Danny Brown, Jagwar Ma, Earl Sweatshirt, Haim and more at St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival, SCA Rozelle, Sunday February 2

4OUR SECOND BIRTHDAY Bonobo

4our celebrates its second birthday on Friday November 29 at Goodgod Small Club with a bash featuring all its resident DJs. Claire Morgan is back in town after spending the European summer in Berlin, while 4our residents Magda Bytnerowicz, Trinity and Kate Doherty will also be spinning. A female-fl avoured event, 4our has developed into one of the discerning clubber’s party options of choice over the past two years, hosting performances from renowned international DJs such as Eric Cloutier and Steffi. The birthday celebrations kick off at 11pm, with $10 presale tickets available online.

DANNY HOWELLS BALANCE LAUNCH AT GOLDFISH

BONOBO ENCORE PERFORMANCE

British beatsman Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, has announced an additional show at the Sydney Opera House on Monday January 6 at 9.30pm, after the earlier 7pm performance sold out. Signed to the Ninja Tunes label on the strength of his debut album, Animal Magic, Bonobo has accumulated a discography comprising his Days To Come, which was voted 2006’s Album of the Year by listeners in BBC Radio 1’s Worldwide Awards, and his fifth LP, The North Borders. Bonobo will be supported by a six-piece band sporting vocalists like Flying Lotus collaborator Andreya Triana, Bajka and the troupe’s latest addition, Szjerdene. For those who missed out on tickets first time around, don’t make the same mistake again. Go. Now!

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Veteran DJ Danny Howells’ tour schedule has been amended with his Balance launch party set to take place at Goldfish (and not Chinese Laundry as previously reported) on Saturday January 18 in what will be his exclusive Sydney show on this tour. Howells, who made his name with compilations for Global Underground and Renaissance back in the mid-’90s, is returning Down Under to support the release of his forthcoming compilation Balance 24, his first freeform mix since 2008. “It wasn’t an intentional hiatus,” Howells explained. “I was focusing on my label for a while. I do like having a nice gap between albums though as it allows me to really stockpile the tracks I love so much. It’s nice when you come to compile and you’ve got your favourite tunes from the last few years to pick from.” The end result is a double compilation of two mixes, subtitled ‘This’ and ‘That’, which traverse cuts from Jamie xx, Ian Pooley, The Mole and Jagwar Ma.

EELKE KLEIJN

Netherlands producer Eelke Kleijn will return to Sydney and headline a two-story romp at The Burdekin on Friday November 29 in addition to his performance at the eagerly-anticipated Subsonic Music Festival. A longtime favourite among many of the stalwarts of the Sydney club scene (including the promoters/fanboys hosting this party), Kleijn melds the boundaries between progressive house, techno and tech house, placing a strong emphasis on more melodic sounds in his productions. Kleijn announced himself with the track ‘8 Bit Ear’ on Nick Warren’s GU Paris compilation back in ’06, and has since released two albums: his debut, Naturally Artificial, on Global Underground back in ’07, which he followed with Untold Stories on Manual Music, a label based in Kleijn’s hometown of Rotterdam. Supporting Kleijn in the main room will be Mesan and Garth Linton, with a host of other locals set to represent upstairs.

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dance music news

free stuff

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

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five things WITH

SOUL OF SYDNEY

GOODWILL Growing Up The Music You Make I grew up in a very musical I have a love for house 1.

4. house. My dad, sister and twin music made for a big room. brother are all musicians. There was music playing constantly when I was a kid.

Inspirations I grew up on Prince and 2.

I am still obsessed with him. I remember seeing Purple Rain as a kid and having my mind completely blown!

Your Crew I started out at the same 3. time as my mates Kid Kenobi, Ritual and Q45. We were super young, but Sydney was still a small enough scene for us to make an impact. We spent year after year obsessing over music at all the (now closed) record stores on Oxford Street.

Mr C

Jacob Korn

Anything loopy and relentless floats my boat. I love artists like Riva Starr, Phunk Investigation, Michael Calfan, Alex Metric and Mark Knight to name just a few.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I recently came back from a super-inspiring trip to Ibiza. I was booked to play at We Love Sundays at Space. It was really refreshing to see a tonne of DJs each with their unique thing going on: Paul Woolford, Scuba, Vadim, Derrick Carter, Ralf and James Zabiela all blew me away!

Where: Marquee At The Star When: Saturday November 16

JACOB KORN

Underground party kids Soul of Sydney are turning two, and marking the occasion the only way they know how: with a Birthday Block Party at a secret location, five minutes from the Sydney CBD. On board will be legendary crate digger, producer and DJ Kon, plus the Soul of Sydney DJs and select friends including Frenzie, JC, Phil Toke, Michael Zac and Eadie Ramia. It goes down on Sunday November 17, and while we can’t tell you where – yet – we can give you the chance to win one of two double passes. Head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us your favourite inner city oasis.

FOXES

Breakout UK electropop star Foxes, AKA Louisa Rose Allen, has only just completed her first national tour back home – and now the London-via-Southampton artist is on her way Down Under. Recently, Allen told the BRAG: “I’m not someone who wants fame.

I’d be quite happy just doing music and not having that side of it.” Not if we can help it – we’re presenting Foxes at the Oxford Art Factory on Thursday November 14, and we have a pair of double passes up for grabs. Visit thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us how far you’d go to become famous.

Erykah Badu

German techno proponent Jacob Korn will represent at The Burdekin this Saturday November 16 courtesy of La Famiglia and Charades. The Dresden producer will be appearing in Australia for the first time, having released a succession of EPs and remixes under various names on international labels like Astrolab, Running Back, Permanent Vacation and Steffi’s Dolly imprint ahead of dropping his debut LP You & Me last year. Also spinning will be New Zealander Tom McGuinness, who made his name via his online music blog Cosmic Marmalade, which is renowned as an underground house and techno hub.

Other notable support DJs include Magda Bytnerowicz, Dave Stuart and Shepz.

CHARLES BRADLEY

Charles Bradley will perform at The Basement on Sunday March 2, backed by his band comprising members from The Dap-Kings, Menahan Street Band and Budos Band.

Bradley can never be accused of not doing the hard yards as a musician – he even worked as a James Brown impersonator at Brooklyn Club before being discovered by Daptone’s Gabe Roth. He subsequently reintroduced himself – as ‘Charles Bradley’ rather than ‘James Brown’ – with the release of his debut album No Time For Dreaming. Bradley has recently completed his follow-up album, Victim Of Love, and returns to our shores for the first time since his performance at the triumphant Sydney Festival opening in support of the release. Presale

RETURN TO RIO FESTIVAL

New weekend festival, Return to Rio launches this weekend, running from November 15-17 at Del Rio Riverside Resort, a location fondly remembered as the site of the sadly defunct Playground Weekender.

For the many punters who were left feeling hollow and empty at that popular festival’s unfortunate demise, this event represents a chance to resurrect the spirit of good times past. Headlining the event is the iconic Mr C, the former co-owner of London club institution The End and Shamen frontman who had everyone celebrating the benefits of ecstasy with the smash single ‘Ebeneezer Goode’. Mr C was also the force behind the record label Pink Plonk that championed the likes of Derrick Carter and Stacey Pullen, and has collaborated with the likes of [a]pendics.shuffle, Omid 16B and Adultnapper under the moniker Sycophant Slags. Spice main man Murat Kilic, disco proponents Love Bombs and Danny La Ru(e) and Mad Racket’s Simon Caldwell will also throw down. Head to facebook.com/ ReturnToRio for further details.

thebrag.com

tickets are currently available online.

SILENCER

Silencer is hosting its second event at the Gladstone Hotel this Saturday November 16, which will feature a headline performance from a secret international guest. In addition to the mystery headliner, Gareth Psaltis and Hannah Lockwood duo, Phile, will be performing a live set as will Melbourne’s analog oddball pairing Flat Fix, who will be showcasing their skewed interpretation. Silencer residents Theta State and Hydro Majestic will also be spinning records, while the .darkroom crew will be curating the techno in the backroom. Doors open at 7pm, with entry $15.

Tama Sumo

ERYKAH BADU

EXIT FT TAMA SUMO

Berlin’s Kerstin Egert, AKA Tama Sumo, will headline Spice Cellar’s Sunday party, Exit, this week on November 17. Sumo has held residencies at fabled Berlin clubs such as Tresor and Ostgut, which was reincarnated as Berghain / Panorama Bar where Tama continues to spin regularly. The beatmaker helmed the second in Ostgut Ton’s Panorama Bar compilation series and is known for exploring Chicago house and Detroit techno in her sets, which have cemented her standing as a ‘DJ’s DJ’. Exit commences at 9pm every Sunday and runs ’til 3am.

Erykah Badu will perform a headline show at The Star on Thursday April 17 following her Bluesfest appearances. A celebrated singer, songwriter and producer (not to mention actor and director), Badu is credited for reinvigorating the soul genre with her mix of staccato hip hop rhythms and jazzy grooves.

Badu has been a dominant presence in the pop cultural milieu since her debut album Baduizm dropped back in ’97. She then went on to release what Rolling Stone hailed as one of 2010’s best albums, New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh. Badu stole the show at this year’s BET Awards when she joined Kendrick Lamar on stage to perform his hit single ‘Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe’. Tickets to Badu’s show at The Star go on sale at midday, Monday November 11.

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 37

Dave Seaman What Money Can’t Buy By Alasdair Duncan

T

he legendary Dave Seaman has been in the DJ game for two decades since coming up in the UK during the acid house era of the early ’90s. He remains a vital force in house music, but these days he has a wife and three young boys to think about, so he needs to consider touring far more carefully. “I’m away most weekends, but I always take the last flight out and the first flight back wherever I’m going, be it South America or Asia,” he says. “I’ve done weekend trips to Australia, but with the cost of the airfare that’s a bit silly, so I like to try and spend at least two weeks there if I can to make the most of it. I don’t like being stuck in a hotel room all week – it gives me a chance to catch up on work, but I’d rather be with the family.”

Right now for Seaman, life is about finding the balance between playing records and spending time with his boys as they grow up. His unusual schedule has its advantages. “Most dads are home on the weekend, but I’m at home during the week, which turns things on its head a little bit,” he says. “I can drop the boys off at school and pick them up, whereas most dads are lucky if they can see their kids before bed. You just find ways to make it work.” He and his wife have recently moved to Nottingham, where she has friends and family to keep the boys busy on weekends when he’s away. “Before the kids started school, we’d do a lot of travelling together – we’d do seven-week world tours as a family, but that’s not so easy when you need to work within the parameters of school term times!”

Needless to say, Seaman is not quite the party animal he was in his youth, but he still likes to head out and see other DJs – assuming he can make it onto the guest list. “I was at Amsterdam Dance Event recently,” he says. “I was playing for a couple of nights and I had some time off, and I really wanted to go to Maceo Plex but I couldn’t get in! I sent some emails around because I was curious to check [him] out, but it was late in the day, about eight o’clock – by which point I couldn’t get hold of anybody, and I didn’t realise just how crazy busy things would be over there.”

It wasn’t too bad a loss, though – he went to see John Digweed instead. “I have his phone number because he’s a mate, so it was quite easy to get on his guest list,” Seaman laughs. “I won’t often go out when I’m on tour, though. Usually, hotel rooms and flights are a chance to catch up on emails and listen to new music.”

Earlier this year, Seaman successfully released the first ever crowd-funded DJ mix compilation via a Kickstarter campaign. The main reason it came about, he says, was a desire to try something new. “I was thinking about doing another Renaissance album, but it felt like I was treading a lot of the same ground, and I wanted to do something new and different.

Putting out a compilation yourself is a heck of an

“Before the kids started school, we’d do a lot of travelling together – we’d do seven-week world tours as a family, but that’s not so easy when you need to work within the parameters of school term times!” undertaking financially, so my agent suggested doing a Kickstarter – she’d seen it done with a few movies and local things, and I was hesitant because I didn’t know much about it and it felt like a bit of a last resort. Then I looked into it and realised that everyone from Radiohead on down has used the internet to cut out the middleman and make creative projects happen together with audiences, and it seemed like a revelation. It still felt like a risk, and I was worried that I’d end up with egg on my face, but it was a success.”

The rewards offered to those who contributed to Seaman’s Kickstarter included private parties and DJ lessons. “It’s been great,” Seaman says of his one-on-one interactions with fans and supporters. “The thing is, the market for physical music like CDs is dying, but there are fans out there who want to buy experiences. That was the key thing – how else would people get to come and do a DJ lesson with me, or come out with me for a VIP night out, or have me at their house for a private party? It opens up a two-way thing with your fan base, where you’re both getting something good.

“A lot of artists are starting to recognise that fans want something they can’t get in the shops, something they’ve never had before, and they can get that via this crowdfunding transaction,” he continues. “It’s also really great for the artists themselves, because it allows them to keep doing the things they love. In my case, that’s making [and] releasing compilations. It’s a winwin situation. I mean, the first week is pretty nerve wracking as you watch the total tick up slowly, but we got there easily in the end, so it was a great experience.”

What: S.A.S.H Sundays With: Robbie Lowe, Rodskeez and more Where: The Abercrombie When: Sunday November 17

Jon Hopkins Prevention And Cure By Lachlan Kanoniuk

A

fter standing just off to the side in the shadows amongst some of the world’s biggest and most respected producer talents, London-based artist Jon Hopkins experienced a worldwide burst of exposure with the release this year of his breathtaking solo album Immunity. Speaking from “East London, under the gray skies of England,” Hopkins recounts the lead-up to Immunity’s facilitation of his rise to electronic stardom.

“It’s been a really gradual gradient.

Admittedly, it’s really picked up a lot this year,” he says. “In particular, in the UK a couple years ago, I got a lot of attention for an album I did with King Creosote. Not quite the same way as this – it was more of a chilled affair. [I wasn’t] really doing the big club shows like I’m doing now, but it was a good preparation. I’m reasonably equipped to deal with the amount of activity this year.”

38 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

back and I’ll play better. Luckily, for the most part the crowds have been brilliant so far. But you get these shows with a bit less energy, then it feels less creative. Even if you’re evolving your tracks onstage, it’s still not new music. I needed to get out of the studio and have a break from writing new music, so it was a perfect change.”

After working alongside Brian Eno, Coldplay and the aforementioned King Creosote, Hopkins still cherishes the prospect of working with other talent – including recent tracks with Purity Ring and Bat For Lashes. “It’s a lot easier, collaborating. I find it inspiring to have a vocalist there. If someone’s there in the studio, the song can take three or four days. But if I’m working solo it can take up to six weeks. The highs of writing a solo track are great, there’s a euphoria that comes with it. But you have to work hard for it. There are ups and downs, really.”

The live setting is one with a few contradictions to overcome for electronic-based artists, with fans craving both familiarity while simultaneously wanting something revelatory – something more than they can experience by streaming a Boiler Room set from the comfort of their home. It’s a challenge that Hopkins deftly navigates. “I like to focus on what I consider the highlights of the album, then I will deviate a little bit, maybe show the crowd something I am working on now, or something like a liveonly track. It focuses very much on the rhythmic side of things; I’m not currently addressing the more downtempo side of the album because the shows are in clubs. It’s been getting more intense.”

The end of 2013 will see Hopkins bring Australia his live show, an outlet that has come into its own around the release of the new record. “It’s funny. In the last six months of touring, I’ve realised more than anything how much I respond to the audience. If they’re having a good time and they’re into it and feeling it, they give all of that

What: Immunity out now through Domino Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday December 14

thebrag.com

Jon Hopkins photo by Steve Gullick

As for why Immunity provided such a significant breakthrough as opposed to his three previous albums, Hopkins is philosophical.

“Personally, I’m older and more knowledgeable about what I’m good at and what I’m not good at. I think with this album, I gave it the best chance possible by clearing out an amount of time to work on it. In the past I was doing so many projects at the same time, so I was never

able to focus on my own material for more than a few weeks at a time. [On] the other albums you can hear my stylistic interests changing throughout, where it’s not really one coherent work. This one I did in nine months – in one go, pretty much – and the result is that you can hear one train of thought. It’s simple as that.”

Deep Impressions Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

Matthew Dear

S

onic chameleon Matthew Dear, who produces under various aliases including Audion, False and Jabberjaw will release a compilation of his output as Audion entitled Audion X on his Spectral label in early December. While the release is a retrospective collection of the Texan’s work under his Audion guise, it also features two new Audion tracks, including the latest single ‘Motormouth’, a frenzied peak-time stonker that ought to whip any decent dancefloor into a frenzy. For those intrigued by Dear’s many monikers, Audion is his primary techno outlet, a counterpoint to his off-beat songwriting that is devoid of vocals. “If I put out an Audion track as Matthew Dear, then people would just be like, ‘what is this? I expect something with words, or something with more of a melody and then I got this really hard techno track’,” Dear is on the record as stating. “It’s good when you start dividing your different approaches to music.

It makes it easier for people to grasp and label.” Audion X is an anthology of some of Dear’s finest techno making moments, including debut Audion single ‘The Pong’, 2004’s ‘Kisses’ and a contender for this author’s favourite techno cut, like, ever in ‘Mouth To Mouth’, which remains every bit as engrossing today as it did when first released in ’05. Then again, listening to any of the tracks on the Audion X affirms the quality of Dear’s production abilities, as the Audion back catalogue has lost none of its salience since first descending on dark dancefloors almost a decade ago.

Strange Signals will host Chicago producer Amir Alexander at Goodgod Small Club on Saturday December 14 as part of his first tour Down Under. Alexander has been spinning records since the early ’90s, but only started releasing his own tracks in 2008, debuting with his sublime ‘White Rhino’, which received a deserved re-release last year. “There are two different versions of that track,” Alexander informed me via Facebook chat (how’s that for new age investigative journalism!).

“The one with the vocal is the dub version.

The one without is the original ... and is actually the first techno track I ever made.”

Alexander has subsequently released on labels such as Argot, Hakim Murphy’s Machining Dreams imprint, Deep Vibes and his own Vanguard Sound label. One of the more engaging purveyors of house on the underground circuit, Alexander’s debut Sydney club set ought not to be missed.

And for those attending the Subsonic Music Festival the preceding weekend, you can also catch Alexander throw down in the picturesque surroundings of the Barrington Tops Mountain Valley Resort alongside the likes of Klartraum and Marcus Meinhardt.

Berlin techno proponent Rødhåd will play an all-night set at The Imperial in Erskineville on Saturday December 14. A DJ who plays only vinyl (#purist), Rødhåd’s sound blends deep hypnotic techno and has been described as “matching the rhythm of western civilisation”. Rødhåd explains, “If you imagine a factory with

a lot of workers inside, working in the same rhythm and sequence for hours, you suddenly have this loop in mind.” Holding a reputation as one of the best ‘closing’ DJs in the game, Rødhåd is the co-founder of the Dystopian group, which started putting on parties in Berlin four years ago, hosting the likes of Sandwell District, James Ruskin and Ben Klock as their reputation grew among the club cognoscenti. More recently, Dystopian has evolved into a record label through which Rødhåd has released his own EPs ‘Blindness’ and ‘1984’. Anyone with a penchant for uncompromising, melancholic techno – I’m determined not to use ‘Berghain’ as an adjective at this point – ought to pencil Rødhåd’s Australian debut into the diary in indelible dark ink.

Rødhåd

LOOKING DEEPER SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 Tama Sumo The Spice Cellar

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22 Tin Man The Agincourt Hotel

SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 Amir Alexander Goodgod Small Club Rødhåd The Imperial

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

BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 39

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

Goodwill

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 CLUB NIGHTS

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 Marquee At The Star

Goodwill

After Dark - feat: Resident DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross.

8pm. $15.

Argyle Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

DJ Marty

p

Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free.

Earwatt Sound - feat: Typhonic + Juzlo + Basslines + Dread Jensen + MC Swarmy + MC Kye Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10.

FBi Hands Up! - feat: DJ Clockwerk + Special Friends With Benefits FBi Social, Kings Cross.

11:30pm. free.

Goodwill + Brody Jenner Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $25.

Homemade Saturdays feat: Resident DJs Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $25.

Jacksons Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm.

Return To Rio Del Rio Resort, Wisemans Ferry. 12pm. $120.

Skybar Saturdays - feat: Resident DJ The Watershed Hotel, Sydney.

9:30pm. $20.

Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco and Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

SPICE Troopers The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. $20.

The Suite - feat: Resident DJs Sapphire Lounge, Potts Point.

8pm. free.

Wamp Wamp Returns - feat: Kato + Levins + Tranter Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

11pm. $10.

Wanklemut + Kid Kenobi + Mo’Funk + A-Tonez + Natnoiz + Hannah Gibbs + U-Kahn + Fingers + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $25.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 CLUB NIGHTS

Beresford Sundays - feat: Resident DJs Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills.

3pm. free.

Easy Sundays - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross.

10pm. free.

Return To Rio Del Rio Resort, Wisemans Ferry. 12pm. $120.

S.A.S.H Sundays - feat: Dave Seaman + Robbie Lowe + Rodskeez + Tom McGuiness + James Taylor + Garth Linton + Steven Sullivan The Abercrombie, Broadway.

2pm. $10.

Soup Kitchen - feat: The Soup Kitchen DJs World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free.

Spice After Hours - feat: Steven Sullivan + Murat Kilic And Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 4am. $20.

Sunday @ Gay Bar - feat: Resident DJ The Gay Bar, Darlinghurst.

3pm. free.

Sunday Sessions - feat: DJ Tone Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 7pm. free.

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

+ Brody Jenner 8pm. $25.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13 HIP HOP & R&B

The Wall - feat: resident DJs World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $5.

CLUB NIGHTS

The Supper Club - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross.

10pm. free.

Whip It Wednesdays - feat: DJs Camo + Snillum + Jaimie Lyn Whaat Club, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 CLUB NIGHTS

Front To Back - feat: GG Magree Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. $10.

Loopy - feat: Drty Csh + Daschwood + Generous Greed + Guest DJs The Backroom, Sydney. 9pm. $10.

World’s End Press + Movement Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. $10.

40 :: BRAG :: 538 : 11:11:13

HIP HOP & R&B

Brklyn Presents - feat: Broken Thought Theory Brklyn, Manly. 8pm. free.

Joel Rafidi ‘Beautiful Life’ Single Tour The Standard, Surry Hills.

8pm. $10.

Suburban Dark Name This Bar, Darlinghurst.

8pm. free.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 HIP HOP & R&B

Big Sean The Hi-Fi, Moore Park.

7:30pm. $64.

Hip Hop Show With Nhostic - feat: Tycotic + Mikeon + Myth And Double + Pram Bedlam Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10.

CLUB NIGHTS

Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free.

Big Guns - feat: Sherlock Bonez + SMS + Matty Whells Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 8pm. $20.

Didier Cohen Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $15.

DJ Marty

Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free.

El’Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Goodgod Congress - feat: Jamal Moss + Noise In My Head + Ben Fester Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

11pm. $15.

Kilter + The Main Thing + Blaze Tripp + Rat Traps + Turnt Up + Blackmale + Zodiac Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

10pm. $20.

Mashed Fridays - feat: DJ Kristiano Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free.

Party Central Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Return To Rio - feat: Adam Proctor + Al Hearnshaw + Alan Tomson + Alexandra + Antoine Lubideneuse + Auto Slide + Bad Apple + Ben Ashton + Brendon Le Bond + Danny Bass + Danny La Ru(E) + Disktrict + Dyson + Eggs + Foreigndub + Gabby + Gabriel Clouson + Garry Todd + Gary Broadband + Jack Fuller + Jonny Gleeson + Keema + Keith Hodge + Ken Cloud +

Big Sean

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 World’s End Press + Movement Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.

Brklyn Presents - Feat: Broken Thought Theory Brklyn, Manly. 8pm. Free.

Joel Rafidi ‘Beautiful Life’ Single Tour The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $10.

Suburban Dark Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 Big Sean The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $64.

Didier Cohen Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $15.

Goodgod Congress - Feat: Jamal Moss + Noise In My Head + Ben Fester Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $15.

Kilter + The Main Thing + Blaze Tripp + Rat Traps + Turnt Up + Blackmale + Zodiac Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 10pm. $20.

Return To Rio Del Rio Resort, Wisemans Ferry. 12pm. $120.

Soft & Slow - Feat: Justin Van Der Volgen The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 Goodwill + Brody Jenner Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 8pm. $25.

SPICE Troopers The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20.

Wamp Wamp Returns - Feat: Kato + Levins + Tranter Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $10.

Wanklemut + Kid Kenobi + Mo’Funk + A-Tonez + Natnoiz + Hannah Gibbs + U-Kahn + Fingers + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $25.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 S.A.S.H Sundays - Feat: Dave Seaman + Robbie Lowe + Rodskeez + Tom Mcguiness + James Taylor + Garth Linton + Steven Sullivan The Abercrombie, Broadway. 2pm. $10.

thebrag.com

Xxx

club pick of the week

Kerry Wallace + Lawless + Lazy Cat + Local Heros Big Man & Strangey + Love Bombs + Lummy + Mad Racket + Matt Weir + Mike Who + Monkey Tennis + Murat + Nick Field + R Music + Resort Styles + Richie Edwards + Ricky Gallagher + Ross Ashman + Rupert Pay + SASH + Shamus + Shaun Bro + Simon Caldwell + Simon P + Sketch The Rhyme + Soul Shaker + Start Cue + The Syndicate + Tim Reeves Smith + Tommy Rutherford + Tricky + Wonderland Ave + Yelo Magic Del Rio Resort, Wisemans Ferry. 12pm. $120.

Soft & Slow - feat: Justin Van Der Volgen The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. $20.

The Penultimate Twist And Shout (‘60s Dance Party) Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst.

11pm. $5.

The Underground - feat: Kfonic! + Harper + Dosage Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 8pm. $15.

snap

01:11:13 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585

s.a.s.h

PICS :: AM

soft and slow

PICS :: KC

up all night out all week . . .

prescription

PICS :: AM

03:11:13 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9280 2178

dave clarke

PICS :: AM

02:11:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9361 3379

02:11:13 :: Spectrum @ The Exchange Hotel :: 34 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9331 2956 D ROUSE CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAVI S :: KARL BRAASCH :: KATRINA OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

thebrag.com

htrk

PICS :: AM

L-fresh the lion

PICS :: AM

02:11:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

01:11:13 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587 BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13 :: 41

snap

01:11:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

42 :: BRAG :: 538 :: 11:11:13

alex smoke

02:11:13 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9280 2178

sosueme halloween ft. ego + suburban dark 30:10:13

PICS :: DR

yahtzel

PICS :: AM

29:10:13 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587

PICS :: AM

mø

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

:: The Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi Beach 91307247

S :: KARL BRAASCH :: KATRINA OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

D ROUSE CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAVI

thebrag.com

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