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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...Chris Martin, Xiaoran Shi and Julienne Gilet
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JONATHAN MICHELL FROM THE ANCIENTS years old and sitting next to the family hi-fi listening to the first Van Halen album, David Bowie’s Scary Monsters and Blondie’s Eat To The Beat. The VH influence manifested in my being blind to anything but shredding ability for a long time. Inspirations I’ve been immersed in many 2. stylistic epochs – at times multiple styles and non-complementary styles simultaneously. The zenith of this capriciousness was when I was 16 and had myself convinced I was a proper fan of metal, gangsta rap, straight edge punk, shoegaze and ’70s blues rock (to name a few).
Growing Up My parents weren’t particularly 1. interested in popular culture, which I think is typical of people from what
is known as the ‘silent generation’ – born 1925-1942. My older siblings were much more so. My earliest memories are of being three to four
My musical heroes are Mark E. Smith, Curtis Mayfield, Todd Rundgren, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Stevens and Lawrence Hayward but there are many more. Your Band The band has had a revolving 3. lineup. Georgie Ward (bass guitar,
vocals) is the only other member who has been on all three album releases. Julian (drummer) was also in Breaking The Law and Mum Smokes with me. He joined The Ancients when Raquel Solier (Fatti Frances, Geoffrey O’Connor) left the band. Hamish O’Neill (Moon Dice) was my main tennis adversary before chucking in the racquet for the guitar upon the completion of Night Bus. Yuko Kono (My Pal Foot Foot, Kes Band, Wirewalker) played keyboards on Night Bus and has since been replaced by Sophie Perillo (Hi God People). The Music You Make The Ancients have released 4. three albums – The Ancients
(Moteer, UK, 2009), The Ancients 2 (Sensory Projects, 2010) and Night Bus (Chapter Music, 2013). We also released a split 7” with Twerps in 2010. Initial tracking on Night Bus was done with Neil Thomason at Head
Gap Studio. Guitar, keyboard and vocal overdubs were done by Jon at Messy Room Studios and then the album was mixed with John Lee (Lost Animal, Pikelet, Offspring – the TV show not the band) at Phaedra Studios. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Recent inspiring performances I’ve seen include shows by Darren Sylvester, Pikelet, The Ocean Party, Inevitable Orbit, Fatti Francis, Matthew Brown, Bushwalking, Milk Teddy, Hot Palms, Angel Eyes, The Stevens and from the US Chris Cohen (Deerhoof, Haunted Graffiti), who is one of the best songwriters and arrangers I’ve seen. What: Night Bus out now through Chapter Music With: Day Ravies, Black Springs Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Friday December 13
MODELS
Tickets are still available for Models’ show at The Standard this Friday December 13, where Dog Trumpet and Sophie Hanlon will play in support. This incarnation of the band includes Sean Kelly, Mark Ferrie, Andrew Duffield and Barton Price, but the mark of Models’ signifi cance through the decades is their list of alumni – James Valentine, Wendy Matthews and Kate Ceberano (former backing vocalists), Ash Wednesday and the late James Freud. In 2010, they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and 2014 brings the promise of new material. A limited edition EP will be on sale at the show this Friday, so you know where you need to be.
Axe Girl
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, Chris Martin, Xiaoran Shi, Julienne Gilet, Mina Kitsos ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar, Jack@Life Without Andy 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 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Callum Wylie, Thea Carley, Julienne Gilet, Mina Kitsos gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag. com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Mina Kitsos, Callum Wylie, Tahlia Pritchard, Xiaoran Shi, Julienne Gilet, Thea Carley 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 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). Ad cancellations: Tuesday 4pm Published by Furst Media P/L ACN 1112480045. All content copyrighted to Cartrage P/L/ Furst Media P/L 2003-2013 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600. PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204
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GREGG ALLMAN
AXE GIRL
Perth band Axe Girl have announced a Sydney show to celebrate the launch of their latest single, ‘Give Me Your Tee Shirt’. Frontwoman Addison Axe only moved to Perth from London early last year, but she has not looked back since. The four-piece initially attracted attention when their free-to-download Ghost Romance EP garnered favourable reviews on triple j and a host of other independent radio stations. ‘Give Me Your Tee Shirt’ is only the first single to be released from their forthcoming full-length. Catch them on Saturday December 14 at the Factory Theatre Floor.
Gregg Allman, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, will make his debut Sydney appearance headlining a triple bill with Gov’t Mule and Devon Allman. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Allman Sr. has released seven solo albums beyond his work with the groundbreaking group he formed alongside his brother Duane in the late 1960s. Low Country Blues, released in 2011, was his first record in nearly 14 years. Alongside him comes his son Devon, bringing his first solo album, Turquoise, to Australian audiences. Both are featured on the Bluesfest lineup next year. And sandwiched between the Allmans on the Sydney billing is Gov’t Mule, returning Down Under for the first time since 2000. See them at the Enmore Theatre on Monday April 21.
JASON ISBELL
Former Drive-By Truckers singer-songwriter Jason Isbell will return to Sydney in the New Year for a show alongside Tift Merritt. Isbell has been to our shores in the past to play support slots for the likes of Ryan Adams and Justin Townes Earle. He’s bringing with him his new record, Southeastern, due out in February and full of songs exposing his innermost thoughts. North Carolina export Merritt, meanwhile, has recently put out the not-so-suitably-titled Travelling Alone. Isbell and Merritt will be travelling together to the Factory Theatre on Sunday April 13.
YOU AM I
Forget New Year’s Eve. What are you doing on Wednesday January 1? You Am I will be kicking off the New Year with a bang at The Vic in Enmore, playing a free, one-off show called The Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Rumblin’ RoadStop Revue. A partnership of goodwill, the show is staged in the spirit of both giving back to You Am I fans as well as to patrons of The Vic, who have shown the venue overwhelming support after it relaunched earlier this year. Not only will You Am I be bringing their inimitable stage presence, the band has also crafted a limited edition pale ale called Brew Am I (what else?), the last bottles of which will be on offer on the day. Supported by Abbe May, singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett and Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson, You Am I will be performing in good company.
The Rolling Stones
THE ROLLING STONES
Tickets go on sale next week – you’d best be quick – for The Rolling Stones’ one-nightonly show at Allphones Arena on Tuesday March 25. They’re one of the most iconic rock’n’roll bands of all time, of course, and were last Down Under in 2006 on their A Bigger Bang World Tour. This 14 On Fire tour is their seventh visit to our shores, and Charlie Watts still hasn’t broken character as the coolest cat there ever was. A Frontier Touring presale starts at 3pm on Monday December 9, but the general public get their shot at tix on Monday December 16 through Ticketek.
thebrag.com
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rock music news
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Marti, Xiaoran Shi and Julienne Gilet
speed date WITH
Pink Martini
TIM MEACO FROM THE LOCKHEARTS Keeping Busy We’ve been playing a non2. stop residency at Ziggy Pop, at Spectrum on Oxford Street, every Tuesday night for the past nine months now. We’ve also been in the studio recording and made our first-ever music video with feature film director Tanzeal Rahim for our latest track, ‘Freakshow’, which MTV really supported. They put us on high rotation for all of November and it even peaked at number two on MTV Hits, which none of us expected. We’re also giving away the song for free download at thelockhearts.com. It’s been a jam-packed year and we’re loving every minute of it. The residency is growing every week so we’re holding a Christmas Eve party at Spectrum to send the year off with a bang – then in the New Year we’ll be releasing our first single.
1.
What Do You Look For In A Band? Infectious groove, lingering melodies, incendiary guitar sounds and undeniable energy. They have to shake your very bones and give you their all onstage! In a word: chemistry.
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
That’s the standard we set for ourselves too. No feel, no deal. We like a fan that resounds the above, and refuses to stop singing along even when they don’t know the words. They get bonus points for feeding us and having comfortable couches too!
Best Gig Ever We were lucky enough to 3. play some unforgettable shows with the great Baby Animals earlier this year, such an incredible rush to play with such an iconic Australian band – but the best gig we’ve ever played was probably last week at Ziggy Pop. The crowd were out of control, singing every
word and demanding encores; we had to break our guitar strings and trash the kit at the end just to get offstage without playing another song. Although jumping into/ destroying the drum kit is starting to cost us in repairs… The Music You Make Right now I can’t stop 4. listening to Rival Sons’ records
Pressure & Time and Head Down. So much soul and groove, and Jay Buchanan’s voice gives me shivers every time. As for live shows, Brenton and I caught Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Hi-Fi recently and they tore the roof off the place. Mesmerising live show and one of my all-time favourite bands. You’ll also find The Bellrays on repeat during any band road trip. Your Ultimate Rider We don’t like to ask for 5. anything ridiculous, just enough mutton to feed the sled dogs for the journey home. What: Ziggy Pop Tuesdays Where: Spectrum When: Tuesday December 10, 17 and 24
Beady Eye
BIG DAY OUT’S NEW ACTS
Liam Gallagher once said he hoped Damon Albarn would “catch AIDS and die”. Yeah, the Battle of Britpop got nasty back there. So what better replacement for Blur on the Big Day Out lineup than Liam’s Beady Eye (you know, Oasis minus Noel)? They’ve thrown in The Hives as well, returning to a country that’s hailed them as festival legends in the past, and for good reason – the black-andwhite Swedes’ live show never fails to go tick-tick-tick-tick-boom. And Deftones are in too, their tumultuous and at times tragic history not preventing their return to Australian stages once again. Tickets for the Sydney Showgrounds BDO on Sunday January 26 are on sale now via bigdayout.com.
PINK MARTINI
Here at BRAG, we’re up all night to get some. Up all night for good fun. Up all night to Get Happy. Yep – that’s the name of the latest record by Pink Martini, their sixth, which follows up the excellently titled Splendor In The Grass from 2009 and Joy To The World from 2010. The sprawling Pink Martini lineup includes a ‘little orchestra’ of names led by Thomas Lauderdale on piano and China Forbes on vocals, though this album includes vocal contributions by the likes of Phyllis Diller, Rufus Wainwright, Philippe Katerine, Meow Meow, Ari Shapiro and The von Trapps. Just in time for Christmas, we’ve got five copies of Get Happy to give away – it’s one of those wide-ranging records that any listener can find joy in, from jazz to classical and pop. For your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us your favourite happy pop jam.
Jerry, the night will include complimentary spiced rum on arrival, along with a pop-up barber to keep the guys looking spick and an in-house Bad Santa to sit on… I mean, have your photo taken with... Anyway, it goes down Thursday December 19.
ROGER VS. THE MAN
Roger Vs. The Man will be joined by Gang of Brothers and Bobbie Lee Stamper this festive season for a Christmas Mini-Festival at Blue Beat on Saturday December 14. With the success of their debut album Black Pearl and their song ‘Meet Your Maker’ a finalist at the Australian Independent Music Awards, Sydneybased RVTM’s profile is steadily rising and they want to celebrate. Fellow Aussies Gang of Brothers and Bobbie Lee Stamper will join RVTM for a night of funky blues beats, classical jazz, rock and bluegrass – a not-to-be-missed celebration of music, the Christmas spirit and some good-looking musos. And if the ear and eye candy isn’t enough to get the party started, all guests arriving before 8pm will receive a free cocktail. So get in early!
NOVA HEART
One of the more unique artists on the summer festival calendar is Nova Heart, a Chinese four-piece who play a unique take on new wave and dancefloor blues. What you see isn’t always what you get – Rolling Stone’s David Fricke compared frontwoman Helen Feng to Deborah Harry, and what better influence could you have? Having released their new EP Beautiful Boys, Nova Heart are on the Woodford Folk Festival bill and playing a run of shows in Sydney to boot. See them at The Brass Monkey on Thursday January 9, Spectrum on Friday January 10, the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday January 15, and supporting Half Moon Run and Tigertown at The Standard on Saturday January 11.
RAIN FOR BUSHFIRE RELIEF
Dan Sultan
DAN SULTAN
On the back of the newly released soul-rocking single ‘Under Your Skin’, Dan Sultan will hit the road for a string of dates next year in support of his highly anticipated forthcoming album. Recorded at Nashville’s legendary Blackbird Studio, ‘Under Your Skin’ is Sultan’s first release in over four years. The upcoming tour will be a chance for fans to hear both new songs and old favourites, all accompanied by Sultan’s dynamic band. See him at the Metro Theatre on Sunday March 9 with support from The Medics.
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This Sunday December 15, The Basement hosts a mini-festival to raise money for charities working to provide bushfire and wildlife relief. The RAIN bill features a mix of soul and hip hop artists over two stages, with headliners Alphamama joined by Cumbiamuffin, P Smurf and special guests from Big Village, Milan, The Monday OG’s, Rosie and the Bees, Alice Terry, The Venusians, Ambre Hammond and Marcello Maio, Thandiwe Phoenix, Bravo Child and more. Tickets are $20 via Moshtix and thebasement.com.au.
THE DELTA RIGGS
Santa, rum and rock’n’roll. The Delta Riggs are set to headline a night of Christmas debauchery for a Merry Jerry Xmas at The Standard. Joining the popular ‘America’ and ‘Rah Rah Radio’ rockers are soulful folk collective Civilians and five-piece indie Sydneysiders The Maze. Sponsored by the good folk at Sailor
Kissing Booth
KISSING BOOTH
Melbourne-based Kissing Booth have just released their debut, self-titled four-track through Midnight Funeral, and are headed to our much sunnier city to celebrate. On Saturday January 4 they’ll play the Factory Floor in support of a reunited The Gifthorse, coinciding with Poison Records’ tenth anniversary, before a headline show at Black Wire Records on Sunday January 5 where support will come from Harbourer and Zzzounds.
thebrag.com
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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * Pearl Jam shaved off a fan’s dreadlocks during their show in Spokane, Washington. Eddie Vedder noticed the man holding a sign saying he’d chop his locks if they played ‘Brain Of J’ off the 1998 album Yield. Onstage, the guy asked if he could headbang one more time with his dreads. So the band played the song and cut his locks after. * The Offspring and Simple Plan hit Twitter to thank fans who stayed to watch their sets in the rain at the Coffs Harbour stop on Vans Warped Tour.
* YouTube’s music service has been delayed until the first quarter of 2014 after it was first thought it’d be launched by the end of this year. YouTube has all the licensing in place but is still working on how to integrate user-generated content like lip-syncs and mashups with professional recordings. * Rod Stewart signalled that 2015 could be the year the Faces reunite for a tour. Another reunion with Stewart and The Jeff Beck Group is off, as Beck has fired the manager who was coordinating it. * Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has produced the debut album by French
band Melody’s Echo Chamber, led by his girlfriend Melody Prochet. * Wu-Tang’s RZA wrote a tribute ballad called ‘Destiny Bends’ for actor Paul Walker after he heard of his death in a car crash. They had worked together on the movie Brick Mansions. “A good man,� said RZA. “We had plans to continue working with each other in the future. It seemed destined, but ‘destiny bends’.� * After three years of being closed, the Ballina Hotel is back in action. Last Friday it opened its new Diamond Nightclub with its main bar and gaming area to be in operation by Friday December 13.
MEANWHILE AT THE EMC The Electronic Music Conference in Sydney drew 600 people to hear from 150 delegates. It coincided with Flume’s dominance in awards season, turning the spotlight on Australian EDM. There was intelligent discourse on the future of EDM in Australia and abroad, with the opening address by Beatport CEO Matthew Adell setting the tone that EDM’s success in the past few years was just beginning. Some panels had some robust arguments, especially the one on festivals which got heated when it touched on ticket prices and artist fees, or the all-male Artists panel when triple j House Party host Nina Las Vegas asked about the lack of females in the industry. Among the quotable quotes: “In the US, the genre has had three times more growth than any other in the last 18 months. Our clients represent over 25 billion views on YouTube, so if you equate that to dollars and cents and where the record industry is going, there’s probably about $40 billion thereâ€? – Mac Clark of US global management company Creative Artists Agency on EDM’s growing market. “We are still Australia‌ [Overseas agents] know we’re a fervent, competitive bunch of arseholes down here, and God knows they prey on that. Our industry can be fucking retarded when it comes to the way we coordinateâ€? – Adam Zammit, Big Day Out CEO, on how demand from festivals for overseas acts sees agents push fees up. Fees now make up 80 per cent of a festival budget. “This is going to be the next big battlegroundâ€? – Dror Erez of SFX Totem on why the focus of EDM festivals will turn to Asia.
ARIAS RATINGS RISE The ARIA Awards drew 337,000 viewers to Nine’s digital channel Go!, a rise from last year’s 304,000 but a long way from the 1.26 million of 2006. Next year, organisers must decide whether to have a ‘musical’ or ‘pop’ show. And whether to give hip hop its own category, as all four Urban finalists were hip hoppers.
FUTURE CLASSIC, BROWN BEAR MERGE Future Classic has merged its touring business with Brown Bear Entertainment, becoming a shareholder in BBE, which was set up in April this year by Anand and Jessica Krishnaswamy.
U2, STONES, CCR RECORDINGS FOR GRAMMY HALL OF FAME 27 recordings will be inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame next year. The albums include U2’s 25 million-selling The Joshua Tree, Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Cosmo’s Factory and the Woodstock soundtrack. Singles include The
Rolling Stones’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’, CCR’s ‘Fortunate Son’, and ‘Walk This Way’, the RunD.M.C/Aerosmith team-up.
“I’m so proud that Flume’s success has changed the conversation about electronic music in Australia� – Chad Gillard of Future Classic, Flume’s label.
SONG CHOICE OF THE WEEK
“I’m not excited about getting 20 demos that sound like Flume everyday� – Gillard on rising acts wanting to find success by imitation.
Radio 2GB’s Ben Fordham was going through some local news stories on air. One was about a woman from Rouse Hill who suffered serious burns, and how her husband was also injured when he tried to help her. The next item was on the ARIAs. To introduce it, he unwittingly played a song that was played onstage during the event – Alicia Keys’ ‘Girl On Fire’.
FOXTEL ANNOUNCES NEW MUSIC CHANNELS Foxtel has announced a range of new music channels. Max 90s Hits harks back to those days. [V] Buzz replaces Faster Louder, featuring the indie, the undiscovered and the upcoming. [V] Pop takes the place of Chart Countdown with a new genre that complements [V] Rock, [V] Urban and MTV Dance. CMC Rocks aims to blend the audio music experience with its CMC TV channel counterpart. In related news, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum joins Foxtel to host a range
“Music has a lot to learn from sport about how it deals with brands. Music has been too focused on getting money from consumers� – EMC founder Neil Ackland on EDM acts working with brands. “If you like a song and you fucking bang your head against a wall, that’s a banger!� – Will Sparks ‘explains’ the much-touted Melbourne Sound. “You don’t just drop a brand down here and say that’s a festival – it certainly undermines the intelligence of an audience. It’s Australia, we don’t need anything else from other people� – Adam Zammit on branded festivals as Creamfields coming into the Australian market with minimal impact. of programs. These include a countdown of the Top 100 Greatest Australian Songs Of All Time – as decided by a range of musicians – which will air on Australia Day. Cameron Daddo joins Marcia Hines as co-host of new adult contemporary music channel Smooth.
MATT OKINE JOINS TRIPLE J Award-winning comedian Matt Okine will be the new co-presenter of triple j’s breakfast show with Alex Dyson, replacing Tom Ballard. The new team begins on Monday January 13. Triple j also announced that Hack presenter Sophie McNeill won’t return from maternity leave. Tom Tilley will fly solo.
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VICTORY FOR LANEWAY Leichhardt Council has approved Laneway Festival’s application to expand from 8,000 to 12,000 at the Sydney College Of The Arts at Callan Park. Promoters had the support of NSW Police, and many music fans spoke on the festival’s behalf at the Council meeting during the issue debate. Friends Of Callan Park had objected on the grounds the park wouldn’t cope with extra attendance.
GRINSPOON TAKING ‘INDEFINITE BREAK’ The Crimson ProjeKCt
Skid Row & Ugly Kid Joe
Fri 10 Jan
Sun 27 Apr
Deerhunter (USA)
Kylesa (USA)
Tue 10 Dec
Thu 12 Dec
Coming Soon
Looptroop Rockers (SWE) & Sage Francis (USA) Fri 13 Dec
Earthless (USA) & The Shrine (USA)
Melvins (USA) & Helmet (USA)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre (USA) Thu 19 Dec
Waka Flocka Flame (USA)
Wehrmacht (USA) Grave (SWE) Primate (USA) Sat 11 Jan
Eyehategod
Crystal Fighters (UK)
Rotting Christ (GRE)
Thu 9 Jan
Fri 17 Jan
Supernova U18s Headhunterz
Sun 15 Dec
Sat 4 Jan
Fri 20 Dec
Sat 18 Jan
As the summer festivals kick in, ticketing provider Moshtix has launched a new mobile ticket scanning app, smartScan, which uses the camera on smartphones to scan tickets. The app allows event organisers to leave ticket sales open after the event begins and scale up to deal with surges in fans arriving at unpredictable times.
Dark Tranquillity (SWE)
Children of Bodom
Wed 29 Jan
Sat 15 Feb: U18s
Sat 29 Mar
Fri 9 May
Kerser
Robert Glasper Exp & Roy Ayers & Lonnie Liston Smith
Darkside
Toxic Holocaust & Skeletonwitch
Sat 8 Mar
US country music superstars Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley faced a serious lawsuit accusing they plagiarised their 2010 platinum hit ‘Remind Me’. A Nashville judge found that young songwriter Lizza Connor could sue on the basis that there were similarities in her song, written in 2008, also called ‘Remind Me’. The judge declared there were similarities in the lyrics, and that Connor had performed the song in Nashville venues and at a song camp.
MOSHTIX LAUNCHES MOBILE TICKET SCANNING APP
TnT, Frequencerz, + More
Wed 02 Apr
I REMIND YOU, YOU-HOO
Thu 23 Jan: U18s
Toro Y Moi + Portugal The Man
Sat 8 Feb: All Ages
After 18 years together and a series of platinum albums, Grinspoon have announced a “long-term, indefinite breakâ€?. The band said, “It’s been a wild ride to say the least. We are still a band of brothers but it’s time for us to take a break and recharge the batteries. We’re excited to see what our future holds‌ adios amigos, it’s been a blast!â€? Their last gig is in Brisbane on Friday December 20.
Sat 26 Apr
Lifelines Split: Rapper Ja Rule’s wife Aisha Atkins claims he’s left her for a man he met in prison when serving 28 months for tax evasion and gun charges. “We spent ten-plus years building our marriage but it only took him two to decide he’d rather suck a dick than be with his wife.â€? Ja Rule denies it. Injured: British rapper Dappy was thrown off his horse while riding in the grounds of his palatial home, and kicked in the face. In Court: Timothy Alan Everett of NSW north coast-based The Mojo Bluesmen had an appointment at the Proserpine Magistrates Court after being charged with busking without a licence before the Airlie Beach Music Festival, which his band was performing at. A businessman complained he was making a racket, and Everett stopped when the cops turned up. Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist dismissed the charge as trivial. Jailed: Sean Spence, 38, owner of a Karratha, WA nightclub, for six-and-a-half years. He attacked Adrian Armstrong after Armstrong was ejected from the club, leaving him with severe head injuries. Spence attempted to obstruct the course of justice by switching CCTV cameras when police investigated the assault. Arrested: Professor Green on suspicion of trying to pervert justice, which carries a life sentence. He called police to say he’d been robbed of his Rolex outside his ÂŁ1 million South London pad. But when cops arrived they saw his Mercedes had been in a crash. He was held on suspicion of drink driving. Died: Jamaican reggae singer Junior Murvin, best known for the hit ‘Police and Thieves’, from advanced diabetes and hypertension. Died: Dick Dodd, 68, drummer/ singer for Boston garage act The Standells (known for 1965’s ‘Dirty Water’) from cancer of the esophagus, spleen, liver and spine.
ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY
10 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
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M
etric can never be romanticised as an overnight success, although they were considered exactly that by many who weren’t paying attention to them before 2008. They can be romanticised for other reasons – as one of the many successful tentacles of Canada’s superstar jam session, Broken Social Scene; or through guitarist James Shaw and frontwoman Emily Haines’ Buckingham/Nicksesque songwriting partnership – but in reality, Metric have always grown an inch at a time. That’s how Shaw sees it, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “We add things to our repertoire and the audience keeps growing, and we keep getting marginally better as a band each time we hit the road,” he says, reductively surmising their 15-plus years together. “We just keep getting closer as people and we just keep going. It stops us from peaking, in a way, and we’re able to maintain this slow level of growth. I love that we’ve been able to keep it this way and that it’s been this way for so long.”
Metric had the honour of collaborating with Lou Reed on the track ‘The Wanderlust’ for Synthetica. Reed had joined them onstage a few times, surprising gobsmacked audiences, and it’d be easy to assume in light of Reed’s passing that it might take a long time for that song to ever find its way back onto the setlist. “You know what?” counters Shaw, “I just walked out of sound check and we played it for 12 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
METRIC
half an hour in sound check – so maybe soon.” The band was close to Reed, so surely that was a fairly heavy jam? “It was really weird. When we started playing it we just kinda stopped at the first chorus and were like, ‘This is weird.’ But we decided we just had to keep playing it to see if it felt any better.” While Shaw and the band are looking back for now, I ask whether he and Haines are confident they have plenty of creativity to look forward to. “The creative part of our friendship has only ever grown, and the more you’re able to pull out of each other the broader your palette gets. It doesn’t seem like the well is running dry at all. It’s actually the opposite. It feels like we have a wealth of experience and knowledge to grow on and to use.”
Each Metric album has certainly played like a sonic evolution, a greater dance with complexity – Metric have always sat only at the fringes of the mainstream, but still somehow garnered criticism for their pop leanings. They can write choruses, they’ve never hidden their
ambition, and they use catchy synth hooks – really, that’s all the pop they have, but the narrow-minded are still desperate to criticise. “I think that some people want music to be personal and they want to feel like the artist is just like them and speaking to them and not speaking to everyone else,” says Shaw. “Some people want exactly the opposite. Some people feel like there’s no point in listening to music unless the whole world is listening to it because what they’re trying to do is connect with the rest of the world; not affirm their individuality but affirm their sense of community and affirm the feeling that they’re like other people. Music helps people feel whatever they want to, in a way. It helps them feel connected to other types of people that they want to connect with. If someone feels like a loner and outsider, they still somehow want to connect with other types of loners and outsiders. If someone’s feeling a part of the mainstream and they sit around and watch the Kardashians then they’re gonna want to connect with other people that feel the same way. Music is like wearing a t-shirt with your
“MUSIC HELPS PEOPLE FEEL WHATEVER THEY WANT TO, IN A WAY. IT HELPS THEM FEEL CONNECTED TO OTHER TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT THEY WANT TO CONNECT WITH … MUSIC IS LIKE WEARING A T-SHIRT WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT.”
thoughts on it. In terms of where Metric is at, we’ve had a lot of criticism and we’ve had a lot of praise for the fact we write choruses, you know, and we use instrumentation that’s gonna get our music played on the radio. That’s the music that I personally relate to – it’s certainly not done out of some sense of reaching outside of our realm. That’s just the world that makes sense to me and the world that I want to inhabit.” How much has the touring of Synthetica informed what might come next in the Metric catalogue? “I don’t always know what I’m going to be into or what my next musical step is going to be. It’s usually an exploration through using a certain instrument or playing with a certain type of sound that really resonates with what you want to say. It’s easier to say what you want to say if you have the right tools to say it with. Playing live definitely informs what’s gonna happen in the future. If the band starts to realise that we’re really enjoying playing a certain way onstage then we’ll almost definitely take that into the studio and take it further. If it’s boring us then we’ll leave it behind.” Measuring what bores the audience really is an art form unto itself, but for Shaw, the answer always lies in how he’s feeling onstage. “When you’re up onstage and watching the audience react, the easiest reaction to gauge is hands in the air and screaming – but that’s only one emotion. When you see Neil Young, you’re not gonna feel that way; when you see Bon Iver, you’re not gonna be screaming – but you’re still gonna be feeling something and enjoying yourself. It can be hard to gauge what is really reacting, and for us, I think we just trust that if we’re enjoying it then other people are going to be enjoying it too. Ultimately, people come and buy tickets to watch us live our dream, in a way, and we have to enjoy our time up there.” With: Glass Towers Where: Enmore Theatre When: Thursday December 12
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Metric photo by Justin Broadbent
Last year’s release, Synthetica, still has a little steam left in it yet, with Metric just finishing up a huge US tour. The band is happy to be able to shake up the setlist, though – after all, 18 months of showcasing one album can get a little tedious. “We’ve been enjoying this really long US tour and we’ve finally been able to delve into a lot of older material,” says Shaw. “Last year we were heavily focused on Synthetica, but we’re going back to 2005-06. Every night on the bus we’ll pull out some old stuff and listen to it and then pull it out the next day in rehearsal and see how it sounds.”
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Born Ruffians Showing Scars By Krissi Weiss
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anadian indie rockers Born Ruffians have notched up a decade together (although they began as Mornington Drive), and with each album has come a host of musical metamorphoses. Singer and guitarist Luke LaLonde has always been the primary songwriter for the band, and as Born Ruffians go through perhaps their biggest state of change thus far, he remains their unrelenting driving force both creatively and psychologically. Their most recent release, Birthmarks (etched out of a dude ranchstyle escape that LaLonde concocted for the creative process), saw the band bob just a little higher in the indie ocean, with their audience growing and their reviews ever-more favourable. If they can hold on long enough to weather the slings and arrows on the music industry ladder, it might all just get a little smoother for them at last. “I really wanted to get out of the city to work on the album, I didn’t want to go into rehearsal spaces and I really wanted somewhere we could sleep, too,” LaLonde says of their rugged country escape for Birthmarks. “I kind of lived there the whole time because I didn’t have an apartment at the time – the guys would go back on weekends occasionally – but it was just great to be away. The environment was great; we could shoot bows and arrows, light a fire and have dinners together, and we could also play whenever we felt like it and not be tied down to being there for specific hours. But also that rural environment just felt like a dude hangout.” LaLonde is doing his best to keep the studio momentum up with an EP almost on its way. “We’re working on an EP of B-sides of stuff that didn’t make it onto the record. We’ve been working on a song today that’s new, but I really wanna put it on the EP anyway.” Why does a song that’s worthy of an EP get relegated to a B-side in the first place? “Well, so many songs get cut along the way anyway that by the time you make it into the studio you’re really only left with the good ones,” says LaLonde. “Some just get cut from there just because they don’t really resonate with the whole record, or in this case, we wanted to keep the record fairly trim; we didn’t want it 16 songs long.” The concept of an album, a story told through many songs and not just a playlist, is something that LaLonde is eager to explore as the band grows. While the death of the album has been loudly proclaimed in certain circles for more than a decade, it’s still alive and well. After all, the novel survived the introduction of ‘talkies’. “It’s something that I
struggle with – trying to avoid the album just being a collection of songs, and it having an overarching theme or purpose – and it’s something that I really want even stronger on the next record,” he says. “I think I want to start with the concept, instead of just writing, writing, writing and then going, ‘OK, well what are the best songs and what go together?’ For someone like Katy Perry, I think her job is to make singles; I don’t think she really needs to worry about making an album that speaks as a whole album, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. But when you’re playing rock music and you’re gonna put a record out, that’s a pretty old format so it should be a good record. It’s such a nice thing when a record flows with one feeling throughout.” LaLonde seems a bit of a traditionalist in this sense – he isn’t even convinced that YouTube-friendly film clips, positioned to go viral, are a good idea for young bands. “Music videos are important but it’s really hard when you’re approaching a deadline,” he says. “You’re talking to directors and you’re thinking of themes; you’re waiting for money and then money doesn’t come through; suddenly you hit deadline and you don’t have a video. For me, I like a good video but I don’t think a
Austra
band should be discarded or hailed for having a good video – there’s no way it should be make or break. If it is a ‘make’ thing it should be just to draw attention to their music.” Apart from the recording of the EP, LaLonde remains concerned about what the future of Born Ruffians will look like. “For us it’s a case of wanting the usual things – always wanting to tour more places, play to bigger audiences and reach more people – that has never changed and probably won’t ever change. Musically, though, things change constantly from record to record. Over time, if anything, I’ve become the leader. I’ve always been the songwriter, but as time’s gone on it has fallen to me to dictate or take charge of the creative ideas behind the songs, the sounds and the production. The band is kinda in a weird position now because Steve [Hamelin], our drummer, has gone back to school and he’s not touring with us, it’s really just me and Mitch [Derosier] as the core members of the band. It’s a weird place to be at – I’m still keen to work on new material but I really just don’t know how that’s gonna happen, and it’s gonna be interesting to see how this next record changes or sounds because of all these personnel changes.”
Feist, and Stelmanis recalls the positive role the city had in cultivating her artistic identity. “I spent my early 20s in Toronto and it was a pretty exciting time for the city,” she says. “Blocks Recording Club was putting out artists like Fucked Up and Owen Pallett and a lot of other really experimental music. It was a totally DIY artist-run collective that was actually pretty successful. I feel lucky to have grown up in this really vibrant scene.”
Living Large By Augustus Welby
However, as in many other artist metropolises (Manhattan, San Francisco), big business has begun to besmirch Toronto’s bohemian core. “It’s kind of sad when I go home now because it feels like Toronto’s changed a lot. Toronto’s had the biggest condo boom in all of North America. It’s made rent skyrocket. It used to be this cheap place to live, where lots of artists lived; now you really have to work three jobs to have an apartment in Toronto.” Meanwhile, Austra have long since stretched beyond their bedroom origins. Stelmanis expanded the project into a six-piece band to play the songs from 2011 debut LP Feel It Break, and after an extended touring stint Austra returned this year with a second album, Olympia. Now working collaboratively, the group sought to carry the energy of its live performance into the new record. “The live show had become this really highenergy dance party and the album is a lot more introspective and a lot darker,” says Stelmanis. “We wanted to put this energy into the new record and into the new songs. So now we have a balance of the old, more ethereal material and the new songs, which I think are a little bit more direct.”
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bedroom. Over the past few decades, Toronto has fostered the innovation of pop musicians such as Broken Social Scene, Peaches and
Olympia’s dance-focused uplift is paired with emotionally driven lyrics. Placing
What: Birthmarks out now through Yep Roc/MGM Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday January 3 And: Also appearing alongside The Roots, MGMT, The Wombats, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), London Grammar and more at The Falls Music & Arts Festivals, Marion Bay, Byron Bay and Lorne, December 28 – January 3
overtly tough personal themes in front of an extroverted musical backdrop is a duality Stelmanis was interested in exploring. “We made a conscious effort to make this album a lot lighter musically; it’s a lot more rhythmbased rather than big, dramatic sweeping vocals and harmonies. The lyrics on this album deal with some pretty dark subject matter and it’s a very personal record.” Feel It Break had seen Austra progress from playing in small clubs to being festival drawcards capable of selling out theatres. Stelmanis says Austra’s updated habitat encouraged her to write more immediately comprehensible lyrics. “I had an intention to make lyrics that were very direct with a cohesive narrative and would have obvious interpretations. When I first started making music as a solo artist, I really would sing gibberish. I was OK with that because those were songs that I was writing for myself in my bedroom. This music, I’m not really writing it for myself anymore, I’m writing it for a live stage.” In that spirit, Austra make their anticipated return to Australia next February, and Stelmanis says the live show provides plenty of stimulation. “We have a DIY light show now that somebody made for us, which adds a different element. Then of course we can also bring [in] other musicians. We’ve been touring for a while with a trombone player and we had a flute player at a couple of shows. It’s nice to have flexibility.” What: Olympia out now through Domino/ EMI Where: The Standard When: Saturday February 14 xxx
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anadian dark wave/electro outfit Austra began as a solo recording project in frontwoman Katie Stelmanis’ Toronto
“[We are] always wanting to tour more places, play to bigger audiences and reach more people – that has never changed and probably won’t ever change.”
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Babylon Circus Playground Time By Mimi Velevska York, the hustle and bustle nineto-fi ve life, which makes Baruchel grateful he is living the gypsy life he’s craved from the age of fi ve. “It’s the life we’ve chosen. Dreaming of this thing, travelling,” he says. The band really has not stopped – since getting together in high school and officially becoming Babylon Circus in 1995, they recently took their first official break of six months to record. “We really wanted it to sound as perfect as we could,” says Baruchel. “We wanted to concrete all our ideas and fi nd new ideas. It was the first time we worked this way, in our own studio.”
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lose to celebrating 20 years together as a band, performing the world over and living (and being influenced creatively by) the gypsy life are French ten-piece reggae/ska/rock group Babylon Circus. Their fifth release, fittingly titled Never Stop, explores their love of rock’n’roll and
displays their appreciation of an array of genres, which they have picked up through their travels around the world. Their latest single, also entitled ‘Never Stop’, delves into the consumerist habits of the modern day, and lead singer David Baruchel explains the double meaning behind the name.
“There are two meanings to ‘Never Stop’. [It’s] a song saying, ‘Dad, you never take a break,’ or a father to his son, ‘Take your time.’ This is modern life, liberal capitalism. I’m not criticising, it’s just a point of view.” The clip accompanying the song features the busy streets of Tokyo and New
Initially starting out as a ska group, Babylon Circus are hard to defi ne or categorise, but Baruchel says it’s all a tribute to “rock’n’roll as a performance” regardless of genre. Perpetually evolving album to album, infl uenced by the many cultures they experience on their tours, Baruchel explains the motivation to record an album that captures their onstage energy in the studio environment. “The studio is another playground. Since our previous album, we got the tools that we couldn’t get onstage. We do play the songs faster onstage but there’s less instruments. It’s like a game – I don’t like the internet or video games, but the studio is like a Game Boy. It’s so open and there’s so many opportunities to do things you can’t do onstage. It’s more precise. Stage is about energy and rock’n’roll.” The band swaps from Balkan music and reggae to ska and rock, and Baruchel adds, “We don’t
want to play music from the past – they’re just infl uences. It’s just something that is real”. From 1995 to now, the temptation to adhere to musical trends has not played a part in infl uencing their output. It’s the countries they get to visit and tour, and the people they meet, which have helped them grow. Their worldly sound, energy onstage and French-cross-English songs have wowed audiences and captured a legion of fans around the globe in their 20-odd years together. Now, they’re preparing to head back to Australia for the fourth time. Speaking on a cold winter’s day in France, Baruchel says the weather is a good reason to be visiting our shores in the summer. “We love Australia because it’s a different culture and I can fi nd common ground with Europe. We are very glad to come to Australia for the fourth time. We played our first gig in 2007 at Woodford Folk Festival, so it’s like a new cycle.”
What: So Frenchy So Chic in the Park With: Lou Doillon, Lilly Wood & The Prick, Féfé Where: St John’s College, University of Sydney When: Saturday January 18 And: Also appearing alongside The Basics, Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers, Beccy Cole, Beth Orton, Chance Waters, Matt Corby, Mo Kenney, Tim Finn and more at Woodford Folk Festival, Friday December 27 – Wednesday January 1
Rotting Christ Cruci-fiction By Jesse Hayward the referenced philosophies. As he explains during our interview: “We have believed from the beginning that all religions are rotten. We don’t believe that there is a God but we don’t have any problem with people believing. As a band I can say we are more agnostic.” Besides, while defining spiritual philosophies is one thing, defining Rotting Christ by genre is another task completely. It’s a common pursuit amongst metalheads – is this or that band brutal death or tech death? Drone or doom? Over the years, Rotting Christ have moved through grindcore to gothic metal and beyond, and as such are fertile subjects for these bitter semantic feuds. Tolis himself is ambivalent. “[We are] metal. You can call it as you want, but metal. We create atmospheric, dark music, black music. You can add any word that you want, but for us it is just metal, because we are metalheads and we love metal music.”
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iding on the wave of their latest album, Rotting Christ are headed to Sydney to headline Heavy magazine’s Heavyfest alongside a host of local metal bands. They’re legends of the international metal scene – one of the first metal groups to emerge from the Mediterranean region, and who thus defined much of the local sound.
Their new album, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy (translation: ‘do what thou wilt’) was released in March this year – the 11th full-length album in the band’s 26-year history. The title phrase refers to the law of Thelema: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will.” It’s not an unfamiliar concept in modern music, with mystic, magician and Satanist Aleister Crowley immortalised by bands obsessed with dark spirituality; Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden among them. It was Crowley who claimed a supernatural being named Aiwass dictated to him The Book of the Law, wherein the principles of Thelema were defined. 16 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
But while Rotting Christ draw much from a rich history of mysticism, lead singer Sakis Tolis is quick to distance himself from groups like the Church of Satan. “The album is not about Crowley; we didn’t set out to write about Crowley,” he says. Instead, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy explores the ancient history upon which Crowley based his philosophy. Elements of various cultures and myths make their way into the lyrics; for instance, on the first track, ‘In Yumen/Xibalba’ – Xibalba is the Mayan underworld or hell, ruled by the gods of death. Spooky. Despite these mystical trappings, the band is not proselytising for its own brand of dark spirituality. In response to moralistic outrage from Christian politicians in America during the late ’90s, Tolis said in a statement: “We are not a ‘satanic-crusader’ type of band but rather one of the many bands that represent the dark side in nowadays’ metal music.” Rotting Christ’s music and lyrics explore the dark side without necessarily subscribing to
Rotting Christ inspired a generation of Greek metal – their success paved the way for many others such Nightfall and Necromantia. But asked about the current metal scene in Greece, Tolis is reluctant to choose favourites. “I don’t want to mention names because I know I will forget someone important. But actually the Greek metal scene has some very interesting bands. The last five years there has been kind of an explosion, you know – bands are creating very good music and touring constantly.” Perhaps this surge of dark music has something to do with the political situation in Greece, where the environment is currently marred by the rise of neo-fascists. Tolis is less reluctant to discuss his influences, citing Bathory and Kreator as bands he grew up listening to. “I do follow the scene and there are some great bands out there right now, but again I don’t want to mention any names. Touring is a great experience because the bands that we respect the most have attitude. Because for me it is not only music, it is attitude [that matters]. People claim we are too black metal, and we are, much more than mainstream. But we respect the bands that are keeping the spirit alive, that old school category of bands. And that is what we want to be a part of; we want to be in the category of ‘old-school’.”
“I’m an old-school person; I like oldschool ways of working, which is do it yourself, you know? … I want to make the music that I am 100 per cent satisfied with.” Rotting Christ have worked with several renowned producers over the years, including Fredrik Nordström and Waldemar Sorychta of Lacuna Coil fame, but Tolis remains the driving force behind most of the writing and production. “The last five albums I produced by myself,” he says. “Like I said, I’m an old-school person; I like old-school ways of working, which is do it yourself, you know? The last album I mixed in Sweden, but I’m the guy who produces everything. I even play most of the instruments, except the drums of course, which are performed by my brother. Maybe I would like to work with a famous producer, but I don’t have money for this so I must do everything myself. But also I want to make the music that I am 100 per cent satisfied with.” And while Rotting Christ may sing about the corruption of modern religion, Tolis has not completely turned his back on spirituality. “Spirituality is always needed. Humanity needs to search and find new directions in the future. We’ve got to live on this planet and maybe we can live forever. And maybe we won’t see that, maybe we’ll be dead by then, but I think that is the intention of humanity.” What: Heavyfest With: The Amenta, Terra Australis, Bane Of Isildur, Rise Of Avernus Where: The Hi-Fi When: Friday January 17 thebrag.com
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PETER MURPHY PERFORMING SOLELY
BAUHAUS WEDNESDAY 11 DECEMBER
MANNING BAR, SYDNEY PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF
KING CRIMSON FRI 10 JAN - THE HI-FI, SYD
Sat 17TH METRO THEATRE
AUSTRALIA // JANUARY 2014
FRI 24TH - FACTORY THEATRE Tombowler.com.au BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13 :: 17
The KVB Minus One, Plus Two By Patrick Emery
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he KVB. It sounds secretive, and slightly sinister – possibly a clandestine police force from the halcyon days of Eastern European communist dictatorships, staffed by ashen-faced operatives with a fanatical dedication to the cause of the State. Working behind heavy iron doors, and in the shadows of society, The KVB seeks out insurrection, identifies agitators and punishes opposition. In reality, it’s nothing of the sort: The KVB is the nom de plume of Nick Wood and his partner Kat Day, a two-piece outfit from the UK who combine an electronic-shoegaze-industrial garage musical aesthetic with an intense visual live show. In the beginning, The KVB was Wood’s bedroom project, an opportunity for him to explore different sonic textures outside of the confines of his ‘regular’ musical projects. “I had been playing guitar in a few bands and recording my own material under different guises for a few years before I started making music as The KVB,” Wood explains. “All the music we have released so far has been recorded by ourselves at our home studio.” The name KVB is an abbreviation of Klaus Von Barrel, an alias suggested by a friend when Wood started creating his own music. “We wanted it to sound slightly absurd,” Wood adds. In the beginning, he says there wasn’t a
particular musical idea that was flowing through his head – it was about experimentation and exploration. “There wasn’t a plan as such. It’s more a combination of both musical and non-musical influences, and the mood and instruments that are available to me. I think there is something really beautiful about the texture our old 16-track creates.” After committing various musical ideas to recorded form, Wood invited Day to join the band on keyboards and synthesiser. It was to be the beginning of the transformation of The KVB from pet studio project to living, breathing and live performing creature. The KVB played their first live show in 2011, a couple of years after Wood had started his fledgling efforts. But Wood is still mining his early studio recordings for the band’s releases, including the recent mini-album Minus One – and there may be more to come. “I have written a lot in the past three years and still have a lot of recorded unreleased works that haven’t been played live,” Wood says. Day’s involvement in the band introduced the striking visual background imagery now intrinsic to the live show. “The KVB did not play live before Kat joined,” says Wood. “Now we consider [the visual imagery] a key part of our performance – it heightens the immersive
atmosphere we wish our audiences to experience”. Wood says The KVB’s live imagery “fluctuates between quite seductive, slow 3D-rendered tactile images and flicker-film-esque, digital glitchbased works”. The overall objective is to establish a connection between the music and the imagery displayed. “I’m really interested in the haptic and how the brain can create a conscious connection to the screen to really ‘feel’, stroke and be immersed in the imagery.” This month, The KVB will make their first trip to Australia as guests of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, having come to the attention of BJM’s l’enfant terrible genius Anton Newcombe earlier this year. “We met Anton through our manager Dr Kiko, who played our last LP Immaterial Visions to him while we were in Berlin early this year,” Wood explains. The relationship between Newcombe and The KVB is more than a temporary marriage of convenience, with Wood and Day planning to head to Newcombe’s studio next year to transform more of Wood’s original material into rich KVB product. “I’ve still got lots of material I’ve already recorded,” Wood says. “Hopefully they will also get rereleased in the future, although we have been recording some new songs at Anton’s studio in Berlin, which should be out sometime next year.”
What: The KVB supporting The Brian Jonestown Massacre Where: The Hi-Fi When: Thursday December 19 And: Minus One out now through A Recordings/Rocket Distribution
You Me At Six Cavalier Spirit By Blake Gallagher
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or You Me At Six, it’s been a stream of upward momentum since the release of first LP Take Off Your Colours back in 2008. The British pop-rockers are currently preparing to release fourth studio album, Cavalier Youth – the record with which the quintet, according to frontman Josh Franceschi, have defined a clear identity almost a decade after forming. “We’re very proud of what we’ve done,” says Franceschi, fresh from an extensive European tour with the Jared Leto-led Thirty Seconds To Mars. “We’ve taken a step up, and as a band I think we’ve finally found our sound. We’re the band we were meant to be”.
Sirenia Ring The Bells By Rod Whitfield
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his long-running Norwegian metal act is about to bring its epic, symphonic-heavy sounds to our shores for the very first time in a 12-year, six-album career. But it’s not the great distances they will have to travel to get here from the frozen Scandinavian North that is causing them the greatest trepidation, although those are hard enough to handle. It is something else altogether, according to lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Morten Veland, who’s speaking from sub-zero temperatures in the frigid northern winter. “[Touring Australia] is something that we’ve wanted for a very long time,” he begins, “but it’s been difficult to make it happen in the past. It’s on the complete opposite side of the planet, it’s as far as we can possibly travel. It’s a long journey and it’s a very expensive journey, that’s one of the reasons it hasn’t happened in the past. “It’s snowing here now, and it’s a few degrees below zero,” he laughs. “It will be good to leave this winter and feel some heat in our bones. As soon as it gets above about 25 degrees, I’m starting to get out of my comfort zone!” And despite the warmer temperatures he’ll experience here, and the relative brevity of their schedule, Veland still has very high expectations of our country. “I’ve seen a lot of Australia on television. I know that it’s an absolutely beautiful country – quite unique and different from the rest of the world. Something I have great expectations for. I know that while we’re down there our time schedule will be pretty tight, but I hope that we have a little bit of free time on our hands to be able to see some of the country.” The band has waited a very long time to get here, and has only two shows in which to leave an impression on Aussie fans – one in Melbourne and one in Sydney – so Veland promises they’ll be going all out to make the gigs memorable ones. Sirenia will be playing an extended set and covering as much ground as they can from their extensive back catalogue.
“Of course, we will have more of a focus on the new album, but it’s always been important for us to play material from all our albums, and try to make as many people as possible happy.” That latest album, Perils Of The Deep Blue, has been out since June. As a band in a usually quite maligned subgenre of metal, especially amongst ‘true’ metalheads, Sirenia are quite used to seeing negative reviews of their records, and those by other femalefronted gothic metal acts. This time, however, Veland has been pleasantly surprised by the general reaction the new album has received.
He’s the first to admit that figuring out the sort of band he and his comrades wanted to be hasn’t been a straightforward enterprise. Previous album Sinners Never Sleep, though lauded by critics and fans alike, featured a mixed bag of styles, with vitriolic post-hardcore (‘Bite My Tongue’) haphazardly juxtaposed with fragile balladry (‘Crash’). “If you were a new listener, it’d be quite confusing. I think we really tried on this record to make an album that throughout sounded like one band, while still allowing that room for creativity.” Lyrically, one immediately gets the impression Franceschi is in a far better place on Cavalier Youth than he was on Sinners. “One thing I knew I wasn’t going to write about was a relationship gone wrong. I’m in a happy and healthy one now, so I couldn’t really write about that. I took inspiration from a lot of things. One thing I wanted to write about
Before You Me At Six release Cavalier Youth, they’ll be hitting Australian stages on a triple bill headed by pop-punk juggernauts Paramore and rounded out by indie-pop duo Twenty One Pilots. It’ll be Franceschi and his group’s fourth time in the country since their debut appearances Down Under back in 2010 as part of Soundwave. “There’s something different about Australian crowds. Maybe it’s all the sun that gets on everyone’s heads,” laughs Franceschi. “Everyone just always seems so pumped and eager about music. It’s hard not to love coming and playing shows in a country where everyone is just as passionate about music as we are.” On ‘Lived A Lie’, the lead single from Cavalier Youth, Franceschi and co. anthemically chant the line “We are believers”. An earnest and to-the-point declaration, it wholly encapsulates the spirit that resonates throughout the album – optimistic, self-assured and defiant. When asked whether the shift into a more positive direction is representative of where You Me At Six are at as a band, Franceschi responds without hesitation. “Absolutely. It’s the strongest we’ve ever been.” What: You Me At Six and Twenty One Pilots supporting Paramore Where: Allphones Arena When: Saturday January 11 And: Cavalier Youth out Friday January 31 through Caroline/Universal/Cooking Vinyl Australia
“As far as I’ve seen, all the reviews I’ve read on the internet have been mainly very positive. I’m always prepared for getting mixed reviews, like most bands I would guess, but something I’ve really noticed this time is that almost everything I’ve come across is very positive. So that’s a really cool thing to see. “We put so many hours and so much hard work into it, and after having the album complete and looking at the final product, I really felt great. I thought we did a really great job, and we were able to take it to the next level. I think we grew a lot as a band on this album.” With: Ne Obliviscaris, Orpheus Omega Where: Factory Theatre When: Saturday December 14 And: Perils Of The Deep Blue out now through Nuclear Blast/Universal thebrag.com
Xxx
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“We will definitely give everything we have; give everything in our power to make these two shows great ones for our Australian fans. We have a long set, so we will play a long show. We will play songs from all of our six albums. It will be a great event, and we aim to make all our fans happy – whether they like the old stuff or prefer the new stuff, we will play it all.
Listening to Cavalier Youth, it’s a statement that rings true. Fully realised and delivered with youthful exuberance and mature confidence in equal measure, it’s a vivid sonic portrait of a band that has stepped firmly into its own skin. “It was important for us this time around to make an album that had a more cohesive sound,” Franceschi says.
was how I feel different now as a 22-year-old man to how I did when I was 17, 18, making music for the first time. My world’s gotten both a lot smaller and a lot bigger. It’s a strange time, your mid-20s. Your friendship groups get smaller, the world just sort of changes for everybody.”
CREATIVE CITY SYDNEY
Think Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live music scene is in dire straits?
Live music matters. Check out the recommendations and give your feedback. sydneyyoursay.com.au #livemusicmatters
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arts frontline
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Mina Kitsos
five minutes WITH you to the medium. I stepped into ceramics about three years ago while I was on a student exchange in Belgium. I had been painting highly decorative, ornate paintings and felt I wanted a break from that particular headspace of working, which is very tight and considered. Working with clay is immediate and also filled with chance. Also, pottery is meditative like yoga, but without the physical pain.
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Tell us about your background in ceramics and what draws
You’ve also worked across printmaking, watercolour and collage. What informs your artistic agenda? Each medium has a slightly different language and I will decide on the one that suits the idea I have. Foul-bite etchings have a direct relationship to the Dutch and German grotesque styles of the 16th century. With collage, I curate absurd images and when I paint in watercolour I can get down to the surface of the grotesque in facial features and minutiae of skin pores. I’ve recently begun to use
EMILY HUNT
ceramics as a platform on which to fabricate various emotional moods particular to the state of intoxication as a series of primal tableaux that are inspired by the archeology of the grotto. Throughout the making of the artworks, the state of intoxication existed as both a subject and a creative method. What themes are you exploring in SOILED? One recurring motif present in all the artworks exhibitied in SOILED is a binary form that combines a finger and a phallus. This represents the religion of priapism, which in Greek mythology venerates the phallus as a creative and symbolic agent. I question the power of the phallus and its relationship to destruction, violence and creation in the contemporary age. In my mind, the human finger is the embodiment of the craftsman and a stand-in for my own personal compulsion to make art. Clay (which is soil from the Earth) represents these ideas in threedimensional form.
DWARF REVUE Wil Anderson
There’s nothing small about the Dwarf Revue comedy collective. The Australian Theatre For Young People is encouraging us to frock and glam up one last time to celebrate the festive season. To bookend atyp’s Golden Jubilee, the 2013 Dwarf Revue cast have put together the best moments from the past 50 years under the direction of Dave Harmon. They’re set to tackle everything from One Direction to Aussie politics, charming audiences with music, dance, song and all things silly. The fi esta runs from Wednesday December 11 until Friday December 14 at atyp 1, Pier 4/5 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. Tickets are $20 or $10 if you can round up four friends. Book your tickets first at atyp.com.au.
How will audiences react to your work? Raised eyebrows? Hopefully I won’t hear, “oh that must have taken a long time to paint!” That comment is infuriating. Any exciting future projects we should know about? In November 2014 I will be participating in a project at Casula Powerhouse called All Aboard. The Powerhouse Museum has connected with the local Train Model Club to help create a series of large-scale moving models. My set will be based on the futuristic and apocalyptic book by Philip K. Dick called The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch. A few ceramic pieces didn’t survive the trip back from Berlin, so they will cast as ruins on large mountaintops. What: SOILED by Emily Hunt Where: The Commercial When: December 13-21 / January 8-18 More: thecommercialgallery.com
Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010’s global hit: Kick-Ass 2. After Kick-Ass’ (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) –reborn as The Mother Fucker – only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation. Kick-Ass 2 releases on DVD on next week and to celebrate we’ve five copies to give away. Just head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us your superhero name would be and why.
season in January, with the world premiere of LEGEND! - “Slips” Cordon – A Safe Pair Of Hands by Pat Sheil, Paul McIntyre’s Who Knows and Alex Broun’s November Spawned A Monster all studding the bill thereafter. If that isn’t tempting enough, all tickets include a meal afterwards, and everyone is free to share a drink with the performers after each show. For info and tickets, check out sitco.net.au.
THE VERY NEAR FUTURE
Ever wanted to plunge into a time warped fi lm noir set? Now’s your chance, with Artspace’s The Very Near Future ready to drown you in a cinematic narrative as part of Sydney Festival 2014. Designed by Alex Davies, a complex fi lm production set has been constructed to manipulate the audience’s sense of time as they pass through various physical spaces. The cast and crew re-enact their scenes with subtle variations that enforce parallel perceptions, all positioning the audience as central characters in the scheme of things. Davies’ works have been recognised both nationally and internationally for their responsive nature, with award winning audio-visual installations under his belt. The Very Near Future unravels on Wednesday January 16, and runs for a month at 43-51 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo. For further details visit artspace.org.au.
10TH ANNUAL SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL
Ten years of uncontrollable laughter later, the Annual Sydney Comedy Festival is set to cap off a decade of hosting the funniest kids on the block with a lineup that’ll make you want to nudge the person next to you with your funny bone. Think award-winning television host, comedian, writer, Wil what-doesn’t-he-do Anderson, wit-crowned Dave Hughes, Mary Cousta’s big-haired, big-mouthed Effie, YouTube royal Alex Williamson and Heath Franklin’s short-tempered Chopper. Oh, and Bob Saget, whose stints on Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos have him sitting on a comedic throne. Chaser boys Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen, man vs puppet team Sammy J & Randy, and the premiere of The Empire Strips Back: A Star Wars Burlesque Parody will also hijack the stage. The revelry begins on Tuesday April 2. See sydneycomedyfest. com.au for dates and further details
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BIZOO
Everyone’s staple music and arts zine, Bizoo, is heading to Sydney to pop the cork for its fi nal release, The Best, The Worst And The Trash That Never Made It. In a magical partnership with the Rizzeria Zine Club, Bizoo will launch the issue at the Rizzeria Pop Up Shop, with an intimate acoustic performance by Isaac Graham, a panel on the state of DIY in Sydney in 2004 and an exhibition of Bizoo’s eclectic covers. Punters will also have the chance to print their own exclusive Miss Helen Gocco print (that’s traditional Japanese screen printing for art rookies). And, of course, everyone leaves with their own copy of the latest edition. Hit up Shop 5, Metcalfe Arcade, 80-84 George St, The Rocks on Wednesday December 4 to get in on the action.
SITCO 2014 SEASON
Sydney Independent Theatre Company is gearing up for a stellar 2014 Season at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. A purveyor of local works, SITCO has programmed a smorgasbord of productions, collaborating with a mix of independent theatre companies and artists. The Australian premiere of David Davalos’ Wittenberg will kick off the
Zoë Coombs Marr
OEDIPUS SCHMOEDIPUS
Richard DeDomenici
THE REDUX PROJECT
Artist Richard DeDomenici is putting out a call for you to star in your favourite blockbuster. Having travelled the world on a mission to recreate iconic moments in cinema sans the hefty budgets and star power, DeDomenici is set to shoot scenes from huge films in their original locations, with zero budget and lots of vision. Performance Space in association with Sydney Festival will present DeDominici’s The Redux Project over the weekend of January 18-19, but first they need volunteers to act out famous scenes from Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and The Matrix. All counterfeit scenes will be screened alongside their originals at Carriageworks. Head to sydneyfestival.org.au for further information.
So what happens when a group of ladies decide they’re fed up with white men staging the deaths of white men in plays written by white men? Oedipus Schmoedipus happens. The post trio – Zoë Coombs Marr, Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose – are throwing together the death scenes from a few hundred seminal plays, 700 to be precise, to deliver a mash-up of wit and mortality at Belvoir Theatre from January 9 through February 2. Expect to see the trio bring its A game in a dark, silly, smart and over-the-top performance to comment on gender, identity and politics. Head to belvoir.com.au for more information and tickets.
PINBALL
There’s something frustratingly intriguing about a game of pinball. Alison Lyssa’s production exudes similar sentiments. Pinball is a production woven together to incorporate both classic tales of female sacrifice and the prejudice in real-life custody cases from Australian legal history. Theenie, a lesbian mother of one, battles for legal custody of her child in ’80s Australia and is faced with an ultimatum – deny her sexuality or lose her son, with bigoted, misogynist tradition her strongest opposition. Her daughter and the community, however, are rallying beside her, standing at the forefront of radical changes and freedoms, which have shaped the nation’s past. Complete with retro stage designs and costuming, this nail-biter of a show is not to be missed. Pinball presents at Tap Gallery from February 11-28 in conjunction with Mardi Gras Sydney 2014. Score your tickets at mardigras.org. thebrag.com
Emily Hunt, Grotto-Ruin-Relic, 2013
he grotesque is something contemporary multidisciplinary artist Emily Hunt is intrigued by. Her latest body of work, SOILED, will open at The Commercial this Friday December 13 and demonstrate Hunt’s conditioning of degeneracy and the vulgar through a range of mediums spanning porcelain, stoneware, etching and painting. We caught five with the artist ahead of the exhibition’s opening to learn more.
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100 Bloody Acres [FILM] Sibling Rivalry By Lachlan Kanoniuk
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headspace of the characters – being happy with the way the story is heading and the way the characters are sounding. Then we’ll just divvy up the workload, break up storylines into sequences, concentrate on that, then when it’s all done we put it all together and see if it gels. Most of the time it seems to,” says Colin.
enerating critical buzz over the past year, Australian horror-comedy romp 100 Bloody Acres has been germinating as a cult favourite across the globe. Set in a small country town, the film tells the story of the Morgan brothers – two Aussie battlers utilising dubious ingredients for their organic fertiliser business. The narrative stems from the minds of co-writers and directors, and brothers themselves, Cameron and Colin Cairnes.
Mixing horror and comedy isn’t exactly a new concept. Humour, relatable characters and shock elements have come together to represent a nascent subgenre in itself. “It can easily tip over the top into that broad comedy when you are making horror comedy. It inherently lends itself to that type of humour with all the visual gags. It’s a delicate balance, getting those two elements right. In the writing, we were careful not to push it too much on the page,” says Colin. “The cast and crew got that, so it was never forced. We love the Scream films for example, because the scares work, but so does the humour. You care about the characters, they’re not just stereotypes – they’re playing on stereotypes, but they’re giving them heart and making them sympathetic. That’s what we tried to do with our characters, and I think we succeeded in that regard. It was partly the writing, partly the casting and party the execution. On set it wasn’t a case of ‘how do we makes things funnier?’ It was more ‘how do we stay true to these characters and the world we’re trying to create here?’”
“The film is about two brothers who don’t see eye to eye and basically want to kill each other. Like all siblings, we probably didn’t see eye to eye in our younger days. We both realised at a certain age that we wanted to make movies, and it turned out we wanted to make the same kind of movies. It’s actually been a very harmonious process. We’ll disagree on things, but that means we’ll work out the problem and come up with a better way of doing things. But I think most of the time we were in agreeance,” says Colin. “Or agreement,” Cameron corrects, leading to a fraternal digression regarding the correct term. The creative process is one enlivened by the sibling dynamic. “There isn’t a set system. For us, the writing [process] is more about talking, about us being in a room sharing ideas in the
Damon Herriman and Angus Sampson in 100 Bloody Acres The cast, led by Damon Herriman and Angus Sampson (replete with hearty chinstrap beard), prove more than adept at capturing that relatable charm amongst absurdity. “We were still casting a couple of months out from production. The first casting decision we made was actually the voice you hear on the on the radio, Bernard St John, who you hear broadcasting throughout the film. Then John Jarratt came in early on, which we thought was a really good start. Then when Damon Herriman’s audition tape popped up it was a no-brainer, he was our Reg. He’s just
brilliant. We had worked with Angus Sampson before on a few things – a great guy with comic chops. Initially it was a bit of a stretch, because we pictured the character of Lindsay as being quite older, but Angus came in and did a read and just blew us away. It was a really fun process, all very last minute. But that’s the way it often is,” says Colin. What: 100 Bloody Acres releases on DVD and Digital HD on Wednesday December 11.
Coranderrk [THEATRE] Speaking To History By Alasdair Duncan
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he story of Coranderrk is one of those chapters of indigenous Australian history that has gone largely ignored. A new theatrical work aims to bring the story to light, so a broader audience might know what happened there. Isaac Drandic is the director of Coranderrk, and he tells me the story of this piece of land and its people. “The indigenous population down in Victoria were displaced from their land, and had been moved around quite a bit by that point in the middle of the 19th century,” he explains. “They’d settle somewhere and begin to build a community, but as the population grew in the state, squatters would come to claim the land, and they’d be moved on again. Finally, they found a new home – on a piece of land at Badger Creek, once a traditional camping place for the Wurundjeri people, leaders William Barack and Simon Wonga established a settlement that would come to be known as Coranderrk.”
Jack Charles
Coranderrk was unique at the time – a selfsufficient settlement, with a farm that sold produce, including wheat and hops, to nearby Melbourne. As the Victorian population continued to grow, however, the land at Coranderrk became more valuable. Before
long, there was a push to make the indigenous population sell the property and move on yet again. “This was basically a last stand for the people at Coranderrk,” Drandic says. “The stakes were so high for William Barack and the rest of the people that if the Coranderrk community didn’t take a stand, it would have been the end for them.” There was an official parliamentary inquiry in 1881, and in a turn of events that was unprecedented at the time, the people of Coranderrk went head to head with the Aboriginal Protection Board, fighting for the right to remain on the settlement they had pioneered for themselves. Coranderrk is framed around this inquiry. “The bulk of the text is taken directly from transcripts of the inquiry,” Drandic says, “so we’re hearing the real words that were spoken.” For many of the indigenous cast, the history of Coranderrk remains present. “Through these transcripts, you hear the religious and intellectual leaders of the day talking about how they’re going to ‘solve’ the aboriginal problem,’ Drandic says. “You hear the talk that would eventually lead to policies that separated families, creating the stolen generation. We’ve got Jack Charles in the show, who is a member of the stolen generation, but
Sullivan+Strumpf 2014 Season
across the whole cast, we have actors who have felt the impact of those policies in their families, whose relatives were stolen.” For Drandic, it is a great personal honour to take on a project like Coranderrk. “I’m from Perth,” he says, “so I’m very honoured to have been chosen to lead this project, to tell a story about something that happened on the other side of the country, in Victoria. It’s amazing to me that people from Victoria, where this story took place, have put their trust in me to lead this production, and lead the show from a directing point of view. I suppose the main challenge is staying true to the story and the history, while also making Coranderrk into a theatre piece. I spent a lot of time asking myself how we could tell the story in a way that was theatrical, but was also true. That’s the main challenge. We want this production to talk to the audience, but also to be faithful to the story and the real events.” What: Coranderrk Where: Belvoir St Theatre When: Until January 3 More: belvoir.com.au
Hiromi Tango, Moon Jellies
[VISUAL ARTS] Diversity Is Key By Kate Robertson
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ullivan+Strumpf’s 2014 program is incredibly diverse. You’re sure to find something that pleases your peepers, whether you like your art in paint, marble, texta, video, watercolour, cross stitch, silicon or neon. Co-director of the gallery Joanna Strumpf gave BRAG a heads up on what to expect over the busy 12 months ahead. If you’ve never visited Sullivan+Strumpf, February is an excellent time to start. “We always open the year with a group exhibition” says Strumpf, “and that will be something new, usually, by all of the artists that we represent.” This fun and eclectic collection of works by the gallery’s 23 artists and is “a really good way for people to get a feeling about who it is that we show and look at what work artists are currently up to”. In March, an exhibition called Video will assemble a collection of video works by several artists, including one created by Darren Sylvester for the Self-Portrait Prize at the University of Queensland. Strumpf describes Sylvester’s work as “a memoir through medium. It doesn’t involve Darren but it’s really the story of his life and his work.” Sylvester will also have a solo show at the gallery in June, which gallery-goers will find particularly
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exciting as it’ll be the artist’s first commercial exhibition in over two years. In April, conceptual artist Michael Lindeman will continue his exploration of letters. “A lot of people saw the letter to the trustees that he had at the Archibald Prize this year,” says Strumpf. “An oversized painting of a foolscap piece of paper with a handwritten letter, so there’ll be several of those letters.” Another concept Lindeman is working on is ‘notes to self’ wherein the artist paints post-it notes sporting idiosyncratic notes. This playfulness will continue in the upstairs gallery where Leah Emery will explore “ideas of femininity through the unlikely idea of pornographic cross stitch”. In May, the Japanese-born Australian artist Hiromi Tango will have her Sullivan+Strumpf debut. “[Tango] works in lots of different mediums including performance and photography, but this body of work will involve neon and woven cloth. She manages to involve the community in her artworks and these are beautiful and very personal examinations,” says Strumpf. Mid-year, in July, Alasdair Macintyre will visualise “the history of art told through storm troopers”. In August, emerging artist Greg Hodge – whose first show with Sullivan+Strumpf this year
completely sold out – will present his second solo exhibition. According to Strumpf, Hodge’s central artistic agenda centres on illusion. “Hodge’s kaleidoscopic paintings are really copies of paper collages which he makes, yet there’s no actual collage involved. Instead, he uses the idea of trompe l’oeiul, or trick of the eye.” The following month, Alex Seton will display his marble works, which address the plight of asylum seekers. In October, the gallery will showcase the lyrical paintings of Karen Black. “[Black] works predominantly in the colours of yellow, blue and red, and mixes the work directly onto the board, which makes for immediate and experimental imagery,” says Strumpf. Upstairs, Sam Jinks will exhibit a small collection of his hyper-realistic sculptures made of silicon that often use human hair. “These are sculptures that can take us to a different place all together,” says Strumpf. Sullivan+Strumpf’s 2014 program will draw to a close with eX de Medici’s “extremely beautiful, but aggressive watercolours”. The artist’s sevenmetre long work reflects her tattooing background and is, according to Strumpf, “an extraordinary, highly detailed feat [that] interweaves into its decorative design the logos or corporate greed such as oil and banking companies.”
What: Sullivan+Strumpf 2014 Season Where: 799 Elizabeth St, Zetland When: Continuing 2014 More: sullivanstrumpf.com
thebrag.com
Film Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen around town
■ Film
■ Film
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
ONE CHANCE
In cinemas now
In cinemas now
20 Feet From Stardom
One Chance According to Judith Hill, the aspiring star whose vocals have accompanied Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, back up singing is a great springboard to fame. However this springboard, she notes, can rapidly turn to quick sand. The gap between the back-up mics and centrestage is insurmountable as proven by the subjects of Director Morgan Neville’s bittersweet documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom. The film focuses on a number of mainly black, female vocalists whose unique contributions helped form the basis of modern day rock’n’roll. Through an exploration of the careers of Merry Clayton, Darlene Love, Tata Vega, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer and Claudia Lennear the audience is taken on a journey through music history – involving some fantastic stock footage and interviews with Mick Jagger, Sting and Bruce Springsteen among others. The stories of the music industry and our subjects’ struggle to make it in their own right are revealing and, at times, heartbreaking. The plight of Merry Clayton – whose distinctive vocals make ears bleed on The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ – who tells us about the harsh realities she faced while reflecting on her attempts to launch a solo career, is particularly confronting. So too is the tale of Darlene Love’s professional relationship with the ill fated, controlling and seemingly manipulative producer Phil Spector. Combined, their stories demonstrate the perils of this oftenunforgiving industry. Still despite these hardships, it’s moving to see these women celebrating their triumphs and telling their stories to a wider audience. Although it feels a touch long at 91 minutes, 20 Feet From Stardom is an uplifting, poignant expose into the lives of individuals who, even though their names never truly rang out, have made an undeniable contribution to rock’n’roll culture. Lee Hutchison
Before Susan Boyle mania swept the globe, there was Paul Potts, the unassuming, opera-loving, mobile-phone salesman who auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent in 2007. In this loose biopic, the extremely likeable James Corden plays Potts, an awkward, overweight kid whose preference for Puccini ensures that he is bullied relentlessly growing up in the Welsh coastal town of Port Talbot. Living a modest existence at home with his parents, he works away the days at the local Carphone Warehouse store until he meets the charming Julz (Alexandra Roach) through an online dating site. Julz’s support and encouragement provide the necessary impetus for Paul to dismiss a career at the local metal works and pursue singing, much to his father’s dismay. After a series of setbacks, Potts travels to Venice to study opera where he comes face-to-face with his idol Pavarotti. What disappoints about this film is the intervention of both the director and screenwriter, who seem determined to recreate Billy Elliot at every turn. The film has clearly been put through the Hollywood wringer to cater to the US market – numerous scenes seem forced as the film tries to evoke the workingclass, pub-dwelling Britain made famous in films such as The Full Monty and Brassed Off. Potts actually grew up in Bristol and not in an industrial town in Wales. Despite these contrivances, the film genuinely pulls on the heartstrings and it’s difficult not to get caught up in the sentimentality of this unlikely story of the shy tenor who wants to win the nation’s biggest popularity contest. Given Potts’ incredible rise to the top of the charts, which leads to him performing for the Queen, you can’t help but wonder whether the embellishments to the script were somewhat unnecessary. Maybe Potts can sing for himself. Tim Armitage
See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews
Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
Maltesers Moonlight Cinema Centennial Park From Thursday December 12 Let’s face it – watching cinema under the stars is pretty damn romantic. Add to the equation some Maltesers and you’re certain to have even more of a ball. Maltesers Moonlight Cinema launches this week with a season of star-crossed cinema to grace open-air cinemagoers at Centennial Park from December 12 through March 23 next year. The program? The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, August: Osage Country, Frozen, Top Gun, The Castle, Life Of Brian, Dirty Dancing and Breakfast At Tiffany’s. Get your hands on Gold Class tickets for premium-reserved seating, or pack a rug, a picnic basket and a date. Head to moonlight.com.au for further details. thebrag.com
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Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK DEATH GRIPS Government Plates Third Worlds
In this modern world we are so overstimulated it takes the mind-melting sonic aesthetic of Death Grips to, paradoxically, give one some respite from the ‘noise’.
Xxxx Get into Death Grips now, before this aberration becomes a myth or rumour spoken about in hushed voices.
The first single released from this avantgarde-proto-punk-electro outfit’s new album Government Plates is ‘You Might Think He Loves You For Your Money But I Know What He Really Loves You For It’s Your Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat’, a Bob Dylan lyric which has now become an unintended tribute to Miranda Kerr and James Packer’s tryst.
GLASS ANIMALS
BLOOD ORANGE
Glass Animals Wolf Tone/Caroline
Cupid Deluxe Domino
Indie-soul sounds like a ghastly genre, but in the hands of Glass Animals, it works and works well. This four-track EP collects tracks from two recent singles ahead of a debut album expected next year and produced by Paul Epworth (Paul McCartney, Adele, Bloc Party). Whether or not any of these four songs will be on the album, on the basis of what’s here it’s one to look out for. And that’s basically due to opening track ‘Psylla’ alone. The production on the drums is perfect; everything hangs in the air after it lands, making time slow to a crawl. Watery effects exist in the distance, a lazy guitar solo comes in and out, and a consistent harmony anchors the entire thing. It’s a marvel. After that high watermark, the following three tracks are more simple indie with a heavy R&B element bubbling underneath, making them sound as much like The Weeknd as they do Alt-J. In ‘Black Mambo’ for instance, keys, guitar lines, echoey vocal coos and other samples are all present, making everything slinky. There’s a consistent dark ambience to the proceedings, as well as the aforementioned inch-perfect drum tracks. The drums are the stars all over the EP. A lot of work has gone into these tracks. Some of it is so subtle that it’s almost a shame that the background sounds aren’t more upfront. But the production is so perfect that after the EP fi nishes you’re left thinking just one thing: Glass Animals know exactly what they’re doing. Leonardo Silvestrini
The evolution of Dev Hynes hits a heady peak on the new Blood Orange release, Cupid Deluxe. After the punk rock implosion of Test Icicles and a couple of earnest indie rock recordings under the Lightspeed Champion moniker, Hynes adopted a more dance-orientated, new wave sound for 2011’s underrated Blood Orange debut, Coastal Grooves. Perhaps his greatest exposure has come from co-writing and producing songs with others, notably the recent successes for Solange (‘Losing You’) and Sky Ferreira (‘Everything Is Embarrassing’). Hynes’ dabbling with an accessible pop sound has had a big influence on Cupid Deluxe, which confidently combines all that he has learnt into one big, bubbling funk-pop-dance cauldron. The mix of melancholy subject matter and upbeat pop instrumentation that made Coastal Grooves so alluring is potently realised on this follow-up. Hynes had warned, “I am not your saviour, baby girl” on the opener of his last album, and he takes this warning to a new level on the narcissistic, meanspirited ‘You’re Not Good Enough’. As the album progresses, the guest musicians become more prominent. It’s unusual that Hynes’ most definitive work is also his most guest-heavy, though perhaps this is a sign that collaborating is where his strength lies. Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth delivers a star turn in the Clams Casinoinfused ‘No Right Thing’, while girlfriend and Friends vocalist Samantha Urbani duets on the delicate, soothing ‘It Is What It Is’.
It opens the third LP for the Sacramento threepiece – Stefan Burnett (vocals), Zach Hill (drums) and Andy Morin (samples). The alternative mainstream’s embrace has resulted in Death Grips taking no prisoners on Government Plates. The album swings from bass-heavy punk to uptempo dubstep, heavy electro and even phases of late ’90s dance cheese. The aforementioned first single from the album begins with Burnett crying, “Get some fucking dog in here WAH BLAH WAHHH FUCKIN GRRRR BLAHH WAHHH / Fuck it don’t start shit,”* then a mind-slaying compressed bass synth drops in – it will leave you out of breath.
HELLOGOODBYE
What’s Your Utopia? Hidden Shoal
Everything Is Debatable Old Friends/Shock
Songwriter Michael Dolan has teamed up with half of the members of Apricot Rail for his band Perth. With such pedigree, there is little doubt that Perth are going to be one of the most cinematic and calming bands to come out of those parts. What’s Your Utopia? has a sense of the upbeat in its prevailing mood, even if it is not always refl ected in its tempo. While not as word-shy as Apricot Rail, Perth still use vocals sparingly as a musical tool, but they are at their most prominent during ‘Greasy Moon’. It is not that Perth have nothing to say, or that they can’t hold a note, it is just that there are no need for words when the music is as expressive as it is on this album. ‘Old At Heart’ has the slow burn that Múm have always used to great effect. This tune, which is over well before acceptances, has a sound that’s somewhere between living inside a video game and sitting in an oriental garden. Treading the lines between electronica and post-rock is an art form that Perth excel at, without trying to be too clever or overblown. When Pavement sung ‘I Love Perth’ all those years ago, they sure as hell weren’t wrong. Chris Havercroft
Hellogoodbye’s latest record feels like it rode in on a Californian breeze. It’s been a few years since the band released an album and as fresh as this one is, it also feels like the soundtrack to The O.C., or The Killers circa 2006. This is definitely not a bad thing. Fans of Hellogoodbye’s debut Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! will remember they were labelled emo-pop and had a penchant for the vocoder and Auto-Tune. After a lawsuit and a lineup shuffle, frontman Forrest Kline shook things up and shoved the electronica (mostly) aside, producing Would It Kill You? Now, Everything Is Debatable toes the line between the first two albums, and it’s preferable to both of them. It still has the pacey riffs and electronic depths and quirks, but it feels a little more mature both sonically and lyrically. This is most evident in ‘Just Don’t Let Go Just Don’t’, which strikes a fine balance of strong vocals with a smattering of layered effects. It is refreshing to hear pop music you can move to told through stories that meander between vague recollections and deep reflections. Actually, much of it feels like it was written nursing a hangover on a Sunday afternoon and contemplating life. This leads to it feeling suspended in particular moments and memories. Take ‘(Everything Is) Debatable’ – “So I wanted her to feel the breeze just blowing though the trees / A ghost of something in our love that we don’t yet know”. The CD booklet’s pop art-style photomontages and typeset lyrics are exemplary of an album that has been carefully produced with an ideal listener in mind. In all, this puts Hellogoodbye at the top of their game.
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LANTERNS ON THE LAKE Until The Colours Run Bella Union/[PIAS]
While some bands struggle to beat the charm of their debut album on their second long player, Lanterns On The Lake seem to have consolidated and become stronger. Until The Colours Run offers a more satisfying listen than their first. The grandiose ‘Elodie’ opens the album with urgent shoegaze before softening to allow Hazel Wilde’s fragile but powerful vocals to dominate. Wilde no longer shares vocal duties with Paul Gregory and she shines, at times sounding a lot like Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. On this album Gregory has concentrated on producing symphonic, post-rock arrangements that intimidate by the sheer epic scale on which they are constructed. Yet unlike a lot of post-rock outfi ts, Lanterns On The Lake never sound forbidding; rather, there is a cool serene beauty about their music which strikes strong emotional chords with listeners. Refl ective of the band’s recent travails, there is a bleak and unforgiving attitude to much of this album, which aches with discontent and weariness as it subtly spells out its personal political agenda. The second half of this album slinks into dreamy chamber pop as they gather around the piano for ‘Green And Gold’ or slip into nasty bittersweet nothings on ‘Another Tale From Another English Town’. A magnifi cent but ultimately heartbreaking album. The Sideman
Coral Huckstep
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK No-one does summer music like Australians. With our sunburnt arms hanging out the car window on our way up the coast/to the beach/into the bush/to a mate’s place for a BBQ, we only want one thing on the drive (aside from no traffic and some company in the car), and that is some great music to mingle harmoniously with the summer days and underscore the feeling of absolute
Dan Watt
PERTH
Chris Girdler
Smile At Your Shoes Independent/ Bandcamp
*I have no fucking idea what the actual lyrics are.
On the other hand, ‘This Is Violence Now (Don’t Get Me Wrong)’ is positively fruity, with a frenetic drum and bass rhythm, chirping keys and a
It’s soft, emotive and seductive; close to one of the best albums of 2013. Just ignore any reviews calling it ‘chillwave’. Let’s agree to never use that word again, shall we?
FOOD COURT
female vocal sample that is more 1999 than cargo pants. In fact, there is something distinctly ’90s about this album, but with a tweens atomic digital redux. A comparison that first came to mind when I heard Death Grips was Atari Teenage Riot (apparently they’re still around but the German duo’s heyday was around 1999), and other digital hardcore acts like Fuck Buttons and The Liars are also fair likenesses. But, really, there are no acts around like Death Grips – so get into them now.
contentment they bring. And oh, how our local talent delivers just that. With summer breaking over Sydney, it’s the perfect time for Glebe-based fourpiece Food Court to release their debut EP, Smile At Your Shoes. On top of being the ideal length for the attention deficit suffered by music lovers these days, the six-track release contains the perfect cocktail of that sunny, fuzzy, surfer-punk brand of music that has become as synonymous with summer as thongs, Paddle Pops and fainting Pommies. Opening with their no regrets, bustedtape-player of a song ‘I Want You’,
the dirty and addictive sound of Food Court immediately ensnares you, and you wonder why you don’t own a surfboard. ‘Smile At Your Shoes’, ‘By Your Side’ and ‘Going Home’ possess the same pride and confi dence naked men have when they strut about the house when no-one’s home. But it’s the single ‘Not Enough’ and closer ‘She’s Away’ that truly capture the carefree tone of this hot and beloved season. If summer is as good as this album sounds, then we’re in for one hell of a good time. Just don’t forget the Paddle Pops.
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... DOVES - Kingdom Of Rust VARIOUS - So Frenchy So Chic 2011 THE LION KING - OST
FATBOY SLIM - Palookaville SUEDE - Suede
Daniel Prior
thebrag.com
live reviews What we've been out to see...
THE BAMBOOS, OXBLVD Factory Theatre Saturday November 30
Bamboos took stage, there was no other band in existence.
“Someone’s always saying that the music is too loud.” No, Kylie Auldist, not a single person inside the blank walls of the Factory Theatre, nor in the atmospheric outdoor setting, nor down the road, nor anywhere it was possible to hear even a muffled beat of the drum or a muted blast of the saxophone; no-one anywhere would have dared asked The Bamboos to turn down the music that night. Everyone was too busy dancing.
Launching straight into ‘Rats’, Auldist belted the audience with such a powerful voice that everyone was immediately swept up in the music. Tag-teaming the vocal duties much in the same way they did the album, Auldist and Ella Thompson swapped the mic every few songs, one running offstage as the other picked up without missing a beat. The result was a wonderful mix between Thompson’s colourful and bouncy style and Auldist’s powerful and distinctive vocals.
Kicking off with a bit of blues-tinged indieswamp-rock, Oxblvd started the night with a solid performance. Waking up the crowd from their hour-long wait after the doors opened, the band did a great job of getting people off the floor and into the groove of things. While their overall performance was enjoyable, it did feel like they were playing somewhat generic music, lacking any distinguishing traits that would make people recognise exactly who they were straight off the bat. A real shame with a band as talented as them, but not something that can’t be fixed with time and effort.
Jumping between songs from their latest album, Fever In The Road, as well as their incredible back catalogue, The Bamboos also did a few fantastic covers, including a soulful rendition of Frank Ocean’s ‘Lost’. The effect their energy and character had on the crowd was obvious; even the most statue-esque, arms-folded, serious-faced, Frankie-Don’tDance type standing stoic amongst the crowd found themselves swaying and bobbing along halfway through a song before finally letting go and joining the rest of the crowd in their dance interpretation of ‘On The Sly’.
Of course, their lack of personality was probably accentuated by the fact they were playing next to one of the most charismatic and unique bands in Australia. Because when the eight-piece soul train that is The
And if even those party poopers are dancing around, you know you’re witnessing something special.
FESTIVAL OF THE SUN WARMUP PARTY: TIGERTOWN, GANG OF BROTHERS, SET SAIL
discerning listener’s summertime playlist.
Beach Road Hotel Saturday November 30 Festival of the Sun may now be sold out but Bondi brought the goods courtesy a free sneak preview of what the two-day Port Macquarie event has on offer, with the Beach Road Hotel holding a Festival of the Sun Warm-Up Party. Trendy inner city hipsters mingled with the beautiful beach kids at the popular Saturday night jaunt – an abundance of long hair, brimmed hats, double denim and manicured beards scattered the room, some oblivious and out for a boozy night, others specifically there to see some homegrown indie acts before they play at what is becoming a real highlight of the Aussie festival calendar. After several minutes of onstage sound checks, energetic indie rockers Set Sail opened the gig with the upbeat and catchy ‘The Boat Song’. Currently in the studio recording their next release, the Sydneybased trio continued their seasonable sounds; the mix of acoustic pop and beach rock vocals earning them a spot on any
IAN BALL, DAVEY LANE Annandale Hotel Thursday November 28 The tunes might be new, but there’s a warm familiarity as members of two longrunning and ongoing bands play solo, turning the Annandale into an acoustic lounge room session – at least, as acoustic as you can make an electronic album. You Am I’s Davey Lane has been popping up everywhere since the release of his first solo EP a few months back. ‘You’re The Cops, I’m The Crime’ is a pleaser tonight, but he seems to have moved beyond that material already, introducing ‘Comfortably Dumb’ as “one of those needlessly confusing songs with too many chords”, and slipping in newies until they comprise half the set. Based on the jaunty blues-rock of ‘Shopping’ and the ominous darkness of ‘The Undergrowth’, which on first listen could be his most distinct solo work yet, this is good news. With just his guitar, Lane’s sounding comfortable onstage but his endearingly awkward chatter continues to be a defining feature. When Ian Ball, best known as the crispersounding vocalist in Gomez, bounces onstage alone with an acoustic guitar and clicks on his laptop, there’s an uncertainty.
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Daniel Prior
Keeping the good beats coming, the fivepiece Gang Of Brothers rocked the crowd with their funky, bluesy soul tunes. The audience wasn’t quite picking up what the band was putting down, so vocalist and drummer Buddy Siolo told them what’s up: “It’s quiet as shit in here – it’s time to start jumping!” And so they did, as the group busted out funky roots and rock tracks including ‘Get Up On Ya Feet N Testify’ and ‘Going To The Pub’. On the back of their Wandering Eyes national tour, five-piece Sydneysiders Tigertown brought the tempo down but kept the crowd moving with their acoustic sounds and crafty indie pop, including ‘What You Came Here For’, and radio favourites ‘Lions And Witches’ and ‘Morning Has Finally Come’. If this was just the warm-up, FotSun will not disappoint. Joining the showcased locals is a solid festival lineup including You Am I, The Rubens, Ash Grunwald, Stonefield, The Beards and Kingswood, to name just a few – so if you have tickets, be stoked. It’s going to be a good weekend. Julienne Gilet
Are we going to watch him strum and sing along to his full new electronic pop album, Unfold Yourself? Turns out, yes, at first we are. And it makes sense. Whereas in ear buds these dancefloor anthems sound a bit too clean for a career performer of bluesy sing-alongs, in person Ball stamps his own voice all over songs like ‘Memory Test’ and ‘Open Sesame’. The beats pumping out are simply backing to his own voice, while his fingers swiftly dart from guitar to synth, triggering loops like a nervous cook checking the oven settings. The transformation from indie-roots to house music seems logical. About four songs in, Ball throws himself open to requests from the vocal crowd. Over the next hour these range from Gomez hits (‘Fill My Cup’, ‘In Our Gun’, ‘Get Myself Arrested’) to solo album tracks (‘Sweet Sweet Sleep’, ‘The Elephant Pharmacy’), and when he cocks up or needs prompting for the first line, the smiles just get wider. Eventually, Ball declares an end to the festivities and demands choice of the last song. Pressing ‘play’ on his laptop it’s obviously going to be a selection from the album – and then he launches into a cover of 10CC’s ‘I’m Not In Love’. It’s an unexpected end to a highly spontaneous set. Simon Topper
BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13 :: 25
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the fabergettes
PICS :: KC
up all night out all week . . .
the spoils
PICS :: AM
29:11:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9572 6322
01:12:13 :: Barangaroo Sydney Harbour MAR :: JACK S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
26 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
@ LIFE WITHOUT ANDY
my captain cook riot
PICS :: KC
vans warped tour
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28:11:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9572 6322
30:11:13 :: Captain Cook Hotel 162 Flinders St Paddington 9360 4327 thebrag.com
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georgia fair
PICS :: AM
bitch prefect
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
30:11:13 :: Brighton Up Bar :: Level 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9572 6322
30:11:13 :: Hibernian House Studio 401, 342 Elizabeth St Surry Hills
sunset street party party profile
It’s called: Sunset Street Party It sounds like: Sweet chillout sesh tunes from a variety of genres Acts: Music by Revolution Incorporated, Reign On Mars, Swing From A Streelight, Now Or Never, Semitonal and Marin a & Cyril. Performance poetry by Kwaku Asare and Sefakor Dokli Sell it to us: Live acts plus giant games, photo booth, jumping castle, BBQ and live spray art event on the tanks presented by Deep Corridors The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Our very own DIY ice cream truck, and hopefully a sunset! Crowd specs: Bring your enthusiasm and support for this upcoming group of talent. This is a strictly drug and alcohol free event aimed at 15- to 25-year-olds. Wallet damage: All this for just $5! (Which will help make next year’s event even more awesome) Where: Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casul a When: Saturday December 14, 2pm-7pm
saskwatch
PICS :: J
RSVP on Facebook: facebook.com/youthcp ac
29:11:13 :: Name This Bar :: 197 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9356 2123 MAR :: JACK S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
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@ LIFE WITHOUT ANDY
abbe may
PICS :: KC
holy holy
PICS :: KC
27:11:13 :: Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi 9130 7247
30:11:13 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9660 7953 BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13 :: 27
g g guide g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
Deerhunter
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 DECEMBER 11 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10 The Hi-Fi
Deerhunter + Collarbones + Day Ravies 7:30pm. $57.50.
Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. 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. Seabellies + Bec Sandridge Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $18. Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin’ And Guests Avalon Beach RSL Club, Avalon. 7:30pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Angelene Harris + Anthony Silvestrini + Tom Williams Moore + Brendan Doyle + Jeff Tooth Collector Hotel, Parramatta. 7pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery And Guests Sackville Hotel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free. SSA Showcase - feat: Taos + Gavin Fitzgerald + Ken Mclean + John Chesher Charing Cross Hotel, Waverley. 5pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Alicia Keys + John Legend Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 8pm. $109.90. Hammerhead Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $16.50. Mike Rivett Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Alex Hopkins Summer Hills Hotel, Summer Hill. 7:30pm. free. Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. free. Annie McKinnon + Hazzy Bee + Bow The Rogue Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Cara Kavanagh Duo O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Chris Stretton Stamford Grand, North Ryde. 5:45pm. free. City Slickers Band Competition Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15. Jack Johnson + Paula Fuga + John Cruz Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney. 6pm. $109. Jimmy Barnes Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $129. Live Band Karaoke with Dennis Val Peakhurst Inn, 8pm. free. Matt Jones Trio Rock Lily, Pyrmont. 8pm. free. Rhythm Remedy - Raising Hope For The Philippines - feat: Bek Jensen + Bow And Arrow + Rob Edwards + Tina Harrod And Matt McMahon + Shauna Jensen + Michael Wheatley Trio + Shower Idols + Weird Assembly Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 7:30pm. $20. Uni Bar100 Bar100, The Rocks. 9pm. free.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Cole Soul And Emotion feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. Damien Wright Quintet Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50. The Hipstones
Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Christie Lamb Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. High Rollers - Bublé Show Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 4:30pm. free. Ian Moss Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $49. Kate Winchester Bexley North Hotel, Bexley North. 6:30pm. free. Metric Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $64.90. Revier + Little Napier + Baerfrens + Phondupe + Kayons + Scarlett Rush Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Screaming Jets + The Snowdroppers The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West. 8pm. $40. Steve Smyth Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. The Delta Riggs + The Owls Hotel Steyne, Manly. 8pm. free. The Folk Informal - feat: The Green Mohair Suits + Leeroy Lee + Boy Outside + The Maple Trail FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Thieves + The Mountains + Civilians Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Tiger & The Rogues + Lil Smoke + The Bitter Sweethearts + The Tequila Twins Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Twerps + Mac Demarco The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $23.60. Victoria Avenue Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm. free.
ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK Ali Carter The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm. $16.50. Declan Kelly + Thomas Stephens + Kimberly + Matteo Phelano 34 Degrees South, Bondi Beach. 8:30pm. free. Live Music Thursdays
Melvins
MONDAY DECEMBER 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin’ + Chris Brookes + Massimo Presti + Rick Taylor Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Happy Monday Games Night 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.
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INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. Matt Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free. Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Deerhunter + Collarbones + Day Ravies The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $57.50. Greg Agar Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. free.
Jimmy Barnes Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $129. Reignwolf Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 5pm. $23.50. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.
ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK
Co-Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Dustin Tebbutt Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $15. Songsonstage - feat: Carolyn Woodorth And Guests Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown. 7:30pm. free. Stage Starz - feat: Samantha Johnson And Guests George IV Inn, Picton. 7:30pm. free.
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Xxx
pick of the week
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
Day Ravies
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tue
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10 Dec (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
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(9:30PM - 12:30AM)
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11 Dec
12 Dec (9:30PM - 12:30AM)
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13 Dec
Matt Price
(9:35PM - 12:35AM)
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
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SATURDAY AFTERNOON Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery + Bradley Primmer And Guests Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge. 7:30pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Andrew Denniston And Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Manins, Muller, Nock! Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20. Nic Jeffries Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50.
ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK
Flamin’ Beauties Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. free. John Vella Abbott’s Hotel, Waterloo. 7pm. free. Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Matt Price + Gary Johns Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Stormcellar Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. The Sphinxes Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9pm. free. Tim Freedman Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $40.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
As You Were Engadine Tavern, Engadine. 9:30pm. free. Big Rich Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 10pm. free. Bounce Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night + Lo Carmen Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 8pm. $10. DJ Tom Annetts Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9pm. free. Hard Skin - feat: Rukus + Stanley Knife + Mass Hysteria + Eager 13 Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20. Harry Howard + The Nde + The Dames The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $17. Hayden Calnin + Jordan Leser + Jack Froggatt FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $17. Hot Legs - Rod & Tina Together Onstage Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Ian Moss Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $49. Iluka Stamford Grand, North Ryde. 6pm. free. Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt. 9:30pm. free. Lo Roberts Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5:30pm. free. Looptroop Rockers + Sage Francis The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $55. Models + Dog Trumpet + Sophie Hanlon The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $31.20.
Twerps
Muse + Birds Of Tokyo Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $69.90. Mutilate - feat: Hawk & Napz + T3knition + Mack Da Ripper + The Saint + Gatzeyez + Napolen + Twitch + Mistortion & Jenova + Toon N Raziel + Veg@S + Ivor + Geoff The Chef Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. free. New Gods Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Nova & The Experience + Venus Alkatraz + Special Guests Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 9pm. free. Renae Stone Duo Cock N’ Bull, Bondi Junction. 7pm. free. Sleep Parade The Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. free. The Ancients + Day Ravies + Black Springs Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. The Screaming Jets + The Snowdroppers The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West. 8pm. $40. Us Too Duo Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 8pm. free.
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(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
Dec
(9:30PM - 12:30AM)
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(8:30PM - 12:00AM)
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Cope Street Parade Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50. Kriola Collective + Special Guests + DJ Elchino Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20. Rhythms Of Zimbabwe feat: Chris Gudu & Afro Pamoja Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $20. Yuki & John - feat: Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 11am. free.
ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK
Allensworth Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $12. Carols Under The Bridge feat: Dave Halls And Band Bradfield Park, 5pm. free. Castlecomer Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. Jake Mcdougall Duo Engadine Tavern, Engadine.
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gig picks
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
up all night out all week... Seabellies
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10
Ian Moss
Jimmy Barnes Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $129.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11 Seabellies + Bec Sandridge Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $18. Alicia Keys + John Legend Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 8pm. $109.90. Jack Johnson + Paula Fuga + John Cruz Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney. 6pm. $109. 9:30pm. free. Live Music Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Oliver Goss + Elevate Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Paul Hayward And Friends Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. free. Steve Clisby Band Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $48. Sydney Blues Society feat: Mal Eastick + Milena Barret Project Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
After Party Band Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Altitude South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 9pm. free. Axe Girl The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $12. Birds Of Tokyo Newcastle Panthers, Newcastle West. 8pm. $41.40. Bob Gillespie Penrith RSL Club, Penrith. 2pm. free. Dirty Deeds - The AC/DC Show Bradbury Inn Hotel, 8:30pm. free. Electric Anthems Trio Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. Elevate Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Fat Rabbit + Kid Shame + Jordan Sly + DJ Bobby Gray Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Happy And Holly Christmas Show Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 10:30am. free. Harbour Master Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 9pm. free. Hits & Pieces R.G. McGees, Richmond. 9pm. free. Iron Bark Rock Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free. JP Duo Adria Rybar & Grill, Darling
Harbour. 4pm. free. Kalacoma + Solkyri + Pirate + Koranic FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Killer Queen Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8:30pm. $44. Matchbox Band Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 8pm. free. Mish + Hawkmoth + Special Guests Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, 9pm. free. Party Revival Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free. Peachy Mounties, Mt Pritchard. 9pm. free. Peter McWhirler Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9:30pm. free. Renae Stone Time And Tide Hotel, 7:30pm. free. Ribongia & Friends Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 10pm. free. Roger Vs. The Man Christmas Mini-Festival feat: Gang Of Brothers + Bobbie Lee Stamper Blue Beat, Double Bay. 7pm. $15. Saturday Live Band - feat: Party Revival Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8:30pm. free. Shayne Alsop AKA Sloppy Mounties, Mt Pritchard. 8pm. free. Skyscraper The Overlander Hotel, Cambridge Park. 7pm. free. Tensions Arise + Datura Curse - feat: Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel + Scar The Surface + Seconds Till The End + Internal Nightmare Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15. The Never Ever The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney. 2:35pm. $17. Tin Sparrow + Special Guests Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15. UK Anthems Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10:30pm. free. Venus Alkatraz - feat: Signs And Symbols + Bones Atlas + Black Island + Traversing Light
Jack Johnson
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Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. VIP The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Welter Christmas Show Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. free.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC James Muller Trio Venue 505, Surry Hills. 7pm. $20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
County Waste - feat: Mass Hysteria + Mangrove Jack + The Disadvantaged + Hungry Lungs Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm. free. Jesse Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 1pm. free. John Watson Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 2pm. free. Jumari Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Melvins + Helmet + Nunchukka Superfly The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $74.10. School Of Rock Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. The #1 Get Together Show - feat: The Brad And Dan Acoustic Experience + Acoustic Autograph + Martin Lincke + Snez + The Blue Ruins + Ardastra + Mothership The Galston Club, Galston 5pm. free. The Shuffle Boys Penrith RSL Club, Penrith. 2pm. free. Titanium 22 The Sly Fox, Sydney. 5pm. free.
Rhythm Remedy - Raising Hope For The Philippines - Feat: Bek Jensen + Bow And Arrow + Rob Edwards + Tina Harrod And Matt Mcmahon + Shauna Jensen + Michael Wheatley Trio + Shower Idols + Weird Assembly Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction 7:30pm. $20.
The Ancients + Day Ravies + Black Springs Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14
Ian Moss Lizotte’s Dee Why, Dee Why. 8pm. $49.
Axe Girl The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $12.
Metric Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $64.90. Revier + Little Napier + Baerfrens + Phondupe + Kayons + Scarlett Rush Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Twerps + Mac Demarco The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $23.60.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 Looptroop Rockers + Sage Francis The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $55. Models + Dog Trumpet + Sophie Hanlon The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $31.20. Muse + Birds Of Tokyo Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $69.90. New Gods Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12.
Fat Rabbit + Kid Shame + Jordan Sly + DJ Bobby Gray Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Kalacoma + Solkyri + Pirate + Koranic Fbi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Roger Vs. The Man Christmas Mini Festival - Feat: Gang Of Brothers + Bobbie Lee Stamper Blue Beat, Sydney. 7pm. $15. The Never Ever The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney. 2:35pm. $17. Tin Sparrow + Special Guests Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 Melvins + Helmet + Nunchukka Superfly The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $74.10.
ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK
Acoustic Sets - feat: Kickstart Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 2pm. free. Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 2:30pm. free. Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. free. Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm. free. Simon Meli & The Widowbirds - feat: Leon & Matt (The Lazys) Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $20. Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.
Metric
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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
five things WITH
JOEL RAFIDI
Rødhåd
RØDHÅD
This Saturday December 5, Berlin techno figurehead Rødhåd will throw down at The Imperial in Erskineville for Demiurge’s first birthday bash. Holding a reputation as one of the best ‘closing’ DJs in the game, Rødhåd plays regularly at Berghain and is a co-founder of the Dystopian group, which started putting on parties in Berlin four years ago. Dystopian has hosted Sandwell District, James Ruskin and Ben Klock, and in recent times has evolved into a record label through which Rødhåd has released his own EPs ‘Blindness’ and ‘1984’, cutting his production teeth with tracks that have attracted remixes from the likes of Function. Rødhåd will be playing all night, with the beats commencing at 10pm.
DAS MOTH @ THE SPICE CELLAR
Aussie indie-cum-dance producer Tim Sullivan, AKA Das Moth, headlines Soft&Slow at The Spice Cellar on Friday December 20. Formerly of Damn Arms, Sullivan has since moved to Japan and pursued production, releasing an acclaimed 12” on Cutters Records. Fusing disco with nostalgic indie influences and waves of “creamy” synthesizers, Das Moth has supported heavyweights like François K, James Murphy, Idjut Boys, The Juan Maclean and Metro Area. Andy Webb, Pink Lloyd and Dreamcatcher will also represent with presale tickets on sale for $10.
HARBOUR PARTY 2013
The lineup continues to grow for the annual New Year’s Eve party at Luna Park, which combines musical performers with one of the best vantage points for the fireworks. Dr Don Don, the man behind hit singles ‘King Of The Stars’ and ‘Never Fear’, will perform alongside local stalwarts the Purple Sneakers DJs, Ben Morris and MC Losty. They join headliners Havana Brown, who recently released her debut album Flashing Lights, US producer Ian Carey and the man behind TV Rock, Grant Smillie. The ubiquitous Timmy Trumpet is also on the bill, along with Samantha Jade, Chardy and Ember. Third release tickets are currently available for $119.
Marcus Worgull
Growing Up My key childhood 1. music memories pretty
Your Crew Music, Right Here, I started playing bass Right Now 3. 5. when I was ten because my I try not to focus on the
much revolve around 101.7. Knowing the lyrics to every classic and every song WSFM would play, my friends thought I was a freak. My parents are nonmusical, though are very supportive.
brother played guitar. That was my main entry into the music world. Now my crew consists of Daniel Antix from Lockup Studios and Reese Szabo from a band called Jolan who were both co-producers on the album [due out next year]. They are way more talented musicians than I am.
Inspirations The Killers, The Chilis, 2. Tupac, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Coldplay. I remember the first time I heard every album – life and personal emotions inspire me more than anything. I overcome my mental obstacles through music and lyrics.
The Music You Make My live set is a mythical 4. fusion of everything I love. It’s hip hop with everything played live; we are a sixpiece band of original magical rock/indie/hip hop lovemaking.
music scene and what it is and what everyone else is doing. I just wake up every morning and try as hard as possible to be better than I was yesterday and keep doing it purely for love and passion because that’s what saved me in the first place. The politics of the Australian music industry make me want to bash my head against a wall. Where: Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel / Lansdowne Hotel When: Saturday December 14 / Saturday December 28
MARCUS WORGULL PICNIC FT PSYCHEMAGIK
Danny McLewin and Tom Coveney, collectively Psychemagik, play Picnic’s Christmas bash at The Island this Saturday December 5. The UK duo have built their reputation through their mixtapes and compilations, including the recently released Magik Sunrise, which collected no-hit wonders and their disco and psychedelic edits, such as their rerub of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. Psychemagik are also accomplished in producing from scratch,
recently completing a track with Belgian vocalist Renegade, ‘Black Noir Schwarz’, for Damian Lazarus’ hugely popular Crosstown Rebels label. “We are both always in search of tracks that inspire us, something that sounds good to our ears no matter the style,” said Psychemagik Local selectors Marcus King, Steele Bonus, Kali and Andy Webb will be keeping the headliners honest, while water taxis will be ferrying attendees to The Island from Man O War Steps (behind the Sydney Opera House). $60 tickets are on sale now.
Germany’s Marcus Worgull, part of the Innervisions Rat Pack, alongside the likes of Dixon and Henrik Schwarz, will take to the decks at The Abercrombie on Saturday January 18. Worgull samples soul, jazz, house and tribal sounds and has recently remixed The xx, adding to a back catalogue that encompasses reworks of The Juan MacLean, Voom Voom and Eva Be. While he is renowned foremost as a tastemaker and DJ, Worgull’s production catalogue should not be overlooked. Worgull’s cut ‘Spellbound’ was featured on compilations from Sebo K, Ewan Pearson, Ellen Allien and Dixon, while this time last year he unveiled his Muwekma EP, which comprised a trio of solid, dancefloor oriented house cuts that were collaborations with Peter Pardeike, Âme’s Frank Wiedemann and Osunlade respectively.
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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
DAVID DALLAS Growing Up The Music You Make As a kid I remember my older In simplest terms I just 1. 4. brother and sister always playing wanna make cool hip hop music in our house. My brother was big on jazz music and hip hop, so one minute he’d be playing Marcus Miller then the next Public Enemy. PE and A Tribe Called Quest in particular were his faves. My sister was into all the R&B of the time – Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe, Janet Jackson… I loved all that stuff, they unintentionally shaped my tastes at an early age. Inspirations Snoop – Doggystyle; Mobb 2. Deep – The Infamous; Outkast –
Aquemini; Jay-Z – The Dynasty; 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’; T.I. – King; Kanye – Graduation. All those albums are signposts for me whenever I wanna remind myself of what I dig about music.
3.
Your Crew My crew is Fire & Ice, who did the majority of production on my records, and The Daylight Robbery, who are the band that play my live shows. We do what we want.
CLASSIK NAWU
Following the release of their successful debut EP ‘Hipfunkfresh’ Brisbane outfit Classik Nawu are embarking on an east coast tour of Australia. Formed in 2010, the five-piece fuse hip hop, R&B, jazz and reggae in their sonic palette. Classik Nawu’s forthcoming tour will coincide with the release of their new single ‘So Tight’, which they will perform along with other material when they play The Roxbury in Glebe on Friday December 27.
HOOPS X HALFWAY CROOKS XMAS PARTY The party crews behind the Hoops and Halfway Crooks parties are joining forces for a Christmas bash at Goodgod Small Club on Saturday December 21 that will span the whole venue. Sydney’s DJ export Anna Lunoe will be making her return from LA, with her first set at Goodgod
music. Hip hop is inherently cool, that’s always what attracted me to the genre as a kid – I never liked the gimmicky or corny stuff. If you look at the albums I listed as inspirations you get an idea of what I draw from and try and put my own spin on. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I like the music scene right now. With the internet the way it is artists can get around a lot of the gatekeepers, make the stuff that they’re into and actually fi nd their audience. I feel like there’s more hip hop music and artists that are actually good that are being commercially accepted than there has been in years. With: DJ Secretwpn Where: Beach Road Hotel When: Friday December 20
La Fiesta Sound System
DESTINATION NYE
It’ll be hard to look past Cruise Bar at the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Circular Quay as a New Year’s Eve destination this year. Speaking of, Destination is the name of one of the two parties they’re running on Tuesday December 31, alongside Upperdeck. At Destination, La Fiesta Sound System will ring out the old year and ring in the new; the expansive collective led by Levi 5Star promising a house-inspired meld of brass, sax and percussion. ‘Fiestaology’, Levi calls it – “to break the rules and play anything that gets the crowd fired up.” Think a fiery mix of disco, funk, retro, soul, pop, house and commercial top 40 with a live DJ driving the party vibes. Sounds like a good fit for Cruise on NYE, what with the light show of all light shows in the background, and we’ve got a double pass to Destination up for grabs. For your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us who you’ll be kissing when the clock strikes 12.
in almost a whole year. She’ll be joined by Hoops comrades Bad Ezzy and Nina Las Vegas. On the other side of the fence, resident crooks Captain Franco, Elston and Levins will be churning out a mix of rap, new club hits, R&B and classic bangers. Entry is $10 before midnight.
FEADZ DROPS DEBUT ALBUM
A long-standing member of Busy P’s Ed Banger crew, DJ Feadz will finally release his first album, Instant Alpha, in January. That’s a whopping 15 years after he first started releasing tracks. Feadz’s discography comprises remixes of Modeselektor and Todd Edwards and the Franceonly compilation To My Friends With Love, which he released earlier this year. Instant Alpha is set to traverse rap, electro, techno and house, with Teki Latex and DJ Kodhi making guest appearances.
Alexkid
Klartraum
SHRUG FT KLARTRAUM
This Friday December 13, Shrug turns five, with German live duo Klartraum set to headline the birthday bash at The Burdekin. Klartraum is the duo of Helmut Ebritsch and Nadja Lind, who’ll also be ‘backing up’ and playing a DJ set on the night. Klartraum have released albums such as Evolution on their own Lucidflow label, an LP that attracted remixes from a host of heavyweight producers including Terry Francis, Silicone Soul, Steve Rachmad, Mark Henning and Marek Hemmann. Also spinning on the night will be Jimi Polar and Loose Kaboose head honcho, Trinity.
PANGAEA
ALEXKID
Fresh from delivering a rip-roaring set at the Subsonic Music Festival, veteran French producer Alex Mauri, AKA Alexkid will play an encore club show at The Abercrombie this Saturday December 5. Mauri has established himself as a respected producer in the underground scene since being signed to Laurent Garnier’s F Communications label back in the acid-washed summer of ’97 on the strength of a DnB demo. Over the years, Mauri’s output has varied, spanning accessible crossover cuts such as ‘Don’t Hide It’ and the Tiga-remixed ‘Come With Me’ to his work as part of electronic outfit Dubphonic. With a discography featuring albums on labels like Cadenza and remixes of Nina Kraviz and Spencer Parker, Mauri is a versatile figure who is also sought after by other producers for studio work. A favourite with Sydney clubbers ever since his fabled sets at Deep As Fu*k’s Pirates Of The Underground parties circa 2007-08, Alexkid remains as relevant as ever courtesy of his rare ability to read a crowd and deliver an appropriate serving of house and techno to suit any occasion. Doors open at 9pm, with entry $15.
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Hessle Audio co-head Kevin McAuley, AKA Pangaea, will mix the next instalment in the FabricLive series, which will drop in January. McAuley has released on labels such as Hemlock and Hotflush Recordings and completed high profile mixes for BBC1 and Resident Advisor. In addition to his accomplishments as a producer and a DJ, McAuley is also a venerated tastemaker, with Hessle behind the breakthrough releases from James Blake, Blawan and Martyn. Pangaea’s forthcoming Fabric mix integrates 27 tracks from the likes of Pearson Sound, Speedy J and underground techno proponent Marco Shuttle, along with a previously unreleased track from Pangaea himself, ‘Recreational Slumming’. “I’ve never been happier with where I am and where I’m going as an artist,” said Pangaea. “A lot has changed musically in the past few years, and having felt adrift at times it
now feels like all my musical experiences have led naturally to this place.”
JON HOPKINS
Tickets are still available to see UK producer Jon Hopkins perform at Oxford Art Factory this Saturday December 5. Hopkins has previously released excellent solo albums such as Insides and the Mercury Prize-nominated Diamond Mine with King Creosote, but it was the release of his album Immunity earlier this year, which featured the single ‘Open Eye Signal’, that has seen Hopkins reach a broader listening public. Over the past few months, Hopkins has cemented his shift towards more robust dancefloor-orientated sounds with sets at Boiler Room and Berghain. Those in attendance this weekend should witness a vastly different Hopkins to the man who played alongside Brian Eno and Karl Hyde at the close of the inaugural 2009 Vivid Festival.
Waka Flocka Flame The Entertainer By Lachlan Kanoniuk That track still stands as one of the hardest trap anthems out there. Since its 2010 release, the trend of marrying trap and EDM has taken off; the two genres’ unbridled hype capabilities proving a more than potent complementary force. As such, I find Flocka in typical circumstances. He’s speaking on the phone while on tour with EDM heavyweights Steve Aoki and Borgore, and the potential for studio collaborations with the DJs is a distinct possibility in the near future. “Honestly, this is one of the best tours I’ve even been on,” says Flocka. “The energy on this tour is amazing, it’s so positive with the party vibe. Everything so turnt and everyone just wanna party, party, party. I feel like it’s all one big-ass party. Everything I do.” Showing his thirst for smashing through genre barriers, Flocka has teased the prospect of touring with metal titans Lamb Of God. As of now, Flocka is scarce on details on his future plans, but his excitement is palpable. “I can’t wait, it’s looking good,” he says in his trademark gravelly cadence.
“I
feel like I’m a great entertainer. I’m a hip hop rock star, I can’t explain it.” Even Waka Flocka Flame admits he’s hard to define, though the Atlanta artist is one of the most electrifying rappers to emerge in recent times. When it comes to technical skill
Sky’s The Limit By Natalie Amat
I
t’s been a long time coming but Pez is finally getting ready to release his second album, due out in 2014. The intervening years since 2008’s A Mind Of My Own have seen incredible highs and some difficult lows for the rapper, who was diagnosed with Graves’ disease (a serious thyroid condition) soon after releasing his debut.
I ask what Flocka does in his downtime to unwind, but he says there isn’t really a downtime at this stage in his life. “It’s not about me right now. I might have a couple of massages, then I’m back workin’. It’s not about me right now,” he reiterates. “It’s all work.” Not limiting his pursuits to purely musical media, Flocka is the star of the recently released WakaVille, a zombie-slaying video game for mobile platforms. It’s indicative of his grander vision for legacy-building. “It’s amazing, man, it’s like the start, the start of a dynasty right now. The whole business is more than just music. This right here is my baby steps. We just keep moving forward and keep making history.” As for what Australian audiences can expect for Flocka’s debut tour, chances are we’re in store for a rap show like we’ve never seen before. “I’m just gonna come do what the hell I do.” Simple as that. Where: The Hi-Fi When: Friday December 20
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Pez
and lyrical dexterity, Flocka is not exactly proficient. But that’s not what we’ve come to expect from him. The energy he brings to the mic is unrivalled, as showcased in the hood anthem ‘Hard In Da Paint’, produced by steady collaborator Lex Luger.
Last year saw the release of Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family, Flocka’s second commercially released album, with guest spots from artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz, Ludacris, Meek Mill and more. The diverse offering of tracks on the album saw experimentation with a broader range of styles to varying levels of success. Triple F Life will be followed up by the recently delayed
Flockaveli 2, the sequel to Flocka’s debut album. “All my vocals are done, just working on my mixes,” he says. “It’s gon’ be crazy, man, I can’t wait.” As for dividing time between the studio and the road, Flocka is philosophical. “It’s a balance, man, know what I’m sayin’? Doing shows, it’s all music.”
“Even when we fi rst started, the idea of doing Australian hip hop seemed so hilarious to everyone ... but now there’s a whole community of people that support it and are proud that it’s come such a long way.”
“It feels like it’s been baby steps ever since then, just trying to get back on the horse and remember why you started making music in the first place and to actually enjoy it again,” says Pez. “In amongst that, the first song I did was called ‘The Game’ and the label heard it and came in and were like, ‘We want to take this to radio,’ and I didn’t really like it, didn’t want them to do that, but they ended up doing it anyway and luckily it got a lot of support. It actually helps a lot, ’cause it was cool to just see that there were all these fans out there who were actually still supporting me and cared. I really thought no-one would give a shit, I’d been away for so long I didn’t think anyone would really be interested.” While the positive reception was encouraging, Pez still had to get back to work and finish what he’d started. “I was still pretty shit scared and had to finish an album, so the last year has just been scrambling to get to that place while still dealing with a lot of self-doubt and procrastinations. But I guess it’s finally getting back to a place where I get to feel ready to try and let go and just say ‘fuck it’ and hope for the best. There’s definitely things on [the album] that I’m pretty excited about.” And the title? “It’s called Don’t Look Down, and it kind of felt like the perfect metaphor for it. That’s kind of what it’s felt like for me, as you’re going higher and higher up, trying to do this thing – it’s really terrifying and you keep trying to talk yourself out of it. The only way to do it is to try and forget about that and not think about the consequences … That’s been the main theme through the album, it’s been just working through all of that and working through all your own fear and personal shit and trying to let go of it.”
The support and sense of community in Australian music, and especially the hip hop scene, has been a significant part of Pez’s career and comeback. “It’s been amazing; it’s been really beautiful in that sense. People talk about Australia having this tall poppy thing and all this shit, but in my sense I feel pretty blessed [by] the people that I’ve been able to work with.” For Don’t Look Down, the list of appearances includes icons and somewhat unexpected hip hop collaborators Paul Kelly and Paul Dempsey. “People just want to see Australian music do well,” says Pez, “because for a long time there wasn’t really a sense of that. Even when we first started, the idea of doing Australian hip hop seemed so hilarious to everyone – you’d get laughed at if you did that – but now there’s a whole community of people that support it and are proud that it’s come such a long way. It’s cool to feel part of something.” After the new album, Pez will embark on new Forthwrite work with good mate 360. “We kind of started out together and it was like, ‘We can be rappers!’ which sounded ridiculous but it’s kind of what happened. That was our big plan, like, ‘We’ll have a big single together and then
we’ll do this and that,’ but then I got sick and it didn’t pan out that way. It was cool to just be in a position where we were both really eager to do this album together like we always wanted to do.” And after his battles with illness, Pez knows better than most young people the importance of staying healthy. The lesson is now being passed on to others through his involvement in The Be Project – a government initiative aimed at tackling the problem of binge drinking. Apart from supporting up-and-coming songwriters and filmmakers and keeping young people alive (awesome), it will hopefully reduce the amount of vomiting douchebags we all have to deal with. “A lot of artists, kids look up to them and they think they wanna be like them, but they don’t see them behind the scenes and what they’re really like. They don’t see that they’re alcoholics and that they’re really not happy at all. In their photos and shit and it’s so glorified, kids think they’re living the dream and I’m there with ’em thinking, ‘This is all bullshit.’ Music is really promoting binge drinking, especially a lot of international music. It’s all like, ‘Yeah, you only live once, we get fucked up, yeah! Work hard, play hard, we don’t give
a shit!’ and somehow it’s cool to be like that … You can just start abusing yourself with substance abuse and drinking. I got lucky, when my thyroid went crazy I couldn’t do that anymore and it gave me a slap in the face. Since then I’ve stepped back and I’ve realised that if you’ve got issues you’ve gotta deal with them.” When it comes to surviving a festival like Big Day Out, Pez reckons, “You’ve just really gotta pace yourself, that’s the advice. You’ve gotta plan.” His own favourite festival memory is pretty clear: “When we did the video [for ‘Festival Song’] at Pyramid Rock it was really weird, because the year before that we were at that festival and up at that main stage thinking, ‘Man, wouldn’t you just love to be up there playing…’ – that’s always going to be something that’s pretty vivid in my memory.” What: Big Day Out 2014 With: Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, Beady Eye, Snoop Dogg AKA Snoop Lion, Major Lazer, Flume, Tame Impala, Bliss n Eso and more Where: Sydney Showgrounds When: Sunday January 26
Pez is an ambassador for The Be Project, a national competition inviting young Aussies to submit an inspirational song or 30 seconds of amateur sports film, to form a collective voice challenging Australia’s binge drinking culture. The competition closes at midnight on Friday December 20. To enter or find out more, visit tacklingbingedrinking.com.au thebrag.com
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Pez also wanted to stay true to his own style and sound. “I definitely didn’t want to be one of those rappers that makes ‘therapy’ music, where they’re just talking about themselves the whole time and shit. I mean, dudes like Eminem have made a pretty good career out of it, but I just didn’t want to be that guy – so waiting a bit longer and being able to make that kind of music where you’re coming out the other side and you feel like you have
balance and a bit of a journey on it, for me, is what I’ve always kind of wanted.”
club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
Joey Bada$$
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club pick of the week
Lind Burdekin Hotel, 10pm. $25. Soft & Slow - feat: Otologic + Pink Lloyd + Dreamcatcher The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $10.
Joel Rafidi
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 HIP HOP & R&B
Joel Rafidi - feat: Larykan + DJ Bobby Digital Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Livity Band - feat: DJ Kizito Marle + DJ Itafari Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $10.
CLUB NIGHTS
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 Metro Theatre
Joey Bada$$ + The Underachievers + Remi 8pm. $60. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12
HIP HOP & R&B
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. Umbrella & Young Blood Artists Christmas Party - feat: Naughty Rappers Collective + The Guppies + Pear Shape + Slumberhaze + DJ Sets from The Rubens and Fishing + DJ Sex Jacuzzi + Big Easy DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10. Whip It Wednesdays - feat: DJs Camo + Snillum + Jaimie Lyn Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.
Joey Bada$$ + The Underachievers + Remi Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $60. Joyride Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.
CLUB NIGHTS
Cool For Cats - feat: DJs Ros + Vallentino + Buu Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Loopy - feat: Drty Csh + Daschwood + Generous Greed + Guest DJs The Backroom, Sydney. 9pm. $10.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 CLUB NIGHTS
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Joel Fletcher + Harper + Dosage Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 10pm. $10. Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free. DJ Degustation - feat: Michelle Owen The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 7pm. $55. Dusk - feat: DJs Ivy Row + Them Again + Swell Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. El’Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $109. Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Kill Frenzy + Christian Martin Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $15. Mashed Fridays - feat: DJ Cookie + DJ Rhys Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free. Shrug & Significant Others Present: Klartraum + Nadja
Disco Disco - feat: DJs SMS + Sherlock Bones + Stalker Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 10pm. $20. Amir Alexander + Simon Caldwell Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $25. DJ Jazzy Jeff + DJ Skillz Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $29. Fat Rabbit Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. FBi Hands Up! - feat: DJ Clockwerk + Special Friends With Benefits FBi Social, Kings Cross. 11:30pm. free. Jon Hopkins Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $36.80. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. free. Restless Generation - feat: DJs Tricky + Rob Milton + Shane Sos Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. $15. Rodhad The Imperial Hotel, Newtown. 10pm. $30. Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Spice - feat: Nick Hoppner + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Morgan + Space Junk The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20. The House Of Who - feat: Mike Who + Kavi-R Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. free. The Plot - feat: Alison Wonderland + Miami Horror + DJ Snake + Naysayer & Gilsun AV Set + Touch Sensitive + Wave Racer + Remi + Gold Fields + Yoldana Be Cool + Citizen
Kay + Purple Sneakers DJs + Elizabeth Rose + Willow Beats + Tyler Touché + Indian Summer + Beni + Wordlife (Live) + Softwar + Clubmod DJs Big Top Sydney - Luna Park, Milsons Point. 3pm. $45. The Usual Suspects - feat: Blasterjaxx + J-Trick + Oakes & Lennox + Eratik + Danny Lang + Shug Soho Bar & Lounge, Potts Point. 8pm. $30. Todd Terry + Bag Raiders (DJ Set) + Avon Stringer + Strange Clouds DJs + Kerry Wallace + Cassette & Morgan + Fingers + DJ Just 1 + King Lee + Raulll Vs U-Khan + Sneaky Simon Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $20.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 HIP HOP & R&B
One Outs Presents Sin City Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 2pm. $10. Rain - Bushfire Relief Festival - feat: Cumbiamuffin + P Smurf + Big Village Special Guests
+ Milan + Monday OGs + Rosïe And The Bees + Alice Terry + The Venusians + Ambre Hammond And Marcello Maio + Thandiwe Phoenix + Bravo Child + Phil Toke (Soul Of Sydney) + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Daniel March + Billie Mccarthy + Brian Campeau + Broken Thought Theory + Stayfly Sydney + MC Mirrah The Basement, Circular Quay. 11:00am. $24.10.
CLUB NIGHTS
Exit (The Weekend) - feat: Annabelle Gasper + Zues + Lovertits & Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $10. S.A.S.H Sundays The Abercrombie, Broadway. 2pm. $10. Spice After Hours - feat: Steven Sullivan + Murat Kilic And Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 4:00am. $20. Sunday Sessions - feat: DJ Tone Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 7pm. free.
Klartraum
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Deep Impressions
club picks p send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11 Umbrella & Young Blood Artists Christmas Party - feat: Naughty Rappers Collective + The Guppies + Pear Shape + Slumberhaze + DJ Sets from The Rubens and Fishing + DJ Sex Jacuzzi + Big Easy DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 Joey Bada$$ + The Underachievers + Remi Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $60. Joyride Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.
Oskar Offermann photo by Georg Roskeschnitt
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 Kill Frenzy + Christian Martin Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $15. Shrug & Significant Others Present: Klartraum + Nadja Lind Burdekin Hotel, 10pm. $25. Soft & Slow - Feat: Otologic + Pink Lloyd + Dreamcatcher The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $10.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 Joel Rafidi - Feat: Larykan + DJ Bobby Digital Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Amir Alexander + Simon Caldwell Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $25.
Jon Hopkins Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $36.80. Rodhad The Imperial Hotel, Newtown. 10pm. $30. Spice - feat: Nick Hoppner + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Morgan + Space Junk The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20. The Plot - feat: Alison Wonderland + Miami Horror + DJ Snake + Naysayer & Gilsun AV Set + Touch Sensitive + Wave Racer + Remi + Gold Fields + Yoldana Be Cool + Citizen Kay + Purple Sneakers DJs + Elizabeth Rose + Willow Beats + Tyler Touché + Indian Summer + Beni + Wordlife (Live) + Softwar + Clubmod DJs Big Top Sydney - Luna Park, Milsons Point. 3pm. $45. Todd Terry + Bag Raiders (DJ Set) + Avon Stringer + Strange Clouds Djs + Kerry Wallace + Cassette & Morgan + Fingers + Dj Just 1 + King Lee + Raulll Vs U-Khan + Sneaky Simon Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $20.
Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery
Oskar Offermann
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 Rain - Bushfire Relief Festival - feat: Cumbiamuffin + P Smurf + Big Village Special Guests + Milan + Monday Ogs + Rosïe And The Bees + Alice Terry + The Venusians + Ambre Hammond And Marcello Maio + Thandiwe Phoenix + Bravo Child + Phil Toke (Soul Of Sydney) + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Daniel March + Billie Mccarthy + Brian Campeau + Broken Thought Theory + Stayfly Sydney + MC Mirrah The Basement, Circular Quay. 11:00am. $24.10.
G
erman house purveyor Oskar Offermann, a Deep Impressions favourite for: a) his refined take on deep house and b) his coiffure, will headline the Spice Cellar on Saturday December 21. The Frankfurt-born DJ, producer and label owner has established himself over the past eight years with releases on his own labels WHITE and Rimini, along with a particularly impressive collaboration with fellow Frankfurter Moomin, on the Aim imprint a few years back. Offermann released his debut album last year, Do Pilots Still Dream Of Flying?, which was an accomplished fusion of deep house and songwriting. Featuring ten tracks imbued with subtle melodies, ethereal synth lines and murky vocals, the album wasn’t just a collection of ‘club tracks’. It was, rather, a showcase of Offermann’s ability to adapt to the long player format with consummate ease. Make sure you give Do Pilots Still Dream Of Flying? a concerted listen if you missed it when it was first released. Seattle producer Stephen Ford, who has worked under a number of guises over the years – most recognisably as Bruno Pronsato – will release an album under his new Archangel alias in the New Year. Once describing his work as “accidentally avant garde”, Ford’s Archangel project focuses on the “human voice as a major element”. Aside from his solo work as Pronsato, Ford has also been involved in numerous collaborative projects throughout his career. First came Others, his experimental house outfit with Daze Maxim, then there was his work with French artist Ninca Leece – combined the pair were known as Public Lover – who debuted on Ford’s own label thesongsays. Ford has also been involved in the duo Ndf, co-producing the Villalobosremixed ‘Since We Last Met’, while he continues to collaborate with Perlon luminary Sammy Dee as Half Hawaii. Ford recently released the maiden Archangel EP, Momentum Of The Farce, which featured a cover version of Gary Numan’s ‘Metal’ that Ford says he transformed through his “darker, drone-driven style”. We can expect Ford to explore this style further on the Archangel LP The Bedroom Slant, which will arrive in early 2014. Italy’s Luca Mortellaro, a published author, experimental sound designer, and most significantly the man behind the Lucy moniker, will release his second solo album, Churches Schools And Guns, in February. Mortellaro rose to prominence when his demo piqued the interest of the man behind the Border Community label, the Australia-bound James Holden. It’s been largely peaches and cream for the Italian ever since with releases on Luke Slater’s Mote Evolver imprint prefiguring the debut Lucy LP, Wordplay For Working Bees on Mortellaro’s own label, Stroboscopic Artefacts. The album was lauded by Resident Advisor as a
“fluid ecosystem of club-ready tracks and disparate sketches, dark Berghain-aping techno reanimating hazy memories of early ’90s IDM,” in a superlative-laden 4.5/5 review. Mortellaro released an album with Speedy J under the pair’s collective mantle Zeitgeber earlier this year, and his next solo LP is geared towards “misdirection and unpredictability”. Reclusive UK producer William Bevan, AKA Burial, will release a new EP on the Hyperdub label on Monday December 16. The EP will comprise three new tracks that’ll collectively amount to 28 minutes of music. Bevan’s most recent Truant EP comprised two 11-minute structurally experimental tracks, lo-fi soundscapes and emotive melodies, and demonstrated the producer’s talent in creating epic cinematic sketches. The so-called ‘B-side’, ‘Rough Sleeper’, melded mournful melodies, brooding lo-end basslines, plangent vocals and bursts of saxophone to masterful effect, and it’s the profound resonance of this track in particular that propels my enthusiasm to delve into Bevan’s forthcoming EP, which will drop exactly a year to the day of his previous release. Lets call it a year’s work then, shall we?
LOOKING DEEPER FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 Klartraum + Nadja Lind The Burdekin
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 Rødhåd The Imperial
Amir Alexander Goodgod Small Club Alexkid The Abercrombie
SATURDAY DECEMBER 21
Subsonic Pirates Of The Underground VII ft Philip Bader Boat Departs Rose Bay Wharf Philip Bader
Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com thebrag.com
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snap
bass bombs launch
PICS :: AM
bliss n eso
29:11:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999
29:11:13 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666
36 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
PICS :: AM
28:11:13 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100
15 years of elefant traks
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
MAR :: JACK S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
@ LIFE WITHOUT ANDY
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I M A G I N E B E I N G M A D E TO
FE E L L I KE C RAP J U ST FOR
Okay, that’s hard to imagine? But being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or intersex is no different to being born left handed, it’s just who you are. So stop and think because the things we say are likely to cause depression and anxiety. And that really is pretty crap.
GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO BEING
LEFT
H A N D E D.
STOP t THINK t RESPECT
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soft&slow
PICS :: KC
up all night out all week . . .
s.a.s.h sundays
PICS :: AM
29:11:13 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585
funkineven vs dro carey 29:11:13 :: Civic Underground :: 388 Pitt St Sydney 8080 7000
38 :: BRAG :: 542 :: 09:12:13
PICS :: AM
start: cruise after party
PICS :: AM
01:11:13 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9211 3486
30:11:13 :: Home Nightclub Rooftop 101/1-5 Wheat Road Darling Harbour 9266 0600 MAR :: JACK S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
@ LIFE WITHOUT ANDY
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