Brag#549 by The Brag

for more info head to soundwavefestival.com BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 3

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS

MUSIC AT THE HOUSE

JUST ANNOUNCED:

28 & 29 APR

FEATURED:

THE NECKS 3 MAR

NEKO CASE 3 MAR

YO LA TENGO 13 MAR

NEIL FINN

18, 21 & 22 MAR

UPCOMING:

SUMMER GIGS

THE JEZABELS

FLYING LOTUS ‘ L A Y E R 3’ 9 MAR

GLEN HANSARD 17 & 20 MAR

BUDDY GUY 19 APR

IRON & WINE 23 APR

MORE AT SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM/MUSIC 02 9250 7777. MOBILE APP. FOLLOW US

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Andy Huang and Paige Ahearn

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THE BRAG

five things WITH

MARCUS COROWA

church and music is such a huge part of that and I also come from a really musical family, particularly my dad’s side. I picked up the guitar when I was six years old and asked Dad to teach me a couple of chords and I‘ve been playing ever since. I don’t remember learning to sing, it’s just something I’ve always done.

Growing Up Growing up I was always 1. surrounded by music. I don’t have

a specific memory of when I first discovered music because it has always been in my life. I grew up in

Inspirations My earliest inspiration was my grandfather. When our family would see him during holidays he would pull out the guitar and start singing some old jazzy gospel choruses. He really had his own style and it was just so special to watch. When I was little Dad brought a Tommy Emmanuel tutorial video and I remember watching it and trying to learn how to play some of Tommy’s tunes. Those are my earliest inspirations – these days I’m inspired by so many different artists and so many things from the world around me, and my own experiences.

UP CLOSE WITH CLOUD CONTROL

EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ARTS + ONLINE EDITOR: Hannah Warren hannah@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 STAFF WRITERS: Alasdair Duncan, Jody Macgregor, Krissi Weiss, Augustus Welby NEWS: Chris Honnery, Andy Huang, Paige Ahearn ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry PHOTOGRAPHERS: Liam Cameron, Katrina Clarke, Maria de Vera, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Bianca Lockley - 0412 581 669 / (02) 9212 4322 bianca@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Rob Furst MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600, 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Thea Carley, Mina Kitsos, Xiaoran Shi, Andy Huang, Callum Wylie, Paige Ahearn - gigguide@thebrag. com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)

Cue all the other bands: “Why didn’t we think of that?” Blue Mountains-via-Sydney favourites Cloud Control have announced a run of intimate acoustic pub shows around the country, including Sydney and Newcastle dates. The sounds will be summery and the bar will be nearby – it’s bound to go down well. Get up close with Cloud Control on Friday April 4 at the Coogee Bay Hotel beer garden (6:30pm); Manly Wharf Hotel at 10pm the same night; The Bucket List (2pm) and Newport Arms (5:30pm) on Saturday April 5; Northies Cronulla on Sunday April 6; and Newcastle’s Queens Wharf Brewery (6:30pm) and Shoal Bay Resort (10pm) on Friday April 11.

GOOD TIMES WITH LOON LAKE

Melbourne band Loon Lake have announced they will be hitting the road again early this year for The Good Times tour. Promising to be nothing short of a party, the indie outfit will be playing a total of five shows, with Jeremy Neale jumping on board as support. Loon Lake recently wrapped up with the Big Day Out and secured themselves the number 29 spot in triple j’s Hottest 100 for their single ‘Cherry Lips’. The lads were also recently announced to play nationally at the Groovin The Moo festival later this year. See them at Oxford Art Factory on Friday April 4.

AWESOME INTERNS: Mina Kitsos, Callum Wylie, Xiaoran Shi, Julienne Gilet, Thea Carley, Andy Huang, Paige Ahearn

Your Band Right now I do most of my 3. gigs as a solo act. I play the guitar and sing a mixture of originals and covers at shows, it’s more costeffective for me to jump up onstage and do my thing alone, just me and the guitar. I love to play with a band though and at bigger gigs or festivals I do have a group of musos that I use. It’s an awesome feeling to have a really strong band behind you. It gives you more freedom to relax and do whatever you want out the front when you know you have an awesome band behind you that’s taking care of everything else.

The Music You Make I released my debut EP, The Greater You, two years ago on the Gadigal Music label. Sean Carey produced the EP and it was a really great experience. I learnt so much from that process and I’m looking forward to heading into the studio and working on my next EP this

It’s always sunny in the ball park. Cheery popsters Ball Park Music have announced their third album Puddinghead will be released on Friday April 4, and they’re touring to celebrate. New single ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ precedes the Brisbane quintet’s latest LP, the follow-up to 2012’s Museum. The new record is mixed by Grammy-nominated Tony Hoffer, who’s worked with the likes of Beck and Phoenix. Support on the album launch tour will come from Papa vs Pretty and Holy Holy. Catch them at the Metro Theatre on Saturday April 5.

HOLY FUCK, THEY’RE COMING

Canada’s self-proclaimed “dadrock pioneers” Holy Fuck have added a Sydney sideshow to their Groovin The Moo festival tour. The hardworking Fucksters are returning for their first

Vance Joy

Casey Donovan

HOMEGROUND ADVANTAGE

Inspired by 13 years’ success of the Message Sticks festival, the Sydney Opera House will host Homeground on Saturday April 5 and Sunday April 6. The celebration of Indigenous music, dance and culture will feature performances by Dubmarine, Casey Donovan and Troy Brady with Street Warriors, and a headlining set from Shane Howard with guests Steve Pigram, Emma Donovan, Amy Saunders and Yirrmal. Opera House CEO Louise Herron said, “Homeground is the new centrepiece of Indigenous cultural programming at the Sydney Opera House.” The twoday event on the western boardwalk is completely free – for more, visit sydneyoperahouse.com.

proper tour since 2011, and bringing with them their famous unhinged and unpredictable live show. They’re just as likely to spontaneously combust as destroy the stage and all their equipment, so it’s not to be missed. Get along to Goodgod Small Club on Wednesday May 7 for the mayhem.

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What: The CHANGINGface ft. Marcus Corowa, Lily So & The Bellows, Bow & Arrow, Ines Where: Mars Hill Café, Parramatta / Lizotte’s Kincumber / The Vanguard When: Saturday February 15 / Sunday February 16 / Wednesday March 5

BALL PARK MUSIC RETURN

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.

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David Ryan Harris. I have seen him a couple of times in Sydney at The Basement. I think everything that he does is gold. He is an amazing songwriter, singer, guitarist and storyteller. He really takes his audience on a journey throughout his solo act.

After a long wait, it’s finally time to rejoice in the tortured, haunting melodies of Carpetbombing, Harmony’s second album. It’s taken three years of love and labour, but Carpetbombing has now hit stores (and iStores), offering 15 tracks filled with the band’s signature malaise. In support of the new album, Harmony have announced tour dates in April, so you can enjoy their sweet sad songs the way they should be enjoyed: live, loud and in a dark, dark setting. See them at Goodgod Small Club on Friday April 4.

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Music, Right Here, Right Now Lately I’ve been inspired by 5. an American singer and guitarist,

TOGETHER IN HARMONY

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Keiron Costello, Marissa Demetriou, Rachel Eddie, Christie Eliezer, Jesse Hayward, Chris Honnery, Cameron James, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Jody Macgregor, Alicia Malone, Adam Norris, Daniel Prior, Amy Theodore, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, David Wild, David James Young

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year. I always hope that my music connects with my audience and that they leave my gigs feeling inspired. I think the music I make tends to be mostly positive and upbeat.

MARTA PACEK

VANCE JOY RIDES AGAIN

The name on everyone’s lips – having triumphed with the song on everyone’s lips – Vance Joy has announced a string of May tour dates. After playing to some of the biggest crowds seen at Laneway Festival (everyone ultra keen to dance around their swag bags with a good ol’ singalong to ‘Riptide’, of course), Vance Joy’s headline tour will no doubt be a foot-stompin’ affair. See him with Gossling and Teeth & Tongue at the Metro Theatre on Friday May 16. Tickets on sale Friday February 14 through Ticketek.

Singer-songwriter Marta Pacek is prepping to release her new album, Voodoo Dolls And False Alarms, in the lead-up to her national tour. After the success of her previous album Rebel Baby, the Polish-born Aussie has decided to spread her wings and experiment with more electronic beats, leaving her signature alt-country style behind. Pacek will be touring with Canadians blueVenus, arriving at The Vanguard on Wednesday March 12. Voodoo Dolls And False Alarms is out Thursday February 27. thebrag.com

“ A SOPHISTICATED, MATURE SONGWRITER AND A PASSIONATE VOCALIST ONLY BEGINNING TO REALIZE HER POWERS.” ALLMUSIC.COM

THE

WAILERS

SLY& ROBBIE BITTY McLEAN BETH WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

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TAXI GANG

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HART VAUGHAN NIKKI TRIXIE JIMMIE WITH SPECIAL GUEST

“LIKE JEFF BUCKLEY AT HIS MOST TRANSCENDENT, AND SOUNDING LIKE JANIS JOPLIN REINCARNATED WITH STEVIE NICKS’ HIGH-SPEED VIBRATO, HART TURNED THE ACT OF SINGING INTO AN OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE, SOMETHING BOTH INTENSELY PHYSICAL AND TANGIBLY METAPHYSICAL.” SLANT MAGAZINE

THE BASEMENT SAT 12 APR

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

THE SOUTHERN FIREBALL

HILL

METRO THEATRE WED 16 APR

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WITH

& EGYPT 80

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& GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION THE BASEMENT SUN 20 APR

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MISSISSIPPI SOUL REBELS

THE

LARRY

THEY TOURED WITH METALLICA, KANYE WEST, SNOOP DOGG, GREEN DAY AND ARCADE FIRE TOO! THIS NEW ORLEANS BRASS BAND ARE THE FUNKIEST HIP HOP SENSATION ...

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ALLSTARS

HAMMOND ORGAN LEGEND WRITER OF GREEN ONIONS AND THE BEDROCK INFLUENCE TO ALL WHO FOLLOWED WE ARE DEEPLY PROUD TO PRESENT

FEAT THE BLACK CROWES FORMER LEAD GUITARIST

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ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014 “THE MISSING LINK BETWEEN PUBLIC ENEMY AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG” THE VILLAGE VOICE

3 TIME GRAMMY WINNER

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PRESENTS

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TICKETS AND INFO FROM 02 6685 8310 BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU VISIT BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU FOR ALL TOURING ARTISTS BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 7

rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Andy Huang and Paige Ahearn

five things WITH

LITTLE BASTARD

MITCH MCDONALD FROM THE LOVE JUNKIES finger pickin’ goodness; and Kurt Cobain for old times’ sake. I grew up on Nirvana, so they have been an influence by default. Your Band We all met in high school 3. so we’ve been good friends since we were 15. We’ve been playing music together for a long time now so we have a pretty good understanding of how each other ticks in the jam room. Lately we’ve been producing our own records, which I think is an approach we’ll stick with for a while. The new EP we’re releasing, as well as the album we intend to have out mid-year, will be all produced and recorded ourselves. Some of our favourite bands to play shows with in Perth are Punk and Foam. Those guys are the boss tits.

Growing Up My dad was a guitarist 1. in a cover band when I was

my mind. I was hooked from that moment on.

a young’un, so I picked the instrument up pretty early. My parents were also quite young, which meant I grew up around some pretty awesome music. My fondest musical memory as a child was seeing my dad play ‘Hey Joe’ for the first time... Blew

Inspirations My favourite musicians 2. would be Roland S. Howard, for the wild use of his tremolo bar and the way he makes his Jag scream; Wes Montgomery, for being such a smooth boss; Lead Belly for his 12-string flickin’,

The Music You Make The music we make I think 4. is quite versatile. It moves around a lot, which means you can get a lot from one song. We love working with melody and falsetto which I think is a reference to bands like Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. Yet we love our heavy music. Bands like Refused

and other punk/hardcore acts have left an impression on us. We love having a good scream and a big drop. I guess we just try and smash everything we love together. Our live shows are energetic and raw. They’re fun. We like to sweat it out and have a party onstage. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I think the scene is booming with heaps of raw talent. I’m a Perth-ian, and what I’ve seen over the past three years is a very original and new wave of musicians moving fast, evolving quickly and just being fucking awesome. The hardest part for any band or solo musician is trying to get your voice heard, even on a national basis. There are so many acts that are deserving of everyone’s recognition but haven’t quite found the platform to be in said position. Also, coming from Perth, it’s a pretty costly trip over to the east coast. Where: Frankie’s Pizza / World Bar When: Thursday February 13 / Friday February 14

Lizotte’s Kincumber on Saturday February 22; and Lizotte’s Newcastle on Sunday February 23.

The Jezabels

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

BROODS JOIN GOULDING

They’re being touted in many circles as New Zealand’s next big thing – hey, we saw what happened with the last one, right? – so it’s worth keeping an eye on Broods. The synthpop duo has been added as support for Ellie Goulding’s forthcoming tour, which includes a date at Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday June 3. Broods’ ‘Bridges’ single launched them onto radio and saw them sign to Universal, and their self-titled EP has likewise come out to breathless reviews.

Little Bastard’s no-bullshit approach to their music has been garnering them a lot of attention across the country in recent times. With an appearance at the iconic Falls Festival (Lorne) and a national tour with the USA’s Joe Pug, amongst countless other support and headline slots, the Bastards are starting to present themselves as a must-see act. Having just finished tracking for their debut album (due for release in May) at Jungle Studios with producer Lachlan Mitchell of The Jezabels fame, Little Bastard are heading back to the stage to headline The Factory Floor this Saturday February 15. With support sets from Sydney acts OXBLVD and Ranger Spacey, this show is going to be a perfect storm of stomping, sweating and rock’n’roll music. We have two double passes to give away – for your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us why you’re a bit of a bastard sometimes.

COLDSWEAT

Winter is coming. Here at BRAG HQ, we even had a chilling encounter with White Walkers from the North. But we’re not letting summer go without a bang, and neither is the Beach Road Hotel. They’re throwing a mammoth end of summer party featuring Panama, Tyler Touche, Bluejuice (DJ set), Battleships, Art vs. Science’s Dan Mac, Pluto Jonze, Jimmy 2 Sox, Jenny Broke The Window, Goldsmith and more. Phew! It all goes down on Saturday March 1, and we’ve got five doubles to give away to a loving home. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us: what is your favourite summer drink and why?

TEMPLES

Tickets are now on sale to Temples’ first Australian shows. Joining them for their May tour will be fellow indie-psychers Deep Sea Arcade. The Kettering band’s debut single ‘Shelter Song’ earned kudos from the likes of Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher and received solid triple j airplay. Combining new technology with vintage ideals, Temples are re-writing the psychedelic template. The fourpiece has supported Interpol, Suede, The Vaccines and Kasabian and will be playing Coachella in April before hitting Australian shores. See them at the Metro Theatre on Friday May 9.

Twelve Foot Ninja

THE JEZABELS TO PLAY THE OPERA HOUSE

Things just keep getting bigger and better for The Jezabels. Fresh from headline sets around the country at Laneway Festival, the Sydney foursome will play the Sydney Opera House on Monday April 28 and Tuesday April 29. Uh-huh – that’s a long way from the tiny sets they were playing to Sydney Uni classmates only a few years ago. The band’s second album, The Brink, has only reiterated on record the powerful force they always emit in the live environment. The sydneyoperahouse.com presale begins at 9am on Wednesday February 19, with tickets on sale to the general public on Thursday February 20.

LOST RAGAS

What’s one to do when being a solo artist becomes a lonely and tiresome gig? Form a band, of course. Well, at least that’s what songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Walker did. His new act, Lost Ragas, is a four-piece country and blues collaboration that oozes years of experience. Band members Shane Reilly, Simon Burke and Roger Bergodaz have all worked with Walker over the years, but Phantom Ride is their first album recorded together. If you’re keen to see what all the fuss is about, Lost Ragas will be teaming up with Raised By Eagles to play Coogee Diggers on Friday March 14, The Factory Floor on Saturday March 15, and the Grand Junction Hotel in Maitland on Sunday March 16.

IMOGEN BROUGH HAS HEART

If you’re stumped on what to buy that special someone for Valentine’s Day this week, it seems Imogen Brough has got you covered. The singer-songwriter will be releasing her new single ‘Heart’ this Friday February 14 – just in time and appropriately named for that sentimental gift of love. If that’s not enough, then the 21-year-old will also be embarking on a national tour supporting Michael Paynter. Brough rose to fame last year on Channel Nine’s The Voice and has since paved her way to success with her earthy tones and Celtic-inspired songs. Catch Paynter and Brough at The Basement on Friday February 14; The Brass Monkey on Thursday February 20; Lizotte’s Dee Why on Friday February 21;

TWELVE FOOT NINJA

Hungry fans will now get a taste of what they paid for. No, seriously. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Twelve Foot Ninja follow with a handful of Australian shows. The Troll Burger tour, as it is tastefully titled, comes off the back of Twelve Foot Ninja’s epic antibullying clip, made possible by the support of generous fans. Rest assured, the $52,600 has not been smuggled away into an offshore account, but rather, went into hiring a prosthetic make-up artist who worked on The Hobbit, a seven-foot brown bear (because, why not?) and Penthouse ‘pet’ Madison Rhys. Metal heroes Periphery also make a cameo. Catch Twelve Foot Ninja with electro-metal machine The Algorithm at Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Friday March 28 and Manning Bar on Saturday March 29.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD

There’s nothing like getting up close with King Gizz And The Liz-Wiz. The Melburnians have announced a national run of dates to launch Oddments – their fourth album in 18 months – and the shows will be about as intimate as you can get. These guys have a rock’n’roll appetite like no other – the seven of them just refuse to stop, and we’re all the richer for it. See King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard at Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Wednesday April 9; the Roller Den on Thursday April 10; Gum Ball Festival on Friday April 11; and FBi Social on Saturday April 12.

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King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard

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BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 9

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Vance Joyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Riptideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is now 4x platinum while â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Drop The Gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Flume & Chet Faker has gone platinum. Of albums, INXSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Very Best Of was certified double platinum after it sold over 140,000 copies. * Pharrell Williams wants to reunite the Gallagher brothers for a collaboration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to work with the Gallaghers? Yeah, both of them!â&#x20AC;? Meanwhile, in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;let me shoot the messengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; category, Franz Ferdinandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex Kapranos has apologised to Pharrell after accusing him of ripping off one of his tunes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and blamed the media for repeating his comments. Kapranos tweeted that the Pharrell-produced â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

Rely On Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Paloma Faith sounded like Franzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2004 single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Take Me Outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey @Pharrell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I love your tunes. If you want to borrow a riff, just ask...â&#x20AC;? Some time later came â&#x20AC;&#x153;@Pharrell Sometimes I forget how easily things can get exaggerated on here. I know you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t borrow any riffs. Sorry for all the press BS.â&#x20AC;? * Global Aussie duo Nervo are currently back at home, presumably counting their money. The video for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Revolutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hit 2.4 million views on YouTube. * Arctic Monkeys tapped Pond to open on their Oz and NZ tour. * Which international DJ is to play Chinese Laundry later this month? * Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith has challenged Will Ferrell to a

BIG DAY OUT: 8 MILLION REASONS TO GO AAAGH? Big Day Outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial losses could be $8 million, promoter Arash â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;AJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Maddah has told triple j. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be ugly,â&#x20AC;? he said. Maddah, who bought into BDO last year, revealed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to go ahead this year until I walked in. They were on the edge of the abyss, on the edge of cancelling the event. To my mind if they cancelled it would be completely lost and it would never come backâ&#x20AC;Ś It wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been very sad to me to watch it die without putting up a fight. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I came on board. I was rowing the lifeboat back to the Titanic, rather than the other way around so to speak.â&#x20AC;? According to Fairfax Media, BDO only drew 135,000 when it needed 300,000 to break even. BDO was forced to the point of staff sackings last September and they lost headliners Blur when they tried to persuade the British band to lessen their production and make do with an existing stage rather than have their own.

drum battle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because they look alike and keep getting mistaken for each other. Smith posted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stop impersonating me! In factâ&#x20AC;ŚI need youâ&#x20AC;ŚDrum battle, me and you. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen you. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen your skills. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t got â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go.â&#x20AC;? * Port Macquarie fashion jewellery designer Samantha Wills is fast gaining international celebs as her clients, reports the Port Macquarie News. Lady Gaga was the latest to sport her bracelet at a Hollywood red carpet. It was inspired by Willsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; long-time fascination with skulls. Other Wills admirers include Eva Mendez, Kate Bosworth, Drew Barrymore and Rihanna. * Tamworth music venue The Central Hotel is closing for major refurbishments. * Arcade Fire lead the

Maddah says the BDO brand is well-loved enough for punters to return, but BDO 2015 wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t visit Perth or possibly Adelaide.

NEW SIGNINGS #1: UNIVERSAL ADDS ELIZABETH ROSE Universal Music Publishing Australia has signed Sydney artist, producer and songwriter Elizabeth Rose to a worldwide deal. Rose, who was named one of triple jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next Crop last year, went on to win the Qantas SOYA music award and the Next Big Thing in last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Radio FBi SMAC awards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a lot of big goals for my career as a writer and producer,â&#x20AC;? she said. With two singles and an EP out, Rose is working on her debut album.

NEW SIGNINGS #2: THE FALLS TO VERVE Australian duo The Falls, currently touring the USA, signed a world deal with US label Verve Records. Verve is a jazz label but has also signed folk types such as Sarah McLachlan.

nominations for Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Juno awards with six gongs. Michael BublĂŠ and Serena Ryder follow with five, and CĂŠline Dion, Drake, Hedley, and Tegan and Sara with four. Arcadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reflektorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is up for single of the year against â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Closerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Tegan and Sara, Ryderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What I Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, BublĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Beautiful Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Inner Ninjaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Classified and David Myles. In 2012, Arcade Fire won four Junos, including best album and group. * Once hailed as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Mamoru Samuragochi admits he hired a music teacher to ghostwrite his film scores, while his secret collaborator says the composer isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even deaf as he claims. * Katy Perry is Twitterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most followed user, hitting 50 million followers on February 1.

Verveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chairman David Foster said of The Falls: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their perfect blend of harmonies and heartfelt songs represent the very best kind of contemporary folk-based music.â&#x20AC;? Verve is part of the Universal Music Group.

NEW SIGNINGS #3: HUB GETS DISTRO IN N. AMERICA Sydney artist manager Troy Barrottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hub The Label signed distribution for North America with Toronto buzz label Dine Alone (City And Colour, At The Drive In, The Lumineers). The first release through the new deal is Glass Towersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Halcyon Days. Other Hub signings are Dappled Cities, Zeahorse and Winter People. Dine Alone founder Joel Carriere said of the tie-up, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are run with similar passion and are cut from the same cloth.â&#x20AC;? Barrott has long admired Carriere as a sharp music man on the rise, but admits the deal was sealed when â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joel joined us for a BBQ in my backyard. He bought his own Dine Alone Hot Sauce! That is classy.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TEEN SPIRITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TOPS NMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LIST OF 500 GREATEST SONGS

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Now hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a list thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to create loud table-thumping debates among music fans. Nirvanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Smells Like Teen Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (1991) has topped NMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, as compiled by the music paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past and present writers. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Teen Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; certainly was a jolt to the charts and opened up the whole Seattle grunge sound. Second on the list was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Love Will Tear Us Apartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Joy Division, (3) â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Feel Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Donna Summer, (4) â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How Soon Is Now?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; by The Smiths and (5) â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Last Niteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by The Strokes. In an â&#x20AC;&#x153;all-timeâ&#x20AC;? list, nothing by Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards, Brian Wilson or Dylan?

BLUESFEST, DENI BLUES WIN TOURISM AWARDS Melb Ska Orchestra

Band of Skulls (USA) Fri 20 Jun

Fri 28 Mar

Rebel Souljahz (USA)

TnT, Frequencerz, + More

Sat 27 Sep

Sat 15 Feb: U18s

Coming Soon

Bluesfest and the Deni Blues & Roots festivals have won Silvers in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Sydney. The wins were, respectively, in the Major Festival and Events, and Festival and Events categories. Other nominees in these categories were Woodford Folk Festival, Falls (Tasmania) and Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Folk Festival.

ONE, TWO, EVERYBODY MUST GET â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;STONEDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Coronas (IRL) Sat 22 Feb

Jimmy Eat World Panic At The Disco & Alkaline Trio

Tue 25 Feb: All Ages

Eagles of Death metal, Rocket From The Crypt & Mutemath

Bobby Keys & The Suffering Bastards

Dark Tranquillity (SWE)

Mon 24 Mar

Sat 29 Mar

Monster Magnet (USA)

Skid Row & Ugly Kid Joe

Jonny Craig (USA)

Fri 4 Apr

Sun 27 Apr

Toxic Holocaust & Skeletonwitch

Children of Bodom

The Crimson ProjeKCt

Sat 26 Apr

Fri 9 May

Fri 27 Jun

Mon 24 Feb: AA

Six60 (NZ) Fri 28 Feb

Robert Glasper Exp & Roy Ayers & Lonnie Liston Smith

Sat 8 Mar

Darkside Wed 02 Apr

Kylesa

(USA)

Thu 3 Apr

Alter Bridge (USA) & Living Colour

Wed 26 Feb: AA

Sat 10 May: All Ages

Rolling Stone Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fifth annual awards were held at the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi last week. The winners were Nick Cave & The Bad Seedsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Push The Sky Away (best independent release), Lorde (best new talent; album of the year for Pure Heroine), Tame Impala (live act), The Jezabelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Endâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (single), The Preaturesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Is This How You Feel?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; with director Alex Ryan (music video), Aaron Pedersen (actor) and Arctic Monkeys (international act). Bluesfest and Boomerang founder Peter Noble was lauded for his contribution to the industry. Starting as a musician in Australia and America in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s, he set up the first Portland Jazz Festival, and an agency, tour company and the AIM label to expose primarily indie blues and roots.

TEACHER SUSPENDED OVER HIP HOP HOMEWORK A teacher in Florida was suspended for three days for using Lil Wayne lyrics in a homework assignment. The English teacher at the Charter School of Boynton

Beach found that her eighth grade pupils (aged 13-14) were finding it difficult to understand the concepts of literary devices such as pun, simile and metaphor when asked to look at the texts of Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare. So she gave them the uncensored lyrics to the rapperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;6 Foot 7 Footâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. She â&#x20AC;&#x153;recognisesâ&#x20AC;? it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;inappropriate for a school assignmentâ&#x20AC;?.

DONATIONS FOR THE GROWLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MARC HIT $30K Anger and sympathy swept though music fans after The Growlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bassist Marc Earley had a finger deliberately broken by a thug in a restaurant on Oxford Street in Sydney. Bandmate Cam Avery set up an online fundraising campaign, hoping to collect $20,000 for expenses. But in four days, 890 people donated close to $30,000. One is also offering a guitar to auction, one wanted Support Act Ltd to become involved, and another suggested a separate fund to help find the thug and break his fingers! The campaign is still open at gofundme. com/6nhi8w. The money means Earley can consult with Perthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best hand specialist. He has surgery this Thursday. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My injury is very serious, with only a 50 per cent chance of regaining normal movement.â&#x20AC;? He wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know for 12 months if he can play guitar again.

CHRIS JOANNOU OPENS BAR Silverchair bassist Chris Joannouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new venture is a cafe, restaurant and bar called The Edwards in partnership with Sydney interior designer Tim Leveson and Chris Johnston (Good Brother Espresso, Suspension). It is in the Newcastle West building where Joannouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s folks ran their dry cleaning business until they retired last year. It will showcase music, art and film events, and the down-to-earth Joannou plans to tend the bar and serve tables when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s around.

COUPE TAKES DIRT TO 2SER Author and Laughing Outlaw founder Stuart Coupe hosts a new music series on 2SER 107.3 from this weekend. Dirt Music will look at the scope and history of roots music, and in the lead up to Bluesfest, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll interview the acts. He admits, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a big fan of 2SERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for decades now and in fact presented a show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Punk To Funk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; briefly back in the â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gulp! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; very late 1970s.â&#x20AC;?

Lifelines Born: son Otto for Keith Richardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; daughter Angela and guitarist Graham Whitney, making the Rolling Stone a grandfather for the fifth time. Ill: Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Brunswick All Girls Choir posted on Facebook they had to cancel their NZ visit because singer Marcus Hobbs was still suffering from a bout of gastro (complete with pic of singer with tubes and needles) and their airline refused to fly them in case they affected other passengers. Hospitalised: US bluesman Blues Walter Trout after suffering effects of liver damage. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been waiting for three weeks to see if his insurance company will approve the treatment, which will cost US$90,000. Hospitalised: Ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Al Jourgensen is in rehab for alcohol addiction. In Court: Nicholas Gorhenin of Paddington was put on a 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty in Lismore Local Court to possession. He was caught by a drug dog at Bluesfest last year with a cannabis joint in his hand and amphetamines in his pocket. The judge agreed that as it was his first offence, a conviction would cause problems with him travelling abroad, which he needed to do as an employee with an online marketing company. Died: reggae singer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bunny Rugsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Clarke of Third World, 65, from leukemia at his home in Florida. He worked with Inner Circle and producer Lee â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Scratchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Perry in Jamaica before joining Third World in 1976.

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Phoenix NOTHING TO DECLARE • BY TYSON WRAY

itting alongside Daft Punk and Air, Phoenix are one of France’s finest contemporary musical exports. Since forming in Versailles back in 1999, the quartet has headlined festivals like Coachella, Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza; topped critics’ end-ofyear lists album-in, album-out; and played a defining and influential role in the development of modern music. In April last year the group released a fifth studio album, Bankrupt!, which saw them further diversify

“SOME OF OUR BEST REVIEWS HAVE QUITE OFTEN BEEN OUR NEGATIVE ONES, ONES THAT ARE CREATIVE AND MAKE US THINK – THAT’S WHAT WE PREFER, THAT’S WHAT WE LIKE.” 12 :: BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14

their penchant for synth-laden indie rock through aural experimentation. Phoenix guitarist Laurent Brancowitz shares his thoughts in a thick French accent. “When we wrote Wolfgang [Amadeus Phoenix, their critically acclaimed fourth LP from 2009] we were pretty sure it was an album that was going to be too weird to appeal to a lot of people… that it would reach very few people as it was too weird for a mainstream audience. When it dropped and it was so successful it was a very big surprise. When we began working on Bankrupt! we thought the best thing to do would be to use the exact same method, to write something without the aim of pleasing people but to create something that we’d be proud of. Something that would be weird and interesting to us. It was quite simple; we just followed the exact same strategy. We are trying to create emotion when we’re writing. We did a lot of different things. We did a lot of things that we’d never done before, which is what we’re always looking for, new adventures.” While Bankrupt!, like its predecessor, has been lauded by critics worldwide, Brancowitz notes that the reception of Phoenix’s music plays a minute role in the creative process, and that the group pays little attention to critical reception. “For a very long time we

found ourselves being compared to bands that we’ve never even heard of. Some of our best reviews have quite often been our negative ones, ones that are creative and make us think – that’s what we prefer, that’s what we like. I don’t think that critics’ reviews have any relationship [with] the quality of our work. I remember when I was 16, I was reading negative reviews of some albums [when] I realised they were just all wrong, that they missed it.” Returning to Australia for the first time since 2011, when they performed as part of the now defunct Good Vibrations festival, Phoenix will embark on a run of headline performances at Future Music Festival alongside a pair of sideshows. “In the past year we’ve put in a lot of energy to enhance our performances. Our live shows are almost good enough,” laughs Brancowitz. “We have very high expectations of ourselves. We work very hard, and some of the best moments for us are when you’re almost there, and that’s where I think we’re at right now. Hopefully it’ll be perfect when we come to Australia. It’s more than just performing some songs, it’s more about generating emotion.” “I don’t think that the goal has changed,” Brancowitz continues.

“But I think that now we have higher expectations. We’re trying to give a really full performance, you know? It’s not just about the music. When we began touring Wolfgang we wanted to merge some of the ideas that we liked from other contemporary acts. It took us a few years to really figure out how to implement some of the ideas that we wanted to use. It took a lot of effort and time to merge those worlds together.” One destination on Phoenix’s world map, however, has remained a highlight. “We’ve always loved performing in Australia. It was one of the first places in the world that really understood us. Not even just after touring our last album, but even the very first time that we toured, around 2005, we could feel that there was no misunderstanding, that people understood what we were trying to do. It was really not the case everywhere else in the world. We have a special bond with the audiences in Australia. When we visit next month I think that we will be at the peak of our creative forces. Visiting during the end of the Australian summer, leaving winter in Europe, everything about it should be great.” Looking towards the future, Brancowitz sees the band returning to the studio a lot swifter than the four-year gap between Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and the latest album. “I think we’ll be getting back to work soon, maybe in the late spring; we want to start working on new material. We can feel that it’s now the right time to begin writing some new songs, to begin creating some new art. Right now we’re thinking about what kind of art we want to create, we’re thinking about what kind of studio we want to work in. I think it’s still maybe a little bit vague, but we’re getting some ideas and in a few months’ time I think we’ll be ready.”

Four Things You Didn’t Know About Phoenix While French is their first language, Phoenix only 1. ever write and sing in English. This originally saw the band shunned from playing in its home country. Before Laurent Brancowitz joined the band, he was 2. in a group named Darlin’ with Thomas Bangalter and GuyManuel de Homem-Christo, who went on to become Daft Punk. The bands remain close friends and have made surprise performances together. Lead singer Thomas Mars is married to 3. Sofia Coppola, and the group provided music for her films Lost In Translation and Marie Antoinette. On the band’s debut album United, bassist 4. Deck d’Arcy’s mother and her choral society provide backing vocals for the track ‘Funky Squaredance’. The album also features contributions from Philippe Zdar of Cassius fame and Thomas Bangalter.

What: Future Music Festival 2014 With: Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pharrell Williams, Hardwell, Eric Prydz, Rudimental, Porter Robinson and many more Where: Royal Randwick Racecourse When: Saturday March 8 And: Also appearing with World’s End Press at the Hordern Pavilion, Wednesday March 5 More: Bankrupt! out now through Glassnote/Liberator

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The Smith Street Band On The Road Again By David James Young

he Smith Street Band can tell you exactly what they’re doing in 2015. For a band borne simply out of Wil Wagner’s need some five years ago to expand on his bedroom-dwelling ideas, it’s an especially peculiar thing to be booked out for the foreseeable future – and no-one is more aware of this than Wagner himself. “Mate, there was a time where I couldn’t have even told you what I was doing next fucking week!” he laughs. “It’s totally unexpected – the success that this band has gotten is never what we set out to achieve. It was never the intention of the band originally to get to this point. I’m really happy about where we are – and, without meaning to sound too arrogant, I’m proud of us. We haven’t left Poison City [Records, the band’s independent label]; we haven’t done money grabs or anything like that. We’ve always stuck to our guns about being a really hard-working band, trying to make everything we release the best music that we can make and every show the best show we can play. It’s so great to see that paying off.” 2013 was easily Wagner’s busiest year on record as a musician. A solo LP, Laika, dropped in the year’s first quarter, while a five-track EP with The Smith Street Band, Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams, followed in August. Under both solo and Smith Street guises, Wagner lapped the country several times before heading to North America and Europe for his band’s most extensive international tour to date. From theatre shows with Frank Turner to club shows with Apologies, I Have None, the band explored a substantial portion of the world abroad, including some places it had never had the chance to play before. “It was really cool to see the response we got over there,” says Wagner. “For the shows in the UK, we started out opening and ended up as the headliners after a couple of shows. There were a lot of people there – it felt like touring Australia a year ago or

something. With the Frank [Turner] tour, it was really interesting. His fan base is very different in various places. In places like New York, Philly and Chicago, a lot of those fans had been with him since the first album. There were some places, though, that only knew the new stuff, given he’s just hit radio properly over there. So it was difficult to know what the crowds were going to be like. We went down really well in Florida, though, which was unexpected, and Salt Lake City was one of the best shows of the entire tour. “Detroit was incredible,” Wagner continues, barely pausing for air. “That was the most inspiring city that we visited just because of all the shit that’s going on over there. The city is bankrupt and bits of it are falling apart, but the people that have stayed want to rebuild and they are proud of where they are from. They refuse to let the car companies take them down – they are here to drag themselves out of the wreckage.

Apart from maybe [Florida’s] Fest, that was probably my favourite show of the tour.” Through its touring, the band has managed to unlock a global community of like-minded punks and DIY aficionados. Wagner and co. have been able to return the favour several times to international bands, bringing over opening acts such as Restorations, Bomb The Music Industry!, Joyce Manor and Cheap Girls on their last few Australian tours. The set-up will continue for The Smith Street Band’s March tour, for which they have enlisted the help of Philadelphian act The Menzingers. Wagner feels it’s very important to keep this community circulating and travelling through one another’s cities, towns and countries. “A lot of the bands that we’ve brought out to play on tour with us probably couldn’t do an Australian tour on their own, just because it’s so expensive to get here. They’re also bands that we

love and are really inspired by – Bomb The Music Industry! may be my favourite band of all time. It’s a matter of opening up the Australian community to the world, and vice versa. We’ve been talking to The Menzingers about doing some stuff in different places now... it really makes me feel lucky that we’re able to do this. It’s never about expecting anything in return, it’s about wanting to help out bands that we dig and getting the chance to see them play every night.” Wagner is reluctant to say whether we will hear any new songs on the upcoming tour, but he does confirm that both new solo and Smith Street material will be released in 2014. “We’re going to try and record around the middle of the year,” he says of the third Smith Street Band album. “With any luck, we’ll be able to have it out by the end of the year. We’ll be doing a few fun things with the album that we might not have been able to do last time. The material is nearly there, it’s just a matter of plotting out the time to

get it down on record.” As for his next solo album? “Technically, I could be making it right now,” he says. “But I just wanna fucking sleep!” What: Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams out now through Poison City Records With: The Menzingers, Grim Fandango, Hannahband (afternoon) and Oslow (evening) Where: The Lair, Metro Theatre When: Saturday March 29, 1pm (all ages) and 7pm (18+) And: Also playing with The Menzingers, Grim Fandango and Jen Buxton Band at the Small Ballroom, Newcastle on Friday March 28 More: Wil Wagner will be playing solo sets at Beatdisc Records on Thursday February 20, The Lass O’Gowrie on Friday February 21 and Black Wire Records on Saturday February 22

Stiff Little Fingers Fired Up By Blake Gallagher For Burns, whose early songwriting focused on confl ict in Northern Ireland and took infl uence from the likes of English bands like The Clash and The Ruts, having lyrics that call out oppression and encourage social change has always been important. “I listen to a lot of newer punk bands and a lot of the more popular ones seem to write about drinking, fi ghting and screwing. Obviously these are all parts of life, but if your only motivation in the morning is where your next beer’s going to come from… it wouldn’t be enough to get me out of bed.”

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month for this year’s Soundwave Festival, they’ll be sharing stages with a host of groups who owe a lot of their success to the band – including, yes, headliners Green Day. While it’d be easy for the quartet to rest on the laurels of its past, frontman Jake Burns and co. say there’s no slowing down – having just finished recording their tenth studio album, No Going Back. Lyrically, the album channels the sort of themes the Fingers have been singing about since their 1977 inception, including socialised violence and political malaise.

“I’ve pointed out to a number of people that I can’t write ‘I love her, she loves me’ type songs,” says Burns. “So for me to write a song, it’s going to have to be about something that’s offended my sense of justice, and there’s never really any shortage of those subjects. People ask why the band have managed to stay popular for this long, and I think that’s a big part of it. We’ve always lived the same sort of lives I imagine our audience live, so it’s likely that if something offends me, a lot of the audience feels the same way about it and can relate – that’s what makes it mean something.”

Burns says the fans’ backing also gave the band a level of motivation. “Our audience are trusting of us in that they’ve all pre-bought this record without hearing a note of it. We kind

of feel that now we have a responsibility to make the best damn record we can, because of that trust.” While Australian fans will likely get to hear some of the new gems firsthand when Stiff Little Fingers are Down Under for Soundwave – their first full tour of the country – Burns says they’ll try to encapsulate as much of the band’s career as humanly possible. “We’ll play the ‘greatest hits’ set,” he laughs, pointing out the band has never had a hit, per se. As far as Burns is concerned, that’s totally fine – Stiff Little Fingers have never wanted to write one. What: Soundwave Festival 2014 With: Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, Placebo, AFI, Korn and more Where: Sydney Olympic Park When: Sunday February 23

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here’s a scene in High Fidelity where record store clerk Dick is telling love interest Annaugh about his belief that Green Day are directly influenced by Belfast punks Stiff Little Fingers. He throws on the band’s seminal debut album Infl ammable Material and a patron from across the store unwittingly asks, “Is this the new Green Day?” Dick and Annaugh share a smirk and it’s a pretty adorable moment, but it also subtly highlights the nature of the band’s massive influence on a wealth of contemporary acts. Indeed, when they hit Australian shores later this

True to its DIY roots, the band turned to crowdfunding to financially back the new album – reaching the goal within 12 hours of launching the campaign. “The more we thought about it, the more we realised it was like getting your independence back, and that appealed hugely – to be able to make the record we wanted to make. Talking to people who’ve actually pledged towards the making of the record, they’ve gotten quite a kick out of it too, as they’ve become a part of the creation of the record. It breaks down a lot of barriers, so we’re kind of a perfect fit for this sort of thing.”

“If your only motivation in the morning is where your next beer’s going to come from… it wouldn’t be enough to get me out of bed.”

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Panic! At The Disco Keep Calm And Play Guitar By Krissi Weiss

hat happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas – occasionally it seeps out in the form of a surprisingly persistent rock band. Panic! At The Disco frontman Brendon Urie has forged ahead with his group despite an onslaught of adversity. Musically they’ve ticked all the boxes; their audience has grown in a steady, exponential direction, but behind the scenes things have seemed in a constant state of flux. Members have come and gone, release dates have often done the same, and on one occasion an entire album was simply shelved. Urie’s one constant was best mate and fellow founding member, drummer Spencer Smith, who has sadly been forced into hiatus while he tackles health issues and a struggle with addiction. Still, Urie and the entity that is Panic! At The Disco are tirelessly soldiering on with last year’s release Too Weird To Live, To Rare To Die! giving them the momentum they needed to circle the world on yet another tour. Fresh from a Christmas break, Urie is just as excited to resume touring the album as he was after its release last year. “There is an energy change between Christmas and now,” he says. “Once the record’s out I get so excited to play the shows because the songs have been inside my head for so long and trapped in this personal space. To actually share that with people is always an exciting moment. It’s true that the songs really take on a new life when the audience starts singing things back to you; it gives a whole new life to this thing that you’ve created. There’s no hatred or frustration on tour; it’s all love and excitement.” So does Urie mind seeing the thing he’s worked on for so long suddenly appropriated by a hungry audience? “There’s always that connection you have to the thing you’ve created – but similar to having a kid, you raise this thing and then it’s 18 years old,” he says. “With a song, you put it on an album and then it gets all this experience and grows up. It’s such a validating feeling as well to hear from

people who enjoy the music – and people who don’t enjoy the music – and to be able to get some sort of criticism off of something that you’ve done. That’s a special thing.”

awesome, and the absolute best part of all this is that the fans have been especially supportive of the whole situation. I really love seeing that; that’s made it all so much easier.”

Musically, the band’s performances haven’t necessarily been suffering without Smith behind the drum kit – but of course, his absence casts an emotional shadow over the group. Right now, though, the decent thing is simply to ask how he’s going and when he might be back. “He’s still at home but he’s getting really well and doing really good,” says Urie. “At that point when it was decided he’d take time off, it was so tough – when your personal life and business collide and you make these weird decisions that don’t feel like they’re the best thing but really they are. It has ended up being the best thing … It’s a different dynamic but the shows have still been

Urie is excited for his band’s Australian dates – he seems relentlessly enthusiastic about his band’s future work, and yet you can’t help but wonder: is Panic! At The Disco now just a one-man band? Is Urie forever dragging this sled up a long hill on his own while everyone else just comes and goes? “Honestly, I haven’t felt that way,” he says. “I have a great support group of friends – Spencer definitely included – and they’ve always believed in my vision for this band and my musical direction and they’ve helped me make this happen. “You can get down and it is really hard, but for the most part I really

enjoy being able to take a creative lead. This is something I have so much love and adoration for, and yet, despite all the times we’ve nearly split up or I haven’t wanted to go on or things have looked too hard, we’ve all been there for each other. In the short ten years we’ve been together we’ve been through a lot and we have a lot more to give. I just feel so lucky to have people who stick by me as we take these risks, even when I’m like, ‘I know this is gonna be scary and I don’t know how this is gonna go, but let’s jump down the rabbit hole together.’” The hardest thing for any band is maintaining those successes – when you’re just starting out everything’s an achievement, but ten years into your career the bar begins to be raised to heady heights. Urie steers things with

his head and his heart. “It’s partly intuitive and partly conscious. I guess though the feeling is really important – if it feels right then I think it must be right. The problem with that is that is an easy measure with the art of music but when it comes to music as a business, that’s when it gets convoluted. It’s so hard to tell where the lines are drawn.” What: Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! out now through Fueled By Ramen/Warner Where: Supporting Jimmy Eat World with Alkaline Trio at The Hi-Fi When: Monday February 24 And: Also appearing alongside Green Day, Placebo, AFI, Biffy Clyro, Asking Alexandria and more at Soundwave Festival, Sydney Olympic Park, Sunday February 23

Laura Imbruglia Million Dollar Question By Augustus Welby

ydney-bred and Melbournebased singer-songwriter Laura Imbruglia returns to our turf for a couple of shows this week. Imbruglia will hit The Union Hotel and Lizotte’s in Kincumber with full band in tow, but she’ll also play a solo set at Newtown’s Midnight Special before hosting ‘Let’s Get Trivical’ music trivia. Imbruglia runs a weekly trivia night in Melbourne and her quizzes are far from generic. “A lot of the questions are things that really it’s unlikely anyone would know unless they’ve just spent several hours on Wikipedia like I have,” she says. “It’s a mixture of silly videos, interesting information and there’s a couple of questions each week about heavy metal, because I have a lot of knowledge about metal.” Thankfully Imbruglia’s music isn’t nearly as complicated as her trivia questions (nor does the metal influence shine through). Last year she released the bouncy, countrytinged pop-rock album What A Treat. The record, her third overall, is the first since she relocated to Melbourne in 2010. Melbourne and Sydney differ somewhat in terms of their orientation towards music, and Imbruglia says the Victorian capital had long beckoned. “I had always observed Melbourne’s music scene with a bit of jealousy. It’s just a little bit more vibrant, there’s more venues

to play. I’m not saying the scene’s any more supportive – I had a great time in Sydney and I miss the place and miss everyone around. But they make it really hard with all the venues closing down.” There’s much debate at present about the future of Sydney’s live music scene. More venues are struggling to stay afloat, while artists are campaigning for greater live opportunities. Imbruglia recognises Sydney is going through a rough patch, but she can’t agree with NSW Police Commissioner Michael Gallacher’s claim that the industry is already dead. “I’m friends with Ray [Ahn] from the Hard-Ons and he talks about Sydney being really alive in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Bands used to play headline shows on a Tuesday and a Wednesday night and pack the venues out. That’s what Melbourne’s like, so maybe in the next ten years it’ll flick back to Sydney.” Music industry debacles aside, there’s a few things Sydney residents are certainly blessed to have. “They’re spoiled with their excellent weather and their excellently priced alcohol and their perfect-sized schooners,” Imbruglia says. “I definitely miss the schooner. Whenever I start a night with a pint I always end up saying something inappropriate and having to go home,” she laughs.

Speaking of going home, Imbruglia hasn’t had much time to step away from the songs on What A Treat over the last year. However, after the current tour is done she’ll take a well-earned break before making preparations for a follow-up. Plans for the next batch of songs are still rather vague at this stage. “Part of me wants to make an album that’s a bit heavier and not so countrified, but you never know until you start writing. You never know where the muse is going to take you, and I don’t like to force any genre or theme on myself because I can never stick to it.” Even if Imbruglia can’t be sure what’s next, perhaps inspecting her recent stereo favourites will give us a clue. “Mostly I listen to local bands or really old bands from the ’60s and ’70s,” she says. “I really like Witch Hats and The Bowers and the latest Dick Diver album is really cool as well. Other than that I’m just listening to Cheap Trick and ABBA.” What: What A Treat out now through Ready Freddie/MGM Where: The Union Hotel / Lizotte’s Central Coast (supporting Monique Brumby) When: Thursday February 13 / Friday February 14 And: Also performing a solo set and hosting Let’s Get Trivical at The Midnight Special on Wednesday February 12 xxx

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S K N I T S E V O L D N E K E E W No er v 14 –16 February Co If you’re not a lover of Valentine’s Day then head to Rock Lily. Party with Original Sin, the INXS tribute band and “It’s not me, it’s you” drink specials. $5 for 5 pulled pork tacos. Get ready to give cupid the heave-ho.

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Wed-sun 5pm til late The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be 18 years or over to enter the Casino. Think! About your choices. Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au (ANHE5WLCRC)

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Ellie Goulding Halcyon Days By Alasdair Duncan

he past several years have been huge for Ellie Goulding. The singer-songwriter has released two phenomenally successful albums, lent her highly distinctive vocals to Calvin Harris club bangers, and even performed at a royal wedding reception. Everything has changed for the young woman from Hertfordshire – and at the same time, she insists, very little has. “I travel a lot these days, and I have a lot of busy, crazy, unpredictable days,” says Goulding, who is spending some rare time at home before setting off on another tour. “It’s very tense and high-energy, but I still have the same people around me, and I don’t think I’ve changed that much. I’m a bit more efficient these days, because I want to fi t more stuff in, but I’d say I’m still much the same person as before.” Goulding’s music strikes a fi ne balance between folky ballads and dramatic electronic sounds, a product of the rave scene that she immersed herself in from her late teens. “I was born in ’86 and I went through a lot of musical phases growing up,” she says. “I guess I started out listening to a lot of pop music from the early ’90s, before getting more into indie, and then

starting to immerse myself in the electronic music scene a bit more. I don’t go out clubbing that much anymore, but where I grew up there was a very big rave scene – there were a lot of dubstep nights and drum’n’bass nights, so it was a big thing for me growing up, for sure. I was very lucky to grow up through all these different phases of great music.” Since the success of her Calvin Harris track ‘I Need Your Love’, it’s natural to assume Goulding gets approached by a lot of producers keen to collaborate. Right now, however, she’s in the fortunate position of being able to choose her musical hook-ups very carefully. “Usually I reach out to people if I really want to collaborate,” she says. “At the moment, I’m very focused on my own stuff, but there are a few people I’d like to collaborate with. I’d like to collaborate with Disclosure; I’d really like to do a song with Drake.” I put it to Goulding that, for most people, collaborating with an artist like Drake would be a pipe dream, but she could quite easily make it happen if she so chose. “Yeah, defi nitely, because he sampled my

song on his record, so I’d be able to get through to him that way!” Goulding’s ethereal vocals would certainly mesh well with a Disclosure beat as well, but she’s unsure how likely it is to happen on her next album. “I literally have no idea what direction my new music is going to take just yet,” she says. “I’d tell you, but I don’t know myself where it’s going. I’m just going to wait and see. I haven’t started working on the album.” Before I let Goulding go, there’s one more question I have to ask. She has spoken before about her friendship with Taylor Swift, and I’m genuinely curious to know if the two of them ever get together to trade tips on writing the perfect pop song. “Not really, no!” she laughs. “When we see each other, we don’t really talk about music. We do sometimes, but making music is kind of our job, so when we’re together we just hang out, we don’t really share tips or anything like that. I mean, we’re big fans of each other’s songs, but generally we don’t talk about that.” Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Tuesday June 3

Mayday Parade Monsters In The Closet By Krissi Weiss material is merely a rearrangement of their back catalogue while their audience salivates at the very same thought. What music critics claim is hardcore’s ultimate creative failing is, to the genre’s audience, its greatest asset: reliability. So how does a band stay creatively fulfilled while adhering to the expectations of the audience? “It can be tough,” says Sanders. “You can spend a tonne of time analysing it and thinking about it, but really, we try to not spend a lot of time thinking about our music too much. We simply try to satisfy ourselves by writing music that we like and we want to listen to. We try and push ourselves with each album by trying to make what [we] do at least better, and that’s about it. We really try not to worry about it too much other than that. We try to be genuine because we believe that is the thing that people can really notice.” For a band like Mayday Parade, the bucket list is pretty well complete. That’s not to say they’re close to giving up this game of melodies, just that there are fewer mountains left to climb. Or maybe the mountains have just grown bigger? “At this point we have accomplished so much that we set out to do, and even more – we’re all just happy to maintain [it]. If we can keep things going like this then we’ll be so happy with that.

he pretty boys of punk from sunny Tallahassee in Florida have well and truly earned their stripes in the hardcore scene. Mayday Parade completed their musical apprenticeship alongside punk rock luminaries Fall Out Boy and You Me At Six while honing their live skills around the world (including on the most educating festival of all: Vans Warped Tour). With album number four – Monsters In The

“Feeling what the audience is giving back reminds you whether you’re on the right track or not.”

Closet – released to the world last year, the five-piece has climbed to a lofty rung in the music scene. But as many people in this business know, comfort can be a dangerous thing – so Mayday Parade don’t stick to the usual record-and-tour routine. After the album’s October release, Mayday Parade enjoyed a Christmas break in the middle of what would have been, at any other time of the year, the height of the touring cycle. “This is the third album in a row that we’ve put out around the first week of October, so we’re used to this kind of routine,” frontman Derek Sanders says. “For each album we do the massive fall tour to support it and then we take off for the holidays, and then we hit it hard again early in the next year.” The split touring schedule can produce different audience

responses before and after the holidays. Is it because the fans have become more familiar with the new material? “I think you’ve nailed it,” Sanders agrees. “When we do the first tour it’s very cool and exciting but a lot of the new stuff that we play gets a good response – but because it’s so new just isn’t as familiar to the audience. It feels great to come back after the break and see how the response has changed to the new songs as people have had time to really get to know the music.” Mayday Parade have been lucky, in a way, that they’ve come to life in the music industry during its post-people-actually-buying-stuff phase. That is to say they have risen through the ranks expecting very little, and appreciate every success bestowed upon them. While so many bands fight against the harsh reality of the modern era, Sanders

embraces the yardsticks he has to use to measure success. “I feel like, more than ever, it’s the touring that we use to measure how well we’re doing, and just getting out there and playing the shows. Even if you have fans that exist that don’t buy albums anymore, and they only listen to your albums by streaming or YouTube, those people will still come to the shows and have an awesome time and feel the energy and buy merch. As long as the touring aspect is alive and well, I feel like we have a great representation of how we’re doing and of knowing what’s going on with the band. Feeling what the audience is giving back reminds you whether you’re on the right track or not.” The category of alternative music Mayday Parade play is tied up in a tricky paradox. By the time a band reaches its fourth album, critics are howling disdainfully that their new

“Musically, we just want to keep gradually changing things up and growing our sound and ourselves. I wanna be a band like Brand New, who’ve been around long enough to have such a hardcore fan base that they’re really able to creatively do whatever they want to do and their audience will just go along for the ride. We don’t want to alienate people who like us for what we’ve done, so for us it’s just a gradual process at this stage.” What: Soundwave Festival 2014 With: Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, Placebo, AFI, Korn and more Where: Sydney Olympic Park When: Sunday February 23 And: Monsters In The Closet out now through Fearless/Shock xxx

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arts frontline

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Hannah Warren

five minutes WITH

GLEN WATERHOUSE

FROM

SHORT+SWEET

Pirates Of The Caribbean and I thought to myself, those people got paid to fly to the Caribbean, swing around on ropes all day and pretend to be pirates. I can do that! That was 8 years ago. I still haven’t been to the Caribbean. Why Short+Sweet? I got my first taste of Short+Sweet in Newcastle where we came runner up overall and were selected to join the Wild Card competition in Sydney. I was trying to get some experience on stage so I was performing in anything I could, and Short+Sweet was the perfect opportunity to get up and have a go. Glen Waterhouse and Sarah-Jane Daniel in What If?

Why theatre? I’ve been into theatre and acting for about 8 years now. I became interested in acting after having no idea what I wanted to do with my life after finishing high school. I was watching

Why should we come to Short+Sweet? People should come along because you’re seeing 10 amazing, different plays on one night for $30! (If you book early!) They say that variety is the spice of life, right? Why not come and experience something different? It could be the best decision you’ve ever made… What: What If?, part of Short+Sweet When: February 12 - 16 Where: King Street Theatre More: shortandsweet.org

TEDXSYDNEY TICKET APPLICATIONS OPEN

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darville

DOCTOR WHO ARRIVES IN SYDNEY

Recently Matt Smith regenerated into Peter Capaldi in the Christmas Special of Doctor Who, finalising his run as the 11th incarnation of the famed Doctor. Now that the rising star has some free time, he will be joining his Doctor Who comrades Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill for their trip Down Under this March. In association with Hub Productions, Whoniverse, a convention dedicated to all things Doctor Who, will be bringing the much-loved trio to Sydney for what fans might call ‘the most incredible reunion in time and space’. Smith, along with Gillan and Darvill, who played companions Amy ‘The-Girl-Who-Waited’ Pond and Rory ‘Pond’ Williams, will talk all things Doctor Who with renowned Australian artist Stewart McKenny. Whoniverse will be held at Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly the Sydney Entertainment Centre) on Saturday March 1, and tickets are available through ticketek.com.au.

HOLOCAUST FILM SERIES NOT ENTIRELY GRIM

HOLIDAY + MEMORY POP UP AUCTION

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TINO SEHGAL

Tino Sehgal is an internationally acclaimed artist, best known for his innovative works that consist purely of… museum punters? The Art Gallery of New South Wales will present his latest work This Is So Contemporary – first presented at the 2005 Venice Biennale – from February 6 to 23 for its Australian premiere. Sehgal, who trained in both political economics and choreography, orchestrates interpersonal encounters through dance, voice and movement as well as philosophical and economic discussion. These works, which respond directly to gallery visitors, are renowned for their intimacy and critical reflection upon their

Dorothy, Sophia, Rose and Blanche have reunited in puppet-form for Thank You For Being A Friend, the hilarious live tribute to Golden Girls. Following sell-out performances in 2013, the out-spoken puppets are back to celebrate the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival at the Seymour Centre from Thursday February 13 to Friday February 28. It’s a wonderful introduction to the joy of the hit television series for first timers, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane for diehard fans. If Thank You For Being A Friend sounds like it might be just your style, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us which Golden Girl you are and why – do a quiz on the internet if you don’t already know – and you’ll be in to win one of five double passes for the 9:30pm showing on Saturday February 15.

environment. There will also be a public lecture and Q&A by Jessica Morgan Daskalopoulos Curator of International Art, Tate Gallery, London and Director of the 2014 Gwangju Biennale. Both the exhibition and the talk are free, and you can make bookings and check details at artgallery.nsw.gov.au.

CALLING ALL ASPIRING YOUNG ACTORS

NIDA intensive term classes are now open to young people aged 12 - 18, and offer the opportunity to develop their dramatic skills at Australia’s top training ground for the theatre and screen industries. The weekly classes cover many different elements of drama including acting, movement and voice, and are tailored to the needs of each age group. In addition to term classes, NIDA’s Performance Ensembles offer more experienced students the chance to prepare for the next step in their career and hone their acting skills. To enroll, or for more information, check out nida.edu.au.

SURPRISE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR AT BELVOIR

Belvoir Theatre has had a surprise change in their program this year; The Philadelphia Story was set to be the theatrical hit of the summer, until the rights suddenly fell through leaving, Belvoir and Malthouse one show down. They have filled the spot with The Government Inspector, based loosely on the Nikolai Gogol play of the same name, which has been billed as an implausible masterpiece for implausible times. It runs from Thursday March 27, and details and tickets can be inspected at belvoir.com.au.

Imagine Map Peace by Yoko Ono

ART MONTH SYDNEY

Art Month Sydney has announced the 2014 program for the city’s largest annual celebration of contemporary art. Running from March 1 to 23, Art Month 2014 combines art and design, fashion, architecture and commerce for a month-long ‘intersections and parallels’-themed party. The program includes a world-class line-up of artists from all over the world and promises to engage everyone from the newbies to the art know-it-alls with events ranging from fashion, grafitti, art critiquing, cinema, bike and walking tours, cooking classes and more. For all the details your little heART desires, trundle over to artmonthsydney.com.au.

WAR IS OVER (IF YOU WANT IT)

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) has announced it will extend its opening hours on the final weekend of War Is Over (If You Want It!): Yoko Ono allowing visitors one last opportunity to experience the exhibition by legendary artist and activist, Yoko Ono. On Saturday February 22 and Sunday February 23 the exhibition will be open to the public from 9am to 9pm. For more info, head to mca.com.au.

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Imagine Map Peace by Yoko Ono courtesy MCA

To celebrate the last day of Penrith Regional Gallery’s summer exhibition Holiday + Memory – 20th Century Australia At Play, they are holding a special Pop Up Auction Event on Sunday February 23. The gallery is parterning with Tin Monkey Artefacts and Auctions for an experiment in creating one-off pop up auctions in exciting, atmospheric venues. Tin Monkey will be selling retro vintage kitsch objects from the 1940s to the 1970s, as well as some items displayed in the Holiday + Memory Summer House. Vintage FM will be broadcasting some old-school tunes; Club VeeDub are setting up a retro VW Kombi and Beetle display; and there will be a gourmet food truck. The catalogue will be available to view from Wednesday February 19 on penrithregionalgallery.org.

It could be assumed that a film series about the Holocaust would sink the viewer into a pit of misery and despair. Somewhat surprisingly, the Holocaust Film Series presented by JIFF, and screening in Melbourne and Sydney from late March until early April, highlights the resilience and courage of the human spirit through true stories of love, identity, hope and survival against the odds. With 22 premiere feature films, shorts and documentaries from Poland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Serbia Germany, France, Holland, Israel, Russia, Albania and Hungary, this film series shows a desire to make sense of one of the most important events in human history. The background is grim, but the stories are hopeful and compassionate. These films are an important part of a conversation we need to continue to have. The films screen from Sunday March 23 to Sunday March 30 at the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst, and you’ll find the full program and tickets at jiff.com.au/hfs.

The annual ideas festival has today opened up the application process to attend this year’s event as a member of the live audience. TEDxSydney enthusiasts can view, complete and submit forms for a ticket via the website tedxsydney.com. Attendees have until Friday 28 February to submit their application for one of the 2,250 seats. Based on the popularity of 2013’s event, fans are encouraged to apply for their tickets as soon as possible. The full day event will be held within the Concert Hall of the iconic Sydney Opera House on Saturday 26 April and, as with the four previous TEDxSydney events, the full day of programming will blend talks and performances with interspersed “tasty video bits”. Live attendance costs $250 per person and delivers a full day of talks and performances, food and beverages, a goodie bag and an invitation to the after party.

GOLDEN GIRLS! PUPPETS! WIN!

What If photo courtesy Nic Mesker

hort+Sweet is the annual theatre festival that brings together hundreds of ten-minute plays. Glen Waterhouse is one of two writers, directors and actors in one of this week’s bite-sized shows What If?, and he took five minutes to tell us all about it.

Tell us about your Short+Sweet play What If?. Our play is about two people who catch the same bus every morning, at the same time, but have never spoken a word to each other. She’s from the corporate world and he definitely isn’t. But there’s chemistry there and through a beautiful twist of fate they end up sitting next to each other for the first time. Will they take the opportunity to act on that spark or will they remain oblivious to what could have been? Essentially, it’s about taking the chance to step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new. It could be the best decision you’ve ever made.

Explain the Short+Sweet process. It’s pretty simple really. My girlfriend Sarah and I wrote a short script that we thought would be great for Short+Sweet. We jumped on the website and submitted the script as an independent theatre company because we wrote it, are directing it and are both starring in it. We then worked on the show recording dialogue and sound effects (our play happens almost entirely in our characters heads), rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, then rehearse some more and then before you know it, it’s opening night! We also had a friend of mine, Nic from Nic Mesker Photography, take some promo shots for us, which we could throw around the Internet and use as posters to promote the show. He’s awesome.

The cast of Thank You For Being A Friend

Pinball [THEATRE] For The Kids By Tegan Jones

atch out, Sydney! 1970s prejudice is about to hit the TAP Gallery as Alison Lyssa’s Pinball takes to the stage as part of this year’s Mardi Gras festival.

Sarah Vickery

Pinball tells the story of Theenie, a single mother fi ghting to retain custody of her child. This is made all the more difficult because she’s a lesbian who is being pressured to conform to a heteronormative lifestyle by her family.

Thank You For Being A Friend [THEATRE] Golden Days By Tegan Jones

efore there were Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha; there were Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia. Watch out world, The Golden Girls are back with their risqué stories and sharp comedic tongues in tow. For long time fans, it will feel like their four favourite gal pals have simply been resurrected in puppet form. After a successful run at Theatre Works in Melbourne, Thank You For Being A Friend, written by Thomas Duncan-Watt and Jonathan Worsley, now has its sights set on Sydney and is being performed against the backdrop of Mardi Gras. When co-directors Neil Gooding and Luke Joslin first saw the play, they were surprised at the positive response from the predominantly gay audiences. This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the original series spoke openly about homosexuality. Or maybe it’s because Bea Arthur became a gay icon who left her entire estate to a shelter for young homosexuals who had been rejected by their families. It’s also possible that an Avenue-Q style puppet show about four eccentric old ladies was just too deliciously camp not to love. Chrystal de Grussa, who plays Blanche, has other ideas about why the new production has been so favourably received by the gay community. “They are four accepting women. They accept people for who they are...It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, you’re straight, you’re transgender, it doesn’t really matter…you can see yourself in them in some way. It’s like taking one of those quizzes; Which Golden Girl Are You?” The actress also discussed how the production has appeal for a more mainstream audience by stating that “...there’s some really interesting messages that aren’t just for the gay community or the older community; but the younger community as well.” Fans of the original will remember that the characters discussed serious topics such as death, abortion and artificial insemination. Despite these subjects still being relatively taboo during the mid eighties to early nineties, the show didn’t

alienate the general public. They were such lovable characters that they managed to get away with it by injecting the trademark humour that was integral to the show. They were progressive without being aggressive. You’ll find these same characteristics in Thank You For Being A Friend. As de Grussa herself professes, “It’s silly...it’s genuine. It’s like sitting down and watching three episodes of The Golden Girls back to back.” Long time Golden Girls lovers will also be happy to learn that set designer David Horne took painstaking care whilst recreating The Golden Girls set, particularly in regards to the famous lounge room and kitchen. Most importantly, one pivotal scene takes place around the kitchen table as the characters indulge in their signature cheesecake, which always acted as a cure-all throughout the television series. One of the most interesting aspects of Thank You For Being A Friend is of course the choice to utilise life-size puppets controlled by actors. It may sound like this could distract audiences from the story, but de Grussa claims that this is surprisingly not the case. After talking to audience members during the Melbourne performances, she discovered that everyone was enjoying it on different levels. Some watched the puppets for the duration of the show, others focused on the actors, and others alternated between the two. None, however, felt distracted. De Grussa attributes this to the actors being more than just vehicles of movement and voice. They become the characters and show the facial expressions that the puppets are incapable of, which adds another layer to the production itself. Rather than fighting for the attention of the audience, the puppets and actors truly work in tandem to create a touching and hilarious show. What: Thank You For Being A Friend Where: Seymour Centre, Chippendale When: Thursday February 13 until Friday February 28

Lyssa was inspired to write the play during a women’s rights rally in 1980. A friend was selling raffle tickets to raise funds for a court case where her partner was fi ghting for the custody of her children. Being a penniless playwright, Lyssa offered to bring their story to the stage instead. The play incorporates transcripts from the real court case, some of which is so offensive that you may doubt its legitimacy. Unfortunately, it’s all true. A great deal has changed since its initial 1981 production, and director Sarah Vickery felt that she had to tweak the play in order for it to resonate with a modern audience. She describes her job as being difficult, especially as someone who wasn’t around to experience 1970s feminism. “I had to take a lot of stuff out, because unfortunately for a lot of the younger audience it will go right over their heads. The references would mean nothing...I had to decide what parts of the play and what messages in the play I wanted to highlight the most, because there were so many. I wanted to stay true to the play in terms of it refl ecting feminism and women’s rights... It was such a big deal back then, but not so much now. I want to show that contrast between then and now.” In this way, Pinball still contains messages that are relevant to a modern audience. Despite women’s rights progressing signifi cantly since the 70s, the gay community is still fi ghting for marriage and children. This is where Pinball is most likely to resonate with a modern audience. Regardless of how much we have changed, and the fact that we’re far better off than some other countries, we still have a great deal of ground to cover. One theme that’s particularly close to Vickery is children’s rights, and she describes the children in the play being invisible. Two women are fighting for custody, and yet the child doesn’t have an opportunity to express their own thoughts or feelings. Vickery states that this problem was reflective of 1970s culture and that in 2014 “...adults are more respectful of children’s opinions.” Vickery emphasises the importance of children having a voice

throughout the play, particularly through the use of footage from the documentary Gayby Baby. This was a crowd-sourced project by Charlotte McLellan and Maya Newell that centred on children who were growing up in same sex households. Vickery felt that the clips were relevant to the play, particularly in regards to the centric theme of children being unphased by homosexual relationships but also to how the treatment of children has changed. Despite being quite heavy thematically, Pinball contains some incredibly comedic moments, many of which Vickery attributes to nostalgia over the backwards society portrayed. She predicts that we are well on the road to a society in which we can laugh at the absurdity of the same sex marriage argument, in the same way we fi nd the idea of segregation ridiculous now. She’s right, of course, and theatre like this will help us get there. What: Pinball When: Tuesday February 11 until Friday February 28 Where: TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst

Day For Night

[PERFORMANCE EXHIBITION] A Different Kind Of Party By Alasdair Duncan Alex Claphman and Penelope Benton in Day For Night

ay For Night is an uncommon kind of experience, placing a selection of Australia’s boldest queer artists together for a show that is part art exhibition, part dance party, and part free-for-all. The key cultural event of the 2014 Mardi Gras, Day For Night is a durational exhibition, taking place over a period of days at Carriageworks. During that time, a variety of artists will do their thing, including Justin Shoulder, Lilian Starr, Sydney dance stalwart Martin del Amo, and all-grrrl collective Hissy Fit. One of the centrepiece

works comes from the duo of Alex Clapham and Penelope Benton, who have been doing beautiful and weird things together around Sydney for several years now. You may even have seen one of their living pictures, or eaten one of their toasted sandwiches in that time. “I think that Day For Night is really exciting because it crosses the boundaries between what one might expect in a gallery or a theatre or a club or a party,” Benton explains of the event. “It combines those four elements,

and it kind of speaks to something at the core of queer performance, which is to say it doesn’t really fit into anything traditional.” The show has performances and works that develop over the duration of a few days, and the whole thing ends in a giant dance party on the final night, led by Stereogamous, the duo of Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour. “The pieces themselves are very immersive,” Benton continues, “they’re the kind of things that don’t necessarily fit into a traditional gallery or club format, they sit in the middle, so it’s very exciting. There’s an ebb and flow to the whole thing, you can experience different works at different times, and take it at whatever pace you want.” As for her own piece, Benton tells me that she and her partner Alex will be creating a living work of art. “Alex and I have been working collaboratively for about three years now, and particularly in the last year, we’ve developed our work with a focus on the tableau vivant,” she explains. “That’s what you might call a living picture.” The tableau vivant was a very popular form of entertainment before television and film – the host of a party would recreate a scene from a painting, and everyone would think how fabulous it was, and the party would continue. “Our work is based around that,” Benton says. “We’ll be a

living picture around a table. It’s very still but it breathes. We’ll be doing it several times throughout the event, mostly at the start and the end. Without wanting to give too much away, there’s a climax. We sit there for about an hour, and it finally explodes at the end.” As for the theme of their work, Benton tells me that it’s about partnership, both as a creative team and as a couple. “The work really reflects the feelings that we get when we’re together,” she explains. The dynamics or art and coupledom are more alike than you might first think. “When you’re trying to make something, there’s a whole lot of nothing for a really long time,” she says, “and it can be annoying and awkward. There are a lot of silences, and then suddenly, there’s magic. Then it gets quiet again. Relationships are like that, there’s a lot of silence, there are a lot of times when nothing’s happening, and then things suddenly get passionate again, and you have everything you ever wanted. Some days it’s goosebumps and fireworks and other days it’s nothing. Our piece represents that.” What: Day For Night When: February 13-15 Where: Carriageworks More: carriageworks.com.au BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 21

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

■ Film

delivered in bastardised form by a military tactician played by Jackie Earle Haley: “I wouldn’t buy that for a dollar”. At least it saved me the effort.

ROBOCOP

Matt and Tom Berninger in Mistaken For Stangers

Ian Barr ■ Film

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR Robocop

In cinemas February 13

In cinemas now. Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop remains arguably the Dutch-born director’s most universally beloved film from his period as a Hollywood gun-for-hire, as well as his most baldly subversive; delivering the requisite shoot-em-up goods alongside a comically dystopian vision of a future America as a technocratic, corporatised police state. The inevitable remake thus has large shoes to fill, and with another foreigner at the helm making his US debut – Brazilian director José Padilha (Elite Squad) – you could be forgiven for thinking the choice was an attempt at recapturing the original film’s sense of an outsider’s bemusement.

The film flirts with interestingness when depicting the porous line between artificial intelligence and the real thing, as Murphy undergoes his transformation, but even then it’s all secondhand depth. Meanwhile, the 1987 film’s much-loved interstitial fake advertisements are substituted for Samuel L. Jackson periodically appearing as a Rush Limbaugh-esque right-wing TV commentator, giving a Greek chorus-like commentary on the alleged advances represented by RoboCop’s implementation. That leaves the film’s signature line to be

The film begins with Adèle (Adèle Exarchopolous), an innocent high schooler attracting the attention of a male classmate, and going through the motions of what feels to her like a trivial rite of passage. When, like the proverbial bolt from the blue, she sees blue-haired Emma (Léa Seydoux), Adèle awakens to her true desires. Deservedly, the actresses’ performances have been widely lauded, which helps to paper over the occasional cliché; their first meeting in a gay bar, and the ensuing conversations about Jean-Paul Sartre (this is a French film after all). Of course, much has been made of the film’s explicit and highly publicised sex scenes, one of which lasts 7 minutes and took 10 days to shoot. In these scenes, Kechiche captures the sense of complete ecstasy and liberation felt by the two characters. Though some have complained of the male fetishisation of lesbian sex, the scenes possess an authentic realism.

■

MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS Sold out Q&A screening, Dendy Quays, Saturday February 8 Part of Sydney Film Festival June 4-15 This funny, charming meta-documentary can be summed up by the line: ‘Being Matt’s brother sucks, because he’s a rockstar, and I’m not’. Tom Berninger, the tubby, unlucky metal-head brother of The National’s lead singer Matt Berninger, goes on tour with the band, failing as a crew member and capturing the kind of quirky, unusual footage that would seem out of place in a rock-doco — were it not that the uneasy tension and rawness of Mistaken For Strangers suits The National’s aesthetic perfectly. They’re a band that has always been rough around the edges, took a long time to get any traction, and who, by letting their fears and tensions bleed into the music, have grown into a well-loved and highly successful band. The snippets we see of their shows of are full of energy, passion and heart, and Matt is a true frontman: confident, talented, and easily angered.

But this film is not really about The National. It’s about the complicated relationship these two brothers have — Tom, who is nine years younger, and has always been a quitter and lacked confidence; and Matt, who has finally found success and recognition, storming through his rapturous audiences every night yelping “It takes an ocean not to break”. Matt’s wife Carin Besser came on as coeditor of the film, and helped Tom to weave a classic, heartfelt narrative into a film that could seem on the surface to be unforgivingly selfreflexive. But it works wonderfully: the film is hilarious at times, and full of intimacy. We are also privy to life lessons on confidence that Matt funnels into his brother, trying to get him to finish the film. One of The National’s biggest themes is putting up a strong front through adversity, and Matt’s cry to Tom to “fake it fake it fake it upwards” and to shut out the negative thoughts to create something worthwhile seem to have hit home, because the film is a triumph and a pleasure. By Justin Wolfers Xxxx

Alas, the revamped RoboCop is dull enough to make one wish for a patriotic, Michael Bay-style salute. Joshua Zetumer’s screenplay dutifully connects the dots between the original film’s basic ingredients and contemporary America, keeping the action in Detroit, and alluding to the hot topic of drone attacks – the opening scene shows the RoboCop prototypes malfunctioning while being tested by US military in the streets of Tehran, killing nearby innocents. This prelude is supposed to constitute a ‘critique’, but the film plays it safe enough throughout that similar events never occur on US soil, and all bloodletting has been kept to a minimum to ensure a US PG-13 rating (contra the OTT splatter of Verhoeven’s original) for maximum box office returns. It doesn’t help that Joel Kinnamen plays the iconic title role as little more than a sentient jawline, even in his totally-corporeal stage as local cop Alex Murphy, while Abbie Cornish is wasted in a thankless suffering-wife role.

Raw and engrossing, Blue Is The Warmest Colour paints the pitfalls and dizzy heights of first love. Winner of Cannes prestigious Palm d’Or last year, French-Tunisian director, Abdellatif Kechiche’s adaptation of Julie Maroh’s graphic novel may move a little slowly (clocking in at 3 hours) but audiences will find themselves absorbed into the intimate and convincing portrayal of a decade-long romance.

As the film progresses, tension and bitter fights drive a wedge between the two: Emma’s boho-bourgeois superiority complex and fledgling art career clashing with Adèle’s working class roots and greater maturity, as she is cast into the role of domestic confidante supporting the volatile artist. By the film’s end, both the viewer and characters are left wondering whether their love will last. Blue Is the Warmest Colour expresses the exhilarating, agonising and possessive nature of love. Kechiche’s candour may not please everyone, but the stellar performances from Exarchopolous and Seydoux are truly irresistible. Larry Lai

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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

Mardi Gras Film Festival 2014 Event Cinemas, 505 George Street February 13 - 23

Nina Rakovec in Dual

This week, we’re really looking forward to the opening of the Mardi Gras Film Festival 2014. Running from Thursday February 13 to Sunday February 23, this incredible film festival includes five world premieres, a huge range of Australian productions, fascinating queer documentaries, films straight from Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, groundbreaking Australian and international shorts, Australian retrospective screenings and even a rainbow kids Disney classic. If you’re really keen, you can pick up a five or 10 film pass for $85 or $160 which can be used across the festival and shared with friends. In between films, you’ll find us at the Mardi Gras Film Festival pop-up bar enjoying a few drinks, music, talks and lots more. You can check out the full program, buy season passes and see what else is on at queerscreen.org.au/mgff.

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bread&thread St. Valentine’s Day Snippets...with Hannah Warren

TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY

Cocktails at Rabbit Hole

THE LOVE EDITION Love it or hate it, V-Day is just around the corner and the BRAG is here with a few suggestions for how you can get your romantic on. Or, you know, have a nice evening out by yourself.

WORLD’S BIGGEST BLIND DATE

A few weeks after V-Day, over 700 single Sydneysiders will break the official Guinness World Record for the ‘World’s Biggest Blind Date’ at the Sydney Opera House. Participants will be matched with a date and enjoy drinks, and canapes served by

queerscreen.org.au/mgff/event for more details.

Celebrate V-Day and the opening of the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival at the film festival popup bar’s free Traffic Light Party with DJs George Rousso and Svete. Grab a coloured sticker (Green means go!) and let the loving begin! As a bonus, the pop-up bar will be partying every night for the ten days of the festival so the fun doesn’t end. Everyone’s invited, so head to

LOVE STINKS

If you’re anti-Valentine’s Day, Rock Lily at The Star will be holding a Love Stinks party all weekend. They’re offering $10 “It’s Not Me, It’s You” drink specials, pulled pork tacos are 5 for $5, and INXS tribute band Original Sin play on Friday night. There is also enough tequila to drown any sorrows you may or may not have. Star.com.au.

RABBIT HOLE

Rabbit Hole has a three-course meal with choices between scallop carpaccio and ravioli, duck and salmon, and tropezienne tart and salted caramel slice for $75 pp. Yum. Have a gander at the menu at rabbitholebar.com.au. celebrity chef Matt Moran in the beautiful surrounds of the Opera House, looking out over Sydney Harbour. There will also be an official after party. The current World Record was set by Chicago

and stands at a total of 654 people. At print, more than 600 people had already signed up! Tickets cost $98+bf, and to get more details and sign up, head to cityswoon.com.

THE COTTAGE BAR AND KITCHEN

The Cottage Bar and Kitchen in Balmain is presenting a banquet for two: two glasses of Prosecco, a dozen oysters, seared scallops, stuffed mushrooms, rib eye steak and a fairground plate of treats for $55 pp. There is also a special on Veuve Clicquot. Book at thecottagebalmain.com.au.

THE UNICORN HOTEL

The Royal in Leichhardt is offering a two-course dinner and a glass of sparkling for $49 per person in the beautiful The Royal Botanical. They’ll also be putting live music on in the main bar from 9:30. Bookings are essential, contact details are at theroyalleichhardt.com.au.

BRAG PICK

For those of you who have a slightly more tongue-in-cheek approach to V-Day, head to The Unicorn Hotel in Paddington for a $45 pp threecourse dinner set with a glass of bubbles and an awkwardly hilarious twist. Make a booking in advance and make a special love song request for your partner. Musicians on the night will then surprise unsuspecting lovers with a cringe-worthy love song serenade at the table. There are also classic rom coms on the big screen and a soundtrack that promises to put Richard Mercer to shame. The Serenade Sessions continue on Wednesday nights in February. Check out theunicornhotel.com.

SUNSET CINEMA

If you fancy something a little different, IMB Sunset Cinema North Sydney has indie folk singer Direwolf up before a screening of Pretty Woman. They’re offering a range of ticket packages, from the super fancy including seats, food and drink to the General Admission tickets. Book at sunsetcinema.com.au/northsydney.

PAPI CHULO 22-23 MANLY WHARF, MANLY MONDAY TO FRIDAY 12:00PM –10.30PM (LIMITED MENU FROM 3:00PM5:30PM) SATURDAY 11.30AM - 10.30PM SUNDAY 11:30AM – 9.00PM Who’s the cook/bartender? Head Chefs Patrick Friesen and Christopher Hogarth, are a formidably creative and talented duo in the kitchen, bringing to Papi Chulo their fresh and innovative approach to cooking developed in three of Merivale’s most loved eateries. Patrick has led the funky and anarchic Ms G’s kitchen for nearly two years while Christopher has donned lead sombrero at El Loco Excelsior and Slip Inn, as well as running the kitchen at Merivale’s multi award-winning Mr. Wong. Executive Chef is Dan Hong. Eye-candy: Papi Chulo was conceptualised by Merivale CEO, Justin Hemmes, and brought to life by a design team including Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative, Bettina Hemmes and Justin. Flavours: Papi Chulo is a fun and fresh restaurant concept, bursting with fantastic ingredients and big flavours. Succulent spice-rubbed meats take the lead and are cooked via three distinct techniques – a smoker that creates the pit barbeque flavour

thebrag.com

THE ROYAL IN LEICHHARDT

restaurant/bar profile and meltingly tender meat of the American Deep South, a wood grill for the perfect char and a charcoal rotisserie from Brazil. Something to start with: Empanadas filled with wild greens and raclette. The main course: Smoked pork ribs with Papi’s BBQ sauce. Room for dessert? Passionfruit and mango sundae – passionfruit ice cream, mango sorbet, mango, passionfruit sauce, whipped cream; or tres leches cake, fresh peaches, berries. Care for a drink? Cravado – an almost healthy frozen blend of Brazilian Cachaca coconut water, lychees, lime and mint. Sounds? DJs playing a chilled mix of Latino, hip hop and funky soul. Make us drool: Located metres from the water, Papi Chulo is a smokehouse and grill that will change the way you think about barbeque. We smoke succulent marinated meats over wood for at least six hours to create an intense pit barbeque flavour that’s straight from the American Deep South.With a beautiful waterside setting, sensationally tasty

food, and a chilled beach vibe; Papi Chulo = good times all round. The bill comes to: 12 + 34 + 14 + 18 = $78 Web: merivale.com.au/papichulo

BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 23

Album Reviews

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK HARMONY Carpetbombing Poison City

A lot of bands come and a lot of bands go around these parts, but none of them are quite like Melbourne’s Harmony.

We may already be onto one of Xxxx the best Australian releases of the year.

The band’s sprawled, slithering and seething take on garage rock is contrasted by the angelic voices – Amanda Roff, Quinn Veldhuis and Erica Dunn – and the conflict between the light and shade has managed to grow into something even greater on the band’s second album. Whether they are detailing merciless human behaviour or a constant mental struggle, one can’t help but be mesmerised by the jagged shifts and the guttural howls of desperation that echo from the lurches of Carpetbombing. It’s the antithesis of easy listening, favouring a cold abrasiveness and a slow-burning

structural dynamic that may whisper into the ether one minute before blowing out a speaker the very next. It’s an abstract and difficult record, and one that should be eased into rather than undergoing an instant immersion into its sinister surrounds. Sticking it out with Carpetbombing, however, will be rewarded greatly. David James Young

EL MOTH

AGAINST ME!

DAVE EVANS

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

THE LAWRENCE ARMS

Reggae is perhaps the most misunderstood beast in the music kingdom. People think that reggae music is only about pot and the only way to enjoy it is when stoned. And I’m not saying it’s not. Hell, you’ll enjoy the shit out of El Moth’s debut EP Life’s A Ride if you’re stoned. But you’ll also enjoy the shit out of The Wiggles’ ‘Big Red Car’ or the sound of television static – you’re stoned!

To say the last few years have been eventful for Florida rock band Against Me! is a bit of an understatement. They left their major label, drummer Jay Weinberg quit the band via Twitter, long-time bassist Andrew Seward swapped the tour life for family life… Oh, and frontman Tom Gabel began the emotional, physical and hormonal transition to becoming frontwoman Laura Jane Grace.

AC/DC’s founding lead singer is back with a blistering four-track EP that shows he has no interest in trading on past glories.

Bombay Bicycle Club are a hardworking band. In the last four years, they’ve released three albums in quick succession. Their latest arrives a little over two years after A Different Kind Of Fix, following lead singer Jack Steadman’s travels to India, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Punk bands grow up, and more so when there’s an eight-year gap since their last album. This is where The Lawrence Arms find themselves in 2014 with the release of Metropole, album number six for the Chicago punks. That was enough time to grow old and get perspective, but not make any fundamental changes to the formula. While the band is essentially staying the course musically, the songwriting delves into growing up and the loss of youth. It’s the sort of album that could only be written after a long break, when they settle into old routines only to find everything around them has changed.

Life’s A Ride Independent/Bandcamp

Life’s A Ride is an EP that’s good even without the drugs. And – this might surprise you – it’s not about pot (well… it’s not entirely about pot). El Moth have made an album with heart. The lyrics of ‘Must I’ refl ect the perpetual madness society has fallen into, as singer Tim Smith speaks of the horrifi c events of the world and the jaded approach taken by people who’d rather not think about it: “Must I always remind myself of things I should not think about?” ‘Cold Faces’ takes aim at the pull of the daily grind and the desire to avoid the noose of the shirt and tie: “I don’t wanna succumb”. It’s a record all can enjoy... you’ll just enjoy it more if you happen to be high. Daniel Prior

Transgender Dysphoria Blues Total Treble/Resist

Unsurprisingly, Against Me’s sixth studio album Transgender Dysphoria Blues is all about Grace’s transgender. Based on the concept of the experiences of a transsexual hooker, the theme could easily be inserted into Grace’s recent life. Blues is laced with doubt, anger and above all, a yearning for acceptance. There’s honesty in the storytelling that is both heart wrenching and empowering. When Grace pleads, “You want them to see you like they see any other girl” in the title track, you can’t help but hope she’ll find happiness. Musically, Blues walks the line between the band’s old punk sounds and the newer polished material. Through the anthemic rock numbers (‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’, ‘Black Me Out’) to the sombre moments (‘Two Coffins’), one thing is clear: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Nothing To Prove Rocksector Records

Naming the EP Nothing To Prove is as much a statement of intent as it is a challenge to himself: you can be damn sure if the music wasn’t up to scratch that he would be cut down to size instantly. ‘Put Up Or Shut Up’ is a similarly aggressive challenge to the naysayers and bullshitters. Written with Absolva’s Chris Appleton, it features some of the raunchiest guitar work this side of heavy metal. ‘I Believe’ is an anthem the likes of which they just don’t write anymore, while Big Joe Williams’ blues standard ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, which Evans has been playing since his year-long tenure with AC/DC around 1974, is similar to AC/DC’s version, but perhaps showing what the song was like before Bon Scott tried it on for size. Nothing To Prove is an excellent EP from a man who was there when hard rock evolved, and credit must be given not only for his role in that, but also that he is still here 40 years later making original music that is not in debt to his former band. Shane Pinnegar

Rick Warner

YOUNG FATHERS Dead Big Dada/Inertia

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With the band taking over production as well, So Long, See You Tomorrow demonstrates the indie quartet’s willingness for electronic experimentation. While they’ve dabbled before, Steadman has this time brought back Bollywood loops and samples to distribute throughout the record. ‘Carry Me’ is probably the grittiest track on the album – whatever ‘gritty’ means for Bombay Bicycle Club. Tunes like ‘Overdone’ and ‘It’s Alright Now’ feature Steadman’s familiar wistful vocals, with the latter’s refrain transforming into a sort of mesmerising pulse. ‘Luna’ is perhaps the standout, where those Bollywood samples are deployed ingeniously. It’s tumultuous, but offset with Rae Morris’ and Steadman’s soaring vocals, it’s gorgeous. However, So Long, See You Tomorrow lacks the commitment that can nurture results beyond the merely pleasant. It’s impossible to love or hate this album. There’s not enough in it to incite any strong emotion; it’s inoffensive and safe.

Metropole Epitaph

‘Seventeener (17th and 34th)’ sets the mood of the album, dripping with bitterness and nostalgia. Their sound is mellower than their previous work, aside from the odd abrasive track like quickfire ‘Drunk Tweets’, reflecting the melancholy mood of the album. It’s mature and sincere without being boring, which is a fairly important element. While little has changed with their sound, it’s The Lawrence Arms’ change of perspective that makes the record so interesting – even if it’s a depressing reminder that we’ve got to grow old someday. Brendan Holben

Sharon Ye

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK A multinational collective from the UK, this hip hop trio has its origins in Liberia, Nigeria and Scotland. It is somehow appropriate their latest is titled Dead – either deeply ironic or keenly visionary, given the game of chance that is the life most of their original countrymen tackle on a daily basis. This being so, it comes as no surprise that the tunes are littered with titles such as ‘Just Another Bullet’, ‘War’ and ‘Hangman’. Elsewhere you will find a resilient two fingers to the narrow-minded and shallow, whose thoughts are confined to mocking and whose arguments are deserving of ignominy. ‘No Way’ develops into a staunch urban war cry, while ‘Low’

So Long, See You Tomorrow Island/Caroline

recites life’s misfortune in the style of Red Hot Chili Peppers. The variety in the Young Fathers canon is thrilling, and Dead represents a trio with ambitions to make a memorable point. Taken on its merits, the album demands several listens – it’s a brilliant synthesis of the smoothness of Seal and Kanye with the venom of N.W.A and Public Enemy. Young Fathers sound regal even if they are rapping about tramps like us who were born to pay.

OFFICE MIXTAPE

And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... RAY LAMONTAGNE - Trouble CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe THE ARCHIES - Bubble Gum Friends

MORRISSEY - Your Aresenal STONE ROSES - Turns Into Stone

Terrace chants and smooth grooves stand side by side. A bold step forward. Bronius Zumeris

thebrag.com

Warpaint photo by Mia Kirby

Harmony have a similar intensity to that of The Nation Blue, vocalist/guitarist Tom Lyngcoln’s day job, albeit in a very different field.

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

LANEWAY FESTIVAL

snap

up all night out all week . . . OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

:: TIM LEVY ::

Sydney College of the Arts Sunday February 2

With no obnoxious tattoos, slogan tees, fluoro or denim underwear in sight, the saving grace of Sydney’s festivals was back for another year of sunny bliss with its signature high-calibre lineup accenting each moment. Flocking in the direction of a seemingly hypnotised crowd, we bore witness to the UK’s 19-year-old ginger prodigy, King Krule, as his spellbinding melodies and disjointed beats swirled across the audience. It was hard to comprehend how that 70-year-old-smoker’s growl belonged to baby-faced Archy Marshall, who dished out songs from his debut album 6 Feet Beneath The Moon with remarkable maturity. Elsewhere, the more experienced and good-humoured Run The Jewels – AKA El-P and Killer Mike – belted out a new hip hop anthem: “We don’t make dance music / We make R.A.P!” As hundreds dashed over to the main Park Stage, Vance Joy’s ‘Emmylou’ and ‘Play With Fire’ prompted some “aaaaah-what-do-you-meanother-songs?” hums in the crowd. He might’ve won the triple j Hottest 100, but Vance Joy live is generic and forgettable. At least until… “Lady, running down to the riptide”. Ah, there it was. XXYYXX offered a chill-out escape on this summer’s day, but Frightened Rabbit got right to the point. “This weather is fucked,” announced Scott Hutchison. All we might be able to tell our friends about Laneway, he laughed, was that “a big fuck from Scotland died onstage. It was better than Lorde.” Thankfully, the overheating five-piece matched banter with insistent melodies – smiles on faces all round. While Cashmere Cat wowed fans at the Future Classic corner, Daughter’s leading lady Elena Tonra took the mic on the main stage. The atmospherics neared boiling point, with heavy percussive undercurrents intensifying Tonra’s emotionalism. Kurt Vile was best summed up as a zero-fucks-were-given set; more self-indulged than introspective. Lots of “yeeeeahs” were offered – none from the audience, however. All was forgiven when the Haim sisters took charge directly after him, dazzling all with their head-banging, melodic rapture. Not one patron was silent for ‘Falling’, with all bopping euphorically to the upbeat percussion and slick guitar riffs of Haim’s chart-topping debut LP Days Are Gone. After a sufficient dose of hits, Danny Brown’s crowd in the sandstone confines of the courtyard stage doubled. With even stragglers vying for a spot up front, the Detroit-reared hip hop star had every hand raised and every hip swayed. Chvrches opened with ‘We Sink’ from their delightful debut, The Bones Of What You Believe, but Lauren Mayberry’s voice was a tad lost in the bass-heavy mix. Not so Lorde, who in the same week she won two Grammys, returned Down Under with an ounce more swagger. She played the tease with her setlist, at least until ‘Tennis Court’, which kicked the day’s biggest crowd into action. The obligatory ‘Royals’ was there, but ‘Team’ was the highlight – a song Ella YelichO’Connor hasn’t always found a way to land in her live shows. The internationals were strong in number and reputation, but it was a delight to see two locals closing the main stages, especially after their respective stints abroad. Cloud Control’s Alister Wright lit up the Garden Stage by soloing on a flaming guitar; a touch of satire from a band that has always seemed to take itself just a little too seriously. Breakout hit ‘Gold Canary’ transitioned into ‘Pepper’ by the Butthole Surfers near the end of a set that combined old and new material. Where there’s fire, there’s smoke, and The Jezabels had the smoke machines in overdrive for their homecoming night. Again, older material gave way to new cuts, and while ‘Look Of Love’ didn’t quite manage to cut through, Hayley Mary et al. were in fine form nonetheless. And then, a stunning moment: as they reached the chorus on The Brink’s big lead single, ‘The End’, the stage lights suddenly and unexpectedly went out – so much so, Nik Kaloper couldn’t see his drums. Instinctively, the crowd responded by bathing the band in light from an arsenal of mobile phones. The Jezabels were gracious and closed with ‘Hurt Me’, and as some fans continued to Warpaint, we had witnessed Laneway’s most inspiring moment of many.

Mina Kitsos and Chris Martin thebrag.com

BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 25

live reviews

What we've been out to see...

Singing with a grainy Australian inflection, Allbrook depicted a variety of concrete scenes – ranging from spying on a crush through a bakery window, to watching the cricket with his grandfather, to fearing his Qantas flight would crash. Allbrook knows where to find a classic pop melody but on the majority of these songs opted for a strangled outcry rather than an obvious melodic refrain. His irregular phrasing coupled with explicit lyrical whimsy would sound something like The Birthday Party if their violent imagery were replaced by fight-for-life urgency. The set only lasted for half an hour, suggesting Allbrook is still determining what his ‘solo’ personality is, but he commanded attention nonetheless. Speaking of grotesque characters, London’s Archy Marshall AKA King Krule seems sent from another time. The skittish jazz sound of King Krule’s 2013

SAVAGES, A DEAD FOREST INDEX Metro Theatre Wednesday February 5

Back in May, UK four-piece Savages put out one of the year’s most fascinating records with debut album Silence Yourself. An equal parts fragile and abrasive collection of distinctive modern post-punk, it’s little wonder they were one of the most buzzed-about acts on this year’s Laneway bill; an excitement superseded only by the announcement of accompanying headline dates in Sydney and Melbourne. Melbourne-based duo A Dead Forest Index set the night’s mood in reliably haunting fashion. The pair constructs droning, gloom-laden soundscapes, with guitarist/vocalist Adam Sherry crafting an atmospheric wall of sound through minimal guitar chords and an often ethereal voice. The ambience is punctuated by brother Sam’s understated, sparse percussion. Through a thick fog of smoke, Savages emerge – dressed in black, without a word of banter. Solemnly moving into opener ‘I Need Something New’, the band demonstrates an undeniable presence. Perhaps most immediately notable is the energy emanating from vocalist Jehnny Beth – despite the bleakness of the

Opening with ‘Has This Hit?’, Marshall could hardly contain himself, moving with a possessed jerk that matched the music’s uneven accents. His bristling wordplay came out in hot gusts, suggesting the tunes haven’t lost any weight of significance. The consistent beat emphasis lets his South London origins shine through, especially evident when he put his guitar down to writhe inside the dub-like grooves of ‘The Krockadile’. His band consists of players’ players, yet they look like Midlands ruffians, thuggishly backing up Marshall with punchy finesse. One slight disappointment was the fullband update of ‘Easy Easy’. The song was still a highlight, but to hear Marshall’s gravelly croak and guitar alone would have been a soothing balm to the otherwise frenetic display.

frightened rabbit

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The eager early arrivals tonight were treated to a set of new solo material from Pond frontman Nick Allbrook. Allbrook’s junk-addled flamboyance at Pond gigs nominates him as a grotesque character. However, Pond’s widescreen psychedelia mostly obscures the details of Allbrook’s peculiarities. Tonight he was alone onstage wielding a reverby Fender Mustang and backed by rudimentary drum programming, which proved the optimal foundation for conveying his surreal strengths.

debut 6 Feet Beneath The Moon doesn’t confer with much else on the ‘hip’ list, but Marshall’s mixture of soulful-to-mournful crooning, hip hop phrasing and britpop melodies makes it anything but academic. Similarly, he might look like Beaker from The Muppets but tonight his toughened confidence and virility rubbished populist standards of ‘cool’.

06:02:14 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

Nevertheless, the beyond-capacity OAF crowd (including Lorde, Jehnny from Savages, Flume and Jagwar Ma) were tuned right into the King’s broadcast throughout. Augustus Welby

quartet’s music, Beth is an incredibly charismatic, confident frontwoman. As they move into the decidedly more lively ‘City’s Full’, it becomes apparent that Savages’ music is, at its roots, made to be heard firsthand. For all the brilliance of their studio material, the songs sound infinitely more intense when performed live; they are given a sense of immediacy and spirit.

made in japan

PICS :: KC

Oxford Art Factory Tuesday February 4

up all night out all week . . .

barefoot alley

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KING KRULE, NICK ALLBROOK

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08:02:14 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9660 7953

One of the most interesting things about Savages is how each member of the band negotiates between bold independence and collective unity. While each is a proficient and captivating musician in their own right, as a unit Savages are a dynamic, synchronous entity that mesh together perfectly regardless of – or because of – the cacophonous sound they produce. Throughout the 80-minute set, they deliver a generous selection of tracks from Silence Yourself, along with a new, fairly aggressive number simply titled ‘Fuckers’ and a sublime cover of Suicide’s ‘Dream Baby Dream’. Despite only playing their first show a little over two years ago, you’d never be able to tell from the sheer intensity, cohesiveness and power they project from the moment they take the stage until they leave. Ultimately, Savages are one of the most utterly compelling live acts I’ve seen. Blake Gallagher

09:02:14 :: Frankie's Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

warpaint

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KE PHOTOGRAPHER :: KATRINA CLAR

05:02:14 :: St Stephen's Uniting Church :: 197 Macquarie St Sydney 9221 1688 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

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S :: LIAM CAMERON :: KATRINA

CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR ::

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up all night out all week . . .

for Live and Localsau! Calling all artistsplay entertainment.com. Contact: chris@fair

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04:02:14 :: The Metro :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

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major leagues + the ocean party

08:02:14 :: Brighton Up Bar :: 1/77 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9361 3379

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the national

02 4956 2066

ASTLE C W E N ’S E T T O IZ L law

Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why

Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber

Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton

WWW. LIZOT TES.COM.AU BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 27

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Julia Holter

7:30pm. $39.40. The Love Junkies + Blonde On Blonde Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. free. The Owls + Siamese Almeida + Angry Beige + The British Blues The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. World’s End Press + Retiree + Alex Cameron Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $15.40.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Lionel Cole And The Family Business Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20. Mike Nock Quartet Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

The Standard

Julia Holter + Ducktails + Caitlin Park 8pm. $48.10. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

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.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Divergence Jazz Orchestra Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50. Little Marvin Wonder - feat: Lionel Cole + Michael Duchesne Imperial Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. free. The Carl Dewhurst Trio Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free.

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. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Dappled Cities + Glass Towers + Step-Panther + Bec & Ben Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. free. Gary Johns Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

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7pm. free. Joe Echo Duo O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 10:15am. free. Julia Holter + Ducktails + Caitlin Park The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $48.10. Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Matt Jones Trio Rock Lily, Pyrmont. 8pm. free. Raw Idiocy + Ivory + Glab + Michael Miller Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $10. The Kite String Tangle Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $20. Vibrations At Valve Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Cole Soul And Emotion Feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. Free The Beats Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free. Mark Isaacs Trio + Jay Anderson Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Cass Eager And The Velvet Rope + Marshall Okell Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $15.

Dave White Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Flamin’ Beauties Royal Hotel, Bondi. 9pm. free. Lachlan Bryan And The Wildes Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.30. Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Marshall Okell Old Manly Boatshed, Manly. 9:30pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dave White Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. David Agius Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7pm. free. Greg Byrne Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Live Music Thursdays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free. The Folk Informal - feat: James Kelly + Ryan Collings + Betty And Oswald + Timberwolf FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. free. Achoo! Bless You + All Our Exes Live In Texas Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Joe Echo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Klay The Mercantile Hotel, Sydney. 7:45pm. free. Lynyrd Skynyrd Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 8:30pm. $120. Radio Cairo - feat: Ghost Talk + Hey Baby + Guests Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Sarah Paton Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Steve Edmonds Presents: Mescalero Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $15. The Black Sorrows The Basement, Circular Quay.

Am 2 Pm Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 8pm. free. Andy Hammers + Crash Avenue Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. Andy Tipton Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Ange General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham. 7pm. free. Antoine Greystanes Inn, Greystanes. 8pm. free. Austra The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $43. Backlash Penrith Gaels, Kingswood. 8pm. free. Balmain Blitz Band Competition Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 7pm. $15. Big Way Out Ivanhoe Hotel, Manly. 10pm. free. Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 10:30pm. free. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Courtyard Sessions - feat: Daughter Of Dynamite Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. free. Craig Thommo Duo Springwood Sports Club, Springwood. 8:30pm. free. Dave Phillips Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 7pm. free. David Agius Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 7pm. free. Diesel + Dylan Wright The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $45. Dixon Cider + The Lost Cause Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club,

Wentworthville. 9pm. free. East Coast Band New Brighton Hotel, Manly. 11pm. free. Endless Summer Beach Party Captain Cook Hotel, Botany. 8pm. free. Evie Dean Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. free. Get The Party Started - Pink Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10pm. free. Greg Agar Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 5:30pm. free. Greg Agar New Brighton Hotel, Manly. 10pm. free. Heath Burdell Clovelly Hotel, Clovelly. 8pm. free. Heavy Heart Festival Feat: Amodus + Eymaze + Coredea + Shadowqueen + Bite + Acid Nymph Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Hooray For Everything East Hills Hotel, East Hills. 7:15pm. free. Jess Dunbar Novotel, Darling Harbour. 5:30pm. free. Leon Fallon Trio Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10:30pm. free. Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt. 9:30pm. free. Luke Robinson Duo Horse And Jockey Hotel, Homebush. 7:30pm. free. Marty’s Place Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 8pm. free. Matt Jones Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Matt Jones Duo Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 11:30pm. free. Matt Price Duo Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Michael Paynter + Imogen Brough The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $15. Michael Saracino The Grand Hotel, Rockdale. 5:30pm. free. MTNS Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Muddy Feet Courthouse Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. free. Rob Henry Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9pm. free. Rock Solid Duo North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 7:30pm. free. Steve Balbi Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $25. The Kite String Tangle Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $20. The Lonely Boys Marlborough Hotel, Newtown. 10:30pm. free. Truth Be Told + Red Morning + Copper Tongue + Facing Zero Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 8:30pm. free. Two Minds Windsor Leagues Club,

Windsor South. 9:15pm. free. Wildcatz Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney. 10pm. free.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Nic Jeffries Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50. The Feral Swing Katz Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $17. The Hipstones Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20. Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 11am. free.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Elnino Duo Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 8pm. free. Finn + Ross Ward + Kieran Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9pm. free. Live Music Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Paul Hayward & Friends Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. free. Stormcellar Royal Hotel, Bondi. 8:30pm. free. Tongue & Groove Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8:30pm. free. VIP The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Vanity Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 10pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

A Gentleman’s Agreement + Hypergiant + DRS Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 8:30pm. free. After Party Band Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 10:30pm. free. Alex Hopkins Stacks Taverna, Sydney. 6pm. free. Am 2 Pm Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 10pm. free. Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 7pm. free. Ange Hotel Pennant Hills, Pennant Hills. 10pm. free. Ange Ambarvale Tavern, Ambarvale. 2pm. free. Antoine Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4:20pm. free. Ben Finn Duo The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free. Big Way Out Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney. 10pm. free.

The Love Junkies

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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Brad Johns Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 10:30pm. free. Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 3:30pm. free. Cara Kavanagh And Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt. 9pm. free. Corrosion - feat: DJ Voodoo + DJ She + Xersokitte Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Dave Phillips Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Dave White Experience Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. David Agius Duo Moorebank Sports Club, Sydney. 9pm. free. Diesel + The Lazys The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $45. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free. Endless Summer Beach Party Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Geoff Rana Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany. 7pm. free. Greg Lines General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham. 7pm. free. Heath Burdell Duo Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9pm. free. Hooray For Everything Parramatta RSL Club, Parramatta. 7:30pm. free. James Lindsay Duo The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 6pm. free. Joe Echo PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park. 7:30pm. free. John Field And Leon Fallon Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 9pm. free. Jonny Rock Greystanes Inn, Greystanes. 8pm. free. Klay Cookies Bar, North Strathfield. 8pm. free. Little Bastard + OXBLVD + Ranger Spacey The Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7pm. $15. Luke Dolahenty Brewhouse Marayong, Kings Park. 7pm. free. Matt Jones Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Michael And Lucas Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Microwave Jenny The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $20. Muddy Feet The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 8:45pm. free. Nicky Kurta Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Nova Tone North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 7:30pm. free. Oliver Tank + Oscar Key Sung + Bree Tranter Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $17. Panorama Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney. 10pm. free. Powderfinger Show Springwood Sports Club, Springwood. 9pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Rock Solid Duo Kingswood Sports Club, Kingswood. 8:30pm. free. Ryan Thomas Crown On McCredie, Guildford West. 7pm. free. Tyrone Noonan + Pludo Spectrum, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.40. Steve Balbi

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The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $30. The Lonely Boys The Mercantile Hotel, Sydney. 8:30pm. free. The Matchbox 20 Tribute Show Ettamogah Hotel, Kellyville Ridge. 9pm. free. Two Minds The Mercantile Hotel, Sydney. 3pm. free. Wretched - feat: Staunch + Break A Leg + Outrage + Breakout + Home Burial Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. Zoltan Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn. 9pm. free.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

King Street Dub Sundays Newtown Hotel, Newtown. 4pm. free. Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie Illawarra Master Builders Club, Wollongong. 2:30pm. free.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Chill Out Sundays Scubar, Sydney. 7:30pm. free. Elevation U2 Acoustic Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 6pm. free. Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. free. Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm. free. Show People Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 2pm. free. Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. The Chosen Few Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 4pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Antoine O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 8pm. free. Dave White Duo Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 3pm. free. Daybreak Showcase Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. Five Decade Faint - feat: The Amarta Funk Militia + Air Force Kid Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Franky Valentyn Club Five Dock, Five Dock. 4pm. free. Jess Dunbar Mill Hill Hotel, Bondi Junction. 3pm. free. Marty Stewart Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah. 12pm. free. Matt Jones Diddly-Dee The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 1:30pm. free. Matt Price Duo Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 6pm. free. Monique Brumby Lizotte’s, Dee Why. 8:30pm. $23. Pete Hunt Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 3pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. free. Satellite V Marrickville Bowls Club,

Marrickville. 4:30pm. free. Sunday Sabbath Sessions - feat: Tracer + Voodoo Sons Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. free. Three Wise Men Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Tomorrow Foundation Fundraiser - feat: Dylan Wright Band + The Lazys + Kirrakamere + David Thomas Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $15. UK Anthems Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. VIP The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Zoltan Springwood Sports Club, Springwood. 2:30pm. free.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 17 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Big Swing Band Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 7:30pm. free. Happy Monday Games Night Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free. Latin & Jazz Jam Open Mic Night World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free. Mambo Mondays Bar100, The Rocks. 5:30pm. free. Motown Mondays - feat: Soulgroove The White Horse, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. Reggae Monday Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. free.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Jazzgroove - feat: Black Sea Blues Band + Jazz Connection Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $16.50. Old School Funk & Groove Night Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free. Rumba Motel Salsa - feat: DJ Willie Sabor + Friends The Establishment, Sydney. 6pm. free.

wed

13 Feb (9:30PM - 12:30AM)

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

fri

14 Feb (9:30PM - 1:30AM)

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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

sat

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sun

Feb

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Greg Agar Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

thu

12 Feb

Feb

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

mon

17 Feb

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

tue

18 Feb (9:30PM - 12:30AM)

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK Dolly Parton Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $99.90.

BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 29

gig picks

up all night out all week... Austra

& CAITLIN PARK

SIAMESE ALMEIDA + ANGRY BEIGE THE BRITISH BLUES

FRI 14 FEB THU 20 FEB

AUSTRA (USA)

Joel Rafidi

BALDWINS + EMPIRE RISING

FRI 21 FEB THU 27 FEB The

DREAM DELAY HIP HOP HOUSE PARTY LEURA / BRAVE THE CONVERSATIONS THE TOUNGE

SLEAZY GREAZY, TREY AND S.KAPE

Coming Up IN MARCH

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15

Dappled Cities + Glass Towers + StepPanther + Bec & Ben Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. Free. Julia Holter + Ducktails + Caitlin Park The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $48.10. The Kite String Tangle Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $20.

Little Bastard + OXBLVD + Ranger Spacey The Factory Floor, Marrickville. 7pm. $15. Oliver Tank + Oscar Key Sung + Bree Tranter Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $17. Tyrone Noonan + Pludo Spectrum, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.40.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 The Folk Informal - feat: James Kelly + Ryan Collings + Betty And Oswald + Timberwolf FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Achoo! Bless You + All Our Exes Live In Texas Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Lynyrd Skynyrd Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 8:30pm. $120. World’s End Press + Retiree + Alex Cameron Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $15.40.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 Monique Brumby Lizotte’s, Dee Why. 8:30pm. $23. Sunday Sabbath Sessions - feat: Tracer + Voodoo Sons Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18 Dolly Parton Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $99.90.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 Austra The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $43. Diesel + Dylan Wright The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $45. Michael Paynter + Imogen Brough The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $15. MTNS Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Oliver Tank

The Kite String Tangle

30 :: BRAG :: 549 : 12:02:14

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brag beats

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

TOM GRANT AND ADAM AMUSO FROM SCNDL

Growing Up Tom Grant: Growing 1. up I had such a diverse

Your Crew No-one specifically got 3. us actually into this scene,

range of music blaring on the stereo, from Elton John to Led Zeppelin, and even though neither of my parents are musicians themselves they encouraged musicality throughout my childhood. I got a piano at the age of eight and taught myself; my parents wanted to give me lessons but I hated them so I guess they let me do my own thing.

it was more that we loved the music and wanted to be a part of the movement. We work with the guys at Ministry of Sound for most of our music – such a great crew and they have supported us from the start. We are lucky enough to be writing music and DJing full-time now, but that’s only been for the last eight months or so. Before that, we were working pretty shitty jobs!

Inspirations Adam Amuso: My 2. favourite musicians would

The Presets photo by Elvis Di Fazio

The Presets

have to be Showtek and Justice. Showtek are the whole reason I started producing music and DJing, and since then they have been nothing but my idols. The first time I heard the album Cross by Justice I was actually mind-blown; the uniqueness of the track list gave me the confidence to experiment with sounds outside the box. ‘One Minute To Midnight’ would have to be my favourite track by them.

The Music You Make We would definitely 4. say the music we make is very bouncy, hence the term ‘Melbourne Bounce’, but what we try to do in the studio is experiment with unusual and weird sounds so our tracks are different to what other people are producing. As for what we play in our sets… we do play a lot of our stuff followed by some bombs from our good mates Deorro, Will Sparks, Joel Fletcher, Uberjak’d, J-Trick, et cetera. But we also mix it up with a

few vocal mashups that we have made with tracks by, for example, Hardwell, Makj and Henry Fong. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The music scene right now is unreal! Dance music is taking over the world right now and it’s amazing to be a part of something that’s revolutionising everything. The biggest obstacle anyone has to overcome is doubt. Anything is possible in today’s society and too many people are afraid to take a risk, but if they never try, they’ll never know. The best thing about our local scene is that it’s not local anymore – the Melbourne Bounce is going global and it’s so amazing to see our mates taking off with it. With: We R SCNDL With: J-Trick, John Glover, Chris Fraser, Mo’Funk, Fingers, Nanna Does Smack and more Where: Ivy When: Saturday February 15

THE PRESETS

Following the release of their new single ‘Goodbye Future’, Sydney duo The Presets will headline The Metro Theatre on Thursday May 1. The Presets were voted Best Live Act at the 2012 inthemix Awards, and hold a reputation for putting on a rollicking performance that stretches back to the release of their classic debut LP Beams. They’ve since released a few more albums and toured the world, performing at last year’s Coachella Festival in California. The Presets will be supported by fellow Modular Records artists Wordlife and Beni.

DERRICK CARTER NOT ANOTHER BOAT PARTY

Wordlife and Softwar head an array of local DJs who are spinning at an endof-summer boat party on Saturday March 22, self-referentially titled Not Another Boat Party (props for the Jaws homage promo poster lads!). A co-production backed by FBi Radio, Thump and the UNDR ctrl crew, Not Another Boat Party will commence at 5pm, the boat departs from Aquarium Pier in Darling Harbour and returns at 10pm. Wordlife is the duo collective of Kato and Adam Bozzetto who recently supported Detroit luminary Juan Atkins and have released material together on the Bang Gang record label, which has in turn been remixed by the likes of The Bumblebeez, Teki Latex and Anna Lunoe. Softwar also have a bourgeoning production CV, having released on the Future Classic and Modular labels. Wollongong’s Parkside DJs, Basenji and Kilter will also be representing on the boat. First release tickets are available for $40.

Wordlife

One of the earliest second-wave Chicago house impresarios to make it big in Europe, veteran DJ/producer Derrick Carter will headline the Goldfish in Kings Cross on Saturday March 1, when he will play a midnight set. Carter has been an Aussie favourite for many years since announcing himself back in 1987 with ‘Love Me Right’. From this time, Carter has remained at the forefront of the club realm, remixing the likes of Cajmere, Ian Pooley and Felix da Housecat and releasing a litany of commercially-commissioned mixes, including a Fabric compilation and a House Masters mix for Defected Records.

DETROIT SWINDLE

Dutch deep house duo Detroit Swindle, comprised of Maarten Smeets and Lars Dales, will perform at Ivy on Saturday February 22 to tie in with the release of their debut album, Boxed Out, which will drop in March. Originally establishing themselves a few years ago with releases on labels like on Huxley’s Saints & Sonnets imprint and Jimpster’s Freerange stable, the pair have also remixed Kraak & Smaak and local lads Softwar. Boxed Out apparently incorporates disco, deep house and leftfield hip hop jams, with Mayer Hawthorne making a guest appearance on the opening track and a later cut sampling none other than Alice Russell. BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 31

dance music news

free stuff

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

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five things WITH VENGEANCE by the idea of mixing songs – I had no idea how to do it but I knew I needed to learn! I remember speeding up tracks to make them sound like chipmunks, that and just stitching random songs together… I’d tell kids at school I was DJ even though I wasn’t!

Inspirations I think I’m inspired by pretty much everything I’ve ever listened to or liked. To me there is no difference between dance, hip hop, rock, pop, whatever – music is energy and I’m always just trying to replicate the moments of intense energy that have stuck with me as a listener. My biggest inspiration has actually been ‘Confusion (1995 Pump Panel Remix)’ by New Order. When I heard that track back in ’99 I was watching Blade – maybe it was the blazing 303 or just Wesley Snipes, but my brain snapped permanently when I heard the track and I knew I had to be part of rave culture.

Your Crew Vamp Music has looked out for me ever 3. since I started putting my bootlegs online a

Growing Up Weirdly enough I’ve loved dance music 1. since I was as young as ten. I used to listen to megamixes from CDs like WILD and Skitz Mix over and over again, and I was obsessed

few years back, and since then I’ve made great friends and built a solid community of die-hard party-harders, the Acid Rave Crew. I’ve started a clothing label, Ratlife, with my girl Helen – she’s an absolute gun designer and insanely driven! We’ve put out Vengeance merch as well as a completely separate collection of gear. It’s been a great way to make a strong group of like-minded

individuals, and it’s great to be able to connect with your audience in more than one way. The Music You Make As I said before, I used to love that 4. Hi-NRG dance music of the ’90s, so I’m always trying to pay homage to that whilst keeping it all modern and relevant! I produce at that classic 130 BPM (roughly) but I don’t think that will be forever. I love playing at all tempos; speed is a flexible tool that I like to make full use of. I play anything, from 60 to 200 – there are no rules in dance music, just boring naysayers! If it’s got them underground rave vibes, I’ll play it.

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene in Sydney was amazing, but the new lockout laws are gonna send it back to the Stone Age and destroy the careers of many up-and-coming producer/DJs. Music around Australia will still go on alive and strong, there’s talent everywhere you look – it’s just awful to see such a major vein of the industry get clogged up with so much bullshit. What: Vamp Music presents Aquaholics With: Brillz, Seven Lions, Lazy Rich, Ember, Tigerlily and more Where: The Bella Vista, departing Star Casino Wharf When: Saturday February 15

ERIC PRYDZ SIDESHOW MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS

Tickets are on sale at midday today (Wednesday February 12) via Ticketek for hip hop’s ‘it’ duo, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who’ve added a sideshow date to their Future Music Festival appearances. They’ll be poppin’ some tags up in Newcastle on Wednesday March 5, making it potentially the most important thrift shop-related activity in the city since Daniel Johns bought his first flannels. See them at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday March 5.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Australian dancers’ desire to experience Sweden’s Eric Prydz on home soil has long been thwarted by the Swede’s notorious fear of flying. However Prydz has overcome his fear – or someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – and he will headline Pacha at Ivy on Saturday March 8 following his performance at this year’s Future Music Festival. Prydz has accumulated a huge profile through big room hits such ‘Pjanoo’, his output under his monikers Pryda and Cirez D and of course ‘Call On Me’, his rework of Steve Winwood’s 1982 song ‘Valerie’ that sounded heavily indebted to a re-edit of the same song by ‘French touch’ DJs Thomas Bangalter and DJ Falcon, which they had used in their sets for years prior to Prydz releasing his version. Prydz has consolidated his lofty position in club circles through remixes for the likes of heavyweights Depeche Mode, M83 and even local lads Timmy Trumpet and Tom Piper, while his debut full-length album, Eric Prydz Presents Pryda, arrived in 2012, offering another ubiquitous single in ‘Every Day’. Prydz will play for a minimum of three hours at Pacha, with his protégés Jeremy Olander and Fehrplay throwing down in support.

Calvin Harris

SOL + CALVIN HARRIS

Calvin Harris is nothing short of a superstar. Topping charts worldwide, scooping up numerous awards and dropping hit after hit with collaboration after collaboration, he is truly one of the most recognised and successful producers today. With all his success in the music biz over the years, he has developed some finely tuned ears – and in a stroke of genius, Sol Republic have collaborated with Harris (who is also an ambassador for them) to create the Master Tracks XC headphones. Available exclusively at JB Hi-Fi and studio tuned by Harris himself, these headphones are ideal for producers and fans alike. Harris has signed a pair of Master Tracks XC headphones for one lucky BRAG reader – to be in the running, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us the first record you’d listen to with them.

LATE NITE TUFF GUY

One of Australia’s most respected techno exports, Cam Bianchetti, aka DJ HMC / Late Nite Tuff Guy, will play an all-night-long set at the Civic Underground this Saturday February 15. Bianchetti’s first hit was ‘Phreakin’ back in the mid-’90s, but he remains best known for his subsequent single as Late Nite Tuff Guy, ‘I Get Deeper’, which is still a favourite among clubbers today. After an extended absence from the scene, Bianchetti returned to the fray last year with a tour of Europe that included a set at notorious Berlin clubbing pantheon Berghain. He’s also recently launched his own Tuff Cut record label, which suggests that there’s plenty of fire in the belly yet. Bianchetti will begin playing at 10pm, and continue until the last dancers drop (to be clear, that’s a reference to fatigue and not illicit substances).

FRANK BOOKER

New Zealand tastemaker Frank Booker will headline The Spice Cellar on Friday March 14. Booker co-hosts Hit It & Quit It alongside Recloose on Auckland radio and first emerged at the beginning of ’09 when he released the Brothers EP on the boutique London record label Untracked Recordings. The record was supported by Ashley Beedle, Todd Terje et al., and brought Frank to the attention of Kenji Sakajiri, the A&R man for Japanese record label Wonderful Noise. Kenji instantly signed Frank for a special limited edition mix CD, and… well you get it by now, don’t you – it’s your classic upward spiral journey towards fame, sex, glamour etc. Booker will be supported – depending on set times, one could say bookended – by Softwar’s Pink Lloyd and Slow Blow’s Parihaka, with first beat at 10pm.

HOUSE MASTER: HENRIK SCHWARZ

Pacha Sydney will host an Ivy Pool Club day party this Saturday February 15 comprising American house veteran MK and Simon Dunmore, the founder of Defected Records. MK churned out anthemic house anthems in the early ’90s such as ‘Always’ and ‘Burning’, before delivering a seminal remix of Nightcrawler’s ‘Push The Feeling On’. 20-odd years on and MK remains a force in 32 :: BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14

the club world, with his ubiquitous remix of Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through’ topping the charts last year. Dunmore presided over an empire that counts the likes of Kings Of Tomorrow and – for better or worse – Bob Sinclar among its subjects. Defected Records continues to influence the house milieu in recent years by releasing hit records from the likes of Noir & Haze, Flashmob and Pirupa. The revelry commences at midday and continues until 7pm.

NENEH CHERRY

Neneh Cherry will release her first solo album in 16 years, Blank Project, at the end of the month. There’s plenty about this album to pique interest; it’s a collaboration with London duo RocketNumberNine, produced by Four Tet, that features a guest appearance by Robyn. The ten-track album was recorded and mixed over a mere fiveday period, with Cherry apparently undertaking the album as a means of working through personal tragedy. Cherry performed material from the album during live shows in the UK last year, with no lesser authority than the Daily Telegraph recounting the “tough techno and hypermodern rhythms” that pervaded her show, which fuelled their “overwhelming impression ... that Cherry’s latest work is a terrific return to form”. A Ricardo Villalobos remix of Blank Project’s closing track ‘Everything’ that surfaced online recently has garnered plenty of attention from the club community and validated the Tele’s otherwise suspicious use of the word ‘techno’ in its above-quoted event review.

Neneh Cherry photo by Kim Hiorthoy

MK + SIMON DUNMORE

Fresh from throwing down at the AGWA Boat Party in January, Germany’s Henrik Schwarz will release the latest mix in Defected’s House Masters series. Schwarz has proven form when it comes to compilations, having broken through via his sublime DJ-Kicks mix many moons ago. Since then, he has been collaborating regularly with Innervisions affiliates Âme and Dixon as A Critical Mass, and remixed the likes of Omar/Stevie Wonder in memorable fashion. His House Masters mix, which has just been released, is made up entirely of Schwarz’s own productions and reworks, and comprises his remixes of Coldcut and Ane Brun, along with the aforementioned Omar/Wonder rework and the Innervisions rerub of Derrick Carter’s ‘Where We At?’

Neneh Cherry

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MK Defected On Tour By Chrissy Symeonakis

t’s big news for house heads, Defected die-hards and music aficionados – Defected is coming Down Under. The label, founded in 1999 by the big man in the business, Simon Dunmore, has come leaps and bounds since. For true lovers of music, Defected is where you go for real music, quality artists and the biggest parties and events around the world. Defected is house music. With the label’s touring arm arriving on Australian soil for the first time, it’s bringing along American producer and DJ Marc Kinchen, or as you might know him, MK. Kinchen is no stranger to the scene, nor an overnight sensation. From age 12, he knew music was for him; a lifestyle rather than a hobby. “It’s always something I’ve loved doing – music is my life,” he says. At 16, Kinchen had dropped out of school and was living and working in Detroit. There, he made music with techno royalty Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Hungry for more, Kinchen packed up and headed to the Big Apple, where the sound was “much more dirty”, and where he dove into production and making music of his own. DJing wasn’t always in MK’s arsenal. It wasn’t until 2009 when he received a phone call from Hot Natured duo Jamie Jones and Lee

Foss, wanting to book him to DJ at one of their shows. “I had no idea who they were,” confesses Kinchen. “I had to check with my agent to see if it was worth doing and they said it would be a good move. I didn’t even know how to DJ and had to call my brother for lessons and help. I was a producer first.” Kinchen has taken to the new role quite well, given he’s now one of the most sought-after DJs on the scene, and keeps a busy touring schedule. But he’s also a well-respected artist, producer and songwriter on an international scale. Kinchen’s remix of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness’ blew up, while his 1995 rework of Nightcrawlers’ ‘Push The Feeling On’ was also an enormous success. Kinchen says it’s “probably my most favourite project to date. I did it for fun and still love the sound.” Remix and collaboration requests are flying in these days, but Kinchen is picky about his projects. He’s recently been in the studio with Sonny Fodera, Duke Dumont and Pharrell Williams. “It’s nothing like you’ve heard before,” Kinchen says of the Pharrell collaboration. “I’m not sure if it’s a monster or not, but it’s different to the normal MK sound – think old Chicago sound.” With all the big names passing through his studio, Kinchen still has moments of fandom. “Working

with Jamie Jones was a pretty special [occasion] and a bit of a big deal,” he says. “[Jones] was huge, travelling the world and doing some pretty cool things. I was like, ‘Is this really happening?’” When asked about what we can expect of him in a set, Kinchen offers, “70 per cent of the tracks are originals – I’ve tried to slip in new things but the crowd aren’t receptive, they want to hear my own tracks”. So expect all the classics and the MK tracks you’ve come to know and love. But in an originalheavy set, are there any tracks Kinchen is sick of playing? “‘Look Right Through’ I’ve been playing forever; I kind of get sick of hearing it,” he admits. MK’s remix took him and Storm Queen to number one on the UK singles charts last year, but it was never meant for mass enjoyment. “Something pretty special happened when I played it,” he says. “The crowd lost it and loved it, and I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself.” With: Defected In The House With: Simon Dunmore Where: Ivy Pool Club When: Saturday February 15 And: Playing alongside Lancelot at Parkside’s 2nd Birthday, Hotel Illawarra, Sunday February 16

Lancelot The Young And The Brave By Augustus Welby

n Lupe Fiasco’s song ‘Hurt Me Soul’, from his 2006 debut album Food & Liquor, the Chicago MC talks about how he “used to hate hip hop”. Lupe clearly overcame his distaste for the genre, going on to make a successful career spitting rhymes. Similarly, Sydney electronic act Lancelot, AKA Lance Gurisik, formerly spurned the style of music that’s now bringing him recognition. “I hated electronic music when I was younger,” he says. “I was a punk rock kid and I didn’t think dance music was real music.” Teen prejudices usually don’t endure for too long, but going from hatred to devotion is a radical shift. Gurisik reveals how his tastes began to expand when he reached legal age. “As with most young people, you get to 18 and then you start experiencing clubs and club music. I just got really inspired at that time by the music coming out of Australia. Midnight Juggernauts, The Presets, Cut Copy – that stuff that made me think, ‘OK, I want to drop the guitar now and invest my time and money into synthesisers.’” Jump ahead a few years and Gurisik, now 23, is well and truly immersed in a world of analogue synthesisers. In the last couple of years, Lancelot’s easygoing electro has grabbed the attention of clubgoers both at home and abroad, and the trend continues with his brand new EP Givin’ It Up / Make Ends Meet. The EP’s two leading tracks were recorded with Antony & Cleopatra, a duo comprised of

“As with most young people, you get to 18 and then you start experiencing clubs and club music. I just got really inspired”. 34 :: BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14

Alex Burnett (Sparkadia) and Anita Blay (CockNBullKid), and Gurisik speaks enthusiastically about the collaboration. “Working with Alex and with Anita as well, they helped me develop the melodies that I had as demos and really craft them into songs. It was so easy to work with those guys, they’re so professional and we all brought different things to the table.” His recording with Burnett and Blay isn’t the first time Gurisik has teamed up with a vocalist to give his productions further dimension. The title track from last year’s Thinking Of You EP featured local songbird Whyte Fang, and Gurisik increasingly prefers collaboration. “At the start I was quite stubborn on doing everything myself and I found that process quite slow,” he says. “Over time I’ve become more aware of where my skill set really shines out and where it doesn’t. Where it doesn’t is with lyrical content.” Gurisik has kept up a steady pattern of releases for the last two years and, although the Antony & Cleopatra tracks came out just a couple of weeks ago, there’s plenty more Lancelot music waiting to be heard. “I’m actually sitting on another finished EP that I did with Ngaiire,” he reveals. “That’s already done, so I’m excited about that.” Contrary to his dismissal of his own lyrical abilities, the EP with Sydney’s Ngaiire was composed entirely by Gurisik. However, he says the neo-soul singer was crucial in completing the songs. “I was like, ‘I need Ngaiire.’ She’s got such an incredible voice, so much control and vibe at the same time. She’s such a great trained singer but she also has this beautiful innocence and swag about her.” In addition to enlisting a range of talented vocalists to assist with his sound, Gurisik explains how studying composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music has equipped him with an advanced mechanism of self-critique. “It’s like

another set of ears,” he says of his academic training. “Usually if an artist gets trapped on something it’s because, maybe, they have a limited scope on how to make it better. That’s where it allows me as a producer to keep the idea going and see if there is something there or not. It gives things a second chance, in a way.” Ever since Lancelot’s 2012 single ‘Spoken Word’ caused a buzz online, he’s been building an eager overseas audience. Givin’ It Up / Make Ends Meet has again gained huge blog hype and the track ‘Make Ends Meet’ is getting airplay on BBC Radio 1. In fact, it looks like it won’t be long until the European embrace lures Gurisik away. “The overseas market responded a little bit earlier than Australia. I’m

going to be relocating to Europe in July/August this year to pursue this overseas, because that’s just going to work better for me with touring and stuff.” The decision to relocate hasn’t come completely out of the blue – rather, Gurisik has performed in several European locations over the last couple of years. “It’s been such a positive vibe going to Europe and playing shows there. Especially in Paris. For example, I’ve played at Wanderlust twice now and that’s such an amazing venue and the promoters are really aware of the music trends and what’s going on, and [of] artists around the world.” Gurisik’s impending migration means it’s essential to catch the talented producer/composer while you still can. He’ll wrap up his

current national tour at The Spice Cellar on Friday February 14, and he’s looking forward to stretching out in front of the hometown crowd. “Spice Cellar has such an eclectic opened-minded crowd, so I think you can take them on a bit of a journey,” he says. “I’ve wanted to play there for a while and I’m excited to play a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t usually get to play in Australia, and I can push the boundaries a little bit further.” What: Givin’ It Up / Make Ends Meet out now through Ajunadeep Where: The Spice Cellar When: Friday February 14 And: Playing alongside MK at Parkside’s 2nd Birthday, Hotel Illawarra, Sunday February 16

thebrag.com

Deep Impressions Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO

Steven Ford

FEEL L IKE CRAP JUST FOR

Highly regarded by those in the know, German DJ Mareena will headline the next 4our event on Saturday March 8 at an intimate warehouse venue. The 4our crew has carved a niche in Sydney’s underground scene by showcasing international DJs who aren’t the subject of the insufferable ballyhooing that pervades much of the EDM scene, but rather, who are rated highly by those who go out to sweat and dance while immersing themselves in visceral house and techno soundscapes. A dedicated vinyl-pusher, Mareena has supported many renowned DJs during her residency at the Tresor club, and also has her own night, New Faces, which is dedicated to highlighting new talent from the underground scene. Mareena has played all over Berlin – yes, that includes Panorama Bar and Berghain – and has a reputation for being equally adept whether playing peak time, warm-up or after-hour sets, with her sound described as incorporating “intelligent eclecticism” and “bold elements of surprise”. She’ll have an opportunity to display her full range in the cozy warehouse confines, with residents

Trinity and Magda Bytnerowicz offering the local support. This week’s column will end by spotlighting a few new and forthcoming EPs that are well worth a listen. First off, we have Stefan Goldmann’s upcoming offering, a four-track EP entitled Signs Taken For Wonders that will drop next month on the Macro label that he co-owns together with Finn Johannsen. Macro has been touted as “the leading avant-techno label”, and while Goldmann’s last album 17:50 was somewhat of a mixed bag, ‘Signs Taken For Wonders’ recaptures the form and flavour that made the dancefloor abstraction of Goldmann’s earlier offerings, collected on his Transitory State album, so compelling. One of the last genuine analogue men in an age of digital producers, Goldmann has never been afraid of taking risks in his productions, but this EP strikes a perfect balance between off-the-wall techno dadaism and accessibility, and is worth investigation by DJs looking to give their sets that essential edge. I’m aware we live in an age of instant gratification – home delivery food, the internet, Tinder – so will now turn to an EP that you can grab right away: Radio Slave’s latest, Repeat Myself, which is out now on his Rekids label. The punchy rework from Berliner Rødhad, who toured Australia for the first time not long ago, is particularly noteworthy, as it refashions the original into a chugging acid-techno stonker that gradually ascends into a riproaring behemoth that will do business on late night dancefloors. With the rumour mill abounding with whispers that the Rekids label may be closing down, this EP is a reminder of the supreme quality that permeates throughout the label’s discography. This author would happily argue that the Rekids back catalogue is a match for that of any other renowned techno label over the past decade in terms of consistently delivering pulsating house and techno that does the business in the nightclub realm.

LEFT

H A N D E D.

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

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

Syd n ey O p e ra H o u s e P re s e nt s

Heaveen is lying at play the guitar.”

LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 Damiano von Erckert The Civic Underground

SATURDAY MARCH 1

Redshape The Civic Underground

SUNDAY MARCH 2

WITH S PECIAL G UE ST AND BAND

DJ Harvey Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY MARCH 8 4our ft DJ Mareena Warehouse Party

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

BEING

* Transaction fee $5-$8.50 applies to all bookings except Insiders

eattle producer Steven Ford is a man of many monikers. Primarily known for his work as Bruno Pronsato, Ford has also released music as Public Lover with French artist Ninca Leece and through his experimental house outfit Others. Additionally, he’s worked alongside Sergio Giorgini (he of Benoit & Sergio fame) in the duo NDF, who released their Villalobos-remixed debut EP Since We Last Met on DFA Records back in the sun-kissed spring of 2010. Since relocating to Berlin in 2006, Ford has also regularly released EPs with veteran Sammy Dee under the guise of Half Hawaii, with the pair’s latest offering, A ll Over, dro p ping at the bac k end of last year on Zip’s hallowed Perlon label. Now, Ford is focusing on a new project, which naturally involves a new mantle, one worthy of a DC comics superhero: Archangel. Diehard readers of this column – a group that apparently includes Minneapolis’ finest technophile, DVS1 – will note that the maiden Archangel EP dropped back in November, and included a dark and droning cover of Gary Numan’s ‘Metal’. Details have since emerged about the debut Archangel album, The Bedroom Slant, which will drop in early April. Ford himself provides vocals throughout the LP, while his brother David has contributed bass guitar. Love Of Life Orchestra’s Peter Gordon, double bassist Yonatan Levi, Orac Records head honcho Caro and pianist David A. Power all have guest appearances on The Bedroom Slant, which was recorded during early morning sessions in the Prenzlauer Berg studio that Ford shares in Berlin with Benoit & Sergio. The resulting album is said to explore Ford’s love of pop, rock and post-punk influences and feature more live/organic (read: nonelectronic) instrumentation than much of his previous work.

SY D N E Y O P E R A H O U S E P R I N C I PA L PA RT N E R

sydneyo p e raho use .c o m /m usic M o b il e Ap p 92 5 0 7 7 7 7 ‘ L I V E AT T H E H O U S E ’

‘ M U S I C AT T H E H O U S E ’

BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 35

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

The Partysquad

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 Ivy Bar/Lounge

Borgore’s Wild Out Valentine’s + The Partysquad + Run DMT + Owsla + Nemo + Hydraulix + PhaseOne + Mind Control Protocol + Chenzo + Amy Lee + Benjamin Lector 12pm. $53.15. CLUB NIGHTS

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12 HIP HOP & R&B

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

CLUB NIGHTS

DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 11pm. free. House Party Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. free. The Supper Club - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. Whip It - feat: Cash Maraud + Pete Duraz + Aydos Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. xxx

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13

HIP HOP & R&B Free The Beats Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free.

COMEDY

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

36 :: BRAG :: 549 : 12:02:14

$5 Everything Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free. Cool For Cats - feat: Buu + Valentino + Ried-Low Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Goldfish And Friends - feat: Regular Rotating Residents Goldfish, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. Loopy - feat: Drty Csh + Daschwood + Generous Greed + Guest DJs The Backroom, Sydney. 10pm. $12. Pool Club Thursdays - feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm. free. The World Bar Thursdays World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 HIP HOP & R&B

Remi Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $18.40.

CLUB NIGHTS

Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free. Djemba Djemba + DJ Hoodboi + Trippy Turtle Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

Infamous Saturdays - feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25. Miguel Migs Goldfish, Kings Cross. 8pm. $25. My Place Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. free. Nervo At Marquee Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 10pm. $25. One Night Stand - feat: Late Nite Tuff Guy Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $20. Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney. 9pm. free. Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Spice - feat: Sonny Fodera + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Eluize + Cassette + Michelle Owen + Mike Witcombe The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 CLUB NIGHTS

La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney. 8pm. free. Marco Polo - feat: Various DJs Ivy Bar/lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $15. Martini Club And Friends feat: Ocky + Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. S.A.S.H Sundays - feat:

Remi Ben Korbel & Declan Lee + Ben Morris + Shamus + Tim Culbert + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Tim C + Simon Caldwell Flyover Bar, Sydney. 12pm. $10. Sunday Sessions - feat: DJ Alter Ego Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 6pm. free. Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 17 CLUB NIGHTS

Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. DJ Mattia Goldfish, Kings Cross. 11pm. free.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. DJ Robin Goldfish, Kings Cross. 11pm. free.

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 10pm. $22.50. Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free. Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free. Mashed Fridays - feat: DJ Bongoliro Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free. Pop Massacre - feat: Nocturnal + Vinnie Ward Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. Soft & Slow - feat: Lancelot + Andy Webb + Pink Lloyd + Parihaka The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $10. Something Wicked - feat: Harper + Dosage Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 9pm. $10. Valentine’s Day At Marquee feat: G-Wizard Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 10pm. $15. Yo Grito! Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Xxx

club pick of the week

Pinnick Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Borgore’s Wild Out Valentines - feat: Borgore + The Partysquad + Run DMT + Owsla + Nemo + Hydraulix + PhaseOne + Mind Control Protocol + Chenzo + Amy Lee + Benjamin Lector Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $53.15. Bounce - feat: Harper Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. $15. Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Day For Night Party feat: Shaun J Wright + Stereogamous Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 6pm. $35. Defected In The House Pacha Sydney Pool Party - feat: MK + Simon Dunmore + Acaddamy + Danny T + Mo’Funk + Set Mo + Friendless + Mantra Collective + Magic Bird Vs Raull Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $53.20. Disco Disco - feat: Sherlock Bones + SMS + Stalker Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 9pm. $20. El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $109. FBi Hands Up! - feat: DJ Clockwerk + Special Friends With Benefits FBi Social, Kings Cross. 11:30pm. free. Future Music Warm Up Brave Party Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10pm. free. Goodgod Hai-Life Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Remi Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $18.40. Djemba Djemba + DJ Hoodboi + Trippy Turtle Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 10pm. $22.50. Valentine’s Day At Marquee - feat: G-Wizard Marquee At The Star, Pyrmont. 10pm. $15.

+ Acaddamy + Danny T + Mo’Funk + Set Mo + Friendless + Mantra Collective + Magic Bird Vs Raull Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $53.20. Miguel Migs Goldfish, Kings Cross. 8pm. $25. One Night Stand - feat: Late Nite Tuff Guy Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $20. Spice - feat: Sonny Fodera + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Eluize + Cassette + Michelle Owen + Mike Witcombe The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $20.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16

Day For Night Party - feat: Shaun J Wright + Stereogamous Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 6pm. $35. Defected In The House Pacha Sydney Pool Party - feat: Mk + Simon Dunmore

S.A.S.H Sundays - feat: Ben Korbel & Declan Lee + Ben Morris + Shamus + Tim Culbert + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Tim C + Simon Caldwell Flyover Bar, Sydney. 12pm. $10. Sonny Fodera

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 CLUB NIGHTS

Boom ’Tish - feat: Oliver Gurney + Nick Forrest + Celine Hagbard + Simon thebrag.com

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freq nasty

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up all night out all week . . .

xxyyxx

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07:02:14 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

four tet

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06:02:14 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100

nico stojan

PICS :: KC

06:02:14 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587

08:02:14 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

thebrag.com

S :: LIAM CAMERON :: KATRINA

CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR ::

BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14 :: 37

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

up all night out all week . . .

EARL SWEATSHIRT, DANNY BROWN, RUN THE JEWELS, CITIZEN KAY Enmore Theatre Tuesday February 4

ERON ::

ben pearce

08:02:14 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999 the vulgarity of “I’ll-fuck-the-freckles-offyour-face”-type lyrics for his unmistakable wit and youthful charisma. One person clearly doesn’t, throwing a sneaker his way. “Why the fuck would you wanna walk home with one shoe?” laughs the rapper. Earl 1, Haters 0. Stepping out in future-too-bright shades (because we are clearly indoors, Danny) and an untamed ’fro, Danny Brown takes to the mic with a composure that illuminates the level of absolutely-ape-shit his devotees reach on his entrance. Somewhere between his first breath and the “Go, go, go, go, go, go / Don’t stop ’til you break it, break it” hook of opening track ‘Break It (Go)’, it becomes evident this isn’t just a killer performance – it’s an all-out party. Fists are raised from the barriers to the back exits, everyone is belting out every line from Brown’s game-changing album Old, and anyone shorter than a metre and a half is battling to avoid a concussion. Traversing between the mesmerising decree in ‘Express Yourself’ to the night’s dancefloor zenith ‘Dip’, the Detroit native is a jack of all beatmaking trades, and an ideal end to the debauchery. Mina Kitsos

tkay maidza

PICS :: AM

Up next, Earl Sweatshirt’s flow is acidic; his detached delivery proving compelling rather than disengaging. Minimalist drum samples with buzzing synths provide a simplistic backdrop to the Odd Future golden boy’s lyrical finesse as he drifts between the unapologetic, self-indulged content from his Earl mixtape (just casually comprising rape, murder and drug use) and the life-in-the-spotlight musings on Doris. “I don’t wanna do this song, it’s stupid,” he starts to protest as the crowd launches into ‘Hive’: “Promise Heron I’ll put my fist up / After I get my dick sucked”. Mm, lovely. Despite having to cut down most tracks due to absent feature artists, Earl’s set is engrossing and you can almost forgive

PHOTOGRAPHER :: LIAM CAM

PICS :: AM

Vaunting the most impressive bill since Donald Duck, the Enmore Theatre marshals a tatt-covered, bling-encrusted, buckethatted line down the street at the evening’s outset. By the time Canberra-reared Citizen Kay hits the stage, the room is blanketed in smoke – half green, half machine. Run The Jewels’ El-P isn’t so chilled out, though. “When we got here and we didn’t see our names on the marquee, we thought maybe we weren’t in Run The Jewels country,” he says. “You need to disavow us of this notion.” Killer Mike and El-P pummel through tracks from their eponymous album, with backing beats from Aussie-born DJ Trackstar. Together, they breeze through cathartic verses and anthemic choruses, trading verses over disjointed rhythms and menacing drone. From the politically charged ‘Sea Legs’ to the stoners’ ode ‘No Come Down’, we witness an impressive interplay of wit and beats that’s sure to have instilled fear into the naive heart of the “motherfucking promoter”.

PICS :: AM

s.a.s.h sundays

dj shadow

09:02:14 :: Flyover Bar :: 275 Kent St Sydney 9262 1988

38 :: BRAG :: 549 :: 12:02:14

PICS :: AM

07:02:14 :: Upstairs Beresford :: Level 1, 354 Bourke St Surry Hills 8313 5000

08:02:14 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: LIAM CAMERON :: KATRINA

CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR ::

thebrag.com

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LIVE INDUSTRY PRESENTS GRAMMY AWARD WINNER

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT with special guests

ROY AYERS, LONNIE LISTON SMITH & DJ GREG WILSON

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