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rock music news welcome to the frontline: the latest touring and music news...with Chris Martin and Lauren Gill
five things WITH
follow us:
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THE BRAG
The Used
HENRY HOLLINGSWORTH FROM MY ECHO the most accomplished musician but as a songwriter I think he was something else. We’ve all been smashing Justin Townes Earle for a while now. I don’t know anyone who tells a story the way he can.
Melbourne. We’ve never done anything so difficult as a band. Hadyn was pretty hard on us when it came to finding a take that felt right for each song. Having said that, the satisfaction you get when you finally nail it is like nothing else we’ve ever had in the studio.
Your Band We are all pretty similar dudes. We grew 3. Music, Right Here, Right Now up on punk rock and eventually all found Music is pretty tough these days. There 5. a love for rockabilly, country, et cetera, so is certainly no intention to make any money there’s never too much conflict when it comes to writing. For the most part we found each other growing up in a small town, you sort of became friends with every dude who was into punk rock just by meeting at shows and watching each other’s bands. Growing Up The Music You Make My first musical memories are pretty 1. We have a bit of contrast on each release. 4. much of my dad blasting AC/DC and ELO on Half of the music we write is swung, showing weekends. He doesn’t have a musical bone in his body but my mum used to teach piano. I never really took to the piano but managed to convince her to get me a drum kit. Inspirations Joe Strummer would certainly be up 2. there for me. He openly admits he’s not
personally, but paying for records and tours out of our own pockets can sometimes be hard when you keep pissing your bosses off taking time off work. Having said that, there is nothing we look forward to more than piling in a bus and spending a day driving to a show. We have the best time and wouldn’t change it for the world.
our rockabilly influences, and half of our music is straight up punk or rock’n’roll. We often get compared to The Living End, but I like to think we are somewhere between The Stray Cats and Against Me! We have just released a new EP which was produced by Hadyn Buxton. We recorded it live to tape at Sing Sing in
What: My Echo out now through Ten To Two With: Waits Where: Frankie’s Pizza / Lansdowne Hotel / Tattersalls Hotel When: Thursday May 22 / Friday May 23 / Saturday May 24
Boy & Bear
THE USED, TAKING BACK SUNDAY
MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray ONLINE COORDINATOR: Emily Meller SUB-EDITOR: Georgia Booth STAFF WRITERS: Alasdair Duncan, Jody Macgregor, Krissi Weiss, Augustus Welby NEWS: Lauren Gill, Chris Honnery, Ed Kirkwood ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant COVER PHOTO: Daniel Boud PHOTOGRAPHERS: James Ambrose, Katrina Clarke, Mark Boado, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Georgina Pengelly - 0416 972 081 / (02) 9212 4322 georgina@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: Ed Kirkwood, Emily Meller - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Sarah Corridon, Ed Kirkwood, Erin Rooney REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Keiron Costello, Marissa Demetriou, Rachel Eddie, Christie Eliezer, Blake Gallagher, Chris Honnery, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Pamela Lee, Alicia Malone, Adam Norris, Daniel Prior, Kate Robertson, Amy Theodore, Leonardo Silvestrini, David Wild, Harry Windsor, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.
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Sydney favourites Boy & Bear will play the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in September. They’re continuing a growing tradition of contemporary music acts playing the grand old hall, which by the time Boy & Bear arrive will already have hosted the likes of The Jezabels, Pixies and many more in 2014 alone. Meanwhile, for Boy & Bear themselves, the gig serves as something of a homecoming after the enormous national regional tour they’re on at present. There’ll be no better surrounds in which to hear the quintet play songs from latest album Harlequin Dream and debut Moonfi re. See Boy & Bear in the House on Monday September 22, with support from Holy Holy. Tickets on sale 9am Friday May 16.
WHOLE LOTTA LOVE HE’D LIKE TO COME AND MEET US
...But he thinks he’d blow our minds. So in lieu of Ziggy Stardust himself coming to Sydney this year, David Bowie devotees will get a taste of Ziggy when an all-star tribute show returns to the Enmore Theatre this August. Ziggy: The Songs Of David Bowie features iOTA, Jeff Duff, Steve Balbi and Brydon Stace, reuniting to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ziggy Stardust’s arrival on planet Earth. It speaks to the power of Bowie, doesn’t it? He could play two characters (and many more in his acting career), yet it takes four great Australian artists to do justice to Ziggy alone. It all goes down on Saturday August 16. Tickets on sale 9am Monday May 19.
debut album, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Fox’s LP features his interpretations of his favourite 45s and even includes a duet of Elvis’ ‘You’re the Boss’ with Miranda Kerr. Will Miranda be along to sing with Fox at The Basement on Monday June 9 and Thursday June 26? Could it be your chance to witness one of Australia’s most famous faces doing something completely out of the ordinary? Or are we just starting hopeful rumours? There’s only one way to find out.
Calling all Led Zep fans: the 11th annual Whole Lotta Love celebration will return to Sydney’s State Theatre on Saturday August 23. Hitting the stage to celebrate some of the heaviest music in the history of heavy music are Jack Jones from Southern Sons, The Widowbirds’ Simon Meli, Amy Findlay from Stonefield, The Voice star Jimmy Cupples and Zkye. Also on the schedule are two gigs at Gosford’s Laycock St Theatre on Friday August 15 and Saturday August 16, for which tickets are selling fast.
Anberlin
MISTAKES WERE MADE
Folk-pop duo Busby Marou will hit the road this winter to celebrate the release of their new single, ‘My Second Mistake’. The pair released its second album Farewell Fitzroy last October, claiming the number five spot on the ARIA album chart. Since then, Busby Marou have been playing their music around the country – the 2013/14 summer saw them tour the coastal road, followed by performances at Bluesfest, Woodford and Queenscliff. Ahead of their headline tour, Busby Marou will travel Australia and New Zealand as the main support for James Blunt. Don’t fancy a Blunt? Catch Busby Marou at the Mona Vale Hotel on Saturday August 16, the Collector Hotel on Thursday August 21, Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Friday August 22 and The Basement on Saturday August 23.
FOXY BOBBY
Bobby Fox has announced a pair of shows in Sydney next month following the release of his
xxxx
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BOY & BEAR IN THE HOUSE
The Used and Taking Back Sunday are joining forces for an Australian tour. The Used will return to Australia having just released their sixth studio album, Imaginary Enemy, while Taking Back Sunday have also recently released their sixth record, Happiness Is. Chatting with the BRAG after Imaginary Enemy’s release, The Used frontman and new Australian resident Bert McCracken said they’re here to share an “almost cringingly simple message” – though added that many of his new lyrics are inspired by Italian philosopher Umberto Eco. Perhaps it ain’t so simple after all. Catch the tour on Saturday August 23 at UNSW Roundhouse. Tickets on sale 9am Friday May 16.
GOODNIGHT, ANBERLIN
Anberlin will bid farewell to Australia when they hit our shores on their final world tour this September. After a career spanning 12 years and six albums, the Florida pop-rockers are calling it quits, but not before releasing a final album and touring the world. “We don’t want to fade out; we want to end with hugs and celebrate the life that was Anberlin, and not be bummed about us ending,” remarked drummer Nathan Young about his band’s amicable break-up. Catch Anberlin one last time on Sunday September 7 at UNSW Roundhouse.
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live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
five things WITH
Kingswood
JO ELMS too many to mention here, but I did get introduced to jazz at a young age when I attended the Christchurch School of Jazz at age 18.
3.
Growing Up My key childhood music 1. memory is bunking off school
Hotel California, I was changed forever!
so I could come home to an empty house and put on my dad’s records to absorb them uninterrupted. Dad has a fantastic vinyl record collection – when I discovered albums like Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life, Quincy Jones’ Sounds… And Stuff Like That!! and The Eagles’
Inspirations My favourite musicians and artists are Stevie Wonder, Prince – I remember being around 14 when Purple Rain came out in New Zealand (where I grew up) and I fell in love with him. What a groundbreaking record that was. I also love Joni Mitchell, Sarah Vaughan, Chaka Khan…
2.
Your Band My band consists of some of Sydney’s finest musicians – Sam McNally on keys (from the band Stylus – one of Australia’s hottest bands in the ’70s), Victor Rounds on bass (Jenny Morris, Marcia Hines), Steve Fearnley on drums (Ian Moss, Mark Williams). I also have Amanda Easton and Liza Ohlback on backing vocals. I’m so lucky to have such a fine group playing with me. My EP The Right Time was produced by Ash Maklad, another of Sydney’s finest. The Music You Make I’d say my music draws 4. influences from artists such as Tina Arena, Jewel, Sarah Vaughan and Chaka Khan. I pour heart and soul into every note of each song’s emotive lyrics. ‘The Right Time’ (my EP’s title track) speaks of synchronicity in life, while my song ‘Here I Am’ transports you straight back in
time to your old hometown. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. As a vocal and music teacher at The Australian Institute of Music I find teaching not only keeps me on my toes with what I do, but it’s great to be able to inspire and impart knowledge to the younger generation of talent coming up. There’s so much to learn about our industry, and although talent is important of course, it’s not the only thing you need to have a long-lasting career in the music industry. I try to teach the kids about humility, integrity, honesty – as well as making them aware of the fact that you need dedication and passion for what you do. It’s hard work, but in the words of Sting, “Music is its own reward.” You have to be in it for the right reasons. What: The Right Time out now With: Alex Gibson Where: Foundry616 When: Friday May 16
KINGSWOOD
Nothing’s stopping Kingswood roaring back through Sydney town – and no, we’re not talking about the old Holden model your entirely unfashionable high school maths teacher used to chug his way around in. The Melbourne rockers are at the forefront of the current Oz rock scene, and they’ve just been working on their chops in Nashville, the United States’ own rockin’ heartland. We still can’t get enough of their 2013 hit single, ‘Ohio’, and we can’t get enough of their live show either – it only took a few minutes’ worth of their set at Big Day Out this year to know they’re for real. Ahead of their debut album release, due later this year, they’re back on tour and playing The Hi-Fi on Friday May 30 with support from Jenny Broke The Window and Tales In Space. We’ve got two double passes up for grabs – for your chance to score one, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us what car your coolest/uncoolest maths teacher drove to school. xxx
KING TIDE ROLLS IN
Little Big Wolf
King Tide are set to roll into The Roller Den this Friday night. The five-piece rock-steady reggae outfit will bring the good vibes to one of Sydney’s sweetest new venues underneath the Imperial Hotel. Opening the show are Kinsky, the nine-piece locals who play their own brand of roots reggae.
NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB
LITTLE BIG WOLF
This week’s edition of the regular Thursday night 10 O’Clock Rock slot at Frankie’s Pizza features Little Big Wolf. It’s not their first rodeo, as the saying goes – the Frankie’s favourites return this Thursday May 15 on the back of their debut self-titled album, released last year. The record itself was overseen by veteran producer Syd Green, and shows off what swampy blues rock sounds like when it’s fuelled by spiced rum and cigarettes. In other words, it sounds just right.
The brand spankin’ new Newtown Social Club is in full swing as of this week, with a growing bill of headliners set to draw the crowds back to King Street. We’ve had a sneak peek at the venue already, and it’s looking like a delightful hangout – and in brilliant news for bands who used to lug all their gear up those awkward Sando stairs, the new room comes with its own house backline. Awesome. On the bill this week are Gang Of Youths, launching their ‘Poison Drum’ single with support from MT Warning and Tim Fitz on Friday May 16; Dallas Crane launching ‘Get Off The Dope’ (heh) on Saturday May 17 with Greta Mob; and a sold-out trio of dates by Dustin Tebbutt in cahoots with The Tambourine Girls next Tuesday May 20, Wednesday May 21 and Thursday May 22.
LEROY’S LAYABOUTS
Those of us old enough to remember The Layabouts will have fond memories of the band’s constant presence on the Sydney music scene in the ’70s and ’80s. They started out as Leroy’s Layabouts, laying about all over venues in the inner west and beyond – and now that incarnation of the band is back with new album Smokin’. In the live setting, the group expands to seven and includes Charlie McMahon, inventor of the didjeribone (a slide didgeridoo, no less), and regular guest of Midnight Oil. Smokin’ launches at Petersham Bowling Club on Saturday May 17.
MEOW, SAYS THE TIGER
Every Thursday in May, Paddington’s Easy Tiger venue hosts its Meow night, promising live music, a jive bar and “freak easy”. Headlining this Thursday May 15 are Frank Sultana and The Sinister Kids. Sultana and his ensemble draw on a long tradition of Mississippi bluesmen and 1960s swing, and never fail to get the party kicking. Speaking of, support on the night comes from Surprise Wasps, which mightn’t be the most pleasant of concepts, but boy is that a great band name.
Client Liaison
Gang Of Youths
MUSTERED COURAGE
Melbourne’s Mustered Courage have taken a curious route to bluegrass stardom. Originally, guitarist Jules Abrahams and vocalist Nick Keeling played in the funk/hip hop band Casual Projects, but turned their eye to country music because they needed an excuse to play the mandolin. Abrahams sat down with the BRAG recently and explained that the jump from
hip hop to bluegrass isn’t that far after all: “Bluegrass is kind of the metal of country music – the faster, the better; the more notes, the better,” he said. That in mind, we’re still not sure what to expect at The Vanguard this Friday May 16 when Mustered Courage launch their ‘Powerlines’ video, the latest single taken from their album of the same name. Opening the show are The Green Mohair Suits.
DEEP SEA ARCADE
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CLIENT LIAISON
The next edition of the Beach Road Hotel’s weekly Sosueme party – that’s tonight, Wednesday May 14 – features a headline set from Client Liaison. The sharply dressed Melbourne duo is currently on its first national tour of Australia, and have a Free Of Fear vinyl available for pre-order online. Move quickly, because it’s limited to 300 copies, and move in style with the boys when they play alongside Basenji and Evan and The Brave at Bondi.
thebrag.com
Little Big Wolf photo by Mathew Zammit
Deep Sea Arcade
Deep Sea Arcade will celebrate their homecoming with a free June long weekend show at the Newtown Hotel. The quintet has spent the last little while overseas, soaking up the London scene and playing on bills with the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Charlatans, Kaiser Chiefs and Modest Mouse – plus a current Australian tour with UK buzz band Temples. It means they’re ready to wow their hometown fans with a new live show, full of their customary indie-psych brilliance. Catch them on Saturday June 7 with support from Sons Of East.
THE COLLECTIVE PRESENTS
UNITED COLOURS OF DRUM & BASS HOMEGROWN EDITION FEATURING —
GREG PACKER (WA) RIKOCHET (VIC) FICTION (SA)
KRANKY (QLD) DJ TIDY (ACT) KYPHOSIS (NSW) COLLECTIVE DJS
Hermann’s Bar Cnr City Rd & Butlin Ave Sydney University +
Homegrown Edition 24 May 2014 8:00pm until 3:00am +
$10 After 9PM www.hermannsbar.com
Tickets On The Door
TACTICAL ASPECT (NSW)
BRAG :: 562 :: 14:06:14 :: 9
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * Nine’s The Voice returned with a strong viewing response, drawing 2.155 million viewers in metro areas on its first night (304,000 regionals) which was more than its 2013 return. On its second night, it led again with 1.987 million. * The Hilltop Hoods were among diners evacuated from the Kingdom Chinese restaurant in Adelaide when it burst into flames on Saturday afternoon. * The Black Keys plan to return to Australia in early 2015. * Aussie chart talk: Justice Crew got their second chart-topping single on the ARIA chart with ‘Que Sera’ which went gold in its first week ‌ Five Seconds Of Summer’s ‘She Looks So Perfect’ picked up its second platinum ‌ Taylor Henderson is now platinum with ‘When You Were Mine’ ‌ Hip hoppers Thundamentals’ third album So We Can Remember was the highest new entry of the week at number three, becoming their first top ten placing, while In Hearts Wake came in at five with Earthwalker. * Bob Sillerman, who
runs SFX, doubled his pay package to $30 million. * Bob Dylan’s draft of the lyrics to 1965 track ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ are expected to sell for more than $1mil at auction. Scribbled on Roger Smith Hotel notepaper, it includes verses that didn’t make it on the recorded version. * The widow of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray claimed his bandmates refused her pleas to help him just days before he died. Gray’s body was found in a hotel room in 2010 after he lost his battle against drug addiction. Brenna Gray said: “One was playing golf two minutes away from our house but couldn’t come. Nobody else cared, nobody was involved. They told me it was my problem.� * The Australian Music Association has re-launched its 18-year-old title Australian Musician as online-only under editor Greg Phillips. * Xavier Rudd was the latest to entertain protesters at the anti-gas Bentley blockade and may write a song about the movement. * A tribute show is being held at Waves on May 16 for Wollongong musician Rob
UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING TEAMS WITH NITE HIGH Universal Music Publishing has gone into a joint venture with Nite High Publishing. It is run by Lee Danilewitz and Tom Huggett, who set up Astral People and run the OutsideIn festival. The arrangement means global publishing
Zessin who died in a road crash on April 20 last year. Performing are Melbourne’s Sydonia, Gold Coast’s Helm and local acts Chainsaw Mascara, Soiled Earth, Slew and Kaleidoscope. * Four of the six Groovin The Moo shows sold out this year, after Bunbury on May 10 got over the line. Only Canberra and Townsville did not reach capacity. * Ariana Grande has claimed the biggest-selling debut single of the year in the US, with ‘Problem’ shifting 435,000 copies in its first week. At 20 she is the youngest woman to debut in that spot, with more than 400,000 downloads. * John Legend’s model wife Chrissy Teigen has revealed they had sex in the first class cabin on a flight to Thailand to meet her parents. * When Hunter Valley 2NM radio presenter Stolzy tried to buy premium tickets for The Rolling Stones’ local winery show to give away to listeners, he raised money by dressing up as a Stone and rolling a skateboard with a stone attached through Muswellbrook to Scone, 25 kilometres away.
deals for Wave Racer (the 21-year-old who records with Future Classic), twin brothers Cosmo’s Midnight (whose ‘The Doffin’ was a most played track on alternative radio last year) and triple j faves Collarbones. As part of the deal, future works with UMPG signing Jonti will come under Nite High Publishing.
E HIFI 1300 THO M.AU
THEHIFI.C
MTV GETS NEW HOST
AC/DC KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY?
MTV Australia & NZ has signed on Kristian ‘Krit’ Schmidt as a VJ. A lecturer at University of Auckland, he moves to Sydney to be the face of the channel with Kate Peck. MTV narrowed hundreds of applications to ten, with challenges such as interviewing P-Money and working out with boxer David Nyika. Schmidt is a cousin of The Rock, who tweeted, “Proud of my cuz @KRiT84! MTV is gettin’ a great host. Helluva sense of humor, hard worker & drinks from a pimp cup.�
When AC/DC starts recording in Vancouver this month with producer Brendan O’Brien, it is expected that nephew Stevie Young will stand in for the ailing Malcolm Young. Stevie stepped in on the 1988 Blow Up Your Video tour when Malcolm was dealing with booze issues. When quizzed about whether the band would tour, Brian Johnson replied, “I hope so,� and added, “I don’t think I’m finished yet.�
NEW COMM MANAGER FOR APRA Adrian Digiacomo is the new communications manager for ARIA, PPCA and Music Rights Australia. He was the senior publicist for four years at consumer PR agency Umm.. Communications and did freelance PR work for Astral People Touring and Artist Management and boutique music festival OutsideIn.
$50,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR INDIE MUSICIAN Pacific International Music, JMusic Australia and SoGuru Media are offering a oneyear music scholarship for independent acts, worth $50,000. The Music Career Development Scholarship is set up to cover the cost of making an album, a music video and a business plan. Pacific International Music is a label, production and publishing firm with offices in Hervey Bay, Queensland and Nashville, run by producers Rob Mackay and Michael Flanders. The deadline is July 31; see pacificinternationalmusic.com.
MOSHTIX HACKER TRIED TO DAMAGE BRAND? The founder and CEO of ticketing agency Moshtix, Harley Evans, has confirmed that an internal inquiry showed a hacker got into the front end of its site “between 9:10am and 9:37am� on the first day of sales for Splendour In The Grass. The infiltrator entered a legitimate single account username and password which was established for Splendour, said Moshtix. 13 customers purchased false ‘50 per cent off’ tickets and 422 were hit incorrectly with excessive credit card surcharges. “Our view is that it appears from the actions that the intention was to create confusion and concern and damage the Moshtix brand,� said Evans. Moshtix’s response to the crisis was admirable. It quickly put out a statement, assured customers their personal details were safe, conducted an inquiry, was open about its findings, apologised sincerely, and assured users it wouldn’t happen again.
IHEART RADIO AUSTRALIA RELEASES FIGURES The Australian Radio Network’s digital music platform iHeartRadio released its first audience figures for Australia. Since launching here in August 2013, its app has been downloaded 300,000 times and has over 260,000 registered users to its web and mobile sites. It’s now streamed 2.2 million hours of content on mobiles.
Just Announced
Wed 13 Aug
Sat 23 Aug
Hanson
Kid Ink
This Week
ONE DIRECTION STIFFED OVER CONDOMS
Coming Soon
Fri 16 May
Fri 30 May
Sat 31 May
Fri 20 Jun
Misery Signals (USA)
Kingswood
Cubanizate
Band of Skulls (USA)
One Direction’s management is pondering legal action against a US condom company over its new brand ‘One Erection’. The packaging uses the style of the album Up All Night. Its promo for the $2.95 product says: “Stay ‘UP ALL NIGHT’ with these FDA approved ONE ERECTION condoms. There is only one direction to go with these babies and that is UP!�
BUSKING WINNERS LAND MANAGEMENT DEAL
Fri 27 Jun
Sat 28 Jun
Sat 5 Jul
The Crimson ProjeKCt
First Soundz feat. DJ Maveriq, Sequel, URKii + More
Bell X1
Blue Mountains-based acoustic rock trio Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars, who won the Bluesfest Busking Competition, have signed a management deal with Rhythm Section, the team behind Claude Hay, Chase The Sun, Marshall Okell and Joanne Shaw Taylor. They record an EP in July. Former busking winners included Okell, Kim Churchill and The Hussy Hicks.
RAT & CO PARTNER WITH CAROLINE
Fri 11 Jul
Wed 23 Jul
Sat 27 Sep
Sat 22 Nov
Tankard (GER)
Kelis
Rebel Souljahz (USA)
Toxic Holocaust & Iron Reagan
Melbourne’s Rat & Co have partnered with Caroline Australia for the May 30 release of their second album, Binary, with ‘Vocal Insanity’ as the lead-off single. They’re touring nationally with Chet Faker. Their debut album One Uno Ein was a triple j and community radio fave.
THE BE PROJECT WINNER ANNOUNCED Queensland’s Liam Park has won The Be Project competition with his song, ‘Be The Influence’. 100 song and video entries were submitted for the quest, which is part of the Australian Government’s National Binge Drinking Strategy. He’ll record it with Melbourne talent including ambassador Pez.
Lifelines Split: Gold Coast singer Cody Simpson and US heiress model girlfriend Gigi Hadid after a year because their busy careers kept them apart. Ill: US guitarist Harvey Mandel has had five surgeries for cancer of the nose. The helpharveymandel. com site has been set up to raise $50,000 for medical bills. In Court: The-Dream turned himself in after ex Lydia Nam, 29, claimed he beat her two years ago when she was eight months pregnant. He denies the charges. In Court: 2 Chainz must attend an 18-month drug diversion program after he pleaded guilty to possessing drugs at Los Angeles International Airport. Jailed: Adelaide scammer Matthew John Francis Verrall, 24, for two years after making $10,000 from those who advertised on Gumtree for tickets to concerts and matches. The junior footballer had no tickets. He also stole his housemate’s keycard and stole from her account on five occasions. Suing: Glenn Danzig is taking action against former Misfits bandmate Jerry Only over ownership of their skull logo. Danzig claims Only did merchandising deals for The Misfits’ infamous logo without permission from the others. In Court: Liam Gallagher is close to a settlement over financial support for his love child Gemma, born in New York to US writer Liza Ghorbani. In Court: producer Harry Balk, who signed Rodriguez to a five-year deal in 1966, claims the singer was diddled out of royalties for his first two albums Cold Fact and Coming From Reality in the early ’70s. He says producer Clarence Avant got around the deal by attributing songs written by the folk singer (Searching For Sugar Man) to other writers. In Court: Adelaide muso Jacob Francis Brookes, 40, reportedly so drunk at his wedding that the ceremony was stopped, faced Port Adelaide Magistrates Court for disorderly behaviour and resisting police. Outside the court, he did a rap tune over the incident for the media pack and said it’d launch his career. Died: Sydney producer Martin Erdman, 77. His Du Monde Records imprint signed Harry Young & Sabbath, Flake, Samael Lillith, Clapham Junction, The ’69ers and Nev Nicholls. In the ’70s as house producer for Festival Records, two of his international hits were Sister Janet Mead’s rockedup ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and Peter Allen’s ‘I Still Call Australia Home’. Died: US-born, one-time Sydneybased A&R head of Telmark and exec for ATV Northern, Don Lee Bruner, of a heart attack at his Gold Coast home.
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JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE NIGHT MOVES
CASA GRANDE
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
THU 5 JUN 8:45PM HAYDEN ORPHEUM CREMORNE FRI 13 JUN 8:05PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
FRI 6 JUN 8:30 PM HAYDEN ORPHEUM CREMORNE MON 9 JUN 2:00 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
WED 11 JUN 8:15 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS SAT 14 JUN 5:30 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS
SAT 7 JUN 8:45 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST SAT 14 JUN 8:50 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS
Directed by John Ridley (Oscar-winning writer of 12 Years a Slave), e this unconventional biopic of Jimi Hendrix (wonderfully played by André 3000 of OutKast) looks at his transition from sideman to rock legend.
Kelly Reichardt (Meek’s Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy) y directs Jesse Eisenberg, Peter Sarsgaard and Dakota Fanning in this tense drama about a group of environmental activists who plot an act of sabotage.
In this vibrant and layered coming-of-age tale set within Rio de Janeiro’s social elite, a teenager remains preoccupied with girls and clubbing, unaware that his life of privilege is under threat.
The follow-up to writer/director Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddiess is a knowing, clever and approachable portrait of friendship starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey and Girls’’ Lena Dunham.
SNOWPIERCER
BOYHOOD
DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD
FINDING FELA!
SAT 14 JUN 6:45 PM STATE THEATRE SUN 15 JUN 12:00 PM STATE THEATRE
FRI 6 JUN 8:30 PM STATE THEATRE SAT 7 JUN 11.30AM STATE THEATRE
THU 5 JUN 8:35 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST WED 11 JUN 8:30 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
WED 4 JUN 8:00 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS SUN 8 JUN 6:00 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
From Korean master Bong Joon-ho (The Host ): In this spectacular sci-fi thriller, the world has frozen over and the only survivors live on a train divided by class. Chris Evans leads an all-star cast.
Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking film, shot over 12 years, tells a family’s story with rare authenticity and wonderful performances by Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and young Ellar Coltrane.
Nazi zombies and undead Russian army forces square off in a winner-takes-all smackdown on a wintry World War II battlefield in this fast, furious, very funny and very bloody flick.
The life of Fela Kuti, superstar pioneer of Afrobeat, was as polyrhythmic as his music. Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s doco is packed with interviews, funky archival footage and groundbreaking music.
KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER
YOU’RE SLEEPING NICOLE
DANCING IN THE ROOM WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
MON 9 JUN 4:45 PM STATE THEATRE TUE 10 JUN 4:30 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
THU 12 JUN 8:05 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS SUN 15 JUN 11:00 AM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST
SAT 7 JUN 3:20PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST SUN 8 JUN 3:30PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS
CLOSING NIGHT FILM SUN 15 JUN 8:00 PM STATE A THEATRE
Featuring a heartbreaking performance by Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Norwegian Wood ), this is the haunting, whimsical story of a lonely Japanese woman determined to find the fortune from the film Fargo.
This 2014 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection from Stéphane Lafleur (Continental ) is a delightful and absurd comedy about a twentysomething’s surprisingly eventful summer spent housesitting.
Newcomer Jiang Yuchen channels Greta Gerwig in this oddball non-romantic comedy from Peng Lei (The Panda Candy) about a young woman newly arrived in Beijing and living on the margins of society.
The new film from directors and stars Taika Waititi (Boy ) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) is a clever, hilarious mockumentary about a group of vampire flatmates in New Zealand.
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2014
vivid LIVE
my vivid live top five
Midnight Juggernauts artists and bands we like to do stuff with have a really strong vision,” Stricker says. “It’s not a genre thing, it’s that the artist really knows what they want to be doing across everything. Whether they can make their own artwork or not, or whether they need help with production in the studio, as long as they have a clear idea of how they want it presented. That’s the most important thing for me.
By Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music, Sydney Opera House We’re very proud of this year’s Vivid LIVE lineup, and while choosing five shows to recommend isn’t hard, calling out my top five is slightly agonising. Vivid LIVE is different to other music festivals – it’s a specific chance to get close to those significant artists who’ve helped shape the musical landscape we’re now in; and it’s a moment to get a glimpse of what lies ahead while also experiencing the kinds of special projects that need the setting of the Opera House and the context of Vivid LIVE to work. So rather than a traditional top five, I’ll choose: an of-the-moment figure; a seminal artist; a glimpse of the future; a special project; and something for the hell of it.
“With the artists playing our Vivid night, with the artists on our label, that’s definitely the case. Also, artists that can stand up on an international stage, not just in Australia. We don’t put out many artists. These days, everybody has a label, there are so many. Great labels like R.I.P Society and Rice Is Nice – they’re all doing amazing stuff. But we don’t put out many releases – we do our own [Juggernauts] releases, we did Kirin [J Callinan]’s record. They’re the only albums we’ve put out. We’re about to do the Forces record; it’s almost finished. We’ve just started with Cassius Select and Black Vanilla, Alex Cameron, but we try not to rush things. The focus is that the act really knows their vision [and is] exploring an interesting mood or idea, so it’s that good that it doesn’t matter where it comes from. It stands up on its own.”
1. ST. VINCENT
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sunday May 25 Annie Clark is an artist absolutely of this moment and you will want to say you were there for this performance. Remove her from any indie singer-songwriter pigeonholes you may have – she’s completely found her own voice and she’s coming to take no prisoners with an incredibly sharp, dark, harmonic show filled with serious playfulness. Over four records she’s been developing her sound and now on St. Vincent it feels like she’s found her metier, confidently out there exploring the edges of rock’n’roll.
2. PIXIES
With Callinan currently touring the US yet again, plus Cameron’s recent barnstorming of SXSW, Siberia has been a livewire conduit between underground Australia and the States.
Concert Hall, Friday May 23 – Monday May 26 The Pixies are one of the seminal modern bands. A cult act at the time, like The Velvet Underground they became a massive inspiration for acts like Nirvana, Radiohead and PJ Harvey. For a generation raised on a diet of music refracting The Beatles/ Stones/Dylan/Elvis, hearing the screeching biblical howl of Frank Black and their jagged loud/quiet surf-guitar-gone-horror-movie onslaught was a direct infusion of amplified guitar music’s primal source. Possibly at the peak of their live powers, the Pixies in the Concert Hall is a bit of a teenage dream come true for me.
3. NILS FRAHM
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Tuesday May 27 I think this Berlin composer is a glimpse of the future. There’s something fresh and fascinating happening now where rigorous contemporary classical composers are freeing themselves up to explore electronics in their work. Nils’ meticulous piano-based work is mesmerising, melodic, beautiful and pensive. We’ll be hearing his influence for a while to come and he will sound unbelievable in here.
THE MUSIC OF MORODER 4. – THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA
5. GOODGOD TIN PAN ALLEY
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Friday May 30 Sydney’s incredibly lucky to have Goodgod Small Club’s Jimmy Sing and Hana Shimada feverishly cultivating a fertile, creative and fun corner of our nightlife ecosystem. Their club nights for the last two Vivid LIVEs have been mind-meltingly great and this year they take over our secondlargest venue for ‘a palladium of operatic dreams’. Rolling Stone is already asking if Penny Penny is the next Rodriguez and the rest of the lineup including Shogun, Donny Benet, Bart Willoughby and Montero will result in another Goodgod at the Opera House high watermark for fun. 12 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
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aking place on the opening night of this year’s Vivid LIVE celebrations, Siberian Nights will see Midnight Juggernauts showcase their new project Aerials alongside acts from their Siberia Records stable, plus a headline performance from special guest Andy Stott making his Australian debut. Speaking ahead of the eclectic showcase of talent, Juggers multi-instrumentalist and Siberia co-honcho Dan Stricker explains the genesis of their latest pursuit. “We started thinking about what the next thing [was] we wanted to do. We were touring all over the place last year. I set up a studio up near Colo River, about an hour out of Sydney, and over the summer I finished it up and said
to Andy [Szekeres] and Vinny [Vendetta], ‘Why don’t we go out there and do whatever, spending a week doing it, then that can become an EP?’ We had nothing to lose, the studio was there, so it wasn’t going to cost us much. So we got up there and recorded this new material and listened back once we knew where it was going. We thought we should do a series of EPs, and we came up with this concept called Aerials, where instead of us releasing a record and touring, we could do a specialty show that features different instruments than we usually use, with a lot more production – both visual and audio. “We came up with the idea of a vertically based show. You go to a gig and the only perspective
“Aerials is very much a visual idea ... We wanted something interesting for us, and the audience as well.”
you get is looking at the artists. We thought, ‘What if everything in the room is about what’s above you and what’s below you?’ That was the concept, and we’ve been working on that ever since. We were thinking about what we’ve been doing in the past and synthesised it into one thing we wanted to do.” Approaching a project such as Aerials as opposed to a fulllength album, Stricker says it was important to explore visual elements and reach higher conceptual ground. “We originally approached it as, ‘Let’s go into the studio and see what happens.’ We’ve always been open to the idea of the visual component of the record, always heavily involved in the artwork. Vince does a lot of the videos, as well as videos for other people. I guess when we look at projects, we’re always thinking about the visual idea. Aerials is very much a visual idea … We wanted something interesting for us, and the audience as well.” The philosophy behind Siberia Records’ roster – for releases and events such as Siberian Nights – isn’t bound by style, but more so a curation of acts that are capable of bringing something new to the table. “The
“But if you send someone like Kirin or Alex to the States, they get excited because they don’t have anyone like that. It’s similar to the ’80s when people were obsessed with Crocodile Dundee. It’s just been a while since that weird Australian larrikin thing has been explored. That’s definitely one thing I’ve found interesting with Kirin; I didn’t know how he would go down in the US. He’s kind of a weird guy that makes music that’s in one sense accessible, and in another sense it is weird music.” Could it be that Kirin J Callinan could be Australia’s next cultural poster boy? “It’s funny,” says Stricker, “Kirin was offered a movie role the other day with Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving. It would be funny if all of a sudden he got into films and became the modern-day Crocodile Dundee.” What: Siberian Nights With: Andy Stott, Black Vanilla, Forces, Cassius Select, DCM, Four Door Where: Studio and Western Foyer, Sydney Opera House When: Friday May 23
Dan Stricker of Midnight Juggernauts photo by Daniel Boud
Concert Hall, Sunday June 1 Created especially for Vivid LIVE, this world premiere is also a wonderful way for us to finally work with the Red Bull Music Academy. Moroder’s output is now part of modern music’s DNA – from his disco domination through to his incredible Academy Award-winning soundtracks. Having the renegade Heritage Orchestra – responsible for last year’s searing Joy Division rework – get right inside Moroder’s incredible ouvre will be magic.
Dan Stricker: Siberia Man By Lachlan Kanoniuk
“I think America is obsessed with pop culture. They put everything in boxes,” says Stricker. “When you have a character like Kirin or Alex exploring this weird Australia, the Americans really get into it – it’s something they don’t have. If you send an artist that sounds like the xx, for example, to London, there are a million copycat artists that sound like that band. Most of the stuff that gets played on Australian commercial radio is just a copy of an international band, and they can get played on the radio here because they know they have an audience.
M A J O R E V E NT PA RTN E R S
LIGHTING THE SAILS – 59 PRODUCTIONS 23 MAY – 9 JUNE MIDLAKE 23 MAY SIBERIAN NIGHTS 23 MAY PIXIES 23 – 26 MAY R.I.P SOCIETY 5TH BIRTHDAY 24 MAY SINCE I LEFT YOU – A CELEBRATION OF THE AVALANCHES 24 MAY ST. VINCENT 25 MAY TIMELINE: ACO FEAT. THE PRESETS 25 & 29 MAY KATE MILLER-HEIDKE 26 MAY
NILS FRAHM 27 MAY MS. LAURYN HILL 27 & 28 MAY ANNA CALVI 28 MAY JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW 29 & 31 MAY GOODGOD TIN PAN ALLEY 30 MAY ASTRAL PEOPLE 30 MAY FUTURE CLASSIC 31 MAY THE MUSIC OF MORODER – THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA 1 JUNE GIORGIO MORODER IN CONVERSATION 1 JUNE THE GIORGIO MORODER STUDIO PARTY 1 JUNE
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2014
vivid LIVE
Basenji New Dawn
By Augustus Welby
D
uring its ten-year existence, Redfern-based label Future Classic has gone a long way towards justifying its bold appellation. In addition to introducing the world to Flume, Jagwar Ma and Chet Faker, for the last three years the imprint has exercised its discerning tastes to curate a party for Vivid LIVE. This year’s event features Scottish ambient sci-fi guy Koreless, Parisian R&B nostalgist Stwo and rising Sydney dance producer Basenji (AKA Sebastian Carlos). Basenji popped onto the scene just six months ago but Carlos is no stranger to the city’s winter festival.
the country and supported the likes of Rustie, What So Not and John Dahlback. “I’m having a lot of fun,” he enthuses. “The gigs have been incredible and I have a whole lot of new music, which I’m really excited to share. “I finished university at the end of last year and I was like, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to do. I want to really commit to making music, I want to start a new project, I want to see what I can do with it in 2014.’ I was very ambitious but I didn’t really see any of this coming.” The number of Australian electronic musicians presently making waves draws attention to a pulsating underground. The condition of Sydney’s music scene is constantly under scrutiny, but despite this, plenty of local acts have made an international impact in recent years.
“I love Vivid,” he says. “Almost every Vivid party I’ve been to has had this amazing energy to it. One of the first studio parties I went to was the Goodgod party two years ago, with Nicky Da B and Egyptian Lover, and that was literally one of the best nights I’ve ever had. The Future Classic show last year absolutely blew my mind.”
“I’m so happy to be here,” Carlos says. “The scene is beautiful right now and I feel blessed to be close friends with Cosmo’s Midnight and Wave Racer. I think Australia-wide there are so many talented people that are my age and it’s really fun watching a new generation of artists take off.”
Future Classic’s advocacy is one of many auspicious omens surrounding the dexterous 21-year-old beat technician. Since the jaunty instrumental ‘Dawn’ got added to high rotation on triple j and FBi early this year, Carlos has gigged all over
Performing at the Opera House is a pinnacle achievement for any artist, no matter their breadth of experience. Getting a chance to perform there within a year of coming into the public consciousness is an exceptional privilege.
“I’m still really tripping out about that. It’s a show that I’m really looking forward to. The obvious prestige of the venue is a lot of fun. It’s something to do with the harbour; it just puts people in the right mood. It’s something special and people really get behind it.” Far from getting carried away by the infl ux of adulation, Carlos is studiously experimenting with stacks of new Basenji material. “I’m putting all my time into it,” he says. “This is what I’m doing 24/7, so it is really nice to see it paying off. Even if people didn’t care I would still be making music and putting in the same amount of effort. “I’m working on what’s looking like maybe a four- or fi ve-track EP right now. I’m working with different singers, lots of local artists. I was in the studio today with a singer, George Maple, working on a track. She’s the absolute best to work with. Who knows what comes after the next release but I really want to try out whatever.” What: Future Classic Party With: Koreless, Stwo, Future Classic DJs and more Where: Studio and Western Foyer, Sydney Opera House When: Saturday May 31
Black Vanilla Black Vanilla is an
Holy Balm The Sydney music scene
underground Sydney threepiece comprising Lips, Lockheart and DJ Plead – but you’d probably more easily recognise the first two as Marcus Whale (pictured) of Collarbones and Lavurn Lee of Guerre. Originally intending for Black Vanilla to be a live project only, their popularity has grown substantially, and last year they released their debut mixtape Black On Black On Black. They’ll perform on Friday May 23 in the Studio and Western Foyer of the Sydney Opera House at Siberian Nights, the opening night for the Vivid LIVE Studio series curated by Midnight Juggernauts’ own record label Siberia Records.
is becoming one of great community. As with many of the city’s other young artists, the members of Holy Balm help make up other groups like Raw Prawn, Convent and Four Door. Holy Balm’s last release was a seventrack LP in 2012, so the three-piece will be itching to get its new music out there – starting with the fifth birthday celebrations of DIY label R.I.P Society. The party lands at the Studio and Western Foyer of the Sydney Opera House on Saturday May 24, while Holy Balm’s Jonathan Hochman (pictured) will play in Four Door at the Siberian Nights event on Friday May 23, also in the Studio and Western Foyer.
Basenji
Cassius Select One of a few Sydney producers who have their fingers in a lot of pies, Cassius Select is another side project for Lavurn Lee of Guerre fame. Cassius Select released a four-track EP back in late 2013, and most recently has teamed up with Perth producer Tuff Sherm, AKA Dro Carey, to put out a split EP in mid-April. Lee will be a busy man on Friday May 23, when he plays twice at Siberian Nights – once with Black Vanilla and again as Cassius Select.
R.I.P Society Birthday Bash By Lachlan Kanoniuk
I
n the space of five short years, Sydney-based imprint R.I.P Society has established itself as an intrinsic force within Australia’s ridiculously fertile musical underground. To celebrate, the label will be putting on one hell of a birthday bash at Vivid LIVE, bringing together R.I.P luminaries along with Kiwi icons The Dead C and longstanding Sydney post-punk crusaders feedtime. R.I.P Society progenitor and Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys member Nic Warnock reels in the years and takes us back to the label’s beginning.
Nic Warnock 14 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
Even during R.I.P Society’s infant years, Warnock has perceived a positive change in attitude amongst local music lovers. “For me, it was
The selection criteria for a R.I.P Society act are ill-defined, but potent with a sense of community. “There’s a cultural and artistic understanding that I think is hard to quantify,” says Warnock. “If you look through the R.I.P Society roster, there’s actually a few repeat people in there in multiple bands that can sound quite different, or go on quite different tangents. Naked On The Vague, for example; I released a seven-inch by them, and that was two dark post-punk pop songs or something. Then the Half High record I released this year is this sort of soundtracky, ambient synth experimentation. I find these people who I think have a good sensibility,
who want to create music for the right reasons.” You can imagine the responsibility of running a DIY record label can often be a thankless task, especially in terms of cash money, which is a factor Warnock is content with abiding. “I guess I’ve just accepted that I will have this lifelong dedication to supporting strange, underground DIY music activity in many different forms. A lot of the time, it’s not really fun running a record label. But it feels rewarding, it gives me a sense of purpose, like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life. I feel like I have to keep doing it, because if I don’t, no-one here will. If there were enough labels and institutes able to shed some light on this music that’s important, I would feel OK to back away from what I do. But that’s why I feel I need to do it, to keep what I feel are good traditions in music visible to the public. I want to counter the things that are cheap and impure in the music industry.” What: R.I.P Society 5th Birthday With: The Dead C, feedtime, Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Woollen Kits, Native Cats and more Where: Studio and Western Foyer, Sydney Opera House When: Saturday May 24
All photos by Daniel Boud
“Basically I saw this massive hole between small-scale, super-limited DIY products – tapes, CDRs and short-run vinyl – to extremely niche audiences, then there not being anything in the middle between [those and] huge indie rock. There was no outlet for all these bands in Australia to release their music as it should be released. I probably didn’t even think about it that much back then, I was just enthusiastic and just wanted to put out my friends’ records. But in hindsight, that’s why it worked. It was a hobby that eventually engulfed my adult life.”
overcoming this idea and making people realise there is good stuff happening here in the tradition of underground punk, post-punk, rock’n’roll of the past; that there are modern-day equivalents happening right here in Australia who are as good as anyone in the world. I think that mentality has been changed. I see it when I work at Repressed Records in Newtown – people look to Australian music first. The challenge now is to expand people’s interests when they look to R.I.P Society. I’m not going to release ten bands that sound like Royal Headache. I don’t want to be associated with one particular sound, I want it to be associated with a mindset.”
2014
vivid LIVE
Since I Left You The World So New By David James Young
E
ven nearly 15 years after its release, The Avalanches’ turn-of-thecentury masterpiece Since I Left You has managed to impact upon and influence countless musical acts in countless ways. Just two of them are Jonti Danilewitz and Rainbow Chan, who are partaking in a tribute show to the album as a part of this year’s Vivid LIVE festivities. Their stories of being exposed to the album differ greatly – Danilewitz recalls discovering the album upon his arrival to Australia from South Africa at age 13, while Chan found the record during her time at uni. “I had never heard anything like it,” recalls Danilewitz. “I remember seeing the video for ‘Frontier Psychiatrist’ and I couldn’t believe that this kind of music was popular in Australia. It really made an impression – I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I had to find out.” Although Chan was vaguely familiar with the singles that were lifted from the album, it was a classmate that sparked her interest in scratching below the surface. “We were asked to discuss our top five biggest music influences,” she recalls, “and this guy put on ‘Electricity’. I was really blown away by it – that song just sounds like someone falling in love.” Jonti and Rainbow are part of a larger ensemble that originally brought the album
to life as part of the 2013 OutsideIn festival. This year sees their collective grow even larger with the addition of a string section, which serves as somewhat of a double-edged sword. While it has certainly brought a bigger, brighter sound to the performance, Danilewitz is the first to admit that trying to work around the schedules of so many people is a significant obstacle. “Getting ten people in last time around was hard enough,” he says with a laugh and an exasperated sigh. “Now we have 17! Organising has definitely proved a lot more challenging, but we’re all driven by the fact that there’s no turning back. We’ll never get a chance to do something like this again. It’s really special and fun – we’re just gonna go for it.” Chan was last seen at Vivid during the 2013 festival, in which she performed as a part of Karen O’s Stop The Virgens. Comparing the two experiences, she says both presented different challenges but reaped their own rewards. “We had a twoweek intensive run of training and rehearsal – there were about 20 of us,” she says of Stop The Virgens. “In that role, we were always going to be more in the background. It wasn’t as daunting thinking about performing that to a large audience – we were fully costumed and I could really adapt to a new character. With
Rainbow Chan this one, it’s a lot more bare. It’s actually going to be us. It’ll just be me singing at one point. It’s actually a really nice sensation to be that nervous.” Since I Left You is one of many shows that make up the festival, and when they’re not busy reimagining a modern classic both Jonti and Rainbow are eager to
Jonti check out what else this year’s lineup has to offer. “St. Vincent is a huge one for me,” says Danilewitz. “She’s a hero. I’ve also got to have a little hometown pride and check out Penny Penny.” As for Chan, one act is the highest of priority – “I can’t wait to see Lauryn Hill,” she enthuses. “The other people
I’m playing with on the Astral People bill are amazing, too –
there’s going to be some great nights coming up.”
What: Since I Left You: A Celebration Of The Avalanches With: The Astral Kids Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House When: Saturday May 24 And: Rainbow Chan is appearing alongside Phuture, Night Slugs, Andras Fox and more at the Astral People night, Studio and Western Foyer, Friday May 30
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2014
vivid SYDNEY
my vivid ideas top five By Jess Scully, Festival Director
1.
ADAM ZWAR & JULIAN MORROW IN CONVERSATION
Vivid Ideas Exchange, MCA, Thursday June 5 Did you know that Wilfred (a TV show about a talking stoner dog who’s the tormentor/figment of an insecure guy’s imagination) is being remade for Russia after four seasons in the US? Adam Zwar is the creator of that show, plus Lowdown, and The Agony Aunts and Uncles series. Julian Morrow is the EP of The Chaser and all their shows, including his own show, The Checkout. Together they’ve made some quirky and interesting TV, and they’re going to be chatting about what it takes to get original stuff on our screens.
& DAMON SHARPE: 2. BATTLEROY IN CONVERSATION
Going Solo By Augustus Welby
W
hen Goodgod Small Club announced the complete lineup for its Vivid LIVE event, Tin Pan Alley, one act in particular got the nation’s rock fans talking. Royal Headache frontman Shogun will make his solo debut on the night. His rich, soulful vocals were a key ingredient in Royal Headache’s ascension to international significance and his solo work promises to harness his heartfelt leanings. “Everyone’s used to hearing me screaming over a loud rock’n’roll band,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to showing people that that’s not always me. I love playing stuff that’s a little more tender. These are the songs that I write on my own about things a bit closer to my heart.” The intimate performance will see Shogun take the stage strumming an acoustic guitar, with a pianist/organ player accompanying him. It’s advertised that the set’s been sculpted specifically for Vivid. However, while Goodgod might have provided the springboard for Shogun’s solo launch, the material has been fermenting for years. “I write songs all the time,” he says. “I’ve got several piles of old songs and I’m just trying to choose the ones that’d be the most appropriate. It’s kind of cool that after procrastinating about it for ten years I’m doing my first solo gig in this big room, in front of all these people, in this prestigious venue.” It’s been almost three years since the release of Royal Headache’s highly celebrated
self-titled LP. The activation of Shogun’s solo venture underlines a burning question concerning the band’s future. And the answer’s likely to elicit both joy and despondency. “It’ll be a while longer but there’s definitely going to be a second album,” he reveals. “The instrumentals have sat there for a year or more and I’ve just got up off my arse and started tracking the vocals. It’s sounding pretty good, I reckon. “I actually quit Royal Headache in about August last year. But we agreed that we’d finish the album. Royal Headache was never meant to evolve – I think that’s why I left. I’m getting older and the kinds of things I want to express are different.
Shogun photo by Daniel Boud
Vivid Ideas is all about the work that goes on behind the scenes to produce the events, projects, TV shows or records we love: it’s about the business of creativity. I’m excited because we’re bringing dozens of visionary people to Sydney to connect with hundreds (OK, more like thousands) of imaginative local creative people, and you never know what’ll come out of it when makers get together. They’re scientists, designers, inventors, artists, musicians, game writers, digital gurus, architects, and they’re the people whose names you might not know, yet – but they’re shaping what tomorrow will look like for all of us who love creative content, technology, entertainment and media.
Shogun
“I’ve walked around the stage half-naked, drunk as fuck, hundreds of times,” he adds. “I’m not in a huge rush to do that again. I’m over 30 now – it’s almost a little too much. But I really do want to see this second album come into fruition because I think it’s some of the better stuff that we did.” With its debut full-length, the bare-knuckled Sydney fourpiece drummed up a large following at home and abroad. The record displays singular songwriting prowess, but developing a broad, fervent fan base was completely unexpected. “It was really moving and it was also terrifying,” Shogun admits. “I was not really in the headspace to deal with it, but I don’t know if anyone ever truly is. I feel really ambivalent about the whole thing. It’s not
something I could ever regret [but] I felt like it was undeserved a lot of the time.” This is just one of many instances during our chat where Shogun makes unfounded recourse to self-deprecation. Nevertheless, he acknowledges an intrinsic music-making compulsion, which assures he’s not giving up the ghost. “I just get songs in my head and melody lines that don’t leave me alone. I find it one of the only truly calming things I
Vivid Ideas Exchange, MCA, Wednesday June 4 These guys have sold something like 50 million records between them, but they’re the secret producers/writer brains trust behind songs we know and love (or love to hate) by Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars, Shakira and Kylie. They’re going to write and record a song live onstage in this event, and they’ll be taking lyrics and ideas from the audience: great for anyone who wants to learn the alchemy behind writing a hit song.
have, where I feel complete, in a way. I haven’t really put any structured effort into anything else in my whole life. I still work in a call centre. Music is just kind of it to me – it’s more of an addiction than an art.” What: Goodgod Tin Pan Alley With: Penny Penny, Bart Willoughby, Montero, Donny Benet Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House When: Friday May 30
Vivid Aquatique
LI: ON THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL CHARACTERS 3. HAO
Vivid Ideas Exchange, MCA, Sunday June 8 It’s getting cheaper and easier to do full 3D scans, in real time – so how is this changing the way we watch (and make) films, play (and design) games? Hao Li worked for George Lucas at Industrial Light and Magic, and now he’s at the forefront of making easy, real-time scanning part of our daily entertainment lives. He’s a real character and this is a great session in which he’ll demo some mindblowing tech, great for anyone who wants to know what we’ll be playing tomorrow.
& SELINA MILES: IN 4. SOFLES CONVERSATION
Vivid Ideas Exchange, MCA, Wednesday May 28 He’s the street artist that street artists namecheck, she’s the filmmaker who takes street art to the world. Sofles started out as a graffiti artist in Brisbane and now shares his work on walls all over the world. He and Selina Miles collaborated on an incredible stop-motion film called Limitless, which has now clocked up close to nine million views on Vimeo (if you haven’t seen it, check it out). They’re going to be talking about how you document an underground culture and what it takes to make art go viral.
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AUSTRALIAN INTERIORS: OBJECTS, FURNITURE, TEXTILES
Vivid Ideas Exchange, MCA, Saturday May 24 How do you create stunning design in Sydney? Is there a particular style that defines this town? Is there an Australian aesthetic, and who is taking it to the world? We’ll be asking all these questions of the people who make the furniture and objects we drool over, while we’re drooling over their beautiful objects. Great for anyone who browses interiors blogs and imagines living a more beautifully designed life. 16 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
Vivid Aquatique Elementary, My Dear By Kate Robertson
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ivid Aquatique is returning to Darling Harbour this year, complete with dancing fountains, enormous water screens, video projections, lasers and even marine fireworks. French company Aquatique Show International has been creating water shows for over 30 years for events across the world, including in China, England, Germany, South Korea, Spain and South Africa. The first piece of good news is that this year’s Vivid Aquatique will be very different from 2013, with a larger and much more ambitious project. When Vivid asked Aquatique to produce a 360-degree show, the team decided to base its plans not on
the shape of a circle but rather a four-pointed star. From there, the Southern Cross became the inspiration for the work, says Aquatique’s Jean Kohler. “This design came because the Southern Cross has a direct relationship with the port and the history of the sea – the Southern Cross and the sea are related because it’s the only way to [find] your direction,” Kohler says. “The Southern Cross is also looking like a carrefour – a crossroad – between the north and south and the other continents, so that’s why bringing this kind of shape into the middle of a port had a direct relation with what we did.” The show itself is a complex interweaving of the effects of
water and light, which is further complicated by the decision to ensure that the same thing would be seen from every vantage point. Kohler admits, “It’s the first time in the world we will do this.” “The shape of the Southern Cross is made in black PVC plastic cubes, and in the middle of this is a fountain fl oating,” explains Kohler. Images and lasers are projected onto the four water screens, he says, and some shows even include fireworks. Aquatique is bringing more than double the material it did last year, which makes the whole development process somewhat problematic. “We have our factory in a little village in France and the factory was too small to put the star at the fl oor, so we did the setup at the street and everybody was asking what was going on, and we said, ‘This is going to Australia.’ For Australians, Europe is not
so far, because the distances are big in Australia, but telling people in France you are going to Sydney, for some of them it is like if we go to the moon.” Vivid Sydney is a festival dedicated to making art accessible and engaging the interest of the public. According to Kohler, this aim is also at the heart of the Aquatique project. “I have never seen a specifi c age or social level or educative level [which enjoys Aquatique] more or less. The relationship with the fountain is the same relationship with water, and has the same relationship to humans as fire. Fire or water is an element, and when you begin to play with the elements you attract people.” Where: Darling Harbour When: Friday May 23 – Monday June 9, 6-11pm
2014
vivid LIVE
St. Vincent What Else Could I Be? By Jody Macgregor
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he four women chosen to join the remaining members of Nirvana – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear – when they performed at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction last month each had a different way of seeing the band. To Joan Jett they were descendants, to Kim Gordon they were contemporaries, to Lorde they were history. But to Annie Clark, better known under her stage name St. Vincent, they were idols. When they released the song she covered, the quiet/loud anthem ‘Lithium’, Clark was ten years old. Nirvana’s music is the music she grew up with. “It was just so poignant and special to me to be able to play the song that means so much to me, and means so much to so many people, with the creators of the song,” she says. “Those guys, Krist and Dave and Pat, had not played ‘Lithium’ in 20 years, since Kurt passed. So to be a part of them revisiting that material and honouring that material was – I hate to say ‘a dream come true’ because ultimately, like everyone, I wish Kurt was still around, but I was certainly honoured that they asked.” Clark may have grown up a Nirvana fan, but her own music sounds very different. Her unusual guitar style – experimental, percussive, sometimes reminiscent of King Crimson’s Adrian Belew – is expansive, and grows even further when filling the space
of her own shows. She has a reputation for sounding even better live than on record. “That’s a great reputation,” she says, “especially in this day and age, when it’s very easy to manipulate a record and idealise the record. But then it’s a whole other skill set to be able to perform and actually play the parts on the record and give them even more life. I think for me, the songs on the record, that’s just the starting point, and then live they get to take on a whole new life and dimension.” Recent shows, like her performance at the Unstaged fashion event streamed online, have taken her set even further into that dimension. Clark bounced across the stage with jittery steps, bowed gracefully like a ballerina, thrust her palms out like a kung fu master. Her highly choreographed stage movements had an unearthly, herky-jerky quality that returned a sense of the unexpected to what is still just a rock show, where we’re used to seeing studied poses of guitar god-dom passed off as spontaneous expression. “It’s all a particular bastardisation of high art like [modern dance performer] Pina Bausch,” Clark explains. “I’m ripping off her, but obviously it looks a lot different on my body. I appreciate that method in general of working where you’re referencing things from all over the place but making them your own”.
The members of her live band, including bass player Toko Yasuda and keyboardist Daniel Mintseris, joined in on the action, dramatically waving their arms in synchronised motions and hopping around to the music. These playful moments look like everyone’s having fun, with plenty of shared glances and sly smiles. “They’re not as choreographed as I am,” Clark says of her band. “I’m not fully choreographed by any means, but they don’t move as much as I do simply because on a lot of songs they have to remain stationary at keyboards or drums – but they enjoyed incorporating that as well. It’s another way to challenge yourself, it’s another way to
give people the best, most considered, produced show you possibly can.”
– but by opening herself up like this she’s more relatable than ever before.
Just because her live show has such a great reputation doesn’t mean her albums are weak. Her collaboration with David Byrne on Love This Giant was a perfect union of their idiosyncratic styles, and the surprising third element of a brass band gave it a sound of its own. Clark’s first album since that project, simply called St. Vincent, restates her assumptions in their most complete form so far. It’s personal – ‘I Prefer Your Love’ is about her mother, ‘Rattlesnake’ is about trying to commune with nature by taking her clothes off in the woods, then being chased home by a snake
“I’m glad people like it,” she says. “I’m glad it connects with people’s hearts and weaves its way into their lives. I can only think of it from a bird’s eye view and think of how many records have meant the world to me and changed my life forever, and so to get to give back to that tradition in any way, small or large, is immense.” Critics have been especially impressed, with several reviews giving her perfect scores and calling the album a triumph. It’s destined to feature prominently in the inevitable ‘Best Of 2014’ lists. Clark says she pays more attention to the reaction from
crowds (“I play shows and get fan responses in real time”), but admits, “The reaction’s been great. I’ve been lucky enough to get to refine what I do over the course of four or five albums and get better at what I do and become a more powerful artist. “I feel lucky to get to play music. It’s never lost on me that it’s a privilege to get to live your dream. And I got to play with Nirvana.” What: St. Vincent out now through Loma Vista/Caroline Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House When: Sunday May 25
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vivid hotspots
There aren’t many places in the world that can match Sydney when Vivid lights up the harbour city each year, attracting locals and tourists alike into the centre of town. We spoke with the peeps from four of the best spots where you’ll get a look at the lights without being swept away in the crowds. Remember, Sydney lights up this year from Friday May 23 – Monday June 9.
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The Argyle
Fantasea Adventure Cruising
It’s called: Vivid Lights, Vivid Music, Vivid Argyle
Napoli pizzas, classic burgers, and all your old favourites.
What’s the vibe: In collaboration with Vivid Sydney, Sydney’s finest DJs will see you transported through space and time, as The Argyle transcends worlds and tilts its hat to some of the iconic influencers who have shaped generations of music lovers.
Getting in the Vivid spirit: Visually astounding and sonically electrifying, The Argyle will be transformed, re-animated and re-ignited, combining design, lighting installation and sound.
What does it sound like: DJ sets from Phil Hudson, Yogi, The Owl, Tom Chivalry Dance, Tikki Tembo and many more. What’s the fuel: L.E.D Cocktails, authentic
Cost: Free on June 5 and 6, $20 after 10pm (June 7 only). Where: 18 Argyle St, The Rocks When: 5pm – late
It’s called: Vivid Cruise. We’re bringing you the best of Vivid Sydney 2014 right on the waterfront! Join us on a grand adventure to see the sights on Sydney Harbour. What’s the vibe: A special event cruise starting in Darling Harbour and cruising the foreshore for a great view of the Vivid light spectacular. Enjoy prime views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as they are transformed into spectacular canvas boards of light, music and 3D projections. What’s the fuel: The boat is fully licensed and you get your first drink on us.
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BAR100
The Star
It’s called: Vivid at BAR100
house DJs playing until close.
It’s called: Vivid Sydney at The Star
What’s the vibe: Throughout Vivid we will be transforming the inside of our heritagelisted venue with themed light installations. We will have daily food specials available throughout the day and late-night meals for those who are staying up late to enjoy the festival.
Saturdays features DJs with live elements including bongos and trumpets from 9pm until 3am.
What’s the vibe: The Star, Sydney will light up from 23 May – 9 June, as a new feature attraction in the annual celebration of light, music and ideas – Vivid Sydney.
BAR100 has created a special cocktail to celebrate the festival, called Lord of the Lights, as well as our renowned BAR100 mulled wine, which is perfect to enjoy in this cooler weather. What does it sound like: BAR100 will have two floors of the venue offering different music. During the week, level two will have chilled-out bar/lounge music and level three is a bit more uptempo with fun house music. Every Friday the venue has two levels of live music from 5pm. Level three features DJ Hannah Gibbs and some of the best Australian female vocalists including Reigan Derry, Michelle Martinez and Sharon Muscat; they perform from 5pm-10pm followed by some of Sydney’s hottest DJs. Level two has live acoustic performances from 5pm-8pm by Angelene and Sarah Bird followed by 18 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
What’s the fuel: Full drinks and food menu available as well as Vivid cocktail Lord of the Lights ($15) and mulled wine ($10). Daily food specials are also on offer, including $15 char-grilled grain-fed scotch fillet on Tuesdays, $10 pastas on Thursdays, $10 pizzas on Friday nights. Getting in the Vivid spirit: BAR100 is located right in the centre of all the Vivid action. Level two’s outdoor terrace overlooks the Overseas Passenger Terminal where you can view some of the festival’s light installations. Cost: Free ($20 cover charge for the nightclub on Saturday evenings from 9pm). Where: 100 George St, The Rocks When: Everyday throughout Vivid. Monday to Thursday 12pm-late, Friday and Saturday 12pm-3am, Sunday 12pm-12am. Full dining menu available seven days, 12pm-10pm; late night menu from 10pm.
The Star’s inaugural Vivid light installation will capture “the thrill of Sydney” by combining the technical genius of The Electric Canvas with the internationally acclaimed design group, The Glue Society. The projections will depict the unique range of Sydney’s worldfamous lifestyle with spectacular colour and creativity, which will be visible from within The Star, and many vantage points around Sydney. What does it sound like: The Vivid Lounge at Sky Terrace, the Star’s viewing platform for the Vivid light installation, will be featuring a range of guest DJs on Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm to 10pm. Following the Vivid Lounge at Sky Terrace, pop into Marquee Sydney to dance the ‘light’ away. You can catch Grammy Award-nominated, chart-topping producer and DJ Dirty South on the decks in a one-off Australian gig on Saturday 24 May (10pm ’til late). The Star’s Cherry Bar will also have bands playing throughout Vivid Sydney.
Getting in the Vivid spirit: You will have a great view of the lights from the best possible vantage point. How many dollars: The cruise cost is $29 and includes a free drink on boarding. Where: Your vessel Fantasea Escapade departs King St Wharf number 8. When: One-and-a-half hour cruises from May 23 – June 9, departing 6pm, 7:30pm and 9pm
What’s the fuel: Throughout Vivid Sydney, The Star will offer Vivid-themed dining and entertainment across the 20 food and beverage outlets within the complex. Vivid Lounge at Sky Terrace, perched atop The Star will be a central feature throughout Vivid Sydney, serving hungry revellers from a variety of pop-up food stations. Fine dining opportunities will include a cocktail and canapé treat ($25) from BLACK by ezard, and Cherry Bar will offer live bands throughout Vivid Sydney, whilst serving City Lights cocktails ($12); a white pink grapefruit Cosmopolitan twist, flamed with fresh grapefruit. Getting in the Vivid spirit: The Star will be hosting a major light show throughout each evening on the exterior of the Astral hotel tower, accessible from the harbour-facing Vivid Lounge at Sky Terrace located on the rooftop of the Star adjacent to the Event Centre. The Sky Terrace also offers sweeping views toward the Sydney city skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge – providing a great long-range view of the Vivid Sydney light show. Where: 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont. For more information or enquiries, visit star.com.au or call 1800 700 700 When: 6pm every night from May 23 to June 9 thebrag.com
ARGYLE VIVID MUSIC 5-7 JUNE 2014
VIVID LIGHTS VIVID MUSIC VIVID ARGYLE GET ON THE GUESTLIST THEARGYLEROCKS.COM
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Ernest Ellis Playing Honest By Garry Westmore
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n his third recording outing, Ernest Ellis has taken a couple of dramatic turns both sonically and lyrically. After a year-long hiatus he returned to the studio with Russell Webster from Shining Bird as co-producer. The result of their endeavours is the smashing record Cold Desire, a perfect blend of driving synth-bass, electronic keys, brooding, honest vocals and harmonica. Wait, harmonica?
“It was more of an accident, really,” Ellis explains. “When we put it on this record and tracked it, it sort of popped its head right through and gave [the album] a guiding voice. There’s a lot of space in the instrumentation and then when you throw a harmonica or a saxophone in, these shrill instruments, they really have time to shine through.” It works surprisingly well, too, with Ellis keen to retain the more organic elements of his sound and put them alongside the synthetic elements. Acoustic guitar, harmonica, piano and saxophone both complement and stand out at times around other production features. Undoubtedly working with Webster
has expanded Ellis’ sound, but he’s grown as a songwriter in terms of his vocal and lyrical content as well, taking on a much more honest approach to his writing. “When I hear a lot of songs now, the tendency in my writing and the tendency in a lot of writing is to shirk what’s honest for what you think is poetic, because it fits the way the melody goes and so on. In a lot of cases, when I listen to my old stuff, I can see why it works – the poetry and sound – but I’m not actually saying anything. The lyric is an oblique reference to something [but] I can’t remember what it was. On this record, with these songs, I thought, ‘Fuck that, I want to say something.’” An unexpected side effect was finding more confidence in his delivery – an easy thing to do because “if [the lyrics] have personal resonance your delivery is better. My vocal delivery just felt a lot better because I was a lot more connected to these songs. You feel honest about it and you feel like you’re actually saying something.” A lack of honesty in songwriting is something Ellis sees far too much of in the music world. I mention how frustrating it is to hear songwriters cite Crowded House or Paul Kelly as influences, then write shallow lyrics. “Let’s be honest: it doesn’t say anything,” agrees Ellis. “There’s nothing to that; it’s a sweet melody and there’s a place for that, that’s fine. When it’s trying to be passed off like you’re a student of Paul Kelly? Don’t give me that shit! People cite Lou Reed as an influence probably having heard ‘Perfect Day’ and never having dug into Berlin or Coney Island Baby.” Ellis also cites The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard and Nick Cave as songwriters who have spent “years and years refining how they write songs” and laments that perhaps that type of artisanry is dying out. “[Or] maybe that’s not true,” he laughs. Ellis is wary of sounding like a wanker (he doesn’t, trust me), but it’s clear he’s reached a point of honesty with his songwriting and doesn’t want to turn back, difficult though it may be.
“It may be a lot more challenging to write songs the honest way because it’s harder to find the poetry in honesty, but I wanted to really face up to that”. “It’s easier to write songs where you fall back on cliché and you fall away from being dead set personal. Lyrically, there are caches that you fall into. It may be a lot more challenging to write songs the honest way because it’s harder to find the poetry in honesty, but I wanted to really face up to that fact, and I think it made me a lot better writer. In the past I would get to the turn in a song and think, ‘This sounds good, I’m going to put that in there,’ but a lot of the time it doesn’t say anything.” Cold Desire is full of evidence of Ellis’ new direction. The track ‘Shine Like Me’ is infectious and closes with Ellis sounding like Beck singing through a megaphone. ‘Black Wire’ parts one and two are sweeter, smoother and arguably sexier tracks. Opener ‘Clean Machine’ has a Kavinsky beat and channels Cave in full swagger mode – with the addition of that harmonica. They are songs exemplary of a writer who has hit confidence, with lyrics that don’t shy away from confession. “In my time of loving / I wanted too many things to happen,” Ellis sings on ‘Black Wire 1’. Apart from the harmonica, there’s plenty of saxophone to provide Cold Desire a bit of sexy sleaze. But not too much – Ellis and Webster resisted the temptation to overdo it. “I wanted the main element to be the vocal and a driving melody,” says the singer. “It was a matter of striking a balance, not putting in too much sax but enough to bring the sleaze aesthetic quality I wanted on the record.” Now the album is all finished and released to the masses, Ellis and Webster aren’t just content with their work in the studio. With Webster appearing as part of Shining Bird, they’re co-headlining a short tour through NSW and Victoria – and don’t expect to hear any contrived lyrics or unimpassioned vocals from either. What: Shining Bird and Ernest Ellis Where: St Stephen’s Church Hall, Newtown When: Saturday May 17 And: Cold Desire out now through Spunk 20 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
thebrag.com
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arts frontline
free stuff
arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Chris Martin and Ed Kirkwood
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
five minutes WITH Kelly Stewart
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hat’s the concept behind Alchemy Of Assemblage? I love materials that have a past that has afforded them a character and interest with colour and a patina. I use pieces that are ‘found objects’ – an old sign, a plank of wood, pieces of corroded metal sheet, even discarded road barriers. I appreciate that they had a purpose and that that purpose no longer exists; I then take the piece and attempt to work it back to life by using it as an inspiration
Ida
KELLY STEWART
and an important component in creating an artwork. Along with the composition and layering, these then are the three dimensions, combined, creating an ‘alchemy’ to engage the viewer through its form and layers and the realisation of its elements not only having a past, but reborn, it becomes new again. You have a background in graphic design – how did you come to be an artist? I started as what was known then as a commercial artist (now the term is graphic artist). I designed and was responsible for the front-of-house billboards for the movie currently on show at each of the Hoyts movie theatres Australia-wide as well as exhibition displays and advertising billboards. In those days it was all hand-painted, but the process now is large-format digital printing. I possess the skills to form and hand-paint typography; it was in learning these skills that I formed an ability to create layouts and colour palettes. I often introduce typography elements by handpainting to complete the form. Who and what inspires your art? I look for abstracted composition, balance, form and layers with strong colour palettes. I have
found the following artists to be masters of this: Jasper Johns, his fantastic use of typography and graphics; Robert Rauschenberg, his use of found objects is so quirky; Wassily Kandinsky, the father of abstract; and of course the Australian (although originally from New Zealand) Rosalie Gascoigne – her works are a testament to being succinct with what is being communicated to the viewer. Is there a medium, form or material you’re most comfortable working in – or is it about the challenge? It can be metal or timber and it is definitely about the challenge. How do you hope your audience responds to your work – or is it hard to bear the viewer in mind when you’re in the creative process? I love the thought that my work is appreciated and accepted as a meaningful contribution to the psychology of people’s wellbeing in their homes. Where: Platform 72, The Living Mall, Central When: Saturday May 17 – Sunday June 1
IDA
Ida is the new film from Polish-born auteur Pawel Pawlikowski, named by the BBC as one of the most important filmmakers in Britain. Like many emigrants from post-war Europe, Pawlikowski carries with him stories of a former life; one full of heartbreak and instability but also necessarily identity-building. Ida centres on 18-year-old Anna, an orphaned girl preparing to become a nun when she meets a living relative, her Aunt Wanda. Anna learns her real name is Ida, and through her time spent with Wanda is reintroduced to her former life. Remarkably, Pawlikowski’s lead actor is the untrained Agata Trzebuchowska playing Anna, and the film draws deeply on the director’s own experiences in Poland. Ida opens in cinemas Thursday May 22, and we’ve got ten in-season double passes to give away. For your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us what your birth name would be in a different life.
La Femme Boheme – Illuminate
Sydney’s edition of the seventh Human Rights Arts and Film Festival will open on Tuesday May 27. Showing on the night, the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Square uses footage of the Egyptian Revolution as it follows a group of activists united against their corrupt government and committed to freedom and human rights. The festival is based this year at Dendy Newtown, where it runs until Saturday May 31.
THE EFFECT
SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM LAUNCHED
GOOD PITCH DOCO FEST
The Good Pitch2 Documentary Festival will be hitting our shores for the first time this year. Seven extraordinary Australian documentaries have been selected for their willingness to take on heavy social agendas and thereby instigate social change. Good Pitch2 is a global documentary forum devised by BRITDOC and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. The films presenting at the Sydney event are Call Me Dad by Sophie Wiesner, about men who have perpetrated or are at risk of perpetrating family violence; Constance On The Edge by Belinda Mason, about a Sudanese refugee in Wagga Wagga; Richard Todd’s Frackman, about activist Dayne Pratzky; Gayby Baby by Charlotte Mars, about same-sex marriage; Hollie Fifer’s David-and-Goliath land battle doco The Opposition; Damon Gameau’s That Sugar Film (yes, about sugar); and Zach’s Ceremony by Aaron Petersen, about a cityraised boy reconnecting with his indigenous roots. The whole shebang will take place on Wednesday October 8 at the Sydney Opera House. 22 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
DUFF BEER FOR ME, DUFF BEER FOR YOU
“Caw-fee?” “Be-eer.” Yep, The Simpsons have always known what we want – and the official
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IS BACK
LA FEMME BOHEME
The Vivid Sydney festival lights up the city each year, of course, but this time around it’ll light up The Spice Cellar in a very different way. The popular nightspot will host La Femme Boheme – Illuminate on Wednesday May 28 and Wednesday June 4, presenting a visual twist on the Boheme burlesque show including lights, UV black lights and projections. Expect a combination of cabaret, lingerie and pop culture.
Duff Beer is set to launch in Sydney at a pop-up Moe’s Tavern in Woolloomooloo. Moe’s, which will take over the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel at the end of the month, will serve Duff alongside Krusty Burgers, Duffalo Wings and Lard Lad donuts. Duff will be available in retail shops from Wednesday May 28. Moe’s will launch Duff Beer from Friday May 23 – Friday May 30.
Anna McGahan in The Effect
Cirque Du Soleil’s TOTEM
Cirque Du Soleil will return this October with their signature blueand-yellow big top and an all-new, awe-inspiring production. Featuring a cast of 45 acrobats, actors, musicians and singers, TOTEM is an uplifting array of athleticism, comedy, heartfelt emotions and surprising visual effects and has been seen by over three million people across 25 cities since its world premiere in 2012. TOTEM opens at the Entertainment Quarter on Tuesday October 28, showing until Sunday November 30.
thebrag.com
The Effect photo by Aaron Tait
The 61st Sydney Film Festival has revealed its full program, featuring 183 titles from 47 countries, including nine world premiere features. SFF festival director Nashen Moodley announced the program before a packed media room at Sydney’s Customs House, promising “the power of the shared experience” of watching films “together in the dark”. Joining the already announced opening night feature, the Nick Cave-narrated 20,000 Days On Earth, is closing night film What We Do In The Shadows, a hilarious vampire mockumentary by Flight Of The Conchords’ Jemaine Clement and actor/director Taika Waititi. Actors Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson will appear at the State Theatre for the Australian premiere of The Rover, while Cate Blanchett will introduce a family-friendly screening of How To Train Your Dragon 2. The highest number of Australian films ever will compete for this year’s Sydney Film Prize, while world premieres include Josh Lawson’s The Little Death, Darlene Johnson’s The Redfern Story and Estonian feature The Gold Spinners. Alongside the documentary, short film and Sounds On Screen programs, the Apple Store will host filmmaker talks including Gracie Otto and Boyhood actor Ellar Coltrane, while a Film Critics Death Match at Sydney Town Hall is sure to have budding writers queuing up to challenge the leaders in their field. The 61st Sydney Film Festival takes place between Wednesday June 4 and Sunday June 15. For the full festival program and tickets, visit sff.org.au.
Sydney Theatre Company’s latest play explores the seemingly irreconcilable concepts of love and neuroscience. In The Effect, two young volunteers – psychology student Connie and unemployed layabout Tristan – sign up for a pharmaceutical drug test, trialling the effects of a new anti-depressant. As the doses become stronger the volunteers become increasingly infatuated with one another, struggling to understand whether their feelings are natural or drug-induced. The play premiered to critical acclaim in 2012 at London’s National Theatre, and this year will play in Brisbane in June before coming to the Sydney Theatre Company in July. It runs from Saturday July 10 until Saturday August 16.
What We Do In Ihe Shadows still by Kane Skennar
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT Taika Waititi in What We Do In The Shadows
N’ K ’ GE OC STA E R ON LIV LL RO
MOJO
BY JEZ BUTTERWORTH
Mojo Jukebox Get in the mood with our 50s rock playlist sydneytheatre. com.au/magazine
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Sydney Writers’ Festival [BOOKS AND TELEVISION] Mightier Than The Sword By Tegan Jones
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAY FOR future projects or relationships.”
Jemma Birrell
Despite Birrell’s background in literature, television and film certainly won’t be ignored when it comes to the festival – and nor could they be with Breaking Bad creator Gilligan taking to the stage. In fact, his session was so popular that it sold out in only two days and a second show had to be added to the bill. “I think that looking at television writing is an important part of looking at writing today,” says Birrell. “A lot of exciting and interesting writing is going on. There’s another panel event that we’re running called Exceptional Television with Steven McGregor from Redfern Now, Peter Duncan [Rake] and A.M. Homes from The L Word. It’s going to be really great.”
T
he month of May means the annual Sydney Writers’ Festival is once again upon us. With literary superstars such as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) and Alice Walker (The Color Purple) in attendance, this celebration of the written word is already tipped to be bigger and better than ever. The festival’s artistic director, Jemma Birrell, has had what can only be described as a literary life. She started her career in publishing before becoming the inaugural events director of the renowned Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. After eight years she returned to Sydney to take up her current post with the Sydney Writers’ Festival, which she believes to be an incredibly special and imperative yearly event. “The atmosphere down at the wharf is extraordinary. The buzz, the joy
Mojo
that everyone has to be down there together, going to different events, hearing about a whole world of subjects – anything and everything is discussed – and I think that it’s exciting and a pretty rare thing to have that concentrated festival feel in regards to thinking and writing.” “There are four hundred writers gathered in one spot to really celebrate literature in different ways,” says Birrell. “And it’s feeding people’s imaginations and it’s also showing them different ways to think about life, about their world and other worlds – showing them different possibilities. It’s really opening up all of our minds. For the writers themselves, I think it’s wonderful. In addition to celebrating their work, and it being a way of promoting their work, it’s also a really good opportunity to meet other writers and to have those creative meetings between people that often spark
There’s plenty happening at this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival. Not sure where to start? We’ve chosen three ticketed and three free events to check out this year. Now it’s up to you!
When it comes to artistically rich cities, most people’s minds wander to Paris, New York or London. But Birrell believes Sydney is definitely a contender when it comes to creativity, proven through the immense popularity of the Writers’ Festival. “I truly think that we are one of the most creative cities. It’s interesting, I think it was in Edmund White’s book, The Flâneur, where he spoke about how for artists and writers the creative centre of Europe had moved to Berlin from Paris because it’s cheaper, and it’s always about money. So obviously it’s expensive to live in Sydney, but I still think that for artists and writers there is a real kind of cultural love and epicentre here in Sydney. It’s such a big place as well, so there are obviously a lot of different hubs. In western Sydney there’s some amazing things going on, so we have quite a few great events out there. So yes, I do think it is a strong centre, creatively because it’s fresh. I feel like there’s something new and exciting about Australian writing. And there’s an appreciation of that overseas as well.” Where: Walsh Bay and various precincts around Sydney and NSW When: Monday May 19 – Sunday May 25
The Life And Times Of Alice Walker
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Wednesday May 21. Tickets: $45/$55 Alice Walker is an internationally acclaimed author and activist. She was the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her novel The Color Purple. Caroline Baum, the editorial director of Booktopia, will join Walker onstage to discuss her life’s work and the importance of being compassionate. Special guest and Australian icon Archie Roach will be performing songs from his latest album Into The Bloodstream.
David Malouf: Celebrating 80 Years
Sydney Theatre, Thursday May 22. Tickets: $20/$25 David Malouf is inarguably one of Australia’s finest writers. Author of The Great World and Remembering Babylon, he has won countless awards and international praise for his works. In his 80th year he has published a collection of essays, A First Place, and a volume of poetry, Earth Hour. He joins author and critic Tegan Bennett Daylight in a conversation about the resilience of nature against human supremacy and what it means to call Australia home.
Eleanor Catton: The Luminaries
City Recital Hall Angel Place, Thursday May 22. Tickets: $26/$32 At 28, Eleanor Catton is the youngest author to win the Man Booker Prize, for her tale of the goldmines in New Zealand. The Luminaries traverses a period of history few know much about. Arts project manager Steven Gale will chat to Catton about her literary vision and the weight of an accolade as prestigious as the Man Booker Prize.
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Jeremy Scahill & Chris Masters
Io Myers Studio, UNSW, Tuesday May 20 This is an exchange between two highly regarded investigative journalists. Scahill’s latest book Dirty Wars: The World Is A Battlefi eld explores the clandestine operations of the US military and their War on Terror. Veteran Four Corners reporter and Gold Walkley Awardwinner Chris Masters will talk with Scahill about the current challenges and worth of investigative journalism.
Redfern Now
Pier 2/3 Bloomberg Stage, Walsh Bay, Thursday May 22 Steven McGregor, Ross Grayson Bell and Jon Bell, writers of the acclaimed ABC series Redfern Now, will be discussing what separates a storyline from the mainstream and what makes for a powerful and relevant narrative. The panel will discuss the significance of indigenous writing and filmmaking within the contemporary Australian media landscape.
Curiosity Lecture Series: On Why I Leave Home
Pier 2/3 Bloomberg Stage, Walsh Bay, Friday May 23 Author and broadcaster Robert Dessaix will chat to philosopher and writer Damon Young about the necessity of travel for a civilised life. These two men will share their worldliness with the audience, exploring the notion of ‘home’ and what it means to ‘leave it all’ behind.
Mojo [THEATRE] Ganging Up By Simon Binns
I
t might seem unlikely that Eamon Farren, who is best known to Sydney Theatre Company audiences for his turns in Shakespearean and Victorian dramas, would appear on the same stage as Jeremy Davidson, lead singer of blues-rock outfi t The Snowdroppers, who take their name from a 1920s slang term for cocaine addicts. Yet in STC’s latest production Mojo by Jez Butterworth, the two are part of an all-male cast that will bring this ’50s gang story to life under the direction of Iain Sinclair. Farren might be the actor of the two but it is Davidson who first worked with Sinclair in 2008. “I worked with Nobby [Sinclair] when my band The Snowdroppers did some music for him on a play at Belvoir Street called Killer Joe,” Davidson explains. The production still sticks in Farren’s mind, who was fresh out of drama school when he saw it. “I loved that show; it was the first show I’d ever seen that Iain directed and it was killer. The whole musical element that [The Snowdroppers] did lifted that play.” Sinclair obviously agreed, because even back then, Mojo was on his mind. Davidson recalls, “When we did Killer Joe, he said, ‘I’ve got this play and if I ever get it up I’d love you to be in it.’” What 24 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
seemed like a friendly gesture half a decade ago became a reality last year when Sinclair showed up to a Snowdroppers album launch and said, “I’m doing the play, do you want the job?” Keen for the challenge and excited by the production, Davidson said yes. Butterworth’s work has been taking England by storm for years now, though it was only last year that his most successful play Jerusalem got an airing here by the independent New Theatre in a production that garnered multiple audience and award nominations alike. Mojo was the first Butterworth play produced back in 1995 and is credited for kicking off a revival of British gangster fi lms – the most famous of which, Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, has become a classic. Just as in those fi lms, the stakes are very high from the start in this claustrophobic, seedy comedy. “From the word ‘go’ it is on,” Davidson says. Farren adds, “Our club owner turns up in two barrels, sawed in half, and it’s very obvious very quickly that they’re coming to get us.” Set over two days on two levels of the one club, the show has that Tarantino-esque quality of a group of men locked in together needing to fi gure out whom they can trust.
Set in late ’50s London, with costumes and accents to boot, the whole thing is a lot of fun for the cast, but Butterworth’s words manage to keep them from pushing the comedy. “What’s cool about the script,” Farren says, “is that [Butterworth]’s super funny and gives you pearler lines but at the same time he never lets it go, it never fl ies off into slapstick. The situation is so intense and such a pressure-cooker vibe that the comedy exists in a perfect way.” As well as a musician, Davidson is a key actor in the plot of the story, playing Silver Johnny, the teen idol who draws people to the club every weekend. It seems this transition to ‘serious actor’ is proving a fun challenge, not only for him but for his guitarist, Paul Kilpinen, who is also in the production. “Iain makes us speak to each other in accents, so you get used to it,” Davidson says. “I’m sitting there on the first day trying to do this accent and I can see Paul is looking at me thinking, ‘I can’t wait to tell the rest of the band about you.’” What: Mojo Where: Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company When: Saturday May 17 – Saturday July 5 thebrag.com
Theatre & Film Reviews The Silence Came photo by Aston Campbell
Hits and misses on the bare boards and silver screen around town
â– Comedy
Reviewed on Wednesday May 7 You know a comedian is good when they make themselves laugh. And Stephen K Amos does it often; breaking down in the middle of doing an accent, or cracking up at the responses he gets from the audience. Far from being distracting, it gives the impression that he is having as much fun as we are, and we love it. His latest show, What Does The K Stand For? is all about how we need to be asking the hard questions – the ones that make dinner parties awkward – and, in between the silliness about meat trays and the Australian creature known as a “bo-ganâ€?, he goes right ahead and asks them.  Does your sexuality define you? What is love? Are we a truly multicultural society? As an audience, we’re a bit shocked. It’s not often you’re asked to think during a comedy show, and this is heavy stuff. But with the deft hand of a comedic master, Amos strikes the perfect balance between food for thought and the kind of comedy that actually causes you physical, laughterinduced pain. He’s quick and clever, playing off audience reactions like he’d planned them, and gracefully flipping heckles in his favour. His facial comedy is something most comedians can only dream of – sublimely over-imitating audience members, his parents, taxi drivers, Prince Philip‌ and then there are the accents. He can flip from eastern suburbs to Nigerian to northern English to a made-up language and back again without batting an eyelid. The man’s a genius.  As promised, he does tell us what the K stands for. But if you really want to know what makes Amos tick, you’ll have to go see him yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll never look at jelly babies the same. Hannah Warren
Stephen K Amos photo by James Penlidis
Nick Rowe and Lumka Coleman in The Silence Came
STEPHEN K AMOS
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THE SILENCE CAME Mondays until May 26 at The Commons, Darlinghurst The Silence Came, by Duncan Maurice, is Sydney’s latest immersive theatre experience, and it slinks between voyeuristic and confronting, banal and shocking, and intimate and public as you follow it through the building. You arrive at the old, three-storey house in Darlinghurst and are welcomed by Timothy, who shows you the room that’s available and tells you the price of rent. Have a look around the house, he urges, and applications will be taken upstairs if you’re interested.  It’s like six smaller plays running simultaneously in separate rooms, with only Timothy running between rooms collecting rent to link them. In the basement is the young couple, deeply in love but arguing about money and lies. Next to them is the Argentinian couple pouring every dollar they have into the Australian Dream, feeling frustrated and lied to. Upstairs are the two women – in love, out of love, bickering, threatening to leave. Down the hall are the mentally unstable mother and the loving son desperately trying to protect her from herself. Across from them is the married couple that has suddenly come into some money – they have dresses and plane tickets and new hope. Upstairs, three people discuss business – the rent, Timothy’s job, the spreadsheet for tomorrow.  You wander between the rooms, watching scenes of lives in a Sydney share house and feeling uncomfortably like a voyeur. The actors mostly ignore you, though occasionally they’ll ask you to pass them something, or for your opinion, and having that fourth wall stripped away is a bizarre feeling.  Suddenly, the mood changes. The rent money has gone, Timothy is panicking and accusing everyone of having taken it. The different storylines merge as tempers flare and accusations fly. Now you’re a member of the cast as much as the actors and you have to help choose what happens next.
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This piece is so far beyond traditional theatre that when you leave at the end you’ll feel shaken, bewildered, and maybe angry. And theatre that makes you feel this strongly is the best kind of theatre. Stephen K Amos
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Hannah Warren
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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
F UNK . S O UL . RE G G A E T, K EN T S T CBD M O N -S A
The Wires Project Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, Thursday June 5 This Vivid Sydney season, the Seymour Centre will host a New Wave: Sound program of Vivid Music events with an arty twist. One of our favourites from the schedule is The Wires Project, a mixed media performance beginning with the still photographs of Singapore-based Chia Ming Chien, transformed into video by Aymeric de Meautis through 3D compositing. Four musicians â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Briana Cowlishaw, Gavin Ahearn, Peter Koopman and Nic Cecire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will react and improvise to the rendered video in real time. Each performance features a unique video the performers have never seen, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be edge-of-your-seat stuff. Tickets are available for $25/$35 at seymourcentre.com. thebrag.com
Briana Cowlishaw
Laneway 348 Kent St drink@papagedes.com www.papagedes.com BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14 :: 25
Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK THE BLACK KEYS Turn Blue Nonesuch/Warner
xxx photo by xxxnlee
Turn Blue sometimes feels like Xxxx a highlight reel of every Black Keys album, but it still manages to sound like something new.
Once again, The Black Keys have shaken up their sound. Now onto their eighth album, people’s opinion of Turn Blue will depend on which Black Keys album they first heard. Purists of the original two-piece garage blues will once again be disappointed at the high production values and the infiltration of nonguitar and drum instruments. El Camino-ians will lament the lack of ear-bursting rock. The truth lies somewhere in between. At its heights, Turn Blue is the best album to date for the band, and at worst, feels like a collection of B-sides from previous albums.
‘In Time’, ‘Turn Blue’ and ‘Year In Review’ are perhaps the highlights, encapsulating all the various sounds the Keys have explored over years and fi ltering them into these brilliant songs. ‘Fever’ is a nod to the fans of Camino, ‘It’s Up To You Now’ harkens to the original blues sound of The Big Come Up and Dan Auerbach’s Keep It Hid, and ‘Gotta Get Away’ is an uplifting and perfectly fi tting outro. The Black Keys’ ability to constantly adapt and evolve their sound is shown beautifully on Turn Blue, making it a solid eighth album and up there with their best, even if people don’t want to realise it. Daniel Prior
CHERRY GHOST
THE BEARDS
I KNOW LEOPARD
CONOR OBERST
GRAVEYARD TRAIN
British five-piece Cherry Ghost have all the stylistic marks of an indie rock band – their songs consist of dancing melodies, ambient guitar lines and emotional subject matter. Yet there’s something about the smooth slide guitar and reverberating vocal harmonies on their third album Herd Runners that is more Memphis than Manchester.
It began as a one-off joke in Adelaide and quickly became one of our biggest comedy exports. The Beards have been keeping things hirsute and hilarious for three albums now, and they show no signs of slowing down – let alone shaving – on their fourth.
I Know Leopard’s new EP Illumina is, quite simply, a dream to listen to. One play will have you drifting through your day in romantic reflection.
Conor Oberst hasn’t had the best time in the media spotlight as of late, but it’s not something that will be discussed in detail here. Away from the court cases and allegations, the man behind Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos and Monsters Of Folk is simply a musician.
Graveyard Train hone their craft yet again with their latest album Takes One To Know One. Dropping the ‘haunted house band’ vibe of their debut album and adapting the nightmarish visions of 2012’s Hollow, the band has forged a new type of horror into its music; that of loneliness and sinister tendencies.
Take the first track, ‘She’, for example. From a set of bare repeating lyrics, I Know Leopard add layer upon layer of soaring vocals, guitar loops and humming keys, guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings. There’s a lot to love about ‘Hold This Tight’ too, with its echoing harmonies, rhythmic drum line and jumpy melody making it a real attention grabber. ‘Daisy Eyes’ is another standout tune, bringing more energy to the EP and lifting the otherwise brooding mood. The final track, ‘Sunsets’, contrasts in style to the previous songs, taking a more retro, atmospheric approach and demonstrating the band’s ’70s pop influences. It wraps up the EP in a moment of quiet reflection.
It’s this back-to-basics approach that makes Upside Down Mountain such an enjoyable listen, filled with broad strokes of acoustic guitar, choral backing vocals and tinkered piano ambience. Perhaps an immediate comparison line to draw is to Oberst’s 2002 release under the Bright Eyes name, Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground. It runs a similar gamut of centralising itself around Oberst’s darkly vivid storytelling and oft-startling imagery, leaving its surrounding instrumentation to take a back seat with the occasional flourish (such as on the mariachiflavoured ‘Artifact #1’). Upside Down Mountain shows depth and a bold maturity – and considering Oberst sounded like an old soul when he first started making music as a teenager, this is certainly saying something.
The majority of the album lacks Graveyard Train’s usual bravado, trading in the chains and deepvoiced choir for a more tender and creepy stripped-down sound – usually consisting of a simple banjo, guitar and drums set-up, a cruel voice stomping through the lyrics and the faint echo of the back-up vocalists. The opening title track makes it clear the blues-swamp rock of Hollow has been swapped for a more country-blues mentality. The only song that lives up to the energy levels of ‘I’m Gone’ or ‘Mummy’ is ‘The Chrysalid’; everything else favours a slow and sombre tune. While it’s clear the band’s sound is stronger, what is unclear is whether or not dropping the somewhat clichéd topics of werewolves and witches was a good idea.
Illumina is a promising release from I Know Leopard, exploring new musical avenues and exhibiting a depth not necessarily evident on the first listen.
After some years of silence, it’s truly a delight to hear Oberst making music again. At the end of the day, it’s what he knows best.
Erin Rooney
David James Young
Herd Runners Heavenly/[PIAS]
‘Clear Skies Ever Closer’ is a beautiful introduction to the album. Demonstrating the tenderness of Simon Aldred’s vocals and revealing a distinct likeness to The Eagles that is continued throughout the record, it’s a feel-good tune that sits easily on repeat. However, the album quickly becomes restrained and loses the energy of its beginning. With repeating chord changes and slow melodies in tracks like ‘Fragile Reign’ and ‘Sacramento’, it becomes easy to lose interest. ‘Drinking For Two’ is simple and pretty yet incredibly melancholic, showing a gentle side to Cherry Ghost that they are not afraid to lay bare. But it’s not until the end of the record that we see hints of the first track’s liveliness, with ‘Love Will Follow You’. Herd Runners jumps quickly from emotion to emotion and sometimes fails to maintain its initial punch, but is an enjoyable listen with some unique musical moments to offer.
The Beard Album MGM
The Beard Album does exactly what it says on the tin of whiskers: it’s an album about beards. All kinds of beards. Sexy beards (‘Touch Me In The Beard’), drug-addled beards (‘Stroking My Beard’), antisocial beards (‘I Like Beards’) and militant beards (‘The Bearded Pledge’). It’s full of chants, chock-a-block choruses and enough keytar and sax to keep the ’80s dream alive. It’s one of the few albums that you can honestly say is absolutely and completely ridiculous and not be insulting. It is, in short, everything you’ve come to expect from The Beards – and maybe just a little bit more. Of course, by this stage, it’s safe to say that if you weren’t all that thrilled the first time around about an entirely bearded album, The Beard Album will do nothing to convince you otherwise. Then again, perhaps the appeal of The Beards is that sometimes it’s fun to preach to the choir. David James Young
Erin Rooney
Illumina Independent
Though its style is typical of many Australian indie rock bands, the Sydney five-piece’s greatest strength lies in the simplicity of its songwriting – producing a theme and developing it until it creates an emotional connection with the listener.
MUSIC DVD OF THE WEEK Filmed at London’s famous Hammersmith Apollo on December 12, 1993, this never-before-released film captures the behemoth live performance of Dio’s Strange Highways album on the last night of their European tour. More importantly, it commemorates the 40-plus-year career of the pint-sized grand wizard of metal, Ronnie James Dio, who passed away four years ago to the day of this DVD release. His notoriety as one of the biggest pioneers and vocal technicians in the history of heavy metal is unsurpassed.
DIO
Live In London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993 Shock
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The concert features a heady brew of tracks from Strange Highways and quintessential Dio classics from Ronnie’s stellar career with Black Sabbath and Rainbow: ‘Heaven
And Hell’, ‘Mob Rules’, ‘Children Of The Sea’, ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ and more. The lineup boasts some of metal’s biggest kahunas – drumming legend Vinny Appice, ex-Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and the phenomenal guitar work of Tracy G. Ronnie’s poetic lyrics and rip-roaring vocal energy soar throughout and create a great sense of passion and drama. As Ronnie quips, “This is probably the best band we’ve ever had … it’s just fun with these guys.” As a performance, it harnesses the hellacious goodness of Dio and shows why they’ve permeated the hearts of generations.
Upside Down Mountain Nonesuch/Warner
Takes One To Know One Black Hat Rackets/Cargo
This is an album for those who were afraid of what lurked under their bed as kids. Fans of Graveyard Train will definitely enjoy this, but it’s certainly not their best album. Daniel Prior
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... BEST COAST - Crazy For You TINY RUINS - Brightly Painted One LIARS - Mess
TYLER, THE CREATOR - Goblin BLINK-182 - Blink-182
Kylie Finlay
thebrag.com
BRAG :: 562 :: 14:06:14 :: 27
snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .
newtown social club
09:05:14 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300THEHIFI
venue profile
children of bodom
PICS :: AM
Jack Martin, General Manager and Ben Thompson, Music Manager of Corner Presents
Venue: Newtown Social Club What’s the vibe: We have just finished stage two of our renovations, which brings in a purpose-built band room upstairs to complement the pub space downstairs. Ultimately we want to give people a great place to come and see live music, or just to hang out, get a drink and a feed and catch up. The band room features great sight lines, risers for the vertically challenged, air conditioning, a bar and a PA that will knock your socks off! For bands, there’s a fridge, kettle, couch, full rider, free massages, egg flips all round… and an in-house backline so you don’t need to lug your gear here, just your instruments. Downstairs there’s a kitchen that does meals late, pool table, pinnie and a courtyard (for fresh air or smokers). How to get there: I like to get here using parkour... But really, we are on King Street, about 200m south of the station; there are a heap of buses from all over, running either right past the door or nearby, and there is nothing wrong with walking if you live around the area. What’s the fuel: The $6 pizzas are pretty good and we do them all the way through to closing. Where and when: 387 King Street, Newtown. Tuesday – Thursday: 4pm – late Friday – Saturday: 12 noon – 2am Sunday: 12 noon – 10pm
closure in moscow
PICS :: AM
Contact: newtownsocialclub.com. For band bookings, cornerpresents.com.au. For enquiries, info@newtownsocialclub.com.au. 9550 3974.
08:05:14 :: The Star :: 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont 9777 9000 28 :: BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14
arctic monkeys
PICS :: AM
darren middleton
PICS :: KC
09:05:14 :: Spectrum :: 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9360 1375
06:05:14 :: Qantas Credit Union Arena :: 35 Harbour St Darling Harbour 9320 4200 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY
MAR ::
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snap sn ap
sabbath sessions ft los tones + la bastard
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
hits and pits
PICS :: AM
11:05:14 :: Frankie's Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney
jonny craig
PICS :: AM
11:05:14 :: UNSW Roundhouse :: High St, Kensington 9385 7630
08:05:14 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711 thebrag.com
sures
PICS :: KC
made in japan
PICS :: KC
10:05:14 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300THEHIFI
08:05:14 :: The Standard Bowl :: level 3 383 Bourke St Surry Hills BRAG :: 562 :: 14:05:14 :: 29
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
Janelle Monae + Kimbra
pick of the week Sydney Opera House
Janelle Monae + Kimbra
MONDAY MAY 19
8pm. $102. JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
WEDNESDAY MAY 14 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
John Chesher + Pete Scully + Paul McGowan + Gavin Fitzgerald Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 7pm. free. Pulp Kitchen And Folk Club - feat: Live Rotating Folk Bands Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Stuart Jammin + Mixed Bag Leichhardt Bowling Club, Leichhardt. 7:30pm. free.
David Ryan Harris The Basement, Circular Quay. 6:30pm. $29.20. Joseph Tawadros Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $31. Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. free. Mingus Amongst Us Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50. Supafly Jam Night (Open Mic) - feat: Gang Of Brothers Vintage Night Club, Sydney. 8pm. free. The Blues Night
The Commons, Darlinghurst. 6pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Adam Gorecki Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 7pm. free. Chris Allan + So We Thought + Belle Robinson Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $10. Dee Donavan Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. free. Fat Bubba’s Chicken Wednesdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Silver Statues - feat:
Thunder Fox + Spacemonk + Dan Tomalaris Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Tatler Sydney (Live Til Midnight) Tatler, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free.
THURSDAY MAY 15 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Cole Soul And Emotion feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills.
speed date WITH
SIMON RELF FROM THE TAMBOURINE GIRLS and move them in different directions each time you play them. Current Playlist I found Band On The 4. Run in an antique store the other day and that’s been getting a few spins. I love the song ‘Let Me Roll It’. Apart from that, Crazy Horse, Lee Hazlewood, Tame Impala, and I realise I’ve been listening to lots of women lately. Especially Lykke Li, Bat For Lashes, Grimes and Joni Mitchell. Plus I’ve been loving a band from Melbourne called Redspencer.
Your Profile We sound like Lee 1. Hazlewood if he was born in Manchester in the mid’70s and had a slightly higher voice. I like road trips, which is handy if you play in a travelling band in this country. Keeping Busy I’ve been working on 2. a collaboration with Marcus Gordon (Spookyland) and Terry Serio (Terry Serio’s Ministry of Truth), which has been great. We hope
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to make an album soon with Tony Buchan, and I’m also really keen to make the next Tambourine Girls EP/album, whatever it ends up being. In May, Deep Sea Arcade will be supporting Temples, who we met in London last year and all fell in love with. Then I’m going on tour playing some solo sets supporting Dustin Tebbutt, which is going to be heaps of fun. Dustin’s a great guy, and I love his music. And his band…
Best Gig Ever Selling out The 3. Metro with Deep Sea was something we’ve all wanted to do since high school so that was pretty cool. I did a beautiful gig last weekend at Gallery Ecosse, which is a small art gallery in Exeter, and that was great because it was really intimate, and that’s a whole other thing. I’m really enjoying having to approach these new songs from a solo perspective because you find new things in them. You can bend them
Your Ultimate Rider Just lots of really, really 5. nice red wine, which I guess is kind of boring. Our usual rider is just whatever booze and food they’ll give us, though in Deep Sea Arcade, Carlos used to request a pitching wedge and some practice golf balls. I think he got it once too. Where: Supporting Dustin Tebbutt at Newtown Social Club When: Tuesday May 20 – Thursday May 22
8pm. free. Dee Donavan Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. free. Free The Beats Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Joe Chindamo Trio Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50. Live Latin Sessions Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 6:30pm. $5. Stuart Davey Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. free. The Blues Night The Commons, Darlinghurst. 6pm. free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Andrew Denniston + Guests Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown. 7:30pm. free. Chris Raicevich + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free. James Carran Spring Street Social, Bondi. 9pm. free. Live Music Thursdays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. OXBLVD Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. free. Peach Montgomery + Guests Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge. 7:30pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. free. A Team Duo Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 9pm. free. Balmain Blitz Band Competition Wildcard Heats Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 7pm. $15. Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Dan Spillane Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7pm. free. Dave White Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. Evie Dean Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 8pm. free.
Gideon Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 6pm. $23.50. Grooveworks Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. free. Lisa Crouch Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. free. Mike Horbacz Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 8pm. free. Paul Woseen + Max + Sean Miller Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $15. Point Below Zero - feat: I Exalt + Hunt The Haunted + The Delusion + Blind Oracle Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Roger Vs The Man + Gang Of Brothers + Aaron Lyon The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $13.80. Sarah Paton Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 7:30pm. free. The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Vance Joy + Gossling + Teeth & Tongue Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $25.
FRIDAY MAY 16 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Holly Buchanan + March To May + Kiersten Nyman Quattro Cafe, Erina. 6pm. $15. Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Stuart Jammin + Guests Rosehill Hotel, Clyde. 7:30pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Feel Good Friday Jazz Session Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Guess Who Duo Seven Hills Toongabbie RSL Club, Seven Hills. 8:30pm. free. Jazz Hip-Hop Freestyle Sessions
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send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Foundry616, Ultimo. 11:30pm. free. Jo Elms Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50. King Tide + Kinsky The Roller Den, Erskineville. 8pm. $15. Smooth Jive Consultants Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Soundproofed Engadine Tavern, Engadine. 9pm. free. The Blues Night The Commons, Darlinghurst. 6pm. free. They Call Me Bruce Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. free.
Xxx
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Mudlark + Gazar Strips + Milkk FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Andrew Dyce The Grand Hotel, Rockdale. 5:30pm. free. Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 6pm. free. Andy Mammers Duo Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Ben Finn Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9:30pm. free. Black Diamond Hearts Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay. 9pm. free. Cara Kavanagh + Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt. 9pm. free. Cath & Him Kurnell Recreation Club, Kurnell. 7:30pm. free. David Agius Trio Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah. 9pm. free. East Coast Band Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. East Coast Trio Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 2pm. free. East Of Ely World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. $5. Evie Dean Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Fallon Bros Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10:30pm. free. Gang Of Youths + MT Warning + Tim Fitz Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15. Gareth Liddiard + BJ Morriszonkle The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.30. Geoff Rana Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. free. Greg Agar Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Greg Byrne Duo Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 9pm. free. Heath Burdell Parramatta RSL, Parramatta. 5pm. free. Hell Crab City + Grindhous + Witch Fight + Maximum Sentence Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 10pm. $10. James Englund Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 8:30pm. free. James Fox Higgins Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 8pm. free. Jess Dunbar Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 7:30pm. free. Jess Dunbar Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich. 2pm. free. Joe Echo PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park. 7:30pm. free. Joe Echo + Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt.
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9pm. free. Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt. 9:30pm. free. Los Tones Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Luke Escombe And The Corporation + James Bennett Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. free. Mandi Jarry Novotel, Darling Harbour. 5pm. free. Mark Travers Ettamogah Hotel, Kelly Ridge. 1pm. free. Matt Jones Pritchards Hotel, Mount Pritchard. 1pm. free. Matt Jones Duo Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 11pm. free. Matt Price Mill Hill Hotel, Bondi Junction. 3pm. free. Misery Signals The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7pm. $42.50. Mustered Courage + The Green Mohair Suits The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $15.80. Natasha Kavanagh Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 5:30pm. free. Poison Idea Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $40. Rihanna Experience Pioneer Tavern, Penrith. 9pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 6pm. free. Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. free. The Foreday Riders + Shane Pacey Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $22. The Middle Names Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $10. Three Wise Men Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Tori Darke Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 7pm. free. Tori Darke Stacks Taverna, Sydney. 5pm. free. Tori Darke Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Unforgiven - Metallica Show + Big Way Out Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10pm. free. Vance Joy + Gossling + Teeth & Tongue Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $25. Victoria Avenue Adria, Sydney. 5pm. free. Victoria Avenue Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 3pm. free. Yasnomamo + Horsehunter + Vile Way + Frozen Planet 1969 Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Zoltan Duo Pittwater RSL, Mona Vale. 8pm. free.
SATURDAY MAY 17 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Carolyn Woodorth + Starr Witness + Itsokman + Cranky Alice Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown. 8pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Alan Solomon Jazz Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm.
free. Ecoguinea Fundraiser Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 7:30pm. $25. Foxy Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free. Nadya & The 101 Candles Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50. Tina Harrod Electric Band Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Bounce PJ Gallagher’s, Sydney. 9pm. free. Angie Dean Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6:30pm. free. Antoine Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 5:30pm. free. Barry Leef Band + Peter Northcote Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30. Best Kept Secret Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Big Rich Club Engadine, Engadine. 8pm. free. Billy Washington’s Drifters Katoomba RSL, Katoomba. 6pm. free. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Claude Hay & The Gentle Enemies + Eddie Boyd And The Phatapillars Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $15. Dallas Crane + Greta Mob Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $28. Darren Johnstone Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. David Agius Band Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. East Of Ely Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. Elliot The Bull Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 8:30pm. free. Enormous Horns Ettamogah Hotel, Kelly Ridge. 9pm. free. Evie Dean Harbord Beach Hotel, Byron Bay. 7pm. free. Focus Launch + Scott Richardson Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Franky Valentyn Club Five Dock, Five Dock. 4pm. free. Heath Burdell Greystanes Inn, Greystanes Inn. 8pm. free. Iluka Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $10. Joe Echo Duo The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 1pm. free. John Field + Leon Fallon Duo The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free. Loud Proud And Pissed Off - feat: Fattura Della Morte + Frank Rizzo + Ether Rag + Deadly Visions + Cult Killers + Two Faced + Topnovil + Everything I Own Is Broken + Resist Control + Dead In The Gutter + Frame 313 + Rising Unrest Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm. $10. Matt Jones Duo Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 12pm. free. Matt Jones Duo The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 6pm. free. Matt Price Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Michael Mcglynn
Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Old School Band Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 9:30pm. free. Paul Hayward Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. free. Renae Stone Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Rihanna Experience Pioneer Tavern, Penrith. 9pm. free. Salad Boys + Driffs + Bachelor Pad + Shrapnel FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Septicfl esh + Fleshgod Apocalypse Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $65. Sharron Bowman Brewhouse Marayong, Kings Park. 8pm. free. Stormcellar Royal Hotel, Bondi. 8:30pm. free. Suite Az Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 10:30pm. free. The Bandits Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 8pm. free. The English Beat + The OzSkas + RatRace SkaClub DJs Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $57. The Stiffys + Doc Holiday Takes The Shotgun Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Tony Williams New Brighton Hotel, Manly. 10pm. free. Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie + Tony Burkys Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. free.
SUNDAY MAY 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sunday Sessions @ The Bull And Bush - feat: Four Kings + Three Wise Men + Jimbo + PJ And Chappo + Keepin It Real Duo Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 3pm. free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Chill Out Sundays Scubar, Sydney. 7:30pm. free. Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. free. Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm. free. Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. The Blackhill Ramblers Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
A Gentleman’s Agreement Presents Molotov Cocktail feat: Blacksmith + Dead Till Dawn + Shattering The Veil + Darkness Reigns + Ocean Of Eris Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 2pm. $10. Apia Good Times Tour - feat: Joe Camilleri + Richard Clapton + Russell Morris + Leo Sayer
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The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 8pm. $76.50. Bryen And The Bayou Boogie Boys Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free. Elevation: U2 Acoustic Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Graveyard Rockstars Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. Menagerie - feat: Fanny Lumsden + Golden Fear + Matt Dundas The Welcome Hotel, Rozelle. 4pm. free. Mick Aquilina Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 2pm. free. Molotov Cocktail Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 2pm. $10. Paul Hayward Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. free. Scott Matthew The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $18.80.
MONDAY MAY 19 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
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
thu
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g g guide gig g
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Bernie Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. Janelle Monae + Kimbra Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $102. Teeth And Tongue Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $12.
TUESDAY MAY 20 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Innersoul Live Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Bar 34 Bondi, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dead Letter Circus - feat: Live Thieves + Self Is A Seed Collector Hotel, Parramatta. 8pm. $34.70. Dustin Tebbutt + The Tambourine Girls Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $12.
Declan Kelly + Anthony Mckeon + Zoe & Kelly + Giita Rani
gig picks
up all night out all week...
Gossling
THURSDAY MAY 15
Iluka Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $10.
Roger Vs The Man + Gang Of Brothers + Aaron Lyon The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $13.80.
Septicflesh + Fleshgod Apocalypse Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $65.
Vance Joy + Gossling + Teeth & Tongue Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $25.
FRIDAY MAY 16 Jo Elms Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50. King Tide + Kinsky The Roller Den, Erskineville. 8pm. $15. Gang Of Youths + MT Warning + Tim Fitz Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15. Gareth Liddiard + BJ Morriszonkle The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.30. Misery Signals The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7pm. $42.50. Mustered Courage + The Green Mohair Suits The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $15.80.
The English Beat + The Ozskas + RatRace SkaClub DJs Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $57.
SUNDAY MAY 18 Apia Good Times Tour - feat: Joe Camilleri + Richard Clapton + Russell Morris + Leo Sayer The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 8pm. $76.50.
MONDAY MAY 19 Teeth And Tongue Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $12.
TUESDAY MAY 20 Dustin Tebbutt + The Tambourine Girls Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $12. Dustin Tebbutt
SATURDAY MAY 17 Claude Hay & The Gentle Enemies + Eddie Boyd And The Phatapillars Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $15. Dallas Crane + Greta Mob Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $28. East Of Ely Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.
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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
he said she said WITH
JAKE HOUGH AND GABBY vibe like at the new digs? JH: To be honest it took me a while to fully warm up to the Flyover, but I’ve found each time I play there now it gets better and better. It’s a bit more polished than the Abercrombie, but the crowd and the atmosphere has possibly even gotten better since the move. G: I love it. It’s pretty incredible to see how this transition has unfolded. We were nervous, you know, as anyone would be, but the vibe is as ridiculously awesome as ever.
H
ow did you come to be involved with S.A.S.H? JH: I’ve been involved since the beginning, which seems like ages ago now! I was stoked to be included in the conglomerate of DJs the boys had on rotation at the White Horse, and I guess the sound I played was the sound the boys wanted to push, so they kept having me back – thanks guys. G: Matt Weir told me that he was going to start a monthly party on a Sunday. I came along! S.A.S.H recently moved from the old Abercrombie Hotel to its new home at Flyover Bar. What’s the
Who are your inspirations as musicians? G: I like everything from jazz to funk to hip hop music and all forms of electronic. I guess whatever mood I’m in will determine my preference, although electronic dance music is where my heart has been placed predominantly in my life so far. I have much respect for all musicians in general, whether electronic or live and acoustic. Even though I rarely play anything with a vocal in it, I respect singers greatly as I feel they truly open up their soul in a more personal and intense way for their craft. Tell us about the music you make. G: I’m on a bit of a techno trip at the moment and am enjoying playing some more intense tracks within my set,
SPICE CELLAR FT ROBBIE LOWE
Veteran DJ Robbie Lowe headlines The Spice Cellar this Saturday May 17. A favourite among Sydney dancers, he’s been peddling beats for 20 years. Lowe has been lauded for his DJ sets by the likes of Hernan Cattaneo, James Zabiela and Digweed, establishing himself as one of Sydney’s go-to DJs to support high quality internationals. Lowe has also established himself as a producer and features some of his tracks on his recent mix for the excellent AU Underground podcast series. The beats commence at 10pm, with support duties falling to the divine Cassette, Rabbit Taxi and Onn.
Astronomy Class by Chris Frape
LANCELOT
Local lad Lancelot will play his debut live set as the headliner at Mantra Collective’s BYO Warehouse Party, which will kick off the Queen’s Birthday long weekend on Friday June 6. Lancelot is the nom de plume of Sydney producer Lance Gurisik, who so far in his nascent career has co-written with Russ Chimes, Dappled Cities and Hot Hot Heat, produced official remixes as AEONS for Grafton Primary, Lisa Mitchell, Ellie Goulding, Kids Of 88 and Amy Meredith, and also received endorsements from no less than French luminary Alan Braxe. Lancelot will be joined by DJs Softwar, Slow Blow, Ben Fester and Mantra Collective. The event is limited to 250 presale tickets and there won’t be any on the door, so snap ’em up in advance if you plan on representing at this one.
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which usually consists of house music in all its forms. I always try and have a special moment within my sets, playing something really warm and beautiful amidst some tougher tech house to bring everyone back to the love. S.A.S.H is a great place to experiment with this kind of journey as the crowd is generally sensitive to a shift in feeling or direction – they will notice it and usually be appreciative of the journey you are creating. What are your fondest memories from the first three years of S.A.S.H? What will it look like in three years’ time? JH: My fondest memories so far would just have to be the numerous times closing the terrace at the Abercrombie. The crowd would always go berserk, and without trying to sound cheesy, it always gave you a big nothing-else-matters feeling. I’m sure a lot of others who’ve had a shit Monday due to S.A.S.H could relate. In three years I hope it is still the best party in Sydney, and still making hundreds of legends enjoy themselves on a weekly basis!
ROLAND TINGS
Roland Tings will headline Charades’ ‘The Pleasuredome’ warehouse party on Friday May 24. Roland Tings is the moniker of Melbourne electronic producer Rohan Newman, who recently released a new EP Who U Love on the Internasjonal label, which is overseen by Prins Thomas and Kai Fraeger, one of the founders of Wordandsound. Tings has a reputation for delivering a rollicking live set, and will be fl anked by DJs Ben Fester, Benj & Statz and Locus Cadre among others. First release tickets are online for $35.
HAHA FT DJ SOTOFETT
HAHA will host Norway’s DJ Sotofett at Goodgod Small Club on Friday May 23. Sotofett is a vaunted crate-digger whose record collection spans techno, disco, Chicago house and psychedelia and the rest. Much of Sotofett’s reputation is derived from his work heading up the cult record label Sex Tags Mania along with the more obscure techno label, Wania. A strong support cast of DJs has been assembled for the occasion, including D&D, Lorna Clarkson and Mad Racketeer Simon Caldwell.
Astronomy Class
What: S.A.S.H 3rd Birthday With: Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace Where: Flyover Bar When: Sunday May 18
DEFECTED FT KENNY DOPE + SAM DIVINE
The double billing of Kenny Dope and Sam Divine headline a Defected In The House takeover of Pacha at the Ivy on Saturday June 7. A veteran of the house scene, Dope is a four-time Grammy Award-nominated producer who is best known for his output as half of Masters At Work. He’s also remixed the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson. While she’s not in the same league as Dope, Divine has carved out a credible career as a DJ, which kicked off when she won a DJ competition in Bristol. This in turn led to a club residency before she was signed to Defected’s DJ agency and began hosting her own weekly Defected show on Ibiza global radio.
CHROMEO
CHROME SPARKS
Jeremy Malvin, AKA Chrome Sparks, will play a Splendour In The Grass sideshow at Oxford Art Factory on Friday July 25 as part of his debut Australian tour. Malvin cut his teeth playing in Stepdad, Miniature Tigers and Rich Aucoin before kicking off his solo Chrome Sparks project in mid-2012 with the track ‘Marijuana’. The Brooklyn producer recently released a new EP, Goddess, on Sydney’s own Future Classic record label, exploring bass music, synthpop and ambient hip hop influences. Malvin will arrive Down Under following his performance at Cochella earlier this year. First release tickets have sold out, so prospective attendees should snaffle up a ticket, stat.
Sam Divine
ASTRONOMY CLASS
Fresh from releasing their new album Mekong Delta Sunrise, Astronomy Class are embarking on a tour that includes a show at Newtown Social Club on Friday June 20. The hip hop outfi t recently toured with Thundamentals and has enlisted some heavyweight support for its own headline tour in the form of Ellesquire, Prince V and The Tongue, who will be playing a DJ set.
Lancelot
SPICE SPEKTRUM
Bust out the vocoder and hit the dancefloor – infectiously sleazy Montreal electro-funk duo Chromeo have just released their new album, White Women. The album features collaborations with Solange, LCD Soundsystem’s Pat Mahoney, Toro Y Moi and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and arrives a decade on from the pair’s first hit, ‘Needy Girl’, which was memorably remixed by Stuart ‘Jacques Lu Cont’ Price under his Paper Faces guise.
SEAMUS HAJI
UK DJ/producer Seamus Haji will throw down at Goldfish over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend on Sunday June 8. Haji has worked with the likes of Moby, Jamiroquai and Estelle over the course of his career and is the head of A&R for the venerated Strictly Rhythm record label. He will be joined by veteran local DJ Alex Taylor and Goldfish’s own Tom Kelly. Presale tickets are available online for $10. Schlepp Geist
The bumper Spice Spektrum lineup, hosted this year by The Spice Cellar as part of Vivid Sydney, is only growing as we approach opening night. In the spirit of the city-wide festival, each night at Spice will be themed in a different colour – that means everything from food to music and, of course, the partygoing folk. One of the more colourful occasions will be German artist Schlepp Geist’s set on Thursday May 29 – Geist proved his chops at last year’s Fusion Festival in Berlin – but the full program spans Friday May 23 through Saturday June 7. For details on appearances by Prosumer, Mantra Collective, Benny Grauer and many more, head to thespicecellar.com.au.
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Katch Old Dog, New Tricks By Augustus Welby to be like a social media status thing,” he laments. “There’s a lot of good DJs that just get overlooked for the fact that they’re doing their own thing and not trying to compete with the mainstream music market or festival market.” Katch started DJing in Brisbane in the mid’90s and his label Hyrdofunk Records played a huge part in cultivating the burgeoning local hip hop scene. Even if he bemoans the reduced number of DJs actually utilising discs, he’s not a digital naysayer. “I love the digital realm, because the way of recording and making music has just come along in leaps in bounds,” he says. “The only thing that really sucks is when you hear someone play in a club and they’re ripping songs off blogs and they’re, like, 92 kilobytes or something. It’s like, ‘Man, go and actually hunt the record down and spend that one or two dollars and make it sound good.’ You’re only as good as your last set.” Katch comes our way this weekend to headline the Soul Of Sydney Block Party. For those unacquainted, this regular event extends an invitation to lovers of funk/soul, disco and golden-era hip hop to rejoice under the music’s generous heartbeat. Looking forward to his set, Katch reveals that he has started using vinyl emulation software Serato onstage. “It just made me have more arsenal I could take and not have to worry about carrying two or three crates of records with me everywhere.”
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n a world where most people own multiple digital devices loaded with tunes, what’s becoming of the art of DJing? Obviously good taste is paramount for successful event soundtracking, but the rise of the MP3-jockey is pushing the technical nimbleness that long distinguished great DJs out of focus. Resin Dogs’ turntablist, producer and all-around music obsessive DJ Katch can’t help but be disappointed by this shift. “There’s an art form to DJing and then there’s the modern way of DJing where it seems
insert them into his own compositions still isn’t a straightforward procedure. “It can take days to find the right thing or the right mood. It could [take] a couple of hours of getting into things, or analysing it and learning how to break down that record or how you’re going to flip it.” Recent technological advances might have allowed the average DJ’s technical pedigree to drop, but the essential duty to captivate and excite partygoers remains. This can pose a divisive issue among tune selectors: should they resort to an easy fix and dancefloor-filler, even if they don’t find it personally appealing? “I don’t like playing records that I don’t like,” Katch says. “That’s pretty pointless to me.
“I’ve made most of my life out of DJing. I make music out of records, I buy records, I collect records, I put records out. I like playing the old-school records and just playing stuff that I really dig from past, present – and future.” What: Soul Of Sydney B’day Block Party With: Soul Of Sydney DJs, Mo’funk, Frenzie, Phil Toke, DJ Libre, MK1, DJ Adverse, Shirene D’Silva Where: Secret Funk Oasis When: Sunday May 18
Tkay Maidza Brat Rap By Merran Reed
But this transition hardly suppresses his passion for crate-digging. “I still buy a lot of vinyl, old and new. I get into the limitededition hip hop and I’ve hunted down library records, funk/soul records, country records – for drum breaks or good samples or even good records to play out.” As part of Resin Dogs, Katch has been a fully committed DJ and builder of beats for one of Australia’s finest hip hop collectives for nearly two decades. Yet interrogating records to uncover magic moments and
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ustralian hip hop often gets pegged as too American. Or too ’Strayan. Adelaide rapper Tkay Maidza knows this all too well. She’s been touring Australia with Nina Las Vegas Presents, and has headed out on another lap of the country with Citizen Kay. In more exciting news for the ambitious 18-year-old, this winter she’ll feature on the Splendour In The Grass lineup.
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[ H O T C R E AT I O N S ]
TERACE / THE BRATPACK / DIEGO SLIM E-CATS / SKOOB / DYLAN SANDERS BOUNCE CREW / HEKE / DECKHEAD DANCE I SAID ROOM: V!XEN / KODE RED / TRTL
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If you’re playing records you don’t like and you’re out DJing, then why the fuck are you doing it?
All the attention comes with its pitfalls. In November, someone on Facebook sent Maidza a message saying, “You’re not American. So stop rapping with an American accent, rap with an African accent if that’s where you say you’re from lol.” Maidza brushes the comment off: “I wasn’t born in Australia so I don’t get why they’d expect me to rap like I’m from here.” “I think those kind of people need to find something else to do,” she says. “Music is subjective. People don’t need to sound like they’re from somewhere. Finding your sound is a series of trial and error. I may use some American terms – not because I’m trying to but because that’s my daily culture. It’s how I live and that’s how people around me are. It’s similar with Iggy Azalea; she’s adopted American culture so people shouldn’t be surprised that she doesn’t sound Australian.” Maidza’s been rapping for three years, starting out in high school, where she’d muck around with mates and create YouTube videos. Writing remixes to Nicki Minaj and Kanye West beats, she realised the more she wrote, the better her writing skills became. “I started writing originals by purchasing random beats online,” she says. “I didn’t like them but it was a start. I’d finished writing ‘Handle My Ego’ but I wasn’t happy with it – that’s when I met Badcop. He remixed ‘Handle My Ego’ to make it dubstep; that mix became the original and that’s where it really began.”
The teenage MC started the year touring with Nina Las Vegas Presents alongside Sable, Wave Racer and Touch Sensitive, to name a few – an experience she says was life-affirming. “Nina Las Vegas Presents was beyond anything I imagined. It was so much fun and the partygoers were so welcoming. It felt like that was where I belonged,” Maidza says. “They were the first gigs where people actually came to listen to the sound I’m going for, rather than being on a lineup where there are three completely different acts, which can be a weird gig sometimes. All these DJs who I’ve been listening to and frantically studying for the past year were on the same lineup, and they dug what I was doing. It’s opened a lot of doors, so I’m lucky.” The 18-year-old’s dancehall jam, ‘Brontosaurus’, released last year, is a song that commands you move as Maidza raps, “Stomp your feet like a brontosaurus”. But Maidza says her primary function for music is using it as a way to vent. “When I rap I like to be a brat. I usually complain about so many things. But I also like to write cutely about lovey-dovey stuff. Not that it’s about anyone [in particular].” What: Splendour In The Grass 2014 With: Outkast, Two Door Cinema Club, Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Buraka Som Sistema, Nina Las Vegas, KLP and many more Where: North Byron Parklands, Byron Bay When: Friday July 25 – Sunday July 27 And: Appearing alongside Citizen Kay at the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday May 28, Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Thursday May 29 and Newtown Social Club on Saturday May 31
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The Hacker
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stablishing themselves at the forefront of Sydney’s rave scene, Motorik will host French veteran Michel Amato, best known to dancers as The Hacker, on the hallowed turf of Marrickville Bowling Club on Friday May 23. The Hacker rose to prominence during the electroclash epoch, crafting seminal albums and anthems with Miss Kittin including ‘Frank Sinatra’, a ditty as catchy as it is dirty (“To be famous is so nice…”). Despite the electroclash delirium subsiding, Amato has remained a relevant figure in club circles over the ensuing years, melding house, techno, rave, acid and of course electro influences on his EPs for labels like Turbo, Tigersushi, Infine and Gigolo. His collaborative EP alongside Eric Borgo, Zone, and his compilation A.N.D.N.O.W... are highpoints in his accomplished discography. Showing no sign of diminishing with age, Amato delivered one of the best remixes of last year with his evocative refashioning of the track ‘Winter Months’ by Phil Kieran’s Le Carousel outfit, adding to his body of remixes for the likes of Perspects, Air and Erol Alkan. Amato recently released a new EP Love/Kraft Part 1, the first half of what is essentially a split Hacker album, with the next instalment to follow shortly. The Hacker’s Sydney show kicks off at 10pm, with presale tickets available online for $33. Burning Seed 2014, the fifth regional Australian Burning Man event, is happening from Wednesday October 1 to Tuesday October 7 in Matong State Forest in NSW. Burning Seed is an experimental gathering dedicated to “creativity, collaboration and a cashfree community” that appropriates the ethos of the famed Burning Man Festival in the Nevada Desert. Just like its US counterpart, Burning Seed also creates its own temporary city, ‘Red Earth City’, where you must bring everything that you need to survive for the time you are there – nothing can be bought or sold and you must take everything with you when you leave. With renowned veteran DJ Phil Smart as one of the organisers, you can be assured that high quality electronic music will be prevalent throughout the week-long event, along with an array of art, theme camps, performance, theatre and gifting. There are no tickets sold at the gate; presale tickets and full festival details are available via burningseed.com. Swiss melodic techno producer Sam Geiser, AKA Deetron, is at the helm of Fabric 76, a 28-track compilation slotted for release in late June. From his beginnings running a record shop in the 1990s, Deetron has established himself as an influential player in the club milieu. In terms of his production credentials, Deetron has released excellent EPs that utilised the vocal stylings of Seth Troxler and Justin Chapman in years gone by, and he released his second full-length
outing, Music Over Matter, at the end of last year, a full eight years after his debut LP, Twisted. Deetron is also well acquainted with the compilation format, having contributed an accomplished addition to the Balance series a few years back. The tracklist for Fabric 76 spans vast sonic territory, blending classic Detroit techno from the likes of Gemini, Galaxy 2 Galaxy and Carl Craig with recent bangers from Four Tet and Terror Danjah along with Marcel Dettmann’s riproaring remix of Moderat’s ‘Bad Kingdom’ and even the neo-classical melancholia of Nils Frahm. “I basically followed the pleasure principle when approaching the mix,” Geiser divulged, articulating a philosophy that could and should be endorsed in any walk of life. “I started to pick my favourite pieces of dance music regardless of age or subgenre and didn’t really begin to structure the mix until all the tracks had been cleared.” Deetron
LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY MAY 17 Kolsch Flyover Bar
FRIDAY MAY 23 DJ Sotofett Goodgod Small Club
The Hacker Marrickville Bowling Club
SUNDAY JUNE 8 Matthew Dear, Cosmin TRG Home Nightclub
Direct all Deep Impressions-related feedback, praise, vitriol and other proposals to deep.impressions@yahoo.com. thebrag.com
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club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
Nicky Blackmarket
SATURDAY MAY 17 HIP HOP & R&B
L-Fresh The Lion Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.
CLUB NIGHTS
FRIDAY MAY 16 Chinese Laundry
Nicky Blackmarket + Fatman D 9pm. $20.50. WEDNESDAY MAY 14 CLUB NIGHTS
Client Liaison Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 11pm. free. Oily Boys + Reptiles + Friendsters Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. free. Snapback - feat: Various Artists Newtown Hotel, Newtown. 7:30pm. free. The Supper Club - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. The Wall - feat: Various Local And International Acts World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5. UNSW DJ Comp UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 5pm. free. Whip It Wednesdays - feat: Various DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. xxx
THURSDAY MAY 15
CLUB NIGHTS
$5 Everything Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free. Airspace 36 :: BRAG :: 562 : 14:05:14
The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. free. Goldfish And Friends - feat: Regular Rotating Residents Goldfish, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. Kicks World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Lights Out Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 8pm. 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 Dip Turns 3 Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 6pm. free. The World Bar Thursdays World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.
FRIDAY MAY 16 HIP HOP & R&B
Jackie Onassis Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith. 8:30pm. free. Phfat World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15.
CLUB NIGHTS
Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free.
Boombox Fridays Marquee, Pyrmont. 7pm. free. DJ S Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 8pm. free. Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Fridays At Manly Wharf Hotel - feat: DJ Morphingaz + Grant Lewers + Pistolshrimp + Bernie Dingo + Stacie Todd + Kit Lennon + Toby Neal + Sam Wall + Benny B Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. free. Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free. Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free. Lonely Kids Club Winter Range Launch Party - feat: Spoonty + Islnd + Papertoy + Cherax Destructor + Oliver Wigley + Lang Low + Lloyd Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free. Moonshine Fridays Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 7pm. free. Nicky Blackmarket + Fatman D Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $20.50. Paradisco - feat: Friendships + Embassy + Phondupe + World Champion + Twin Caverns Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Soft & Slow - feat: Astral DJs + Pink Lloyd + Steven Sullivan
Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Elâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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. Focus Launch - feat: Scott Richardson + Rossco + Pato De Gomah Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Hunty - feat: Yara Sofia + Milk + Kitty Glitter + Philthy Holster + Alex Taylor The Midnight Shift, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $35. Infamous Saturdays - feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. Love Kings Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.
11pm. free. Sunnery James + Ryan Marciano Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25. My Place Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. free. Pacha Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 7:30pm. $32.80. 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: Robbie Lowe + Cassette + Rabbit Taxi + Onn + Murat Kilic + Mike Witcombe The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $25. Vengeance + Inxec Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $17.40. Video DJ Matt Whitelaw AKA Mister Styles Mounties, Mount Pritchard. 8pm. free.
Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney. 8pm. free. Martini Club And Friends feat: Ocky + Tom Kelly Goldfi sh, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. S.A.S.H 3rd Birthday Flyover Bar, Sydney. 2pm. $10. Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.
MONDAY MAY 19 CLUB NIGHTS
Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. DJ Mattia Goldfi sh, Kings Cross. 11pm. free.
TUESDAY MAY 20 CLUB NIGHTS
SUNDAY MAY 18 CLUB NIGHTS
Chu World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. DJ Robin Goldfi sh, Kings Cross. 11pm. free.
La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El
p send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
WEDNESDAY MAY 14
SATURDAY MAY 17
Client Liaison Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
L-Fresh The Lion Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.
Oily Boys + Reptiles + Friendsters Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
Sunnery James + Ryan Marciano Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.
FRIDAY MAY 16
Spice - feat: Robbie Lowe + Cassette + Rabbit Taxi + Onn + Murat Kilic + Mike Witcombe The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $25.
Jackie Onassis Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith. 8:30pm. Free. Paradisco - feat: Friendships + Embassy + Phondupe + World Champion + Twin Caverns Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Soft & Slow - feat: Astral DJs + Pink Lloyd + Steven Sullivan The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $15.
Vengeance + Inxec Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $17.40.
SUNDAY MAY 18 S.A.S.H 3rd Birthday Flyover Bar, Sydney. 2pm. $10.
Jackie Onassis
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club pick of the week
The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $15.
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JUNE 5
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MAY 31
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JUNE 7
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