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ANGUS & JULIA STONE TRENTEMØLLER (LIVE) BUILT TO SPILL FREESTYLERS DJS KATE MILLER-HEIDKE SHOUT OUT LOUDS
THE DYNAMITES FEAT. CHARLES WALKER BORN RUFFIANS LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION PVT DECODER RING THE AUDREYS THE BREAK WASHINGTON CLOUD CONTROL JONATHAN BOULET FREQ NASTY SPACE INVADAS THE JEZABELS DAN MANGAN HORRORSHOW STEVE POLTZ JOEL PLASKETT KING TIDE THUNDAMENTALS WATUSSI PARADES BIG SCARY SPIT SYNDICATE BELLES WILL RING AND MANY, MANY MORE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Tickets are available through Oztix www.oztix.com.au Peats Ridge is an Over 18 event. Children and Youth are permitted only if accompanied by a guardian aged 25 years or over.
www.peatsridgefestival.com.au
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LIVE MUSIC VENUE & RESTAURANT
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 17 •
TUE 28 SEP
COOPERS presents
FREE ENTRY
ROCK-STEIN TRIVIA
FREE ENTRY
THE STUDY presents
WED 29 SEP
THU 30 SEP
HUNTINGS
+ SLEEPYHANDS + KIERAN DE LA HARPE FREE ENTRY
SABLE + THE HOWLING TONGUES
+ RABBLE RABBLE + THE PRESENCE AMPLIFIRE
FRI 01 OCT
+ KROSS JUNKIE + CROSSING LINE
SAT 02 OCT
LOUIS BERTIGNAC (FRA)
+ GUNDO + PLASTIC SOLDIER + CARLISLE + BANG BANG GUNS
+ BRIAN CAMPEAU
COMING SOON SAT 02 OCT
SECRET SHOW
SUN 03 OCT
NRL GRAND FINAL
FRI 08 OCT
TRASHED MILF
WWW.THEGAELIC.COM EVENT EVENT &&FUNCTION FUNCTIONBOOKINGS: BOOKINGS: clayton@selectmusic.com.au danielle@thegaelic.com BAND BANDBOOKINGS: BOOKINGS:clayton@selectmusic.com.au clayton@selectmusic.com.au
• 18 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
&
present
Wednesday 29th September Oxford Art Factory (Sydney) with guests Papa v Pretty & Matt Walters Moshtix: 1 300 GET TIX (438 849), www.moshtix.com.au
Thursday 30th September Grand Hotel (Wollongong) with guests Papa v Pretty & Matt Walters Moshtix: 1 300 GET TIX (438 849), www.moshtix.com.au
Friday 1st October CBD Newcastle (Newcastle) with guests Nova and the Experience & Matt Walters Venue: (02) 4929 2274, Oztix: 1 300 762 545; www.moshtix.com.au or www.bigtix.com.au Rockshop: (02) 4929 1856, Northern Star Bottle Shop (02) 4911 1087
Sunday 3rd October Parklife (Sydney) Fuzzy: www.fuzzy.com.au Rockshop: (02) 4929 1856, Northern Star Bottle Shop (02) 4911 1087
Time to Wander’ single out now Debut album ‘Gilgamesh’ released Oct 22nd www.gypsyandthecat.com THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 19 •
Contents Issue No. 1028 Tuesday 28 September All entries must be sent to giveaways@drummedia.com.au and include your full name, address and a contact number. Please note – prizes that are to be collected from the office must be done within four weeks of notification of winning.
DRUM MEDIA Giveaways – Look to your left for free stuff, silly!
20
The Front Line hits hard with industry fact and conjecture, plus we look at how the Incubator industry event brings everyone together at the same time in the same place. 22 Mailbag – your say on what floats your boat or makes the red mist descend, plus Backlash and Frontlash. 24 The News – just like it says, with tours, releases and more.
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Nowhere was out of bounds for The Holidays. 32 Gareth Liddiard is a jack of all trades.
BAABA MAAL
BE IN BELLINGEN With more than 30 acts presenting over 80 performances across this Labour Day weekend, the 2010 Bellingen Global Carnival is bigger and better than ever. From Friday through Monday, you’ll get to enjoy, among others, Baaba Maal, Mulatu Astatke with The Black Jesus Experience, Lulo Reinhardt, the Diego Guerrero Flamenco Latin Quintet and Ego Lemos in the overseas contingent, plus locals Ash Grunwald, The Bamboos and Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. We have one double weekend pass to the festival but you’ll have to be quick – email us with Bellingen giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Wednesday.
SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED Take a splash of classical chamber music, an ounce of Brazilian marching band, a dash of cabaret and lounge, mix in some neo-swing sound, shake fearlessly and what you get is one of the most remarkable contemporary music ensembles anywhere – Pink Martini. They’re coming over from the US to headline the Great Southern Blues Festival in Batemans Bay on Sunday, but they’re also playing the State Theatre on Friday. To help get you in the mood we have three Pink Martini packs, each containing a copy each of their four albums to date – Sympathique, Splendor In The Grass, Hang On Little Tomato and Hey Eugene! – and their Discover The World concert DVD, to give away. Email us with Pink Martini giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Tuesday 5 October.
ANGIE & THE BARBER Our very own Angie Hart and Canadian singer songwriter Matthew Barber are joining forces for a little tour around the place, Hart to showcase her new EP (which you can read about within this very issue) and Barber to reintroduce himself once more and showcase his latest album, True Believer. They’re playing Notes on Friday and we have three packs, each containing a double pass to the show, a copy of Hart’s second solo album, Eat My Shadow, plus Barber’s album, to give away. Email us with Angie & The Barber giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
Ben Kweller is thinking big pictures as he’s in transition. 35 The fat suit was hard work for Todd Rundgren. 36 Lil’ Band O’ Gold don’t always know the name of rock legends. 36 Linkin Park – gives you energy and makes you smarter. 38 Pink Martini discuss the best venues to get a crowd to form a conga line. 38 Grouper highlights her love of the spectral realms.
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The key to figuring out Melanie Pain is if she’s singing in French, she’s sad, if she’s singing in English, she’s happy. 40 After 30 years as a frontman, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats finally bears the vocalist’s name. 40 Charlie Parr still continues to draw inspiration from the passing of his father. 40 Miracles do happen, Angie Hart finds.
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Fyah Walk are making a difference with their reggae.
44
On The Record reviews new release albums and singles from Justin Townes Earle, Bad Religion, Die! Die! Die! and more. 46 Chris Maric gets local with hard rock and metal in The Heavy Shit. 50 Stu Harvey delivers a Short Fast Report on punk and hardcore.
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Adam Curley on remixes and what it represents in The Breakdown.
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THE ENEMY SFX
Viktor Krum asks you to Get It Together with the latest in hip hop. 52
This Saturday, SFX at the St James Hotel is proud to present Our Last Enemy live launching their album, Fallen Empires, with special guests Dawn Heist, who are launching their EP on the night, plus Recoil. We have five double passes to this very special SFX night to give away, so email us with Our Last Enemy SFX giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
Scott Fitzsimons gets Young & Restless with all ages goings on.
BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT This Friday, Club Blink at the St James Hotel is exploding with good times and quality entertainment with the live component coming courtesy The Hotel Charlie and Why God Why, while you’ll also participate in the launches for the latest albums from Serj Tankian and Dimmu Borgir. It’s also a special “Cowboy”-themed night as they celebrate 20 years of Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell. We have five double passes to the night to give away, so email with Blink And You’ll Miss It giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
DOOMSDAY IS UPON US
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Bob Baker Fish looks at leftfield music in Fragmented Frequencies. 52 Dan Condon features the world of blues and roots with Roots Down.
53
Michael Smith delivers some Blow with jazz and world music news.
53
Go south as you enter Pedro Manoy’s Swamp Shack. 53
FRONT ROW This Week In Arts lists the best of what’s on for the week ahead; Cultural Cringe gets behind the news and gossip in the arts scene. 54
True – only this is a Doomsday you’ll actually want to be a part of. The 2010 Doomsday Festival showcases some of Australia’s finest sludge, doom metal, psychedelic, heavy stoner, post-rock and experimental bands – ten all up – count ‘em: USA’s Acid King with Pod People, Looking Glass, Summonus, Clagg, Sons Of The Ionian Sea, Fattura Della Morte, Mother Mars, VAN and Adrift for Days. It all happens Saturday at Newtown RSL and we just happen to have five double passes to the night to give away. Email us with Doomsday Festival giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
Drum Media gets a rare audience with British Renaissance man, Stephen Fry; Wayne Blair discusses his new play Namatjira; we review films The Tree and The Other Guys. 55
THE ZEBS ARE MELTING
The last of our Sydney Fringe Festival reviews.
The Annandale is proud of its recently formed association with Kings Cross venue Melt, which deserves the kind of support you guys already give to the Annandale. This Friday, Melt hosts an evening with The Zebs, along with The Colt 44s, Radio National, Flight and Massema, and we have five double passes to get along and enjoy the night on us. Email us with The Zebs At Melt giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday.
AH, LA LECHE, LA VIE! Europe’s most hedonistic gay and lesbian white party, La Leche!, comes to Australia for the very first time this very Sunday, taking over The Metro Theatre as the official Sleaze Ball After Party and promises to set a new standard for decadence in production and entertainment. Travelling all the way from Barcelona where she became the first ever female Matinée All Star DJ is Lydia Sanz, joined by some of Australia’s biggest DJs including iconic legend of house Alex Taylor, Kitty Glitter and MC Glammer. We have two doubles passes to the night so email us with La Leche giveaway in the subject line by 5pm Thursday. • 20 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
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New Young Pony Club plan to grow stronger with a solid foundation. 34
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New York artist Sara Blake brings her vibrant work to Sydney; French director Julie Bertucelli opens up about her new film The Tree, filmed in Australia. 56 57
LIVE It’s all here: gig reviews, tour guide, what’s happening this week, charts, gig guide, random shit and Tobias Cummings draws a lot from literary influences. 60 Everything you need to know about One Movement. 63 Heading along to the Global Carnival? You’ll need our map and times then. 73 Backstage and BTL – your guide to studios, recording, courses and more. 82 The Classies – need a singer/bassist/ drummer/any other service/product you can think of? Your answer is here. And on iflog.com.au. 86
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NEWS? ANNOUNCEMENTS? TIP-OFFS? RUMOUR AND GOSSIP? SEND THEM THROUGH TO FRONTLINE@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRY WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS
HANDLIN TO ‘REIGN AGAIN’ AT ARIA After the hasty exit of Ed St John from his post as President and CEO of Warner Music Australasia and subsequent stripping of his ARIA Chairman’s role, Denis Handlin, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand has been given the top ARIA role. The longest serving member of the ARIA board, a member since 1984, he previously spent ten years as the Chairman up until 2008 when he handed over to St John. An industry insider who wished to remain anonymous told The Front Line, “After ten years as Chairman and taking ARIA to great heights, and then stepping aside for the pretender Ed St John, who in two years managed to undo the progress of the last years, Denis can reign again and solve all the problems.” Handlin did not respond to request for a comment from The Front Line, but the appointment comes at a busy time for ARIA with the annual awards ceremony slated for Sunday 7 November at the Sydney Opera House and an impending $1.1 million lawsuit with Three Degrees Marketing. Also pressing for ARIA is the question of who’s going to replace Stephen Peach as their Chief Executive Officer. Announcing his resignation in February, Peach was meant to have left his post in July and The Front Line understands that despite approaching many people, ARIA are yet to find anyone to accept the role.
SUB POP FINDS NEW OZ HOME Further compounding the woes of Stomp records, the label and distribution arm – which was bought by new company Surrealus midAugust – has lost control of Sub Pop to Inertia, where the iconic label was one of their flagship brands. Renowned for the grunge movement that spawned Nirvana and Soundgarden and more recently the indie folk revival of The Shins, Fleet Foxes and Iron & Wine, it’s one of the few labels that still sells records based on its name. Picking up the back catalogue of Sub Pop – also with imminent releases from No Age, Kelley Stoltz and The Vaselines – is certainly a coup for Inertia, the only one of the three major independent labels to have not undergone a change of ownership within the last two months. Surrealus is owned by the Franchise Entertainment Group, which also owns the Blockbuster video chain. The American arm of Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection last week to shed almost $US1 billion debt, but the Australian company has stressed that it will not be affected as they operate independently.
4CHAN SINKS ANTI-PIRATE SITES The online internet community based around notorious image board website 4chan, launched distributed denial of service attacks on major music and film industry websites last week under the guise of Operation Payback in response to a crackdown on file sharing. The attacks involved overloading a website with connection requests, forcing it offline, as was the fate of the Motion Picture Association of America and Recording Industry Association of America websites for a period. A post on the 4chan website, which is known for user anonymity, read, “We brought them down the same way they brought down [file sharing website] The Pirate Bay, with a distributed denial of service.” In some parts of the world, such attacks can bring jail terms of up to ten years.
NEW-SPACE Newtown’s Carlisle Castle have announced that they will be hosting live music every Saturday afternoon, between 3pm and 6pm. The venue’s owners are striving to maintain a laidback and relaxed environment for their singer songwriters. • 22• THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
JOHN WILLIAMSON
POST-PUNK RAID ON HALL OF FAME
Two bands borne of the ‘80s new wave scene lead the list of artists to be inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame this year, along with a short-lived ‘60s garage band, a country music legend and one of our iconic all-rounders. Models and The Church are the latest bands inspired by the DIY/punk ethos that exploded in the inner city scenes of the ‘80s, they will be joined by the influential blues/mod garage of ‘60s group The Loved Ones, country stalwart John Williamson and former heartthrob-turned-music-mentor Johnny Young. These five names are the latest to be recognised for their contributions to the history of Australian music scene and join a register of inductees that includes Johnny O’Keefe, Nick Cave, The Seekers. AC/DC, The Triffids and over 50 others. Announcing a brand new broadcast partnership with SBS’s RocKwiz, ARIA’s annual event will this year take place at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday 27 October, the first time it will be held there since it became a stand-alone event in 2005. Special guest speakers and performances are yet to be announced.
CHUGG’S MAC ATTACK ONLINE Following up from last week’s overview of promoter Michael Chugg’s new biography Hey, You In The Black T-Shirt last week, there is an extract from the revealing insight into the logistics and drug-taking of the music industry posted on themusic.com. au’s Velvet Rope column. Covering Fleetwood Mac’s remarkable demands and habits that we alluded to last week, TheMusic website has already taken over 100 orders for the book. Less exciting but more essential, the website also told The Front Line that accounting guide Budgeting & Bookkeeping For Creative People, by Mark Beard and Ben O’Hara moved 30 copies straight away in quicker time. The creative sector is looking after its money matter moreso than ever it seems.
EARLE SWAPS TOUR FOR REHAB On the eve of the Australian release for his new album Harlem River Blues, Justin Townes Earle has suspended planned American tour dates to enter a rehabilitation facility in the attempt to curb his ongoing struggle with addiction. Earle was recently arrested in Indianapolis last week after he reportedly caused over $200 damage to his dressing room following a sour gig at venue Radio Radio, assaulting the venue’s owner and his daughter in the process. After being removed he was arrested and released after a $150 bond was posted (according to the Marian County’s online Inmate Profile register). Releasing a statement on the matter, he would not comment pending criminal charges, but said, “suffice to say that I am looking forward to having my day in court. I would also like to say that I oppose violence against women in any form.” He did however post on his Twitter, “Oh and Radio Radio in Indy and all it’s staff can kiss my fucking ass! I think the Felice Bros. Would agree.” It has been alleged that during recent media commitments surrounding the album, Earle appeared tired and emotional, at times incomprehensible.
IS TICKETING TICKING YOU OFF? Major ticketing outlet Moshtix have launched an industry survey into the current state of the national ticketing industry, which can be found at tinyurl.com/ ticketingsurvey, giving punters the chance to vent frustrations at the current operations. The festival season looks like it will again suffer from tickets scalped online, with three-day tickets for The Falls Festival already reaching in excess of $529 on an internet auction website for the sold-out Victorian Lorne date, when its Tasmanian sister Marion Bay event has the same tickets for $312. Tickets for the sold out Melbourne Soundwave festival in February are already going for $225, when they were originally valued at $160.
OTHER OPTIONS Continuing to assert itself on a music business that seems to be built on sand, new label/distribution arm (though they use the logistical services of MGM, Other Tongues have announced a label deal with the UK’s Full Time Hobby. The first release will be the fourth record from Micah P Hinson & The Pioneer Saboteurs this Friday, a press release all but
confirming that that country baritone will be touring early next year.
CHEAP FLIGHTS & A FIVE-DAY FEST The strong Australian dollar – which hit a twoyear high last Friday and is inching ever closer to an equal mark with the US equivalent – seems to be encouraging registrants for the 2011 South By Southwest festival, with local registrants already topping the 100 mark. The initial early bird prices are exhausted, but the price will rise steadily in the lead up the event so early application through sxsw.com. au is encouraged. Further artist registrations are also being called for.
SOUNDWAVE SECURING THE NET Punk and metal festival Soundwave are throwing their support behind the Carly Ryan Foundation – initiated earlier this year in honour of its namesake who was murdered by an internet predator in February 2007 aged 15 – which aims to promote internet security and support victims of online crime. The Foundation will be a guest on SoundwaveFestival. com’s Walk The Plank radio show this Wednesday at 7pm.
JAZZ’S FINEST Held at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, the ten finalists for the 2010 National Jazz Awards have been announced, with the awards featuring brass this year. Judged by Mike Nock, James Greening and Phil Slater, the finalists are Simon Ferenci, Nick Garnett, Matthew Jodrell, James Kennedy, Eamon McNelis, Damien Maughan, Nadje Noordhuis, Nicholas Pietsch, Don Stewart and Pat Thiele. The ten finalists will perform at the festival, with the top three selected to play live in the final round on ABC Classic FM Sunday 31 October from 5pm. The festival happens Friday 29 – Sunday 31.
MOVE AND DEVELOP Perth’s One Movement For Music Festival, held from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 October has announced its artist development initiatives, with the ARPA Cross Cultural Songwriting Collaboration Project, involving Australia’s Mama Kin and India’s Raghu Dixit; the Australian Indigenous Music Scholarship, state finalists are Lady Lash (Vic), Jake & The Cowboys (WA), Karnage And Darknis (SA) and The Medics (QLD); the Fringe Festival, focusing on local Western Australian artists; as well as partnerships with triple j and Channel [V]. For full details of the event head to onemovementmusic.com.
AMP JUDGES ANNOUNCED The sixth Australian Music Prize (AMP) has announced its judging panel for 2010/11, with 31 people across media, retail and industry to undertake the AMP’s calculated judging process. Tim Freedman, Renee Geyer, Holly Throsby and more join critics Clem Bastow (The Big Issue), Andrew Mast (Street Press Australia), Bernard Zeul (Sydney Morning Herald), Richard Moffat (3RRR) and Kathy McCabe (The Daily Telegraph) amongst others in returning whilst, Alan Brough (Spicks & Specks), Mikey Cahill (News Ltd) and Devin Levin (The Age) join
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the panel. Bands can still apply for the prize through australianmusicprize.com.au.
INNOVATORS UNITED Newcastle’s underground and indie conference and showcase Sound Summit will run from Thursday through to Monday this week, making use of New South Wales’ long weekend, with international acts Grouper, Jason Forrest and Sam Hamilton & The Mystic Disco as well as locals Songs, Scattered Order, Blank Realm, No Anchor and more. With conference focused upon the development of “innovate” music throughout Australia, there’ll be speakers and presenters from media groups, music organisations and musicians themselves. The Australia Council For The Arts Music Board will be presenting a Soundclash showcase on Sunday at the Festival club, the initiative providing funding of up to $10,000 for the development of risk-raking creative projects. Their next closing date in 6 December for projects starting after 14 March 2011.
INXS SENT A MESSAGE An averagely received performance at the first leg of the AFL Grand Final last weekend is the least of INXS’ worries, as they’re currently in the middle of a legal battle over the rights to the image and songs of former frontman Michael Hutchence, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Action has been taken against the five surviving members from an unknown company Chardonnay Investments based in the Virgin Islands. Speculation is that Hutchence’s daughter, Tiger Lily, is behind the move but the trust company are not revealing details. The claim is that Chardonnay have been conspired against by the band, its lawyers, managers and connected companies to deprive Chardonnay of its one-sixth of the profits.
BEST BAR FOR MUSIC Held in Sydney last week, the Australian Bartender Magazine’s Australian Bar Awards crowned Brisbane’s x&y bar Australia’s Best Music Offering from a field of seven venues nationally. Co-owner Peter Eldeon was quoted as saying, “We are proud of what we have created here, and how Brisbane has supported us.”
POLE POSTERS CRACKDOWN? The Front Line is led to believe that Sydney Council may be leading a crackdown on postering in the city in the near future.
YOU WORKING? The Oxford Art Factory are looking for a Marketing & Sponsorship Co-ordinator to overlook the Oxford St venue’s marketing activities and provide day to day support for the venue. The role will include in-house publicity, website and social media presence and ticketing co-ordination, with good communication skills, website and publicity experience. To apply, send a cover letter, example press release, HTML-coded website and design work completed by yourself to work@oxfordartfactory.com. The Sydney Festival is looking for graphic design and digital marketing interns to commence from October for two/three days a week. Apply by Monday to derek.gilchrist@ sydneyfestival.org.au with CV and link to work (design) or idea for the festival (marketing).
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THE INDUSTRY UNDER ONE ROOF
ON THE EVE OF THE INCUBATOR INDUSTRY NIGHT, SPOKESPERSON KWEEN G TELLS SCOTT FITZSIMONS WHY THE EVENT IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR THE PERSONAL OPPORTUNITIES, BUT FOR THE SYDNEY SCENE AS A WHOLE.
I
n a contemporary music industry that’s harder to crack than ever and with a future that’s unclear to say the least, it’s no secret opportunities for a ‘break’ are becoming scarcer. It’s not just a music dilemma either; it’s not an easy task making any creative industry a sole source of income. But with the rise of this uncertainty has come a range of showcases, conference and networking events that have promised various avenues in, with differing levels of success. Incubator, the latest such event in Sydney, hopes to roll all those elements into one night, with an evening at the Oxford Art Factory. Essentially, over five hours, Incubator will bring together creatives from the music and film areas and professionals from a broader variety of fields including media, hospitality, tourism, sport, manufacturing and more in a rare opportunity to create a dialogue between the two ends of the industry. It’s all organised around the goal of creating a marketplace for buying, selling, financing, licensing, distributing and marketing “creative properties”. A collation of separate Music Incubator and Film Incubator events, the venue will be packed to the rafters with 15 artists performing across two stages, private screening rooms, exhibitions, various award ceremonies (the most lucrative award to be announced on the night the $25,000 Film Script Developer Internship) and other showcasing opportunities. Undoubtedly, considering the creative talent and professional personalities attending, the possibilities for networking and the benefits that can come from that are endless. Along with acts like Mojada, Cameras, Act Yo Age and Kempsey, emerging hip hop outfit KillaQueenz are one of the biggest names on the showcasing roster and Kween G – Gladys Namokoyi when off stage – has become one of the event’s spokespeople. “For the showcase event, as well as performances, there’s going to be screens and stuff for people who are involved in film to show their work as well,” she confirms. “It’s a good place to meet people who licence and distribute films. “And then on the music side you’ve got your A&Rs and labels, your distributors, your writers – everyone. There’ll be two showcase stages on the night as well, so there’ll be two performances [at once]. They’re giving away a pretty cool prize pack worth $25,000 and there’s also opportunities for people who do video clips to travel
with a particular artist to shoot a short documentary – so it’s jam-packed.” Although KillaQueenz are still in the early stages of their career, the hip hop duo is making steady inroads into the scene. To some extent, they’re a marker of the independents’ rise. “Most of the guys out there are working independently and those who are that are killing it, I’ve got much respect for them and they’ve obviously done the right thing of going through the right way of getting to it. So there has been a bit of a push.” The night also opens up the possibility of collaborations between film and music, something that’s often hard to organise and foster. “I don’t think there’s too much [currently], and hopefully there’ll be more, because that’s what I think helps the scene grow, is that collaboration.” The rapper also believes that the Incubator night has been “a long time coming”. “It’s one of those things where you go, ‘Oh, this is what was missing.’ So I think Sydney definitely needs to grow and we need more representation from this side as well as the rest of the country.” Citing the Melbourne scene that manages to “mix it up”, the view of this artist is that there are a lot of areas in which the Sydney creative scene can improve – starting with a level of support. “It depends which angle you’re looking at it. I think there could be more support definitely. I think we’re limited as far as live venues go; live music in general. I’ve been to other states where there’s more of a variety and I don’t think that we have that here – a regular live scene and this will push that. “It’s gotta change, we’ve gotta add something new. You get sick of doing the same thing sometimes, so if there was more of a variety of things to do instead of jumping on a plane because that other place has it, if you’ve got it right there, then that’s keeping it moving definitely.” And is there talent in Sydney that we – as an art-consuming public – are yet to discover? “I would say yes to that. Especially now that more musicians are emerging, a lot of good ones are still in the underground so I think there’s still a lot to see, more to add to the bills.”
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BANDS
45 GROUPS 15 DANCE
3 DAYS AND NIGHTS
DANCE CLASSES
CECILIA NOEL PATRULLA 81 DIEGO GUERRERO JJ SON MUCHO MAMBO BRAZILIAN FANTASY SON VENENO CASTANUELAS SALSA KINGZ CLUB HAVANA BAND SAMBA MUNDI RITMO ARGENTINA DJ DWIGHT ‘CHOCOLATE’ ESCOBAR EL ORQUESTON QUIMBOMBO MI TIERRA GRUPO CAPOEIRA BRAZIL PAPALOTE GONZALO PORTA AND MANY MORE
Supporting sponsor
WHAT Incubator WHEN & WHERE Thursday, Oxford Art Factory
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER • 23 •
MINNOW & CO AND ARTIST VOICE PRESENTS
LITTLE RED MIDNIGHT REMEMBER TOUR
YOUR SAY
LETTERS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
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TO DCP OR NOT DCP Dear Drum, Everyone in the entertainment industry must read the City of Sydney Council’s Late Night Trading Premises Development Control Plan (DCP), which has been updated and expanded and is now out on exhibition (see the council’s website for the meeting of September 6, “planning and development”). It should alarm everyone in this sector, including café and restaurant owners. While the state government got rid of the infamous POPEs (Place of Public Entertainment licences), the council has now apparently ramped up its control of all of the inner city’s nightlife through this DCP (covering all “high impact” nightspots), to a point where it is arguably just as bad as the POPEs were. The plan requires all such premises opening after 10pm to get permission and subjects them to a virtually constant review process, with many, many conditions, making it difficult for many places to comply. Late trading permission can be revoked almost at will. As happened in Melbourne, live venues are being treated in exactly the same way as nightclubs and “beer barns”, on the assumption that the night time economy is little more than a nuisance. One has to ask what will come next for Sydney? The council has no mandate for its DCP. While it professes to be curbing the spread of “unsuitable” establishments into residential precincts, it says nothing about stopping the spread of unsuitable residential developments into traditional entertainment zones. Whatever happened to the prior occupancy rights enacted a few years ago? The DCP is on top of the already onerous building and fire codes that get more complex every year. Spread of late night parking meters around venues is another issue. Venue operators in this town deserve knighthoods for all the shameful lack of support they get from the authorities – those same authorities that so love to parade Sydney as a “leader” in the arts and entertainment. The reality is it’s sink or swim.
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
SPARKADIA
Holding a summit in the lead-up to the next state and council elections with a view to thrashing out these many matters on a united front to make them an election issue therefore seems necessary. It could be attended by venue operators, café owners, small business people, record labels, radio stations, photographers, State Opposition MPs and promoters, with a view to
KIMBRA
FRONTLASH
COMING UP SHORT Dear Drum, I wrote a letter some years back complaining about the Short Fast Report and got a decent reply out of Stu. My band RUST had a small burst of support then… not much since, if anything? And we’re not alone; it’s got to the stage I begrudgingly pick up The Drum, a whole host of bands don’t even bother to send in what they’re up to. The Short Fast column has a really bad name and we won’t even put adds in The Drum ‘cause your left hand doesn’t know what the right is even doing. How can you have an ad on one page and not even mention the show in the so-called punk gig guide on the next page? If Bad Religion sneezes we all read about it (yes, I’m a fan). We put together a benefit show for Nigel from Sydney band RULE 303 with bands from all over NSW and Vic. Nigel, who died earlier this year, was a big part of the Sydney scene and had a huge hand in bringing many bands to Australia (Peter Test Tubes, Dayglo Abortions, UK Subs, Anti Nowhere League) to name a few, let alone the interstate bands he put on and put up at his family home. So the show we put on to raise money for his kids didn’t even get in Stu’s gig guide but it’s advertised in The Excelsior gig guide. Shame on The Drum and shame on Short Fast Report. If RUST never gets a mention in your so-called punk column again, do we care? No, no we don’t, we’ve learnt we can fill a pub with out you. Bet this don’t make print ED. Garry Narrabeen Bet you it doesn’t either. Oh, wait… – Ed
BACKLASH
TARAGO RIVER GIPPSLAND BLUE
VIRGIN Does Sydney feel kind of empty at the moment? Oh that’s right, everyone’s still stuck at Melbourne airport.
KATY PERRY Pulled from Sesame Street for her provocative attire, she’s about to devastate another demographic of fans by getting married – crushing the dreams and hopes of 14-17 year olds forever. Actually. Better make that 14-71 year olds.
Now there’s a decent cheese.
PUBLISHER Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast
EDITOR Mark Neilsen
FRONT ROW EDITOR Daniel Crichton-Rouse frontrow@drummedia.com.au
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Curley
STAFF WRITER Bryget Chrisfield
CONTRIBUTORS Adam Wilding, Alice Tynan, Andrew Haug, Anita Connors, Anthony Carew, Ben Preece, Ben Revi, Benjamin McInerney, Bethany Small, Brooke Salisbury, Chris Maric, Clare Dickins, Craig Pearce, Cyclone,
• 24 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Knighthoods for venue owners: we like. Other people get awards for services to the music industry, so why not those right at the coalface like venue owners? – Ed
SUSAN BOYLE
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
(02) 4728 5200 www.penrithrsl.com.au
Erskineville
So apparently she’s being stalked by a man pretending to be a relative. Wow, this whole fame thing hasn’t gone down well has it?
Michael Smith, Scott Fitzsimons
8 Tindale St, Penrith
Tim
BARNSEY
All Sydney Grand Final, two hated teams (depending on who you support), this will be good. Also, well done to the AFL for not selling out their heritage. The Grand Final rematch will have much less fanfare, be a far poorer game and no-one may care, but you’ll remember the first forever. And, Lewis Hamilton taking himself out and West Brom for trouncing a pathetic Arsenal.
DOORS 7:30
Yours,
After finding out that he’s got another two children that he never knew about – Amanda 36, and Megan 37 – the Aussie rock legend’s manned up and taken it in his stride.
WE LOVE SPORTS
SUNDAY 10TH OCTOBER TICKETS - $25
removing the many vexatious regulations that are quite simply out of control. A separate DCP for live venues could be one of its aims, as could a call to retain the Sydney Entertainment Centre, now also under threat. The great danger is that, if the inner city’s proud entertainment sector does not agitate – and soon – it could be virtually eliminated by stealth. Not by decree, but simply by forcing venues to the wall in an already difficult climate.
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 25 •
NEWS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU Playground Weekender in Wisemans Ferry will be happening Thursday 17 through Sunday 20 February next year, with the line-up and ticket release details to be announced shortly, but we can tell you that definitely on the bill are one of the most influential funk outfits ever, Kool & The Gang.
FREE DOWNLOADS
We’ve got Sydney’s Boy & Bear and California’s Matt Costa in store this fortnight in our free download series, for which we thank Universal. Catch up to what the cool kids are listening to by heading to universalmusic.net.au/freedownloads/streetpressaustralia and download away.
UK dance machine Groove Armada have announced that they’ll be bringing their Black Light Live Show to a close not long after they bring it to Australia as part of the Parklife series of festivals, so this Sunday will be your final chance to see them in action. The Court Yard Hounds, booked to be a part of A Taste Of Lilith, have been obliged to postpone their participation and will not be performing at the Enmore Theatre Monday 4 October. The show itself will of course go ahead with the instigator of Lilith, Sarah McLachlan at the helm, along with our own Kate Miller-Heidke and The Verses.
LOUIS BERTIGNAC The guitarist from French rockers Téléphone, the French equivalent of The Rolling Stones, Louis Bertignac, is coming to Sydney to play just one show, this Saturday at The Gaelic, supported by Brian Campeau. Louisiana swamp popsters Lil’ Band O’ Gold, will be playing their own shows at Lizotte’s in Newcastle Monday, The Basement Circular Quay Wednesday 6 and The Factory Theatre Thursday 7, the latter two shows supported by Mo Trowell & The Delivery. Canadian duo Nadja, purveyors of what’s variously described as “ambient doom”, “dreamsludge and “metalgaze”, take over El Rocco in Kings Cross Friday 8 October for High Reflections #13, joined by Jim Denley and Emily Morandini.
Boy & Bear – Mexican Mavis To say the past year has been an amazing one for Boy & Bear is an understatement. Their first single Mexican Mavis had the industry attentive and music fans dancing. The single earned the quintet the triple j Unearthed gong landing them a spot at Homebake 2009 and before they knew it the band found themselves touring with Angus & Julia Stone, Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling. Marling subsequently invited them to tour with her through the UK – some members even taking stints in her backing band. Though accomplished, the songs presented on their debut EP With Emperor Antarctica (out now) pack a bigger punch when taken to the live forum; more honest, more emotive, more resonance. Download this track, get along to a show, contrast and compare.
BIG DAY OUT RETURNS
Matt Costa – The Season
While a few summer festivals had been announced recently, there was still one big one missing. Well, that piece of the puzzle has fallen into place with the announcement of the first artists for the Big Day Out. You can check to see how well you did with the promoters’ teasing clues when we reveal the line-up features Tool (pictured), Rammstein, Bloody Beetroots DC77, Iggy & The Stooges, Deftones, MIA, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, Plan B, Primal Scream (performing Screamadelica live) and Die Antwoord. That’s just a few of the internationals, while the local contingent features John Butler Trio, Wolfmother, Bliss N Eso, Operator Please, Pnau, Birds Of Tokyo and many more. It takes place once again at Sydney Showgrounds and this year sees it back on Australia Day, Wednesday 26 January. Tickets go on sale Wednesday 6 October.
The Drones’ Mike Noga is heading our way to open for Paul Dempsey when he plays The Annandale Sunday 10 October. Copies of Noga’s debut album, Folk Songs, will be available at the show.
NAMING RIGHTS
Indie singer songwriter from America’s Pacific Northwest, Mirah and her band are heading over to play the Red Rattler Thursday 21 October, supported by The Smallgoods. They had their first hit in 1967 and America’s Gary Puckett & The Union Gap are still touring and delivering their hits from the ‘60s and early ‘70s, kicking off Friday 29 October at Souths Juniors, Saturday 30 at Rooty Hill RSL, Friday 5 November at North Sydney Leagues, Saturday 6 at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Wednesday 10 at Wests Leagues in Newcastle and Saturday 13 at the Cube in Campbelltown. Live singer Ed Kowalczyk has added a concert at Level 1, Newcastle Leagues Club Saturday 30 October, to his forthcoming Australian tour. He plays the Enmore Theatre the following night. Virtuoso electric bass player from Cameroon, Richard Bona is coming to the Basement Circular Quay Wednesday 24 November to showcase his latest album, Ten Shades Of Blue. Shihad will be joining Korn Saturday 4 December when the prog metal Americans play their Sydney sideshow at the Hordern Pavilion, with Sydonia opening the evening. Brisbane six-piece Ball Park Music get to show off their second EP, Conquer The Town, Easy As Cake, having been invited to open for Hungry Kinds of Hungary and Big Scary on their forthcoming tour, which brings them to the Beach Road Hotel Bondi Wednesday 10 November, The Grand Hotel Wollongong Thursday 11, The Factory Theatre Friday 12, The Maram Saturday 13 and the Cambridge Sunday 14. Opening for Gypsy & The Cat when they play the Oxford Art Factory Wednesday, the Grand Hotel Wollongong Thursday and CBD in Newcastle Friday is Melbourne singer songwriter Matt Walters, who gets to show off his second EP, Talking In My Sleep, out Friday. Local jazz quartet The Antripodean Collective are hitting the road to promote their second album, NTRPDN, kicking off at Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Sunday 10 October, then 505 in Surry Hills Monday 11, and finishing up Thursday 21 at the ANU School of Music Canberra. Power metallers Darker Half and Adelaide’s Skintilla take over the Sandringham in Newtown Saturday 23 October, then head out to the Lucky Australian in St Marys Sunday 24 and up to Club Led in Newcastle Saturday 30, collecting additional guests in all venues along the way. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Campeau will be opening for Katie Noonan when she takes the Opera Theatre stage at Sydney Opera House Sunday 31 October with a chamber string orchestra. • 26• THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Mining his longtime love for ‘60s psychedelic superheroes like Donovan, 13th Floor Elevators, the Zombies and the Electric Prunes, Mobile Chateau (out now), Matt Costa’s third album, is a bold step forward into the kaleidoscope beyond. Costa’s latest effort comes in the wake of his breakout 2006 debut, Songs We Sing, and 2008’s consolidating Unfamiliar Faces. That second record has the single Mr. Pitiful, which was featured in the comedy, I Love You, Man and an iTunes ad campaign, and sent him criss-crossing the globe for well over a year. There were stints with Death Cab For Cutie and Modest Mouse, as well as a high-profile tour with Oasis and Ryan Adams & the Cardinals. All the songs, including The Season, were influenced by the passing of Costa’s uncle, who had been a guiding light during his formative years.
They’ve defiantly given themselves plenty to live up to with their name, but The Bon Scotts seem up for the challenge. Out of Melbourne and playing some type of contemporary folk, they’re celebrating the release of their debut album Oddernity with an east coast tour while they’ve also created a stop animation video for their single We Like War, produced by frontman Robert Zimmerman (sorry, did someone mention high expectations?) and Rebecca Agnew. Friday 15 October they’re at Ravál, Saturday 16 The Great Northern, Sunday 17 The Clarendon Guest House.
THE CHURCH
CHURCH TIME Iconic Aussie rockers – and soon to be ARIA Hall Of Fame members – the church are returning to our stages in November and December for an intimate acoustic tour in timely celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary. The band will be performing one song from each album over the last 30 years in reverse chronological order. Starting with a track from their remarkably acclaimed most recent album Untitled #23 and eventually landing on the first album, 1981’s Of Skins And Heart. Included in the ticket price, every ticket holder will receive a complimentary 28-page colour programme with discographies and reviews as well as short overviews of each album. Catch them Saturday 4 December at Tilley’s, Sunday 5 at Notes, Wednesday 8 at Lizotte’s Kincumber, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 at Lizotte’s Newcastle and Saturday 11 at the Milton Theatre.
THE SILENT SONG Since recording an EP in 2008 – Broken Cars & Empty Pockets – and garnering radio play with the lead single Layers, Ryan Meeking and his band mates have been slowly but surely building momentum. Never really slowing down, the following year they fled to the UK to inspire their second up Night Owls and this year Meeking was off to the US to nut out ideas for the debut album. Launching their new single We Will Say Nothing, Meeking and band will hit Lizotte’s Kincumber Wednesday 20 October, the Sandringham Hotel Thursday 21, the Gearin Hotel Friday 22, the Brass Monkey Saturday 23 and the Heritage Hotel Sunday 24.
THANKS, INTERWEBS Yet another musician to harness the power of the internet community, with tens of millions of hits on YouTube (a lazy 33 million here, 16 million there, about 50,000 hits a day) guitar technique innovator Andy McKee has turned that support into a global following, playing sold out shows around the globe. Taking the concept of tapping/hammer-ons, alternative tunings and using the guitar body as percussion to an extreme, he’ll be in Australia for one special show, to happen at The Basement, Circular Quay, Tuesday 2 November. It’s like the internet, but in real life. And we never would have found him without it.
MUSCLES
GOING TO SAVE THE DAY One breakout record, plenty of airtime, one too many awesome house parties and a breakdown removed from his bedroom, Muscles is back with his new EP, Younger & Immature. Having shook hands and made up with Modular, he’s hitting the road in November to reignite the fire of his live shows, playing the Mona Vale Hotel Thursday 11 November, Friday 12 at The Gaelic – both shows with support from Purple Sneakers DJs and Cassian. You’ve probably already heard the lead track from the EP – it’s called Girl Crazy Go, it’s on your radio at the moment and it’s exactly how you’ll be expected to act at these shows.
POISON LICKS It’s been quite a formative year for Melbourne/Adelaide’s Coerce, the punk rock outfit releasing their awesomely titled debut CD, Silver Tongued Life Licker, and touring nationally in support of Perth heroes Karnivool. The album’s a mixture of influences, all of which are left battered and bruised on the floor of whichever even venue they’re demolishing. Following the online release of the latest single, Mogelmouth, the quartet will be touring the country, playing Hermann’s Bar Saturday 23 October.
RESTRAINED BEAUTY Sydney pianist Sophie Hutchings will be launching her debut album Becalmed, Thursday 28 October at Ravál. For the occasion a string backing – including cellist Peter Hollo of FourPlay – and percussion from her brother Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss and solo fame) will accompany her. The record’s starting to make waves internationally, on top of the local acclaim, and it’s exciting times for Sophie, as it is for support act Seaworthy & Matt Rosner who’ll be launching their new ambient effort Two Lakes. Kicking things off initially will be new local songwriter Tired Hands.
THEIR MESSAGE IS PURE Has there ever been a band with a message as pure as The Beards’? It’s unlikely. Travelling the country – and previously even overseas – to spread the gospel and importance of facial hair, they’re just back from the inaugural World Beard Day celebrations in South Australia and will be returning to New South Wales and Capital Territory venues to wipe clean faces off the radar. Friday 8 October they’re at the Supper Club and Saturday 9 the Transit Bar. People who do not have/do not admire/don’t see the point of beards need not apply.
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N*E*R*D
A NOTHING PARTY Announced in festivals around the country, N*E*R*D have revealed their only Sydney show, at the Hordern Pavilion Friday 7 January, 2011. But to makes things a bit special and keep those new year vibes going, they’ve also roped in Chromeo, Boys Noize and Tinie Tempah onto the line-up. The headliners are gearing up to drop their new album Nothing later this year, so they’re going to have a re-vamp live show to call upon, whilst Chromeo (the only band with another Sydney date – playing Field Da y) have their newie Business As Usual to draw from. Good times will be had.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 27 •
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THE VERSES PERRY KEYES
THE KEYES HISTORY It’s kind of what you’d like all your favourite artists to do and luckily Perry Keyes fits that description. Following on from the & Friends shows, Keyes will complete three consecutive shows at Notes, each with its own album focus. Thursday 7 October the debut double album Meter gets a run through with help from Ed Kairuz, Friday 8 it’s the turn of The Last Ghost Train Home and preview of the upcoming sequel, then on Saturday you can hear all the songs from Johnny Ray’s Downtown with a slew of b-sides. Each night will also feature songs from the other records as well as the allocated run-through.
SHARE IN THE JOY
NEW NAME TAKES OVER They even came into the Drum Media’s office to perform acoustically and now after a slew of high-profile support slots The Verses are embarking on their first ever headlining tour. An acoustically-driven country/ roots duo, the siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper first made their mark on Australia’s musical landscape with their band Killing Heidi before retiring that name when it had run its successful course. Their debut album under the new guise, Seasons dropped recently and come Tuesday 5 October the two will be performing at The Vanguard.
The minimalist trio of My Disco are back, returning home to tour in support of their imminent third album, Little Joy. The bizarrely simple and outwardly quirky band have spent the majority of 2010 touring and recording abroad, but are returning in November and December to launch the record. The new record has toned down the harshness of previous record Paradise to create something of a warmer vibe (as warm as they can be). Catch their always-brilliant live show Thursday 25 November at the Cambridge Hotel and Friday 26 at the Manning Bar.
KOOL & THE GANG
ICE COLD BABY There’s few names in the contemporary soul world more recognisable than Kool & The Gang and the two-time Grammy Award winners, with over 70 million album sales, are heading to Australian complete with their 12-piece live band. Hitting just Sydney and Melbourne they’ll be taking audience members through a career spanning set will obviously feature tracks right back from the band’s formative years back in the ‘70s. To sweeten the deal, acid jazz identity Roy Ayers is coming out to support both shows. Catch them at the Enmore Theatre Friday 18 February, 2010. They’ve also been announced for the Playground Weekender festival, playing Saturday 19, with the Festival itself going from Thursday 17 – Sunday 20. Tickets for the Enmore show go on sale Thursday 14 October.
CANYONS
THE STREET TO NEW YORK Raising money to fund an exchange program between Sydney’s own Street University and a New York youth program, Giddy Up gallops into the Beach Road Hotel Saturday 16 October. Organised by the folks at Gideon shoes, they’ve got bright Modular records hope Canyons to headline the night whilst Brisbane’s Sampology won’t be far behind, either will support DJs Get Milk Or Die. A project of the Ted Noffs foundation, Street University provides education and welfare opportunities to marginalised young people, and funds raised from the night – and Gideon – will go towards sending the youths to New York. This is a ticketed event, $20 in advance or $25 on the door.
TO THE POINT Entertaining locals, the tourists and raising awareness for the Beyond Blue national depression initiative, the inaugural Blues Point Festival is due to happen Sunday 10 October at the Blues Point Reserve, McMahons Point. Running from noon until 8pm, Ray Beadle, Ngariki, Continental Blues Party, Clayton Doley’s Organ Donors, the Mal Eastick Band and Nat Col & The Kings will be performing live with MCs Stacey Lymbery, Bridie King and James Glendenning and DJ Georgina Reed also providing entertainment. All artists are volunteering their time for the event, so with the addition of food stalls it appears like a wholesome day out.
COMPASSION IN THE NUMBERS The folk of Tibet haven’t had much luck in recent history and the earthquake that hit Kyegu on 14 April only seemed to compound that poor fortune. Highlighting the sense of community and social awareness evident in the music scene though, Reg Mombassa, Peter O’Doherty (ex-Mental As Anything), Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) and Kamahl will be taking part in Quake Aid: Concert For Tibet. Taking to Dee Why beach Saturday 27 November tickets are $15 and organisers are hoping for 10,000 tickets to be sold. It’s not that much when you consider that it’s estimated that 10,000 people have died and 100,000 left homeless from the disaster. • 28 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
REEL BIG FISH
SKA UNDER THE SEA If there’s one thing that you won’t have to deal with at the upcoming Reel Big Fish and Aquabats tour, and that’s bands taking themselves too seriously. The Californian ska punk outfit Reel Big Fish need very little introduction and if you managed to catch the crime-fighting, surf-loving, costume-wearing Aquabats at this year’s Soundwave then they’ll need very little as well. Either way, it’s going to be a show of some sort of proportion, but to be honest we’re not sure what to expect once you’ve got both these acts in the same room. We’ll let you know Friday 3 December at the UNSW Roundhouse.
THE POWER TRIO Bondi Beach will once turn into one of the nation’s New Year’s Eve hotspots this Friday 31 December when Shore Thing takes place, bringing together some of the biggest names in the dance scene – both here and abroad. David Guetta’s star doesn’t seem to have a roof to its climb, and Armand Van Helden is a veteran in the truest sense of the world. Locally, to wrap out the bill, one of the most in demand acts in the country The Aston Shuffle will play their first ever live show as part of the event. What this entails, only time will tell. Tickets on sale Friday 8 October.
IT’S ON THE WIRE New Zealand newcomers Electric Wire Hustle have announced the debut album, the self-titled record due for release in November. The trio of Mara TK, Taay Ninh and Myele Manzanza formed in 2007 and since then have played shows all ‘round the world, collaborating with plenty of talented musicians in the process. A mix of that unique lower-Tasman hip hop, soul, psychedelia, they’re a band championed for their wide musical view by those who are touting them. That would be Gilles Peterson and online chart, the Hype Machine. Launching the album they’ll be at Tone Wednesday 17 November.
GLENN RICHARDS
HIT THE ROAD JACK
COOKING UP A BASS STORM DNBBQ, run by the folks at Foreigndub, is back again at the Manning Bar, the event’s biggest line-up in seven years of parties set to drop Saturday 27 November. With three stages over the night (7pm – 3am) they’ll welcome Japan’s Makoto, the UK’s Lynx & Kemo and Spikey Tee and New Zealand’s Dub Terminator to the bass extravaganza. On top of that, expect locals Red Bantoo, Vice Versa, Rollers Music, The Versionaries Soundsystem, James DeLa Cruz, Budspells, Janny Casanova Soundsystem, 3 Beans Soundsystem, Foreigndub (naturally) and many more. Oh, plus the trademark free gourmet barbie.
ELECTRIC WIRE HUSTLE
CATCALL
THE LONG CALL Sydney’s very own Catcall is back in our sights, with a special edition 12 inch record version of her latest single Swimming Pool – as mixed by Julian Mendelsohn into an extended ten-minute version – up for grabs at Sydney and Melbourne launches. Catherine Kelleher has become an understated favourite of the Sydney scene as national whispers begin to emerge. This track in particular has her digging towards her disco roots, and is the first taste from her forthcoming, and certainly anticipated, album. Saturday 9 October she’ll be at Civic Underground, with a slew of similarly talented supports – Alpine, Worlds End Press, Golden Ron, Bad Ezzy and Future Classic DJs.
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The album Glimjack will be released early November and the single, Torpor & Spleen is already out, so as such Augie March’s frontman gone solo Glenn Richards has announced launch shows for the disc. Conceived across the world – from Fairfield to New York City in fact – Richards’ first solo record has all the tales that his reputation would lend itself to. Produced by the man himself and mixed by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Sarah Blasko, The Panics), he’ll launch it at The Metro Theatre, Friday 12 November with supports Ernest Ellis and The Honey Month.
PARTY PANTS ON One of the first to announce its New Years Eve line-up is Darling Harbour’s Cargo Bar. Situated right next to the water and with understandably picturesque views of the fireworks display, it’s a shame really that the music will be so good, people are going to have to tear themselves away from the festivities to even glimpse outside. Winding out a massive year will be Melbourne disco lovers Miami Horror, accompanied by the ever-suave French electro of Breakbot. But it doesn’t stop there. Also popping in for a special DJ set will be Bag Raiders and the party-prone Van She Tech. In between it all SoSueMe residents will provide the soundtrack.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 29 •
POWDERFINGER
MILE HIGH ROCK
GO DOWN TO THE WOODS
Following up from the Open Arms festival’s sizeable first announcement, the Coffs Harbour event has announced the Enchanted Woods stage – which takes a focus on the developing Australian acts. It’ll feature sets from Obese Records’ rising star Skryptcha, moody Sydneysiders Cabins, roots rock hopefuls Bonjah (pictured), The Barons Of Tang, Thad Lester, Ebb N Flo, Motion Poet Art, The Moniters and Twisted Funk. Of course, already announced have been The Living End, Birds Of Tokyo Grafton Primary, Hungry Kids Of Hungary and more. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday 20 November festival, happening at Coffs Harbour Showgrounds.
There may be one last chance to catch one of Australia’s favourite – and departing – rock acts Powderfinger, as they take to the skies with tour partners Jetstar for a charity show. As part of their Sunsets farewell tour, the band will take off from Sydney on Thursday 28 October and land on the Gold Coast, with tickets available via online auction on eBay. The tickets include a VIP lounge party, return airfares, a signed copy of Golden Rule and of course the opportunity to catch the band’s only ever airborne gig. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $249 per seat, with all proceeds will be split 50/50 between the Yalari and World Vision charities.
MAN OF THE MICS The man of a thousand vocal loops – Mr Percival – is heading out on the road to present tracks from his aptly titled record Microphones in all the sates of Australia. An amazing ear for pitch, he basically creates a symphony through microphones and loop pedals, covering a huge range of genres and moods in the process. With a career of two decades he’s only really starting to get a suitable level of appreciation now, and he’ll be at Lizotte’s Newcastle Thursday, the Manly Jazz Festival Sunday and The Vanguard both Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October. Keep an eye out for the That One Guy tour in November/December, Percival will be supporting nationally there, before playing the Brass Monkey Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 December at The Brass Monkey.
WATCH HER DO DORIS Debuting at top spot on the ARIA Jazz And Blues chart and holding that spot for six weeks recently was the newie from country favourite Melinda Schneider, her first ‘concept’ record Melinda Does Doris, unsurprisingly a tribute to Doris Day. A Dancing With The Stars contestant, the success of her record only goes to prove why she’s received six Golden Guitars already and can’t be discounted for another. Hitting the road to support the new record, she’s only got two Sydney shows lined up – one at Bankstown Sports Club Saturday 16 October and The Basement, Circular Quay, Wednesday 10 November.
COME TOGETHER After a successful one-off show earlier this year, adopted Aussie Jeff Martin (The Tea Party) and Terepai Richmond (The Whitlams) are re-uniting to complete and entire Australian tour, aptly titled Worlds Apart. Upon their first show together in August, the pair had never met, let alone played music together, but as it is with musical minds from the same strain, they were soon communicating through the universal language. Performing throughout November and December, the pair will play Wednesday 17 November at The Brass Monkey as well as Thursday 18 and Friday 19 at The Basement, Circular Quay, Lizotte’s Newcastle Tuesday 23, The Vault 146 Wednesday 24, the Heritage Hotel Saturday 4 December, Gearin Hotel Saturday 5, Lizotte’s Kincumber Tuesday 7 and Lizotte’s Dee Why Wednesday 8.
Celebrating what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday on October 9, this Friday sees remastered editions of Lennon’s eight solo albums released as well as a signature box set, a hits album called Power To The People and a four CD set of themed CDs titled Gimme Some Truth. Stepping away from brother Angus for the moment, Julia Stone releases here debut solo album, The Memory Machine, this Friday. Bag Raiders are releasing their eponymous debut album this Friday. Their albums usually clock in at half an hour but UK four-piece Clinic have excelled themselves for their sixth album, Bubblegum, out Friday, stretching out to 40 minutes. Jimmy Eat World release their first studio album in three years, Invented, this Friday. Ernest Ellis, who’s touring with Parades through October/November, recorded enough stuff for three albums during the sessions for his Hunting album, so he’s decided to set up a B-Side Record Club whereby he gives away, on the 23rd of every month over the next six months, a previously unreleased mp3 direct to subscribers’ inboxes. Honouring the work of the late Charles Haddon, the rest of the UK’s Ou Est Le Swimming Pool are releasing their debut album, The Golden Year, this Friday. Cradle Of Filth have the latest chapter in their ongoing dark history ready to release, titled All Hallows Eve, on their own label, AbraCadaver but oddly enough distributed by Peaceville. Hard Knocks, out this Friday, is the 21st studio album from British veteran rocker Joe Cocker. • 30 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 31 •
CHANGING LANES Just as The Holidays have emerged with a new direction – to keep themselves interested as much as anything else – here are a few other artists, local and international, that just can’t seem to stand still. MY DISCO After emerging with a punk and almost screamo sound, the Melbourne trio got really volatile with Paradise, an album of minimal everything that stripped the concept of rock music to its raw-bones elements. Splitting their fanbase in two, their new album keeps the angles, but is softer and perhaps more welcoming. PNAU The Sydney dance duo went from the sample-heavy, funky filtered disco of Sambanova, to the darker techy prog album, Again, and then to the joyous Elton John-loved electro of Pnau. EJ’s got a hand in the fourth record, so expect multiple layers throughout. LIL WAYNE The Cash Money graduate rose to the top of the rap world both critically and among fans with the peaking Tha Carter III. What does he do next? Makes an album of standard-issue auto-tuned something-rock, Rebirth. Admire his courage, ridicule his execution and just hope the next one’s a rap album. OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ If you’re pumping out seven albums a year (and that’s the backlog from the mid-00s when you’re actually creating ten or so) you’re going to want to diversify. The At The Drive-In/Mars Volta captain’s solo career has soundtracks (A Manual Dexterity Vol. 1), ambient noise (Despair), Latin travels (Ciencia de los Inutiles), post-rock adventures (Old Money), collaborations (Omar Rodriguez Lopez & John Frusciante) and on and on…
a new
UTOPIA
THE BEATLES Bored, sick of each other, trying to shed the blinding spotlight, their later albums are littered with attempts – all of them remarkably successful – to keep themselves interested. See: The Beatles (White Album), Sgt Peppers…, Let It Be etc.
SITTING PRETTY IN THE INDIESCOPE WASN’T ENOUGH FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND THEY’VE EMERGED FROM A CREATIVE RE-THINKING WITH A SHIMMERING DEBUT RECORD. SIMON JONES AND WILL MAGNUS TELL SCOTT FITZSIMONS HOW THEY’VE MANAGED TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING FOR THEMSELVES. COVER AND FEATURE PICS BY JUSTIN MALINOWSKI.
T
hey were one of the great mass of guitar-driven indie rock bands, inspired by the Bloc Partys, Interpols and Strokes of the world. But Sydney quartet The Holidays had greater ambitions and after two EPs at the end of 2008’s touring cycle, it was time to reinvent after boring themselves with what they were currently doing. “It wasn’t really a break, it was more we had to reset what we were doing,” says Simon Jones, guitarist and lead vocalist with the band. “‘Cause by the end of 2008 we’d done two EPs of that kind of guitar rock, pretty simple style of music and we were getting a little bit bored of it. So we wanted to take time to muck around a bit and find our calling.”
“We didn’t know what we were doing,” says Magnus, returning to 2008’s end, “the first EP was the first songs we ever wrote and the second EP was out and we were like, ‘Oh, okay, looks like the next thing we’re going to do is an album.’” “The idea of doing an album was a little bit more concrete,” continues Jones, “the EPs were almost throwaway, they were chronicling our development – figuring out how to write songs and be a band – and then when it came time to do an album we stopped everything and took time.”
Unfortunately for them and fans, their calling took longer to find than originally planned. Deadlines were set, approached, reached and left trailing in the wake of jam sessions, so it’s taken until now for the band to finish the rejuvenation. But they have the record to prove it. “We didn’t plan on it taking this long for the album to come out, but we just missed so many deadlines ‘cause we were having so much fun discovering how to do all these new things,” Will Magnus, guitarist and one of the band’s multi-taskers, explains. “It’s nearly two years since that second EP came out. It took that long to really find what we wanted to do.”
“
Drum’s sitting with the band on a couch in the back of a photography studio, as poor Sydney weather has forced the planned cover shoot inside. It’s not a particularly promising prospect for Jones: “It’s probably our weak spot. Can’t stand being photographed, just trying not to look awkward. We’ve done too many studio ones. The outdoors ones are not so bad; studios are a bit trickier, can’t hide.” But – and with the help of resident house cat Pushkin – the fresh-faced lads, cardigans and all, scrubbed up well. Not a bad time to get the hang of things either, as with the release of the album, Post Paradise, there’s going to be plenty of promotional work to do. A mixture of tropical beats, seemingly endless assorted instrumentation and percussion, intimate melodies and indie sentiments, it’s a far more challenging listen than their previous work and one that reveals itself over repeated listens. And you can just feel the international potential a year down the track once they’ve exhausted the Australia circuit (see: Philadelphia Grand Jury). • 32 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
The ideas that they began to jam out that summer would eventually develop into the songs that make up Post Paradise, but before the finished product was even pictured there was a blank slate to be filled. “It
We didn’t enter the whole process of writing songs then recording the songs, I think that was pretty essential to the sound of the record.”
wasn’t really that conscious,” Jones says of the creative direction. “I mean, we talked about certain parts of it, but it was more we just eventually fell into that groove. At the start we were trying different things. The use of percussion and those sorts of instruments were the first thing that started it. That got the ball rolling and thinking outside the box a little bit. “Then we started playing with synths, sequencing, sampling, drum beats and all that sort of stuff and after a while it blew everything wide open and we didn’t even know where we were. Nowhere was out of bounds; we could try anything. And towards the end of making the record we were coming up with things in the studio and that’s when it was pretty open to any ideas.” The recording took place in “fix or six” houses, as the band lugged their recording gear around the various members’ abodes, producing the record themselves, with Jones the leading man. “Initially we were demoing and
then planned on redoing everything again in the studio, just as bands kind of do,” explains Magnus. “Then we realised that the demos have so much more life and energy to them. [For] the later songs, the first idea we put everything in to that instead of doing a rough idea and then remaking it. We had an idea and it was finished.” “Because we were recording the album ourselves,” Jones picks up, “we didn’t enter the whole process of writing songs then recording the songs; it all blurred into one and we’d do things instantly. I think that was pretty essential to the sound of the record – the fact that we’d have the idea for a song one day and we’d just sit around and put layers on it of what we thought should go there. And it was all spontaneous – the first idea ended up being up there. Which is why the instrumentation’s eclectic and maybe the structures are as well. Which is good, I enjoy the process of making things up on the spot.” “It’s a lot more natural,” says Magnus. “It works for us anyway.” Ironically, while they were doing everything themselves and the creative process was instant, the space and freedom the band gave themselves proved to be part of the reason those deadlines kept whizzing by. “It became that the possibilities were endless,” Jones admits, “you could do it so many different ways – different sounds, different instruments – that it was almost counterproductive sometimes having so much time.” Eventually, necessity – and something of a step back from the process – allowed Post Paradise to see the light of day. “There were a few points when we could have put something out,” he explains, “but we weren’t sure if we had the right collection. And I think there was a point where we went, ‘I can’t find anything wrong with these songs.’ It was kind of a realisation of, ‘Hang on, we’ve got an album here that we’re all happy with.’” Leading singles Golden Sky, Moonlight Hours and Broken Bones have all found homes on triple j’s rotation lists and there’s more where they came from. But like any accomplished piece of work, it seems a shame to reduce it to immediate appeal. “We’ve been pretty lucky I think. I mean, those two songs [Moonlight Hours and Golden Sky] were the chorus-y kind of songs,” concedes Jones. “When [the label] came to us and were like, ‘Okay, what are you going to do for a first single?’, we were like, ‘Uh, I dunno.’” They both laugh.
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“Picking singles is a weird thing, because you don’t necessarily pick songs that you like or you want to represent the music; you’re second guessing what people will find instantly pleasing, which is pretty weird. I don’t really like the whole idea of choosing a radio song. I kind of wish people could pick their own.” Some of the songs were debuted live in April, when they supported Bluejuice around the country. With the new sound they’ve had to take on a lot more gear as well, with everyone chipping in with multi-tasking. To give an idea of their new levels of percussion, when hiring for a tour this year they ended up primarily with gear used on the recent Akon tour. They’re in an interesting position now; on one hand they’ve got the indie vibe that sits well alongside the perennial party starters Bluejuice, on the other hidden melodies and darker sentiments that require more insular attention. Fair to say that in promoting this record, they’ll probably find themselves sharing stages with a broad spectrum of bands. “You can’t really expect people to love it on the first listen,” Jones says of their new tracks. “They might find it interesting because there’s a sound they haven’t heard or something like that, but I think it’s the kind of record that you have to put on three or four times to learn the melodies and the lyrics because they’re not so at the forefront.” “Coming from where we’ve come from and the singles, I think people have been expecting something else,” says Magnus. “Some of the songs are more of a solitary listen feel,” Jones continues, “but then when you get all these people together in one place for a show…” “Kind of like playing with someone like Bluejuice,” Magnus jumps in, before Jones resumes, “… it’s hard to get across that sentiment; you have to party it up a bit.” WHO The Holidays WHAT Post Paradise (Liberation/Universal) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Beach Road Hotel; Thursday 14 October, Transit Bar; Friday 15 Grand Hotel Wollongong; Saturday 16, The Gaelic
TRAVELLING MAN
ALREADY RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST SONGWRITERS, THE DRONES’ GARETH LIDDIARD HOLES UP IN A COUNTRY MANSION WITH A GUITAR AND NOT MUCH ELSE, EMERGING WITH HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM. HE SHARES A COUPLE OF GLASSES AND A COUPLE OF TALES WITH ROSS CLELLAND.
Q
uality control: Gareth Liddiard has a pretty simple standard measure. He promised to put his solo record out only ‘if it wasn’t shit’. There wasn’t much to fear. The Drones have already given us some unrivalled collections of lacerating and emotional songs. But Liddiard has decided to keep things interesting, not the least for himself. “Why do it, and why now?” he muses over an obligatory beer and packet of chips. “Mostly just because I hadn’t done it before.” He seems taken by the obvious sense of his statement and nods. “I really haven’t done anything really by myself. It’s different not telling it to a band. It was part of the challenge to make it really solo solo. Just me and a guitar. Otherwise, I’d think and fiddle and then call in the people I know and trust – and, oops! – it’s a Drones record.” However, one Drones associate was necessary. Gerling guy – and producer of the band’s towering Havilah – Burke Reid was enlisted, who came with the extra of a venue for the recording of what would end up with the apt name of Strange Tourist: a sprawling, more than century-old, mansion outside Yass in country NSW. “Burke did the groundwork. He just rang a bunch of local tourist information centres – admittedly, a few did hang up on him when he said, ‘Er, we’re looking for a house to record a rock’n’roll record in.’”
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I’m not a patriot, I’m not a nationalist in any respect. I don’t give a shit, in fact. I think this country can be quite fucked in some ways.”
Doing Liddiard’s album there was an afterthought, as Reid was already working up Jack Ladder’s latest at the site over the previous month. “He just said, ‘You may as well as come up here. The gear’s here and that’ll save me packing it.’” An efficient work ethic kicked in: “Most of the songs were done, basically we just nutted it out over… what was it? Nine days.” That’s pretty quick, you’d reckon. He shrugs matter-of-factly: “Been doing it for yonks. It’s just what you do. If you’re a plumber you fix taps. I’m supposed to be a musician – it just gets done. But it’s hard, easy, hard, easy.” By accident or design, this up-country creation fitted in with The Drones’ previous efforts of out-of-town recording in atmospheric surrounds like Tasmania’s Gala Mill. Does Liddiard need to cut himself from the city’s distractions? “Bit of that, but it can cut both ways. You can’t just walk away from it, unwind, have a few beers and come back fresh the next day. But it is cheaper and more fun to go find a space somewhere and just settle in and do it.” The other part of the equation is the songs. There are stories and conversations, political statements and love burning up and out – all purpose-built for this album. “I’ve never had much of a spare parts department. I’m not one of those nine-to-five writers with songs to flow. You simply don’t have the time when touring. The more you’re on the road, the more you don’t have real life experiences. But then again, concentrate hard enough, you can make a story about anything into a song. It doesn’t all have to be about cars and girls.” This is true. Among The Drones’ back-pages are songs of Pythagoras’ theory of odd numbers, The Kelly Gang, opium, Cantonese gold miners and carpentry among other things. Oh wait, that’s actually one song. “Yeah, there can be a lot going on sometimes,” the man who put those ideas together agrees with a smile. “But nah, I’m not a scholarly dude, I’m a jack of all trades. I’m not a great guitar player and certainly not a great singer. I’m singing about where I’m from and what I know. I know more about here than anywhere else – I really don’t know why someone from Brunswick wants to sing about Pittsburgh in an American accent. Authentic is best you can be. I’m not a patriot, I’m not a nationalist in any respect. I don’t give a shit, in fact. I think this country can be quite fucked in some ways.” Even allowing for that, most will accept that Liddiard can speak with a truly Australian voice – whether from a needle-strewn inner-city lane or a fog-drenched high-country track. “It could be a West Australian thing. I grew up in a rundown beach suburb with a crappy caravan park – but it basically backed onto a wilderness that ran all the way up to Broome. I have managed to hang out with people who have done most everything. Even at school, I didn’t have any group – I hung with no one and everyone. Since then, I’ve known farmers, cattlemen, city people, hipsters, ex-cons. Everyone has their prejudices, their foibles, but who doesn’t? Everyone to me is cool, until they prove otherwise. You deal with that on a case-by-case basis.” This also goes into his so-human love songs: You Sure Ain’t Mine Now has the ache of everyone you’ve lost. How does he know this stuff, these feelings? “The bulk of it is fairly real. The things you’ve learnt from experience. There’s your stuff in there and the stuff from other people and the things you pick up. It’s just about putting it together.” So, for a while, Liddiard will be the guy with the acoustic guitar rather than fronting our most visceral combo: “It is different on your own. You’re not knackered – it is a really physical thing to be out front of a rock’n’roll band. Solo, you don’t have to regroup so much after every song. My favourite bands have always been the ones that interact with the crowd. And this way, I’m not puffed and can talk a bit after every song. But even in The Drones sometimes Fiona [Kitschin, bassist] has to tell me, ‘Stop talking, we’ve got to play something.’ I need that sometimes. She usually does it politely,” he grins. WHO Gareth Liddiard WHAT Strange Tourist (Shock) out Friday WHEN & WHERE Wednesday 17 November, Lizotte’s Newcastle; Thursday 18, Lizotte’s Kincumber; Saturday 20, Oxford Art Factory; Sunday 21, Clarendon Guesthouse
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 33 •
A SENSE OF OPTIMISM
TALKING WITH KATIE BENSON, ANDY SPENCE OF NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB CLAIMS SOMETIMES SMALLER SUCCESS TASTES SWEETER.
A
ndy Spence’s morning is every bit the picture of rock‘n’roll. He stepped off a long flight and into a hotel, had breakfast in a room full of musicians and is now waxing lyrical to a journalist down a long-distance line. But Spence, one half of New Young Pony Club’s creative partnership, is far different to the modern rock star mould. Uninterested in money or fame, Spence still sees himself as a producer who accidentally wound up in a successful band. Things changed for Spence back in 2005, when mutual friends introduced him to Tahita Bulmer. Spurred on by their mutual love of punk and dance music, the pair began writing music together originally only intended for Bulmer to perform. When the music developed beyond this, they decided to create a band, adding keys, bass and drums, with Spence taking on a larger role – and New Young Pony Club was born. Two years later, off the back of their successful debut, Fantastic Playroom, the London quintet cracked the charts, toured the world and also became poster children of the new rave scene that flourished during 2007. But rather than imitating the light poppy sound that garnered this initial success, the band’s second album, The Optimist, has taken a darker, moodier tack. When asked if the decision to move away from their trademark sound was a difficult one, Spence insists the choice came easily. “It wasn’t difficult at all; it was just what we had to do for our own survival as creative people. We had to move on as a creative partnership. We felt like we had to get away from what we’d done before. I don’t know why to be honest – the other album was only made three years ago, but we felt so strongly about it. There was a lot of music out at that time that felt like a bit of a carbon copy of our stuff and we just felt like we had to get away from all of that.” The sound isn’t the only thing that changed with the second release. The band has welcomed a new bass player in We Smoke Fags’ Lee Godwin and are now self-funded and self-sufficient, operating under their own label after parting ways with Australian label, Modular, who signed New Young Pony Club back in 2005, after hearing the band’s biggest hit to date, Ice Cream. Though Spence insists the label always gave the band complete artistic control over the music, dealing with administration on the other side of the world proved to be too much. “There were limitations to being on an Australian label we found out. It’s funny, when we first were signed by Modular we were asked a lot how that would work out and we thought it would be fine. It’s been great in Australia, but in the rest of the world, it didn’t work out so great. “We found there was always a filter that we had to deal with; someone who had to talk to someone, who had to get it approved by someone else. Because it was going through Universal as well, not just Modular, there were so many people involved. It just became crazy – too many people involved and no one could agree. It just turned into a nightmare to be honest.” Things changed dramatically for the creation and release of The Optimist. Working with European label Pias Recordings, Spence and co. had complete control over the music, videos and artwork for the album, with Pias simply providing the marketing and promotion. But Spence admits that complete artistic freedom can also have its downfalls and with no one else to blame, the pressure falls solely on the band. “We definitely wanted it to be better in terms of quality and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve this. Sometimes this is a good thing because we believe the quality of this record is much higher [than the last], but it took a little bit longer than we liked, because we were so focused on it. “Once you’ve had an album out and everyone’s really into it and you’ve had a lot of acclaim, it changes things when you go back into the studio. You try not to think about all of that, but it all affects you. I think all bands, if they were honest, would agree with that.” Critically, all their hard work has paid off, with the English music press praising the band’s ability to grow and produce an intelligent second offering. But with their darker, less dancefloor-friendly sounds, the band has certainly lost a lot of the day-glo teenagers that were so entranced with Fantastic Playroom. Spence is obviously chuffed by the good reviews, but he also looks at the loss of ‘fans’ as a positive result for the band. “We’ve definitely shed those kind of fans who just liked the image and Ice Cream and didn’t know anything else. But we knew we wouldn’t be able to hold onto those kind of fans, because we couldn’t keep making music like that. Even though the crowds are a little bit smaller, touring is much more satisfying now because I think this album speaks to music lovers rather than the fashion crowd” Having already started their two-week Australian jaunt as part of the Parklife Festival, New Young Pony Club will be taking The Optimist to the crowds that supported them so enthusiastically first time round. Lined-up against Missy Elliot and The Dandy Warhols, numbers will probably be down in front of the NYPC stage, but those who do make it there won’t be disappointed, says Spence. “Touring this album’s been great, much more so than the first album. With Fantastic Playroom people almost had a view of the band that was quite different to what they’d get when they came to see us live. “But I think with this album we’ve taken on that live aspect a lot more so people are getting what people they’re expecting. I think you could see this as the first proper New Young Pony Club album and tour. From here we will grow stronger with a solid foundation.” WHO New Young Pony Club WHEN & WHERE Friday, The Forum; Sunday, Parklife
• 34 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
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FREE TO EXCITE
VERY AWARE THAT PERHAPS HIS LAST LITTLE JAUNT, OFF INTO COUNTRY MUSIC, MIGHT HAVE CONFUSED THE FANS, BEN KWELLER ASSURES THEM AND MICHAEL SMITH THAT HE HEARS THEM AND THEY CAN EXPECT A RETURN TO REGULAR PROGRAMMING.
“I
was just in the studio earlier,” Ben Kweller says, taking Drum’s call as he walks “down the street in sunny Austin”, “came home for my phone interviews, but I’ve just been working on this [new album] and it’s really cool. I’m so excited about it. It’s called Go Fly A Kite, which is kinda ‘go fuck yourself’ – ha! – and it’s totally like full of electricity, man, and it’s got this growl to it which I’m really excited about. I mean it’s still like very poppy and catchy, like there are just tons of harmonies, electric guitars, pianos, acoustics, like it’s really big, but it’s got this energy to it that’s just kind of fucked up and cool. “So I think a lot of my fans that were kind of thrown for a loop on the last record, like I think they’re going to be excited ‘cause it’s definitely going back to like more quirkier rock’n’roll. And there’s some darker shit on there too; some of the lyrics are really kind of sad and dark and just about stuff that happened to me as I was leaving New York, friendships that got torn apart by other people – pretty intense lyrically but I don’t know if anyone will even notice ‘cause I kind of encrypt my shit, you know.”
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For cryin’ out loud it’s just twelve songs that I wrote, you know?”
The album Kweller’s referring to is his fourth, 2009’s Changing Horses, on which he stepped back into the smalltown Texas of his youth and delivered in the idiom of that time and place – roots country. His fans thought they had him pegged as a punk-tinged indie pop kind of guy. “Yeah I know, exactly! I don’t know what it is – it’s just kind of our world today, but we’re led to believe that whatever album someone puts out, like that’s their be-all end-all body of work; like that’s the representation of who they are. But it’s like for cryin’ out loud it’s just twelve songs that I wrote, you know? So it’s kind of funny – I just can’t really worry about it. I’m always thinking ahead – big picture – and I wish the music business could move as fast as I move creatively because I’d put out records a lot more often. “Hopefully I can get to that. I’m kind of in a transition right now. I just got off ATO Records, which was my home since the beginning – since 2001 – and my deal was up and it was a really hard decision, but I decided to walk, man. I have this new record I’m really excited about and I want to put it out on my own label, so I want to find a company to partner up with, whether it’s a bigger company that wants to take The Noise Company, which is my label, under its wing, or like an investor or something. I don’t care what it is. All I know is I wanna have complete control of my music and make the rules – when I wanna release shit and what kind of videos I wanna make – and I’ve always been able to make those decisions, but I’ve had to move as quickly as the slowest person behind the wheel, you know? So now I wanna still make those decisions but move as quickly as I wanna move. We’ll see how lucky I get ‘cause it’s still very hard.” It’s obvious Kweller is a prolific songwriter, considering since he signed with ATO, he’s pumped out a debut EP, Phone Home, four albums – Sha Sha in 2002, On My Way in 2004, a self-titled jobbie in 2006 and the aforementioned Changing Horses – as well as an EP with Ben Lee and Ben Folds as The Bens in 2003, plus a few guest contributions to other people’s albums. “The best songs,” he explains, the sound of a coffee machine in the background suggesting he’s settling into a café to continue the conversation, “I feel like they write themselves really quickly, while there are certain songs that have been sitting in my brain for over ten years and I can’t figure out how to finish ‘em. “So I’ve actually started thinking about sending ideas out to different friends – I’ve just sent a song over to my buddy Conor Oberst, a song I really love and I wrote a bunch of lyrics for it, but I’m not feelin’ it, so I thought, ‘I wonder what Conor would do with it if I just sent him the music?’ I didn’t even sing him the melody or anything, so he just got it the other day and we’ll see what comes of that. But when I write it’s quickly and it can’t stop ‘til it’s done or I’m just completely exhausted.” Like any real music fanatic worth his salt, Kweller is as much a fan as a creator of music and is a passionate consumer of vinyl. “I’m always goin’ to garage sales and gettin’ dollar records that I never heard of, old country music, especially round here in central Texas; it’s all these weird country singers from the fifties, just some really cool shit. It’s so good just watchin’ those black records spin, you know? There’s this one album in particular, this guy Willis Allen Ramsey – he’s from the Austin area and he put out only one record in like 1978 and he’s kind of cult hero I would say round these parts. This record he made is fantastic, but he never followed it up because he’s like this perfectionist that I guess was too scared to release anything else and when it came it was met with a lot of critical acclaim and that really got to him and fucked him up and felt he never could live back up to it. He still plays shows around here once in a while and says, ‘Still workin’ on my next record’” Log into the Ben Kweller website right now and you’ll catch a threeminute teaser aimed directly at us down here in Australia, as he makes it loud and clear that he loves us and is sooo looking forward to getting down here. “By the way, that video is an example of how promoters in Australia just kick American promoters’ asses, that kinda shit. Yeah, I mean they just take it seriously. It’s like, ‘Let’s really put on a fucking concert,’ and actually promote it where like in America, the promoters here, you just book your gig and then they just rely on the band to promote it through their website or whatever and hope that their fans just show up. [Michael] Chugg, who’s been my promoter since the beginning over there, has always just worked it.” WHO Ben Kweller WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Great Southern Blues Festival; Sunday, The Factory Theatre
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 35 •
A TRUE STAR
FROM PRODUCING MEAT LOAF’S BAT OUT OF HELL TO FRONTING THE NEW CARS, REDEFINING PROG ROCK AND RELEASING THE WORLD’S FIRST INTERACTIVE CD, TODD RUNDGREN HAS FINALLY FOUND TIME TO TOUR AUSTRALIA ONCE MORE. ANDY HAZEL MANAGES TO KEEP IT TOGETHER.
and TV and stuff. I procrastinated for a year, because I soon realised Eric Clapton had made a career of doing exactly this. This is Eric Clapton circa-1965 though and I decided that this record is more a tribute to the bands in the mid-’60s who were influenced by Robert Johnson and other blues artists, because basically every song is a frame for a guitar solo.” One thing Rundgren can never be accused of is laziness and his breadth of material is a perfect example of how an identity can be spread across decades, genres and in and out of projects without losing any integrity – spandex bodysuits or not. “I don’t think other musicians are lazy by comparison,” he says breezily. “A songwriter like Elvis Costello is amazingly prolific. Nowadays it’s much harder for me to write songs as it seems to me the more you’ve written, the more your stuff starts to sound like something else you’ve already written and the subject matter and style become similar.” Maybe that’s why projects such as playing albums live and covering Robert Johnson have come along? “Perhaps,” he muses.
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f someone was described, by a reporter from BBC no less, as ‘a visionary without whom there would be no Prince, MTV or access to internet music… a master of every style from classic soul to bizarre electronica’ and who Mojo described him ‘a one man Beatles’, you would think this man would be a household name. “The funny thing is,” says the recipient of this acclaim, tentatively, “when I’m involved in one of those things that gets praise, it often happens at a time when that opinion is yet to meet a critical mass. If I do something good, it always seems to get discovered afterwards or in another place, but at the time it’s seen as something unadvisable or inappropriate. My attitude is, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ I could have used the help five years ago – why don’t you praise this thing I’m working on now?” he laughs. Graduating from ‘60s garage rockers Nazz and his solo outings via the double album heavy prog rock years with Utopia to latter-day projects such as fronting a reformed Cars, Todd Rundgren has moved with ease between genres, private obsessions and social fashions all the while working on melding technology with a strong base in musical adventurousness. Despite this impressive canon, he’s best known for his production work with Meat Loaf, Cheap Trick, XTC, New York Dolls and countless other acts. What brings him to Australia next month though is his recent revisiting of some of his 20-plus solo albums in what seems to be a ubiquitous trend of playing an album live track-by-track, though the Australian shows he says will be over two hours of “all sorts of stuff”. “Essentially, it’s down to the pressure of the listeners
and fans that I’m doing these concerts,” he explains. “RundgrenRadio is a radio station that a fan set up a few years ago and he plays my music, he interviews all the artists I‘ve ever worked with and stuff like that. He got it into his head to poll the listeners of the radio station to find out which record they’d most like to see live and definitively the answer was A Wizard, A True Star. Coinciding with this he decided he would get into the event production world and he lined up promoters and hired venues. We did that and it was fun and the next two records they wanted to hear live are Todd and Healing; well, that’s a big chunk to bite off. We did a short run of six shows at bigger venues and with equally big production values. This show is equally theatrical in its way, but I’m not going through a dozen costume changes again,” he admits, recalling the acclaimed enactment of 1973’s A Wizard, A True Star. “By the time we got it down, there was a magical element about it. It was like a play where the actor plays six different parts and it all happens with split-second timing; he walks off stage as a guy and comes back as a woman on the opposite side of the stage,” Rundgren
says chuckling. “Some costumes were a bear to get into and out of, like the fat suit; some nights we might have issues like it just not inflating – oh man it was hard work! Todd/Healing is a whole different kind of thing; it will involve the band a little bit more, but I’m not going into any more detail. We kept it completely secret last time and I like having an element of surprise for the audience.” Audiences were certainly surprised to see the next project Rundgren announced he was doing – a cover album of songs by blues godfather Robert Johnson. “Yeah, I guess it does seem strange. I was never that drawn to Robert Johnson in high school. I was very much into blues artists though, like The Yardbirds and Paul Butterfield. The first gig I had was as a blues guitar player, before I’d ever written a song or fronted a band. When I signed with [current record label] Arena, part of the deal was that they wanted me to do a cover album of Robert Johnson songs, because they owned the back catalogue but they didn’t own the masters of his recordings. They were looking for an artist to cover the material so they’d have masters to licence for movies
SLOW WAY OF LIFE
LOUISIANA SUPERGROUP LIL’ BAND O’ GOLD STARTED AS A WAY FOR GUITARIST CC ADCOCK TO HANG OUT WITH HIS HEROES AND GET A COUPLE OF FREE SINGING LESSONS. BUT AS HE TELLS DAN CONDON, IT HAS ENDED UP BEING MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
“You’d be amazed at how laidback the whole thing was. We just asked a few guys to show up on a Monday night at this place called the Swampwater Saloon here in Lafayette. That’s all it was. ‘Let’s get a bunch of great guys together and play songs from the jukebox that we’ve always wanted to play; let’s get Warren Storm back playing drums again and get a free singing lesson every week and let’s get Dickie Landry and Pat Breaux on the horns and put a pedal steel in there too so you can have that crying in your beer thing.’ But very quickly Adcock and his compatriot, accordionist Steve Riley, knew they had unleashed something special. “Steve and I were pinching ourselves, saying, ‘Shit, we found the new Rolling Stones!’ The real hat-trick was going to be making new music together as a band, not just do the obvious thing, which is play hours and hours’ worth of our favourite songs from days gone by.” • 36 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
WHO Todd Rundgren WHEN & WHERE Saturday, The Basement Circular Quay; Sunday, Great Southern Blues Festival
named the record after – was the DJ. I’d just remember we’d be fishin’ in a Sunday afternoon and I’d be hearing all these songs and I thought they were really cool. Of course it’s extra special to you when your mama and your daddy start dancing and having a good time. That music would just make me feel good. “My dirty secret is that Warren Storm and Tommy McLain used to have a matinee show they used to play in this lounge club called Yesterday’s Lounge and the place would serve us, even when we were fourteen-years-old. We would just go there after school because we knew they wouldn’t check IDs. We’d be there in our uniforms with braces and a silly haircut drinking Crown Royal and 7-Up and listening to Tom McLain and Warren Storm. But I did know that I was really into how badass they were; they were so rock’n’roll and so hardcore it was strange that they were playing in this lounge in the middle of the afternoon. It was a weird existence looking back on it, it sounds like something from a David Lynch film, but it was just my life at the time, I didn’t know it was so strange.”
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C Adcock leads an enviable life. The 39-year-old guitarist has spent the better part of 20 years lending his blazingly brilliant skills to some of the world’s most revered musicians. He was a member of Bo Diddley’s band, he’s spent many a year as a sideman to Buckwheat Zydeco, he’s dropped two sensational solo records and more recently he’s written music for the hit HBO series, True Blood, and even scored himself a cameo in the program. Adcock’s love of Louisiana music has most recently materialised in the bona-fide supergroup that is Lil’ Band O’ Gold, a who’s who of Louisiana swamp pop music featuring legendary artists like 73-year-old drummer/vocalist Warren Storm and singer Tommy McLain to name just a couple. When it came to bringing together the cream of Southern music, Adcock says it wasn’t difficult at all.
“What constantly comes to mind to me is the anecdote about Something/Anything? By the time I’d got to the end of making that record – and it was only meant to be a single album but I just kept writing and writing – songwriting had become a formula. Every song was about the same high school relationship that went bad and I finally sat back and listened, when the record was doing well and the label were waiting for the next album. I was reading press and someone had said, ‘He’s the male Carole King,’ and that’s the one thing I don’t want to be; someone who writes formulaic music that it’s really easy to categorise. At that point I realised I had to do something to distinguish myself and that was going to involve being weird.” A maxim he’s, thankfully, never stopped following. As cyclical productivity has been replaced by one-off projects and a fresh embracing of touring, finally bringing him here, it’s reassuring to know that this age that Rundgren has had such an uncelebrated hand in developing still finds a place for him.
Adcock could never be accused of being the kind of guy who rushes into things however. His two solo records were released ten years apart, the second Lil’ Band O’ Gold record also came a decade after its predecessor and it took them 12 years to make it out to Australia. Adcock says, in his inimitable drawl, that’s just indicative of the Louisianan way of life. “It just takes a while down here for things to percolate, for things to boil down. Nothing’s fast; not the way people talk, not the way people move, not the way people fuck, not the way people cook or anything – it just takes some time down here.” With such extensive experience with genuine musical legends, one can’t help but wonder whether this gun guitarist still gets nervous. He does – and that’s the way he likes it. “Of course, man. If you don’t get butterflies, then something’s wrong. It’s that excitement that creates the performance, it’s that tension that inspires and takes you to that next place I find. I like being put on the spot and I then enjoy the process when it can be afforded to
you, of becoming comfortable with legends and heroes and people that you’ve admired and looked up to. There’s that moment when it goes from being a lesson or a memory or an opportunity or a once in a lifetime situation and it turns into a collaboration. When that happens, when you cross that divide, it really fills your heart and your soul up with music and it makes you feel wonderful that these people that you emulate and look up to, that you can dance with them.” While he may have been the impetus for getting the most renowned swamp pop band of the modern era together, Adcock does not really consider himself a swamp pop musician, claiming his way of playing is too gritty and aggressive. But he obviously remains a huge fan of the genre and holds dear memories of his early interactions with swamp pop. “My daddy had a boat and we’d always go fishin’ on Sundays; there was a swamp pop radio show and Johnnie Allen, who had the big hit with Promised Land – ironically, he’s the guy we
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Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant was the most recent guest of the band, jumping up to help them on a couple of Fat Domino tunes at legendary New Orleans venue Tipitina’s. But the excitement didn’t stop there. “That afternoon Fats himself actually happened to stop by Tipitina’s. So it was the Band O’ Gold soundchecking, a couple of guys sweeping up the place and Fats Domino hanging out having a cold beer. Fats is Warren’s hero so we started playing Fats Domino songs and got a mic with a long cord – Fats was sitting out on the dancefloor and he started singing along with us. That was really, really amazing. Then you have someone like Plant, who was a hero of our generation – Warren didn’t really know much about Robert, half the time he was calling Robert Plant ‘Fred’ because he thought his name was Fred – but all day there was all this great passing of the torch and everybody was just beside themselves.” WHO Lil’ Band O’ Gold WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Great Southern Blues Festival; Monday, Lizotte’s Newcastle; Wednesday 6 October, The Basement Circular Quay; Thursday 7, The Factory Theatre
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 37 •
SONGS OF MYSTERY
CHINA FORBES FROM PINK MARTINI TALKS TO NINA BERTOK ABOUT TIMELESS MUSIC, FORMING CONGA LINES AND BEING THANKFUL TO THE FRENCH.
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t’s music of the world, but it isn’t ‘world music’. It’s the sound of the golden oldies one minute, then something completely fresh and cosmopolitan the next. Only one collective can pull it off and it’s Pink Martini – the ‘little orchestra’ of Portland, Oregon. “The music sounds modern because of the way that we arrange the songs,” explains vocalist and ‘diva next door’, China Forbes. “They are contemporary in the way that they’re written and in the way that the instrumentation is set out, but I think they’re very mysterious at the same time. When you actually listen to the finished songs, I think it’s hard to tell when these songs were written – what time period. There is a timelessness about our music because we put so much attention into creating beautiful melodies and writing romantic lyrics. In my opinion, it’s those two things that actually make a classic, timeless song. You always remember a tuneful song with a great melody and usually the words are about love lost or some romantic topic. We try very hard not to make this into something kitschy. For us it’s serious music played by serious musicians.” Fear not Ms Forbes, the rest of the world is taking Pink Martini very seriously, indeed – France in particular. Nominated for Song Of The Year at the French Victoires de la Musique Awards in 2000, the title track from the band’s debut album Sympathique turned Pink Martini into an overnight success. The three albums that followed – Hang On Little Tomato (2004), Hey Eugene! (2007) and most recently Splendor In The Grass (2009) – have since gone gold in France, Canada, Greece and Turkey. “Splendor… is a bit of a mixture of originals and cover songs. Sometimes we’d start with an original and then we’d add a cover of a song to it, or sometimes we’d just change the lyrics around. We felt quite experimental with that record and it probably was the most ambitious
album that we’d done. We also had some great people willing to work with us and put their stamp on it too, which made it all the more exciting to work on and to listen back to. I think it was as much a pleasure to work with [Mexican singer] Chavela Vargas as it was with [Dandy Warhols’] Courtney Taylor-Taylor; you can’t really choose. The songs are also sung in a lot of different languages, from Italian to French to, of course, English too. There was something very natural about this album coming about.” Drawing influences from some of the most exotic places in the world, Splendor In The Grass also playfully and fearlessly bends genres and melds styles together into one hell of an exquisite sonic cocktail. Forbes claims ‘no fear’ is in many ways the group’s motto. “Over time the band has really evolved significantly. It started off kind of being based on a lot of movie music. The first album had lots of songs from films that set the tone for our style, which is quite eclectic, I believe. We wanted to portray how a soundtrack may feel or how a compilation may sound and the whole band was made up of so many
different musicians with so many different backgrounds, so we really pulled off a variety of sound. Over the years, the band has become a really interesting combination of those sounds.” From jazz, blues and swing, right down to marching band, electro-pop, cabaret and lounge, the main aim here, according to Forbes, is to create music that puts a smile on the faces of all people worldwide. Simple, then. “People are all the same everywhere you go. I think the essence of all people is that they all want to be festive, they all want to be gathered together. People want to be entertained and they want to laugh and sing and dance. There are definitely some places we’ve been to where people are less demonstrative, but I think that’s less about the country in question and more about the venue itself. Concert halls tend to be quiet and reserved. Rock clubs have a lot more energy coming from the crowd and you can get a conga-line.” Pink Martini is a festive affair alright – that’s why American coffee giant Starbucks approached Forbes
OUT OF ORBIT
FOR ONCE, LINKIN PARK ARE TAKING TIME TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF A NEW ALBUM. MIKE SHINODA TELLS DANIELLE O’DONOHUE WHY A THOUSAND SUNS IS DIFFERENT.
Comprising 12 official band members, plus extra musicians as part of the live spectacular, Pink Martini is truly a little ‘orchestra’ in every sense. In Forbes’ words, it’s quite a sight to behold. “Because there’s so many of us, rehearsals are always flying by the seat of our pants,” she laughs. “We do get to rehearse, though, which we mostly get a chance to do when we’re already on the road and during soundchecks. We’ve set a time aside for this week, then from now on rehearsals will just be random because it gets quite hard to get so many people in the same place unless you’re already touring.” WHO Pink Martini WHEN & WHERE Friday, State Theatre; Sunday, Great Southern Blues Festival
Though Linkin Park have always had fairly vocal detractors, they are currently the planet’s biggest alternative rock band whose members can still say they’re under 35. The band’s debut album, Hybrid Theory, has now sold almost 25 million albums (to put this in perspective, ARIA’s sales figures for last year show 30 million albums were sold in Australia in total). Figures like that in the current music industry seem almost impossible, especially with an album like A Thousand Suns. Already Internet talk suggests that fans aren’t entirely happy with the album’s first single, The Catalyst.
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awesome at that. I get in the weeds and get obsessed with little things and go off on tangents for five days.
“We have a bad habit of just moving from one thing to the next. We made a point this time to really stop that. So many great things have happened with the band and I feel like we need to slow down a little bit and just appreciate the small moments. We had a little party this week here in LA. We had dinner at Brad’s house one night. We had lunch at my house. We’ve done little things; just get together with the six guys or our families and celebrate it.”
“This is the format – we meet every week, with or without Rick, six guys on Mondays and we review what’s changed in the songs. Sometimes it’s a little bit and sometimes it’s a tonne. And the reason we do it is because we do tend to come up with a lot of ideas and we always want to make sure we compare the old one to the new one and that we don’t accidently let something… a wrong turn sneak into one of our songs.”
Though Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington has always been the more public face of Linkin Park, it is Shinoda who leads the band in the studio. On A Thousand Suns, he shares a production credit with super producer Rick Rubin, but it was Shinoda with his sleeves rolled up taking care of the day-to-day recording. “[Rubin] knows that we need to obsess over our songs for a while in order to move them forward, and then when we’re ready to have him come in, then he comes in and he gives us the big picture-like feedback. And he’s
This time around the band were coming up with ideas far different to the usual Linkin Park sound, not just because guitars share album space with synths and keyboards, or that tribal beats sit alongside the band’s DJ Joe Hahn’s scratching or important speeches from the last century punctuate the music. A Thousand Suns is an intriguing beast because it is an album that must be listened to from start to finish to fully appreciate the scope of it. While tracks bleed into one another with no obvious start or end points, there are also whole rhythm
• 38 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Having also recorded three concerts with the Oregon Symphony earlier this year, Forbes claims the band is planning to release a live orchestral album sometime in 2011. “It all started with France, because that’s where we first became popular so we will always be thankful to them. Everybody else caught on after them. We were new and totally independent, releasing an album [Sympathique] on our own label and the French jumped on it. Actually, that song even got featured on a commercial for Citroen cars there. Now, quite a few years later, we’re probably equally as popular in America because of that exposure we got internationally at first.”
some exotic flavours. It gives you energy. It makes you smarter. It makes you stronger. Let’s shoot for that.”
ecently in LA the six members of Linkin Park sat down to a dinner at guitarist Brad Delson’s house. Though it’s not a rare thing for the members to be getting together, it’s one of the first times in a 14-year career the band has marked an achievement by taking time out of their busy schedule for a moment of reflection. The milestone the band was celebrating was the imminent release of their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns. It’s been three years since previous long-player, Minutes To Midnight, came out and a lot has changed in the Linkin Park world. Celebrating the release date of an album is just the beginning. “We have had a bad habit of not celebrating things like album releases and single releases, finishing records and ends of tours and things like that,” multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda explains.
and bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale to record a full-length album of holiday tracks. “We just finished making the holiday album, it’s going to be called Joy To The World. It’s an album full of songs in lots of different languages and celebrating lots of different holidays from around the world. It’s really beautiful. That will be our next album; we’re looking at a release date around November. Starbucks basically asked us to do a song for one of their holiday compilations, which we did. Then they asked us again to do another one, so we made two tracks for them. They came back again and said they really loved what we did with those two and would we be interested to do a full-length album. So, really, they commissioned us to do the album but it’s not being released by them, it’s just going to be sold in their stores.”
patterns that are repeated and lyrics that are sung or phrased a particular way in one song and re-appear elsewhere on the album and given new meaning. “When we started working on this album,” Shinoda explains, “we sat down in a room over a year ago and started talking about, just really casually, it came up in conversation, ‘What kind of album would you be happy with at the end of this process? What characteristics would it have?’ And one of the things I really loved, one of the ideas that Phoenix [David Farrell, bass] threw out that really stuck with me was that he was saying how at the time there’s a lot of junk food music out there. And I think it’s true right now; I think it’s been true for a long time. “He likened it to candy or sweets, you know? It’s fun to eat once in a while and when you have it you should definitely enjoy it, but it’s not substance and if you eat too much of it you have a stomach ache and your teeth rot out. So he was saying if music is like food, then let’s make an album that has substance, that’s got
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Shinoda’s aware that A Thousand Suns is a much less accessible listen than Hybrid Theory and may take some Linkin Park fans a while to get used to. “We used to buy a record on vinyl and drop the needle and you’d listen to the whole thing and we miss that a little bit. There’s just something so fulfilling about hearing an artist’s vision in its whole. I love that you had a favourite song at one time and then a few months later you had a different favourite song. Or even you listen to the album and you kind of don’t like it and then a few weeks later you find yourself kind of curious about it again and then you start to pick up on things that you didn’t like the first time because they were not what you wanted or not what you expected. But the more you listened to them you kind of realised even though that’s not the reason I bought this or the reason I got into it now, I’m kind of thinking that’s kind of interesting.” Four albums and 14 years into their career, it is a different Linkin Park that has emerged from the studio this time around. The album they have created is a milestone and that is definitely something worth celebrating. WHO Linkin Park WHAT A Thousand Suns (Warner) WHEN & WHERE Saturday 11 December, Acer Arena
SHOW NEX T GET YOUR WEEK THU OCT 7 TICKETS N TICKETS O NLY $29 OW! THIS EVE
NT WILL SE LL-OUT!
DRUMMER FOR MICHAEL JACKSON, MADONNA, GEORGE MICHAEL & ELTON JOHN
THURSDAY OCT 7TH @ 7PM ALLANS MUSIC + BILLY HYDE
108 BOTANY ROAD, ALEXANDRIA, NSW All tickets are available online or at the following Allans Music + Billy Hyde stores | Pitt St | Alexandria | Camperdown | Parramatta | Surry Hills | | Clarence St, CBD | Willoughby | Taren Point | Newcastle |
www.allansmusic.com.au | www.billyhydemusic.com.au
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 39 •
SPECTRAL REALMS
HAPPY AND SAD SONGS
GROUPER TALKS TO ANTHONY CAREW ABOUT GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN OTHER WORLDS.
RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA FOR HER FIFTH OR SIXTH VISIT – SHE CAN’T REMEMBER EXACTLY – FORMER NOUVELLE VAGUE SINGER MÉLANIE PAIN WILL ONCE AGAIN BE PRESENTING HER DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, MY NAME, ABOUT WHICH SHE CHATS TO MICHAEL SMITH.
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ince her previous visit to Australia last year, Liz Harris – the Portland sound-sculptor who makes sweet, somnambulant drone music as Grouper – has found herself in a position both enviable and un-: warming up for Animal Collective in 2009, right in the midst of Merriweather Post Pavilion mania. It was both an incredible opportunity and a chance to have her dewy, floating, ambient torrents of decaying tape loop sound trampled over by a crowd of come-latelys only there to watch a band freshly blowing up. Yet, interestingly, Harris wasn’t unhappy in such a situation; the dame who makes such sleepy sound warming to playing it out on the town in front of humungous crowds. “I actually don’t mind playing to a drunk, raucous, rock club crowd. It’s like I have to work with this strong, murmuring crowd noise. I like that feeling that people aren’t paying attention to me, but I can take their talking and somehow use it in the sound I’m making, make it an element of the music.” Feeling a sense of comfort in front of thousands marks a stark change for Harris who, when she began performing as Grouper, solo on stage, wasn’t fond of the experience in the slightest. “Starting out, I just really didn’t want to be performing at all. I don’t have that performative personality. And I hadn’t really played music or written songs before, so I felt really self-conscious of that. The songs themselves, on top of that, were incredibly vulnerable. So it was really painful for me, which is, weirdly, why I wanted to be doing it. I wanted to do it because it felt really paralysing.” Harris had grown up in a sheltered environment, living in a commune in a rural, hippy enclave on the Californian coast north of San Francisco. Once she grew up, she gravitated to Oakland and ended up in a different kind of commune: a noise-music co-opcum-venue called Huffin House. There, surrounded by musically-prolific pals like Inca Ore, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle and Xiu Xiu, she was inspired to start working on a fourtrack, building layers largely from voice, tape-noise and guitar. “A lot of [finding my sound],” she explains, “had to do with the kind of gear I was using. I started out borrowing gear from my friends and they just all had these weird pedals that I used from the very beginning.”
“M Harris was surprised when her very first recordings, not even made for public consumption, were first released – as 2005’s Way Their Crept – and found an audience. She followed it, quickly, with 2006’s Wide and then, most notably, with 2008’s Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill, which was anointed on Pitchfork’s ridiculously influential albums of the year list. It was a strange semi-‘breakout’ for an artist whose music seems so insular and intimate. Although, Harris posits, it’s that intimacy that’s helped Grouper connect with an ever-growing audience. “I intentionally keep my songs open and gauzy, because of the fact that I’m kind of presenting them to other people. I like the fact that it may mean something specific to me, but I can allow people to use this music as whatever kind of vessel they want to use it for.” Grouper’s songs seem to be eternally about sleeping, dreaming and states of subconsciousness, and readings of it often speak of “shadowy ghost worlds” summoned by their washes of spectral sound. Turns out, that’s not far off the mark: “I’m really interested in the idea of other worlds and going back and forth between them. Whether or not that’s different consciousnesses, or sleep worlds, or dream worlds, or between there and present realities, I’m interested in those spectral realms.” WHO Grouper WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Cambridge Hotel; Sunday, Street Theatre; Saturday 9 October, Sandringham Hotel
HIS FATHER’S SON
Ramsey helped with “some little things here and there” as well as the sequencing of the record. “Most of the songs are first or second take. One of the second takes was at his suggestion, because the first take I was pounding my foot on this board and he told me to take the second take without doing that. And I listened to them both and he was right. It was distracting, so we went with the second take.” The opening track of When The Devil… – I Dreamed I Saw Jesse James Last Night – not only deals with the infamous American outlaw, his father’s influence, but Australia’s own Ned Kelly. “I guess that particular song • 40 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Pain writes and sings in both French and English, though oddly enough the English songs seem to predominate. “It’s really weird,” she admits. “It really depends I think, but sometimes I begin with a really nice lyric in French so the song stays in French and sometimes I work on a melody and it’s quite clear very quickly if it’s going to be in French or in English. I think for me, French is to express sad and melancholic stuff
As she makes clear, Pain is someone who prefers to work in collaboration rather than alone, so as co-writers, she invited a few big names within French musical circles as well as from the broader European community. Julien Doré is one such famous French singer, who duets with her on the song Helsinki. Then there’s Norwegian folk star, Thomas Dybdahl. “And he never sang in French before, so it was quite funny because he didn’t understand any words he was singing. He was imagining his own story and I worked with a lot of people for the writing of the songs, so I worked with [singer] Phoebe Killdeer from Nouvelle Vague, which I was touring with; I worked with Villeneuve, who is an old friend of mine who I kind of started music with – he wrote lots of songs for me – I don’t think there’s one single song where there only one person working; it’s really a collective work this album and I still work with them a lot.” WHO Mélanie Pain WHEN & WHERE Thursday, The Metro Theatre
GUITARIST LITTLE CHARLIE BATY MAY NO LONGER BE A PART OF THE TEAM, BUT CALIFORNIA-BASED SWING/JUMP BLUES MASTERS THE NIGHTCATS, NOW WITH SINGER RICK ESTRIN’S NAME OUT FRONT, ARE STILL VERY MUCH A GOING CONCERN, AS MICHAEL SMITH DISCOVERS.
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This latest jaunt around the world coincides with the release of his most recent album in his collection, When The Devil Goes Blind, the first in which Parr entered the studio after a career spent making field recordings. Searching for a different approach, he ended up at Wild Sound studios in Minneapolis with producer Bo Ramsey. “It’s a standalone building with big windows and light comes in – it really is a comfortable place. So it didn’t really feel like one of those dark, basement studios kind of situations. It felt comfortable and homey, it didn’t feel intimidating and the engineer’s a really good fella. And having someone producing, having someone there to bounce ideas off and talk to about stuff who has a lot of experience was a lot different and it was really good; I really enjoyed doing that.”
The resulting album, produced by the man behind Nouvelle Vague in Marc Collin, is very diverse, from straight-ahead pop to French chanson, inspired by the likes of Harry Nilsson and Françoise Hardy, all delivered in Pain’s soft, sensual voice. “I think for me it’s very good, all these diverse feelings because when I do live shows or when I sing all these songs it’s really rich and I can really play with it. I think it’s great and I listen to all kinds of music so I guess I’m really influenced by all different things. I had a lot of fun writing these songs and I’ve really enjoyed playing them live. I think like a lot of first albums, people want to put everything in so I think My Name was a bit like this; I wanted to put all the things I want to do in music on my first album, so I think that’s why it goes everywhere.
and English is much more positive and straightforward kind of songs, like affirmative, so I think if I want to say a complex thing about love and melancholic stuff it’ll be in French and, oh, I want to say, you know, very positive and happy stuff it will be in English.”
RICK AND THE KID
A BLUES MAN, FAMILY MAN AND FATHER’S SON – CHARLIE PARR TELLS SCOTT FITZSIMONS ABOUT STEPPING INTO THE STUDIO FOR THE FIRST TIME AND A FATHER’S GHOST THAT WILL ALWAYS SHAPE HIS MUSIC.
ormally my family come along with me,” says Minnesota bluesman Charlie Parr, calling from Leeds during a leg of his recent European tour. “But this trip they’re not, so I’m a little lonely for them, but otherwise it’s been really good.” The authenticity in Parr’s voice, the one that extends to his songs – a mixture of old-time Americana folk and grounded blues – is evident immediately. Without any gimmicks or pretentiousness (though his career in Australia was launched on the back of a telecommunications television ad), Parr’s been recognised as the real deal over the last few years, travelling the world for his troubles.
y Name was really written over five years of touring with Nouvelle Vague,” the softly spoken Pain, whose debut album was released exactly a year ago, explains. “I was touring a lot and I was trying to work whenever I’d come back to Paris on the weekend and so it was really like a long kind of writing process, but I think it’s very good because I can really date some of my songs. At the same time every song was really spontaneous and really quickly done, like over a weekend. Some of them were really about what happened five years ago, from then to just a year ago – it’s kind of an historical reference of my life really – and I worked with a lot of people. I love to work with people and get inspired – I hate being alone in my room and trying to write a song by myself, it’s horrible.”
S
is based on a lot of folks that get fed up and they turn to people who also got fed up and then went and did something. “My father worked in a packing house and I think there was a lot of times he got frustrated and thought, ‘Geez, just get up and go one day and rob a train and head west.’ But I’m glad he never did stuff like that. When I got to Australia for the first time and was in Melbourne, I went to the Melbourne jail and went to the library to see the collection of armour and I thought, ‘Geez, if dad was still here he’d be all over this. This is even better, this is like Jesse James in a tank.’” Parr’s father is the thread throughout all his music to date – his debut recording 1922 was solely dedicated to him, 1922 being the year he was born – and his childhood storytelling extends to the new record. “Even the newest record has a song that’s more or less purging the last day that he was alive – it’s actually the last song on the record, Last Day. My wife Emily even mentioned to me, ‘Is this ever going to stop, you know, excessively writing about him or things that are related to him?’ And I said, ‘I don’t think so.’ It was one of the moments in my life for better or worse – probably for worse – that changed me forever.” WHO Charlie Parr WHAT When The Devil Goes Blind (Level Two/ Shock) WHEN & WHERE Thursday, Notes; Friday, Brass Monkey; Saturday, Northern Star Hotel; Sunday, The Junkyard
inger and harmonica player Rick Estrin and guitarist “Little” Charlie Baty joined forces way back in 1976. So when Baty decided early in 2008 that he’d retire from touring, not only did it mean “rebranding” the band as Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, but also finding a guitarist to fill those big shoes Baty left vacant. “I’ve got a great guitarist, a great musician and a sharp guy that doesn’t forget anything and an exciting showman as well in ‘Kid’ Andersen, so that part of it has not been as strange as having to do all the business; having to deal with the club owners, promoters and the booking agents and all the logistics, the hotels and the plane flights and all that kind of stuff – that was more of a shock to me,” explains Estrin. As it happens, guitarist Chris “Kid” Andersen, who originally comes from Norway, had been playing in fellow blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite’s band for several years, so Estrin knew that he was working from the same page in terms of the Kid’s musical sensibilities. “I’d known him for years and he had sat in with the band before and had always impressed me because he was like one of the only guys that just seemed to play with the same kind of abandon that Little Charlie had – just go for the throat kinda thing – and he also was one of the only guys who could get on the bandstand and not be intimidated by Little Charlie. Little Charlie in my opinion is one of the greatest ever.” One positive to come out of Baty’s departure was the chance for Estrin to step forward, after 30-odd years of at least half the audience assuming he was Little Charlie because people always think the singer’s name precedes the ampersand in any band name. The downside was the decision by their longtime label Alligator to drop the band. “I made a kind of a little ‘under the radar’ CD [On The Harp Side], because I always hoped to get back on Alligator once the dust settled and I booked
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myself a tour of Brazil, with a Brazilian band and Kid played guitar on the CD along with [Oakland-based blues guitarist] Rusty Zinn. Kid was also the engineer, so I knew the depth of his talent – that he was a fearless, exciting guitar player – but the thing that I didn’t know was that he was available. When I found that out, it just seemed like a natural fit. “So we had the Nightcats [drummer J Hansen and bass player Lorenzo Farrell] and Bruce [Iglauer, President of Alligator Records] helped us get a booking agent even though we were not technically on his label and so we went on a tour – a pretty gruelling middle-level tour because we didn’t have a record out and had a new name – and Bruce came and saw us in Chicago and I asked him straight out, ‘Can we make a record?’ and he said, ‘Yes,’ and I just started writing.” The result was Twisted, by Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, saw them back on Alligator and Estrin is once more a very happy jump blues chappie. “Kid had a studio, so that part worked well and it’s given us a new energy and a little excitement. Everybody contributed to the arrangements and Kid has two instrumentals on there and J Hansen has a song on there that he sings and the rest are my own songs.” WHO Rick Estrin & The Nightcats WHEN & WHERE Friday, The Basement Circular Quay; Saturday and Sunday, Great Southern Blues Festival
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 41 •
HEART TO HART
READY, AIM, FYAH
ENTERING THE WORLD OF THE REMIX AND THE ASIAN MUSICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, ANGIE HART CHATS TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT LIFE IN THE SOLO LANE.
ALTHOUGH GREY CLOUDS HAVE COVERED SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND AND NORTHERN NSW LATELY, YOU WOULDN’T KNOW FROM THE SUNNY DISPOSITION OF SIMON JERREMS. BENNY DOYLE TALKS TO THE FYAH WALK FRONTMAN ABOUT CHANGING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE REGGAE GENRE AND GETTING THEIR MESSAGE TO THE MASSES.
“W
e just asked around to see who would be interested,” is Angie Hart’s simple answer when asked how her latest single, Loving Hating It, a song that didn’t make the final cut for her last album Eat My Shadow, became the object of three remixes. One was by Geoff O’Connor from The Crayon Fields, along with local singer/songwriter Adrian Deutsch and Seja Vogel. “It was that simple.” And you couldn’t get three more different readings of Hart’s electro-pop ode to her first experiences with meditation, the original opening the Loving Hating It EP. “I was surprised at how melodic it was. I think everyone had that take on it; even the quite dancey one – everyone added some instrumentation to it, which was really lush and a thing I couldn’t do when I was recording it [laughs]. It was a song that we took all the way through the recording of the album knowing that unless some miracle happened, it would never make it on there. It was just so different.” While the song became a bonus track in certain formats when Eat My Shadow was released in October last year, its resurrection as a single was down to a miracle of sorts. “We released it on iTunes and it sold as well if not more than the album [laughs] and then we got word that [radio station] KCRW in LA made it ‘song of the week’. I’m going to become a Casio band!” As it happens, Hart has become something of a hit in a couple of places to the west of the land that gave the world the Casio keyboard. She’s not long been back in Melbourne from her third tour in as many years of Taiwan and Hong Kong. “I think I’m pretty no-frills, so I’m glad that they get that taste of Australia. I actually got invited to perform in Taiwan before the recording of the first solo album [2007’s Grounded Bird]. At the time I wasn’t signed and they were offering me the exact amount of money I needed to finish my record – and they were going to pay me before I even left the country. That alone, I thought, ‘This is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me’. I finished the album, went to Taiwan and played what was called A Simple Life Festival, an acoustic festival, so I’m thinking we’re going
• 44 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
“I to turn and play this little intimate thing and there were 15,000 people there holding up Frente CDs. “They’re all really open to where I’m at now, though I get some pretty blunt interviews, like, you know, ‘You were very cute when you were young and now you are old and serious’. You can live with that,” Hart laughs easily again. “It’s just a really different language, so the things that come out I’m sure are meant well, but the way that they’re said – ‘Your songs are now sad, you’re a big downer’. No, they come to the shows and they’ve been really open. I haven’t been to Hong Kong in ten or fifteen years, so that was the first – this tour – and that was great.” Hart also features performing A Beautiful Mess on a new collection released by Popboomerang titled Mixtapes & Soundtracks, under the collective name The Sunshine Ponies. “I put some stuff out with Popboomerang when I was in Splendid and they also released a Frente EP for us, so they contacted me when they were putting this collection together and I did the song with Bill McDonald from Four Hours’ Sleep [and, incidentally, ex-Frente bass player]. I’m spoken-word – one of my very only spoken-word performances.” WHO Angie Hart WHAT Loving Hating It EP (ABC/Universal) WHEN & WHERE Wednesday, Brass Monkey; Thursday, Lizotte’s Kincumber; Friday, Notes; Saturday, Clarendon Guesthouse
was in Byron Bay, just busking on the sidewalk, when I was approached by Jess [Willaton – guitar],” Jerrems explains Fyah Walk’s formation. “We got talking and seemed to be on the same page both musically speaking and with our views of the world. We agreed to hook up again to jam and after only a few sessions we already had tracks down and more players involved.” In the three short years since that chance encounter, Fyah Walk has swollen to become an eight-piece ‘roots de force’, including brass players, keyboardist and the soulful vocalist Sonia Leeson, who joins Jerrems front and centre. It’s been a natural growth that Jerrems assures has been an organic one. “The music has just called for the growth. It wasn’t like we sat down and made a conscious decision that would we be a seven-piece or an eight-piece or whatever. We just went where the music and songs were taking us.” Melbourne is not exactly a hotbed for reggae and roots music; music that seems to find its bare footing in the soil of the earth around us. Jerrems grew up in the outer suburb of Montmorency – certainly not the city but definitely still not the country – so it’s no surprise that when he arrived in the Northern Rivers area of NSW he was blown away by the region’s beauty. “Yeah, the natural beauty still takes my breath away. The beaches nearby are gorgeous, from Byron all the way up the coast. And the amount of wildlife you see is unbelievable.” But as much as Australian beach culture ought to fit the vibe of the music, reggae still remains predominately underground in this country. When are the good times and chilled vibes going to translate into mainstream acceptance? Jerrems is unsure but remains confident. “It hasn’t crossed over in this country yet because
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people have preconceptions. These involve the music, who should be making it and where it should come from, amongst other things. But in Europe you’ve got a white German guy who is number one on the charts [Gentleman] and no one seems to mind. All that is needed to enjoy it is an open attitude, never mind where the music’s delivered from.” Compared to other musical genres, reggae is incredibly effective at getting a social, conscious message across. Jerrems believes that this may be due to the simple element of song structure creating that catalyst to really dig within one’s psyche. “It’s got that off syncopated rhythm that works like a heartbeat,” he suggests with an educated assurance. “It’s hypnotic and subliminally absorbs into the soul and it creates this base that you can then build on, pose a message and allow it to inform the people rather than beating them over the head. Like Bob Marley said, ‘One Love!’” With a full touring schedule filling out the rest of the year, it’s important for the band to keep gigging. Jerrems is adamant that the hectic pace is scheduled to continue rolling on through the New Year. “It’s important for everyone in the band to get on the road as much as we can and spread the message of love through our music. I’ve lost count of the amount of times people have come up to me after a show and said, ‘I never liked reggae until I heard you guys.’ It gives what we do meaning and makes us realise we are making a difference.” WHO Fyah Walk WHEN & WHERE Friday, Bellingen Global Carnival
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 45 •
WITH ROSS CLELLAND
CATCALL Swimming Pool Ivy League/Warner A million miles from the screeching, would-be arty, punk poses of Kiosk, and even quite some distance from some of her earlier work under this name, Catherine offers up something utterly unexpected: Pool is synthetic soul of a very ‘80s model, though oddly even she doesn’t seem quite convinced at some points – but that may be deliberate. Furthering that era feeling, a nine-minute remix by UK producer Julian Mendelsohn, who made his name doing such things for many superbly fringed bands of that time. Curious.
REGURGITATOR Distractions Valve/MGM The now venerable ‘Gurge are nothing if not thinkers. They know this music thing has eaten itself, and the currency and timetables changed. This is version 1.0 of their latest plan – subject to change – where there’ll be a monthly (or so) bulletin of however much new music/art/whatever they’ve come up with. This is a very neat version of what may follow, with two very identifiable songs from each of Quan and Ben. We note the irony of the title track namechecking most of the social networks currently open on our computers.
GRAFTON PRIMARY The Eagle Remote Control/Inertia The squelchy synthesised riffs and industrial menace displayed shout from late last century as well. Well, shout, then do that trying-to-be-threatening metallic sing-speak, then the whispered treated bit, and then the more robots march. To be fair, it’s pretty good in the limited and well-trod territory, and for the generation standing down the front revelling in their disaffection and alienation. Like the ones before. A one-trick pony can become a dead horse-flogging pretty quick. And they’re probably a bit better than that.
BLONDE REDHEAD
DIE! DIE! DIE!
4AD/Remote Control
Flying Nun/Remote Control
Penny Sparkle
Form
It’s been an interesting journey for New York City trio Blonde Redhead, from the jazzy no wave fusion of their eponymous 1995 album through to 2007’s opus of romantic dream pop, 23. Their new album, Penny Sparkle (their third with 4AD) takes much of the sound of their recent work and runs wild with it, like a stallion set free from the stable, to borrow the equine imagery from Misery Is A Butterfly. Openers Here Sometimes and Not Getting There are apt representations of where Blonde Redhead are currently: the familiar strains of Kazu Makino’s eerie voice is ever-present, albeit now backed by synthetic sounds instead of erratic guitars. Further into the album the band veers into trip hop/lounge territory – think late-’90s, early-2000s Café del Mar compilations – which is disappointing as most of the record becomes easy bait for Ministry Of Sound chill-out compilations. Misery Is A Butterfly was the band’s magnum opus, a sprawling and dense collection of songs offering imagery of a complexity few bands achieve, and it contained some amazing pop songs. 23 then took the next step, incorporating synthesised instruments, giving the record an otherworldly feel and enveloping the listener in all the romance of a classical piece of literature. Penny Sparkle feels more than anything like a companion record to 23 else, a bridge. With such an eclectic back catalogue you know Blonde Redhead have it in them to reinvent themselves further; this record’s lack of punch suggests they’re just not quite ready to. While far from their best work, Penny Sparkle is still one of the more beautiful records of the year, and a great, introspective listening experience.
Form is an album that has the potential to divide Die! Die! Die! fans. On first listen, you could be forgiven for thinking you had obtained the latest custom-madefor-NME album. The vocals drone, flirting with melody carelessly over a driving rhythm section in what at first sounds like forgettable ‘rising stars’ ¡Forward Russia!. But with each subsequent listen the album reveals itself as less formulaic, a carefully crafted and wellcaptured chaos. Die! Die! Die!’s trademark rough-as-broken-glass sound is even further afield than on previous full-length Promises, Promises. Their near-offensive lo-fi, brittle sound has been fattened up. Andrew Wilson’s guitars, while still angular, are less sporadic and less aggressive – working with the bass as opposed to trying to destroy it, and creating the most densely-layered sound this band has yet possessed. The melody has even crept into Wilson’s vocals, his bratty snarl now cut with the more adventurous melody on offer in Lil Ships and Shine Through. The ear-splitting soundscapes and noise that earmarked their earlier releases is still there in tracks like early single, We Built Our Own Oppressors, and the band have lost none of their conviction; they have just masked it with a darkness and nihilism that haunts the entire album.
ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN Hawk
V2/Shock Isobel Campbell (ex-Belle & Sebastian) continues a collaboration with Mark Lanegan that has seen her produce three albums that delve deeper into brittle Americana blues, folk and dark country at each turn. With the latest, Hawk, the good news is she has produced her best work yet. Campbell is credited with the production and songwriting (apart from two Townes Van Zandt covers) and you get the sense that this is really her vehicle, one that allows her to call on other musicians and singers to add colour and life (or death) to her songs. Willy Mason guests on two tracks and on Van Zandt’s tender ballad No Place To Fall he sounds wonderfully weary, his voice lightly balanced against Campbell’s sweet cooing backing. Ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha also makes an understated appearance on You Won’t Let Me Down. Lanegan needs no introduction and fills his ‘dark prince’ role with the usual brilliance. Come Undone is a gorgeously slow, menacing voodoo waltz with swelling strings and a perfect example of why Campbell obviously values their musical relationship so highly. Elsewhere on the album we get the instrumental blues rave up of the title track, the Mazzy Star shimmer of To Hell & Back Again and the rousing gospel flavours of Lately.
Die! Die! Die! are calmer and more considered, for better or for worse; they have found melody and they are damn good with it. Album closer, Frame, is the anthem of the new Die! Die! Die!. It’s dirty, big, dancy, melodic and still just as pissed off.
In terms of duos working in a similar realm, Campbell & Lanegan come across as the darker and more satisfying counterpoint to the likes She & Him and Plant & Krauss. They’ve again produced an authentic collection of songs that nod respectfully to various roots and Americana traditions without an ounce of pastiche.
DCR
Dave Drayton
Chris Familton
KYÜ
LOST IN THE TREES
PEABODY
Popfrenzy Records
Anti/Shock
Peabrain/MGM
MAGIC SILVER WHITE Doowah Love & Mercy/Shock Heck kids, where have all the guitars gone this week? MSW also build their little sugar castles on keyboard and technological noises old and new, but have some heart to it – that possibly being the humanity and feeling in overlapping layers of female voices that dance over the surprisingly warm programmed noise. A remix by The Emergency may even improve on the original with some further breathing space added. Fashionably geeky specs and unruly haircuts in place, they shall go forth and multiply. Nifty.
HOLLY THROSBY Here Is My Co-Pilot Spunk/EMI Between making a children’s album, and the dream team record with Sally Seltmann and Sarah Blasko, Holly found the time for one of her own, of which this is the first wave of the flag. There is a genuinely happy skip and affection in this. Her voice dances over a delicate bed of sound and the result is pop music with a lightness of touch and a subtlety which will sadly mean it will not be noticed by the wider world. But she’s used to that. However, those of you already aboard will adore it, for it is lovely.
MY DISCO Turn Shock A last album done with legendary American vergeof-feedback merchant Steve Albini was right for its time. A second one of the same formula may have been pushing the friendship – with him and the listening audience. This leaves some of the necessary in place: the tribal-ish drums, the guitar punctuations, the echoing voices from another room – but presents it with a little less abrasion, although not softened all that much. Whether this finds a new audience or loses the old is in the fates. Best of luck with that. • 46 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
All Alone In An Empty House
kyü
Loose Manifesto For more than a decade, Peabody have done what they do – very well at times, it must be said – and always been just there, or thereabouts. There’s always been that frenetic, almost old-school punk energy to them, and that’s still here. But for Loose Manifesto, there are some other angles as well. Sure, Bruno Brayovic’s clipped and emphatic tones are present and correct, with Ben Chamie’s still dismissive words of whatever’s shitting him at various times. Perhaps it’s just looking out and around, rather than being an eternal angry young man. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
It’s an accomplished first effort for a duo that has been making music for a short time, with moments of true beauty interspersed across the record. Trax features a hushed backing chorus that creates an almost communal feeling, whereas Sistar opens with lilting, echoing vocals that build along with the music to create a magnificently operatic song, deep bass creeping in the background. The voice is instantly reminiscent of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson, but the music is resolutely their own. In kyü lies a band with infinite potential to become one of the most exciting and interesting experimental bands on the scene.
All’s not sunny in the Lost In The Trees World, a world soaked in a dark, daunting and beautiful void. The brainchild of North Carolina native Ari Picker gives many references and nods to “old” music and folk, with a particular emphasis on classical instruments and arrangements. What’s appealing here is the brilliance of someone who appears to be a very late entrant into classical music composition (Picker recently attended Berklee College’s Music Film Scoring program) after leaving a band (The Never) and both influences have been melded into a record that paints vivid pictures of foreboding through epic string arrangements, uneasy vocal layers and wayward drums. Sometimes culminating in the odd uplifting chorus, Walk Around The Lake begins by dramatically describing the pain, yet hinting that that pain dissipates with time. Funnily enough, Picker has referenced Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums musical score as an influence but it also appears Anderson’s movies are indirectly referenced throughout the album, which is that mix of tragedy and hope. It is at times an exhausting listen and unlike the album title would suggest, there is so much going on musically and lyrically. Picker highlights a number of painful emotional experiences throughout, including his folks’ arguments and a difficult upbringing involving sexual abuse and siblings who died at birth. While there are conflicting feelings with an accessible sound melded with confronting subject matter, the genius behind this musical collaboration of subliminally talented musicians isn’t just Picker’s ability to expertly meld American pop with orchestral arrangements – not anything that hasn’t been done before – but the reams of emotion and honesty laid bare in each song.
Sevana Ohandjanian
Adam Wilding
Ross Clelland
Sydney duo Freya Berkhout and Alyx Dennison aka kyü, are fiercely talented. On their debut record, they combine synths, samples, beats and a cornucopia of percussive instruments to envelope listeners in their mesmerising realm of sound. Those who have seen kyü perform most of the songs on this record live will feel a stagnant restraint in the recorded delivery. Occasionally the voices become shrill and strained, as opposed to the smooth and impassioned feeling the duo seem to be attempting to conjure. It’s merely a matter of taste though, and as the record progresses the voices merely become another element in the soundscape. The ritualistic, drum-heavy style lends itself to the elongated vocal gymnastics performed on Koi or the repetitive transportation ode that is Trains. The music sits between the sonic lucky dip of Animal Collective and the empowering Swedish electronics of Fever Ray in its feminine-tinged rawness; tribal in its percussive elements and enigmatic in its vocals.
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Recorded in the sadly temporary, but environmentally and acoustically intriguing, surrounds of an old workshop shed on one of the less romantic reaches of Sydney Harbour, it’s an album that often breathes. Opening track, The Empty Road, has some almost Triffids-like heat-haze and haunt to it – down to viola note coursing through it. If that worries long-time viewers, it gives way to the more typical suburban speed rush of previewing single, Black Narcissus. There’s talk of Dadaist art philosophy, country car smashes, Deadhead’s softer drone of relationship defeat, and even It Can’t Be Done’s hymn of praise to Evel Knievel. And in I’ve Been Waiting, a love song and a melodic pop song of feeling. Then there’s the simply manic noise of the title track. In that odd twilight zone between being fresh young things and that hideous term, ‘heritage band’ – they say ‘stalwarts’ – Peabody have loosened up, tightened up and made a record that shows they are still capable of surprising – maybe even themselves.
behind it - piano-driven Rogers Park is particularly poignant though - but at their essence, even when hidden, prove that for better or his own personal worse, Justin Towne Earle’s a brilliant teller of sad tales. Scott Fitzsimons
FACT FILE: Length: 11 tracks, 31 minutes. Moods: Yearning, reflective and lively.
POND
ROBERT PLANT
Hole In The Sky/Fuse
Decca/Universal
DID YOU KNOW
Band Of Joy
Frond
It was Kevin Parker of Tame Impala who revealed in a recent Drum interview that the guys that make up the band all had other musical projects. Signing recently with Hole In The Sky, run by the lads from Canyons, here we introduce one of those ‘other bands’ in the form of Pond. Nick “Paisley Adams” Allbrook (the little guy seen playing backup guitar and more recently bass at Tame Impala’s live shows), Jay Watson (the guy who also plays live drums in said band) and Joseph Orion (not yet part of the TI live lineup) make up three-thirds of the psychedelic outfit that has crafted a record sure to appeal to a fan club of beings from the musical Hair.
Plant’s move in this more alt.country direction was never as unprecedented as those who don’t know their Led Zeppelin might imagine. There were hints in the occasional rockabilly workout, and it’s certainly there on Hot Dog, on In Through The Out Door. If anything though, much of Band Of Joy toys with the edges of the places he began to explore with his early ‘80s combo with Page and Jeff Beck, The Honeydrippers, particularly on Falling In Love Again, pure ‘50s country doowop.
Frond, their third, is full of analogue jams, careless pop and although not having the same production budget, plays similarly to MGMT’s last effort. Representations of fuzz gospel (Betty Davis), psychedelic groove (Cloud City), Ziggy Stardust numbers (Sunlight Cardigan) and operatic eight-minute closers (Frond) are all available on a disc that wears its DIY approach on its hemp sleeve. The record, while interesting and having its majestic moments, is sometimes guilty of being inconsistent; however there is a real sense of freedom that will endear it to any fan of the WA band whose YouTube clips portray days upon days of playing music with mates and scaling rooftops. While there doesn’t appear to be any obvious rivalry between these guys and their other musical endeavours, another question to raise is whether commitments in other bands affects output. It won’t matter until they’re better known, so let’s kickback and enjoy the journey.
This album also shows Plant isn’t too worried about coming up with too many tunes of his own tunes, opting for the most part to cover a few favourites by some of Americana/alt. country heavyhitters like Townes Van Zandt (the trad/gospel blues Harm’s Swift Way) and fellow Englishman now living in America Richard Thompson (House Of Cards), along with a Los Lobos tune (Angel Dance). The searing downbeat Silver Rider nudges into Chris Isaacs territory, Patty Griffin providing the duetting voice, as she does on the darkly growling Monkey, all overdriven bass and shattered guitars courtesy the record’s producer, Buddy Miller, while things get positively ‘62/’63 period Beatlesesque on You Can’t Buy My Love. Miller was part of the successful 2007 Raising Sand, collaboration album with Alison Krauss touring party and not only adds his surly edginess and various guitars to the production but cowrote the one Plant original, Central Two-O-Nine, an acoustic hillbilly tune which could have come straight off a Zep album, very traditional. The pair also do the Page/Plant trick of rearranging three traditional cuts in their own image. As derivative as much of it is however, it’s still a joy to experience.
Adam Wilding
Michael Smith
• That on his most recent Oz tour, where he played at The Factory Theatre, Earle was joined on guitar during the majority of his set by support act and ex-Drive-By Truckers songwriter Jason Isbell.
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Harlem River Blues Bloodshot/Inertia
It may be an unfortunate filter through which to view this album, but the fact is that on the eve of this album’s release it was announced that Earle had entered rehab, suspending standing American tour dates. His substance abuse problems have been well noted previously, not least through his dismissal from the band of his father, Steve Earle. And while the music is ultimately the focus, the two – the man and his music – are inevitably tied together.
• Since releasing the EP, Yuma, in 2007, Earle has released new material every year – The Good Life in 2008, Midnight At The Movies in 2009 and Harlem River Blues in 2010. However, with this relatively late in the year release and the uncertainty of the immediate music future due to rehab, there may not be another album in 2011. • He started his musical career with his father’s backing band The Dukes – and can be heard singing an original, The Time You Waste, on the live album Just An American Boy – but was fired due to a bad drug habit. He has told reporters he had his fifth major overdose when he was just 21.
Always looking back to the folk heroes of yesteryear, particularly Woody Guthrie and Earle’s namesake Townes Van Zandt, he’s tried to capture those essences again here on his third record. His move to New York deserves a mention, because the country grit has depleted but he’s also lost a slice of the polish present on previous album, Midnight At The Movies. What’s consistent though are those threads of depression and misery, of lost women and hard times you can’t help feeling the man has created for himself – maybe he’s living the world and not merely representing it through song. Harlem River Blues sits well amongst his already brilliant back catalogue, if not standing out from it. Workin’ For The MTA, is surely the best train song written this year, dripping with loneliness. It would’ve been nice to have something a little more stripped-back – each song’s got a level of backing instrumentation
HUGE PRIZES TO BE WON!
BRISBANE 3rd November 2010 - 7pm SYDNEY 4th November 2010 - 7pm MELBOURNE 8th November 2010 - 7pm ADELAIDE 11th November 2010 - 7pm PERTH 13th November 2010 - 12 noon
m 4JHOFE .BSDVT .JMMFS 4JHOBUVSF 'FOEFS TUSJOH m 'MFBCBTT 4USFFUCBTT TJHOFE CZ '-&" m .POP $BTF %PVCMF HJH CBH
Tickets & info available at
www.thumpmusic.com.au Get in quick, limited seats available!
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 47 •
ONLINE MUSICAL WIN WITH DCR
SCOTT SPARK
THE BLACK PACIFIC
THE LOVETONES
Other Tongues
SideOneDummy/Shock
Yep/Undercover
Fail Like You Mean It
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS One compilation we caught onto this week was an upcoming War Child record paying tribute to the almighty David Bowie. Unlike previous releases by the charity organisation, We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie (out this month) is a very indie affair indeed, featuring the likes of Megapuss and Devendra Banhart, Vivian Girls, Chairlift, Jessica 6 (Hercules & Love Affair), Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros and A Place To Bury Strangers. It’s through this last artist that we stumbled upon the existence of the record, as their cover of Suffragette City is currently available for free from covermesongs.com. If you’re familiar with A Place To Bury Strangers you’ll know what to expect, but it still comes as something of a surprise on first listen to hear just how much the band – well, frontman Oliver Ackermann and his collection of pedals – has put into this reinvention of Bowie. It hits you with all the grace of a fist in the face; a swarming sea of noise, its rip carrying you along accelerating with punk-like speed leaving you, once the song has finished, feeling rather like you do the morning after the night before. It’s a fantastic cover, although purists may well be advised to stay the hell away. The other free offering doing the rounds is Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros’ cover of Memory Of A Free Festival, which is a lot closer to what you might expect of someone covering the Duke. Whimsical and quintessentially British, it’s all organ, ambient noises, French horn, tambourine and Sharpe trying his best Bowie croon and nailing it. Compared to A Place To Bury Strangers this keeps it a lot closer to the original which, depending on what you want out of a cover, is either a good move or… lazy. In this case the closer the better as the Magnetic Zeros create an anthem a la Hey Jude, Give Peace A Chance and Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In – AKA one of those songs that just never end, but in a good way – which would be perfect for a sunset singalong at Meredith. Grab this one for the cost of an email address at myoldkentuckyblog.com. Another artist that, coincidentally, features on the War Child compilation is Warpaint, a Los Angeles four-piece who contribute their take on Ashes To Ashes. However, it’s not another Bowie cover that they’ve made available for download but an original song from their debut album, The Fool, which is out October through Rough Trade/Remote Control. Undertow (no, not a cover – an original, remember) combines dreamy girl vocals with delicate guitar lines and plenty of drum brushes before breaking into post-punk territory, although before you start thinking “Factory Records!”, Warpaint couldn’t sound anything less like Joy Division (etc.). Combining a multitude of influences from The Chameleons to Slowdive, Undertow is heavy on atmosphere, on groove (which may be due to working with Andrew Weatherall – he of Primal Scream and New Order fame) and on subtle beauty. Really looking forward to hearing more from these guys. Head to remotecontrolrecords.com.au to grab the track in exchange for signing up to their mailing list. One of the most anticipated films of the year, David Fincher’s The Social Network, AKA ‘The Facebook Movie’ starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg with a supporting cast including the likes of Justin Timberlake, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara and Andrew Garfield, also happens to feature one of the year’s most must-hear soundtracks. No, it’s not Howard Shore or Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman – this baby has been composed by none other than Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross (producer, NIN, Jane’s Addiction, Telepathe, Grace Jones). Personally, knowing Reznor’s stance on social networking and the Internet in general, there isn’t a person more suited to score a film about the world’s most popular social network, especially when themes such as anti-trust, betrayal and paranoia are so integral to its story. A five-track sampler is available for free (another mailing list sign-up job) via nullco.com and it’s highly recommended you grab it and acquaint yourself with the music before seeing the film.
Lost
Brisbane musician Scott Spark has been playing piano and keyboards for quite some time. Learning from when he was a little tacker, it’s no surprise that it’s this instrument that the album centres around. Even Spark’s light and airy voice takes a back seat to the ever present keys that come in the form of piano, synths, Wurlitzer and Farfisa; even a toy piano gets a couple of chances to shine.
Wow, Jim Lindberg has left Pennywise, the band he fronted for over 20 years, and started his own outfit who um, sound exactly like his old outfit. God knows why Lindberg really left Pennywise, although recent biting comments by guitarist Fletcher Dragge suggest turmoil in the ranks, but The Black Pacific will no doubt be embraced with little trouble by the faithful.
Purveyors of breezy, psychedelic pop, The Lovetones’ fifth album, Lost, is brimming with stories told through a romantic’s eye. Whether in Come Dance With Me’s swirling keys and gently impassioned vocals or the Elliot Smith-aping This Great Romance, there’s a consistent sense of hope and longing exuded in each melancholic guitar strum and falsetto vocal.
But it all gets a bit much. One of the album’s best moments, What Is In A World – an anti-working your life away ode – stands out because the album’s reliance on keys is put away for a song. Instead, carefully brushed drums and a gentle guitar line propel the song through to its chorus and a beautiful brass solo, while current indie darling Megan Washington’s barely-there backing vocals are thrown in, all combining to give the song a Whitlams-esque charm.
Of course Lindberg and his new bandmates have made it easy enough for them with ten cuts of by the numbers so-cal punk rock. It’s actually hard to find things to say about this record because it’s all been said before: over and over again. The Black Pacific check all the boxes – big choruses, powerful melodies, pit-friendly tempos and lyrics that take on the ills of our sick society. Lindberg himself sounds a little more polished than he has on previous Pennywise LPs (a little studio trickery perhaps?) but not enough to overly worry anyone.
Of course the entire record isn’t a slow rock journey and considering the hazy tripped-out jams present on some tracks it’s unsurprising to note the band features members from The Asteroid No. 4, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Chief Nowhere. Opening song, City Meets The Stars is practically Blue Oyster Cult in its steadilypaced rhythm, guitar and organ morphing into one and a harmonised vocal singing “Where the city meets the stars/that’s where our love lies.” It’s catchy, familiar music and once the guitar solo kicks in, the listener is transported to the ‘70s.
As a unit the band sound tight and focused and producer Shaun Lopez has done a good job of harnessing the trio’s power while at the same time adding a thin layer of commercial rock sheen. Perhaps the only shocking thing here is that the guitars are handled by Lindberg himself, who to be fair does a pretty damn decent job (for a vocalist). Bottom line is if you like the genre, and Pennywise in particular, you’ll like The Black Pacific. Just don’t expect a rejuvenated epiphany from a bloke just as concerned with checking his kid’s homework as keeping punk rock alive.
Occasionally the music sidesteps into The Eagles or even The Beatles territory; simply catching the first couplet from Free Yourself sends one on a trip down McCartney-Lennon lane. The band doesn’t sound like they’re attempting to emulate the past, but inadvertently bring about these comparisons in the slow tempo paired with vibrating vocals. The track bleeds seamlessly into finale Earth’s Great Sleep, strings accompanying singer Matthew J Tow’s words of “This is who I am/always be until the Earth’s great sleep sets me free.”
When Spark keeps firmly on the indie pop side of the divide it’s hard not to be charmed. The album hums with a delightful simplicity and honesty but at times the ever-present synths can become overwhelming and give the whole thing a bit of a cabaret-pop air. Songs like I’m Fighting, while built on a traditional pop foundation are going to sound dated fairly quickly. It’s a trap that is hard to avoid when writing organic pop songs that incorporate electronic sounds. Whitley had the right idea on The Submarine. Spark still has a little way to go.
In their attempt to combine a pop sensibility with psychedelic tones however, they can falter when it comes to differentiating themselves from those that have come before. Danielle O’Donohue
Mark Hebblewhite
Sevana Ohandjanian
BARB
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
BAD RELIGION
Liberation/Warner
Columbia/Sony
Epitaph/Shock
Postcards From A Young Man
Barb
Comprised of famous offspring Liam Finn and EJ Barnes as well as several lesser-known Kiwi indie aficionados, the collective weight of BARB is carried with an air of confidence and conviction extracted from many years of collaboration and three years of fantasising. Cooking together some enticing bass grooves, sci-fi synths, reverberated guitars and jazzy drums that sound like they were recorded in a lavatory, the songs are nothing short of fun, while the instrumentation remains diverse and the vocal delivery charming. The band themselves confess the album brings to mind ‘the cruel design of a cat’s penis’ or hopefully conjures images of ‘your bogan aunty smoking a fag out on your nanna’s porch’. It does neither; however it does succeed at delivering a topnotch original indie release. Exciting with a few left-of-centre tracks such as Beatman and Nile, various songs such as Not A Bird and Counting Sheep bring to mind this year’s debut from Jonathan Boulet. Several Radiohead moments also appear, including Martin XII and its catch-cry: “we’re all identical but think we’re individual”, but most intriguing of all is Leo, a psychedelic ode to “such a fancy actor” that has set the silver screen alight on various high-budget psychological thrillers of late. At their best, BARB deliver a couple of absolute crackers in the piano-driven Beatles-esque Time To Contemplate and the standout track Alcoholic Darling, which boasts one of the best choruses this scribe has heard all year. Apparently quite acclaimed in their homeland of New Zealand, BARB goes about its business with an absence of pretence that ensures it remains an enjoyable, and at times a genius-fuelled, listen. Luke Butcher
• 48 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
The Black Pacific
The albums keep coming thick and fast from Manic Street Preachers, whose 2009 effort, Journal For Plagued Lovers, featured the lyrical remnants of missing presumed dead member Richey Edwards, and was praised accordingly as being the Welsh trio’s best record in a long time. Having paid fitting tribute to their lost bandmate, Postcards From A Young Man returns the listener to modern day Manics. Which sadly includes a lot of posturing, preaching and for this reviewer, cringing. When exactly the Manics fell into the pit of self-congratulatory soft rock is uncharted, but here we are. Postcards is brimming with overblown orchestral strings, choral backing and a whole lotta James Dean Bradfield vocals. He clearly believes in every word he utters as his shouting, pervasive vocals carry infinite sentimental weight. Some Kind Of Nothingness marries all these elements gorgeously, for a sway your hands in the air stadium-sized song that concentrates on the modern malaise, while The Descent 1 & 2 uses marching percussion and Bradfield’s quasi-scream to drive its message home.
The Dissent Of Man Just in case you forget that this band are incapable of releasing a bad album, Bad Religion helpfully remind you of their greatness by kicking off their 15th studio album with a jaw-dropping 90-second blast (The Day That The Earth Stalled) that could have been on Suffer. The Dissent Of Man continues the unbroken trend of career-defining albums that Bad Religion have released since reuniting the hallowed Graffin/Gurewitz songwriting partnership.
Postcards sounds like a mid-life crisis, but maybe it’s just the Manics transitioning into dad rock. Ungracefully.
All the elements that make this band so great are here in spades – gorgeous melodies, huge choruses, unforgettable riffs, patented oohs and aahs, thoughtprovoking lyrics and best of all that je ne sais que that makes listening to a Bad Religion not just enjoyable but life-affirming. For the aficionados and history nerds, The Dissent Of Man (no-one puns like Greg Graffin), borrows a little bit from pretty much every period of the band’s illustrious history, shakes ‘em all up and spits them out in 15 bite-sized pieces. For example, the lead guitar on Only Rain is lifted straight out of the No Control playbook, the mid-tempo experimentation of Ad Hominem reeks of Recipe For Hate, and Where The Fun Is boasts the bold, radio-friendly sheen of New America. While the accompanying press release claims that this album sees Bad Religion ‘pushing the boundaries’ there’s not much evidence of this on the record (thank God). Producer Joe Baressi does give the band a slightly more ‘commercial’ sound, but then again so did Todd Rundgren. The truth is Bad Religion don’t need to do anything different: The Dissent Of Man proves they are one of the few ‘perfect’ musical equations doing the rounds today.
Sevana Ohandjanian
Mark Hebblewhite
Elsewhere on the record this same arena ambition becomes the band’s undoing, with Hazelton Avenue exhausting its twee reminiscent tones assisted by Bradfield’s almost comical vocals and the bizarre inclusion of what sounds like balalaika in I Think I Found It. Nicky Wire is surprisingly muted except for the very ‘rock’ A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun guitarshredding and vocals on The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever. Yes, with a ‘4’ instead of ‘for’.
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BLACK MOUNTAIN Wilderness Heart Jagjaguwar/Inertia
There have been countless bands riding the resurgent wave of psychedelic music in recent years, a few Australian groups who shall remain nameless being the worst offenders, rehashing the ideas of yesteryear’s greats while offering very little that is new or exciting in return. With Wilderness Heart, their third full-length, Canada’s pack-leading Black Mountain have positioned themselves atop this pile once again, showcasing their influences, often brazenly, but still managing to make the sound their own – something they’ve managed to do throughout their celebrated career. Wilderness Heart is like a rock encyclopaedia. Let Spirits Ride is an ode to Motorhead, Buried By The Blues is reminiscent of The Beatles at their most whimsical, and The Space Of Your Mind has all the casual philosophy and melody of Pink Floyd. This is the band’s most concise effort so far; there are only two tracks that clock in over five minutes. But while Wilderness Heart lacks the lengthy, drawn-out songs of previous albums Black Mountain and In The Future, it hasn’t lost the engulfing nature of their psychedelic sound. It is easy to lose yourself in the haze of Rollercoaster, or become gleefully disoriented in the jam that closes The Hair Song. Closer, Sadie, is Black Mountain’s raised-lighter ballad, a restrained yet intricate song that is built up from Stephen McBean’s acoustic guitar. Keep your lighter held high as you light up, and then listen to Wilderness Heart again to really get it… man.
Dave Drayton
CLASS A
Me, Me, Me, And Him: The Secret Life of A Receptionist Class A/Other Tongues
Class A is a Melburnite. She’s a talented rapper. And she loves her job as a receptionist, if only for the sexy Milkman who visits her once a week. With Me, Me, Me, And Him, our hostess has taken us on an engaging tour through her life, with big, banging beats to accompany us along the way. Fitzroy Part 1 is a serviceable amuse-bouche. The Slide is a delight. So Bad is the hero here though. It’s great fun. If you’re a little late picking this album up, then this song will be the soundtrack to your summer. If you’ve already had the chance to nod your head to this, you’ll know that (odd chipmunk hook aside) So Bad is the spiritual successor to Frente’s Accidentally Kelly Street. Appropriate it is too; this album is nothing if not an ode to the suburbs of Melbourne some of us we wish we lived in. At heart, this is a warm wander through the life of an observant young woman. Gentle self-deprecation is balanced by warm optimism and there’s a smell of jasmine in the air which makes that heart something worthwhile taking notice of. Me, Me, Me, And Him may have a few more nu-soul mini-melodies than it needs to – and Class A’s delivery occasionally drifts from subtlety to anonymity – but this is an excellent album: immersive, endearing and great fun.
James d’Apice
EL GUINCHO
THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS
XL/Remote Control
Warp/Inertia
Pop Negro
The Hundred In The Hands
In truth, El Guincho’s Alegranza! was much better idea in theory than in practice. The 2008 second album of Spanish musician Pablo Diaz-Reixa’s El Guincho alias, Alegranza!’s cacophonous blend of tropicalia, Afrobeat, hip hop, psychedelia and ‘60s pop was embraced by audiences across the globe and championed as a new and exciting variety of pop music, despite El Guincho’s formula arguably being executed with more enthusiasm than skill.
There must be something in the water in Brooklyn. While The Hundred In The Hands now base themselves in the UK, the story of how they got their start is familiar – writing and producing a DIY home recording in a matter of days, releasing it online, attracting the attention of a label (in this case influential indie electronic/dance label Warp), the rest is history. Unfortunately it is these similarities that make THITH’s self-titled debut a little too familiar.
Diaz-Reixa’s third album, Pop Negro, however, is very much the record many thought Alegranza! to be at the time. Eclectic, adventurous, exotic and exciting, Pop Negro is the sound of Diaz-Reixa’s unique vision of popular music realised in three-dimensional technicolour. Tracks like Novias and Soca Del Eclipse are kinetic and infectious productions alive with blindingly bright melodies and beautifully amorphous rhythms and grooves. The whole of Pop Negro gleams with the kind of sheen that characterised the best of ‘80s pop (and it’s no surprise to learn Michael Jackson mixer Jon Gass had a hand in the record) while maintaining the humanity that decade so enthusiastically quashed. Of course, no production in the world can salvage mediocre songs but, fortunately, Diaz-Reixa manages to come up trumps in that department as well – consistently delivering excellent melodies and memorable hooks. There is still a risk at times that El Guincho will sound as kitschy and naive as on previous efforts (see: Muerte Midi’s unfortunate saxophone solo) but, for the most part, Pop Negro pretty much guarantees Diaz-Reixa some kind of Most Improved Trophy.
The first track that the duo laid down, Dressed In Dresden, was released as a 45 after attracting the attention of a record store in the UK, and you can kinda see why, with an immediately catchy opening guitar riff and Eleanore Everdell’s slick pop vocals. First single, Pigeons, remixed by Foals, builds slowly, but intensifies with a repetitive beat and vocal layering that is fairly charming.
Matt O’Neill
Elke Braithwaite
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Eighties synth pop and spacey electronics are the earmark of this THITH offering, however, The Beach, a slow and drifting anti-ballad, adds an element of depth and darkness. Commotion is a nice little pulsing dance track that deserves to be turned up, as does Last City, a lavishly layered, flirty track that sees Jason Friedman’s piercing guitar lines come to the fore. There are some addictive, sugary sweet moments of disco-dazed pop on this album, and it does blend perfectly between the electronic and the organic, thanks to a combination of DIY and studio recording (including the production styling of Chris Zane, who produced Passion Pit’s latest, Manners), but ultimately this is another well-crafted album that has been seen and heard before.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 49 •
METAL AND HARD ROCK WITH CHRIS MARIC
THE SACRED TRUTH
STORIES TO TELL With their new album, The Final Confession ready to be released, Drum caught up with The Sacred Truth’s Daniel Hutt to talk about the concept it’s following. “The idea of the concept album was inspired by bands such as Dream Theater, Coheed & Cambria and Pink Floyd. We initially recorded an EP with four tracks [Reflections Of Tragedy]. Now the completed album, which includes the four songs from the EP, is kind of like a blockbuster movie to the teaser trailer that was our EP and in turn ties the story together. Sonically, I think it sounds like us you know. But we are hard to pigeonhole. People always say, ‘You sound like Maiden’ or, ‘I heard some Dream Theater in there.’ We ask them are we metal or rock? And a lot of people can’t make up their minds. I guess the best way to describe it is the music is heavy and the vocals are mostly clean, with patches of aggression and very melodic. The album tells the story of a guy down on his luck. Each tragic event in his life conspires to push him further into depression and insanity. It addresses religion, terrorism, grief, broken relationships, alcohol, drugs and isolation. So yeah, we kinda looked at what’s happening in the world today and used it to create the story. We decided that we would entice people to buy the actual physical CD. So we have a 16-page booklet that includes an epilogue to the story, diary entries for each song as well as lyrics. I think it’s cool that people can read his diary and follow the events. The aim is to tell a story through our music, and to take the listener on a journey through the mind of our character.” The Sacred Truth play The Bat Cave (Club 77) Thursday, Nowra’s Tea Club Friday and the Hamilton Station Hotel Newcastle Saturday.
• 50 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
influencing artists. It’s limited to 50 copies too, so get in early and grab one before they all end up on eBay as rarities.
Well, I made my first fuck-up last week. I mentioned Darker Half were playing at Utopia last weekend but of course that isn’t possible in the new store. Ah well, more correct news on the band and the store when it comes my way… in fact, Darker Half will be making an appearance at The Sandringham Saturday 23 October with Skintilla from Adelaide and Vendetta Of The Fallen from Canberra but I’ll remind you again closer to the day. Gig of the week goes to the mighty Bay Area legends, Exodus who hit the Manning Bar Saturday. Gary Holt and the guys have been going hard for the better part of the last three years with the back-to-back thrash attack of Exhibit A and B albums coming out a year apart and smashing everything in their path. Thursday marks the first anniversary of Things That Make Noise, which is Melody Black mainman Johnathan Devoy’s solo acoustic stint at The Sandringham Hotel. Get down there from 8pm and see just what it takes to last a year in this industry! It’s hard to believe one of the greatest albums of the modern era is now 20 years old! Pantera really came into their own with Cowboys From Hell, an integral part of the metal psyche and Friday, down at Club Blink, St James Hotel, they’ll be demonstrating the art of shredding by playing the album in full while launching the special edition re-issue that comes with a brand new never-before-heard track that was somehow kept from our prying ears for the best part of two decades! Turn up in a Cowboy hat and only pay $5 to get in, which should leave you with a few extra for a Black Tooth or two. Also on the night they’re launching the latest and greatest from former System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian and show off the new one from the blackest of them all, Dimmu Borgir, speaking of whom, their new album comes out this week. It’s been two years since their last and in that time they’ve been refined to core trio Silenoz, Galder and Shagrath, who are keeping the flame alive with help from support players. Abrahadabra is out Friday and sees them go even more symphonic and bombastic than ever. They’re also playing next year’s Soundwave. Too far south of Sydney to make it to the Cowboy party? You can always head to the ACT to catch Empirical’s first interstate show with Never Trust A Bunny, Friend or Enemy and Godomination at The Basement in
www.utopia.com.au
It’s been a good year for the goths with Christian Death breezing through recently and now, hot off their European tour with Rammstein, Combichrist announce they’ll be at The Lair, that room at the top of the stairs inside The Metro, Saturday 4 December.
LOCAL GIG GUIDE
OUR LAST ENEMY Belconnen. Empirical have somehow managed to combine thrash, death, industrial, gothic and metalcore and make it work! Definitely one to watch. Our Last Enemy are finally ready to take on the world and will be doing an album launch for their storming debut, Fallen Empires, Saturday at SFX at the St. James Hotel along with buddies Dawn Heist and Recoil. Recorded in LA and produced by ex-Fear Factory and current Arkaea bassist Christian Olde Wolbers, the highly anticipated release will be available in stores from 15 October. The band now features new members Bizz from legendary cult Florida industrial metal band Genitorturers on guitar and a new keyboardist. They’re giving Newcastle a taste with a gig Friday at Club LED. The Doomsday Festival began last year and showcases a selection of Australia’s finest sludge, doom metal, psychedelic, heavy stoner, post-rock and experimental bands. This year is shaping up to be a low frequency monster capable of demolishing everything in its path, set for Saturday at Shush, part of Newtown RSL’s new look. Headed up by Acid King from the US and featuring Canberra’s Pod People and Looking Glass, Victorians Clagg and Sons Of The Ionian Sea while leading the Sydney dwellers are Summonus, Adrift For Days, Fear The Setting Sun, Mother Mars, VAN, Space Bong, Agonhymn, Whitehorse, Encircling Sea and Fattura Della Morte. Tickets are $35 and doors open 5pm and close right on taxi change-over, so if underground is your middle name – this is your scene. The doom, sludge, crust punk Sydney outfit Fattura Della Morte will debut their new vocalist at the gig and selling limited edition copies of their new EP, Used And Abused, containing songs the band has covered by other
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THURSDAY
The Sacred Truth – Club 77
FRIDAY Eleventh He Reaches London, Sleepmakeswaves, Totally Unicorn – Hermann’s Bar Our Last Enemy, Deathmaask, Osmium Grid, War Faction – Club LED, Newcastle District Tennis Club
SATURDAY Exodus, Subtract, Switchblade – Manning Bar The Sacred Truth – Hamilton Station Hotel Acid King, Pod People, Adrift For Days, Clagg, Fattura Della Morte and more – Shush, Newtown RSL Our Last Enemy, Dawn Heist, Recoil – SFX, St James Hotel Raise The Crazy, Electric Mary, Nat Cole & The Kings, L.U.S.T. – Annandale Hotel
SUNDAY Acid King, Zeni Geva, Daredevil, Arrowhead, Birdmouth – Valve Bar
TOURS TOURS TOURS Exodus – Saturday, Manning Bar Metallica – Wednesday 10 October, Thursday 11, Saturday 13 November, Acer Arena Soilwork – Friday 22 October, Manning Bar Fozzy – Friday 3 December, The Factory Theatre Guns N’ Roses – Saturday 4 December, ANZ Stadium heavy@drummedia.com.au
PUNK AND HARDCORE WITH STU HARVEY Finally some news has surfaced about the new A Day To Remember album. The massively anticipated album will hit stores 16 November and is called What Separates Me From You. The band again worked with Chad Gilbert, who produced their breakthrough album, Homesick. Gilbert promised on his blog that the new album will “be another record full of infectious songs their fans will be pleased with. We have been working on the songs at some random studio that has a lot of photos of Michael Jackson everywhere. His spirit is watching over us. We all are set up in a semi-circle just flushing out ideas.” That scared the bejesus outta me. Anyway, the album drops mid-November and then the band will be bringing their pop-mosh to us in December as part of the huge No Sleep Til festivals! Freddy Madball dropped a couple of truth bombs on drummer Jay Weinberg last week as he kicked him out of the band mid Canadian tour. Jay Weinberg is the son of Max Weinberg, best known as drummer of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and former leader of the house band on Conan O’Briens old TV show. Jay had only just joined Madball back in June! A press statement from Freddy explained, “I’m letting Jay go in Canada because I just feel he doesn’t represent this band well on a character level. It would go against my own code of ethics to keep him around. Not saying he’s a bad drummer. I won’t take that away from him. But the reality is – he has a lot to learn about paying dues, and about life in general. Granted, he is a kid, but I’m not sure that he’ll ever be built for this particular lifestyle. I wish him the best of luck, but the Madball machine rolls on!” Melbourne Soundwave sold out last week, Brisbane is likely to be the next to sell out. If you want to head out to Eastern Creek for the Sydney Soundwave 2011, I’d sort a ticket now. Back in 2006 Buffalo, New York party dudes Every Time I Die released a very funny DVD titled Shit Happens that essentially followed the band on the road and not only featured a stack of live footage but gave an insight into the lives of the band, their fans and, actually, their parents. It was a very funny watch. The band has just announced Sh*t Happens: The Series? DVD. Hitting stores 29 October the new DVD brings you episodes that are packed to the gills with impromptu footage showcasing the signature brand of humour that has made them infamous among fans and peers alike. “We never set out to be funny on camera,” says guitarist
supports for the upcoming Murder Junkies tour needs to take a bow. Right around the country they have ensured that the main support for each show are classic Aussie punk bands, which in most cases rarely if ever play shows! Adelaide get The Blood Sucking Freaks, Melbourne The Poppin’ Mommas and Sydney get the infamous Blurters. Make sure you’re at The Sando this Saturday night for what will be an epic night, the full lineup is The Murder Junkies, The Blurters, The Corps, The Veebees and Rukus.
A DAY TO REMEMBER Jordan Buckley in a press release. “We set out to make good music and make people come to our shows. This is like a spin-off. This is the Empty Nest to our Golden Girls. “This isn’t like a concert,” says bassist Josh Newton. “It’s us being idiots.” 10.17.09 is the title for the final release from muchloved Boston hardcore outfit Have Heart. The disc documents the band’s performance 17 October 17 2009, when they played their last show as a benefit to a women’s shelter in Boston to a 2,000-person sold-out crowd from around the world. The DVD was recorded with six cameras and Have Heart’s frontman Pat Flynn comments, “This shit makes Avatar look like the Ten Yard Fight documentary.” The release will hit stores 23 November.
SHORT FAST REPORT TOP 5 1. Cancer Bats. When they were here a couple of week ago they took the time to pre-record their favourite three hours of Short Fast Loud tunes. I’m still on holidays from the radio, so this Wednesday night prepare for Liam and Mikey from Cancer Bats to take over SFL. Tune into triple j at 10pm Wednesday for what is sure to be three hours of very funny radio. 2. Bad Religion. Yep, Bad Religion has dropped a new album, their 15th studio effort. Make sure you check out The Dissent Of Man, in stores now.
5. Kill The Music. Not really a top thing of the week, actually the opposite. We have a handful of independent punk and hardcore-friendly record stores left in Australia; Resist in Sydney, Missing Link and Fist 2 Face in Melbourne, Clarity in Adelaide and Kill The Music in Brisbane. Sadly last week some arseholes broke into Kill The Music and stole a bunch of cash and merch. Paul, who runs KTM, is a great guy and big supporter of Australian punk and hardcore, so it would be great to see the community he supports rally around his shop. Obviously most of us won’t be in Brisbane soon, so hit up killthemusicstore.com if you’d like to buy a CD or shirt to support.
LOCAL GIG GUIDE
WEDNESDAY
Miles Away – The Wall Totally Unicorn, Caverns, Hadsome – The Harp Hotel
THURSDAY Miles Away – Oasis Youth Centre Totally Unicorn, Caverns, One Vital Word, Canons Mouth – Hamilton Station Hotel RocketHead, Jimmy Swouse & The Angry Darts, Captain Kickarse & The Awesomes – Annandale Hotel
SATURDAY The Murder Junkies, Rukus, The Blurters, The Corps, The Veebees – Sandringham Hotel
3. The Ghost Inside headline. Currently travelling with Parkway Drive on the Deep Blue tour, LA’s The Ghost Inside will be playing their own Sydney headline show tonight (Tuesday) at The Sandringham Hotel. Supports are Relentless and Hand Of Mercy.
Totally Unicorn, Caverns, Nice Guys – Town Hall Hotel, Newtown
4. The Murder Junkies. Whoever put together the
Contact Stu at shortfast@drummedia.com.au
Catch Stu presenting Short.Fast.Loud. every Wednesday night from 10pm on triple j.
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GASLIGHT ANTHEM
TEENAGE ANTHEM The Gaslight Anthem, the sensationally Bruce Springsteen-leaning punks from New Jersey, have covered a track called Songs For Teenagers, from their friends Fake Problems. It’s streaming on website, the A.V. Club.
PARKWAY DRIVE
DRIVE TUBE Currently in Australia touring their album, Deep Blue, Parkway Drive were recently touring the States as part of the Vans Warped Tour. From that tour, a full 28-minute set from the Byron Bay lads has found its way onto YouTube, filmed from the back of the crowd in high quality. Search “Parkway Drive - Full Set! Live in HD at Warped Tour 2010” to check it out for yourself.
PUNK ZINE Adelaide’s Pee zine is still out fighting the good fight and issue #46 has just been released. As always, she comes with a sampler CD featuring 23 punk/ hardcore tracks, a handful of stickers and a shitload of pages that feature stuff on Carpathian, Toe To Toe, Samsara, Promises, Silverback, Kills And Thrills, Luca Brasi, Ride The Tiger, Part Time Killer, Aaagh! Cobras!, Missing Link Records and loads more. Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, order your copy direct at peerecords.com or from good Aussie independent punk friendly stores such as Clarity Records, Kill The Music, Fist2Face, Missing Link, 78 Records or Resist.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 51•
HIP HOP WITH VIKTOR KRUM
OUT AND ABOUT
Exclamation points, you guys! Sometimes you totally, totally need them! Like right now! You see it’s time for us to talk about the Wildside Tour, where several of our brightest and best are hopping into the tour bus and hitting the road. First on the bill is The Tongue. Next: Spit Syndicate. The tour is rounded out by Class A. So who’s headlining? It’s between Teezy and the Double S, sure, but who’s on top? The Tongue (new nickname: the Double T?) has just put out his second – and best – album, Alternative Energy. Those 1dayer wunderkinder released their second effort earlier this year too. The Tongue’s an Elefant. Spit Syndicate are Obese. There’ll be an argument, a coin toss, or a boat race along the way, but I’m sure this bunch of friends will be able to sort it out. Let’s reflect on the bill a moment longer. Class A is on the rise: you know it, I know it. Seeing her live would be a very smart move. Do it. The Double S and Double T are two of the premier live acts in this country. The Tongue is all professionalism and charisma. Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice (and DJ Joyride) are all about energy, wide smiles and dancing. Who do you prefer? Which act will leave the stronger impression with you? Well, you’ll get a chance to tell us all about it after you catch the Wildside tour at the ANU Bar Friday 5 November, the Cambridge Hotel Saturday 6 and The Gaelic Saturday 27. Fun times!
ALL AGES WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS
Perth’s sensational Miles Away are out on the road this week, bringing their latest record, Endless Roads, to Axis Youth Centre Tuesday, The Wall Wednesday and Oasis Youth Centre Thursday. Hardcore fans, get along to these shows and pick up the record - best hardcore album of the year so far - and not just from Australia. All of a sudden they’ve become one of Australia’s biggest alternative rock outfits. Coaster headliners Birds Of Tokyo will be playing the Hordern Pavilion this Thursday. This is the only place beside the festival you can catch Silversun Pickups in concert this time around as well (great band, might have caught them when they were last out here supporting Snow Patrol). Also playing are The Chemist, tickets still available. For something a little bit different among this week all age gigs, Canada’s worldly-wise Harry Manx will be at The Factory Theatre Friday. Originally a blues musician, he’s now incorporating all sort of folk, Asian and Middle Eastern influences and we daresay it’ll be unlike most things you’ve seen before.
CLASS A
Bay Side Wreckers. They’re good. And they’ve been there or thereabouts for a few years now. What’s that? You haven’t had a chance to check out the BSW? You haven’t heard their music?! Don’t worry, both of those problems are about to be solved very shortly. Music first: head to baysidewreckers.com to catch a high quality download of ya boys’ new single, Rich Man, for two dollars. Kindly the gents (for gents they are) have also made a lower quality mp3 download available for free. Rich Man (and the B-side Bootleggin) are both going to be a part of the Financial Revue (get it?) EP due out soon. Oh, and just to give you an opportunity to catch your heroes live, head to the UTS Loft Bar Friday for the launch of their single. Kade MC, the local battle rapper generating a few positive whispers for himself will be the support. Also, there will be an open mic for those who want to bring their own instrumental down to the Loft Bar and spit their verse over it. First prize for the open mic comp is fifty bucks. Bam! Wreck that Bay Side.
to read this column but now – at time of writing – it’s pretty exciting. I’m talking about Rapper Tag. It’s kicked off in the YouTube web emcee community. The premise is this: do your rap, record it on video, upload it to YouTube and make sure you ‘tag’ another rapper before your video is out. Then, the rapper who has been ‘tagged’ will make a video of his or her own, upload it YouTube, tag another rapper and the cycle continues. It’s potentially great, great fun. Good rappers tend to have good taste in rappers so – you know – we could be about to witness a whole bunch of talented people sharing their thoughts, in rap form, on YouTube. 360 has kicked off the Australian leg with an okay YouTube rap. The sting in the tail is that he concluded by tagging… Urthboy! Now, Urthboy has since tweeted (Twitter, guys! Still relevant!), “rapper tag ay”. So, this could be the start of something big! By the same token, this – like many other interesting ideas that require enthusiasm to pull off – may have fallen by the wayside already. Hope not though.
This meme may have faded by the time you get a chance
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On the road in support of their latest album, Loose Manifesto, Sydney indie-rock generals Peabody will be performing at instore at Red Eye Records this Sunday from 3pm. Keep a lookout for future instores, because, for instance, Wednesday 13 October Australian legend Paul Kelly will be performing and signing copies of his new book, How To Make Gravy, at the store as well. The Annandale Hotel welcomes Screaming Sunday back to the weekend, kicking off at 11am and open to all ages. Until 3pm you’ll be able to catch The Sunny Side Up, The Perfect Revolution, A Sleepless Melody, When The World, Karl-Christoph, Dinkibike and Beginning Of The End. The Annandale Hotel’s always been a big supporter of all ages shows but like everyone else has found it increasingly difficult to justify them financially. By putting them on during the day they hope to make them viable, so get out there and show your support.
GIDEON SHOWCASE The first all ages show to take place at the new Church On Chalmers venue for Gideon shoes (despite the name and location, there are no Christian ties) took place last
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY It probably shouldn’t really come as a surprise that, at the end of the decade (or the beginning, depending on how much you adhere to calendar law), we’re in a phase of hypermusical transition. Previous decade-turns have shown it’s the way things go; there’s often a period of some years in which ‘artists’ search for what is most relevant to the ‘new time’, as if ‘the world’ is ready to tuck the old decade’s ideas tightly into the sheets and sneak out the door in the hope/expectation of finding something new. This observation may be based on coincidence or gross generalisation but there’s been something to the long, decade-turning transitions from tiring new wave pop to R&B and hardcore to grunge, or pop punk to ‘retro rock’ and group-pop to rap-pop, that suggests it’s a concept worth exploring. Particularly as, at this point, there’s an overwhelming sense that both ‘popular’ and ‘underground’ musics have retracted into some sort of cultural cocoon, and that those who are releasing albums are either standing alone, are drawing on flash-in-the-pan ideas or, in the case of many ‘established’ acts, are just failing to connect with listeners. In pop, there’s no doubt Kanye West’s performance of his new song, Runaway, at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month was a precursor to a major shift; a hard left away from the drawn-out flogging of AutoTune (long after it was declared ‘dead’ by West himself) and the slew of not-much hits by rappers and singers hastily incorporating ideas and guests from other genres (B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore, Bruno Mars riding on ‘ethereal’ indie dance synth sounds) towards, perhaps, a back-to-basics (back to ‘real’ talent?) approach. It wouldn’t be the first time West has directed a change in this kind of ‘chart music’ and, in fact, despite his public fumblings, he’s showing himself to be one of few with ongoing influence. Another is My Chemical Romance, whose last aesthetic switch from the afterlife-military imagery of The Black Parade to Brit-punk-leaning apocalyptic rock, albeit brief and with no full album attached, marked a huge shift in the kind of rock culture in which they ‘exist’. An online video teaser of their fourth album, Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys (out next week through Warner), suggests an altered take on that; an updating of ‘90s apocalypse and industrial styles, complete with Burning Man goggles. Yet this idea, too, may not take in a way that impacts the zeitgeist significantly. (this ‘overlording musical shift’ • 52 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
ETERNAL TASTEMAKER KANYE WEST talk is problematic, I understand, and for many also not particularly appealing, but there’s much to suggest we’re still, as a whole, enduring mass Western cultural waves – hell, maybe more than ever – so I’m going to push on without apologies.) Perhaps one of the biggest signs of transition is the state of ‘dance’ genres, undergoing, all at once, a massive appropriation into pop (particularly in the US, where ‘dance’ has long been held back from ‘mainstream’ audiences), a retraction of ‘midlevel’ sounds in order to experiment and undergo some sort of metamorphosis, and a wide welcoming (again) into band culture to the point where the term ‘crossover’ is no longer even relevant. While much can be said of the kind of colourful eclecticism turned out by, say, Animal Collective associate Prince Rama, whose Shadow Temple is just out through Mistletone, or LA orch-dance woman Glasser, whose Ring is out through Remote Control, there’s a sense these washy, droning, largely anonymous sounds are a footnote to ‘psychedelic’ movements already explored, most notably by Animal Collective themselves, and whatever will be next. The number of little-known acts cluttering up upcoming festival bills, among bigger names with small recent success such as Kelis, Kele Okereke and Groove Armada, goes some way in showing just where we’re at this year. None of this addresses how the change in the ‘industry’ side of things is affecting how transitions take place, of course. In one part of the half-hour online promo video for Belle & Sebastian’s new album, Write About Love, Stuart Murdoch conducts a genuine selfhelp session made up of members of various UK ‘indie’ bands discussing the place of musicians post major labels and in relation to new technologies. breakdown@drummedia.com.au
BIRDS OF TOKYO Saturday before a modest crowd with an eclectic lineup of local talent. Screamo/hardcore outfit Wake The Giants made another statement of intent for their rise through the ranks. Typically energetic, their songwriting has some definite pop-punk influences to it and once they manage to merge those sensibilities into their overriding heavier discourse then there’s likely to be exciting things from this corner. A promising if loose set. And to prove that the all ages scene is anything but a one trick pony, relatively new collaboration between Northie and Coop Plays Drums headlined the night, creating a dance floor where you’d normally expect a mosh. Northie works the decks as a Girl Talk-aspiring mixer, grabbing the mic at various interludes to rev up punters and singalong lines with differing success. Dropping expected partystarter tracks like Empire State Of Mind, B.o.B’s Hayley Williams collaboration Airplanes and the like, it was all backed up by Coop on live drums creating, despite a bit of disjointedness between the levels, quite an invigorating show – for the change of pace as much as anything. It’s a good idea, and if well developed – freeing things up, more improvisational focus – could see them being grouped with acts like The Slew. The venue’s in a great position – just a few hundred metres up from Central Station – and if the organisers can build awareness and iron out a few teething problems, there’s great potential. allages@drummedia.com.au
OTHER MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE WITH BOB BAKER FISH As you read these words there are multiple layers of sounds occurring around you, most of which we block out in order to focus on the task is at hand. So put the paper down. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and just listen for a minute or so to your surroundings. What can you hear? Is there a dominant sound? Is there more than one sound combining to create this dominant sound. Try and reach underneath it now to uncover those less obvious sounds lurking under there, perhaps those quieter ones at a higher frequency. Once we’ve identified these sounds perhaps we can begin to consider their meanings, as there are no such things as benign sounds. Every sound is loaded with information, and our minds are incredibly adept at decoding them, more often than not without our knowledge. So what does sound tell us about our world?
attempts to decode the sounds and understand the contextual meanings that we attribute to them. He references everyone from street buskers to John Cage, hip hop to Saturday Night Fever, Brian Eno to sirens in WWI bomb shelters, and challenges notions about the politics of the spaces we inhabit. His take on noise pollution is interesting too. He touches upon the notion of acoustic violence to discuss some of societies ills. Noise can be a confrontation, a symptom of disruption. However in society, confrontations and disruptions are often necessary for progression. Then there’s silence, the absence (or reduction) of noise, which can also be an act of violence, particularly when it’s politically motivated noise reduction. Just ask the Empress.
It’s the question at the heart of Norwegian artist and author Brandon Labelle’s book, Acoustic Territories/Sound Culture And Everyday Life (Continuum/ Macmillan), in which he investigates the locales in which we live our lives, highlighting the meanings we unconsciously understand yet rarely consider. He begins with a boy on a train asking one of those impossible questions that only a child can. “Where do sounds come from and where do they go?” Pity the parent who has to answer that. Labelle’s approach is academic; he addresses philosophy, theoretical models, sociology, architecture, sonic research and art practice. He draws long, almost tangential bows and as a result his hypotheses at times feel altogether cheeky. Yet that’s part of the dilemma; the nature of sound is so subjective, it’s something so personal and intimate. It comes into our body and we experience it alone, yet it’s also something that is immediately shared with others who are also having their own personal intimate experiences. It’s this collective experience that allows Labelle to undertake this study while drawing upon his own personal experiences in various locations. He says as much in an artist talk/introduction to his book that you can listen to online.
It’s this kind of thinking, a few steps progressed from noise = bad, silence = good, that make this study/ academic reflection so interesting and inspiring. It’s required reading for any sound artists out there, a text to help them take stock of the ammunition they’re loading into their compositions. But it also reveals how we’re such a visual culture, ignoring (but still processing) sound, using it to contribute to our understanding and experience of our environments, yet only raising it to our consciousness when we find it objectionable. Why that is however is a whole other book and more than likely involves cavemen, dinosaurs and our fight or flight response.
He investigates the street, the home, the underground, prisons, cars, shopping malls, airports, even the sky and the media, using vibration, echo, feedback, resonance and transmission as a framework in which to view the communication of sound. He then
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Finally one of the most adventurous risk-taking musicians who ever lived passed away at the ripe old age of 88 last month. A Scot, Bill Millin was a renowned bagpipe player. It wasn’t so much his compositional dexterity as the fact that he played his bagpipes on a Normandy beach on the 6th June 1944 as his commando brigade swarmed up the coast. He kept playing ditties like Highland Laddie as his comrades fell around him. German POWs later admitted that they didn’t shoot him because they thought he was mad, and the moniker stuck: The Mad Piper of D-Day. He kept playing for four days until shrapnel apparently destroyed his pipes. But you can just imagine it; after four days of bagpipes, mad or not, the Germans must have hit a wall and taken them out.
HIS INSPIRATIONS BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON Here’s a quick reminder that Bellingen Global Carnival is on again this weekend and once more it boasts a stellar bill of incredibly diverse acts from all sides of the musical world. From overseas the festival has attracted Senegalese heavyweight Baaba Maal in the headlining spot, alongside Diego Guerrero Flamenco Latin Quintet, Ego Lemos, Lulo Reinhardt, Gyuto Monks of Tibet and Mulatu Astatke and The Black Jesus Experience, while local acts like Ash Grunwald, The Bamboos, Bombay Royale, Caliente Guitar Trio, Eddie Bronson Trio, Grrilla Step, Fyah Walk, Kenny Lopez Havana Connection, Kush Cabaret, Saca La Mois DJ!!, The Cumbia Cosmonauts, The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, The Versionaries, Tibet2Timbuk2, Unified Gecko, VulgarGrad, Way Out West, Woohoo Revue and Yemanja will prove Australia’s rich musical diversity in the best possible way. It happens in Bellingen, which is roughly halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, Friday through to Sunday. Tickets are still available from Moshtix. One of the finest live bands kicking around the planet these days is The Roots; their blend of hip hop and funk is highly danceable and very fun a lot of the time, though their real strength lies in the depth they of their musical canon and the emotional gravitas they are able to put across in their songs. The band showed this yet again with their How I Got Over record released in June and now they’ve embarked on a completely different project. The band teamed up with R&B crooner John Legend to put together a collection of covers, all of
Speaking of overseas, The Fumes have asked awesome Canadian indie-folksters Elliott Brood to join them on the tour for their first Australian visit in a few years. This awesome double-bill hits Newcastle’s Great Northern on Thursday 21 October, Notes in Enmore Saturday 23 October (with The Sins) and Wollongong’s Heritage Hotel Sunday 24 October. If you can’t make it to one of these shows you can catch a dose of The Fumes when they headline the Sydney Blues Festival on Friday 29 October and Saturday 30 October.
THE FUMES which are soulful tunes from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and all with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement and consciousness. Word is the presidential campaign of 2008 was the inspiration behind the project and the reason for harking back to these early days according ?uestlove, the band’s drummer and musical director, was because people back in these times had far more hope than we have now. The record is called Wake Up! and it’s out through Sony Music now. There’s every chance you’ve already seen The Fumes at some stage this year as they have made it around the country a number of times in support of a whole heap of killer acts such as Calexico and the Hoodoo Gurus, but they’ve left it until October to do their first Australian headline tour of 2010. As well as kicking arse at home, the band have spent a fair whack of time overseas where they continue to build on their impressive profile.
The fifth solo album from Brisbane lad Andrew Morris is called Shadow Of A Shadow and hits shelves around the nation on Friday. If you don’t know his solo work, perhaps you’re more familiar with one of Morris’ other projects such as the (sadly now defunct) Palladium or The Wilson Pickers, over the years he’s certainly turned his hand to a wide and varied range of musical styles and very rarely have the results not been fantastic. This new release sees him enlist a few very talented friends onto what is ostensibly a very solo record, recorded by himself in his Mt. Nebo home studio. Some of these guests include Tim Rogers, Bernard Fanning, Clare Bowditch, The Wilson Pickers, The Gin Club and Washington. He’s assembled a new band to take the record on the road where he will be playing it from start to finish on a select number of dates. He plays The Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills on Saturday 30 October with support from fellow Brisbekistanis Ben Salter and Halfway. rootsdown@drummedia.com.au
The end result of a series of concerts held in 2004 whereby he played a huge range of his tracks over four nights and told stories about them in between, Paul Kelly is set to reveal the stories behind the words again in his latest book, How To Make Gravy. Out now through Penguin, the 576-page book will only solidify his status as one of Australia’s favourite storytellers.
LEARN ABOUT RAY He would have been celebrating his 80th birthday last week and Los Angeles joined in the celebrations regardless, opening the Ray Charles Memorial Library last week. The legendary blind soul musician therefore joins the likes of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in having a library named after him in Southern California, the Associated Press reports. Housed in the studio and office building that Charles built in the early 1960s, there are interactive exhibits chronicling his career. Perhaps more a museum than an library, patrons are welcomed by Quincy Jones, BB King, Jimmy Jam and Taylor Hackford to separate sections of the building which houses instruments, personal letters (from the likes of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Johnny Cash) as well as a karaoke room. Currently open to school children by invitation only, officials plan to extend access to members of the general public at some point next year.
HARBOUR VIEWS JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH TUESDAY
Five outdoor stages and one indoor venue will host more than 850 Australian and international artists over three days, today through Monday, as Manly presents its 33rd Jazz Festival, featuring, among many, The Idea Of North, the George Golla Quartet, the Emma Pask Quintet and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers Tribute Band featuring saxophonist Dale Barlow, so check into the website for program details.
Tenor saxophonist Zac Hurren takes his trio into 505 for an evening shared with quartet The Vampires. Singer, pianist and composer Edoardo Santoni joins the James Valentine Quartet as their special guest at the Golden Sheaf.
WEDNESDAY The venerable Bernie McGann takes his alto sax and his quartet down to 505 to do the business. The John Redmond Trio plays the Manhattan Lounge.
THURSDAY Vivacious Australian-Czech singer songwriter AniKiko launches her debut album, Fibonacci’s Seam, at the Vanguard, supported by Alex Gibson and Yunyu. A unique blend of Australian and Brazilian music, Brisbane’s The View From Madeleine’s Couch bring their Casa Da Boa Vida album to life at 505 tonight, Darling Harbour’s Fiesta stage Saturday and the Manly Jazz Festival Sunday. The quartet known as Inventus takes to the Colbourne Ave stage in Glebe. Darren Percival, in his Mr Percival guise as a man, a mic and an effects pedal, kicks off a tour for his third album, Microphones, at Lizotte’s in Newcastle tonight, and joins the Manly Jazz Festival 4.30pm Sunday.
FRIDAY
IDEA OF NORTH Accordionist Gary Daley and guitarist Jess Green join The catholics tonight and tomorrow night in the Sound Lounge. Melbourne fusion ensemble Logic head up the Hume to deliver their take on world jazz at 505. Sharing the bill with Rick Estrin & The Nightcats at the basement tonight are RL’s drummer grandson Cedric Burnside and guitarist Lightning Malcolm.
The Melodies invite you to bring your dancing shoes as they once more take to the Town & Country stage, from 3pm. Singer songwriter Mark Sholtez delivers his latest album, The Distance Between Two Truths, at the Vanguard. Watussi frontman Oscar Jiminez brings his alter-ego seven-piece ensemble Calle Macondo to the 505 stage. Singer Yuki Kumagai takes the quintet into the Fraternity Club in Wollongong from 8pm.
SUNDAY
The 18-piece ShawNuff Swing Band with John Redmond on vocals head into Newtown Jets Rugby Leagues Club.
At the Town Hall Hotel Newtown, The Subterraneans are joined by Brendan Clarke on double bass.
The guitar-led Chris Alexander Trio play Rydges Hotel in Campbelltown from 5.30pm.
Queen of Salsoul, America’s Cecilia Noel, performs exclusively at The Basement.
It’s a 9pm kick-off for The Unity Hall Jazz Band at – where else? The Unity Hall Hotel Balmain.
Tonight sees the relaunch of the Sunday Latin Jams at Tatlers in Darlinghurst.
SATURDAY
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ROCKABILLY/PSYCHOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY WEDNESDAY
and Punk Rock Karaoke plus DJs and some amazing burlesque artists. Harry Manx and Clayton Doley move to the Heritage Hotel in Bulli and Cass Eager & The Velvet Rope play the Grand Junction Hotel. Todd Rundgren pays tribute to Robert Johnson at the Basement Circular Quay and Ross Ward is solo at the Imperial Hotel in Bowral. The widely travelled Finn journey to the Teagardens Hotel.
Philip Ricketson from The Hoo Haas goes solo at the Sandringham Hotel from 8pm while The Muso’s Club Jam Night calls all blues fans to The Wall. At the View Factory Café Bar you’ll find Phil Edgeley from 8pm.
THURSDAY The Continental Blues Trio play the Funky Deli where you can eat, drink and be merry to some great soul and blues. Ross Ward has his regular spot at GJ’s Coffee Lounge in Cronulla from 6pm while the Steve Edmonds Band get bluesy at the reborn Empire Hotel, Annandale, from 7pm. The Muso’s Club Jam Night has its regular get together at the Carousel Inn and the mighty Stormcellar play the Dry Dock Hotel. The very down-home Charlie Parr from the US has a big night at Notes in Enmore and Alison Penney & The Moneymakers travel to the National Press Club Canberra. The Project hold court at the Horse & Jockey Hotel and there’s a solo show from Phil Edgeley at the Northern Star Hotel Newcastle.
FRIDAY The Great Southern Blues Festival kicks off at Mackay Park in Batemans Bay with a huge lineup of local and international talent over the long weekend, veteran local rockabilly fave Lonnie Lee finding a berth. Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm along with Rick Estrin & The Nightcats play a festival sideshow at the Basement Circular Quay as does Harry Manx with Clayton Doley at Notes. Steve Edmonds is solo
SUNDAY BOB LOG III at the Crown Hotel in the Sydney CBD and the John Leigh Calder trio have their regular spot at the Hotel Clarendon. Phil Edgley plays Vault 146 and Ross Ward lets loose at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel. Out of town you can catch the Ginhouse Blues Band at the Hibernian Hotel in Goulburn and Finn at the Toronto Hotel. The Empire Hotel, Annandale, plays host to the Continental Blues Party from 8.30pm.
SATURDAY Dave Tice & Mark Evans play the Sandringham from 4pm while the Landsdowne Hotel hosts Los Skeletone Blues, Alter Ego Blues Band and Fiasco Burning from 5pm to 8.30pm. Guitarist Steve Edmonds takes his very popular Hendrix & Heroes Show to Notes from 8.30pm. The Black Cherry Club has another massive night at The Factory Theatre celebrating Mexico’s Day Of The Dead with Bob Log III, Mojo Juju & The Snake Oil Merchants, La Mancha Negra, The Lazys
The Alter Ego Blues Band play the Akuna Bay Marina from midday until 3pm. Lucy DeSoto flies solo at the Macquarie Arms Hotel, kicking off 1pm as do the The Hipshooters at the Tyalgum Hotel. The Loungephonics play the Time & Tide Hotel and Queensland’s West Texas Crude hit the Towradgi Beach Hotel, both shows from 2pm. Phil Edgeley is solo at the Fubah On Copa at Copacabana on the Central Coast from 2pm hotly followed by the Little Blues Festival featuring Rollercoaster Blues Band and a blues harp showdown at the Toukley Golf Club from 3pm. Steve Edmonds plays the Premier Hotel in Broadmeadow and Vince Lovegrove and Peter Head combine for an afternoon of great old rock’n’roll songs, resurrected from the dead, at the Sandringham Hotel, both gigs from 4pm. Ben Kweller and Delta Spirit play The Factory Theatre from 6.30pm and Finn rock out at the Kent Hotel in Hamilton from 8pm. The Continental Blues Party play the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel from 9pm. swampshack@drummedia.com.au
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The Darling Harbour Fiesta is happening this weekend, Friday through Monday, with a huge range of Latin American sights and sounds. We spoke to Cecilia Noël and Diego Guerrero about the event. Cecilia Noël
What do you find so appealing about Latin music? Its rhythm, syncopation, what we call ‘clave’, the beat that is the backbone of Latin music, whether it’s a 2/3, a 3/2, or a rumba beat, it is fun to play with, to come in and out, subdividing and making it feel smooth and easy to dance to. It’s mathematics with soul… and silliness, of course.
What appeals to you about playing at a festival, as opposed to a single show? I want to reach out to the biggest possible crowds and entertain them with a new sound and songs, watch them ‘gozando’, enjoying themselves. Feeling the freedom of music and, of course, sharing the stage with other great talented artists. Diego Guerrero
This is your third Australian tour. What brings you all the way out here and what do you think of Australian audiences? The first time I came to Australia was for a girl. I fell in love with the country and its people, the way audiences here listen and have respect for music. Now the girl is with me in Spain but I like to come back every year to perform. In the country, I see groups being well supported in their endeavours.
HONKY TONK Australian country artist Clelia Adams appears to be a future star in the sprawling European music scene. Although she has achieved mild success on our own shores, unprecedented demand for her on radio abroad is virtually unheard of for homegrown country stars. Her most recent single, Honky Tonk Blues, was the number one most played country song in the Netherlands last week, and the number three most played country track on radio Europe-wide, no mean feat for any songstress. If you’re a country music fan, keep your ear out for her tracks on National Radio, as her popular European hit has just been added to local rotation.
DILI STYLE It’s safe to say that not too many bands this year will be praised by both Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue and East Timor’s President, Jose Ramos-Horta, but in the case of The Dili Allstars, nothing is ever done by the book. The band was formed by Painters & Dockers’ Paul Stewart and Gil Santos. Stewart’s brother Tony was one of the six journalists murdered by Indonesian forces in the hamlet of Balibo in East Timor in 1975. Gil also lost his father in the invasion, so both men were motivated to form the musical collaboration to help raise awareness about the plight of the East Timorese. Today, half of the Dili Allstars members are East Timorese refugees, with the other half comprising Australians looking to raise awareness for the social troubles encountered within the country. Releasing a best of album last week, The Dili Allstars are looking for your support, but this time it’s not just about the country, it’s about the music. THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 53 •
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THIS WEEK IN
ARTS
C U LT U R A L
CRINGE
THURSDAY 30
LOLITA
ACP Workshop Term 3 Exhibition – works by ACP students from beginners through to advanced courses. Opening day. Australian Centre For Photography until 9 October.
FRIDAY 1 XXXXXX
Lolita – Stanley Kubrick’s (at the time) controversial adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel about forbidden love (i.e. old man, 12-year-old girl). Chauvel Cinema, 8:30pm.
SATURDAY 2 TUESDAY 28 Ava Vidal – British comedienne Ava Vida performs live stand-up set, supported by Matt Okine and others. Opening night, 8:30pm. The Comedy Store until 9 October.
WEDNESDAY 29 42a – installation-based dance work from Adelaide choreographer/ director Alison Currie exploring life in share houses. On loop throughout
print. Domain Theatre, AGNSW, 7:15pm. Repeats 3 October, 1pm. Iceland: An Uneasy Calm – exhibition of remarkable photography by Tim Rudman showcasing the Nordic country of Iceland, a place the artist says “has a strong Middle Earth feel to it.” Opening night from 6pm. Meyer Gallery, Darlinghurst until 24 October.
WARWICK THORNTON
art + soul – exhibition celebrating Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander art and culture, in conjunction with the ABC TV series of the same name and book, exploring three themes: ‘home and away’, ‘dreams and nightmares’ and ‘bitter and sweet’. Opening day. Art Gallery of NSW until 13 February 2011. Hetti Perkins in conversation with Warwick Thornton – Perkins, senior curator Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander Art, and Thornton, director of Samson & Delilah (which screens today in Domain Theatre 2:30pm), discuss their ABC documentary series art + soul. Entrance court, AGNSW, 3:30pm. Open Weekend – celebration of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art and culture via more than 60 free events including performance, talks by artists and curators, music, films and workshops. Art Gallery of NSW until 4 October.
MONDAY 4
the day. Opening night, 6pm. Firstdraft, Surry Hills until 3 October. Danton – starring Gérard Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak, Andrzej Wajda’s Danton sees the power struggle between two revolutionary leaders in the second year of the first French Republic. Part of the David To Cézanne film series. 35mm
Love Sick – group show exploring romance via “real-life couples, unsuspecting men and the artists themselves” through video art, photomedia and two larger-thanlife photographic works on the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery. Opening night from 6pm. Stills Gallery, Paddington until 6 November.
Here And Now – exhibition of oil on canvas works by artist David Brook (winner, Waverly Art Oil Painting Prize) painted en plein air. Depot Gallery, Waterloo until 10 October. (Official opening night held 5 October). La Grande Illusion – war film from French master filmmaker Jean Renior that takes a sadly ironic look at the presumption that The Great War would be the last. 16mm print. Chauvel Cinema, 6:30pm.
QUOTE CABBIE: BUT YOU DONE ANY PROFESSIONAL PLAYS? LIKE MAMA MIA? ME: NNNNO. CABBIE: YEAH DIDN’T THINK SO.
THREE BLIND MICE (TOBY SCHMITZ, CENTRE) • 54 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Sydney thespian Toby Schmitz (@ fallofasparrow), recently nominated for Best Actor at the Helpmanns, encounters a Travis Bickle character on his way home.
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER, STEVE.
WITH JAMELLE WELLS Taking a swipe at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne’s Arts Minister Peter Batchelor recently described Victoria’s State Theatre as Australia’s finest opera venue. He made the comment after Opera Australia announced it will spend $15 million on a production of Wagner’s 15-hour Ring Cycle there in 2013. Directed by Neil Armfield and conducted by Richard Mills, it’s guaranteed to attract tourists from interstate and overseas. Actor Steve Bisley fronted a Sydney court last week and given 300 hours of community service for assaulting his ex-wife. The 58-year-old was found guilty of assaulting publicist Sally Burleigh by pushing her against a wall and dragging her down stairs. His barrister said Bisley missed career opportunities as a result of the assault charge, including the chance to appear on Celebrity MasterChef. Meanwhile Underbelly star Matthew Newton has agreed not to threaten or harass his former girlfriend Rachael Taylor after an AVO was taken out against him.
A scene on Aussie soap Home And Away has breached broadcasting standards in New Zealand. An industry watchdog found the scene involving adult characters Martha and Liam in an episode that aired in March was “raunchy” and inappropriate for a predominantly children’s timeslot at 5.30pm. It’s the first time a complaint about sexual content in Home And Away has been upheld. An innovative project is offering the chance to become part of a new Aussie horror movie by submitting material to a website. Developed by producer Jonathon Green, Redd Inc. invites people with all levels of experience to participate by filming XXXXXX acting in a scripted themselves scene on their iPhone, composing spine-chilling music, or designing artwork to grace the walls of the office-themed set. From terrified witness statements and faked deaths to music only a serial killer would listen to, hundreds of clips of usergenerated content are being uploaded toreddincthemovie.com. Website members vote on which content will make it into the final movie ahead of the Halloween submission deadline of Sunday 31 October.
GIVEAWAYS From the director of The Mighty Boosh and starring a host of familiar faces if you’re a fan of the TV series – Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Richard Ayoade – Bunny And The Bull is a film somewhere between the work of Michel Gondry and Boosh, with Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg (AKA ‘The Flighty Zeus’ of the Boosh) as best friends on a road trip/journey of discovery. Plenty of bizarre situations, cardboard props and cameos ensue. Thanks to Madman we’ve five copies of Bunny And The Bull on DVD to giveaway. For your chance to win one email giveaways@drummedia.com.au with ‘BUNNY’ in the subject line. One of our favourite French comedies, Le dîner de cons (The Dinner Game),
has been remade for English-speaking audiences (the original film itself was an adaptation of a play) as Dinner For Schmucks, starring Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis and Jamaine Clement. The film revolves around a group of wealthy businessmen who hold regular dinners where they bring an idiot/schmuck to ridicule – with a winning businessman being elected by the night’s end. Thanks to Paramount we’ve two prize packs to giveaway, including an in-season double pass and a USB mouse-on-a-wheel, which runs around as you type (runs on Windows only – sorry, Mac owners). For your chance to win a pack email giveaways@drummedia.com.au with ‘SCHMUCKS’ in the subject line.
Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett’s third season as Artistic Directors of the Sydney Theatre Company will include main stage debuts for playwright Ross Mueller and directors Sarah Goodes and Simon Stone. Stephen Page will collaborate with Kathy Marika and Wayne Blair on Bloodland, a new work presented in association with Bangarra. Master director Luc Bondy will also be at the helm of a new translation of Botho Strauss’s Gross und klein (Big And Small). The 2011 season includes Andrew Upton’s adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s 1926 novel The White Guard, which was commissioned by London’s National Theatre where it opened this year to rave reviews. Across town Belvoir’s new Artistic Director Ralph Myers has put together a 2011 season that includes Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, Chekhov’s The Seagull and Ray Lawler’s classic Summer Of The 17th Doll, to be directed by Neil Armfield. Also showing will be Human Interest Story - a show that explores how we ingest the media - created by choreographer Lucy Guerin and Melbourne’s Malthouse company.
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A GOOD OL’ FASHIONED
FRY-UP
Watching it, Fry seems in such command of the Opera House stage and his material that it’s almost odd to hear him describe the experience as “rather nerve-tingling”. “For all I know, I could have gone up onstage and just froze,” he admits. “‘I’m awfully sorry, I can’t think of anything to say, here’s your money back, goodbye!’”
AHEAD OF THIS SUNDAY’S ABC SCREENING OF HIS SOIRÉE AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, GUY DAVIS GETS A RARE AUDIENCE WITH THE ALMIGHTY STEPHEN FRY.
The written word doesn’t really do Stephen Fry justice. Make no mistake - the wit and wisdom of the actor, author, broadcaster, raconteur, Twitter enthusiast and all-round Renaissance man tend to shine through on the page – it’s almost impossible to dumb
to be among the 2,500 people in the audience that evening, this 90-minute broadcast offers you the chance to bask in Fry’s tremendously appealing take on the topics that engage his interest and comprise his character.
Yes, somewhat amazingly, Fry hit the stage without a script. He was confident that his interest in the handful of issues he’d decided to talk about (with a little assistance from his 1.7 million ‘followers’ on social networking website Twitter) would see him through.
down someone so articulate. But hearing the man speak, hearing him express his thoughts and ideas in that mellifluous voice, only enhances what he has to say. And that’s what makes the upcoming ABC special, Stephen Fry Live At The Sydney Opera House, such captivating viewing.
Fry gave a one-man oratory performance at the Opera House earlier this year, holding forth for close to an hour on a variety of subjects before sitting down for a conversation with First Tuesday Book Club host Jennifer Byrne. So if you weren’t fortunate enough
“I thought, ‘I know I can do it if I’m in the right mood and I know I have things to say if the spirit moves me and I know I should be able to do it, so what’s the point of not giving it a go?’ And at the same time I do know that if I try to learn 90 minutes’ worth of material, the whole thing will be less than what it could be. As with a lot of things, it’s best to try to focus on small things. If you try to picture the whole evening or the whole two hours, you just lose focus. “It’s like if someone said to you, ‘Tell me something interesting right now,’ your mind would just become a blur. But if someone said, ‘Tell me something interesting to do with African animals,’ for instance, then
THE STORY OF AN ARTIST
• 8 • THE DRUM MEDIA 3 AUGUST 2010
KEVIN NAMATJIRA (ALBERT’S GRANDSON) WITH WAYNE BLAIR Albert when he was baptised. He was over 30 when he presented his first solo exhibition of watercolour Australian landscapes but despite his fame died ignored in a small Alice Springs hospital in 1959. His widely recognised style inspired the Hermannsburg School of Aboriginal Art and a portrait painting of him by William Dargie won the Archibald Prize in 1956. The Belvoir production is a niche creative community development process, growing from Big hART’s Ngapartji Ngapartji project. It’s been supported by the Alice Springsbased Ngurratjuta Art Centre which represents contemporary Western Aranda watercolour artists, many of whom are descendants of Albert Namatjira. Some of them have helped to develop an exhibition of contemporary works and will join the
stage production. “It’s art meeting theatre on stage,” Blair explains. “Every night two of Namatjira’s descendants, Kevin Namatjira and Elton Wirri, both thirdgeneration watercolor artists, will support actors Trevor Jamieson and Derek Lynch through live on-stage creation of art work. There’s also physical theatre, narrative and music by recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey from the Black Arm Band.” For the past year the Namatjira team has worked with the artist’s descendents to research the show. It’s one of many projects produced across Australia by Big hART, which was founded 18 years ago by commercial artists wanting to help communities in crisis. Other Big hART shows have been inspired by the Cronulla riots, the
The common theme running through Fry’s points of conversation is the letter ‘w’, ranging from words and writing (which he calls his great passion in life) through to authors like Oscar Wilde (he portrayed him in an acclaimed film biopic) and Evelyn Waugh (he directed a film based on Waugh’s novel, Vile Bodies). It’s all quite enriching and illuminating stuff, mainly because Fry isn’t out to preach or teach – he’s simply sharing the things that have enhanced his life, doing so in a way that makes the viewer feel enhanced as a result. Indeed, Fry says that his objective with a performance such as this is simply for the audience to have a good time. “I want them to feel warm and cheerful and happy. I’m not trying to be didactic in any way. There are times when I will talk about things that are serious to me and that matter to me, like language and writing and mental health and the joy of art and friendship – all the things that are good and sometimes things that are bad. I’m not a stand-up comedian, so I’m not necessarily making observations or launching attacks – it’s just whatever I feel at the time. But I hope people share it. “One of the things you do as a writer or a performer is make the daring assumption that the things you feel, the things you fear, the things you dread, the things you
FILM
MORE THAN 50 YEARS SINCE ABORIGINAL ARTIST ALBERT NAMATJIRA PASSED AWAY, A CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE AND LEGACY COMES TO BELVOIR ST THEATRE. JAMELLE WELLS SPEAKS TO CO-DIRECTOR WAYNE BLAIR. Namatjira co-director Wayne Blair, who has worked on the project with Big hART’s Scott Rankin and Trevor Jamieson, describes it as the previously untold story of a man who was made an Australian citizen so the government could tax him. “His exhibitions usually sold out and he met Queen Elizabeth when she came to Canberra in 1954 to give him a Coronation Medal,” says Blair of artist Albert Namatjira. “Yet despite being wealthy and financially supporting over 600 members of his community, Namatjira was forbidden to own land because in the 1950s Aboriginal people were still categorised as flora and fauna. He was also arrested for supplying alcohol to Indigenous people who were in fact his relatives, and the first Indigenous person to be listed in Who’s Who in Australia.” Referred to in songs by Archie Roach, Midnight Oil and Not Drowning, Waving, Elea Namatjira was born in the MacDonnell Ranges area of Western Australia and given the name
you may well think, ‘Well, I do know something about leopards,’ or ‘I know a little bit about giraffes,’ and suddenly you can say something.”
drought in Griffith, the destruction of Indigenous languages in Alice Springs, and by single mothers in Tasmania. Big hART also helped the Northcott housing estate in Surry Hills achieve international recognition through the Sydney Festival show, Sticky Bricks. The estate was notorious for crime, drug problems and a high suicide rate, but the show encouraged residents to unite and tackle those problems. Northcott also became the first public housing estate in the world to achieve World Health Organisation recognition as a safe community. WHAT: Namatjira WHERE & WHEN: Upstairs, Belvoir St Theatre until Sunday 7 November
love, the things you embrace, the things you fantasise about are likely to be shared by others. Some of those things are unspoken, or very rarely spoken of, and part of the pleasure is the commonality that’s felt when other people say, ‘Yes, me too’. I’m certainly not there to be serious or to present a point of view or present a political, social or theological way forward. To delight is really it, with words and thoughts and the occasional flash of insight or wit.” Fry is quite the ABC fixture – he is, of course, the host of the popular quiz show QI – but this broadcast marks the start of a small-scale Fry festival over the coming weeks, with his sixpart wildlife series, Last Chance To See (which follows Fry searching for animals on the brink of extinction, based on the book by the late Douglas Adams) premiering on ABC1 on Sunday 10 October. Spoken-word performer, explorer in the wild... one has to wonder how Stephen Fry defines himself. After all, he has so many strings to his bow it would hard to narrow his skill-set to simply one talent. “It’s up to others, I suppose, to define me,” he says with a laugh. “At the risk of sounding very pretentious and mystical, I think of myself more as a verb than a noun. It’s what I do more than what I am.” WHAT: Stephen Fry Live At The Sydney Opera House WHERE & WHEN: ABC1 Sunday 3 October, 8:30pm
REVIEWS
THE TREE
THE OTHER GUYS
It’s nice to see a film that looks at death and the afterlife without special effects or a chainsaw. The Tree is an Australian/French co-production and really draws on both countries’ strengths. Based on Queensland writer Judy Pascoe’s book, Our Father Who Art In The Tree, the film explores the power of the imagination to keep children sane when the truth is liable to drive them insane. Peter (Aden Young) and Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg) are living in idyllic country Queensland with their four young children when tragedy strikes. Peter is killed by a heart attack and as the family attempts to deal with its grief with more conventionally, their eight-year-old daughter Simone (Morgana Davies), rather than joining the mourning, looks to the huge Moreton Fig tree in her backyard for comfort. It’s in the branches of the tree she can hear her father whisper to her. As the months roll by, Dawn starts to follow her daughter’s lead, looking to the tree for a sort of companionship with her late husband. That is until an outsider enters their lives. George (Marton Ckokas), a local plumber, threatens to disturb the sanctity of the tree that has become part of the survival mechanism for the family. French director Julie Bertucelli apparently lost her own husband during the making of this film. Who knows how this fed into her translation of this book. But the result is a very touching story about children and the resilience that lies within. The pint-sized Davies holds this film together and so does the lush cinematography of Nigel Bluck. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 30 September PRISCELLA ENGALL
Having recently failed to endure more than 10 minutes of buddy-cop balls-up Cop Out whilst hostage by Etithad on the long haul from Sydney to London, this reviewer had fairly low expectations entering similarly-styled The Other Guys only to discover what was missing from Kevin Smith’s effort: comedy. And oh what sweet elixir is served by the reunion of Will Ferrell and writerdirector Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, Anchorman). Joining the duo serving as Ferrell’s foil is Mark Wahlberg, who frankly never gets the credit he deserves, not only as an actor, but as one with great comic instincts (see I Heart Huckabees). In The Other Guys, Ferrell and Wahlberg play oddball deskjockey cops Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz, both trapped, for one reason or another, in the shadow of supercops Danson and Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson). These two gun-toting, musclecar-driving ’80s action clichés are soon dispensed with in hilarious fashion so our heroes can have their shot at the bigtime crime. Not all is pitch perfect with this farce as the film loses its early zest in the second half as more focus falls in hot pursuit of the plot than the situational comedy and riffing of the two leads, who are gamely supported by Eve Mendes as Gamble’s impossibly hot wife and Michael Keaton as their longsuffering Captain. By the end credits though The Other Guys loses its sense of identity with an awkward lecture about those bastards on Wall Street. Still, damned funny stuff. WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas now SCOTT HENDERSON THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 55 •
frontrow@drummedia.com.au he explains, “and she signed a contract and I was like ‘really?!’ So that was really good for me and I think she’s the start of something really big, and... oh, here she she is!” Quite little and with awesome hair, Blake, dressed in black as you expect a New Yorker to be, walks in clutching a coffee at the perfect moment to get the kind of praise you’d expect for someone whose show is halfway to sold out before it even opens, but it’s clear that she and Leon are living up to the ‘Friends’ part of the title too.
BLAKE’S GOT A NEW
SPACE NEW YORK CITY ARTIST SARA BLAKE IS CURRENTLY EXHIBITING AT FRIENDS OF LEON GALLERY. BETHANY SMALL CAUGHT UP WITH THE ARTIST TO DISCUSS HER CRAFT AND RENAME A WORK OR TWO.
Talking about Sara Blake, gallerist Leon Krasenstein says that the artist, designer and illustrator has “this kind of modern rock star look, and also this kind of modern rock star life… like, she eats organic, she does the New York Marathon,” and
the process of getting her show to his gallery started a bit like fandom. “I found her because she was featured in Yen magazine, and so I stalked her,” is how the story starts. But the gallery is called Friends Of Leon, not People Leon Follows
Unbeknownst To Them, and this is in the arts section, not in true crime, so it should probably be noted that there’s more to the story. “I stalked her, she stalked me, we went backwards and forwards and had this really great rapport,”
He frets a little about whether she got lost as he rearranges chairs and she smiles up at him and refuses to say where she went because “You’ll laugh at me if I say it wrong.” Sara speaks the kind of American that doesn’t even register as an accent for those of us who, you know, watch movies or TV, so it catches you out when she gets places names wrong, like saying that she’s going out to “Bondee Beach” later in the day. “‘Bondy’? ‘Bondi’? Anyway I refuse to say the other one...” (“Coogee,” Leon deadpans and receives a very deliberate “thank you” in response.) “The other one, I tried to say it and he,” he being pointed at, “was just like: ‘What? What are you saying?’” This impersonation is a mannerism that comes through a lot, with Sara seeming to inhabit the people who come into her stories. A reference to the graphic design job she calls “my full-time,” (alongside the art and freelancing) makes mention of how her boss “will be, like ‘Hey, we’ll put Sara on this,
SCOTT HENDERSON TALKS TO FRENCH DIRECTOR JULIE BERTUCELLI ABOUT HER NEW FILM THE TREE, A FILM ABOUT GRIEF, SHOT ON LOCATION IN AUSTRALIA.
JULIE BERTUCELLI, SECOND FROM LEFT
TREE OF
LIFE
French director Julie Bertucelli was in a unique position as production rolled out on The Tree, an adaptation of Judy Pascoe’s book, Our Father Who Art In The Tree. Having just lost her husband, Bertucelli was intimately keyed into the many emotional beats of the characters’ lives she was to explore in adapting this story of a family coping with the loss of its patriarch. The resulting film is a resonating exploration of grief that blends fantasy with realism. • 56 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Strange though it may sound, Bertucelli had been looking for a tree story to follow her 2003 entry, Since Otar Left, another accomplished film taking on the subject of familial loss, when her cousin handed her a copy of Pascoe’s novel. “I discovered many things that spoke to me and that it wasn’t far from my first feature film,” says Bertucelli. “Questions of imagination and how you can build something with tragedy that can happen to you, that you have
to be creative in your life and never stop to do something with the events that occur in your life.” The director and her producing partner Yael Fogiel quickly discovered that the film rights had been snapped up by Australian producer Sue Taylor and made polite inquiries about her plans to bring the story to the big screen. As fortune would have it Taylor had no director in place and agreed to a co-production on two conditions: that the film had to be
made in English and that they shoot in Australia. “It was a miracle she accepted to do this co-production,” says the director, beaming. Taylor is sitting beside her in a backroom of Sydney’s State Theatre where the film has just made its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, having closed Cannes earlier in the year. “I think it was the first time in the history something like this happened.
she can bring in her art,’ but for me, I’m like ‘it’s a totally different thing,’” working to a brief can be hard because a client “can, like, arbitrarily tell you ‘I don’t like green,’” and people seeing the works in the show “are like: ‘I like this one or that one’ but they call it something really cool and I’m like: ‘yeah that’s what it’s called now!’ “They’ve all had, like, three titles at some stage,” she says, and despite Leon’s warning while we’re discussing this that “I am locking them in right now and they’re not changing,” we manage to rename one more, a portrait that she points out as “one of my rare dude pieces,” and while one would kind of like it saved for a chapter in a monograph on her, he gets referred back to as The Rare Dude Piece from that point on. While in the same almost structural sketching and fluid colour-overlaid style of the other pieces on the wall, this guy is definitely outnumbered in a body of work that otherwise comprises a rooster, an owl and lots of girls. “The things that people respond to are mainly birds and girls,” she says, and her inspirations in costume and photography and the way she likes to draw seem to work best on female figures. Her sharp lines and ability to smudge and texture details out of these, the relief of the figures against page space and the intense colours that go outside the lines are evocative of high-fashion concept sketches; the way her subjects are cropped and framed is similar to how someone who knows what they’re doing with a camera can do with a snapshot. It was a great story, two female producers who really have a good relationship, happy to work together.” The Tree tells the story of the O’Neil family after father and husband Peter dies of a heart attack, leaving behind wife Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and four children. Simone (the scenestealing Morgana Davies), a precocious eight-year old, believes that Peter’s soul is squatting in the giant fig tree that looms over their home. Each member of the family responds to the loss in different ways and it isn’t long before Dawn, devastated to be left alone to manage, begins to take comfort in her daughter’s imagination and embrace the supposed whispers in the wind. Conflict comes as the tree’s roots begin to destroy not only the neighbour’s fence, but also present a real and present danger to the home that father had built. Bertucelli is understandably reticent to spend too much time discussing how her own loss informed her relationship to the project. Nevertheless the director recognises the part it played in her decision to make this film and the creative process itself. “It gave me a lot of what I then gave to the film, I put a lot of my own and my kids’ experience into the film. I was not a tourist in this story, I knew it from the inside. It was very strong and it helped me in my personal life. I created the film with my sadness.” While loss may have instigated this particular union between artist and subject, the starting point for the production was in finding the perfect tree. “It had to be terrifying but also to give peace and be able to take them in its arms,” the director
“I don’t know if I intentionally do this, but – it’s kind of like a form of journalism, I guess. I like to write a lot and it’s kind of like telling a story, not necessarily about me but from my perspective… It’s just a way of telling stories for me, I think.” Sara’s interested in doing everything, it seems, and sometimes doing it twice. Her sketches are all hand-drawn and then get scanned and digitally finished, which is where the colours come in. “I usually have no idea of colour before I scan them; it’s very playful and that’s why digital is so important because you can undo things! And it’s just fun, it’s the most natural medium for me. And I do stuff like, I’ll take videos, screencaps of my work so I can see the evolution and it’s like a rainbow explosion, the colours just change so much, yeah it’s just a lot of playing.” She’s excited to see the show all together in the gallery space too, in a very designery way: “it’s awesome because it’s, you know, a little cube.” A somehow familiar-looking guy wanders in at this point and “this is John, Sara’s boyfriend,” Leon explains. “Yeah,” Sara the portraitist, designer and illustrator grins. “He’s The Rare Dude Piece!”
WHAT: Friends Of Leon Presents Sara Blake WHERE & WHEN: Friends Of Leon Gallery, Surry Hills until 16 October continues. “The main thing is to find this tree that we could tell this story without words. The tree is the metaphor for loss, the father and all they put of his memory. At the end when you stay too much in a relationship with grief it becomes frightening. It’s good in the beginning when the girl wants to talk with the tree, but it becomes impossible because you can’t stay with this idea all your life.” Decision-making is all-important in filmmaking as with life and having worked with some of the finest in Europe, including the amazing Krzysztof Kieslowski, Bertucelli has plenty of experience to inform her own films. “They all taught me that I have to be myself in each film, not to be too influenced by other films I like. I also have to stay close to my own instincts. They didn’t tell me that, but I saw from the way they worked how important that was. “In any situation there are a thousand answers and every day on set there are thousands of questions. We know there’s not only one good choice, but the choice has to be your own decision. This is a hard job, always you’re not sure and there’s this full world of possibilities. You have to trust yourself and it’s not easy sometimes.” Bertucelli pauses for a moment, her own journey as yet incomplete though travelled enough to provide perspective. “It’s a war to make a film.” Life also. You have to take it one fight at a time, so long as you face up to those challenges thrown before you. WHAT: The Tree WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 30 September
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THE DRUM MEDIA GUIDE TO THE SYDNEY FRINGE FESTIVAL CANDY ROYALLE Madame Fling Flong Performance poetry! Not a phrase that gets everyone’s blood pumping; possibly more a combination of words that summons up clichéd images of library nerds or 1960s New York wank? That is unless you have witnessed the heart-pounding, fixed stare-inducing rhyming of Candy Royalle. Maybe she doesn’t even call her art performance poetry. I don’t know. She could call it whatever the hell she wants and I wouldn’t care – the fact would remain that she’s dynamite and an artist you should be knocking down doors to see. Tales of unrequited, disarming and violently passionate love are thrown into a tight set alongside fairytale worlds and apocalyptic visions of humanity. Her musings can flow out like Shakespeare, then a moment later morph into a hip hop beat and then twist and turn themselves out to be reincarnated as a melodic mantra. Her stage presence is arresting and powerful without being overbearing or bullish. In the intimate confines of Madame Fling Flong she joked and connected with the very supportive crowd, kept loyal fans entertained and certainly gained new ones. Apart from possessing a knack for putting words together so that they smack the ear drums and sink into the soul, she also displayed a taste
for exploration and experimentation with the use of effects pedals and made-to-order vocal tracks. This is one lady who had better not slip through the entertainment cracks once the Fringe is done and dusted, and one gets the feeling that she has no intention of doing so. Season finished LAUREN DILLON
DAUGHTERS OF WHORES Petersham Town Hall The title can divide audiences immediately. Conservatives roll their beady little eyes and snort in disgust while immature individuals such as myself almost wee themselves with excitement and childish sniggering. I guess this is why I felt a little let down by the show, written by a performer who has the vocabulary and humour to take entertainment to jaw-dropping places but chose to present something a little more towards the mediocre end of the scale. An awkward start to the show paved the way for what was a talking heads/monologue-driven hour of disconnected scenes and emotions. The main character (played by Candice Storey) shared musings over her mother being... a whore (who woulda guessed?), her inextinguishable sex drive, and her horror at how adept her boyfriend was at refusing to pork her. Several smatterings of profanities and a
couple of onstage sex acts later the audience was left confused as to what they were supposed to be getting from the characters and how they should feel about them. A show created with this subject matter has the potential to be full of spunk (take that either way), but it seemed like it was still in the early exploratory stages on its way to blossoming into a full-blown bombshell. Hopefully the team will strip this dame back to her birthday suit, take to her with the discretion of a Miami plastic surgeon and spit her back into the world as the sizzling slut we know she could be. Season finished LAUREN DILLON
SAM SIMMONS: FAIL CarriageWorks While there’s something outrageously lame about calling a show Fail, what’s even more outrageously lame is that we’ve not formally acknowledged him as a national treasure yet. Someone with Simmons’ balls (and I mean this literally as well as figuratively, as he inadvertently flashed one tonight) should be given the utmost respect. Dominated by the unusual and silly, what makes Simmons’ stuff work is his ridiculous conviction, and his conviction to the ridiculous. It’s one thing to re-enact sitting in your lounge room feeling rejected, skint and vaguely suicidal on stage,
but it’s quite another to do it with sticky tape hanging from the ceiling for no real reason. And breaking into song about unnoteworthy things. And sculling sunscreen. And saying stuff like ‘nanna wank’. There’s a lot of yelling involved. And strangely, lots of warmth, too. See, the thing about Sam Simmons is that he’s so damned attached to what he’s doing, no matter how freakin’ silly, that it becomes one of the most pure and brilliant forms of comedy there is - the simple ‘it’s funny because it’s not me’ principle. That one kicks in particularly when he’s dancing in silver skintight pants. Not everyone will like it, something Simmons acknowledged as people walked out. But for every person so bored they decided to move, there were the rest of us who were too moved, to be, um, fuck it, I don’t know, I was too busy laughing. And trying not to get hit with flying bread. Season finished LIZ GIUFFRE
THE NOIR REVUE Cleveland St Theatre Like good old variety shows from days gone by the Noir Revue is a mash-up of many performance styles, a platform for artists both new and... not so new, and a dark, slightly seedy atmosphere where all are welcomed with open corsets. Your MC for the hour-long presentation is the curvaceous, deep
registered and slightly freaky Blue Angel, who is what one may perhaps refer to as a gender-morphing lyrical poet/lounge singer (?). The Blue Angel draws the audience into a world of juxtapositions, humour, sex and spectacle where they are told they can be anything they want to be and are reminded repeatedly of the fabulousness of the performers of the evening (pretty sure I never have to hear the phrase ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ ever again). Every night of the Noir Revue featured different performers and a change in routine, so audiences could go every night and get a new show. Last Wednesday included a beautiful aerial Lyra routine by Missy and a nice bit of burlesque from Venus Vamp. Again, like all good old variety shows there is variation in the skill level and charisma of the six or so performers but on the whole it was an entertaining hour spent in really comfortable theatre seats (kudos to Cleveland St Theatre for that little cherry on top). If you want mixed entertainment at its grass roots get in there while it’s still kicking. Season finished LAUREN DILLON
CAREERS FOR ATTRACTIVE LADIES Petersham Town Hall Set in London in the early 1970s, Careers For Attractive Ladies focuses
on a small group of Australians drawn to the Mother Country. For Anne (Jenna Martin), the appeal lies in what that country does for young Australian feminists (Germaine is Queen, don’t you know), while for her flatmate Pat (Brendon Taylor) it’s the ability to work as an artist and live in harmony with his young lover Tim (Kabir Singh). Although these two are the focus of sorts, the show is often stolen by their supports, notably the hallucinogenic cameos by 18th Century feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (Claire StewartMoore) and the ridiculous pommy smoothness of local stonemason Jimmy (Chris Turner). The interaction between these (and the multi-casting, all bastard roles by Brendon Taylor) is quick and often tight as, although there are also a few plot lines left dangling. The aim, as the presser suggests, is for something of a response to David Williamson’s Don’s Party, and while there’s certainly some topsy-turvy class/social stuff going on, in lots of ways the election feels like it’s come too late, or has been tacked on after the core has been written. Either way, to get to see the world premiere run of this show is a privilege, and despite the couple of rough edges, it’s already at a fine standard. Writer/director Carolyn Burns will be one to watch, and the show is worth it for the one-liners, period costumes and pre-show 1970s hors d’oeuvres alone. Season finished LIZ GIUFFRE
CHOPPER, AKMAL, BERNER FOR COMEDY NIGHT An eclectic collection of Australian comedians will be hitting the inner west suburb of Lilyfield next month for a two-night soirée called Comedy Unleashed. Held at Le Montage Events Centre Wednesday 20 October and Thursday 21, Comedy Unleashed will feature Heath ‘Chopper’ Franklin, Peter Rowsthorn (Kath & Kim), Akmal Saleh, Peter Berner, Bob Franklin, Darren Casey, Simon Kennedy, The Chaser’s Craig Taylor and host Holly Brisley. Tickets through Moshtix.
DIEGO LUNA
MEXICAN FILM FEST CRAFTILY REVEALS LINEUP The Hola Mexico Film Festival is one of our favourite foreign-languagebased film festivals and it’s not simply because they know how to throw a party – okay, who are we kidding, it kinda is – but because they know their shit when it comes to programming. In fact, Sin Nombre, from the 2009 festival ended up in many a writer’s top five films come year’s end. The 2010 event – being held at the Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays Thursday 4 November to Sunday 14 – has announced its programme on the sly through its Facebook gallery, which is a pretty neat idea. So what’s screening? Well, we highly recommend you check out the gallery (a quick search for the festival in Facebook brings it up), but in the meantime we’ll reveal it features titles involving the Mexican Day of Independence, a film by – and another two starring – Diego Luna, The Crime Of Father Amaro, with Gael García Bernal; Leap Year, the
debut film from Australian director Michael Rowe that won Camera d’Or at Cannes and features one of the best film posters of recent memory, a modern day tale about a family of cannibals, and the story of Pablo Escobar. Head to holamexicoff.com for more information and make sure you check out their Facebook gallery of posters.
Stewart D’Arrietta – Belly Of A Drunken Piano – and band, will perform Looking Through A Glass Onion at Playhouse, Sydney Opera House from Tuesday 30 November. Tickets through the venue.
OPERA HOUSE PREPARES FOR GLASS ONION
For the Festival Of Dangerous Ideas’ Art Does Not Make Us Better People debate, in which Marcus Westbury (festival director, commentator) will pose the question: ‘Why does opera receive more government funding than any other area of the arts in Australia?’ Westbury will then join journalist David Marr and The Chaser’s Chris Taylor to argue that art does make us better people, unlike Marr, who’ll be arguing the opposite. Westbury and Taylor replace the advertised Lindy Hume, who will no longer be participating. Art Does Not Make Us Better People takes place at Playhouse, Sydney Opera House Sunday 3 October (11am). Tickets through the venue.
Just one week ahead of what would’ve been John Lennon’s 70th birthday, John Waters (the film versions of Hair and Godspell, Underbelly: The Golden Mile) will be bringing the life and music of the late former Beatle to the Sydney Opera House with his show, Looking Through A Glass Onion. The show – which is not simply a straight music gig – will combine “Lennon’s introspective, reflective philosophy, humour and observation” and feature no less than 31 of the musician’s songs. Waters, with
CHANGE TO LINEUP FOR DANGEROUS DEBATE
AKMAL SALEH THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 •57 •
• 58 • THE DRUM MEDIA 21 SEPTEMBER 2010
live@drummedia.com.au
NATIONAL
COASTER
Gosford Showground 25/09/10
Saturday saw an amazing collection of Australian artists take to the stage in Gosford, where the third annual Coaster Festival was going down. From established US icons Cypress Hill to triple j Unearthed winners The Vox Angelicus, Coaster Festival had it all. Jinja Safari, with their building hype, drew a crowd early to the Blue Stage. The band defied expectations and played an unnerving, raucous set; with greenery entwining their microphones and dressed in Batik vests and looking a little like Tarzan, Jinja Safari established the difference between a ‘set’ and a show. The exalting groove of their bongo drums sent the crowd into rivers of dancing and the band reciprocated, prancing like monkeys through the drum solo of Mud. Boy & Bear played a set that was charming without being quaint, containing just the right amount of folk. They were captivating and their large fanbase flocked to catch them – and found themselves unable to leave, despite the fierce sun and the skyrocketing temperature. Boy & Bear’s skilled continued pg.60
BLUEJUICE @ COASTER. PIC: LUKE EATON
MILES AWAY: Sep 29 The Wall, Sep 30 Oasis Youth Centre THE HOLIDAYS: Sep 29 Beach Road Hotel, Oct 14 Transit Bar, Oct 15 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Oct 16 The Gaelic ANGIE HART: Sep 29 Brass Monkey, Sep 30 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Oct 1 Notes, Oct 2 The Clarendon GYPSY & THE CAT: Sep 29 Oxford Art Factory, Sep 30 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Oct 1 CBD Newcastle DAN WEBB: Sep 30 Oxford Art Factory, Oct 1 World Bar THE SACRED TRUTH: Sep 30 The Batcave, Oct 2 Hamilton Station Hotel, Nov 6 Fitzroy Hotel, Nov 11 Harp Hotel Wollongong OLD MAN RIVER: Sep 30 The Basement Circular Quay, Oct 1 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Oct 2 Lizotte’s Newcastle THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS: Sep 30 Goodgod Small Club, Oct 1 Ivanhoe Hotel RE:ENACTMENT: Sep 30 Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Oct 1 World Bar COLD CHISEL: Sep 30 Shellharbour Workers Club MR PERCIVAL*: Sep 30 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Oct 9 & 10 The Vanguard, Dec 13 & 14 Brass Monkey DIESEL: Sep 30 South Newcastle Leagues, Oct 15 & 16 The Vanguard, Oct 28 The Annandale Hotel, Nov 11 Vikings, Nov 12 Revesby Workers, Nov 13 Penrith Panthers, Nov 18 & 19 Brass Monkey PARIS WELLS: Sep 30 Raval SYDONIA: Oct 1 Annandale Hotel, Nov 20 ANU Bar REZZALP: Oct 1 Raval, Oct 3 Lass O’Gowrie SEABELLIES: Oct 1 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Oct 9 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 15 Ivanhoe Hotel MARK SHOLTEZ: Oct 2 The Vanguard CASS EAGER & THE VELVET ROPE: Oct 2 Grand Junction Hotel, Oct 14 The Vanguard, Oct 15 Hotel Gearin, Oct 16 Beaches Hotel, Oct 17 Peachtree Hotel TOBIAS CUMMINGS: Oct 3 Raval THE VERSES*: Oct 5 The Vanguard DAN KELLY & HIS DREAM BAND: Oct 7 The Maram, Oct 8 Northern Star, Oct 9 Annandale Hotel SCOTT SPARK: Oct 7 The Vanguard CHEMICAL TRANSPORT: Oct 7 Bull & Bush, Oct 30 SFX, Nov 12 Sirens, Nov 20 Church On Chalmers, Nov 26 Crest Hotel KOOLISM: Oct 8 Transit Bar Canberra SMUDGE: Oct 8 Sandringham Hotel THE BEARDS*: Oct 8 Supper Club, Oct 9 Transit Bar, Oct 10 Grand
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FEATURE TOUR
BEN KWELLER
SUNDAY, THE FACTORY THEATRE An indie kids favourite, San Francisco-born singer/songwriter Ben Kweller is returning to Australia for the Great Southern Blues Festival and One Movement For Music conference/showcase in Perth, tying the two together with a jaunt up and down the east coast. He alienated a few people with his country moves in his fourth record, Changing Horses, but retained the critical acclaim he’s usually enjoyed. To sweeten the deal for this run of shows he’s bringing along the underrated Delta Spirit, who’ve enjoyed their most success with latest record History From Below.
Junction Hotel THE LUCKY WONDERS: Oct 8 Petersham Bowling Club, Nov 25 Lizotte’s Kincumber CATCALL*: Oct 9 The Civic Sydney TAME IMPALA: Oct 9 ANU, Oct 14 Enmore Theatre WEDDINGS, PARTIES, ANYTHING: Oct 9 Enmore Theatre AMY MEREDITH: Oct 9 The Factory, Oct 13 The Maram, Oct 14 Wollongong Uni, Oct 16 Cambridge Hotel PAUL DEMPSEY: Oct 10 Annandale Hotel ROLLER ONE: Oct 12 & 19 Raval POWDERFINGER: Oct 12 University Of Canberra, Nov 6 Acer Arena MCARTNEY: Oct 13 The View Factory, Oct 14 Brass Monkey, Oct 15 Old Manly Boatshed, Oct 16 Raval, Oct 21 Front Gallery LANEOUS & THE FAMILY YAH: Oct 13 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Oct 14 Old Manly Boatshed, Oct 15 The Gaelic, Oct 16 Baroque, Oct 17 Queens Wharf Brewery MATT CORBY: Oct 14 Melt STEPHEN CUMMINGS: Oct 14 Deus Ex Machina YOU AM I: Oct 14 Waves, Oct 15 Newcastle Leagues, Oct 16 The Metro, Oct 17 Beachcomber Hotel, Nov 25 Castle Hill RSL THE HOLY SEA: Oct 14 The Phoenix Canberra, Oct 16 The Wall, Oct 17 Heritage Hotel CLOUD CONTROL: Oct 14 Bar On The Hill, Oct 15 The Metro, Oct 16 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Oct 29 Hotel Gearin FLYING SCRIBBLE: Oct 14 Red Rattler EAGLE & THE WORM: Oct 14 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Oct 15 Coogee Diggers, Oct 16 Spectrum GEORGIA FIELDS: Oct 15 Raval THE SHAKE UP: Oct 15 Oxford Art Factory, Oct 20 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 21 Hostage X, Oct 28 Blush Nightclub, Nov 6 Transit Bar 4ARM: Oct 15 The Factory THE BON SCOTTS*: Oct 15 Raval, Oct 16 Great Northern, Oct 17 The Clarendon
GRAFTON PRIMARY: Oct 16 Oxford Art Factory, Oct 22 The Maram, Oct 29 Grand Hotel, Oct 30 Caringbah Bizzo’s MELINDA SCHNEIDER*: Oct 16 Bankstown Sports Club, Nov 10 The Basement Circular Quay BABY ANIMALS: Oct 20 Oxford Art Factory RYAN MEEKING*: Oct 20 Lizotte’s Kincumber, Oct 21 Sandringham Hotel, Oct 22 Hotel Gearin, Oct 23 Brass Monkey, Oct 24 Heritage Hotel ILLY, 360, SKRYPTCHA: Oct 20 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Oct 21 Bar On The Hill, Oct 22 Annandale Hotel, Nov 27 Transit Bar CLARE BOWDITCH: Oct 21 Wollongong Uni, Oct 22 Newcastle Leagues, Oct 23 The Metro THE ANGELS: Oct 21 Souths Juniors, Oct 22 Rooty Hill RSL HOLLY THROSBY: Oct 21 The View Factory, Oct 30 Clarendon Guesthouse, Oct 31 Brass Monkey, Nov 5 The Factory, Nov 11 Heritage Hotel DELAMERE: Oct 21 The Wall, Oct 22 Mars Hill Café, Oct 23 Trash ERNEST ELLIS, PARADES: Oct 21 Harp Hotel, Oct 22 ANU Bar, Oct 23 The Gaelic THE FUMES: Oct 21 Great Northern, Oct 22 Brass Monkey, Oct 23 Notes, Oct 24 Heritage Hotel AIRBOURNE: Oct 22 The Metro HOWL: Oct 22 Spectrum KYU: Oct 22 Paddington Uniting Church CONFESSION: Oct 22 The Fitz, Oct 23 Centenary Hall Albion Park, Oct 24 Oasis Youth Centre BAG RAIDERS: Oct 22 The Academy, Nov 6 Grand Hotel, Nov 21 King St Hotel Newcastle, Dec 4 The Forum HEROES FOR HIRE: Oct 23 Annandale Hotel
DARKER HALF*: Oct 23 Sandringham Hotel, Oct 24 Lucky Australia Tavern THIRSTY MERC: Oct 24 Caves Beach Resort, Nov 17 ANU Bar, Nov 18 Grand Hotel, Nov 19 The Metro BOY & BEAR: Oct 27 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Oct 28 Cambridge Hotel, Oct 29 & 31 Oxford Art Factory B!G: Oct 27 Notes MAMA KIN: Oct 28 The Vanguard, Oct 29 Brass Monkey ANDREW MORRIS: Oct 28 Excelsior Hotel SARAH BLASKO: Oct 28 Civic Theatre, Oct 29 Enmore Theatre, Oct 30 The Playhouse PEABODY: Oct 28 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Nov 5 Annandale Hotel, Nov 6 Phoenix Bar Canberra, Nov 12 Lass O’ Gowrie, Nov 13 Gearin Hotel LORD: Oct 29 The Gaelic STEALING O’NEAL: Oct 30 Spectrum KATIE NOONAN: Oct 31 Opera Theatre Sydney Opera House CLAUDE HAY: Nov 4 Sandringham Hotel THE AUDREYS: Nov 4 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Nov 5 & 6 The Basement Circular Quay, Nov 7 Brass Monkey LIOR: Nov 5 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Nov 6 The Metro PENDULUM: Nov 5 Hordern Pavilion INSTITUT POLAIRE: Nov 5 Spectrum THE TONGUE, SPIT SYNDICATE: Nov 5 ANU Bar, Nov 6 Cambridge Hotel, Nov 27 The Gaelic CROWDED HOUSE: Nov 6 Hordern Pavilion SALLY SELTMANN: Nov 6 Clarendon Guesthouse, Nov 19 Grand Hotel, Nov 20 The Factory, Nov 21 Brass Monkey HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY: Nov 10 Beach Road Hotel, Nov 11 Grand Hotel, Nov 12 The Factory, Nov 13 The Maram, Nov 14 Cambridge Hotel THE MISSION IN MOTION: Nov 10 Cambridge Hotel, Nov 11 Harp Hotel Wollongong, Nov 12 Oxford Art Factory MUSCLES*: Nov 11 Mona Vale Hotel, Nov 12 The Gaelic DAN SULTAN: Nov 11 Notes, Nov 12 Heritage Hotel
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2009 • 59 •
live@drummedia.com.au harmonies and strong, warm vocals offset their lyrically artful songs; set highlights included The Storm, in which lead singer Dave Hosking’s emotive showmanship was demonstrated. The group defied expectations, redoubling the benchmark at Coaster.
ED KUEPPER: Nov 11 The Vanguard, Nov 12 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Nov 13 Lizotte’s Kincumber PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY: Nov 11 Hotel Gearin, Nov 12 Cambridge Hotel, Nov 13 The Metro
INTERNATIONAL BLACKHEART: Sep 28 The Basement THE GHOST INSIDE: Sep 28 Sandringham Hotel VOCAL SAMPLING: Sep 29 The Basement Circular Quay, Sep 30 Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Oct 1 Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre EMILIE SIMON, MELANIE PAIN: Sep 30 The Metro CHARLIE PARR: Sep 30 Notes, Oct 1 Brass Monkey, Oct 2 Northern Star, Oct 3 The Junkyard PINK MARTINI: Oct 1 State Theatre CELL: Oct 1 Valve Bar RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS, CEDRIC BURNSIDE & LIGHTNING MALCOLM: Oct 1 The Basement Circular Quay EXODUS: Oct 2 Manning Bar LOUIS BERTIGNAC: Oct 2 The Gaelic MURDER JUNKIES: Oct 2 Sandringham Hotel TODD RUNDGREN’S JOHNSON: Oct 2 The Basement Circular Quay SIMPLY RED: Oct 2 Bimbadgen Estate, Oct 12 & 13 Sydney Opera House Forecourt GODSKITCHEN feat. ANDY MOORE, JOHN O’CALLAGHAN, MARCEL WOODS and more: Oct 3 Hordern Pavilion BEN KWELLER, DELTA SPIRIT: Oct 3 The Factory CECILIA NOEL: Oct 3 The Basement Circular Quay GROUPER: Oct 3 Street Theatre, Oct 9 Sandringham Hotel SARAH MCLACHLAN: Oct 4 Enmore Theatre LIL’ BAND O’ GOLD: Oct 4 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Oct 6 The Basement Circular Quay, Oct 7 The Factory THE SCRIPT: Oct 6 Big Top Luna Park SUN ARAW: Oct 7 Goodgod DIE! DIE! DIE!: Oct 7 Grand Hotel, Oct 8 Oxford Art Factory VIA TANIA: Oct 8 Raval ALEXISONFIRE: Oct 8 UNSW Roundhouse JONNEINE ZAPATA: Oct 8 Annandale Hotel AGAINST ME!: Oct 9 The Metro, Oct 10 Cambridge Hotel PETULA CLARK: Oct 9 State Theatre, Oct 23 Southern Cross Auditorium, Oct 24 Wests Leagues Newcastle BOREDOMS: Oct 11 The Metro VILLAGE PEOPLE: Oct 12 West Leagues Newcastle, Oct 16 Enmore Theatre GBH: Oct 14 The Gaelic
DAN KELLY
DRUM PRESENTS
THE HOLIDAYS: Sep 29 Beach Road Hotel, Oct 14 Transit Bar, Oct 15 Grand Hotel Wollongong, Oct 16 The Gaelic BIRDS OF TOKYO: Sep 30 Hordern Pavilion BELLINGEN GLOBAL CARNIVAL: Oct 1 – 3 Bellingen NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB: Oct 1 The Forum BEN KWELLER, DELTA SPIRIT: Oct 3 The Factory DAN KELLY & HIS DREAM BAND: Oct 7 The Maram, Oct 8 Northern Star, Oct 9 Annandale Hotel SMUDGE: Oct 8 Sandringham Hotel GAY PARIS: Oct 8, 15, 22, 29 Supper Club THE HOLY SEA: Oct 14 The Phoenix Canberra, Oct 16 The Wall, Oct 17 Heritage Hotel DEAD MEADOW: Oct 16 (two shows) The Lair SAGE FRANCIS: Oct 17 Oxford Art Factory CLARE BOWDITCH: Oct 21 Wollongong Uni, Oct 22 Newcastle Leagues, Oct 23 The Metro HOWL: Oct 22 Spectrum SARAH BLASKO: Oct 28 Civic Theatre, Oct 29 Enmore Theatre, Oct 30 Playhouse HALLOWEEN MONSTER MASH: Oct 30 The Metro SHIHAD: Nov 4 ANU Bar, Nov 5 The Gaelic THE AUDREYS: Nov 4 Lizotte’s Newcastle, Nov 5 & 6 The Basement Circular Quay, Nov 7 Brass Monkey THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: Nov 10 Manning Bar OPEN ARMS: Nov 20 Coffs Harbour Showground MY DISCO: Nov 24 ANU Bar, Nov 25 Cambridge Hotel, Nov 26 Manning Bar FOZZY: Dec 3 The Factory KORN: Dec 4 Hordern Pavilion THE FALL: Dec 7 The Metro GIRLS: Dec 8 Manning Bar FESTIVAL OF THE SUN: Dec 10 & 11 Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park BUILT TO SPILL: Dec 29 The Metro PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: Oct 14 Concert Hall Sydney Opera House, Oct 21 State Theatre MULATU ASTATKE: Oct 15 & 16 The Basement Circular Quay PARAMORE: Oct 15 Sydney Entertainment Centre DENGUE FEVER: Oct 15 The Factory EVIDENCE: Oct 15, Tone YACHT CLUB DJS: Oct 15 Oxford Art Factory DOCTOR P: Oct 16 (early) Arthouse Hotel, Oct 16 (late) Clarendon Hotel Newcastle, Oct 21 Oxford Art Factory THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: Oct 16 Big Top Luna Park BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH: Oct 16 Annandale Hotel DEAD MEADOW: Oct 16 (two shows) The Lair THE BLACK SEEDS: Oct 16 Coogee Bay Hotel FINAL FLASH: Oct 17 Brass Monkey, Oct 20 Great Northern, Oct 28 Coogee Diggers, Oct 29 Notes SAGE FRANCIS: Oct 17 Oxford Art Factory ADAM LAMBERT: Oct 20 Enmore Theatre GUTTERMOUTH: Oct 20 Wollongong Uni, Oct 21 Entrance Leagues Club, Oct 22 The Gaelic, Oct 23 Cambridge Hotel MIRAH: Oct 21 Red Rattler CONCRETE BLONDE: Oct 21 Enmore Theatre SOILWORK: Oct 22 Manning Bar ICE CUBE: Oct 22 Big Top Luna Park PAT BENATAR, THE
• 60 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
BANGLES: Oct 22 Sydney Entertainment Centre DIMI DERO INC: Oct 22 Manly Fisho’s, Oct 23 Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills PAUL WELLER: Oct 22, 23 Enmore Theatre LOW: Oct 22 The Factory KATHERINE JENKINS: Oct 23 & 24 State Theatre AMERICA, CHICAGO, PETER FRAMPTON: Oct 27 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Oct 29 WIN Entertainment Centre, Nov 6 Hope Estate, Nov 7 AIS Arena GARY PUCKETT*: Oct 29 Souths Juniors, Oct 30 Rooty Hill RSL, Nov 5 North Sydney Leagues, Nov 6 Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Nov 10 Wests Leagues Newcastle, Nov 13 The Cube, Nov 20 Ettalong Bowling Club MOUSE ON MARS: Oct 30 Oxford Art Factory ED KOWALCZYK*: Oct 30 Newcastle Leagues, Oct 31 Enmore Theatre FESTIVALS GREAT SOUTHERN BLUES: Oct 1 – 3 Mackay Park Batemans Bay BELLINGEN GLOBAL CARNIVAL: Oct 1 – 3 Bellingen FIESTA: Oct 1 – 4 Darling Harbour DOOMSDAY FESTIVAL: Oct 2 @ Newtown RSL PARKLIFE: Oct 3 Kippax Lake
FAT AS BUTTER: Oct 23 Camp Shortland SYDNEY BLUES FESTIVAL: Oct 29 – 31 Windsor STONEFEST: Oct 30 University of Canberra NEWTOWN FESTIVAL: Nov 14 Camperdown Memorial Rest Park OPEN ARMS: Nov 20 Coffs Harbour Showground HARBOURLIFE: Nov 20 Mrs Macquarie’s Point NEWTON’S NATION: Nov 26 & 27 Mount Panorama STEREOSONIC: Nov 27 Sydney Showgrounds FESTIVAL OF THE SUN: Dec 10 & 11 Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park NO SLEEP TIL: Dec 18 Entertainment Quarter PEATS RIDGE: Dec 29 – Jan 1 Glenworth Valley HARBOUR PARTY: Dec 31 Luna Park FIELD DAY: Jan 1 The Domain ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL: Jan 13 – 16, Sticky Flat Bulli Showground ST JEROMES LANEWAY FESTIVAL: Feb 6 Sydney College Of The Arts GOOD VIBRATIONS: Feb 12 Centennial Park SOUNDWAVE: Feb 27 Eastern Creek Raceway CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER: Mar 5 & 6 Hope Estate BLUESFEST: Apr 21 – 25 Tyagarah * indicates new or amended listing this week Check with agencies for booking fees.
When Basement Birds took to the stage 20 minutes later, a reverential hush fell over the audience. Here in front of them, in the flesh, was a pantheon of Australian music: Josh Pyke, Kav Temperley, Kevin Mitchell and Steve Parkin. The group regaled the audience with their chilled, mellifluous sounds that harmonise some of the most beautiful, compelling voices in Australia. The track, Cinnamon And Smoke, enraptured the audience; it’s the kind of track that captured the powerful quality of the guitars and vocals of this group. When they played Bus Stop, for want of Julia Stone they pulled a fan out of the audience; when they played My People the entire audience had joined in. Basement Birds’ first and possibly last festival gig was a clear highlight. Bluejuice were a decided change of pace from Basement Birds. Entering with a “’Sup cunts?” it was clear this set was going to be a celebration of music in all its drunken glory. The whole set had this dreamlike quality; Bluejuice took to the stage dressed as yetis – but hey, it was 26 degrees and by the middle of the set, vocalist Jake Stone was down to his underwear and fellow frontman Stav Yiannoukas was spraying the delighted crowd with whiskey. Descending into the crowd on several occasions, both vocalists had the opportunity to feel, firsthand, the depth of the crowd’s passion for them. Amoral, trashed and limitlessly entertaining, Bluejuice exhibited a rare blend of showmanship and talent, which made for a set that was a visual and aural extravaganza. The Holidays, with their unusual combination of indie tunes coupled with bongo drums, played a set deliciously like indie rock meets a summer holiday. They’ve already made their mark on fans and drew quite a crowd to the Blue Stage, where dancing and call-and-response ensued. The group have great range – from the ethereal to the upbeat, plus they have style
and composure. Hungry Kids Of Hungary played an amazing set. The Brisbane-based band was energetic and had these incredible harmonies, particularly in the set highlight, Coming Around. The crowd had thinned out a bit at first, but Hungry Kids packed them back in again. Their indie tunes are beautiful, with strong vocals and remarkable keys and bass. They played a fun, invigorating set that had the audience rapt. Cloud Control reminded us why exactly it is that ‘music’ sounds so much like ‘magic’. As ever, the quartet seemed a little surprised by a delighted crowd who sang along louder than they did. The band played an interesting cross-section of their songs – Death Cloud, a crowd favourite though not on the debut Bliss Release, and My Fear #2 were both played. The group played with their songs, introducing new keyboard elements to various songs and switching verses here and there. The whole set began to seem more like a party than a gig, just Cloud Control and hundreds of their friends. Meanwhile, the Red Stage showcased some of Australia’s best DJs; Illy played an intense set that filled the dancefloor; the interesting lyricism and complex, new hip hop beats made this DJ a clear highlight. The Aston Shuffle, Spit Syndicate, Purple Sneakers DJs and Infusion all had the crowd losing their collective sanity over and over again. So, when Cypress Hill took to the stage, it seemed the day could get no better. The crowd moved as a single, demented entity to their classic tracks, their fans backed right up to the edge of the Showground. Their powerful raps earned much praise from devoted fans and newbies alike; Cypress Hill was a clear audience favourite. Coaster Festival was a day that made people feel like there can’t possibly be enough hours in the day. It was a spectacular presentation of mostly local music, from hip hop to rap to indie – an experience in the drunkenness, the cleverness and the unpolished glory that is Australian music. Jessie Hunt
SPIT SYNDICATE @ COASTER. PIC: LUKE EATON
ENTER SHIKARI
HOUSE VS HURRICANE HAND OF MERCY
UNSW Roundhouse 23/09/10
The Roundhouse was already more than half full when openers Hand Of Mercy took the stage, which was a good sign. While the set from the band wasn’t delivered with a huge degree of technicality, it was probably the best way for the opening act to play. The straightforward, heavy and aggressive-sounding delivery created the right kind of sensation for the acts ahead and even had a few entertaining kids swinging windmill arms and spin kicking. House Vs Hurricane have arisen as one of Australia’s most promising bands in heavy music. For their support set the post-hardcore six-piece gave a show of the diversity they are integrating into their performance. Their hardcore sound fluctuates fluidly, with elements of electronicore creeping into the band’s set. Songs like their progressive and powerful Forfeiture delved into atmospheric bridging choruses that added real dimension to the young band’s live show. With the
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melodic backing vocals and ambient keys, influences from Attack Attack! and the night’s headliners might still be obvious, yet the Melbourne band hold a sound of their own – and it was a sound that the audience seemed to be going mad for. Enter Shikari’s live show is what it’d be like if four hardcore jamming activists held a hard-style rave in ET’s mothership. The energy of the show is always an experience and Thursday night’s diverse setlist provided an interesting insight into the English band’s increasing use of electronica. Older numbers were generously delivered, like the bouncy vintage rave of No Sssweat and the crowd’s elecronicore favourite, Sorry You’re Not A Winner, not to mention the bulk of songs from the group’s last studio album, Common Dreads. However, what set this show apart was the unmistakably increasing presence of frontman Roughton Reynolds’ DJ work. On a number of occasions songs – like that of the frenzied Zzzonked and the segueing track Havok A, would lead into heavy dub-step and industrial departures. The result (along with a phenomenal light show) was extremely entertaining and it was hysterical to watch the energy of the audience switch (so implausibly) from that of a post hardcore show to a full-on rave. Brand new tracks continued pg.62
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 61 •
UNKNOWN PLEASURES
it ‘fookin’ great’ in thick Lancashire brogue. At most objective view, it was a well-played rock show. And if a covers band – at least it was a damn good one.
Enmore Theatre 25/09/10
Ross Clelland
THE WRECKERY
From a similar time, but different places, was The Wreckery. Maybe the best of those bluesy, cockatoo-haired Birthday Party offshoots of the early ‘80s, Hugo Race is still an imposing Melbourne scarecrow. The opening saxophone blurts of Grinder Mill provoked some arthritic dancing down front. Nick Barker’s bass rumbled as they headed into the psychotic stutter of the band’s possible highwater mark, I Think This Town Is Nervous.
He stood at the mic and looked out over an audience who knew exactly what they wanted to hear. The Joy Division of Unknown Pleasures had some more punkish rock about them than the glacial synths of later years – and that showed. Hook took a pause and deep breath before most songs – whether out of respect for the work, or simply fear of running out of puff. The ‘Day in/ Day out’ refrain of Digital was shouted with intent. The sound was maybe a step forward, with the electronics underpinning the drums and keyboards having had 30 years to catch up to the music. But an extra elephant stamp to guitarist Nat Wason, who wrung out things like She’s Lost Control.
Destabilise and Thumper were also delivered and if these are indicators of what is to come, then it seems the quartet are moving further away from their posthardcore sound into a more punk take on rock-rave, as pioneered by fellow Brits The Prodigy. Tom Phillips
ANGELAS DISH
HERE COME THE BIRDS IN THIS DEFENCE THE SCULPTURES
The Wall 24/09/10
First song in from The Sculptures and I’m mesmerised. The eye candy Blondie/Pink persona of the front chick is backed with punchy slammin’ pop from the rhythm section. Tasty understated lead work from guitar boy is merely the cherry. Lead chick works the stage effortlessly, with her smoky gruff tuneful vocal commanding the attention. “Took me to a Broadway show!” indeed. Ain’t it great to be so uncool that you actually catch the opening act? A lesson learnt. My new favourite band. Oh screamo, look how far we’ve come. It was probably The Mars Volta (or perhaps The Bronx) that ushered in this now not so current wave of teeter on the edge calamitous punk‘n’roll. A bombastic wall of blissful noise rising to a crescendo of clean urgent vocals. The young lads of In This Defence threw themselves into every ‘fuck the world but ain’t it great to be alive’ tune. Here Come The Birds do a jagged to lilting driving pop/rock. They drop down into tuneful segues driving and rising once more into a restrained pummel; a sharp spike of ‘80s New Romantic with a ragged tuneful rock edge. Yee-ha! we says. Angelas Dish do power pop. Through and through. And what glorious power pop they is… and do. A bright splash to wash of soaring melodies. A snap to the snare drives it then breaks down with vocalist Michael Harris’ voice just the right side of melodic whine. To say their craft of songwriting since 2008’s debut album, War On Time, has developed would be a gross understatement. Their set flowed from slamming rock, dropping to the obligatory power ballad into the somewhat bleaker look at the world that is 21st century post pop/punk. It ain’t glaringly new. Every “I’m gettin’ older” kiddie punk from Gyroscope/Something With Numbers to Tom • 62 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Brendan Crabb
High profile international hip hop acts – many of whom are decidedly younger than Cypress Hill mainmen B-Real and Sen Dog – have often had a tendency to almost completely phone their performances in while touring these shores. There was no such laziness or misplaced ego in this instance, with the former’s charisma and distinctively nasal whine engaging even those seated upstairs and the latter’s self-deprecating humour a welcome touch. Delivering their rhymes with poignancy and accuracy, aside from a handful of cuts from latest disc, Rise Up (including the instantly memorable title track as part of the encore), credit was due for knowing their audience and sequencing the set accordingly. Nearly every one of the remaining tracks placed throughout their Greatest Hits-friendly show was greeted with a rush of singing, dancing, bouncing and yes, clouds of weed smoke. Name a (ahem) hit of theirs and it was aired and subsequently met with widespread enthusiasm: How I Could Just Kill A Man, Insane In The Brain, A To The K, Hand On The Pump, Throw Your Set In The Air et al were all unleashed in a proverbial torrent of ‘90s club favourites. Also noteworthy were a consecutive volley of songs paying tribute to their favourite recreational activity – an I Wanna Get High/Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk/Hits From The Bong medley, followed by the uproarious response for Dr. Greenthumb and new track K.U.S.H.
There’s a roar as Peter Hook and friends celebrating Joy Division as Unknown Pleasures – basically his latest band, The Light – strolled on. And though forewarned he’d handed most of the bass duties to his son Jack, the cheer only got bigger when ‘Hooky’ strapped on that familiar red number to his hip. At crucial moments, he’d rip out one of those ‘lead bass’ lines we all knew and it’d throb up through the floor and your spine.
from pg.60
Enmore Theatre 24/09/10
the irresistibly anthemic (Rock) Superstar, bringing stoners, hip hop heads, hipsters and even folks in Slayer shirts together in unison.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Cypress Hill’s performance was it took more than approximately 30 seconds for that smell to permeate through the majority of the packed room. Thus, a convivial atmosphere was created from the outset of the American hip hop crew’s 90-minute set. The production values of previous visits were stripped back (and legendary West Coast DJ Julio G substituted for longtime ‘Hill lynchpin DJ Muggs, largely absent from group activities of late), but as a by-product of this, the group’s bouncy, infectious energy was brought even more to the fore.
Insistent metronome drums, throbbing bass, dark-toned vocals of alienated detachment. Yes, I’m listening to The National’s album. But they’re just one owing a debt to the band to whom Peter Hook was paying tribute – which can still draw the faithful 30 years on.
The final one-two of Transmission – even allowing for false start and reboot – and a crowd-led Love Will Tear Us Apart (naturally) and Hook pronounced
CYPRESS HILL
PETER HOOK @ THE ENMORE THEATRE PIC: LINDA HELLER-SALVADOR
DeLonge et al has travelled the same road. Happy punk? Far from it. But it sure beats Enema Of The State. Steve Anderson
THE LOVETONES
THE LAURELS THE PRAYER CIRCLE
Also accompanied by livewire percussionist Eric Bobo who, judging by his rapid-fire hands and all-round vigorous efforts, certainly earned his pay cheque for the evening, they closed as expected with
The Lovetones showed tonight that they are a sonic and songwriting match for scene figureheads like Brian Jonestown Massacre and as such deserve plaudits for their progressively refined songs.
investment and the band responded accordingly. Doom will never be a popular metal fad and thank ‘God’ for that. Bands like Coffins are a treat best left for the underground.
Chris Familton
Mark Hebblewhite
COFFINS
Oxford Art Factory 23/09/10
POD PEOPLE ROOKWOOD SUMMONUS
Three shades of psychedelia were the order of the night as part of The Lovetones’ brief Australian tour before they venture back to the east and west coasts of the USA.
The Gaelic 19/09/10
Up and coming six-piece The Prayer Circle kicked things off with their swirling shoegaze sound that time warps us back to the ‘80s and a time when the likes of Galaxie 500 and Spaceman 3 were concocting their hazy music. The Prayer Circle had a nice balance to their sound with the bouncing Lani adding a lovely vocal to ease the ‘boys noodling on guitars’ vibe. Once they add a bit more definition to the drifting sound they’ll be a band to keep an eye on.
In an indication of things to come later in the night, Summonus proceeded to ‘bring the slow’ with sludgy aplomb, in the process mining their self-titled apocalyptic headfuck of an EP for it’s worth.
The Laurels need no introduction and as usual delivered a solid and invigorating set. Frontmen Luke O’Farrell and Piers Cornelius are always fascinating to watch with O’Farrell’s Cobain-esque stage demeanour of grand jerky gestures, wringing the notes and distortion from his guitar. Cornelius provides the foil with his Alex Turner looks and dreamier stage state. Musically they seem to be adding some crunch and stronger structure to their songs and mid-set played a brilliant tune that was upbeat, edgy and almost Vines-like with darker postpunk guitar lines threading through it. Let’s hope their album is just around the corner. The Lovetones have been plying their psych rock trade for a few years now and with each new album they refine their sound to its essence of mood and a heady rush of melody. Tonight the band seemed in a buoyant mood, joking with the crowd and each other. From the first song it was clear what immense talent frontman Matthew Tow possesses. With his 12-string electric and strong, controlled voice he seemed supremely confident on stage – something that only works when you have the songs to back it up. The Lovetones do and they proceeded to dip into the back catalogue as well as highlighting some of the sparkling Byrds-esque psych pop tracks from the new record, Lost. The set ended with Tow literally taking the music to the people by handing his guitar to the front row for the punters to add their own amateur solos.
CYPRESS HILL @ ENMORE THEATRE. PIC: CHAZ WEBB
Rookwood were a little nuts. Think one part cyber punk black metal a la Impaled Nazarene and one part toxic sludge and you’re some way there. In a 30-minute set the boys belted out a cavalcade of raw sound that had sections of the crowd banging their ends in joy, while others just scratched their heads in bewilderment. If such a thing as ‘consummate doom professionals’ existed, Canberra’s Pod People would fit the bill. The boys plugged in, channelled the spirits of Iommi and Wino and rocked the fuck out. Even a busted guitar cutting their set short didn’t faze the boys and despite the technical difficulties they left the doom-loving crowd well and truly sated. For three slightly nerdy (and for that matter slightly built) Japanese guys, Coffins punched well above their collective weight. In short the trio bludgeoned their audience into submission with an otherworldly death/ doom assault. Taking their material from a slew of split EPs and well-received full-length LPs (including their latest and probably greatest effort, Buried Death), Coffins showed why they have achieved a cult following across the metal world. It was a faultless display of overwhelming heaviness that somehow managed to take the élan and majesty of traditional doom metal and marry it to the putrid stinking remains of Autopsy-styled death metal. With little in the way of onstage banter, fancy lights or other unnecessary frippery, Coffins simply put their heads down and played to a very appreciative audience. There’s no doubt that the promoters took a real risk bringing a cult Japanese doom band to our shores. But this was a labour of love not a financial
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OVERKILL
MORTAL SIN
The Metro Theatre 25/09/10 Mortal Sin were once the band that coulda, shoulda, woulda: ‘if only they had’. Now with thrash riding high once again, the boys have a chance to taste the success that should have been theirs in the late 1980s. And there’s no doubt they still have the drive to succeed, as an impressively energetic set proved. And if their upcoming new album proves to be anywhere as good as the likes of the set closing duo of I Am Immortal and Mayhemic Destruction, then Mortal Sin may still conquer the thrash world. Overkill are in a pretty good place right now. As they never abandoned their allegiance to the thrash gods they’ve retained their old fans, while having never quite cracked the big time they’ve retained the underground authenticity that the nu-thrash brigade (in their vintage Dark Angel tour t-shirts) get all giggly for. It also doesn’t hurt that their latest LP, Ironbound, is an absolute corker, or that on their 25th anniversary tour they can pull off a live show that a band half their age would be proud of. Led by their irrepressible frontman Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth, Overkill tore through The Metro with devastating ease. Sure, he smokes like a chimney and is about 300 years old, but Blitz still managed to hit the high notes like it was 1985. Overkill’s great appeal has always been its mix of punkish energy and classic metal outlook and those elements collided perfectly as the band churned out flawless renditions of both the old and the new. It was good to see Overkill recognise the power of their latest LP by opening up their set with the mammoth The Green And Black. It was even better to see the love come right back at them from a crowd that mouthed the lyrics to Ironbound as enthusiastically as they did for the ever popular Hello From The Gutter, or even the band’s singalong anthem, In Union We Stand. Very few metal fans will ever cite Overkill as their favourite band, but after the passionate performance we all witnessed, this might have changed for some of the thrash fans that were lucky enough to be there. Mark Hebblewhite
people get down early to the show,” Gates recalls of their gig at Metropolis Fremantle for Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker launch show.
corner,” chuckles Gates. “That was lots of fun, a bit random and we had a few giggles, plus we got into the after-party as a result, which was rad!”
Last weekend, the band played another packed-out Port City show, performing the opening honours for Sydney’s The Jezabels. Playing the top support slot was Felicity Groom & The Black Black Smoke, a band that Wolves At The Door beat out to win the Street Press Australia One Movement Battle Of The Bands. Needless to say, Gates and Hendriks were overwhelmed about winning the nationwide competition. “It felt great, we are both super excited about the opportunity that we’ve been granted, and we can’t wait for the festival,” gushes Gates. “There were obviously a lot of super talented bands that are more established than us in the running and it’s nice to know we can hold our own amongst peers that we have a lot of respect for… We personally thought Flic was gonna take this one; she’s a close friend of ours and we are big fans too. So we would’ve been super happy to see her win, but obviously we are super happy that we did!”
The pair agree that the festival turned Perth into a very vibrant place last October. “We did a lot of roaming around the streets checking out all that was on offer,” they recall. “We particularly enjoyed the Wolfe Lane festivities. It was great having something to do in Perth for a whole weekend – loved it!”
No strangers to One Movement, Wolves At The Door were one of the many WA bands who played around the Perth city centre for the One Movement Fringe Festival last year. “We played as part of the festival on a street
Wolves At The Door (Independent) out November
Now that their EP is good to go and their profile is on the rise, the future is looking very bright for Wolves At The Door. “We have had a great run this year, so hopefully we can build on that and see where it takes us,” ponders Gates. “We’ll see how the EP is received and get to work on an album, maybe get a national tour under our belts within the next year or so, just to keep growing and writing more. We’re constantly writing new songs, so there will hopefully be plenty more Wolves At The Door material for everyone before too long!”
WHO:
Wolves At The Door
WHAT:
WHEN & WHERE:
Street Press Australia’s Showcase One Movement After Party (also w/ British India, Redcoats and DJs)
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
WOLVES IN SHEEPS CLOTHING CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER: AFTER MUCH DEBATE BETWEEN EACH RESPECTIVE STATE’S EDITORS, FREMANTLE DUO WOLVES AT THE DOOR HAVE TAKEN OUT THE SECOND ANNUAL STREET PRESS AUSTRALIA ONE MOVEMENT BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITION. MATTHEW HOGAN MEETS THE BAND.
Introducing Wolves At The Door. Consisting of James Gates and Ash Hendriks, the duo creates sweet folky music made up of guitar interplay and boy-girl vocals to make one swoon. Still in the dawning of their career, Hendriks was making a name for herself around Perth playing solo as well as taking on bass duties in recently retired indie pop band The Disguise, while Gates was keeping his music confined to his bedroom. Then, three years ago, the pair met and a strong union was quickly formed. “We met through a mutual friend,” recalls Gates. “I heard some of the stuff that Ash had been playing and then we ended up going home to our friend’s house after a party and then played guitar together and wrote a song, and that was kind of the start of it.” “It just clicked,” continues Hendriks, but as for where that first song is now, Gates quickly jumps on the defensive: “No, we don’t play that anymore,” he laughs. “We don’t speak of those days at all! There’s not much to say about those days. We wrote a lot of songs that will never see the light of day again. But it was good, we’ve kind of refined our style.” In the lead up to playing their first show together at Freo’s Norfolk Basement, Gates started playing guitar to Hendriks’ songs before they wrote songs together to create a set, but they still were in need of a band name. A Google search shows there’s a book entitled Wolves At The Door about “America’s Greatest Female Spy,” but Gates and Hendriks don’t seem to be into espionage. “I wish I knew about that actually,” admits Gates. “I was trying endlessly to figure out band names for us. We had a
few shocking ones before, and I got fixed on the ‘At The Door’ thing, and then ‘what’s at the door?’ And then Wolves. It was just trial and error.” With fellow Perth band Wolves winning another competition to get involved in One Movement, Wolves At The Door certainly aren’t the lone wolves in town, but they did stand out to Street Press Australia’s editors thanks to the swell sounds emanating from their self-titled debut EP due out in November. Recorded at Blackbird Studio, where Perth luminaries Jebediah, Snowman and Sugar Army had been before them, the duo said it was an easy choice to make. “I guess we’re friends with [producer] Sam Ford, and Blackbird just seemed like the obvious option, really, given the connections that we had with the people involved,” says Gates. “It has a good reputation as well, and most of the bands that we know have recorded there,” adds Hendriks. “So I guess when you hear about a studio that has a real positive energy about it, we just decided that would be a good place to go.” With Ford’s bandmate in The Silents, Michael Jelinek, manning the drums, Wolves At The Door set about recording their debut in a four-day timeframe. “We originally wanted to do six tracks,” informs Hendriks, “but we actually went in with a set idea of different songs. There’s a few ones we sat on, and then we ended up playing a couple more that we didn’t think would be on the EP and taking songs off that we thought would be big songs on the EP. So it was kind of experimenting with what sounded good. I think what helped us is that we were really open to anything. We weren’t extremely set in our ways, which helped a lot because we put forward ideas…” “We had ideas of how we wanted everything to sound,” continues Gates, “but as Ash was saying, we were open to any new ideas that we might not have thought of.” Living together in Fremantle with a couple of fellow musicians as housemates, these living arrangements may have led to the band’s biggest show yet; the opening slot at Tame Impala’s biggest hometown headlining show to date. “It was intimidating, but it was good to see so many
WOLVES AT THE DOOR BEAT OUT SEVEN OTHER BANDS TO TAKE OUT STREET PRESS AUSTRALIA’S ONE MOVEMENT BATTLE OF THE BANDS. LET’S TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE OTHER BANDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON. FELICITY GROOM & THE BLACK BLACK SMOKE: Currently touring Australia in support of Tame Impala and The John Steel Singers, WA’s Flic Groom has not one but two albums on the way; a solo record and one with her band The Black, Black Smoke. Having picked up some delectable supports in the last two years, Groom has a very bright future ahead of her. KIMBRA: Having toured with Bertie Blackman and soon to be out on the road with Little Red, Kimbra hails from New Zealand but now lives in Melbourne playing a brand of modern soul that belies her age. Heck, even Perez Hilton’s a fan, so let’s just hope the paparazzi keep at bay, for her sake. USELESS CHILDREN: Melbourne three-piece Useless Children keep it simple by playing fuzzy loud punk rock that rips your ears off as drummer Cinta wails at you. TEXAS TEA: Brisbane duo Texas Tea hark back to the days of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Nancy Sinatra for their Americana sound and, with a bunch of gigs in France coming up at year’s end, it seems they don’t even need our help. DZ: Known for trashing lounge rooms and warehouses all over Brisbane, two-piece DZ have toured with Crystal Castles and Ratatat, and they’re heading to New York in October so they must doing something right. DEEP SEA ARCADE: Touring with 2010’s success story Cloud Control, Sydney’s Deep Sea Arcade have stamped their mark on Triple J with the incredibly infectious sonic jam Lonely In Your Arms. See them open for The Charlatans on the east coast in November. SNOWDROPPERS: The meaning of the word ‘snowdroppers’ isn’t fit for print here, but Grinspoon didn’t mind as they just took out the old timey blues band on an extensive jaunt on the eastern seaboard.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 63 •
first time I truly understood the intensity of the Northern Hemisphere seasons. It seemed the whole world was springing back to life after the cold dead clutch of winter. My little show was working well with Joe’s audiences. He wa playing to around 1500–2000 a night in seated theatres. They paid attention and responded warmly. I’d learnt French at school and picked up some Spanish over the years, so I was able to work out things to say between songs in the language of the audience. The local promoters and stage managers helped me with pronunciation and idiom. Joe being popular in Germany, we did a lot of shows there. His bass player, Graham, with whom I got friendly, had studied German at school. I had a German grammar book so we did a bus class every day, and my onstage script grew each night. I met a woman in Hamburg who showed me round and helped me translate ‘Summer Rain’ into German. The next show I sang it as my closing song. It brought the house down. Then we got to Italy. They do things differently there.
The final show was in Perth at the Entertainment Centre, the largest venue I’d played to that point. I couldn’t afford to fly Michael and Steve over so elected to play solo. I noticed when I arrived in town that my name wasn’t on the posters. At the gig I waited side of stage listening to the excited buzz of seven thousand people. When the lights went down hundreds of teenagers ran to the front squealing, only for their faces to fall as one when I walked on. The next excruciating twenty minutes felt like twenty hours as I strummed my down-and-out, bottom-looking-up, bus-riding ballads to a disgruntled and uninterested audience. I couldn’t get off stage quick enough. I found out the next day, though, that at least one out of the seven thousand liked it. Fortunately for me he wrote for the newspaper. In 1995 I toured Europe and the UK, opening up for Joe Jackson and his band. They found a bunk for me on their bus and made me welcome. It was my first time in continental Europe. We played in France, Spain, Germany, Italy and England, often travelling overnight after gigs. I would wake up in the morning in a city I’d never seen before, put on my knapsack, find a map and tramp all day – visiting museums, churches, galleries, the old parts of towns and the banks of rivers.
I was brimming with confidence when I walked onstage in Roma. Why, I was quarter Italian. The crowd were very noisy as they came in. They’ll settle in a minute, I thought, and announced myself,‘Buona sera. Mi chiamo Paul Kelly. Vengo di Australia.’ No response.No-one turned a head. Okay, start singing then. ‘Stories Of Me’, a nice loosener. As I sang the noise got louder. It was a sit-down theatre. In every other European country I’d played, the audience had been mostly seated and ready, while those who came in late took their seats quietly. But here people were calling to each other across the rows. I couldn’t be sure what they were saying, despite five years of high school Latin, but in my head the translation went something like this: HELLO , HELLO , WHERE ARE YOU SITTING ? I’M SITTING OVER HERE. HOW’VE YOU BEEN? GOOD, THAT’S GOOD. I’VE BEEN FINE. HEY, THERE’S GIUSEPPE. HI, GIUSEPPE. WE’RE OVER HERE. CIAO! CIAO! KISS, KISS. I’VE GOT A BIG SANDWICH HERE. DO YOU WANT SOME? IT’S HUGE. IT’S PLENTY. HERE, TAKE SOME. NO? PASS IT TO CARLA. CARLA, BELLA! KISS, KISS. CIAO! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU WERE COMING. OH, IS THIS YOUR SEAT? I THOUGHT IT WAS MY SEAT. FINISH THE SANDWICH. NO, NO, IT’S TOO MUCH FOR ME. I CAN SEE VITTORIO OVER THERE. I’M GOING TO SAY HELLO. HEY VITTORIO, WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT, I WAS IN THE WRONG SEAT. BUT IT TURNS OUT IT WAS CARLA’S SEAT. CRAZY, HUH? CIAO. KISS, KISS. I ALMOST DIDN’T MAKE IT, THE TRAINS ARE ALL FUCKED UP. HEY, WHAT’S ON YOUR SANDWICH? OH, GRAZIE, GRAZIE…
In Munich in early spring, I came across a large park called English Garden. It was the first warm sunny day of the season. Families and lovers gambolled and canoodled on vast swathes of soft green grass threaded by trickling streams. Frisbees flew, boys tossed balls, dogs frisked and snouted and sniffed. Groups of happy peoples at long wooden tables drinking beer from large glass mugs that sparkled golden in the sun. I felt as though I’d wandered into heaven. It was the
And so on, getting louder all the while as I sang gamely on. I could see the big clock by the monitor desk. I swear it wasn’t moving.
SING TO THE SHY GOTHS
TO MARK THE RELEASE OF ICONIC SINGER/SONGWRITER PAUL KELLY’S MEMOIRS, HOW TO MAKE GRAVY, WE PRESENT AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT. KELLY IS SET TO OFFICIALLY LAUNCH HIS BOOK, OUT NOW THROUGH PENGUIN, AT ONE MOVEMENT ON WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER (5-6PM AT THE PARMELIA HILTON). REMEMBER TO ADD A LITTLE RED WINE... Music promoter and record-company honcho Michael Gudinski rang me up late in 2008. ‘How do you think Leonard Cohen would go here? We’ve been offered the tour but he’s asking a lot of money. And of course it’s in US dollars. We’d have to do big places.’‘If I were you I’d do it. It’ll be huge,’ I replied. His next question was, ‘Would you do the support?’‘Well, you know I don’t often do supports these days,’ I said, playing it cool, ‘but I’ll have a think about it.’ Meanwhile my heart pumped a little faster. Songs of Love and Hate and Songs From a Room are imprinted on my soul. A few days later, despite the falling Australian dollar and the GFC, Michael decided to take the plunge. That’s what I like about him. He sniffs the wind and takes a chance. I stepped back and let him and my agent do a little dance, and after a couple of turns on the floor I got the gig. Being the opening act can be sweet. Your price is set, your set is short, and you don’t have the responsibility of filling the venue. You strut and fret your half-hour or forty minutes upon the stage and fire your best shots. Sometimes you get over, sometimes you don’t, but either way you finish work early. You’re free to stick around and watch the main act or head out into the night. It’s not always easy, though. Supporting American bands in the eighties, here and overseas, was often challenging. Many appeared to follow a philosophy best summed up as: ‘We hold this truth to be self-evident – that all have the unalienable right to pursue and flaunt success. When you’re on top, show it.’ This flaunting was usually enforced by martinet road crews who wouldn’t move their masters’ gear one inch to accommodate ours, who taped up most of the lighting board, and who set sound limits for us so far below those of the main act that when they came on they sonically blew us away. And more often than not the headliner would meander their way through sound check in the afternoons, doodling, jamming, fussing, stopping, starting, stopping, then starting again as we waited – eating • 64 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
up time all the way to the opening of the doors so that we couldn’t make a noise and had to scramble to set up as the crowd came in. Not all were like that, of course. There were those who kept Allen Toussaint’s warning from ‘On Your Way Down’ in mind and treated their openers with respect. But this didn’t always mean your troubles were over. Midnight Oil or Cold Chisel or The Angels might have done you the honour of selecting you to play before them, their crew might have even pushed amps back a few feet to give you some room, you might have got a brief sound check, but their audiences were a whole other class of beast. ‘OILS! OILS! OILS!’ or ‘CHISEL!CHISEL! CHISEL!’ the whole room would chant, psyching you to crack and flee the stage so their heroes could take over. Up the front at Angels gigs, scary-looking young men with shaved heads and missing teeth would needle you relentlessly during each song, intoning in low voices, just audible, ‘Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off . . .’ Some of the longest half-hours of my life have been spent onstage as a support act. Not long after Post came out in 1985, I toured under a double bill of Australian Crawl and The Motels, both of whom were high on the charts. I was performing with Steve Connolly and Michael Barclay, who’d made the record with me. The songs were pretty downbeat, but with the two of them singing high harmonies and Michael banging a tambourine, things had been going okay on the east coast. My name was on the poster and there’d been some good reviews.
But everybody out front was. They all seemed to be friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long, long time. I dropped a song and finished early, cutting my losses. My ‘arrivederci ’ was swallowed up by the hubbub. As I slunk off stage a couple of shy, smiling Goths up the front clapped. I wonder if they wrote for the paper. Many people assume that because you’re the opening act for someone you’ll get to spend time with them. This is not always the case. I toured with Tracy Chapman for two weeks all around Australia and we never met. Prince, supposedly, won’t let anybody outside of his own posse look at him. The word from the local crew was ‘You may glance at His Purpleness but not look directly at him.’ You don’t always know if the things you hear are true or not. I’ve always thought it would be fun to support Prince just to test this out. He’s pretty short, though. It might be hard to get a bead on him through a phalanx of burly bouncers. Bob Dylan’s a pretty short guy too, but mooches around backstage without too much fuss, friendly and quiet. I did four shows with him in 2001. We swapped gifts after the last show in Sydney. I gave him Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang and he gave me a big brass belt buckle – western-style, embossed with the words the state of texas 1836, which I like to wear once in a while. The shows with Leonard Cohen in the summer of 2009 went like a dream. There were ten in all, half outdoors at wineries and half in big entertainment centres in the cities. Dan Kelly played guitar and sang with me as we performed our sets of thirty to forty-five minutes. All throughout, the crowds gave us a big lift. Watching Leonard go about his work was like attending a master class for two and a half weeks. At the age of seventy-four, at an age when some performers are merely phoning it in, he attended every sound check, which lasted usually between an hour and ninety minutes, and then backed it up each night with an intense three-hour show. His drummer, Rafael Gayol, whom I knew from The Bo Deans –they’d supported me in Australia seventeen years before – said they’d rehearsed the show for eleven weeks before the start of the tour, which had been going a year. ‘What was the main thing that changed over the eleven weeks?’I asked him. ‘The sound,’ he said. ‘Leonard is very particular about making sure the instruments don’t get in the way of the voice. We pride ourselves on being the quietest ten-piece band in the world.’ The diligence of the long rehearsals and sound checks had paid obvious dividends. The sound was immaculate. There was no distortion, no blending of instruments, no smearing or low-end boom. No ‘rock’ elements, in other words, no ‘grunt’. But rather than coming over as too
pristine, the space so carved allowed Leonard’s deep bass/ baritone voice full play – every detail of its grain, every crack in it, could be heard. This attention to detail was evident in all aspects of the concert, from the serious, dark-suited be-hatted appearance of the band – who looked like they’d walked off a Sicilian movie set – their flawless yet passionate musicianship, the creamy harmonies and moves of The Webb Sisters and Sharon Robinson singing back-ups, to the choreographed camera shots on the big screens with plenty of close-ups of Leonard, which created intimacy night after night to crowds of up to ten thousand people. Leonard’s performance was studied, gestural. A kind of holy vaudeville. He knelt. He bowed. He doffed his hat in thanks. When a band member was soloing he stood still, facing them, hat held to his chest, like a penitent receiving absolution. I saw the show half a dozen times and though he sang pretty much the same songs in the same order each night, saying the same things between them and making the same jokes, there was nothing rote or jaded about the performance. The devotion coming at him from the audience, the release of the pent-up hunger created by his songs over the years in his absence, were matched, and more, by his devotion in turn to them. He served his audience sacramentally, giving proper weight to his words and actions as he offered up his song-prayers, everything in due order like the Stations of the Cross. You know he meant it when he said, ‘Thank you for keeping my songs alive.’ He was paying everyone back with full honour and respect. I watched him and thought, That’s a way to be, that’s a way to act, there’s a road to travel. To walk with gravity and lightness, to be serious but not take yourself seriously, to pay attention, to know that ye shall reap what ye sow. One evening in the Hunter Valley, as I was halfway through singing ‘Everything’s Turning To White’, a flock of seven snowy egrets flew across the sky above the huge crowd, large birds radiant in the setting sun as they carefully stroked their way back to their nesting grounds. Golden days. You never know what’s around the corner, though. As Leonard himself says, ‘The older I get, the surer I am I’m not running the show.’ The wheel keeps turning. I opened once for Ani Di Franco in Madrid. The venue was a noisy rock club filled mostly with loud-talking ex-pat Americans. It was one of those nights when you’re singing and thinking to yourself, What the fuck am I doing here? Who talked me into this? One of those nights when you have to square your shoulders, take a deep breath and say to yourself, Sing to the people listening. They’re out there. They just don’t make as much noise as the people talking. Sing to the shy Goths.
PLANNING YOUR MOVEMENTS STARVED FOR MUSICAL CHOICES? BOLLOCKS – ONE MOVEMENT FOR MUSIC FESTIVAL HAS SO MUCH ON OFFER YOUR HEAD IS LIKELY TO EXPLODE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. TO TRY TO HELP YOU MAKE A FEW OF YOUR DECISIONS, WE’VE SELECTED A BUNCH OF EDITOR-ENDORSED MUST SEES. TODD RUNDGREN’S JOHNSON Legendary producer and artist in his own right, Todd Rundgren has been an incredibly respected part of the international music scene for over 30 years now. He briefly came to Australia for the first time ever earlier this year, and will again be seen at One Movement, this time with a tribute set to blues legend Robert Johnson. For fans of both Rundgren and classic old-school blues, his set at the Friday Twilight festival (along with Sarah McLachlan, Paul Kelly and many more) will be one to behold. KARNIVOOL A late edition to the One Movement For Music Festival (OMFMF) is arguably Perth’s biggest exponent of heavy rock, Karnivool. After exploding onto the scene with debut LP Themata in 2005, they followed it up with the equally successful Sound Awake in 2008, cementing their place in Australian rock lore. Their New Day tour earlier in the year sold-out in several Australian cities and the group have just completed a quick stop in the UK at the Sonisphere festival opening for the likes of Iron Maiden and Slayer, followed by a US tour. RICHARD IN YOUR MIND In case you hadn’t heard, psychedelic pop/rock is back in a big way and Sydney’s Richard In Your Mind are, as their name suggests, here to get inside your head. With a fairly well deserved hype, the fourpiece have been wowing audiences around the country; most recently at Brisbane’s Big Sound festival, with whacked-out live shows full of trippy psychedelic pop jams. MIAMI HORROR Keeping the Australian indie/ dance fire burning brightly in the absence of some other notable acts in hiding/ recording, Miami Horror’s recently released debut LP Illumination’s feel-good disco vibes look set to be the soundtrack to summer. Catch them at the EMI showcase on Thursday 7 October at Capitol, Perth, or on Saturday 8 October at OMFMF. SONS OF RICO With Birds Of Tokyo drummer Adam Weston joining forces with singer/ guitarist Adam MacRae, Sons Of Rico won the Triple J Unearthed comp to secure their spot at OM. They recently released This Madness, a fine precursor to their soon to come debut LP Reactions, recorded under the watchful guidance of Dave Parkin (Sugar Army, Jebediah). If you miss them at the OMFMF on Saturday 9 October, they’re also playing the Triple J Showcase on Sunday 10. SHAPESHIFTER Highlighting the diversity on offer at this year’s One Movement festival is the inclusion of New Zealand drum‘n’bass champions Shapeshifter. Over the past 10 years the group have become world-renowned for their impressive live sets featuring a five-piece band. This year also saw the release of their latest LP, the very warmly received The System Is A Vampire, which sees their years of hard work culminate in a both uplifting and unstoppable record destined to move dancefloors around the globe.
CLOUD CONTROL One of the true Australian success stories of 2010 is Blue Mountains free spirits Cloud Control. Their debut album Bliss Release is just as soothing as it’s title suggests and it was one of the first three albums nominated for the Triple J Award for Australian album of the year. They’ve got bigger plans for 2011, so be sure to check them out on Sunday 10 October at OMFMF. DZHAM Pronounced ‘Jam’, this Russian rapper is hotly tipped for success off the back of his Red Handed, which was produced by Mercury Prizenominated Sway. Currently recording his new album at the famous Metropolis Studio in London, he’s at One Movement to play the A&R Showcase at Amplifier on Thursday 7 October. JINJA SAFARI Mixing Afropop rhythms with sly wordplay, Jinja Safari are made up of two harmonising frontmen with a shared affection for the world south of the equator. This organic approach to dancing music will come to life at Dilettante on Friday 8 October with other up-and-comers like Big Scary, Elliot Brood and the much-loved British India. PASSENGER Mike Rosenberg blew everyone away last year with his OM showcase performance at the Belgian Beer Café. Since then the UK singer/songwriter returned to Australia to record an album featuring guests spots from Lior, Josh Pyke, Kate MillerHeidke and heaps of other friends made at the fest last year. See his triumphant return this year at the Belgium Beer Café on Friday 10 and on the main stage on Sunday 10. THE JEZABELS Having sold-out numerous shows around Australia on their current tour (including their first headlining appearance in Perth), The Jezabels have carved themselves a mighty fanbase without even releasing an album. But they do have three highly acclaimed EPs to their belt and a forthcoming Canadian tour, but you can see them on Saturday 9 October at Dillettante or on Sunday 10 at OMFMF. DENGUE FEVER An American band that’s released an album mainly made up of Cambodian classics? A band that wrote and performed a score to a silent film from 1925 in front of a live audience? Plus they’ve had their songs appear on Broken Flowers, City Of Ghosts and on Weeds? This you gotta see – Dengue Fever play OMFMF on Sunday 10. KORA Speaking of New Zeland, Kora are one of the biggest bands to come out of the land of the long white cloud in quite some time. Having toured the UK, Japan, Amsterdam, Paris and with a US tour booked in, the band’s debut self-titled album topped the NZ charts and has since reached double platinum sales. See them at One Movement on Sunday 10.
NEXT OF KIN
ONE MOVEMENT IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST PRE-EXISTING SONGS. FREMANTLE ROOTS SONGSTRESS MAMA KIN AND CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ARTIST RAGDU DIXIT WILL JOIN FORCES FOR THE SECOND APRA CROSS CULTURAL SONGSRITING COLLABORATION PROJECT. JOINING THE DOTS IS MATTHEW HOGAN. With the One Movement For Music Festival returning, so too does the APRA Cross Cultural Songwriting Collaboration Project. This year sees Fremantle songstress Mama Kin team up with India’s Ragdu Dixit to write and record a song in the days leading up to the One Movement Weekend Festival before debuting it on the Saturday. Thanks to the wonders of technology, Kin just had her first meeting with Dixit. “We had a face-to-face convo on Skype, with all the stops and starts Skype generally offers you,” promotes Kin. “And now we’ve come up with a bit of a theme for the song, a bit of a story, and now we’re going to develop that by ourselves for the next few days and talk and send each other some ideas then talk again. Then we’re gonna meet up and throw the rest to the gods - see what we come up with.” As is the case with much of One Movement, Kin had to discover the music of Dixit, but now she’s really excited to be involved in this unique and creative challenge. “We’ve been listening to each other’s stuff over the last couple of weeks and we’re both equally exited and completely intimidated by the idea of just stepping into a room and writing a song because the songwriting process is quite a personal thing that happens spontaneously, you know, as it is I think for a lot of artists,” she worries. “So the thought of just stepping into a room and going ‘lets write a song together’ is a bit foreign, but yeah it’s cool and I had an awesome convo with him.” It’s the second time the APRA Cross Cultural Songwriting Collaboration Project has happened, after festival gods Art Vs. Science and Japanese electro pop princess Tigarah tested the waters last year. Kin predicts her collaboration with Dixit won’t be in the exact same vein to that of the party monsters when they bring it to the stage this year. “I don’t think we’re going to do a doof song, no. I don’t think it’s going to quite go that way, but who knows,” she laughs. “Anything could happen.” While Mama Kin didn’t perform at One Movement last year, the local did come down and check out what was happening in the city of Perth. “I really enjoyed Sarah Blasko last year and I really enjoyed Dan Sultan last year, and the Hilltop Hoods were fucking incredible,” she recalls. As for the vibe compared to your more runof-the-mill music festivals: “I actually thought it was incredible, I couldn’t believe the sheer magnitude of the vision that they pulled off, to be honest. I attended the conference last year and I was really, really impressed with the volume of shit they pulled off in the space of those few days, and just the fact that it did feel like there was music happening everywhere. It just felt like a true commitment to the cause of what they were trying to get done, I was quite blown away. I think it’s great for Perth, I think its great for music, and I think it’s great that people have massive dreams of pulling something like that off and then they actually do it. I think it’s great on a lot of levels, and I’m just really, really thrilled to be a part of it this year.” With One Movement partly being about showcasing the talents of lesser-known artists and furthering the careers of newcomers worth furthering, Kin offers some friendly advice to those looking to move up in the music world. “I think just keep honing your craft and don’t spend too much time on Facebook,” she says. “Just stick with the music and just stick with who you are, rather than thinking you have to follow any trends or grooves or anything. Just actually be willing to forge your own path and make your own way and find the career that suits you. Be creative in how you create your career as well as how you create your music.” WHO: Mama Kin & Ragdu Dixit WHAT: APRA Cross Cultural Songwriting Collaboration Project WHEN & WHERE: One Movement For Music Weekend Festival - Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 October, Perth Esplanade THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 65 •
• 66 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
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A SHOT AT THE TOP
WITH THE 2010 INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS SO CLOSE YOU CAN SMELL THE JÄGERMEISTER, BRYGET CHRISFIELD WEIGHS IN ON THOSE MOSTLY LIKELY TO RECEIVE A GONG WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES.
A
t the inaugural AIR Awards in 2006, Gotye performed one of his first-ever live shows and then went on to collect the award for Best New Independent Artist that same night. Shortlisted artists who are booked to perform at the ceremony and also making acceptance speeches soon became a pattern that has continued through subsequent years. In 2007, two of the four performing acts walked away with something for their mantelpiece: British India (Best New Independent Artist) and The Ben Winkelman Trio (Best Independent Jazz Release). At the 2008 ceremony, victorious performers numbered three out of five – The Herd (Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album), Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Best Independent Album, Best Independent Blues ’n’ Roots Album and Best New Independent Artist) and Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album). Last year, Bertie Blackman was nominated in four categories and admits she felt more confident when she was allocated stage time at the ceremony: “I was performing, so I did have an inkling that maybe I would get something.” Blackman took home the award for Breakthrough Independent Artist and was one of eight acts to grace the stage on the night. Among these were two more perform/win combos: Philadelphia Grand Jury (Best Independent Single/EP) and CW Stoneking (Best Independent Blues ‘n’ Roots Album). Which brings us to this year and the awards hosted
love her.” Okay, if Sia gets this one, one of the Dans can take home Best Independent Artist.
CLOUD CONTROL
DAN SULTAN
at The Forum in Melbourne on Friday. Scheduled to perform on the night are British India, Cloud Control, The Amity Affliction, M-Phazes, Sally Seltmann and Joe Chindamo. Based on past results, at least two if not three of the aforementioned should start working on their acceptance speeches. Um… except for Sally Seltmann, who isn’t shortlisted for an award.
a great record.” Not wishing to jinx his own band, Cloud Control’s drummer Ulrich Lenffer offers, “The Jezabels, because they really kicked some goals this year. But mainly because they sound like no other band out there at the moment.” Cloud Control are also nominated for three Independent Music Awards, so this should be a shoe-in.
Best Independent Artist nominees: British India, Cloud Control, Dan Kelly, Dan Sultan, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Sia. Brad Barry, bassist with Eddy Current Suppressions Ring, calls it: “Dead heat, two Dans.” His bandmate and Eddy Current’s frontman, Brendan Huntley, singles out one of the Dans – “I’ve met Dan Kelly before and he seems like a nice guy.” Proving that he too is a stellar fella (and probably making Huntley feel guilty), Sultan offers, “If not me, I’d like to see Dan Kelly and/or Eddy Current Suppression Ring get up.” Or we think it may just be Sia’s turn. She was nominated for two AIRs last year and this year she’s been shortlisted for a whopping four Independent Music Awards. Breakthrough Independent Artist nominees: Bridezilla, Cloud Control, Otouto, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Richard In Your Mind and The Jezabels. Declan Melia, frontman with previous recipients of this award British India, believes we could see one of this year’s performing acts making an acceptance speech in this category: “Cloud Control, they should win – they’ve got
Best Independent Album nominees: Cloud Control – Bliss Release, Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream, Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can, Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush To Relax, Rowland S. Howard – Pop Crimes and Sia – We Are Born. In the great tradition of posthumous awards – and bearing in mind his Pop Crimes set didn’t even make it onto the shortlist for this year’s Australian Music Prize – this category should go to Rowland S. Howard. “I’ve listened to [it] and it’s great,” Huntley agrees. “I think it would be great for his family if he was to win and sad that he wouldn’t be around to see it.” Dan Kelly agrees, “That Rowland S. Howard record is great.” The jury has spoken. Best Independent Single Or EP nominees: Bliss N Eso – Down By The River, Little Red – Rock It, Philadelphia Grand Jury – The Good News, Sia – Clap Your Hands, The Jezabels – She’s So Hard and The Temper Trap – Love Lost. “I just scrolled down and saw the list! The Temper Trap!” Sia said when asked to share her winners’ tip. “Like, der, they are genius!” Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s drummer Danny Young begs to differ: “Sia, the people
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Best Independent Blues And Roots Album nominees: Ash Grunwald – Hot Mama Vibes, Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can, Jeff Lang – Chimeradour, Mama Kin – Beat And Holler, The Beautiful Girls – Spooks and The Red Eyes – Red Army. Sultan is one of three artists up for triple consideration this year, the others being Cloud Control and Sia, so he definitely deserves at least one out of three. Best Independent Hard Rock Or Punk Album nominees: 50 Lions – Where Life Expires, Calling All Cars – Hold, Hold, Fire, House Vs Hurricane – Perspectives, Parkway Drive – Deep Blue and The Amity Affliction – Youngbloods. The Amity Affliction are playing at the ceremony. That’s all we’re saying. Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album nominees: Horrorshow – Inside Story, Lowrider – Round The World, M-Phazes – Good Gracious, Ozi Batla – Wild Colonial and Urthboy – Spitshine. M-Phazes is performing on the night with Candice Monique, Muph, Solo, Mantra and Illy. His Good Gracious set was always a strong contender but with added performing privileges, he’s a dead cert. Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album nominees: Faux Pas – Noiseworks, Jamie Lloyd – Beware Of The Light, Midnight Juggernauts – The Crystal Axis, Nick Thayer – Just Let It Go, Opiuo – Slurp And Giggle and Space Invadas – Soul:Fi. “I’d have to say the Midnight Juggernauts,” Ashley Anderson from Space Invadas offers on who he thinks will take out this category, “because they seem to have had a lot of success with their release both here and abroad.” The Juggers headlined the award ceremony last year, so may well be carrying over their brownie points, although they won this award in 2007 for Dystopia. We like Space Invadas here.
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 67•
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SLUGGISH Only The Sea Slugs continue their residency at Spectrum Wednesday night with free CDs and merch at all shows. Supporting them will be locals The Money Smokers and Family Welcome. It all kicks off at 8pm.
ANIKIKO ONLY THE SEA SLUGS
REZZALP Your music is…? Theatrical pop.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why?
CREATIVE INCUBATION
Why should we come and see you?
Incubator, a new trade event for the creative industries, is launching on Thursday at Oxford Art Factory. KillaQueenz, Nathan Kaye, Cameras, Act Yo Age, Stephanie Brownlee, Mojada, We Are Fans, The Sculptures, Paper Moon (solo acoustic), Mickl Sayers, Skii Harvey, Kempsey and Charmaine Bingwa will all play the showcase, which aims to stimulate the creative industries in Australia.
Who in their right mind would say no to four blondes?
DRAGON SQUARED
How do you find the local live scene?
Double Dragon, an event dedicated to revealing the talent of Sydney’s musical underground, is returning to Oxford Art Factory on Friday. Double Dragon II costs only $5 and features 17 acts, including Bridezilla, Zeahorse, Wim, Piano Is Drunk, Sick Python and Disco Club.
They Might Be Giants. Dynamic on stage and always having fun.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? To be in Eurovision.
Love the people. Sydney is the New York of Australia.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? Helena punching herself in the face on stage.
For more info see: rezzalp.com
Next show: Friday – Ravál
epFOCUS
Whores will play across two stages from 7pm.
DANCING FROGS Because 13 times simply wasn’t enough, Tour De Dance is returning to Oxford Art Factory on Saturday for its 14th instalment. Headlined by Brazilian percussion group Sambafrog, it will also feature Lords Of The Fly, Triple Rebels, DJ Ability, DJ Willie Sabor and more.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO ALBUMS What do you do after ARIA nominations and APRA awards? For Mark Sholtez the answer was simple, write another album. Not content to rest on his laurels, Sholtez will launch his new album, The Distance Between Two Truths, on Saturday at The Vanguard.
FINALS SEASON After months of bands slogging it out on one of Sydney’s best stages, the quarter finals for the Jager Uprising competition are set to begin. This Wednesday night The Ming Kings, Satellite, Eye To Eye and Tolhurst will take to the stage at The Annandale.
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG DAN WEBB What’s the title of your new EP and where did it come from? My new EP is called Hyperspace Clearance. It’s about travel and the title was inspired by Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. It was recorded in Melbourne at Sing Sing Recording Studios and mastered in the UK at Abbey Road.
How many releases do you have now? This is my second release. My debut EP, Capitulation, was released independently last year.
How long did it take to write/record? Most of the songs were written last year over about a four-month period, but the single, Way Out, was written way back in 2008 when I first started playing shows.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? I was listening to some Stevie Wonder albums in the lead up to recording this new EP. I guess that’s why I wanted to record clavinet on one of the tracks. Recording in an environment where there’s so many vintage keyboards lying around is pretty inspiring in itself.
that on 1 DID YOU KNOW… cially /DC Lane was offi AC , October, 2004 ne by the Lord opened in Melbour band played Mayor. A bagpipe p Long Way To The To br in cele ation.
What happens when you combine a bunch of timid Sydney singer/songwriters in one room? You get Jimmy Swouse & The Angry Darts, an angry, abusive and cocksure rock machine featuring Brian Campeau, Chris Arnott and Dave Sattout. The band play The Annandale Hotel on Thursday with Hong Kong.
STORM BREWING After a string of high-profile supports (Slipknot, Machine Head, Lamb Of God) eyes have been on Melbourne progressive hard-rockers Sydonia as they gear up to release their second album. They will give people a glimpse of the new sound when they launch new single, Ocean Of Storms, on Friday at The Annandale Hotel.
CRAZY KING MARY Fresh off the back of supports for Deep Purple and an appearance at the coveted Hellfest, Melbourne rockers Electric Mary are finally back in the country. They play The Annandale Hotel on Saturday with Nat Col & The Kings, LUST and Raise The Crazy.
R.I.P SUCCESS The jolly good folk of R.I.P Society have are holding their Success Summit 2010 to toast a year of superb releases this Sunday at the Annandale. Zond (vinyl launch), Royal Headache, Blank Realm, Boomgates (seven-inch launch), Woolen Kits, Carborator and
STILL CALL NOTES HOME With a brand new single, Come Home, on the verge of release, Christine Anu, who wowed them at Jack Thompson’s Basemeny birthday bash last Sunday, has announced an intimate show at Notes on Wednesday night. She will be joined by Casey Donovan, Emma Donovan and the Australian Girls Choir.
For more info see: danwebbmusic.com • 68 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
What do you think is your band’s greatest strength? Diversity that marries organic and acoustic sound. I spend most of my time on the songwriting and developing the sound textures.
If you could time travel back to any gig in history which would it be and why? It would be seeing Billie Holiday perform in one of those old clubs with Louis Armstrong on trumpet.
What movie do you think your music would best accompany and why? Someone just said Surfing The Wind suits a James Bond scene. Because the music is so diverse I’d see half of it in scenes of American Beauty and half in something like Amelie – Aussie version.
Favourite “pick me up for a big night” drink? Caprioskas! Love them – that bitter sweet concoction of lime that’s sour and with sugar crystals dancing on my tongue!
PARR FOR THE COURSE
Favourite hangover cure?
It seems that Minnesota blues man Charlie Parr just can’t get enough of Australia. After a tour opening for Paul Kelly in April 2009, and solo shows in January this year, Parr returns to play Notes in Enmore on Thursday with The Maladies, and The Brass Monkey on Friday.
For more info see:
LOVING THE HART Angie Hart, the frontwoman of now defunct pop masters Frente, has released a follow-up to her second solo album, 2009’s Eat My Shadow. Angie launches her new offering, a digital EP titled Loving Hating It, on Friday at Notes. Canadian singer/songwriter Matthew Barber and Gabrielle & Cameron (Dead Letter Chorus) will open proceedings.
Endura electrolyte drink. Failing that little wonder there’s also diet Coke. anikiko.com
When and where are your next gigs? Thursday – Vanguard Friday 29, Saturday 30 October Sydney Blues Festival
justVISITING
HERO WORSHIP Steve Edmonds has played guitar with some of the country’s top musical names including Jimmy Barnes and Richard Clapton, but this Saturday night he is taking a trip down memory lane when he and his band perform Hendrix And Heroes (A Salute To The ‘70s), a showcase of the best guitar-driven rock of the genre’s golden era, at Notes.
LOLLYPOP HEAVEN Girlaxy have put together your dream gay (in both senses of the word) Sunday night - Lick It. Featuring all-girl band The Frocks, The Frockettes and DJs Kate Monroe, Beth Yen and Shayln Gray, Lick It takes place at Notes.
MAGGOTS UNITE From the government housing of Canberra to airwaves and venues around the country, rising hip hop star Maggot Mouf is set to release You’re All Ears, a raw and personal follow-up to Maggot’s Anonymous. With the help of GutCuttaz, Dekoda, Plarks, Swarmy, DJ Myme and PK Crew, the launch is this Saturday at The Wall.
PSYCHO RUM Fuzz-rock pioneers Cosmic Psychos and blue-collar folk rockers The Rumjacks are joining forces for a run of three shows this weekend. They play the Harp on Thursday with Hytest and The Solid Gold Bastards, The Wall on Friday with The Corps and Black Loop and Manly Fisho’s on Saturday with Driving The Rhino and Brown Esky.
Will you be launching it? I’ll be playing, Oxford Art Factory on Thursday and MUM at World Bar on Friday. I’m really excited about all of these shows and I hope to see you there!
Ani Neradilkova: I write, produce, program and am the singer. I dare to play the flute, which shocks my mum after the years of classical lessons she gave me.
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ACID KINGS Why has it taken so long for you guys to come to Australia? Nobody asked us until this festival came up. We immediately jumped on it. Can’t wait to come down under!
Do you know much about the country? We’ve been doing our homework so have learned a little bit more than what we knew beforehand. Hoping we’ll learn a whole lot more about this lovely country on our sojourn.
You guys have been doing this for a long time now. Where’s the band at at this point in time? The last five or so years have actually been focusing on travelling abroad. We’ve gone to Europe several times and hit Japan as well. We have been writing for a new album for the past two years. We can see the light at the end of tunnel and are stoked with how the new songs are coming out.
Any words of warning for Australian fans prior to your visit? We’re chompin’ at the bits for this tour and are sounding good. We’ll have lots of songs from all over the Acid King discography so each show might be slightly different. Upcoming gigs: Saturday – Doomsday Festival, Shush Newtown RSL Sunday – Valve Bar
TASTE TEST
WITH GARY HOLT OF EXODUS The best record I stole from my folks’ collection was… I never have to tell the truth. The first record I bought with my own money was… The Partridge Family. The record I put on when I’m really miserable is… Everything But The Girl – Missing. The record I put on when I bring someone home is… Prince – Do Me Baby. The most surprising record in my collection is… Probably both of the records mentioned above! The last thing I bought/downloaded was… The last thing I bought was some old Scorpions records I didn’t have anymore, Virgin Killer and Tokyo Tapes. I’ve never downloaded anything in my life. Exodus play the Manning Bar Saturday.
MORNING DEW Continuing his tour to launch his new album, Good Morning, Old Man River hits the Basement, Circular Quay, this Thursday, Lizotte’s Kincumber Friday and Saturday Lizotte’s Newcastle. The new record has opted for that big budget feel hard to do working by yourself on a small indie budget.
OLD MAN RIVER
PERMISSION TO LAND
KING OF GLEBE
Dan Webb’s Hyperspace Clearance Tour just keeps getting bigger. Having been on the road in support of his latest EP for the better part of a month there are still a few opportunities left to catch the keys wiz before it ends. He plays Oxford Art Factory on Thursday and World Bar on Friday.
Taylor King has been hard at work on his new EP, Running Circles. With recording finally wrapping up Taylor has found the time to step out of the studio and onto the stage where he will be joined for the first time by new drummer Matt Reh, at The Roxbury Hotel in Glebe on Saturday. Entry is $10.
MONTSER CONSPIRACY Wollongong punks The Conspiracy Plan are bidding farewell to their drummer, but don’t worry, it’s an amicable split, and the band plan to farewell him in style. They say goodbye Saturday at Kiama Leagues with The Bungalows, The Howling Tongues and more as part of Monster Rock’n’Roll.
SWIFT AWARDS MTV Music Oz Awards finalist Rochelle Swift has just completed her debut EP, recorded at Sydney’s renowned Studio 301 with Peter Blyton (Divinyls, Choir Boys) at the helm. She launches it at Mosman RSL on Thursday with The Volts and October Rage.
YOURSPACE > MYSPACE Yourspace is on again at the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown. YourSpace is a free night of music from all genres kicking off at 7pm and featuring Tempting Eve, Starr Witness, Shenoa Fox & Alec Dejanovic, Mattie Slur, Josh Shipton and Adam Bachley.
FRIENDS WITH ENEMIES An anticipated local metal release for 2010 is Our Last Enemy’s debut, Fallen Empires, the industrial metal outfit gaining notoriety within the scene recently. The Australian band has a heavy touring schedule ahead of the album’s release mid-October and play Club LED, Newcastle District Tennis Club, this Friday, before a big set at SFX, St James Hotel, on Saturday night alongside special guests Dawn Heist and Recoil.
ARCTIC IS HOT! Progressive rock quartet Arctic will play The Excelsior Surry Hills as part of Noisey’s awards night. It will be the Brisbane band’s first tour of Sydney, as they play this Saturday and Sunday alongside some of Sydney’s most promising live acts. Arctic have been invited as one of the few interstate bands to perform over the weekend.
ARKESTRA Jasper Clifford-Smith, live electronics/keyboards/production What do you think is your band’s greatest strength? Nobody sounds like us. What’s the vibe behind the Double Dragon nights? In such a small market it’s very easy for labels, bookers, managers and publicists to go for the safe option. What movie do you think your music would best accompany and why? Basic Instinct 2, or if not that, Basic Instinct. What are your plans for the immediate future? And the rest of the year? Working on more Arkestra tracks with the Stray Angel single coming out towards year’s end. The album should be done by the end of the year too. Favourite “pick me up for a big night” drink? Goon and red cordial. Favourite hangover cure?
Greasy breakfast with scrambled eggs and extra butter and a Bloody Mary with shitloads of Tabasco.
TRI-FACTOR
For more info see:
Californian thrash metal veterans Exodus have a one-off show in Sydney this Saturday at The Manning Bar. Supports on the night will come from Sydney’s Switchblade and New Zealand heavy metal group Subtract.
When and where are your next gigs?
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myspace.com/arkestraofsydney Friday – Double Dragon II, Oxford Art Factory
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 •69 •
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gettingCOMFY
WANDERING GYPSYS
ELEVENTH HE REACHES LONDON
Gypsy and The Cat are getting some time in the spotlight. After appearances at Splendour In The Grass and high profile supports for the likes of The Strokes and Foals, the band are embarking on a headline for their new single, Time To Wander. They play Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday, Thursday at the Grand Hotel Wollongong and Friday at CBD Newcastle. This is your last chance to catch them before Parklife.
GYPSY AND THE CAT
What is it about the venue that makes you want to a run of shows there?
Ian Mountain, vocals/guitar
What do you think is your band’s greatest strength? Shape-shifting so we become hard to criticise.
If you could time travel back to any gig in history which would it be and why? Damageplan at the Al Rosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio – 2004.
What movie do you think your music would best accompany and why? Milk, because you have to watch it topless.
What are your plans for the immediate future? And the rest of the year? Finish writing/recording our third album.
What is your favourite song lyric and why? “I forced myself onto my brother/I made him watch me swell” – Munly.
Favourite “pick me up for a big night” drink? Laphroaig.
Favourite hangover cure? Stephen Hill’s golden calves.
For more info see: myspace.com/eleventhhereacheslondon When and where are your next gigs? Friday – Hermann’s Bar
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BLOW A VALVE
FUNKY CONTINGENT
Friday night Valve Bar (formerly known as The Harp in Tempe) is bringing you some of the best up and coming rock acts with no cover charge. This Friday you can catch Cell from NZ, City In Crisis and The Understatement as well as The Calling Of Levi.
Sydney’s own blues, funk and soul purveyors the Continental Blues Party are heading to the Empire Hotel in Annandale this Friday. Performing as part of the hotel’s Friday night live event, expect a nice combination of original material and fantastic covers. Then the Party kicks onto the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel Sunday from 9pm.
GO GHETTO GhettoBlaster returns this Saturday to Q-Bar, providing a night of music, art and mayhem to all. Garage rockers The Goons of Doom return fresh from the USA to headline the night, with support from energetic local five-piece The Shakin’ Howls. Doors open at 9pm and entry is only $10.
BRUISED UNDERGROUND Sydney’s audience polarising duo Circle Pit are playing their last show before embarking on a two-month American headline tour. The band’s debut album, Bruise Constellation, is picking up steam in the States and the duo has 42 headline dates ahead of them. See them before they leave this Friday at the Cosmos Lounge. Tickets are only $10 and doors open at 7pm – get there early because there is a limited capacity.
MOUNTAIN MUSIC
LEAH FLANAGAN Your music is…? Tropical, acoustic, soul music.
Which acts inspired you to produce your own music and why? I have many influences, but for my latest album the amazing Liz Stringer really inspired me to focus on the melody and lyrics.
What’s your wildest ambition for your music? To conquer the world and never be told, ‘Wow – you’re really good, you should audition for Australian Idol.’
Why should we come and see you? I have a new album out, Nirvana Nights, that I am proud of and I’ve never played a show in Sydney before. And my bass player is Tom Jones.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? In 2007 I received an award in the name of the late G.R. Burrawanga at the NT Indigenous Music Awards, presented by Sammy Butcher. He then invited me up on stage to sing My Island Home with The Warumpi Band. That was a pretty special moment for me.
For more info see: leahflanagan.com.au myspace.com/leahflanagan
Next available at: Saturday – Ravál •70 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH
GROOVE SUPREME Tuesday’s Jazzgrooves at 505 is your absolute source of up close and personal jazz music. This Tuesday catch the delightful stylings of The Zac Hurren Trio and The Vampires. Hurron is Katie Noonan’s hubbie as well as a fine saxophonist.
HOME COMING Acoustic blues artist Ross Ward has come back home to Sydney after 16 years on the far north coast. The renowned Australian artist will perform this Friday at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel from 9pm. Expect some of his classic material, as well as songs from his last album, Transit Lounge, and there might even be a few newies and maybe drummer Bruce Stephens as bonus.
COMPANY OF ANGELS
Blues and roots outfit Stormcellar return to Sydney with a catalogue of new acoustic songs after a creative writing session in a rural Australia mountain town. They play this Thursday at The Dry Dock Hotel, Balmain, and will be showcasing some of this new material as well as tracks from their most recent album, Nuevo Retro. The show commences at 7pm, and entry will be absolutely free.
This weekend will be massive for two of Australian music’s biggest guitarists/songwriters, John and Rick Brewster (The Angels) of The Brewster Brothers. This Friday the duo plays the Avalon RSL with special guest Chris E. Thomas, who will also be joining the brothers at Coogee Diggers on the Saturday night. On Sunday the Brewster Brothers play The Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba.
KEEP ON TABS
SOLID CORE
The potent psychedelia of San Francisco’s Acid King will be spreading over Sydney for the weekend, with a big set on Saturday at the Newtown RSL as part of The Doomsday festival. On Sunday the versatile threepiece (most of the time) will play alongside KK Null, Daredevil, Arrowhead and Birdmouth as part of a huge lineup at The Valve bar, kicking off at 3pm.
This Saturday The Valve’s metalcore and hardcore night returns with six solid up and coming local acts, so for no cover-charge you can see Eastern suburbs punk’s The Convicts perform their own blend of melodic rock. Playing the support role will be To the Sky, Thoughts Under Fire, Absolution, Tenpenny Towers and The Driftwood Theory.
The last time we played the Oxford Art Factory was only our second ever gig in Sydney and the response was phenomenal. To make things better, as soon as we had finished, the DJ threw on What A Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers and the kids present began singing along with all the enthusiasm usually reserved for a Strokes song. Now that’s an educated musical crowd in my books!
Same set every week or mixing it up? We’ll mix it up quite a bit as the sets aren’t very long. However, we will be sure to play the hits every time!
Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? Yeah, we’re being supported by three different bands over the three weeks. Elle Kennard, Brendan McLean and Los Gattos. We’ve played with Elle Kennard and Brendan before – loved ‘em so much we asked ‘em again.
Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? Going by the DJ who played after us last time, I’d have to say on the dance floor after the gig. The music was brilliant and the crowd were extremely good looking.
When are you in residence? The first three Saturdays in October at the Oxford Art Factory
CAN YOU FEEL IT? Australian acoustic performer Mark Wilkinson will be performing at The Brass Monkey in Cronulla this Thursday as part of his Feel It Tour. Supporting the singer/songwriter on the night will be Sophie Hanlon and Luke Carra. Then he’s off to the Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba Friday night.
FRENCH CUISINE As our love of French music matures like a fine wine, two of the most engaging and savvy French artist’s return to our stages. So Frenchy So Chic at The Metro theatre this Thursday presents the ultimate double bill featuring Emilie Simon and Melanie Pain. Simon will be showcasing songs from her third album, The Big Machine, which was written and recorded after her move to New York. Pain, who is best known as the singer from French band Nouvelle Vague, will be performing her romantic and seductive solo debut, My Name. Tickets are on sale now.
BETWEEN THE LINES EXPLORING THE SPACE BETWEEN WHAT’S SAID AND WHAT’S MEANT, TOBIAS CUMMINGS HAS CREATED A SUBLIMELY SUBTLE YET INTENSE ALBUM IN A TROPHY. HE TALKS TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT IT.
A
s a songwriter, Melbourne’s Tobias Cummings has always worn his influences fairly prominently on his sleeve, though the fact that there’s a solid nod to the work of poet T.S. Eliott among others on his second album, A Trophy, suggests he’s not simply drawing from the usual musical well. “I read a lot I suppose,” the songwriter, whose press bio makes a point of his academic background in history and literature, explains, “and I have a little book and if there’s some little idea in a novel or even a quote, I like to write those things down. When it comes time to choosing lyrics for melodies and so on, I just bring all of those things to the surface. So often it is novels or films
or poetry that sort of inspires the theme of the song I suppose, and then of course things that go on in my life, but it’s pretty eclectic – there’s not one specific source. I like to keep it broad.” Cummings released his debut EP, You Incomplete Me, in 2004, but it was his 2006 debut album, Join The Dots, that really garnered attention. It took him four years however to release his second album. “I started recording the bare bones of A Trophy two or three months after the first record came out, but there was a very piecemeal approach to making it. Not by choice but through circumstances, so I think that informed the character of the songs and the character of the record a fair bit, because it was a really difficult album to make. It lived up to that second album syndrome to a tee. “There’s a lot of throwaway music out there and I like art that has a depth to it that requires a certain amount of concentration and just time to slowly reveal themselves to you. That’s the most rewarding music for me and the most rewarding film and so on, so that’s what I try to do. Ambiguity is a beautiful thing and I
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don’t like to dictate what a song’s about – it could be about anything.” WHO Tobias Cummings WHAT A Trophy (Departed Sounds/Other Tongues) WHEN & WHERE Sunday, Raval
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 71 •
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THE CONTENDERS
BON AMI! Their electronic sound is so diverse you won’t know what to call them, so just kick back and enjoy Bon Chat Bon Rat. And now Sydney’s ambient and jiving electronic trio - well, that’s close as we can get - are back at The Brass Monkey this Saturday night. There will also be support from special guests Tantrums And Townhouses.
singleFOCUS
epFOCUS
FROM THE SWAMPS
BRIDEZILLA
THE 2010 JÄGERMEISTER INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF SLEEPS AWAY SO BRYGET CHRISFIELD ENCOURAGES BRIDEZILLA’S SAXOPHONIST/ KEYBOARDIST MILLIE HALL AND CLOUD CONTROL’S DUMMER ULRICH LENFFER TO PONDER THEIR BAND’S ODDS.
BRIDEZILLA Nomination: Breakthrough Independent Artist Where were you when you found out you were nominated for the award and who was the first person you told about it? “At home. My manager sent me an email about it. I turned to my boyfriend, who was sitting next to me at the time, and told him.” How did you finance your nominated album and how long did it take to record? “We’re signed to the label, Inertia, who helped finance the record. We spent a few months in a friend’s lounge room rehearsing every day and writing songs. In April last year we stayed at Holiday [Sidewinder, vocals/ guitar]’s riverside house for ten days and recorded The First Dance.” How was the songwriting process for your album? “Usually Holiday would play us a song she had written on guitar or organ and then the rest of the band would add layers to it.” Have you familiarised yourself with your competition? “Yeah. We’re friends with a couple of our competitors.” What’s on the agenda for the rest of the year? “We’re hoping to get over to England at the end of the year and for the last few weeks we’ve been writing some new material – heaps R&B.”
CLOUD CONTROL Nominations: Best Independent Artist; Breakthrough Independent Artist; Best Independent Album – Bliss Release (Ivy League). Where were you when you found out you were nominated for the awards and who was the first person you told about it? “Sitting in a café with a muffin and a coffee. I think I stood up and yelled it to the heavens when I first read it, so probably the whole café were the first people to hear.” How did you finance your nominated album and how long did it take to record? “With sweat and tears and years of toil. Took roughly nine months, but we kept costs down by commandeering lounge rooms as our studio. We also paid our producer Liam [Judson] mainly in love, so it ended up being pretty cheap.”
The soulful ballads and energetic swamp rockin’ tunes from Louisiana’s Lil’ Band O’Gold are coming to our shores this week. On Saturday the legendary purveyors of the finest music a la Deep South Americana will be joining the lineup of The Great Southern Blues Festival, before heading to Newcastle for Sunday a set at Lizotte’s with special guests. If you can’t make it, or you seen it and you still want more, there will be Sydney headline shows to come next week.
LILITH AID This Monday head to The Enmore Theatre and celebrate three incredible female talents on one stage with A Taste of Lilith. This year features the musical brilliance of Lilith’s founder, Canada’s Sarah McLachlan, as well as our very own Kate Miller-Heidke and The Verses. For each ticket sold, A Taste of Lilith will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, so it’s not just a night of great music, but helps a great cause. Tickets are on sale now.
PING OR PONG Friday night at everyone’s favourite indie party, Purple Sneakers, treat yourself to a free game of ping pong. That’s right, the gang at Sneakers are bringing you free ping pong (or table tennis for the classicists) every Friday, amongst all the regular weekly schmoozing of cheap drinks and rocking tunes. Popping in to say hi will be indie darlings Jinja Safari, who will be performing a special DJ set for punters. It all kicks off at 7pm at the Gladstone Hotel.
TEA TIME
RE:ENACTMENT
NAT COL AND THE KINGS
Problematic
Nathan Cavaleri, guitar
What’s the song about? I’ve had a lot of overseas friends tell me how blunt and bitter Australian women can be. I don’t think they’re generally to blame. Australian women have had to evolve an instinctive defence mechanism for the highly vain and arrogant nature of a typical Australian male… Like the guy in Problematic.
One or two years to write with multiple writing phases and three weeks to record and mix.
Is this track from a forthcoming release?
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making?
Our debut album coming out in Autumn 2011! How long did it take to write/record?
Not long. Songs like this should only take the amount of time to write as the moment you’re trying to capture.
YOLANDA, BE COOL
Don’t expect a bootleg reggae version any time soon. If you come to our show you’ll see how much we love playing live and winning people over.
PRIMARY NEEDS Saturday night at Bizzo’s, futuristic space tourists Grafton Primary will be performing songs off their forthcoming new release as well as some old favourites. Get ready to dance, shuffle and shout the night away with their cosmic energy set to stun punters for one night only.
Though Col and I have recorded together before this is Nat Col And The Kings’ first release.
How long did it take to write/record?
The part where some guy will be listening and thinking, ‘Hmm… I like the way this guy rolls… Confident.’ Avoid this person.
FREE FIESTA
How many releases do you have now?
We’ve got two EPs, Kittens and Regicide. You can download them both for free from re-e.net.
What’s your favourite part of the song?
All this Labour Day long weekend, the iconic Darling Harbour will be hosting a free Fiesta with over 30 bands and 45 dance groups performing over the three days, the festival featuring acts such as Cecilia, Noel, Patrulla 81, JJ Son and many, many more.
Nat Col And The Kings – self-titled.
How many releases do you have now?
For the South Coast brethren, Nowra’s newest venue, The Tea Club, will be hosting a night of prog and alternative heavy sounds Friday night. Featuring Wollongong’s Sacred Truth with supports acts Lint and Tzar Bomber. If you like your music loud, don’t miss out.
Sydney’s brand new weekly club night, Velvet Underground will be showcasing the best in local live music every Thursday night. Kicking off this week will be rockers True Love Chaos, Yolanda & The Stolen Boys and Ming Kings. Doors open at 9pm with entry free.
What’s the title of your new EP and where did it come from?
Do you play it differently live?
Will you be launching it?
Yes! We’re playing the Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills on Thursday, then World Bar on Friday with Convaire and Paper Moon.
Overall our inspiration comes from the messages we want to send out to people – both lyrically and musically. The only guide I had during the writing and production process was to keep everything real and organic. Real messages, real instruments, real emotions and consequently the production followed the same path. We would choose takes for performance, feel and emotion over perfection.
What’s your favourite song on it? It’s instinctual to gravitate towards the newlywritten songs over the older ones. Maybe it’s for that reason I choose Kicking And Screaming.
Will you do anything differently next time? It would be great if our budget allowed for a bit more studio time to experiment.
Will you be launching it? This Saturday at the Annandale with Electric Mary, LUST and Raise the Crazy.
ROADS LED THEM HERE Touring on the back of their latest and best record, Endless Roads, Perth hardcore outfit Miles Away are in town this week, playing The Wall Wednesday and Oasis Youth Centre Thursday. Can anyone else smell a classic of contemporary Australian hardcore?
RED RIDERS Simply Red are due at the Bimbadgen Estate this Saturday, their Sydney Opera House shows to take place during mid-October.
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Have you ever won anything in the past?
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
“I think Al [Wright, guitar/vox] just recently won a couple of Starcraft matches, which he is pretty happy about.”
LCD Soundsystem - Home
Where will you put the trophy if you win?
And you all thought they were gone. What better way to welcome in LCD Soundsystem’s imminent arrival in the country for the Big Day Out festival than with the video for their track, Home. Tracking the journey of a aluminium foil robot through town as he meets all sort of characters – and no-one parties like block-head – it’s typically low-budget for the dance superstars. Clocks in at almost eight minutes as well.
“I will install it as the knocker for my front door. Either that or give it to my mum and she will install it on hers.” What do you have planned for us on the night and how would you like the crowd to describe your set afterwards? “A night of wonderment and magic. We hope people leave the show wondering if we are in fact musicians or magicians.” The Jägermeister Independent Music Awards take place on Friday 1 October at the Forum, Melbourne. • 72 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
THE GHOST INSIDE
INSIDE INFORMATION Backing things up after support slots with Parkway Drive last week, The Ghost Inside will play their own headline spot at the Sandringham Hotel this Tuesday with support from Relentless and Hand Of Mercy.
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Directed by Rick Darge vimeo.com/15163137
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GLOBAL CARNIVAL BELLINGEN 2010
proudly sponsored by
CONCERT STAGE BAZAAR STAGE STAR BAR proudly sponsored by Coopers Beers & Cassegrain Wines
SUN 3RD
BRONSON TRIO 12:00 12:00
KENNY LOPEZ and HAVANA CONNECTION 1:00
CALIENTE GUITAR TRIO 1:00
TIBET2TIMBUK2 11:30 GLOBAL BEAT RECORD CLUB
11:00AM
12:00
A LITTLE PROVINCE
12:00
MAIN STAGE
proudly sponsored by
CONCERT STAGE
12:00
EGO LEMOS
BAZAAR STAGE STAR BAR proudly sponsored by Coopers Beers & Cassegrain Wines
11:30 GLOBAL BEAT RECORD CLUB
8:00 WAY
MULATU ASTATKE
UNIFIED GECKO
8:00 THE
10:00
WOOHOO REVUE
Dharma Village Concert 8:00 PM FRIDAY
FYAH WALK 9:00
10:00
SACA LA MOIS DJ
TENZIN CHOEGYAL ‘The Awakened Heart’
YEMANJÁ
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
DIEGO GUERRERO Flamenco Latin Quintet 3:00
5:00
EDDIE BRONSON TRIO
The MONKS of TIBET with TENZIN CHOEGYAL
3:00
5:00
YEMANJÁ
KUSH CABARET
2:00
4:00
THE WOOHOO REVUE
UNIFIED GECKO
02:00
1:00
WAY OUT WEST
2:00
TIBET2TIMBUK2 2:00
LULO REINHARDT 1:00
CALIENTE GUITAR TRIO
03:00
04:00
3:00
GRRILLA STEP
05:00
06:00
5:00
ASH GRUNWALD 4:00
PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA
6:00
DIEGO GUERRERO Flamenco Latin Quintet
4:00
The VERSIONARIES 3:00
FYAH WALK
6:00
KENNY LOPEZ and HAVANA CONNECTION 5:00
VULGARGRAD
ASH GRUNWALD
06:00
4:00
2:00
EGO LEMOS
01:00
BAABA MAAL
10:00
OUT WEST
01:00
12:30 Coffs CIRCUS SCHOOL Aerial
MAIN STAGE
7:00 EDDIE
11:00AM
11:30 Bellinger River DISTRICT PIPE BAND
SAT 2ND
5:30 GLOBAL BEAT RECORD CLUB
11:00 Coffs CIRCUS SCHOOL Aerial
STAR BAR proudly sponsored by Coopers Beers & Cassegrain Wines
LULO REINHARDT
07:00 6:30 PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA
6:30
SACA LA MOIS DJ
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
8:30
11:00
BAABA MAAL
THE BAMBOOS
7:30
10:00
VULGARGRAD
BOMBAY ROYALE
7:30
10:00
GRRILLA STEP
ASH GRUNWALD
7:30
9:30
THE CUMBIA COSMONAUTS
07:00
08:00
The VERSIONARIES 09:00
10:00
8:00
10:30
MULATU ASTATKE and the BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE
P A R A D E
BAZAAR STAGE
11:00
GRRILLA STEP
7:30
CONCERT STAGE
11:00
7:00 Coffs CIRCUS SCHOOL Aerial
THE BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE
10:00
7:00 CABARET of BROKEN HEARTS
GUMBAYNGGIR DANCERS
09:00 9:00
6:00 CABARET of BROKEN HEARTS
7:00
6:00 Coffs CIRCUS SCHOOL Aerial
6:30
08:00
2:30 CABARET of BROKEN HEARTS
proudly sponsored by
07:00
8:00 Coffs CIRCUS SCHOOL Aerial
MAIN STAGE
06:00
1:00 CABARET of BROKEN HEARTS
FRI 1ST
BAABA MAAL 9:30
THE BAMBOOS
9:30
BOMBAY ROYALE 8:00
KUSH CABARET
10:30
THE CUMBIA COSMONAUTS
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 73•
live@drummedia.com.au 1982, that on 2 October, th Pass The ighty DID YOU KNOW… UK singles chart wi changed the original title of The M e th on .1 No at re d ha we h nd ut ba Yo e l Th ica Mus Dutchie. ss The Kutchie, references. Diamonds song, Pa ing banned for drug be ng so e th d oi to, um, av
ON THE DRUM STEREO Tangalooma THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS The Age Of Adz SUFJAN STEVENS Ignite SHIHAD Senior ROYKSOPP God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise RAY LAMONTAGNE AND THE PARIAH DOGS 7th Symphony APOCALYPTICA IRON MAIDEN The Final Frontier Little Joy MY DISCO Fowl HEIRS The Basics THE BASICS
ARIA TOP 10 ALBUMS 1. A Thousand Suns 2. Teenage Dream 3. Little Bird 4. Recovery 5. Guitar Heaven 6. Science & Faith 7. Hands All Over 8. Asylum 9. Going Back 10. Birds Of Tokyo
LINKIN PARK KATY PERRY KASEY CHAMBERS EMINEM SANTANA THE SCRIPT MAROON 5 DISTURBED PHIL COLLINS BIRDS OF TOKYO
FBI’S FAVOURITE NEW AUSSIE SONGS FOR THIS WEEK Bright Idea Slimeface Swimming Pool Thieves Beat Your Thing Influence (feat. Big Buckaroo) Machines Al Gore Mace Spray The World Has A Bank Account
BOOMGATES THE HOLIDAYS CATCALL KES TRIO URTHBOY BOTANICS EMMA DAVIS SANTAFAE THE JEZABELS WONS PHREELY
ARIA TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS 1. Little Birds 2. Birds Of Tokyo 3. Running On Air 4. Midnight Remember 5. Down The Way 6. Rage And Ruin 7. I Believe You Liar 8. Grinderman 2 9. From The Inside Out 10. April Uprising
KASEY CHAMBERS BIRDS OF TOKYO BLISS N ESO LITTLE RED ANGUS & JULIA STONE JIMMY BARNES WASHINGTON GRINDERMAN STAN WALKER JOHN BUTLER TRIO
KILL ‘EM ALL The boldly named Fearless Vampire Killers (thanks Polanski!) are back in Sydney this week, their first visit since their Kasabian supports, previewing songs from their almost finished debut full-length, Suck It Up. Thursday they’re at the GoodGod Small Club with Sister Jane, Friday the Ivanhoe Hotel for the Filth, the latter being free.
BANDS VS DJS Hot Damn at Spectrum this week will welcome Bermuda, Far West Battlefront, The Eradicated and Creation to the stage, before the DJs take control of the upper levels. Plenty of album launches to get your choppers into as well.
BLOODY SUNDAY Screaming Sunday is giving everyone something to think about this week, the all ages gig running from 11am to 3pm. The Sunny Side Up are using it for a launch of their new record, while The Perfect Revolution, A Sleepless Melody, When The World, Karl-Christoph Dinkibike, Beginning Of The End and someone yet to be announced will take to the stage.
FRENCH LEGACIES Emerging onto the international music scene as a guitarist with the revered French outfit Telephone, Louis Bertignac has enjoyed a solo career of ups and downs
since their perhaps inevitable split in ’86. One of the most highly regarded guitarists in his homeland, he’ll be at The Gaelic this Saturday with Brian Campeau as support.
TAKE A FEEL Adelaide-based dance punk act The Touch will release their second EP this week and are hitting the road to promote the release. Titled 1.1, along with the five new originals there’s a bonus disc of eight remixes from various emerging DJs. Thursday they’re at Melt Bar alongside Lions At Your Door.
JUNKED UP The Murder Junkies, the band made famous by their notorious frontman GG Allin, are in Australia this week, led by GG’s brother Merle Allin and original drummer Dino Sex. Who knows what they’ll get up to when they hit the Sandringham Hotel this Saturday, because if they’ve lost anything over their 20-year career, it’s probably girlfriends and maybe teeth, not bite. Catch them on their first, and quite probably last, ever Australian adventure.
WARM CHISEL Due to perform at the Deniliquin Ute Muster on Saturday, legendary Australian pub-rock outfit Cold Chisel are playing a – surely packed – warm-up show at the Shellharbour Worker’s Club Thursday. Best get in contact with the venue to decipher if there are any tickets left available and whether there’ll be any on the door.
LOCAL FOLK The Beach Road Hotel’s Tuesday singer/songwriter night will this week feature Sharmber, The Black Paintings, Zach Abbott and Alisdair McClintock. It’s typically free and kicks off at 8pm.
WORD OF MOUTH For a one-off Sydney show after an appearance at the Brisbane Festival, Cuban a cappella group Vocal Sampling are extending their first ever Australia show. Showcasing a remarkable level of vocal skill, jaws will drop at The Basement, Circular Quay Wednesday, the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre Thursday, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre Friday 1, and Stage 88 Commonwealth Park, Canberra.
How many releases do you have now? We now have two releases, our self-titled debut under our old name, Kira Puru & The Very Geordie Malones, and this new one. There are also some remixes in the works and a reprise of one of our old tracks recorded by our bassist/resident engineer Jamieson Shaw kickin’ around.
How long did it take to write/record? The songs were written over the last year or so, but we spent two days recording live, in the studio and from recording to pressing it may have been around two months, if that. We wanted to keep it felling pretty fresh and tried to remain honest to the energy we have as a live outfit.
Probably everything. I enjoy change. However, I think recording live is a good choice for the boys, their energy intensifies exponentially when they get to feed off each other.
Will you be launching it? We’ll be at The Vanguard Friday and The Phoenix, Canberra, Wednesday 20 October.
VOCAL SAMPLING
For more info see: myspace.com/kirapurumusic
ACROSS 3 Gareth Liddiard recently played a show at the Oxford Art Factory with Booker Prize winning novelist DBC who? 4 Pink Martini members Thomas Lauderdale and Chian Forbes met at which college? 6 What was the title of Grouper’s collaboration with Xiu Xiu? 8 Steve Riley, accordion player for the Lil’ Band O Gold has a solo project called Steve Riley and The Mamou what?
DOWN
e. er ything els
1 Telephone from The Holidays’ self-titled EP was used in an ad by which skincare company?
Tuesday 28th September
2 What is the name of Todd Rundgren’s psychedelic rock back from the ‘60s?
Zac Hurren Trio The Vampires
4 Rick Estrin is renowned for his ability to play which instrument?
Tuesday 5th October
5 Angie Hart most renowned for her time with which pop band?
SNAP The Remco Keijzer Quartet
7 How many albums has Charlie Parr released since 2002?
Now at 505 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
• 74 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2009
The Liar, it’s the name of the first single.
Will you do anything differently next time?
e v o o r g z z Ja zz me ets ev
What’s the title of your new EP and where did it come from?
I think The Liar is the most honest moment on the record. I like that.
LINKIN PARK TREY SONGZ EMINEM JAMEY JOHNSON ROBERT PLANT WEEZER VARIOUS BRANDON FLOWERS KATY PERRY JUSTIN BIEBER
Wh ere ja
KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE
What’s your favourite song on it?
BILLBOARD TOP TEN ALBUMS 1. A Thousand Suns 2. Passion, Pain & Pleasure 3. Recovery 4. The Guitar Song 5. Band Of Joy 6. Hurley 7. Now 35 8. Flamingo 9. Teenage Dream 10. My World 2.0
epFOCUS
9 What is Ben Kweller’s middle name?
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THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 75 •
live@drummedia.com.au
singleFOCUS
SYDONIA Ocean Of Storms
What’s the song about? Someone feeling intense love and letting go of it.
How many releases do you have now? One full-length album, three EPs and two DVDs.
Is this track from a forthcoming release? If things go as planned this song will be on our second album.
How long did it take to write/record? This song didn’t take long to write, it evolved very fast, and except for the end, wrote itself.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? We recorded it over a weekend at Sing Sing Studios and then it was mixed over a week in the UK by Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Trivium, Rodrigo y Gabriela) and Co. The fact that that was happening was inspiring for us, as it was something that was happening purely because his management want to help us and have him do our second album.
What’s your favourite part of the song? Umm... 0:18, 1:55, 2:52 and 3:31.
Will you be launching it? Friday at The Annandale.
For more info see: sydonia.com.au myspace.com/sydonia
BIRDS OF TOKYO
Your music is…?
GIG OF THE WEEK
Indie pop with a little bit of dance and electro mixed in.
As one of the highlights from last weekend’s Coaster festival, Birds Of Tokyo keep the ball rolling this week with their own headline date at the Hordern Pavilion – a venue that shows that they’ve become one of the biggest Australian rock bands going around at the moment. They’ve a new self-titled album to draw material from, and they’ll be supported by the sensational Silversun Pickups as well as The Chemist.
We all listened to very different stuff, however bands like Phoenix, M83 and TV On The Radio influence the band more directly.
What acts inspired you to produce your own music and why?
BIRDS OF PREY
TONED UP
FOUR SQUARE
Dust Tones at the Beach Road Hotel will this week welcome Def Wish Cast, Dialect & Despair (featuring Motion), Social Change, DJ Mathematics and Bentley to its esteemed ranks. Naturally, it’s free.
With the Gaelic reasserts itself with a free Thursday night featuring Sable, The Howling Tongues, Rabble Rabble and The Presence showing off their wares.
HEAVEN SENT Mercury Sky will be leading the acts at the Lewisham Livehouse this Friday, with Veridian and Suns Of Su trailing things closely.
FROM THE NORTH Queensland’s Cleveland Blues headline the Lewisham Livehouse this Thursday, with supports from Jules Backman, The Absence and Butterbox.
HOMEWORK Wednesday’s free night at The Gaelic – The Study – welcomes Huntings, Sleepyhands and Kieran De La Harpe to the stage.
ON HOLIDAY When this week’s cover stars The Holidays take to the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday, they’ll be joined by support acts The Cairos and We Are Fans. Supporting their new album, Post Paradise, the night will be free and essentially kicks off the headliners’ national launch tour.
GET YOUR SHIT IN ATTN: Local bands! If you have a gig or release in the pipeline that you want to promote, send the details, blurb (no longer than 100 words) and pic (no bigger than 1MB, NO SMALLER THAN 200 DPI and in .JPG or .PDF format) to live@drummedia.com.au. Get in quick, it’s fuckin’ FREE!
Playing at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney / Saturday 2nd October with special guest Elle Kennard / Saturday 9th October with special guest Brendan McLean / Saturday 16th October with special guest Los Gatos / Free entry / Doors 8pm / www.thevaudevillesmash.com www.myspace.com/thevaudevillesmash • 76 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2009
CONVAIRE
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What’s your wildest ambition for your music? We only got the band going for a bit of fun, so we’re over the moon with any success we have. It would be great if our music went quadruple platinum and made us billionaires but we won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t.
Why should we come and see you? Convaire shows are a lot of fun and we do things very differently to other bands. Our unique set up means we mix samples with live elements so you’re sure to see something you haven’t seen before.
What’s your greatest rock’n’roll moment? Our bass player Dan catching a drum stick at an Iron Maiden is the closest any of us has come.
For more info see: myspace.com/convaire
Next available at: Friday – MUM residency, every Friday in October Sunday – Parklife
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 77 •
gigs@drummedia.com.au
28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 2010
TUE 28
BEAU SMITH: Stamford Grand Nth Ryde BLACKHEART: The Basement BLUES ROCK SHOW, GREG EGG, CLEANSKINS: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe Brackets & Jam: Bangalow Hotel CAMBO: O’Malleys Kings X IAN BLAKENEY: Dee Why RSL JAMES VALENTINE’S SUPPER CLUB: Golden Sheaf KLONDIKE’S NORTH 40: Sandringham Htl downstairs MATT JONES: Observer Htl MEMORY LOSS: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill MILES AWAY: Axis Youth Centre, Queenbeyan PEACE TRAIN - THE CAT STEVENS STORY: City Recital Hall Angel Place PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl POP PANIC TUESDAY, SHIPWRECK, COSMIC EXPLORER: World Bar Kings X SHARMBER, The Black Paintings, ZACH ABBOTT, ALISDAIR McCLINTOCK: Beach Rd Htl Bondi SOUP GROOVE SESSION: Excelsior Surry Hills THE GHOST INSIDE, RELENTLESS, HAND OF MERCY: Sandringham Htl THEY CALL ME BRUCE: Maloney’s Hotel WHARF REVUE: Riverside Theatre Parramatta ZAC HURREN TRIO, THE VAMPIRES: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
WED 29
ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Maloney’s Hotel ANGIE HART, MATTHEW BARBER, GABRIELLE & CAMERON (DEAD LETTER CHORUS): Brass Monkey ASLAN: Canberra Irish Club, Weston BERNIE MCGANN QUARTET: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills BOB HOWE: Belmont 16’s BUILT TO SPILL: Metro CALLING ALL CARS,
NUMBERS RADIO, YOUNG REVELRY: Charles Sturt Uni, Wagga Wagga CHONTIA: Shoal Bay Resort and Spa CHRISTINE ANU, CASEY DONOVAN, EMMA DONOVON: Notes, Newtown EMMA HAMILTON: Stamford Grand Nth Ryde EMME JAY: The Bank Hotel, Newtown GARY JOHNS, Stuart Davey: Blacktown Workers GARY JOHNS: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park GEMMA: Observer Htl GYPSY & THE CAT, PAPA VS PRETTY: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space HIT AND MISS: Jack’s Bar HUNTINGS, SLEEPYHANDS, KIERAN DE LA HARPE: Gaelic Club IN PIECES: Orient Htl JAGER UPRISING PRESENTS..., THE MING KINGS, EYE TO EYE, TOLHURST, Satellite: Annandale Htl JO ELMS: Dee Why RSL KATRINA BURGOYNE, MICHAEL MUCHOW: Dee Why Hotel MILES AWAY: The Wall (The Bald Faced Stag) MORGAN JOANEL: Uni Bar, UNSW MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Bald Faced Stag ONLY THE SEA SLUGS: Spectrum OPEN MIC NIGHT: Fitzroy Htl Windsor PEACE TRAIN - THE CAT STEVENS STORY: City Recital Hall Angel Place PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PHIL EDGELEY, BEN MURPHY: The View Factory, Newcastle PHILIP RICKETSON: Sandringham Htl SONGSALIVE, MEN WITH DAY JOBS, GAVIN FITZGERALD, EVE GOONAN, Sam Jones, PETER JONES, KEN STEWART, RUSSELL NEAL: Coach & Horses Hotel, Randwick SONGSALIVE, OPEN MIC, April Sky, LUKE KNAPMAN, FERDINAND, PAULY VELLA, HELMUT UHLMANN: Mars Hill Café THE DECKCHAIRS: Jindabyne Memorial Hall THE HOLIDAYS, THE CAIROS, WE ARE FANS: Beach Rd Htl Bondi THE WALL WEDNESDAY: World Bar Kings X
DECLAN KELLY: THURSDAY 30, MACQUARIE HOTEL TOM TRELAWNY: O’Malleys Kings X TOTALLY UNICORN, CAVERNS, HANDSOME, FH: Harp Htl Wollongong TWO MINDS DUO: Ettamogah Htl UNDERGROUND TABLES FEAT, FLAVA: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe VOCAL SAMPLING, DIANNA FUENTES, COLLECTIVE CREW: The Basement WHARF REVUE: Riverside Theatre Parramatta YOURSPACE, TEMPTING EVE, Starr Witness, SHENOA FOX & ALEC DEJANOVIC, MATTIE SLUR, JOHN SHIPPTON, ADAM BACHLEY: Town Hall Htl, Newtown
THU 30
ABBA LIVES: Wests Campbelltown Tennis Club ANDY MAMMERS: Northies Cronulla HtlSport Bar ANGIE HART, MATTHEW BARBER, GABRIELLE & CAMERON (DEAD LETTER CHORUS): Lizottes, Kincumber ANTHEMS OF OZ: Orient Htl ANTOINE: Harbord Beach Htl BATTLE OF THE BANDS: Marlborough Htl BEAU SMITH: Iron Horse Htl Cardiff BHANGLASSI, Vote For Mary, DAMN FINE GENTLEMEN: Sandringham Htl BIRDS OF TOKYO, SILVERSUN PICKUPS: Hordern Pavilion BOY AND BEAR: Great Northern Byron Bay CALLING ALL CARS, NUMBERS RADIO, YOUNG REVELRY: Roi Bar CAMBO: Observer Htl CHARLIE PARR, THE MALADIES: Notes, Newtown COSMIC PSYCHOS, THE RUMJACKS,
HYTEST, THE SOLID GOLD BASTARDS: Harp Htl Wollongong DAVE WHITE: Hillside Htl Castle Hill DAVID AGIUS: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar DECLAN KELLY & THE RISING SUN: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills DEE DONOVAN, MD GREG HOOPER, DOROTHY COOPER: Penrith RSL, Showroom DI SOLOMON: Pioneer Tavern DIESEL: South Newcastle Leagues Emille: Campbelltown Catholic Club - Caf‚ Samba G3: Marble Bar Hilton Htl GEMMA: O’Malleys Kings X GYPSY & THE CAT, MATT WALTERS: Grand Hotel, Wollongong HOT DAMN!, BERMUDA, FAR WEST BATTLEFRONT, THE ERADICATED: Spectrum INCUBATOR: Oxford Art Factory JAZZ FACTORY: The View Factory, Newcastle JIMMY SWOUSE & THE ANGRY DARTS, Hong Kong: Annandale Htl JO VILL: Windang Bowling Club John Hill: Dee Why RSL Katrina: Shoal Bay Resort and Spa KERRY LEIGH: CLUB BELMORE Laurie McKern, ANDREW DENNISTON: Pittwater RSL LUMIERE, THE REENACTMENT, SOLKYRI, BRIGHT QUITO SPRING, WORLD CHAMPION: Excelsior Surry Hills MARK WILKINSON: Brass Monkey MATT JONES DUO: Miranda Htl MICHAEL MCGLYNN: Greengate Htl MILES AWAY: Oasis Youth Centre Wyong MUSOS CLUB JAM NIGHT: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill MY CITY SCREAMS,
SIENNA SKIES, THE BRIDE, IN HEARTS WAKE: The Attic @ Mona Vale Htl NEON HEART: Bull & Bush NIKKO, ELEVENTH HE REACHES LONDON, TO THE NORTH, WE SET SAIL: The Club House Maitland OLD MAN RIVER, ADRIAN DEUTSH, DEAD LETTER CHORUS: The Basement PARIS WELLS: Raval PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PHIL EDGELEY: Northern Star Htl Newcastle ROCK OUT WITH YOUR WOK OUT, DaNIEL HOPKINS: Narrabeen Sands ROSS WARD: gj’s Coffee Lounge SABLE, THE HOWLING TONGUES, RABBLE RABBLE: Gaelic Club SALSA ON THE ROCKS, DWIGHT ‘CHOCOLATE’ ESCOBAR: Cruise Bar, The Rocks SAM & JAMIE BAND: Maloney’s Hotel SONGSALIVE, KRISTIAN JACKSON, UNDER THE PURPLE TREE: Henry Lawson Club SONGSALIVE, MEN WITH DAY JOBS, CONFESSION & DENIAL, STANMORE PHOENIX, CASSANDRA SMILES, CAROLYN CRYSDALE: Penshurst Htl SOUL / FUNK / ROCK SHOW, SOUL MOTEL, SYNTH ENSEMBLE, LANA SAYA, JAM SESSION: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe SSA CONCERT FEAT., April Sky, KEN STEWART, ZOE VAUGHN, ALAN WATTERS, PAT O’GRADY, MATTHEW JAMES, HELMUT UHLMANN: Newtown RSL STEVE EDMONDS
BAND: Empire of Annandale Hotel STICKY FINGERS, CORDUROY PILLOW: The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle STORMCELLAR: Dry Dock Htl Balmain TALK OF THE TOWN: Wallsend Sporties TEENAGE KICKS: World Bar Kings X TERRY BATU: Clubhouse Htl, Cowra THE CONTINENTAL BLUES TRIO: Funky Cafe, Newtown THE NEXT STEP: Hornsby RSL THE SACRED TRUTH: Club 77 William St THE TOUCH, LIONS AT YOUR DOOR: Melt Bar Kings X THE VIEW FROM MADELEINE’S COUCH: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills VELVET UNDERGROUND, TRUE LOVE CHAOS, YOLANDA & THE STOLEN BOYS, THE MING KINDS: Civic Htl Pitt St VOCAL SAMPLING, AFTERPARTY: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre WHARF REVUE: Riverside Theatre Parramatta ZOLTAN: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta
FRI 01
2 OF HEARTS: Engadine RSL ALL STAR TRIO, NICKI KURTA: Ettamogah Htl ANGIE HART, MATTHEW BARBER, GABRIELLE & CAMERON (DEAD LETTER CHORUS): Notes, Newtown ANTHONY FERRIS, BEN FOSTER: The View Factory, Newcastle ASH GRUNWALD, THE DEAD BEAT BAND: Great Northern Byron Bay BANG BANG GUNS, CARLISLE, CROSSING LINES, GUNDO, KROSS JUNKIE, PLASTIC SOLDIERS: Gaelic Club BENN GUNN: Mill Hill Htl
BIG RADIO DYNAMITE: East Leagues BIG RICH: Beachcomber Htl Toukley BLACK CHERRY CLUB, LAZYS: Factory Theatre BLUE SHADDY: Heathcote Hotel BRAD JOHNS: Dee Why RSL BRAILLE, WIZDM, OAKBRIDGE, NICK KNOWLEDGE, BRB, LEE MONRO, IZZY & THE PROFIT: Eleven Nightclub, Paddington BREWSTER BROS: Avalon Beach Htl BRIDEZILLA, WIM, ZEAHORSE, ARKESTRA, DARK BELLS, PSYCHONANNY & THE BABY SHAKERS, OLD MEN OF MOSS MOUNTAIN, SICK PYTHON, + more: Oxford Art Factory BROWN SUGAR: Marble Bar Hilton Htl BRYEN WILLEMS: Real Life Theatre, Sydney CALIFORNICATIONRED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS: Bull & Bush CHARLIE PARR: Brass Monkey CHRIS ALEXANDER TRIO: Rydges Htl Campbeltown CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY: Empire of Annandale Hotel COSMIC PSYCHOS, THE RUMJACKS, THE CORPS, BLACK LOOP: The Wall (The Bald Faced Stag) DAMN FINE GENTLEMEN: Batemans Bay Soldiers Club DAN LAWRENCE, ARGYLE ORACLE: Greengate Htl DAVE WHITE DUO: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta DAVID AGIUS: Macquarie Htl, Liverpool DAVID CAMPBELL: Revesby Workers DEF WISH CAST, DIALECT & DESPAIR, SOCIAL CHANGE, BENTLEY: Beach Rd Htl Bondi DENNIS AUBREY’S SONGWRITERS NIGHT: Newtown RSL DORA D: Albion Htl DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Point Bowling Club DOUBLE WHAMMY: Kurnell Rec Club EBONY & IVORY: Matraville Htl FINN:
THEKHANZ SAT2OCT8PM
RUBYRABBIT
New CD “Triggers” out now in stores and on iTunes • 78 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
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Toronto Htl FUNHOUSE DUO: Matraville RSL HIT MACHINE: Engadine Family Tavern HUE WILLIAMS: Avalon RSL IDOL KARAOKE: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill ILLAWARRA FOLK CLUB CONCERT, JIM LOWE, GET FOLKED, CJ SHAW, AZ-I-AM FEAT CHRIS WILSON, KENNY BARTLEY: City Diggers Wollongong IN PIECES: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL INTIMATE LOUNGE MUSIC: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JEFF ADAMS: Hills District Bowling Club JELLY FISH: Avoca Beach Htl JIMMY BEAR: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne Johnny Vinyl, STRIKE: Cruise Bar, The Rocks JONNY ROCK: Brewhouse Pub St Marys JONNY ROCK: Collingwood Htl JP DUO: Mean Fiddler Htl JUICY FRUIT: MJ Finnegans Newcastle KEITH ARMITAGE: Harbord Beach Htl KIRA PURA & THE BRUISE, LANIE LANE: The Vanguard LEE ROFLE: Docks Htl LEEROY & THE RATS: East Maitland Bowling Club Liquid Sky: Candys Apartment LJ: Kro Bar, East Leagues Club, Bondi Junction LOGIC: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills LOLLIPOP SUGAR, OXYGEN THIEF, DANGER BUS, UPSIDE DOWN MISS JANE: Lansdowne Htl LUKE ROBINSON: Parramatta RSL MARK WILKINSON: Clarendon Guest House MATT BOURNE, CHRIS STEWART: Vineyard Htl MATT JONES DUO: Hillside Htl Castle Hill MATT PRICE: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park MAX SMIDT: Town Hall Htl Balmain MEREWETHER FATS TRIO, THOMAS LAWSON: The View Factory, Newcastle (Afternoon) MOJADA, BONNEY READ, IF WE HAD A BOAT: @ Newtown NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB, THE DIRTY SECRETS: The Forum Ent Quarter Moore Park
+ IF WE HAD A BOAT + HOWLER + SLOW WAVES + HOWL AT THE MOON + POST PAINT
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 79 •
gigs@drummedia.com.au
28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 2010 OLD MAN RIVER, ADRIAN DEUTSH: Lizottes, Kincumber OUR LAST ENEMY: Club LED, Newcastle PAPER MOON, HOWLING TO THE MOON, THE REENACTMENT, CONVAIRE, WE ARE FANS, WOLVES, ORCA! STRAIGHT AHEAD!: Mum @ The World Bar PETE HUNT: Chatswood RSL PETER BATU: Oasis on Beamish PETER HEAD: Harbourview Htl PIANOMAN: Cruise Restaurant PINK MARTINI: State Theatre PURPLE SNEAKERS, Girls Gone Wrong, ALISTAIR ERSKINE, + more: Gladstone Htl REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Narrabeen Sands REEL SESSIONS, DAMIEN GOUNDRIE, BEN KELLY: The Bank Hotel, Newtown REYES DE LA ONDA: Macquarie Htl Surry Hills ROB HENRY DUO: Australian Hotel & Brewery, Annangrove ROCK SHOW, CELL, CITY IN CRISIS, THE UNDERSTATEMENT, THE CALLING OF LEVI: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe ROSS WARD: Pyrmont Bridge Hotel ROSS WILSON: Mingara Rec Club SAM & JAMIE BAND: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl SEABELLIES: Grand Hotel, Wollongong SEATTLE SOUND, THE BAVARIANS: Crows Nest Htl SHANE FLEW & THE CUCKOO’S NEST: Manly Fig SHANNON NOLL: Bunnings, Seven Hills SON OF MERCURY: Jewells Tavern, Jewells, Central Coast SONGSALIVE, DaVID STATTOT, BEVAN WILES, ANDREW DENNISTON: Casa Di Musica SONGSALIVE, ZACH GERVAISE, RANI’S FIRE, AMY LEEWILSON, FREEFALL, VITALEY OVCHINNIKOV, BRETT GEDGE, JOHN MOULANG, CHESHIRE CATZ: Ryans Htl Thirroul SPEEDSTER: Mount Druitt Workers Club STEVE EDMONDS: Crown Htl Sydney SYDONIA: Annandale Htl
THE CATHOLICS: The Sound Lounge Seymour Centre THE DOORS EXPERIENCE: Dicey Rileys THE LITTLE BIG BAND: Mattara Hotel, Newcastle TWO MINDS DUO: Kirribilli Htl TWO PIANO’S, Duelling piano show: Club Five Dock UNDERCOVER: Campbelltown Catholic Club VOCAL SAMPLING, AFTERPARTY: Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan WHARF REVUE: Riverside Theatre Parramatta WHITE BROS: Quakers Inn YARDVARK, MILKMAIDS, MENDING MELISSA, THE LAST CAVALARY: Excelsior Surry Hills ZOLTAN: Revesby Workers, Skyline Lounge
SAT 02
2 OF HEARTS: Australian Hotel & Brewery, Annangrove ALL STAR TRIO: Maloney’s Hotel ANGELAS DISH, MATT CORBY: Sydney International Equestrian Park ANGIE HART, MATTHEW BARBER, GABRIELLE & CAMERON (DEAD LETTER CHORUS): Clarendon Guest House ARMCHAIR TRAVELLERS DUO: Miranda RSL BACK TO THE 80’S: Epping Htl BEATNIX: Mingara Rec Club BELLINGEN GLOBAL CARNIVAL, ASH GRUNWALD: Bellingen Showgrounds BLACK DIAMOND HEART CLUB: 3 Wise Monkeys BRYEN WILLEMS: Heritage Mall, Maitland (Afternoon) BRYEN WILLEMS: Maitland Leagues Club CALLE MACONDO: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills CASS EAGER & THE VELVET ROPE: Grand Junction Htl Maitland CHARTBUSTERS: Campbelltown Catholic Club CHRIS ALEXANDER: Revesby Workers COSMIC PSYCHOS, THE RUMJACKS, Driving The Rhino, Brown Esky: Manly Fishos DAN LAWRENCE, ROB HENRY: Observer Htl DAN SPILLANE: Town Hall Htl Balmain DARLING HARBOUR
• 80 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
SYDONIA: FRIDAY 1, ANNANDALE HOTEL LATIN FIESTA, THE VIEW FROM MADELEINE’S COUCH: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour DARREN JOHNSTONE: Greengate Htl DAVID AGIUS TRIO: Star City Pyrmont DAVID CAMPBELL: Cronulla Sharks Denmarko’s Dog: Macquarie Arms Htl DES GIBSON: Lansvale Htl DON HOPKINS BAND: Jewells Tavern, Jewells, Central Coast DOOMSDAY FESTIVAL, ACID KING, POD PEOPLE, LOOKING GLASS, SUMMONUS, CLAGG, SONS OF IONIAN SEA, FATTURA DELLA MORTE, MOTHER MARS: @ Newtown DORA D DUO: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta DOUBLE WHAMMY: Sharkies FINN: Teagardens Htl FOREVER ROD: TRIBUTE TO ROD STEWART: Dee Why RSL GEMININE, ARCHAIC, ENGINE THREE SEVEN, DUMBSAINT, ARCTIC, BEAUFIELDS, MINUS HOUSE, VEORA: Excelsior Surry Hills GEOFF DAVIES: Heathcote Hotel GERRY & THE ATRIX: Matraville RSL GOODNIGHT DYNAMITE: Ettamogah Htl HEATH BURDELL: Northies Cronulla HtlSport Bar HENDRIX & HEROES: Notes, Newtown IGNITION: Bull & Bush JAMES CHATBURN: The View Factory, Newcastle JAZZ NOUVEAU: Fairfield RSL, Supper Club JOEL SARAKULA: Stamford Grand Nth Ryde LANEOUS & THE
FAMILY YAH: Brewery, Byron LAURIE BENETT: Penrith RSL, Castle Lounge LAWRENCE BAKER: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl LEAH FLANAGAN, MELANIE HORSNELL: Raval LENNI JOSEPH: Hills District Bowling Club LJ: Pittwater RSL MARK DA COSTA, THE BLACK LIST: Crows Nest Htl MARK WILKINSON: Nowra Tea Club Marty Mulholland: Waterworks Htl, Botany MATT BOURNE: Picton Htl MATT JONES: PJ Gallaghers Drummoyne MATT PRICE DUO, ANDY MAMMERS DUO: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar METALCORE/HARDCORE SHOW, THE CONVICTS, TO THE SKY, THOUGHTS UNDER FIRE, ABSOLUTION, TENPENNY TOWERS, THE DRIFTWOOD THEORY: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe NICKI KURTA: Sir Joseph Banks Hotel OLD MAN RIVER, ADRIAN DEUTSH: Lizottes, Newcastle ONE HIT WONDERS: Blacktown RSL ONE WORD: Courthouse Htl OUR LAST ENEMY, DAWN HEIST, RECOIL: SFX, St James Hotel PAUL SUN TRIO: Fitzroy Gardens, Macleay Street Kings Cross PETE HUNT: Ingleburn Htl PIANOMAN: Cruise Restaurant POP FICTION: East Leagues POP FICTION: Eastern Suburbs Leagues RAISE THE CRAZY, ELECTRIC MARY, NAT COLES & THE KINGS, L.U.S.T: Annandale Htl REBECCA JOHNSON BAND: Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill Rolling Stoned:
Diggers at The Entrance ROSS WARD: Imperial Htl, Bowral SAMBA FROG, LORDZ OF THE FLY, TRIPLE REBELS, + more: Oxford Art Factory, Live Art Space SHAKE! SHAKE! SHAKE!: Candys Apartment SHARON BOWMAN: Brewhouse Pub Marayong SIERRA MONTANA: Spectrum SONGSALIVE, CAROLYN CRYSDALE: Grumpy’s, Hurlstone Park SOUL TATTOO: St George Motor Boat Club SPRING BREAK: Mean Fiddler Htl, Woolshed STEVE BALBI: Harbord Beach Htl SUSAN GAI DOWLING DUO: Jazushi Restaurant Surry Hills TAYLOR KING: Roxbury Htl Glebe THE CATHOLICS: The Sound Lounge Seymour Centre THE KHANZ, IF WE HAD A BOAT, HOWLER, SLOW WAVES, HOWL AT THE MOON, POST PAINT: Ruby Rabbit Darlinghurst THE LAZYS: The Factory Theatre THE MURDER JUNKIES, THE BLURTERS, THE CORPS, THE VEEBEES, RUKUS: Sandringham Htl THE NEXT STEP: Revesby Workers, Whitlam Theatre THE ROCK MONSTERS: Carousel Inn Rooty Hill THE ZIPS: West Illawarra Leagues THUNDERSTRUCK-AC/DC SHOW: New Brighton Golf Club TODD RUNDGREN: The Basement TOM & DAVE SHOW: Mean Fiddler Htl TONITES THE NIGHTROD STEWART SHOW: Kareela Golf Club
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VAUDEVILLE SMASH, ELLE KENNARD: Oxford Art Factory, Gallery VOCAL SAMPLING: Stage 88 Commonwealth Park ACT WET ZELKO: Novotel - Brewery Bar, Olympic Park WHAM!, JAMES TAYLOR, JOHNNY RAD, FOUNDATION, ROB MARSHALL, MONEY SHOT, GABRIEL CLOUSTON, DAIGO, + more: World Bar Kings X WHARF REVUE: Riverside Theatre Parramatta XTRA HOT: Brighton RSL YUKI KUMAGAI, JOHN MACKIE, TONY BURKYS, RON GILLET, ALAN GILBERT: Fraternity Club, Wollongong
SUN 03
A-LIVE: Macarthur Tavern Campbelltown AMY MEREDITH: The Northern Hotel Byron Bay ANDY MAMMERS: Northies Cronulla HtlSport Bar ANTOINE: O’Malleys Kings X ASLAN: The Forum Ent Quarter Moore Park BARNSTORMIN: Bateau Bay Htl BEN KWELLER, DELTA SPIRIT: Factory Theatre BLOW: Heathcote Hotel BRIAN KING: Campbelltown Catholic Club - Caf‚ Samba CECILIA NOEL: The Basement CHRIS TURNER & THE CAVEMEN: Bald Rock Htl Rozelle CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY: Pyrmont Bridge Hotel CUT COPY, CHIDY BANG, AC SLATER, AJAX, WASHINGTON, MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS, THE WOMBATS (UK), GYPSY & THE CAT, BAG RAIDERS: Parklife @ Kippax Lake/ Moore Park DANIEL LEE KENDALL, JACOB PEARSON:
Lizottes, Kincumber DAVE WHITE DUO: Northies Cronulla Htl DAVID AGIUS DUO: Ettamogah Htl DIAMOND WILLIAMS: The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle DOOM/STONER ROCK SHOW, ACID KING, KK NULL, DAREDEVIL, BIRDMANN, ARROWHEAD: Valve Bar and Venue, Tempe EYE OF THE TIGER: Riverstone Sportsman Htl FINN: Kent Htl Hamilton Francis Edwards Sings the 1960’s: The Point Hotel Pyrmont GARY JOHNS DUO: Club Five Dock GODSKITCHEN, ANDY MOOR, JOHN O’CALLAGHAN, MARCEL WOODS, WIPPENBERG: Hordern Pavilion HAPPY HIPPIES: Hillside Htl Castle Hill HELPFUL KITCHEN GODS, CHURCH APE, SOMETHING ELSE & THE REASONS, THEOPHONES B, STUART JAMMIN: Gladstone Htl HIT MACHINE: Campbelltown Catholic Club HUE WILLIAMS: Long Jetty Htl JASON LEE: Penrith RSL, Castle Lounge K.P: Hills District Bowling Club LA LECHE!: Metro LEK FONQ: Beach Rd Htl Bondi LICKIT!: Notes, Newtown LJ: Panthers North Richmond MANLY JAZZ FESTIVAL, THE VIEW FROM MADELEINE’S COUCH, DOUG & TIAAN: Manly Beach MATT JONES DUO: Harbord Beach Htl MATT JONES DUO: Mean Fiddler Htl MILES AWAY: YAC, Byron Bay NICKI KURTA: Greengate Htl NICKI KURTA: Town Hall Htl Balmain Randy: Hurstville RSL Club ROB HENRY: Miranda Htl SATELLITE V: Botany View Htl SCREAMING SUNDAY, PERFECT REVOLUTION, A SLEEPLESS MELODY, WHEN THE WORLD, KARL - CHRISTPOH, DINKIBIKE, BEGINNING
OF THE END: Annandale Htl (afternoon) SEATTLE SOUND: Mean Fiddler Htl, Woolshed SMOOTH SAILIN, LEVINS, KATO, BAD EZZY, DISCO PUNX, HIPPY JOEL, + More: World Bar Kings X STEVE EDMONDS BAND: Premier Hotel, Broadmeadow SUCCESS SUMMITT 2010, ZOND, ROYAL HEADACHE, BLANK REALM, BOOMGATES, WOLLEN KITS: Annandale Htl SUNDAY DIRTY SUNDAY: Candys Apartment SUN-SETS: Cruise Bar, The Rocks SUPERFLORENCEJAM, SPECTACLES, ARCTIC, THE POLITIKS, THIN AIR: Excelsior Surry Hills THE BANDITS: East Leagues THE PROTECTORS: Marlin Htl Ulladulla THE TONEDOGS: Macquarie Arms Htl THE VILLIANS: Towradgi Beach Htl THUNDERSTRUCK-AC/ DC SHOW: Crows Nest Htl TWO MINDS DUO: Woolloomooloo Bay Htl VINCE LOVEGROVE, PETER HEAD: Sandringham Htl WHITE BROS: PJ Gallaghers Parramatta ZOLTAN: Penrith Panthers, Fluid Bar
MON 04
BLUE SHADDY: Towradgi Beach Htl DANIELLE SPENCER: Raval DAVE TICE, DINKI DI ACOUSTIC, JULIE NELSON, RATHER HARUN, GRAHAM HEALY: Hive Bar, Erskineville HAPPY HIPPIES DUO: Ettamogah Htl JOHN FARNHAM EXPERIENCE, MELINDA SCHNEIDER: Big Top Luna Park KATE MILLER-HEIDKE: Enmore Theatre MAKIN’ WHOOPEE: Castle Hill Tavern ROSS WILSON: Centennial Vineyards, Bowral SONGSALIVE, ROSS BRUZZESE, ZAHLU, RUSSELL NEAL: Kellys on King Newtown SONGSALIVE, UNDER THE PURPLE TREE: Springwood Sports Club SONGWRITER SESSIONS: Excelsior Surry Hills THE MUTE CANARY PROJECT: 505, 280 Cleveland St Surry Hills
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 81 •
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH BTL@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
LIMITED EDITION LENNON GIBSON As part of the celebration of what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday this coming 9 October, Gibson Acoustic is releasing three limited edition guitars – the 70th Anniversary John Lennon Imagine Model, the 70th Anniversary John Lennon J-160VS and the 70th Anniversary John Lennon Museum J-160E Model. The then new acoustic/electric Gibson J-160E was one of the first guitars Lennon lusted after back in 1962 and it became one of his trademark writing and performing guitars. Gibson’s luthiers, based in the company’s Montana acoustic guitar facility, have recreated the guitar in period-perfect detail and in three distinct versions to represent the instrument at three periods in Lennon’s life and career. The first, finished in Vintage Sunburst – hence it’s the J-160VS – and limited to 500 guitars, represents the guitar as it was when Lennon first acquired and used it. The reproduction includes a John Lennon MOP signature on the headstock, ‘60s laminated Sitka Spruce Top, mahogany back and sides, the classic vintage Sunburst lacquer finish, jumbo ‘60s Frets, Gibson authentic P-90 pickups, a historic adjustable bridge and a 70th Anniversary MOP engraved 12th fret birth date of Lennon. The second is the Custom Shop “Imagine” model in a soft white finish personally requested by Yoko Ono to reflect the sentiment of his life and music during the recording of Imagine, while the third, the J-160E, is the model as it is today, on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, with a thin, natural finish and Lennon’s John And Yoko caricature sketches, representing the appearance of the guitar during the infamous ‘Bed-In’ peace protests of 1969. Each is limited to 70 guitars and both include a special 70th Anniversary Certificate personally signed by Yoko Ono and sent to the final purchaser by Certified Mail. The white Gibson Acoustic “Imagine” model includes an anniversary John Lennon Abalone headstock signature, 70th Anniversary MOP engraved 12th fret birth date of Lennon, ‘60s laminated Sitka Spruce top, historic Gibson Ladder bracing pattern, Mahogany back and sides, jumbo ‘60s frets, historic adjustable bridge, Gibson authentic P-90 pickups and a custom hardshell case. The Gibson Acoustic Lennon Museum J-160E model includes pretty much all of the above. For more information on the three very special Gibson 70th Anniversary John Lennon acoustic guitars, visit gibson. com or ask your local stockist.
RAISE YOUR VOICE WITH VENDERA Officially the world’s first ever singer recorded as having shattered a wine glass with only his voice, American vocal coach Jamie Vendera, together with fellow American, guitarist and performance coach Scott Stith, is in Australia to deliver a series of his Raise Your Voice vocal performance workshops. Workshops will comprise of two key components – a product clinic in which participants will preview some of Amber Technology’s latest range of Blue Microphones and the TC Helicon vocal processors; and an intensive two-hour Master Class, where participants will learn Vendera’s Ultimate Vocal Workout method, designed to “help students increase their vocal range, power, quality and stamina, providing them with the tools to take their singing skills from the garage to the stage.” Vendera will present his Raise Your Voice workshop from 6.30pm on Monday at the Bald Faced Stag, with the limited number of tickets available for $60 plus booking fee. Full event details can be found at the JustForSingers website.
SOUND BYTES Gold Coast rockers Helm have scored an endorsement for all things relating to guitars and amps by Fender Australia. Glasgow’s Belle & Sebastian took themselves off to Los Angeles to record their forthcoming album, Belle And Sebastian Write About Love, with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Phoenix) at Sound Factory Studio B. Recorded over 11 days, Elvis Costello utilised Sound Emporium in Nashville and Village Recorders in Los Angeles to record his latest album, National Ransom, with producer T Bone Burnett. The album was engineered and mixed by Michael Piersante at Electromagnetic in LA. Taking themselves to Andrew McGee’s Empty Room Studio in Nagambie in Victoria’s high country, Roller One aka singer/songwriter Fergus McAlpin and double bassist Adam Afiff, both ex-Silver City Highway, recorded their debut album, Roller One – Motorsports, which was mixed by Casey Rice (Pikelet, Dirty Three) and mastered by Mark Kramer (Galaxie 500, Low, The Jezabels) at his Noise New York recording studio. • 82 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
RESONATING STORIES
EACH GUITAR TELLS IT’S OWN STORY AND MARK LIZOTTE – AKA DIESEL – IS TELLING ALL THOSE TALES ON HIS UPCOMING 7 AXES TO GRIND TOUR. HE SPOKE TO MICHAEL SMITH ABOUT THE SHOWS AND THE HISTORY BEHIND HIS WEAPONS OF CHOICE. was 1980-whatever, so every music store you went into someone was trying to sell you a Floyd Rose [tremolo setup]. So I dug a hole out of it, put a Floyd Rose in and then spent the next six or seven years dealing with blocks that split, driving me nuts. I’ve never really wanted to do all that crazy ‘dive-bombing’ anyway that was happening with Floyd Roses at the time, that whole glam-rock metal thing. All I wanted was a bit of tremolo and maybe some bends to make it sound like I was playing slide because I was too poor and only had the one guitar. Anyway, the Strat has been a real part of my DNA since then.”
Mark Lizotte, who’s been travelling on and off for most of career as Diesel, has always been as much a passionate guitar player as he is a consummate singer and songwriter, so inevitably he’s collected a few choices “axes” on his travels. He’s been recording a new album based around several of those guitars and decided he may as well take those instruments on a bit of a tour – the 7 Axes To Grind Tour in fact. “It’s not uncommon for me,” Lizotte admits. “I’ve been travelling with a lot of guitars for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never really focused on that or made it a calculated thing of which ones I’m going to bring or why I’m going to bring them and taking out things I wouldn’t normally take out too, so this is just an opportunity to talk about how the guitar has influenced a particular song, how the sound can kind of influence the thing. It’s definitely been that way for me.” Among the guitars he’s taking out for this tour are his trusty 1930 Style O National Resonator Guitar “which Qantas have done a good job of crushing a few times,” he admits. “It looks like it’s indestructible but it’s actually very delicate. It’s made of nickel-plated brass but the resonator is very, very thin – micro-thin filament – that’s what gives it the speaker effect and if that gets just one little dent in it, it goes very pear-shaped; it sounds very sick! “I’ve written lots of things on it, most recently, Tear Out The Man, which is on Project Blues, which came out in October last year. It tends to live in either D major or D minor, saddest of all keys. First time I used it on a record was Short Cool Ones, which I made with Chris Wilson, on the Howlin’ Wolf song, Spoonful. It’s got this raucous sound, kind of like two garbage bin lids being smashed together with some strings in between. It’s pretty raw.” Lizotte has a number of Fender Stratocasters but the one he’s taking out this time around is “a bits and pieces – it’s a neck that I’ve had for a long time and I’ve tried it
on just about every body I could find. I think it’s a ’68 or ’69 neck, with a big headstock, flares on the headstock, CBS-period with a Bullet truss rod, but it’s a real chunky thing – it’s huge – and I use really heavy strings on my electrics and my acoustics pretty much, very similar gauge Ernie Balls actually, so the big neck works well. “I had a really cheap Gibson Melody Maker copy thing – the cogs inside the machine heads were made of plastic so it was never gonna stay in tune basically! So as I started experimenting with heavier gauges of strings, that’s when it really started freaking out, so I took out a loan and bought a bottom of the range Yamaha SG 200, but still a decent Japanese-crafted guitar that stayed in tune but it wasn’t humbuckers like the sounds I was listening to at the time like Hendrix, it was single coils so I was never gonna really get those tones, but I didn’t know until somebody handed me a Fender Stratocaster. “It was this very generous guy that saw me play in my first band in Perth – I was like fourteen – and when I first plugged it in everything changed. It sounded like a nail-gun comin’ at me. I adjusted it and I got it – you can use the neck all the way to the bridge and it’s very versatile. It was a non-tremolo Strat, which is pretty rare – a bolted-on bridge with no tremolo – and this
He’s also bringing along a little Kay mandolin, on which he’s been writing a lot recently – “a new family member” – and a banjo, a Japanese-crafted black Silver Falcon Gretsch and another essential part of the artillery, the ‘Diesel Mini’ for Australia’s own Maton Guitars, which Lizotte co-designed. “It’s my moneymaker guitar, my breadwinner! Looking at it you can see how many gigs I’ve done on it – it’s ridiculous – and it’s not that old actually. It morphed into something I can play electric and acoustic on and I never imagined that I’d get that sort of satisfaction, but that was always my frustration when I first picked up an acoustic on stage and I worked how to get a decent acoustic sound and then I’d want to do something electric and I couldn’t. I know there are guitars that have those little Piezo pickups and all that sort of stuff but it’s an electric that sounds a little bit acoustic and I needed an acoustic that sounded a lot acoustic and a lot electric! The mechanics still have to be representative of what an acoustic guitar is so that’s where the Mini works so well with me. ” Diesel plays Thursday at South Newcastle Leagues Club, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 October The Vanguard, Thursday 28 The Annandale Hotel, Friday 12 November Revesby Workers, Saturday 13 Penrith Panthers, Thursday 18 and Friday 19 Brass Monkey
THE AMERICAN HIGHWAY I FENDER PRECISION BASS I’ve been playing a 1976 F-Series Fender Precision bass since early 1978, when I bought one from the then bass player from Supernaut, now singer/songwriter Phillip Foxman. It meant relegating my then main bass, a 1974 Rickenbacker stereo, to back-up, as the band I was in at the time wanted the tougher, grittier rock edge the Precision delivers live and on record. In fact, for the album we recorded in November the year before, I’d loaned a classic L-Series (1963-’65) so it was also a case of matching the tracks that didn’t feature the Rickenbacker in live performances. So anyway, I thought I’d have a look at this year’s model and see if Fender has been able to better the original template for a rock’n’roll bass without losing its essence. Well, to be perfectly honest, the good news is that they haven’t messed with the original P-bass as designed by the late Leo Fender and released to the mass market way back in 1951 one iota – or barely anyway. For those of you coming into the story for the first time, the Fender Precision was the first mass-produced and thereby became the most widely used electric bass guitar. Fender, who unlike Les Paul, who was developing what would become the flagship electric guitar for Gibson, was an inventor from southern California rather than musician, had adapted his solid-body electric guitar design so that the bass could be played like a guitar, with frets to allow for greater precision – hence the name – and of course set up with pickups that allowed it to be amplified, allowing the bass to be heard within the mix of a band in live performance. This had become a real issue with the evolution of the jazz big bands of the 1930s and ‘40s where both the acoustic double bass and the guitar were being drowned out by the vast batteries of brass instruments. While the Precision wasn’t the first electric bass, its sturdiness – its body made of a solid block of ash or alder wood, the one-piece maple wood neck, bolted on and with a truss rod to help the neck resist being bent and bowed by the tension placed on it by the strings – and availability gave it a natural advantage. The original P-bass came with one single-coil pickup,
changing over to the standard split-coil humbucking pickup with staggered polepieces in 1957, while the headstock and pickguard were also redesigned that year to more closely match their then new Stratocaster guitar, while the rosewood fingerboard glued to a maple neck didn’t become standard until 1966, the year CBS bought the Fender company. It’s the pre-1966 model basses and guitars that fetch the biggest prices among collectors. The original 1951 model was reissued in 1968 as the Telecaster bass. One of the contributing factors to the P-bass’ early popularity was the fact that one Bill Black owned one. He was one of the Sun Studios session guys in Memphis and used it on the recording of Jailhouse Rock and more importantly on the film clip that was made to showcase Elvis Presley to the wider world, which meant aspiring rock’n’roll bass players got to see the instrument that was making that big beefy sound, the P-bass obviously having so much more grunt (and dare I say sexier-looking?) than the double bass Bill Haley’s bass player Marshall Lytle was having to heave around in Rock Around The Clock. Fender call the sunburst model under review the American Highway 1 Fender Precision and it’s pretty much a replica of the passive rather than active original model on which my 1976 P-bass and the rest of the line are based, so really, what differences exist are principally
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cosmetic, essentially fine-tuning and bringing what they obviously got right the first time around up to date. The biggest plus is the high-density alloy zinc Badass Bass II, head and shoulders above the original Fender setup and something I really should replace on my own bass as I have on my Rickenbacker – time to start saving. The Hipshot tuning keys too are a huge improvement on the original model and for the techies out there, it comes with a Greasebucket tone circuit. The satin nitro finish makes the neck very smooth and comfortable, again a subtle improvement on the high-gloss polished lacquer finish on my P-bass and overall it felt a little lighter – 30 percent apparently according to the official specs – and that’s always a plus, lugging a five rather than six kilogram slab of wood round your neck. For that matter the CNB guitar case in which the bass comes weighs a whole lot less than my ‘70s-style heavy-duty flight case – a regular back-breaker! – though how it would cope in the baggage bay is a whole other story. All up, the American Highway I, an upgrade apparently of the 2006 edition, is a lovely solid working bass and a credit to a justly legendary line that, in a very real sense, created a whole new musical genre – rock’n’roll. Michael Smith For stockists, head to www.fender.com.au. Supplied by Allans Music + Billy Hyde, www.allansmusic.com.au.
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THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL HAVE: s A proven ability to work within a highly driven team, s A proven capacity to meet sales targets, s An eye for identifying opportunities. s The ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines. s Time management skills, and the ability to work with minimum supervision. If you are looking to join a company that is experiencing strong growth and will offer great opportunities for earning and personal growth, then this is for you ‌ apply now!
SEND THROUGH YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO EMPLOYMENT@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
SALES ASSISTANT WANTED WORK FOR THE MAGAZINES YOU LOVE! We are looking for someone who has a passion for the local music scene, a positive attitude and a desire to progress in your sales career. This full-time role is a fantastic start for your sales career with the ability for you to learn the building blocks of media sales in the role of assisting a sales team.
YOUR ROLE INCLUDES: s LEAD RESEARCHING AND QUALIlCATION s ARTWORK CHASE s GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES s PAGE CHECKING AND PAGE PLAN MANAGEMENT s DEBT COLLECTION AND PAYMENT PROCESSING
s PREPARATION OF SALES QUOTATIONS AND PROPOSALS s ANYTHING ELSE TO ASSIST THE SALES TEAM To apply for this role you will need good computer skills and a desire to grow in the sales team.
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL HAVE: s A bubbly, outgoing personality, s Excellent phone manner. s A proven ability to work within a highly driven team, s An eye for identifying opportunities. s The ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines. s Time management skills, and the ability to work with minimum supervision. s Excellent computer skills (ofďŹ ce programs) If you are looking to join a company that is experiencing strong growth and will offer great opportunities for earning and personal growth, then this is for you ‌ apply now!
SEND THROUGH YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO EMPLOYMENT@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 83 •
BACKSTAGE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
STREET POSTERS
4%34%$ #/.34!.4,9 /. (5-!.3 9 /. (5-!.3 4%34%$ #/.34!.4,
Ph: 9905 0390
email: office@shoogposters.com
REHEARSAL STUDIOS STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT * 2000 WATT PA * LARGE ROOMS * FULLY AIR-CONNED * PLENTY OF PARKING * CENTRAL LOCATION *
GREAT RECORDING RATES
N OPE 7 24/
Ph: 0433 172 712 26/159 Arthur St Homebush
• 84 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
www.pinnaclestudios.com.au
BACKSTAGE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
YOUR AD IN THIS SPACE CALL JAMES AT DRUM MEDIA ON 9331 7077
YOUR AD IN THIS SPACE CALL JAMES AT DRUM MEDIA ON 9331 7077
Nash, Fano, Peerless,TV Jones, Ernie Ball, SD,TC Electronics, EH, AllParts, TonePros, Lollar, Callaham, AER , Laney, Egnater, Martin and heaps more! Also a selection of used Fender Gibson Gretsch Martin etc
SALES ASSISTANT WANTED
96 900 800
WORK FOR THE MAGAZINES YOU LOVE! We are looking for someone who has a passion for the local music scene, a positive attitude and a desire to progress in your sales career. This full-time role is a fantastic start for your sales career with the ability for you to learn the building blocks of media sales in the role of assisting a sales team.
YOUR ROLE INCLUDES: s LEAD RESEARCHING AND QUALIlCATION s ARTWORK CHASE s GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES s PAGE CHECKING AND PAGE PLAN MANAGEMENT s DEBT COLLECTION AND PAYMENT PROCESSING
s PREPARATION OF SALES QUOTATIONS AND PROPOSALS s ANYTHING ELSE TO ASSIST THE SALES TEAM To apply for this role you will need good computer skills and a desire to grow in the sales team.
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL HAVE: s A bubbly, outgoing personality, s Excellent phone manner. s A proven ability to work within a highly driven team, s An eye for identifying opportunities. s The ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines. s Time management skills, and the ability to work with minimum supervision. s Excellent computer skills (ofďŹ ce programs) If you are looking to join a company that is experiencing strong growth and will offer great opportunities for earning and personal growth, then this is for you ‌ apply now!
SEND THROUGH YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO EMPLOYMENT@STREETPRESS.COM.AU
9362 9888 WE GUARANTEE THE BEST VALUE DESIGN, PRINT & DISTRIBUTION PACKAGES IN THIS WHOLE TWEAKIN’ TOWN. MARSH MEDIA, SUPPORTING THE SYDNEY DANCE MUSIC SCENE SINCE 1994. SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT AT SUPPORT SUPPO ORT YOUR SC SCENE. STUDIO 19, 201 NEW SOUTH HEAD RD, EDGECLIFF NSW 2027 | 02 9362 9888 | WWW.MARSHMEDIA.NET | HELLO@MARSHMEDIA.NET THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 • 85 •
ADVERTISING / MEDIA
EMPLOYMENT
ACTOR & VIDEO CAMERAMAN
ADMINISTRATION
Looking for small 2-person team (1 actor, 1 cameraman) to film 5 short 60-second News Reports around your CBD for Internet Broadcast. Apprx 4-hours, 1 day per week (Saturday?) Five (5) clips required. Best suit team with own video camera and ability to edit into .mpegs/.wmv files etc. $250 per 5 clips (approximately $30 ph, per person). To apply email: media.factory@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8068
CREATIVE GUITAR TUITION
SALES EXEC - STREET PRESS
Real guitar for committed students. Petersham area. Jazz, Rock, Blues, Contemporary, Funk, Latin, Country, Gypsy, Classical, Folk and other popular styles. Learn at a pace and in a direction you want to go. Beginners to advanced, all aspects of guitar are supported. Incorporate a practical approach using rhythm, harmony, melody and improvisation. Learn theory and all about scales and modes and how to apply them effectively. Learn songs and practice techniques, including ear training, song writing, composition and sight reading. Learn all about chords, arpeggios, substitutions, synonyms and inversions. Alternate tunings, slide guitar, finger style, chord melody and world music. Comfortable, air-conditioned studio with a huge resource library. Comprehensive digital recording also available to those wanting to demo. Lessons available Monday to Friday days and evenings, and Saturday day. Special introductory offer and gift vouchers available. Contact Craig: 0430344334 www.creativeguitar.com.au creative-guitar@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8300
INDI POP SINGER Singer wanted to work up a few tracks in my studio on the northern beaches. Im a signed writer to Universal publishing and working with other signed artists. No commitments lets just see how it turns out. Wanting someone with good pop melody sense and original sounding voice, Inf. Kisschasy, Faker, Motor Ace, Gyroscope etc. Please email a Myspace link or a mp3 of a track you have done to mbmusic100@yahoo.com iFlogID: 8128
MANAGER WANTED ROLLING STONED
A rare opportunity to join the dedicated team at a market leading national music publishing group in a junior sales role. This full-time role will see you with responsibility for growing the advertising revenue on a network of titles across Australia with a strong focus on the Sydney market. Our publications in Sydney are the iconic brands: Drum Media and 3D World. If you are looking to join a company that is experiencing strong growth and will offer great opportunities for earning and personal growth, then this is for you … apply now! Refer to online iflog advert for application details. iFlogID: 8186
CALL CENTRE/CUST. SERVICE
Rolling Stoned OZ, Australia’s number 1 professional tribute to the greatest rock n roll band in the world “The Rolling Stones” is seeking to employ professional manager. A dedicated and passionate individua and Stones fan, who is seeking a new challenge would be ideal along with a Market Savy approach. Events and entertainment expereince essential. Decent commision for successful candidate. email ozstonesshow@gmail.com www.myspace.com/rollingstonedoz iFlogID: 8083
TOUR STAFF WANTED
MARSHAL 1962 BLUESBREAKER
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Ever found yourself putting on a tour and don’t know how to get a sound engineer or someone to sell merchandise on the other side of the country? Well, that is how CoverYourArtz. com came about... The website enables anyone offering a service that can be used by touring artists to browse for work, and for touring artists to find the people they need to make their tour work anywhere in Australia. By visiting CoverYourArtz. com, anyone who is putting on an event is able to source all types of crew from tour managers, sound engineers, and lighting technicians to merchandisers, photographers and poster distributors in areas where they wouldn’t normally know where to start looking. Anyone working in the industry can look for work, and also list their details so that they don’t miss out on that next ‘big job’! Registering and browsing for jobs on CoverYourArtz. com is absolutely free, you only pay when you want to apply. For further info please contact the team at info@coveryourartz. com or visit our website at www.coveryourartz.com. iFlogID: 5308
I play piano, guitar, cello, bass, drums and sing and can’t decide what I love the most! if you have a similar dilemma and want to swap instruments between songs then get in touch. Eastern Suburbs iFlogID: 7855
TATTOO ARTISTS WANTED Black and White Tattoo and Art Gallery are looking for talented and enthusiastc artists to join our brand new, bright and modern shop. NO APPRENTICES PLEASE!! Portfolio a must and provern work history. Enquiries 0405 819 096 iFlogID: 5413
VOCALSIT / MC’S WANTED Male or Female vocalists or MC’s wanted for Downtempo, electronic, trip hop or whatever its called. Either way its a bit dark and moody and very much beat driven. If interested then send a demo to itsmaximillion@gmail.com iFlogID: 5893
4GET WORK 4EVER!! Sack your Boss! Start your own prosperous online business in the personal development industry NOW! “If Nothing Changes ........ Nothing Changes” So what are you waiting for?! A company built on integrity, leadership & empowerment www.gr8biz4us.com iFlogID: 7752
FOR SALE AMPS Engl Powerball 100W head great condition, mainly used at home. 6 button footswitch included. $2500 ONO iFlogID: 7939
FENDER HOT ROD DELUXE AMP
LEVEL ONE CHATSWOOD Seeking partner for entertainment. We provide the premises, you provide the people or event. Contact Peter K @ ChatswoodClub on 9419 5481. Live Music,Dance Parties, Album Launches all welcome. iFlogID: 8140
Brand New Vox Pathfinder 10. 10w solid state guitar amp. Unbeatable tone and value. 1 YEAR WARRANTY RRP $179 Logans Price $99 WOW!! Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED VOX DEALER iFlogID: 6595 www.theinnerlight.com.au PEWTER CHINESE HOROSCOPE PENDANTS $7.95 These finely crafted pendant are made from Nickel Free Pewter and strung on an adjustable waxed cotton cord. Wearing a zodiac symbol will help you increase your positive aspects, and decrease your negative traits! iFlogID: 7317
BASS CORT ACOUSTIC BASS GUITAR This awesome bass has a SOLID TOP with cutaway body. Pickup built in! RRP $659 Logans Price $527 Logans Music BURWOOD (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com. au AUTHORISED CORT GUITAR DEALER iFlogID: 8005
FENDER SQUIER 5 STRING BASS
Fender 65 Reissue Mustang in Dakota Red or Olympic White( both Brand new) Reduced to clear. 2 only Logans Price $1029 Hurry they won’t last long! Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6591
Fender FM53 Mandolin. Great plug in electric/acoustic instrument. RRP $449 LOGANS PRICE $299 Logans Music Burwood www.loganspianos.com.au 9744 2400 AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6270
Brand New Gibson SG Standard Lefthanded guitar. Heritage chrery finish including Gibson hard case. Logans Price $1999 WOW! (righthanded also available!) Logans Music Burwood (02)97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED GIBSON DEALER iFlogID: 6614
Online cymbal store and community forum. We offer hand hammered Turkish cymbals at the best prices. Please feel free to join the community forums at www.cymbalvault.com.au/forum/ iFlogID: 6045
FENDER 72 CUSTOM TELECASTER
GUITARS
GRETSCH G5120 ELECTRIC GUITAR
FENDER SQUIRE MIKE DIRNT BASS
ADMIRA FLAMENCO GUITAR. Handmade in Spain. Solid top delivers rich vibrant tone. Premium guitar at rock bottom price Logans Price $572 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED ADMIRA DEALER iFlogID: 7987 CORT 12 STRING ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC GUITAR Cort Earth 70 12 string. Includes solid top and pickup! Awesome deal! Logans Price $398 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED CORT GUITAR DEALER iFlogID: 7991
FENDER PINK PAISLEY STRAT. Genuine 1980’s Pete Townshend jap model. all original. in case. amazing action. beatiful tone and sustain. plays great. nice patina. very rare. suit collector. EXCELLENT CONDITION! $2500.00 Ph Jimbo on 0428744963. iFlogID: 5835
FENDER 72 Custom Telecaster. BRAND NEW and Ready to rock! This axe delivers the Tele® twang with the added punch of a neck-position Fender “Wide-Range” humbucker. Bullet truss rod, 3-bolt MicroTilt neck attachment, and chrome-tipped “skirted” knobs complete the picture. 1 year warranty. LOGANS PRICE $1199 CRAZY! Logans Music Burwood 97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6175
Don’t be an American Idiot...buy this bass and save! Mike Dirnt (GREEN DAY) signature Precision bass. Ready to rock. Brand new with 1 year warranty. RRP $599 Logans Price $377 Logans Music Burwood 97442400 www.loganspianos.com. au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6599
Brand New Gretsch G5120 Hollowbody Electric guitar. Just the ticket for Rockabilly, Jazz and everything in between. Bigsby tremelo caps off this great guitar. Check it out RRP $1499 SALE PRICE $999 WOW! Logans Music 97442400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED GRETSCH DEALER iFlogID: 6171
GRETSCH G5235T ELECTRIC GUITAR
FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER Brand new Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Valve amp. 40 watt all tube amp. 12 inch fender special design speaker, reverb, EFX loop. Cover and footswitch included. One year warranty RRP$1799 SALE $1205 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6163 HUGE LANEY GUITAR AND BASS AMP SALE. 30% TO 50% OFF ALL AMPS. BE QUICK, LIMITED STOCK AVAILABLE. CALLS US 07 54743033 ALL BRAND NEW WITH WARRANTY iFlogID: 7644 HUGHES & KETTNER TRIAMP MK2 Amazing sounding amp! Used on Top 40 Aria recordings and National Arena Tours. 6 chanel, 100watt tube amp, footswitch, DI, roadcase, quadbox with vintage greenbacks. $3500 Call Luke: 0400077901. iFlogID: 8081
Rare original 2 channel Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier head. Better sounding than the newer 3 channel one. It is in superb condition. Comes with footswitch. $3200 email anthonydotnet@gmail.com iFlogID: 5996
PEAVEY CLASSIC 30 VALVE AMP
Brand new Peavey Classic 30 Valve amp. 30 watt RMS with a 12inch blue Marvel speaker. 3 band eq, Reverb, fx loop and External speaker capable. 5 year warranty RRP$1499 SALE $1049 Logans Music Burwood 97442400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED PEAVEY DEALER iFlogID: 6159
PEAVEY WINDSOR GUITAR AMP 100 Watt all valve/tube head. HUGE hardcore tone. Incredible bottom end. Has been professionally modified 2 channel foot switchable. Runs EL34 power valve. Mint condition $750.00 ono. 0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 6510
VOX AC15 VALVE AMP
Brand New Fender Squier 5 string Jazz bass. Delightfully playable and priced to please. 1 year warranty Logans Price $314 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6597 FENDER SQUIRE AFFINITY P BASS Precision bass body. Great first bass or as a backup instrument be quick these won’t last (2 only)CRAZY PRICE $259 Logans Music Burwood(02)97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 8015 Hofner Beatle Bass for Sale(right handed) Excellent condition.Beautiful classic rich,warm Hofner bass tone. Comes with solid strap and black hard case $2000 Aust plus postage iFlogID: 7640 IBANEZ SRX390 BASS GUITAR Great 4 string bass with 2x active humbuckers RRP $899 LOGANS PRICE $450 (50% off crazy!)Logans Music Burwood(02)97442400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED IBANEZ DEALER iFlogID: 8017
EPIPHONE AJ200CE ACOUSTIC GUITAR Jumbo body acoustic with cutaway and pickup. VINTAGE SUNBURST Huge sound and great neck. RRP $899 Logans Price $629 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED EPIPHONE DEALER iFlogID: 7995
EPIPHONE DOT ELECTRIC GUITAR
Fender 72 Thinline Telecaster. BRAND NEW. Features Semi-Hollow Ash body, 1 piece maple C neck, ‘70s vintage hard tail string-through bridge, 3-bolt neckplate with Micro-Tilt Adjustment and Fender “Wide Range” humbucking pickups. Natural finish. 1 year warranty. LOGANS PRICE $1199 CRAZY! Logans Music Burwood 97442400 www.loganspianos.com. au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6253
FENDER BULLET STRATOCASTER
PEAVEY MILLENIUM 4 BASS Epiphone Dot hollowbody guitar. Brand new with 1 year warranty. Gloss Ebony. Logans Price $699 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED EPIPHONE DEALER iFlogID: 6589
Peavey Millenium 4 bass guitar. 2 single coil pickups. Awesome Tiger eye finish. 5 year warranty. 1 only at this price RRP $595 Logans Price $347 LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD 9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED PEAVEY DEALER iFlogID: 6263
EPIPHONE LP JUNIOR ELECTRIC GUITAR Limited edition satin black finish, single humbucker. Great starter guitar. RRP $329 LOGANS PRICE $245 (Very limited stock) Logans Music BURWOOD (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED EPIPHONE DEALER iFlogID: 8042
EPIPHONE LP STANDARD PLUS
FENDER BULLET STRATOCASTER. Great place to start! 6 colours to choose from. Fender tone without the price tag. DRUM MEDIA SPECIAL. $159 Mention this ad. Logans Music 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6603
SECOND NATION - delinquent E.P. AVAILABLE NOW for $4.99 at www.myspace. com/secondnation iFlogID: 5112
DRUMS PDP 805 white drum kit. Near new A custom cymbals. DW 5000 double kick pedal, Gilbrator seat plus all other hardware which is less then 6 months old. Spent over $5000 on this kit. Make an offer$$$ iFlogID: 8079
FENDER USA DELUXE STRATOCASTER Sunburst finish with S-1 switching, locking tuners and noiseless pickups. Comes in hard case. RRP $2999 LOGANS PRICE $1649 (45% OFF!!) 1 only Logans Music BURWOOD (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 8050 FENDER USA RG STRATOCASTER Sunburst finish Synth pickup, includes 37 different tonal variations. Comes in hard case Unbeatable! RRP $4199 LOGANS PRICE $2309 (45% off) 1 only Logans Music BURWOOD (02) 9744 2400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 8054
FENDER USA SRV STRATOCASTER
FENDER JAGUAR HH GUITAR
BUSINESSES
CD / DVD
Brand New Fender standard Stratocaster. (Mexico) Updated model including new tinted neck. Different colour options available. Package includes Guitar, gig bag and stand. RRP $1100 Logans Price $756 Heaps of other Fender bargains instore. Logans Music (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6618
FENDER DG8S ACOUSTIC GUITAR PACKAGE This awesome pack includes SOLID TOP guitar, gig bag, strap, tuner, DVD lessons, picks + more RRP $499 Logans Price $299 (40% OFF!!) Logans Music BURWOOD (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 8003
Fresh, new look, prosperous, online Business. No cold calling, No stock, NO Stress! Travel to exotic locations for fun & development, Built in Marketing & 24 hr support. Portable, fun, easy - empowering. A philanthropic company built on integrity & leadership www.gr8biz4us.com iFlogID: 7758
Huge “Metropolis” Style Venue up for grabs for the right promoter. Located in Chatswood, massive venue with Bars upstairs and downstairs. Call The Chatswood Club on Help St 0294195481 and ask for Peter K iFlogID: 6607
Brand New VOX AC15 Valve amplifier with 1 year Warranty. Unbeatable tone. HOT PRICE $959 Logans Music BURWOOD 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED VOX DEALER iFlogID: 6165
Brand New Epiphone AJ100 Acoustic guitar. Great sound at an unbeatable price $153 WOW! Limited stock Logans Music 97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED EPIPHONE DEALER iFlogID: 6169
Marshall Bass Quad box (4 x 10 Original Speakers) Good Condition, Loud, Wheels + Great Sound. $250 (02) 97590970 iFlogID: 8216
SECOND NATION DELINQUENT E.P
Seeking partner for entertainment. We provide the premises, you provide the people or event. Contact Peter K @ ChatswoodClub on 9419 5481. Live Music,Dance Parties, Album Launches all welcome. iFlogID: 7688
GIBSON SG STANDARD LEFTY
FENDER 72 THINLINE TELECASTER
PROMOTER WANTED NTH SHORE
Promoterss wanted, get paid $5 per person on your guest list. Chatswood Level One new nightclub opening soon. Contact Peter K on 9419 5481 iFlogID: 7692
FENDER MANDOLIN
WWW.CYMBALVAULT.COM.AU
EPIPHONE AJ100 ACOUSTIC GUITAR
MESA BOOGIE TRIPLE RETIFIER
PROMOTER
FENDER ‘65 MUSTANG
SALES & MARKETING WORK FROM HOME Marketing company seeks distributors.We are an established market leader in the Personal development media industry.Distributors receive full and ongoing training more info visit www.achoicelifestyle.com iFlogID: 7812
ENTERTAINMENT Audio, Lighting & Vision technitions wanted for large AV company established for 25 years. Start off on casual basis, with full time opportunity for the right people. Looking for all experiance levels, to help grow Sydney branch. Big opportunity. iFlogID: 7895
SABIAN CYMBALS Sabian 20” AA Rock ride, Sabian 17” med thin crash, Sabian 14” AA Regular hihats all with Ragone case. As new, $700, ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 5821
OUTBOUND WINE SALES - $23.50 p/hour! Fixed Contract roles to end Feb 2011 in funky Newtown, great transport links. Generous ‘end of contract’ bonus. 2pm8pm shifts up to 36 hours p/w. Outbound Sales experience essential. Applications at www.coles.com.au Job #532430 iFlogID: 8256
PODIUM DANCERS WANTED, dance to Disco Beats for a couple of hours and earn cash. New nightclub contact Peter K @ LEVEL ONE above the Chatswood Club.9419 5481 iFlogID: 8142
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL
VOX PATHFIINDER 10 $99!
Unhappy with your job? Wish you could decide what you want to do with your life? Check out my book at www.Jobmine. com.au for help choosing a career you will love iFlogID: 7881
SELF-EMPLOYMENT
Podium Dancers required for new nightclub. Contact Peter K @ the Chatswood Club on 02 9419 5481 iFlogID: 7690
JTM 45 Combo (reissue).30 Watt valve combo with 2x12” Celestian “Greenbacks” and in built valve tremelo unit (foot-switchable). Looks new, still smells new. Awesome clean tone and reacts really well to pedals. Amp has lived in a case for the time I have owned it. New valves and power transformer. $2100 ONO. RRP $3599. Ph 0424047183 iFlogID: 7065
RETAIL & CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Epiphone LP standard plus. Set neck, flamed top, a real classic. BRAND NEW. Package includes Epiphone hard case and lead. SUPER SPECIAL $879 Logans Music 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHOURISED EPIPHONE DEALER iFlogID: 6585 EPIPHONE SLASH APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION LES PAUL Arriving in October, this limited edition guitar is going to sell out very fast! Comes complete with Slash hard case and certificate personally autographed by Slash himself! Preorder at Logans Music (0297442400 www.loganspianos.com.au iFlogID: 8009 ESTEVE GAMBERRO CLASSICAL/ELECTRIC GUITAR. Handmade in Spain. Solid Cedar top, cutaway and fishman pickup. Premium classical guitar. Logans Price $998 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED ESTEVE DEALER iFlogID: 7989
Brand New Fender Jaguar HH in Ebony. A real player. Includes fender gig bag 1 only Logans Price $1259 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6593 FENDER JOHN 5 ACOUSTIC GUITAR The master of shred, John 5 unleashes his more subtle side with this awesome guitar. Small body, florentine cutaway with pickup. RRP$999 Logans Price $650 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 7993
The Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature model respectfully replicates Stevie’s favourite guitar. Pure Texas blues - Stevie style! Unique features include a special “oval” neck shape, Pao Ferro fingerboard, three Fender Texas Special single-coil pickups, gold plated vintage hardware with lefthanded tremolo, and special engraved pick guard. Made in USA. Includes Fender tweed case RRP $3899 Logans Price $2339 crazy!! Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 6601 FENDER USA STANDARD TELECASTER Brand new Fender USA Standard Tele. Includes SKB hard case, strap, lead Heaps of colours to choose from. RRP $2299 LOGANS PRICE $1539 CRAZY! Logans Music Burwood (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED FENDER DEALER iFlogID: 8036
GIBSON LP ROBOT SILVERBURST Gibson Les Paul Robot guitar. This awesome guitar has the playability of the gibson you love with the advanced robot tuning system. Limited Edition Silverburst only 1 of 400 made. Includes gibson hard case Logans Price $2747 Logans Music Burwood 9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED GIBSON DEALER iFlogID: 6587
Brand New Gretsch G5235T Electric guitar. Amazing neck and a real bite that you come to expect from a gretsch. Bigsby tremelo with a gloss black finish. RRP $1299 SALE PRICE $869 WOW! Logans Music 97442400 www.loganspianos. com.au AUTHORISED GRETSCH DEALER iFlogID: 6173
GUITAR AMPLITUBE IRIG
AmpliTube iRig. Plug your guitar into your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad and jam anywhere with world class guitar and bass tone right in the palm of your hand - from the leader in studio-class guitar and bass software. Simply plug the iRig interface into your mobile device, plug your instrument into the appropriate input jack, plug in your headphones, amp or powered speakers, download AmpliTube for iPhone Free and start rocking! You’ll have at your fingertips the sound and control of 3 recombinable simultaneous stompbox effects + amplifier + cabinet + microphone just like a traditional guitar or bass stage rig! Add amps and effects as you need them — you can expand your rig with up to 11 stomps, 5 amps, 5 cabinets and 2 microphones in the AmpliTube iRig app custom shop. ONLY $59.99 UNBEATABLE Logans Music (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos. com.au iFlogID: 6545 IBANEZ ADX120 ELECTRIC GUITAR Awesome guitar, fast low action. be quick these won’t last (2 only)RRP$695 Logans Price $347 (50% OFF!!!) Logans Music Burwood(02)97442400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED IBANEZ DEALER iFlogID: 8013 IBANEZ LIMITED EDITION RG ELECTRIC GUITAR. RG body and Neck with gold hardware. Floyd Rose locking system with custom metallic black finish 1 only RRP $995 Logans Price $696 Logans Music Burwood (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED IBANEZ DEALER iFlogID: 8019 Ibanez Nylon String Exotic Wood Guitar $550.00 http://www.ibanez.com/AcousticGuitars/model-EWN28SYENT email for pictures drc2012@yahoo.com.au Lyle 96244847 iFlogID: 7952
IBANEZ PRESTIGE MBM1BK IBANEZ PRESTIGE MBM1BK. Matt Bachand’s (Shadows Fall) Signature guitar features an EMG 81 humbucker in the bridge position for razor sharp attack and incredible sustain, and an EMG 60 humbucker in the neck position for massive crunch. Gloss black finish with Matt Bachand’s signature skull graphic. Pearloid body binding. Includes ibanez hard case. Made in Japan RRP $5295 Logans Price $2645! 50 % off BRAND NEW 1 ONLY LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD (02)9744 2400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED IBANEZ DEALER iFlogID: 6549
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
LAG ACOUSTIC GUITARS Purchase any LAG acoustic guitar and recieve a FREE HARD CASE valued at $129. Hurry, limited stock! Prices start from $399. Logans Music BURWOOD (02)9744 2400 www. loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED LAG GUITAR DEALER iFlogID: 8001
PEWTER SWORD PENDANT $7.95 www. theinnerlight.com.au This finely crafted sword pendant is made from Nickel Free Pewter and strung on an adjustable waxed cotton cord. Wearing a sword pendant is seen as a symbol of power, justice and protection against evil. iFlogID: 7323
MARTINEZ JAZZ HYBRID ACOUSTIC GUITAR Acoustic body with cutaway. Awesome F hole look with pickup! Logans Price $219 Logans Music Burwood (02)9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com. au AUTHORISED MARTINEZ DEALER iFlogID: 7997
Roland VS2480 recorder, 24 tracks, 80gig, onboard FX, cd burner, firewire out, great for recording gigs or home studio. retailed at $8000, selling for $2500 iFlogID: 7967
TAKAMINE EF406SN ACOUSTIC GUITAR Parlour sized body, perfect for fingerpicking. Takamine pickup with CT4B preamp. MADE IN JAPAN RRP $1899 LOGANS PRICE $949 (50% OFF!!!) Logans Music BURWOOD (02) 9744 2400 www.loganspianos.com.au AUTHORISED TAKAMINE DEALER iFlogID: 7999
TAKAMINE LTD EDITION GUITAR
YAMAHA U3 Professional upright acoustic piano in black gloss. Superb condition. Beautiful sound. Full 131cm height. Sorry to sell but leaving Sydney. Be quick! $3750 ono. Inspections welcome. Call Vincent 0415363874, or email vincentdeangelis@gmail.com iFlogID: 8237
PA EQUIPMENT ROSS PC110 POWERED MIXER
RAPPERS / MC’S / HIP HOPPERS
HIRE SERVICES ANIMATED: Specializing in Hip Hop production for MCs in need of beats. All flavours & Styles. A personal touch from one MC to another, you can’t go wrong with that! iFlogID: 7694
MUSIC PUBLICITY AND MARKETING
MANAGEMENT
Promoting a CD? Want to let fans know about your gigs? Take your band to the next level with our competitive rates for your marketing and publicity needs. We strive to bring our artists to as wide an audience as possible conducting a broad media campaign which encompasses national print media and online promotion and an artist administration area allowing access to realtime 24/7 campaign results. We can also look after your paid
NEW MASTERING SUITE SPECIALS
PA HIRE- Up to 6000 watts Front-of-house High Quality Sound, suitable for up to 1000 people, indoor or outdoor functions, bands and more. Lighting and operator included. JBL, dbx, Allen & Heath, Shure and more. Contact Viera – 0431757635. www.audioinborn.com. iFlogID: 7657 Peavey 2400watt P.A. hire with in 30min radius of Windsor, NSW. A PDP CXR drum kit with cymbals is also available for hire! enough gear for a 5 piece band + audio tech!!! AWESOME PRICE. email me jj_africa@me.com for any enquiries iFlogID: 7584
Stately Manor Productions – Sydney’s newest Hip-Hop Production House are offering MC’s, Rappers and Hip Hop Artists recording, custom beats, songwriting, production, mixing and mastering to release quality at affordable prices. www. statelymanor.com.au for details. iFlogID: 4510 REZZALP are touring their debut album IN MY DREAMS throughout VIC, SA & NSW in Sept-Oct. Album out now on iTunes. Send in your dreams to Rezzalp for the chance to win an iPillow! See www.rezzalp.com for details. iFlogID: 7538
now. Chris 0419 272 196 http://infovisionproductions.yayabings.com.au iFlogID: 5076
MINSTREL MANAGEMENT www.minstrelmanagement.com Planning to release a Record? E.P? Just need help establishing your act? www.minstrelmanagement.com MINSTREL MANAGEMENT & our affiliates have years of industry experience working with labels, promoters, publishing, management. Contact our A&R at www. minstrelmanagement.com iFlogID: 8075
and put together a proposal for your next release, event or tour. We look forward to working with you! The Clk Click Publicity Team: W: www.clkclickpublicity.com | E: info@clkclickpublicity.com iFlogID: 5312
SPACE SHIP NEWS.COM.AU
The Butler Mastering has just moved to a brand new studio on bustling Norton Street in Sydney’s inner suburbs. To help celebrate we are offering some very special pricing... EP $240 / ALBUM $520 We are as passionate about your music as you are, and guarantee our work for a reason. Contact us at info@the-butler. com or check us out on the web... thebutler.com iFlogID: 8165
OTHER Drum lessons at mainline guitars in moorbank for $26 for half an hour so if your a beginner and you wana learn drums,you will learn all the basic and essential things you will need to know to start drumming! iFlogID: 8064
Perth Music News Your one stop for local Perth music news, gig guides, photogrpahy, reviews, bands, CD’s & more... Sign up to our weekly e-news & keep up to date! www.spaceshipnews.com.au iFlogID: 4790 Would you like to get your music personally pitched by Hype33.com to leading global industry players (over 15,000) gathered in Cannes, France this January 2011 at MIDEM without needing a rock star budget If your interested email us belinda@hype33.com iFlogID: 8167
international market. WE SPECIALIZE IN HIP HOP/R&B BUT LOVE ALL GENRES. We’re located at Level 7 studios and the studio is decorated in some of the most appreciated vintage and modern gear which provides our clients an incomparable advantage in the sense of both the analogue and digital domains. Artists we’ve worked with include: Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Kanye West, INXS, Black Wallstreet and a myriad of local artists such as Hyjak, Potbelleez, Vice Verser, Thundamentals, Fame, Tycotic, Rai Thistlewaite (Thirsty Merc), Wendy Mathews, Gin Wigmore, Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), Carl Riseley, Hoodoo Gurus, Wes Carr, You Am I, and many more. Contact us on 0424 462 945 and check out myspace. com/mixinthelab iFlogID: 6186
PHOTOGRAPHY DANE BEESLEY PHOTOGRAPHY If rock n roll is the collected voices of the outsiders, then Dane’s camera; its Egglestonian frankness, immediacy, and oft-kilter worldview, is their microphone. www. photodane.com iFlogID: 7874
SETLIST PHOTOGRAPHY
PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING TAKAMINE 90TH ANNIVERSARY MODEL. This very special guitar was made in the Takamine custom shop includes Cutaway NEX body with limited edition satin finish, scratchplate and gold tuners. This is a rare opportunity to secure 1 of only 72 of these guitars at a crazy $299. Custom shop Bling, without the price tag. Hurry, don’t miss out. LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD www.loganspianos.com.au 9744 2400 AUTHORISED TAKAMINE DEALER iFlogID: 6255
PA & OPERATOR
100watt rms. 4 channell with EQ/REVERB. stereo CD input. CUBE STYLE. Very good condition. $300.00 Ph Jimbo on 0428744963. iFlogID: 5837
Sydney’s Live Music Photography specialist with over 5 years experience in the industry. Artists include Moby, Groove Armada and festivals such as Soundwave, Good Vibrations plus many more. Cheap and affordable for local artists. Go to setlistphotography.com or email info@ setlistphotography.com for a quote. iFlogID: 6533
MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL
TAKAMINE LTD EDITION GUITAR TAKAMINE EF1920 CUSTOM SHOP GUITAR. This acoustic electric guitar was handcrafted by Takamine Japan to commemorate Logans 90th Anniversary. Huge list of premium features including Select Cedar top, CT4B Takamine preamp, custom inlays, 7 ply bound dreadnought body finished in Gloss Black. Package includes Takamine deluxe hard case and certificate of authenticity. Limited run of only 24 guitars, be sure to act fast. Unbeatable value at only $2499 LOGANS MUSIC BURWOOD www.loganspianos. com.au 9744 2400 AUTHORISED TAKAMINE DEALER iFlogID: 6257
OTHER For Sale 3 Second Row Iron Maiden Tickets for the 24th Feb at the Sydney Entertainment Centre Section 12 Row BB for $500 if interested contact Chris at christarlinton@yahoo.com iFlogID: 7849 Advertise you or your band on Facebook. Facebook Advertising Guide shows you how you can advertise on Facebook without braking your budget. Step-byStep instructions with lots of illustrations. Paperback or e-book available. 122 pages. Only $27.95. Order online www. facebook-advertising-guide.com iFlogID: 8119 Boss BR-1600 CD for sale. $2000 usually retails at $2500 at allans music. Great for professional sounding recordings. Selling due to not enough time to play anymore. Used only around 4 times. Contact me on 0432181684 or email at loribethallison@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 7959
Original Bands wanted for midweek Sydney venues. 45 minute set of originals required, Mainstream contemporary.Sorry no metal/hard core.. Interstate artists welcome. Contact: nowmuzik@gmail.com for more info. iFlogID: 8173
PA Hire - High quality sound equipment with experience operator. Pro-loud speakers up to 6000watts, fit for up to 1000ppl. JBL, Allen & Heath, dbx, Shure and lightings. Suitable for all types of functions/bands and more. Contact: Viera - 0431757635. www.audioinborn.com iFlogID: 7659
SINGING LESSONS THAT ROCK<<<< Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Muse/ Aretha/ P.J.Harvey level because of Design. Pick any singer you like and you can sing as good if not better using a relaxed technique. Starting off with extending your vocal range learn to sing the right technique the first lesson, how to start a band or just fun. Microphone technique - recording techniques – songwriting –. Beginners to advanced Newtown 0405-044-513 iFlogID: 7926
PA OPERATOR 4 HIRE Band PA for hire 6000W FOH,1200W FB on 4 sends + drumfill 800W, 5 X EQ’s and , 24 chnl soundcraft mixer, eminence speakers 2x twin 21”subs,2 x twin 18”mids and high quality Horns, behringer MICS, 2 x 4 par56 can lights on stands with chaser rates from $400 Also can supply kareoke from $300 a night call richard 0424125169 iFlogID: 6074
Sydney Music Academy Now taking enrollments for Guitar students.We take students of all age 7+ from the first touch of a guitar to playing your favorite songs right through to improvising and writing your own chord progressions and solos. iFlogID: 7970
EXCLUSIVE E-COMMERCE LICENSES 780 LICENSES. LICENSE HOLDERS EARN EVERY TIME SOMEONE STREAMS A SONG, MOVIE, EBOOK, AUDIO BOOK OR GAME FROM GLOBAL NETWORKED ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM. SEE iFLOG WEBSITE:FOR SALE: OTHER FOR EXTRA DETAILS OR PH 0423 831 660 iFlogID: 7653 IRON MAIDEN TICKETS X 3 SYDNEY SHOW - 2ND ROW SEATS - ROW BB SECTION 12 - THESE ARE GREAT SEATS - $500, MAY BE WILLING TO SELL SEPERATELY - EMAIL christarlinton@yahoo.com iFlogID: 8188
POSTERS ILLUSTRATOR AVAILABLE NOW!
PA SYSTEM 3200W FOH FROM $300
THE SPACED ARE HERE!
PROFESSIONAL SOUND AND LIGHT
www.myspace.com/thespaced iFlogID: 5584
DO YOU AND YOUR BAND WANT TO STAND OUT? WE HAVE THE BEST STUFF FOR YOUR GIG’S, WE ARE THE PROFESSIONALS IN SOUND AND LIGHT, WE HAVE THE TOP OF THE LINE GEAR AND WE ARE READY TO GIVE YOU AND YOUR BAND THE SHOW YOU NEVER FORGET Call Roger on 0447025967 iFlogID: 5704
BOOKING AGENTS
RETRO RECORD PRODUCTION
Professional illustrator available for any project. Book covers, children’s books, album art and much more. Based in Melbourne, drawing world wide! Excellent rates. www.paulikin.com -Phone: 0403 996 129 or email paul@paulikin.com iFlogID: 4701 Need gig posters or band logos? contact Spicy Designs at andrew.spice@hotmail. com. Best rates in town! $40 for A4 color posters, $30 for band logos. Designed posters for numerous gigs and numerous logos. iFlogID: 8091
SYDNEY’S PREMIER DJS
CELTIC PEWTER NECKLACE $7.95 www. theinnerlight.com.au Made from Nickel Free Pewter and strung on an adjustable waxed cotton cord. Celtic jewellery is said to offer the wearer protection from negative forces. Visit www.theinnerlight.com. au for a great range of designs. iFlogID: 7319 DRAGON PEWTER PENDANTS $7.95 www. theinnerlight.com.au Made from Nickel Free Pewter and strung on an adjustable waxed cotton cord. Wear a Dragon Pendant as a powerful protection symbol! visit www.theinnerlight.com.au and type DRAGON into the search bar. iFlogID: 7321
Simon is a Sydney press photographer working for fairfax media. He has a passion for live music photography and it shoes in his images. Plus with his experience in editorial work, he can produce exceptional images for his clients. Reasonable Rates Contact Simon on: (Mobile)0414415818 (Email) si.bennett@me.com and simon. bennett@fairfaxmedia.com.au www.stayclassysydney.com iFlogID: 6294
Band PA system for hire. 3200w FOH, 2 x 2x15 cabs with subs, 1350w FB, 4 wedges on 2 sends, 16 input desk, FX, mikes/stands,DIs, icolor lighting. Experienced operator, many satisfied clients. From $300 p/night. Best value for money. Chris 0432 513 479 iFlogID: 5402
BURLESQUE & DRAG EYELASHES Petticoats & Gallantry has launched a new range of exclusive, boutique handmade & decorated false eyelashes perfect for going out. With a mix of over-the-top dramatic lashes suitable for Performances, Burlesque, Drag and even just for a special night out, you’re sure to find some one-of-a-kind false eyelashes to wear. Each pair is customised and decorated by hand in a variety of themes, and commission orders are very welcome. www.petticoatsandgallantry.com.au Look for us on facebook for exclusive promotions. iFlogID: 6658
SIMON BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHY
EV Mongoose FOH 6000 watts (Double 15” & horn tops with double 18” subs per side), EV foldback with 4 sends 2000 watts (incl drumfill). Allen & Heath 24 channel console, Shure Mics, DBX & Lexicon processors. 12 x PAR56 DMX Lighting. Rates start from $300. Call for a quote. Be mixed by a musician! Glenn 0425263999 or glenn@sevenyearitch.com.au iFlogID: 7267
#FUNKTION-ONE P.A HIRE# Up to 14 Kw pure sound for all of your events.- Delivered, setup and operated if needed.-Like more info or a free quote? You can call me on 0403 813 654 iFlogID: 8271
RECORDING STUDIOS
SPECIAL OFFER!!!!
Do you want to book some of Australia’s finest DJs? Our agency supplies the most experienced & popular DJs for festivals, clubs, bars & corporate events. We can set up a roster of stellar DJs for your club or offer you the very best in DJs, or the hugely popular DJ based bands, for your event. Contact us today at info@ thegrooveacademy.com.au or visit www. thegrooveacademy.com.au. iFlogID: 5847
EP RELEASE Melbourne’s hottest new rock band Envy has released their EP Images For The Lonely to Itunes. Check out this exciting live act at The Espy, Gershwin Room on Sunday October 3rd at 6pm. Tickets $12 at the door. iFlogID: 7961
advertising, sourcing some of the most competitive pricing. Contact 0402257148 or www.aaaentertainment.com.au iFlogID: 5801
MUSICIANS FOR FUNCTIONS/ VENUES
Special Packages available for artists and bands!! Whether being recording/ mixing. With networks to many studios around town your project will sound great and professional whilst working within a budget!! OUR PASSION IS TO CREATE RECORDS THAT GIVE THE LISTENER A HARD HITTING, FRESH SOUND THAT PUSHES BOUNDARIES, WHICH STANDS UP AMONGST THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET. WE SPECIALIZE IN HIP HOP/R&B BUT LOVE AND DO ALL GENRES. For a full list of our credits see myspace.com/mixinthelab. Contact us on 0424 462 945 or Email at thelab1@hotmail.com iFlogID: 6287
Are you thinking of hiring quality musicians that bring an audience ? Do you have a function/event and considering live entertainment ? For a limited period, we are offering a Venue Promotions Package featuring favourite entertainers. If it is about raising your venue profile or just great entertainment you want, contact us
MASTERING
MARKETING AND PROMOTION
DOMC MASTERING - $95 PER TRACK
Domc Mastering is a dedicated mastering suite located just outside of Brisbane. We specialise in getting your next audio project ready for the public. DOMC work with you to get you the ‘sound’ that you are chasing. iFlogID: 5710 Matthew Gray Mastering. World class mastering from where you are, right now. Online mastering special rate of $99 (ex GST) per song. Visit matthewgraymastering.com. iFlogID: 7661
**VOCAL RECORDING** $50 AN HOUR! PRO STUDIO IN SURRY HILLS INCLUDES ENGINEER! If you need good quality vocals for demos/albums, simply bring along backing track/s or pre-recorded track/s to sing over! Call Danielle: 0425-213-721 blaco.recording@gmail.com 5mins walk from Central Station iFlogID: 7872 RETRO RECORD PRODUCTION PRODUCTION, PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE, PRODUCTION ADVICE. e-mail me at revjdlove@pacific.net.au iFlogID: 6282
In a band? Putting on a show? Have an upcoming exhibition? Releasing a film? Than we might be able to help you out..... Clk Click’s Spring Offer! Well it’s spring time, and that means it’s time to dust off some of those cobwebs and get your business in order. We here at Clk Click Publicity have a Spring Offer for all you musos, artists and film makers that will give your project a little boost, and leave you some spare change for the upcoming festival season! For a very limited time Clk Click Publicity will create a professional Bio and Press Release for your band, exhibition or film for only $200! If you would like us to put together a full press kit we will do this for just $800. We can also organise band photos and logo creation for a very reasonable price. Furthermore, if you’re interested in finding out about our full range of publicity services, we’d love the opportunity to have a chat with you
THE CHEMISTRY OF SOUND
Mastering is one of the most critical stages in the recording process. Matthew Gray Mastering - world class mastering from where you are, right now. Online mastering special rate of $99 (ex GST) per song. Visit matthewgraymastering.com. iFlogID: 7663 Pro Remote Guitar Sessions available. Email your MP3 guide tracks and I’ll record the guitars. All styles. Tracks exported as 24bit waves and you’re sent a download link. Visit www.nathaneshman.com & www.myspace.com/nathaneshman for audio examples. Email info@nathaneshman.com for a free quote. iFlogID: 7700
As Engineers/Producers our passion is to create tracks that give the listener a hard hitting, fresh sound that sonically sounds PHAT and pushes the boundaries of what music currently sounds like in Australia, which stands up amongst the
Producer/songwriter helping solo artists develop across the industry. Go to this website to see what you get for $500: www.breannadunnmusic.webs.com/ To clarify....you get: -1 song recorded and produced -Professional photos -video of recording to post -website set up NO BANDS iFlogID: 7629
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
Recording Studios, Fbi Radio Building. iFlogID: 7972
SEAN CAREY - PRODUCER
treat every instrument individually; time, care and love is taken with each job to get the best from your guitar. We work hard to give you the feel and the sound you want. 0405 253 417 tara@rockinrepairs.com www.rockinrepairs.com iFlogID: 5992
cianship, Composition and Theory lessons also available. All ages welcome. Contact Sean on 0429 508 101 iFlogID: 6552
THE UKULELE SALON
GUITAR, BANJO AND VOICE
TUITION
SESSION BASS PLAYER AVAILABLE Session Bass Player Andrew Challoner is available for any recording projects from a full album in a professional studio to a single track in a home studio. Andrew is experienced in recording, has great time/feel, quality gear, and knows how to groove. He has knowledege in any style and has the ability to create basslines that make your songs come alive. Andrew can read chord charts or notation, and can play by ear. He is also experienced in arranging and can write printed chord charts or notated charts using Sibelius, to save time (and money) in the studio. Special offer - 1 track free for any new clients! Hear the difference a real bass player can make on your songs. www.andrewchalloner.com 0410-625-981 iFlogID: 6535 Stand out from the rest. Great fixed price deals on EPs & Albums. SSL 4000 console. Accurate mixing & great drum and instrument sounds. Quality outboard gear & mics. Guaranteed international sound to your satisfaction. From $385/10hr day. Ph 0404066645. iFlogID: 7865
THE LAB STUDIOS
ABSOLUTE BEST GUITAR LESSONS Do what you’ve always wanted - get that guitar singing!From beginers to professional - studio & recording environment. Lifetime pro Chris Turner can get you there. Ph 9552 6663 Lilyfield. www.bigrock.com.au/artists iFlogID: 7445
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS 4 GUITAR & KEYS
Apple Certified Trainer LOGIC PRO 9. Do you want to learn Logic Pro 9? Are you a singer/songwriter,band,DJ,Film or Tv Composer,who wants the best logic education available.Very reasonable rates. Guaranteed.Call Vic on 8212 4522 iFlogID: 8302
BASS FOR BEGINNERS Equipped with 13 years of bass guitar and musical experience, Rachael offers an introductory level of tuition for beginning musicians focussing on areas of technique, music theory, rhythm and performance. Open to all ages. Bass ownership not essential, studio location Eastern Suburbs. Contact 0415273252 or rachael. rees@hotmail.com. iFlogID: 6161 We are experienced risk takers that not only know the rules, but also know when and how to break them! We have been engineering and mixing for over 15 years and have worked in Sydney’s top studios. We also have our own Mixing/Production studio called The LAB, located at the famous Level 7 studios which is decorated in some of the most appreciated vintage and modern gear in combination of a myriad of assorted software and plugins that provides our clients an incomparable advantage in the sense of both the analogue and digital domains. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH MANY STUDIO CONTACTS AROUND TOWN, YOUR PROJECT WILL SOUND GREAT AND PROFESSIONAL WHILST WORKING WITHIN A BUDGET!! For a full list of our credits see myspace.com/ mixinthelab. Contact us on 0424 462 945 or Email at thelab1@hotmail.com iFlogID: 6285 Yaman Music Production for Artists & Businesses offers music production services to artists mainly EP’s, albums, demos and full backing tracks all airplay quality by European music producer and music composer Tom Chwieduk. EMail: info@ yaman.com.au | www.yaman.com.au iFlogID: 7965
REHEARSAL ROOMS Rehearsal Studios located at Rydalmere. Clean air conditioned rooms, well stocked kiosk. Chill out lounge with Foxtel and pinball. Ample parking. Rehearse when it suites you and keep neighbours happy! Ph 02 9684 1152 for more information. iFlogID: 8057
REPAIRS Axe not sounding and feeling quite right? Over 30 yrs servicing and repairing experience will get you back in the groove. We can even restore or custom build to your exact specs.Based on the Central Coast, ring Jeff on 0448559947 iFlogID: 8113
ROCKIN’ REPAIRS - GUITAR TECH
Bass Tuition with professional bass player Andrew Challoner. 1st lesson FREE! Fun, creative and relevant. Any style, age or ability. Northern Beaches/North Shore. For more info see www.andrewchalloner.com 0410-625-981 iFlogID: 7678 Cameron Jones Guitar & Bass Tuition Children and adults, beginners to intermediate level. Jazz, blues, rock and improvisation. Canada Bay area ph 0418 113 731 iFlogID: 7714
DRUM LESSONS - ALL STYLES
Meditation, visualisation, warm-up/ice breaker exercises, breathing, vocal anatomy, chest to head voice exercises,play/ rehearse a song of your choosing, pitching and placement. Call Steph on 0403250560, email - blondebaggage@ hotmail.com to discuss your needs and goals. iFlogID: 8269
Drum Lessons in Annandale with Conservatorium trained professional. 20+ years of experience in jazz, metal and more. Create a playlist that appeals to you and address technique, theory, coordination, and music notation along the way. Mike 0403 136 397. iFlogID: 8100 Drum Tuition. Drum Tuition in Stanmore with a Billy Hyde trained Teacher. (Dip Ed, Dip Drums). All Ages and Styles taught. Beginners Welcome!. Call Lee: 0403307796 iFlogID: 8214 GUITAR LESSONS with experienced and qualified tutor. Who has 20 years of studio and live performance. Rock, pop, jazz, theory, etc.etc. Beginners to advanced. In the convenience of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles on 0407413143 email oa@olesart.com iFlogID: 8134
Taught at AIM, GIT USA and London, Munich University, Sydney Conservatorium. Played with Joe Pass, Robben Ford, Mike Stern, John Scofield. All styles taught beginners to professionals. Many ex-students have been accepted into Sydney Conservatorium. Competitive rates. Lewisham. 0416 738 397. www.jazz-planet. com/smckenna. steviegtrplaye1@optusnet.com.au iFlogID: 8089
GUITAR TUITION Guitar lessons available from a Conservatorium trained musician. Most styles taught. Jazz/Blues/Rock/Pop/Metal. Musi-
Violin Teacher from Italy 30$/half hour. Ryde area. High quality, friendly teacher. AMEB exams or just for fun, start playing your violin! 0415783160 iFlogID: 7963
VIDEO / PRODUCTION
27 year old drummer looking to join well established punk/hardcore/metal band in illawarra/south coast, as stand in or full time, has all pro gear and 16 years experience and heaps of time for it. contact at distract010@live.com iFlogID: 7933
PRO TROMBONIST AVAILABLE
SINGING LESSONS THAT ROCK<<<<< Your voice has the ability to sing at the Audioslave/ Muse/ Aretha/ P.J.Harvey level because of Design. Pick any singer you like and you can sing as good if not better using a relaxed technique. Starting off with extending your vocal range learn to sing the right technique the first lesson, how to start a band or just fun. Microphone technique - recording techniques – songwriting –. Beginners to advanced Newtown 0405-044-513 iFlogID: 6663
SINGING LESSONS Voice science is out there to help improve your singing quickly. One on one lessons in hi tech multi award winning studio with fully qualified singing and performance expert. First assessment FREE. Beginners and professionals. I Look forward to helping you find your voice. www.avic.com.au studio - 9588 2184 mob - 0414 453 066 Stephen Baker iFlogID: 8239
SINGING LESSONS
Australian Bands Only.Do you have A You Tube Rock Band Video you want to promote,if so Mike Hunt wants to promote it.Just send your link to admin attention Mike Hunt and we will do our best to list you for free worldwide at www.clearhunt. com iFlogID: 6007 MILES MULTIMEDIA OFFICE produces quality promotional video with motion menu and scene selection. Video for web, mobile, dvd, cd, cd business cards, youtube, on-wall presentations etc. - $190.00 per final edited minute. Email: mmolog@ hotmail.com / Call 0439590185 iFlogID: 7734
SYDNEY GUITAR TUITION Specialises in all aspects of contemporary guitar. The teachers are seasoned pros boasting a vast experience of the industry .The practical meets the theoretical as the teachers also hold Music Degrees.All ages and levels. sydneyguitartuition.com 0402710990 iFlogID: 7913 The Australian Guitar Institute is a school that provides first class instruction to students of Guitar, Single String Tech to advanced Improv concepts. Guitar 4 fun for beginners of all ages also available. www.australianguitarinstitute.com (02)80216449 iFlogID: 7682
ELECTRIC VIOLINIST Electric violinist available for stage & studio work. Friendly top pro with top gear and great sound, has worked with many Australian & international artists. Improvisation, rock, pop, blues, world music, experimental, avant-garde...even slide violin! Creative, spiritual musician, plays with passion. No habits. Paid work only please. Can double on guitar. iFlogID: 6564 Established singer/songwriter with 2 previous albums taken into Music Australia through National Library/National Film & Sound Archive seeks guitarist partner M/F with own recording capability to share in new project. Prestigeous National Retailer will distribute. Call Francis on 0458 993 268 iFlogID: 7826
Pro Drummer conversant in ALL styles seeks Working Band or fill in gigs. Best equipment, reliable transport www. steeledawson.com iFlogID: 6626
SAXOPHONIST AVAILABLE
Proficient Drummer: Experienced in Hard Rock, Prog, Metal, Rockn’Roll, Funk and Jazz Matt Meli 0425820547 12yrs playing, Have gigged in Sydney + Melbourne And Exp with Recording Equiped and Transportable Call Anytime iFlogID: 8152 Proficient Session Drummer: Experienced in Hard Rock, Prog, Rockn’Roll, Punk + Funk 12yrs Playing, Gigged in Sydney + Melbourne, And Recording Exp Equiped and Transportable Call Matt 0425820547 iFlogID: 8247
TOP PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE
Bands who have recently made videos with us include El Duende, Line Drawings and Grace Before Meals. Get your band on Rage and Youtube, or make a video for your myspace page. Fantastic concepts and slick production that wont break your budget. See examples of our videos on facebook.com/dynamic.screen. content Call Darrin on 0413555857 (we’re based in Sydney) iFlogID: 6681 Music videos for less. Film student looking for smaller, unsigned bands interested in doing a music video on a tight budget. Suit any budget. Email Mitch with myspace links to m.blunt91@yahoo.com iFlogID: 8230
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE BASS PLAYER
Professional Bass Player Andrew Challoner is available for gigs; covers or originals, casual or permanent. Great groove/ feel, quality gear, experienced in any style, large repertoire, reasonable rates and a good attitude! Also available for recording and tuition. 0410-625-981 www. andrewchalloner.com iFlogID: 7676
DJ LOGIC PERFORMER / DJ Live Productions ranging from House, Electronica, DubStep Hard Rock, Metal, Prog Original musical projects, Customized for Events Or Selection of Known tunes to make for a Great Night, whatever the occasion Matt Meli 0425 820 547 iFlogID: 8154 LOGIC PERFORMER Live Productions ranging from House, Electronica to DubStep Unique and Original musical projects, Customized for Particular Events Deposit req + Perf. Cost, Call for Quote Mr.Rush 0425 820 547 abn holder iFlogID: 8245
GUITARIST 19yr lead guitarist with 7 years experience playing guitar looking for open-minded punk/metal/rock musicians to start youthful innovative band with attitude based around inner-west as of start of next year. No Screamers/hardcore. (Read more www.iflog.com.au) Call Ben 0448221479 iFlogID: 8290 Guitarist/singer/songwriter looking to jam and explore a Potential Side Project of covers or Jam creations. Bassists, guitarists, Keys, Horns, Vox etc welcome iFlogID: 7722 Lead guitarist looking to form/join a heavy metal band,on the central coast. Influences: Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Metallica,Iron maiden,Kalmah,Dethklok Blake 0403138542 iFlogID: 7983 Northern Beaches based metal/harcore/ deathcore guitarist available for session work or to join band. I have previous stage experience and gig ready gear. Would like to get gigging asap iFlogID: 8294
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Guitarist looking to join band for gigs at overseas hotels or cruise ships. 16 years professional experience. Can play any style. Have vocal abilities. Email: adr_mar18@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 7748
KEYBOARD METAL KEYBOARD PLAYER AVAILABLE:20 year old female keyboard player of 16 years wanting to join/form metal band. Mainly black/death/melodic death.Some influences:Behemoth,Anaal Nathrakh,Old Man’s Child, Vesania, Daath, Dimmu Borgir. Live around the Inner West.Own good equipment.Committed.Contact Eve: eve_nathan@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8059
We are a four piece original alternative rock band looking for a bassist with a dirty fat sound. Rehearsals are in Wollongong. Management will be booking gigs. Good gear essential, reliable and at least 5 yrs experience. Songs ready to go and start gigging. Recording EP soon. Check out some songs at www.myspace.com/yoyodiablo Call - 0404 267 155 iFlogID: 8072 BASSIST WANTED! Singer and Guitarist (aged 21) looking for Bassist and Drummer to form rock outfit. Based in Central Sydney. Over 100 songs written and ready to gig on a serious level. Contact August 0404166433 or e-mail at kaibywells@ yahoo.co.uk iFlogID: 7784 Contact details needed for Andrew Judd - previously living in Newtown and former bass player of Sydney band, Tsunami (circa. late 90s). Former muso friend would like to reconnect. Any help much appreciated. Email - remmosk@gmail. com iFlogID: 7756 Established working 5 pce band of mature players seeks experienced electric bassist. Strong harmony vocals and some double bass would be well regarded. Immediate work available. Regular commitment sought from the right player. Call Tim 0418289546. iFlogID: 7814 Experienced Bass Player with own gear and transport wanted for showcasing upcoming album. Check out http://www. reverbnation.com/shaunchristensen before committing. iFlogID: 8286
SINGER
Acoustic Pop-Rock Specialist -www. jasonayres.comiFlogID: 5777 Pro singer, keyboard and harmonica player is available for all working situations in 2011. Duo’s, bands, casual, permanent,covers or originals.I have own transport. Contact Steph on 0403250560, email - blondebaggage@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8267 Vocalist- Looking for Dance, R&B, HipHop or Rock Groups and Artists: Call 0415252323 iFlogID: 8023
MUSICIANS WANTED BASS PLAYER ~Rock band Black Matches are seeking a good quality bass player to complete their four piece. Originals ready to go and keen to gig! If you are like minded with good gear/transport please contact Simon on 0414859684. Demo’s at www.myspace. com/blackmatchesband iFlogID: 7788 18 year old Guitar player looking for a Bass player to start a band with. Influences: GN’R, Led Zeppelin, The Stones. Preferably someone in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 7771 BASS PLAYER sought for originals band with female vocals. Points of reference include Led Zeppelin, PJ Harvey, The Stooges, The Bellrays. Suit amatuer looking for a regular creative outlet. Inner west rehearsals. Call 0410865035 or email newtons4@aapt.net.au iFlogID: 7726 Bass Player wanted for new original project in the style of Rock, Pop, Alt Country. Prefer age 25+ with live gig and recording experience. Sydney based. Reply to bandinfo1@gmail.com for further details. iFlogID: 8273
BASS PLAYER WANTED Bassist wanted to join melodic metal band with death/black/thrash influence. Must be determined, skilled and have own gear and transport. Easygoing but professional environment. Ages 18-30 Wollongong/ Sydney based. Influences: Dimmu, Old man’s child, arch enemy, children of bodom, immortal, megadeth, slayer, amon amarth etc. Interest gained nationally and internationally with distribution deals
An experienced, skilled drummer required for indi/blues/roots band Tortured Willow. Soon to release E.P, looking to complete line up to gig at venues/festivals around Sydney and beyond. 25-40ish, good gear and stage presence. Monday rehearsals, Sydney. Jordan 0411 451 976. iFlogID: 8138 Death metal drummer wanted for established Melbourne band. Must be over 18 and have a strong technical ability to play Extreme metal. Contact us at: myspace. com/theophidianascension Or call Blake on: 0406689887 iFlogID: 7863 Drummer needed to complete Original 3 Piece. Influences: Hendrix, RHCP, Mars Volta, Dylan, ICE T, Muddy Waters, Funkadelic & anything with a groove. Gig Ready, Call Rony 0401658007 iFlogID: 7720 Drummer wanted for a newly established rock band based in St Clair (Western Sydney). We play mostly covers and rehearse on Saturday afternoons. We play for fun, not for profit! Call Steve 0424 505 361 iFlogID: 7698 Drummer wanted for new original project in the style of Rock, Pop, Alt Country. Prefer age 25+ with live gig and recording experience. Sydney based. Reply to bandinfo1@gmail.com for further details. iFlogID: 8275 Drummer wanted for original Sydney rock band ‘Friends of Man’. Must be reliable, have good gear, transport, able to learn repertoire quickly, be available for rehearsals, shows, tour. Audio - www. myspace.com/friendsofman Email - info@ friendsofman.net iFlogID: 7646 Drummer wanted for Sydney rock band. Currently gigging and recording. Prefer aged from 19 to 25. www.myspace.com/ ramshackleau. For details call Jared on 0437 670 480. iFlogID: 8206 DRUMMER WANTED! Singer and Guitarist (aged 21) looking for Drummer and Bassist to form rock outfit. Based in Central Sydney. Over 100 songs written and ready to gig on a serious level. Contact August 0404166433 or e-mail at kaibywells@ yahoo.co.uk iFlogID: 7786
DRUMMER WANTED-PRO METAL BAND!
Experienced saxophonist based in Sydney is looking for bands and studio sessions. Jazz, funky, afro, reggae,latin, rock, folk. If interested contact me at 0410041979. Cheers. Lorenzo iFlogID: 4974
JASON AYRES
for gigs,tours,sessions etc. Good equipment, professional attitude.Many years pro experience working with well known artists. Please check out my website, www.mikehague.com Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 5819
Bass/Synth Bass wanted for experimental metal band. It’s nowhere near as wanky as it sounds. Call or message 0405 911 748 iFlogID: 7760
HARD ROCK BASS PLAYER WANTED
MUSIC VIDEOS
Bass player available for working situations, Mature age, high standard + the best gear. Specialise in 50’s to 90’s music. Huge repertoire. 0403357019 iFlogID: 8218
Singing lessons in a positive environment with a highly experienced and professional singer/songwriter. Lessons tailored to suit individual needs. Free introductory lesson. www.realvoice.net.au for more details. Inner West, Rosanna 0431 157 622. iFlogID: 6612
PROFESSIONAL DRUMMER AVAILABLE
HAVE YOU SEEN MIKE HUNT
SINGING LESSONS
Voice science is out there to help improve your singing quickly. One on one lessons in hi tech multi award winning studio with fully qualified singing and performance expert. First assessment FREE. Beginners and professionals. I Look forward to helping you find your voice. www.avic.com.au studio - 9588 2184 mob - 0414 453 066 Stephen Baker iFlogID: 8241
Pro Drummer seeks working band or paid fill in gigs. Conversant in ALL styles, Good sightreader, Best equipment, Reliable transport. www.steeledawson.com 0409 169 496 iFlogID: 6628
on offer for the band. Great opportunity. www.myspace.com/asmodaiaus or email asmodai_aus@hotmail.com iFlogID: 5302
BASSIST REQUIRED
Professional Trombone player available for gigs, session and tours. Jazz, Funk, Latin, Pop, Rock and Classical. Can sight read, improvise and write parts. Contact Brendan 0409833827. iFlogID: 4099
LIVE GIG FILM CLIPS Need a live clip to promote your band?? SnakeEyeProductions offers multi camera filming of your next gig in Hi Definition, includes Editing and Uploads at great rates.. ph-0416120639 iFlogID: 8204
Receive lessons from a highly experienced teacher and performer, specialised in teaching males. First introductory half hr free. Improve tone, control, performance and confidence. Guaranteed! No time like the present. Call now! Cheap rates: $50 per hr iFlogID: 5981
GUITAR TUITION BY MAL EASTICK Guitar tuition customised to the individualall levels. Blues, rock, theory, equipment & tone my specialties. 37yrs professional experience in Tuition, gigging, recording, production, songwriting, arrangements, the enjoyment of music & improving your best. Central suburban Sydney location. Limited vacancies. Phone: 0407 461 093 - Email: mal@maleastick.com iFlogID: 7394
Get into Ukulele consciousness. Join the Ukulele Salon. Every Tuesday night in Petersham at 7.30pm. This is 60 minutes of high quality tuition and ukulele playing. We’re developing a really fun and sometimes slightly challenging repertoire of songs for public performance. You don’t have be an ukulele expert to join this group. Just a willingness to have a go, do a bit of practise and enjoy yourself. Contact Gary 9716 8982 (m) 0414 869 352 iFlogID: 6184
SINGING LESSONS MARRICKVILLE
Drum Lessons with established Funk / Rock drummer. All levels all styles, focus on groove and the fundamentals of drumming. Creative Studio environment located in West Ryde or at your home. For bookings and enquiries please call Jay: 0418 376901 iFlogID: 6650
GUITAR TUITION. STEVE MCKENNA
Do you live to play? Whether you’ve just bought a new guitar or an old favourite is feeling a little faded, we’ll bring the best out of it! Rockin’ Repairs is based in Point Piper in Sydney, Australia and offers restrings, setups, upgrades and repairs for all guitars and basses; no matter what you play or how you play it, we’ve got the tools and techniques to breathe life back into even the most mistreated guitar. We
TUITION WITH BROTHER JOHN. Fingerstyle guitar, open tunings, slide, flat picking, improvisation, country, blues, folk, celtic styles, music theory, ear training, singing and vocal harmonies. Banjo: uppicking and three finger picking. Mandolin, songwriting and arranging. All styles from Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hurt to Robert Johnson and Eric Clapton. www.acousticfingerpicking.com, www. rosestudios.com.au, tel. 0431953178 iFlogID: 6638 Italian Violin teacher - degree qualified in Italy. AMEB exams experience. 30$/half hour. Ryde Area. 0415783160 iFlogID: 8160
A four week course that gets you playing fast. Individual tuition. Chords, Rhythm, Songs, Theory. 25 years specializing in teaching beginners! Gift vouchers available. Call David on 96603877 Annandale/ Inner West area. iFlogID: 6426
OTHER
PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE
!!!DRUM LESSONS in YOUR OWN HOME!!! Lessons are undertaken within the Macarthur region, e.g. Campbelltown, Camden etc. Contact Matthew Reh for details on bookings for half-hour, or full hour lessons. AMEB also available. iFlogID: 7560 Sean Carey (ex Thirsty Merc) is now the In-House Producer/Engineer at the original TRACKDOWN Studios in Camperdown. Multi-platinum artist with over 10 years of production experience. Vintage guitars, mics, gear. Get the most out of your songs! www.myspace.com/seancareyproducer. Ph: 0424923888. iFlogID: 7919
DRUMMER
We’re looking for a bassist with enthusiasm to Rock! We are an originals Hard Rock band and we’re in the process of recording our songs - only being held back by the lack of a bassist! We have our own studio and jam regularly. We hope to be gigging as soon as everyone is tight. Did I mention we rock? Message or call 0431 957 583 and let’s ROCK! iFlogID: 7893 Indie rock band looking for a Jazz or Latin bassist interested in crossing genres & contributing to songwriting,recording & performing. BVs desireable, ages 18-35. Email stickydaterecords@hotmail.com for details.Go on, do it, do it now. iFlogID: 7902 Metal bass player needed to complete line up for death metal band based in west sydney. We have upcoming gigs very soon. Go to myspace.com/terrorential for song demos of on facebook. ph: 0412901-891 iFlogID: 8232 Rock Monster (originals) need a bass player - with vocals would be good. Melbourne, out east. Check us out at http://www.myspace.com/rockmonstermelbourne. Or on our Melband ad http:// www.ausband.com.au/modules.php?na me=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=218015 1#2180151 iFlogID: 7941 Singer/songwriter/guitarist creating a new original live project is looking for experienced rock bass player. Must have great sound, vibe and groove - bv’s a huge bonus. Check out triple j unearthed “RemmosK” sample of new cd release. Contact via email. iFlogID: 7744 We’re looking for a Bass Player that can absolutely f***ing Rock! We’re a committed originals band with over 10 originals composed. We have our own studio where we can jam whenever we want. Call 0431957583 or message and let’s rock! iFlogID: 7705
Hard-rock / Metalcore band seeks committed, self motivated drummer capable of playing to a Pro standard. Must be available for regular gigs, rehearsal. Must have a great work ethic and be easy to get along with, and share the same passion to pursue music full-time. iFlogID: 6445 Drummer/ percussionist needed for a cinematic uncategorizable music group. Think secret chief’s, fantomas, the resident’s, naked city etc.. Also a healthy interest in film music is good. Ability to read drum chart’s is probably better. Mark 0416 551 339 iFlogID: 7603 Experienced Drummer with own gear and transport wanted for showcasing upcoming album. Check out http://www.reverbnation.com/shaunchristensen before committing. iFlogID: 8288
FEMALE DRUMMER WANTED - PAID Immediate Start! A fantastic opportunity awaits for a skilled female Drummer 18-28yrs with own gear & transport. Management backed band with booking agent. Regular Paid gigs across Sydney with international opportunities also. Phone Jo: 0410 621 791 iFlogID: 7804 Guitarist with experience looking for drummer & bass player with own gear write music & start band. Open mind to music mainly Metal & Hardcore influences but most types of music. Based at Manly, but willing to travel. Message if interested. Jake 0427064905 iFlogID: 8281 Guitarist with experience looking for drummer & bass player with own gear write music & start band. Open mind to music mainly Metal & Hardcore influences but most types of music. Based at Manly, but willing to travel. Message if interested. Jake 0427064905 iFlogID: 8283
INDIE/ELECTRO ROCK DRUMMER
Young (19-21) Sydney band called INDIGO CHILD needs a bass player!! recently played at WORLD BAR, rehersals in belmore around 1-2 times a week. Male or FEMALE!! Few years experience would be ideal. Check out: www.myspace.com/ indigochildau indigochildau@live.com iFlogID: 7830
DRUMMER 18 year old Guitar player looking for a Drummer to start a band with. Influences: GN’R, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith. Preferably someone in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 7773 7 piece band rehearse in Marrickvile Sydney every Saturday. looking for a drummer and a trumpeter.Contact imafunkybloke@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8243 8 piece ska/punk/soul/rock band looking for new drummer. Rehearsals Sunday arfternoon Marrickville. Some experience prefered. Playing originals, though currently jamming some covers for practice. Smokers, drinkers encouraged! Contact Todd 0432 538 247 or the_band@mpss. com.au. iFlogID: 7847
Seeking experienced drummer who can play indie/electro rock. EP is finished and set for release early 2011 with management backing, so you must be ready to start rehearsing immediately for promotional shows starting in December. St Peters area. Sample tracks @ theestate. com.au, email: management@theestate. com.au, call Braden on 0438 363 600. iFlogID: 8146 Mature dynamic metal band based in Hills/Blacktown,Sydney. Infl: Rock, Grunge, Black, Death, Hardcore, Groove, Doom...etc Looking for like-minded drummer, own gear & car. Practice weekly. Gig monthly. https://myspace. com/cursedwithsanity https://dl.dropbox. com/u/4684637/Bring%20The%20Rain. mp3 PLEASE NO TIME WASTERS! cursedwithsanity@hotmail.com iFlogID: 7891
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Cool drummer with pro attitude wanted to join original band. Influences: Queen, Muse, Silverchair with a french twist! Gigs booked, rehearsals in city area. Check out www.myspace.com/thenapoleonsband and contact Hadrien 0402 708 868 hbourely@yahoo.com iFlogID: 8279 Red Oxygen - Hard working musician committed to project in Quakers Hill Must be over 18 - Must have your own transport - Decent gear - Willing to work with electronic drums www.soundcloud. com/red-oxygen Alex - 0431 194 622 iFlogID: 7943 Sydney Punk/Rock/Electronica band seeking for a drummer. Ready to start doing gigs. Please check out our songs at http://www.myspace.com/saturdaynightoutcasts If interested, please contact us at saturdaynightoutcasts@gmail.com iFlogID: 8296 We need a versitile drummer to join our Sydney based originals band. Complete freedom to enhance our song writing with your ideas and drumming skills. Rehearsal in Bardwell Valley (Rockdale area) no studio rehearsal costs. www. myspace.com/insideoutoz (0408) 232110 Veneita vendel@bigpond.net.au iFlogID: 7887
GUITARIST 18 year old Guitar player looking for another Guitar player to start a band with. Influences: GN’R, Led Zeppelin, The Stones. Preferably someone in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 7769 3pce rock band needs newguitarist, outgoing guitar is over committed elsewhere but still rehearsing with us till we find replacement U mus have good equipment transport. We’re ready to gig www. myspace.com/kamikazeflyingclub. phil 0402069500 iFlogID: 8028 Guitar Looking of a Blues Band iFlogID: 7716
GUITARIST REQUIRED Creative guitarist required for gigging and recording. Backing vocals an advantage. Rehearsals in inner-west. www. lostinthewoodsmusic.com iFlogID: 8262
GUITARIST WANTED TO TEACH
Sydney Mexican Mariachi band requires guitarists who have experience in playing Spanish or Latin music. Please contact Marc on 0415 073 306. For more info see our website: mariachiaustralia.com. au and MySpace: myspace.com/marcsantillana iFlogID: 7898 Vox and drummer looking to collaborate with guitarist. Influences, SOAD,tool,deftones,lacuna coil,10years. call 0401056876 iFlogID: 7790
KEYBOARD Bass/Synth Bass wanted for experimental metal band. It’s nowhere near as wanky as it sounds. Call or message 0405 911 748 iFlogID: 7762 Elephant Gods need keyboard player:fun band with great songs. Sixties influenced originals. Do you like Spencer Davis, Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Billy Preston, Brian Auger? Also King Khan, Bellrays, Rocket Science etc. Ready to record & gigs waiting. www. myspace/theelephantgods iFlogID: 7924 INDEPENDENT ROCK ARTIST seeks professional SESSION KEYBOARD PLAYER for album launch in October. MUST be dedicated , committed to 3 mid week rehearsals and playing launch. Experience essential- preferably 25+. Music at myspace.com/tiffanygow. Please CALL Tiffany 0433112429 Thank you iFlogID: 7767 KEYBOARD PLAYER ! One of the most exciting cover bands to hit Sydney is taking off “ate his rok” playing the best 80’s pop/rock. If you’re an exceptional keyboard player it’s an opportunity not to be missed. Write to : atehisrok@iprimus. com.au iFlogID: 7738 Keyboard player wanted for tex mex blues band , 3 easy going guys in 40’s seek keyboard player , ready to gig , we have years of live experience . Serious musicians who want to have a bit of fun call dan 0411778606 iFlogID: 8106 Keyboard/Synth player required to join Sydney Metalcore Band. Must be have own gear, transport, and be detictated as we have a busy work schedule. If interested call Matt on 0404715477. iFlogID: 7764
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Piano playing keyboardist required to accompany singer/songwriter into playing his originals. Parts are already written for some but room to develop & create. Think Young Elton style with a bit of Stevie Wonder. Ph: Andy 0438 648 545 iFlogID: 7728
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL
We seek guitar players who are looking to earn money teaching guitar. Training and teaching materials are supplied. Teach from one of our schools or your own location. Limited positions available. Visit www.g4guitar.com.au for details. iFlogID: 7447 Immediate Start! A fantastic opportunity awaits for a skilled female Electric Guitarist 18-28yrs with own gear & transport. Management backed band with booking agent. Regular Paid gigs across Sydney with international opportunities also. Email: bandproject@hotmail.com iFlogID: 7806 LEAD GUITARIST WANTED by Central Coast band “The No Such Things” infl: 60s power pop/garage/psych e.g. Standells, early Who, Nuggets, Pebbles, Love, Kinks etc. Gigs waiting when ready Phone Rob 0423 014819 or Paul 0408 429280 iFlogID: 7843 Lead guitarist wanted for Sydney top 40 covers band. 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and current. Work waiting now. $150 p/n local gigs. Must have own transport, exp preferred. Ph 0416226103 iFlogID: 8040
LEAD GUITARIST WANTED
piano/keyboard wanted. Inf nick cave, nina simones sinnerman, velvet underground, rehearsal inner west guy or girl ok tom 0411 874 673 iFlogID: 7832 Singer/songwriter/guitarist creating a new original project hoping to find someone using GarageBand to exchange files and collaborate with. Must have great sound, ability to play with vibe - groove. BV’s a bonus. Check out: http://www.myspace. com/remmosk If interested, pls contact “remmosk@gmail.com” iFlogID: 7754 Synth player wanted for Sydney based Synth/Pop/Hardcore band THOUGHTS UNDER FIRE. Must have gear and be reliable. Check out www.myspace.com/ thoughtsunderfire. Influences include Escape The Fate, A Day To Remember, Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon. Text or call Jared: 0414773038 iFlogID: 8030
OTHER .*. Temple Of 3 .*.
iFlogID: 7797
Fatal Tragedy is looking for a Guitarist, Bassist, keys and Female Vocals.Prog metal Originals. Must be willing to write and gig Pro Gear and Own Transport around western sydney. fatal.tragedy. music@gmail.com 0406785596 iFlogID: 7857 JAZZ MUSOS WANTED! Inner city drummer of 15+ years (age30) seeks cats who can read, to swing with on regular basis to expand Jazz repertoire. Let’s have fun making good music! iFlogID: 8085
Original Rock Band Calling Mendoza looking for a Lead Guitarist. Influences are Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Foofighters, U2 etc. Age 34 years and under. Commitment & Transport is essential. If interested please call Simon on 0421 373 194 iFlogID: 7908
Lead, rythm, drums, bass and keyboards all required on Central Coast to work with frontman and promoter to restart massive OZ ROCK coverband. Professional/mature musos only who want to work bigtime. National corporate when ready. Call Peter on 0418603619. iFlogID: 7736
MUSICIANS WANTED
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL guitarist wanted, inf the cramps, nick cave, white stripes, the strokes. girl or guy inner west rehearsal age 25-35. iFlogID: 7834
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Looking for a good guitarist to form a band with call Dave on 0420 463161... iFlogID: 7937 Rhythm guitarist wanted to join covers band. Back up vocals essential. We’re currently lead guitar, bass and drums and play 70’s, 80’s rock. We’re mid-40s, easy going but serious about music. Rehearsing in Gladesville. Call John on 0438 780 567. iFlogID: 7732
If you want to join a band, form a band, find a new band member, get exposure, or just jam, then www.ozjam.com.au is for you! Whatever instrument or genre of music you play, Ozjam can connect you with other talented, like minded musicians who are looking to jam, gig, and even tour the World! Ozjam is loaded with features, it’s free to join and with over 4000 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia today! iFlogID: 6499
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL chilledout guy, great personality seeking someone with strong mixing/production skills for electronic act or licensing to compilations. using logic8.0 with bedroomstudio in innerwest. Mymusic is mainly house/minimal tech but love all dance. checkout www.soundcloud.com/ kidjuicy serious replies only contact me rifraf69@hotmail.com iFlogID: 8132
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL jeannie peel (vox, writing, inst) looking for inner city keys/guitar with recording equip to create duo. releases on force tracks, pokerflat, shitkatapult as techno diva; in fact classically trained sax player. 044 98 98 183/ jeanniepeel@email.com iFlogID: 8032 PLAY JAZZ. Musicians wanted - especially WIND PLAYERS. Style: JAZZ STANDARDS. Locale: WEST RYDE. Director: DAVID MILLMAN Contact by phone: 98078866 iFlogID: 7703 Sydney Mexican Mariachi band requires trumpeters who have experience in playing Jazz and/or Latin music. Call Marc on 0415 073 306. For more info see our website: mariachiaustralia.com.au and MySpace: myspace.com/marcsantillana. iFlogID: 7900
SINGER BRIAN JOHNSON DIRTY DEEDS - Australia’s leading tribute to AC/DC are in need of a professional Brian Johnson impersonator for immediate dep work. If you look like Brian and can scream your lungs out in the style of Johnson to all the AC/DC classics - then we want you! This is the busiest AC/DC tribute show there is with the best crew so be prepared to work. Send your bio, recent photos, mp3’s or any other supporting evidence of your bad self to info@ dirtydeeds.net.au for consideration or call 0412 706 061. www.dirtydeeds.net.au www.myspace.com/dirty.deeds iFlogID: 5491
& RATM. Check us out at www.myspace. com/heroesonholiday. Call Michael on 0404700869 iFlogID: 7828 SINGER WANTED TO HELP SONGWRITER $40 PH RATE AND STYLE IS POP ,ROCK,BALLADS, PLEASE SUPPLY INFO WITH VOCAL SAMPLE TO KONEMANNMUSIC@HOTMAIL.COM iFlogID: 7954
SINGER WANTED! SINGER WANTED The Havknotz are looking for a singer to guest/add to their rock/ rap band (think RATM, meets Cypress Hill meets Faith No more). This is a golden opportunity for a talented and committed singer. The voice they are looking for would ideally be a strong Faith No more/ Papa Roach style voice. Being able to rap wouldn’t hurt but is not necessary. This group is in a fantastic position for the right singer to come on board. The Havknotz have already supported HED P.E, NECRO, RAEKWON, METHOD MAN AND REDMAN, DJ CASH MONEY AND SCRATCH and WOLFMOTHER and play local nights such as BLINK, TRASH and SFX. Their forthcoming EP ‘MUSIC - LIFE - PAIN’ is currently being completed and features drums by Rob Hirst from Midnight Oil and ILL BILL from LA COKA NOSTRA. The next 12 months will include the EP release, national gigs/support tours and putting in the hard work back at Alberts Studios, completing The Havknotz first album for release. Send your demo to: thehavknotz@live.com iFlogID: 5473
Singer wanted, male or female for covers band. Must have a good vocal range. We’re currently lead guitar, bass and drums playing 70’s, 80’s rock. We’re mid-40s, easy going but serious about music. Gladesville area. Call John 0438 780 567 iFlogID: 7730
SINGER WANTED
Experienced cover band vocalist wanted to work with DJs and cover bands in the corp and club scene. We have the work if you have the talent! Look at our site for info on us www.qcent.com.au Send demos to levi@qcent.com.au call Levi 0412763191. iFlogID: 7928
Looking for beginner to intermediate singer who’s interested in learning/ improving and wanting to have some fun with a couple of laid back guys.. Alternate/ Indie/Rock Genre. Contact Pete on (0421) 258 859. Hills/Western Sydney. iFlogID: 8070 Male/Female Singer or Singer Guitarist wanted to become part of the creative process for orginal alternative rock outfit. “ Contact ROB - 0421 851 708 BRENDO 0422 271 293 iFlogID: 8130
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Female singer required to harmonise with gigging originals singer/songwriter. Duo and band gigs booked but need to blend/ tighten vox. Songs - mostly ballads with some uptempo pop rock. Think Neil Finn and Sheryl Crow Ph: Andy 0438 648 545 iFlogID: 7724 Our covers band plays pop/rock from the 60’s till now. Looking for a mature female vocalist. We rehearse in Kings Langley and gig when we can but this is fun not work. Contact Peter on 0412 305 378 iFlogID: 8252
PUNK BAND WANTS SINGER West Sydney punk band wants vocalist to front 4 piece. Influences : Nofx, Pennywise, The Bronx. No Exp needed . Contact Marc : 0413651150 iFlogID: 6654
SINGER NEEDED
Original Rock Band Calling Mendoza looking for a Versatile Male/Female singer. Influences are Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Nickleback, U2 etc. Age 34 years and under. Commitement & Songwriting is essential. If interested please call Simon on 0421 373 194 iFlogID: 7906
Singer needed for hard rock band. We’re looking for a singer, male or female, for our all original hard rock band. The guitarist and I (bass) have been playing together for over 8 years now and over 3 years with our drummer. We have been writing new songs the last 2 years and continue to work on fresh original material. We have also been playing gigs all over Melbourne for the last year getting some stage experience up but we are really dying to get a frontperson with a voice that works with our music. We’re willing to give anyone a listen, we’re all easy going and in it for the fun above all else, but also been keen to take the next step and make it a serious commitment. Have a listen at our myspace link upon application. http:// www.myspace.com/psyecho Please note the myspace recordings are over 2 years old now and we have progressed in style and skill greatly since then. iFlogID: 5131 Singer wanted for young 4 piece originals hard rock band in Macarthur region. Aged 18-25 would be ideal Ready to gig. Some influences include Foo Fighters, Nirvana
GREEN, GLAM & GORGEOUS
GRAPHIC DESIGN
BLACK STAR DESIGN 100 Full Colour A4 Gloss Posters = only $40 100 Full Colour A3 Matt Posters = only $50 100 Full Colour A3 Gloss Posters = only $80 www. blackstar.com.au CALL 02-9264 4776 EMAIL bsd@zip.com.au iFlogID: 8096 Do you need a new website? Looking for a great price without having to compromise on quality? Make an impact online with a website that sells your business. 1-7 Page Website from $800 8-20 Page Website from $1200 iFlogID: 8210
FULL COLOUR POSTERS
VOCALIST - NORTHERN BEACHES
Visit our website for an extensive price list and other services! iFlogID: 6348 graphic design, album design, logo design, band posters iFlogID: 8254
MUSICIAN & BAND WEBSITES
Male or female vocalist or MC wanted for sydney based Downtempo, trip hop, dark moody beat project. Influences are from right across the musical spectrum so pretty much anything goes. If you are interested in getting creative and collaborating then please send a demo to itsmaximillion@gmail.com iFlogID: 6346 Well known Sydney cover band looking for lead male vocalist. 20-40 yoa. Must have good range and stage presence. Agency backed and gigs in the diary. For enquiries contact Tim on 0415 671 207. iFlogID: 7910
SONG WRITER GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! Male singer-songwriter wanted (experienced)! Drummer is forming a fast paced professional original industrial rock/metal band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, self-motivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, and Static-X. Age: 18-30. Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911. iFlogID: 7915
With over 20 years experience, ACE Design & Print has gained an unequaled reputation as a reliable supplier of quality printing with exceptional service and competitive prices. Our print services are designed for fast production and fast delivery within your budget. Here are some prices for your consideration, let us know your specific requirements and we can quote & deliver! 100 A4 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $40 250 A6 Leaflets printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $50 250 Full Colour Digital Business cards onto 300gsm gloss = $50 100 A3 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $80 1000 Business Cards in full colour 2 sides with plastic coating = $160 1000 A5 Flyers printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $210 1000 A4 Letterheads printed in full colour onto 100gsm bond = $230 1000 A4 Flyers printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $300 500 A2 Posters printed in full colour onto 150gsm gloss = $490 1000 A5 Booklets 8pp printed in full colour onto gloss = $735 500 Presentation Folders printed in full colour on white board = $795 iFlogID: 4914
OTHER Aley Greenblo who was crowned as a finalist in January for the MISS EARTH AUSTRALIA PAGEANT TEACHES THE WORLD HOW TO ADOPT A GREENER WAY OF LIFE. Aley is studying COMMERCE LAW at UNSW and has been speaking out to encourage others to get active. In a speech Aley delivered to her fellow peers on Friday she mentioned that “MANY PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE IDEA OF ‘GOING GREEN’. IN REALITY HOWEVER, “GOING GREEN IS VERY SIMPLE AND MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW EASY IT IS TO FOLLOW AN ECOFRIENDLY LIFESTYLE”. ALEY GREENBLO’S ACTS INSPIRE US TO INCULCATE GREEN LIVING IN OUR LIVES AND SPREAD ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN OUR OWN LITTLE WAY. TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO: http://aleygreenblo.blogspot.com/ or facebook: aley greenblo iFlogID: 5314
Sydney Grunge/Rock band seeks singer to write melodies and music to gig originals. Influences include Silverchair, Nirvana, QOTSA, Foo Fighters etc Located in the Carlingford/Paramatta area. We are all around 20 so similar age please. Contact Daniel 0403 885 433. iFlogID: 8025
VOCALIST / MC WANTED
SUPER CHEAP COLOUR PRINTING
BEAUTY FOR A CAUSE CAMPAIGN ALEY GREENBLO, A CURRENT FINALIST FOR MISS EARTH AUSTRALIA HAS RECENTLY BEEN CHOSEN TO BE THE FACE OF THE “BEAUTY FOR A CAUSE CAMPAIGN”. ALEY HOPES TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT CURRENT ENVIRO PROBLEMS AND HAS SET OUT ON A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! THIS “DOWN TO EARTH” COMMERCE LAW STUDENT IS EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT & IS DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET REMAINS CLEAN & LITTER FREE! ALEY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY ACTIVE IN PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS & HAS TAKEN ON VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL INITATIVES. “IT IS SO EASY AND EVERYONE CAN HELP BY DOING THE SMALLEST THINGS!” iFlogID: 5082
Affordable graphic design! CD/DVD packaging, myspace layouts, web design, posters, bio/press kits, advertising, photography + more! EP’s from $190• Myspace layouts from $100* Check out our cool work online, www.creativeunited. com.au Call 0425 715 465 iFlogID: 7808
Vocalist URGENTLY needed for a new Covers band based on the Northern Beaches. We are experienced musicians and “mature rockers” with quality gear. So if you’re into Rock & Blues, and your influences are from the 60’s 70’s & 80’s (and you can sing and connect with an audience) give us a call on 0414 952002 or e-mail andygeorge@y7mail.com. We reahearse once a week, usually on a Tuesday , with a view to gigging, making a little cash and having FUN ! iFlogID: 8062
ILLUSTRATOR! BOOKS TO ALBUMS
ing info@awfwrestling.com.au or calling 0410 691 377. See www.awfwrestling. com.au for full details on upcoming training, shows, merchandise and upcoming TV show! iFlogID: 6578
GUITAR LESSONS FOR ALL AGES
BEAUTY SERVICES
Singer/lyricist with creative ability to join rock/funk band. Influences include RHCP, INXS, U2, Muse, Stereophonics, Killers... If u have a high energy performance style and want to rock out with your sock out then give us a call on 0413585820 iFlogID: 8093
THE FATALS original rock band from northwest sydney are looking for a singer. We are constantly writing new stuff and are looking for someone to write with. influences ACDCPowderfingerJetGrinspoon call or email dane dane_maverick@hotmail.com 0407795671 iFlogID: 7746
To know more about my work visit www. fugadalula.com.br/blog To quote: renato@ fugadalula.com.br Thanks! iFlogID: 6481
SERVICES
Singer wanted, male or female 18-30 to collaborate with guitarist and ultimately form a band. Mostly rock style, for a sample see www.myspace.com/justinacooke. If you’re interested add me on myspace or contact me on 0420312864 CastleHill area iFlogID: 7977
EXPERIENCED VOCALIST WANTED
Female lead singer wanted for Sydney top 40 covers band. 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and current material. Work waiting now. $150 p/n local gigs. Must have own transport, exp preferred. Ph 0416226103 iFlogID: 8038
Original acoustic Solo and Duo’s acts wanted for midweek Sydney venues. 30-45 minute set of originals required, singer/songwriter vibe. Interstate artists welcome. Contact: nowmuzik@gmail.com for more info. iFlogID: 8171
Aisle6ix Industries is an independent screen print shop specializing in small print runs of both T-shirts and Posters for artist’s and rock bands. Hand Printed No MINIMUM order. Phone 0416 819 405 or email a6industries@gmail.com iFlogID: 7851
COMEDY FOR LUNCH IN THE CBD Comedy For Lunch dates starting Sept 17th. Here’s your chance to spice up the regular CBD friday lunch with some tasty food and yummy laughs. Lunch starts at 12noon-12:35, show starts 12:351:10pm. We’ve lined up some very funny comic chefs to tantalise your tickle tastebuds. Plus if someone from the office is a jokester, he or she can have 3 minutes on stage to keep up the tradition :-). So gather up the gang from the office, family, friends and out of town guest and book into Comedy For Lunch. Lunch price includes choice of 6 mains, a Drink (Beer, Wine, House spirits, Juice, soft drink) and V.I.P seating in the worlds most comfortable comedy theatre, “The Star Bar Theatre” 600 George Street (formerley Planet Hollywood) or if the only serving you want is laughs, regular admission is just $10.00 for the show only! Booking now at 0295472578 or on line at www. comedyintheraw.com.au iFlogID: 6440
COMEDY FOR LUNCH STARTS SOON!
MYSPACE BAND PROFILE FROM 200$ I’m starting a new business in CSS programming and I’m willing to charge very cheap to gather some folio with customized myspace profiles. This price will certanly increase after some productions, so be quick to not loose the oportunity.
Man with a van.
iFlogID: 8292
MUSIC VIDEOS
Learn guitar with someone who’s actually out there working in the industry performing, writing, recording etc. (north shore area) call/email Josh: 0415248313 kellermanjosh@gmail.com iFlogID: 5683 GUITAR LESSONS with experienced and qualified tutor. Who has 20 years of studio and live performance. Rock, pop, jazz, theory, etc.etc. Beginners to advanced. In the convenience of your own home. Good results guaranteed. Phone Oles on 0407413143 email oa@olesart.com iFlogID: 8136
Bands who have recently made videos with us include El Duende, Line Drawings and Grace Before Meals. Get your band on Rage and Youtube, or make a video for your myspace page. Fantastic concepts and slick production that wont break your budget. See examples of our videos on facebook.com/dynamic.screen. content Call Darrin on 0413555857 (we’re based in Sydney) iFlogID: 6683 NEED BAND SHIRTS? BAND MERCHANDISE? Contact us! CBON SCREEN PRINTERS . With 25 years experience in screen printing . We can supply your tshirts/ hoodies/caps etc. Graphic design service available - Ph:(02) 9555 1124 - Visit our website @ www.cbon.com.au iFlogID: 7889 New artists have joined and new tracks have been uploaded since you last visited. Check back and check out the new material! Vote now! Upload your sounds to soundornot.com! iFlogID: 8212
PA FOR HIRE WITH OPERATOR EXPERIENCE, PROFESSIONALISM,VALUE FOR MONEY Best and cheapest PA hire with operator, JBL FH,1000w,FB1000w,shure mics,and super experienced operator guarentees quality monitoring. Don’t waste gig money on PA hire, call Shannon now on 0406 346 239. Servicing Sydney and beyond. iFlogID: 6543
SOLICITORS Wright Lawyers and Associates specialisng in: * Criminal and Traffic Law * Wills and Estates * Business Law ph 1300174247 mob 0404205881 Dean@ wrightlawyersandassociates.com iFlogID: 6145
Whether you just want to sing for your own pleasure or dream of being a singer on stage, all aspects covered from diction, breathing, microphone technique, pitch, harmony,working with live bands and performing. How to get into the music industry. Utilising the latest vocal techniques from the US, sing without stress or fear. All lessons can be recorded and take place in a relaxed and fully equipped studio in Botany, SYDNEY. All ages welcome - female teacher- children welcome. INTRODUCTORY OFFER: FREE first lesson to assess your needs and direction, then $30 per lesson for the first 3 months. Conditions apply. Contact: alteregoprom@ gmail.com or phone 0403 869 364 iFlogID: 6516
SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE SINGLE ROOM IN PANANIA Hi looking for friendly open minded person or student to share my house. Must love pets and smokeing is ok but outside only. Home is close to shops, train, bus stop & Western Syd Uni 10min walk.Someone working or studying who would like to stay for about a year in a friendly home. Call if interested $125.00 pw plus 4weeks bond Eddie 0414 075 744 or 9785 1808 iFlogID: 8163 St Helens Pk 2 ROOMS : $125 EACH / PER WEEK No Extra Costs Unfurnished Rooms Built Ins Shared Duplex with 25 y.o Male Living Space is fully furnished with Air Con 1 Bathroom (Shower + Bath) Kitchen and Laundry iFlogID: 8249
WANTED
SOLICITORS
DRUMS DRUM KITS WANTED or any cymbals and snare drums etc, Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 5817
The People who bring you Comedy Court stand up competitions featuring audience Digital voting (Fri nites) and Quick...Some Comedy Quick stand up shows (Sat nites) present the CBD’s only live Stand up comedy lunch show. One price gets you your choice of 6 mains and some spicy laughs. Held every Friday 12noon at Star bar Theater 600 George Street Sydney. Get your office mates, friends, tourist and your boss together for lunch with a twist. Book now at 95472578 or www.comedyintheraw.com.au Starts Sept 17th. Limited seating per show iFlogID: 5985
EARPLUGS FOR MUSICIANS Protect your hearing with custom moulded earplugs designed to reduce the level of sound without adversely affecting the frequency response of the music. Choose between 10,15 and 25dB attenuation. Fitted by professional audiologist, by appointment only. Ph 9387 3599 iFlogID: 7742
FRESH TEES - SCREEN PRINTING
Create your presence online and get noticed. Sydney based web designers are here to help you create and design your website with ease. We specialise in building websites that work. When you hire us to design your website we’ll give you a product that looks great and that actually works for your business or service. Packages start from $400 Call Richard or Kelly on 0424 125 169 iFlogID: 6665
Do you need an affordable Illustrator? Freelance illustrator Paul Ikin can create a range of styles for your project. No hidden cost at an affordable price. Album Covers - Film Clips - Book Sleeves - Children Books - Online Images - Fliers - Posters Editorial Artwork. Visit www.paulikin.com - T: 0403 996 129 iFlogID: 5133
GUITARS LOOKING FOR ESP Wright Lawyers and Associates specilising in: *Criminal and Traffic Law *Wills and Estates *Business Law ph: 1300174247 mob: 0404205881 e: Dean@wrightlawyersandassociates.com iFlogID: 6149 X Factor, Australian Idol, Australia’s Got Talent, forgot that! Want to know what people think of your music? Upload your sound to soundornot.com and find out now! All styles catered for! iFlogID: 7841 ZUMBA CLASSES @ Bondi Junction iFlogID: 7845
TUITION ABLETON CERTIFIED TRAINING Audio Courses & Tuition by Australia’s Leading Producers - [Book Now & Save up to 40% OFF Ableton Live 8] - CONTACT: bookings@liveschool.net iFlogID: 5258
AWF SCHOOL OF PRO-WRESTLING
T-shirts, Hoodies, Caps, Polos, Screen Printing, Direct 2 Garment, Transfers Embroidery, Artwork Design,0415 139 056 info@freshtees.com.au iFlogID: 6027 FUNCTION ROOM Available. Located in Rydalmere. Room suitable for 25 people plus live band or DJ. Features stage lighting, PA,kiosk,out door BBQ area pinball and ample parking.Suitable also for photo/video shoots. ph 02 9684 1152 for information. iFlogID: 8048
* Applications for our next learn to wrestle beginners Spring course starting September 4 are now being accepted. 16years+, Cost: $400 * AWF’s next School Holiday “Dreamcamp” open to all ages will be 4-7 Oct. 4 consecutive Days of wrestling tuition 10am - 3pm culminating in a taped bout. Fun for all ages. Cost: $300 * On 28 August AWF will be holding a Pro-Wrestling Training Seminar hosted by former TNA stand out Sonjay Dutt of the USA, and AWF School of Pro-Wrestling Head Trainer TNT. The Seminar will be open to all ages and will have a particular emphasis on Cruiserweight / X Division Style wrestling. Cost: $100 *AWF School of Pro-Wrestling is located at 7/32 Swettenham Rd, Minto. All correspondence to be made by email-
Looking for an Esp Horizon black. New or used. Email For more info. wtf_juice@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 5875
OTHER ADVERTISE YOUR BAND/BUSINESS ON WWW.ROCKNPOPS.COM LINKS TO BAND SITES- FREE, ALL OTHER ADVERTS- $10 MONTH. 6 CATEGORIES TO CHOOSE FROM. WWW.ROCKNPOPS.COM iFlogID: 7945 FILM/VIDEO STUDENT NEEDED who is able to edit some music based footage and audio for local recording studio. Initially this is an unpaid position, however paid jobs will be available in the future. Contact 0431337488 iFlogID: 8110
NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Manager wanted by band with completed album. Experience not essential but dedication and trustworthiness a must. More info at: www.myspace.com/mojoblitz iFlogID: 7750 THE PREHISTORICS, an all original alternative rock ‘n roll Sydney band, want a BAND MANAGER/AGENCY. Debut album ‘Petrified’ out now on Turkeyneck Records with second album out 2011. Contact Brendan: 0430 1977 17. Email prehistorics@optusnet.com.au. See www.theprehistorics.com for songs & video. iFlogID: 8098 vinyl records wanted. We pay good money for those old Lp’s you have stored in the attic. Looking for albums from the 60’s through to now. Mark: 0416 551 339 iFlogID: 7232
For a limited time. Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au
• 90 • THE DRUM MEDIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Time to Rock Enrol Apply NOW for Semester 1, 2011 Industry Recognised Music Degrees in AUDIO PERFORMANCE ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT COMPOSITION & MUSIC PRODUCTION
www.aim.edu.au (02) 9219 5444
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