15.02.17
Issue
Frusic / Fringe / Lifestyle / Culture
03
Adelaide / Free
C O M E DY, M U S I C, F E ST I VA L S A N D M O R E
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marytobinpresents
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GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS 9.35PM 17 FEB – 19 MAR
FRI 28 APRIL WAYVILLE, SA ADELAIDE SHOWGROUND HOME OF GROOVIN THE MOO
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DESIGN YOUR MUSICAL EXPERIENCE TODAY! musicaviva.com.au/2017 (no booking fees) bass.net.au | 131 246
For one night only at Adelaide Festival experience the multi Grammy Award winning Eighth Blackbird. The closest thing classical music has to a rock band, don’t miss these ‘Super-Musicians’ perform brilliant contemporary classics! Adelaide Town Hall, 128 King William St Thurs 9 March, 7∶30pm
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Access the very best of international chamber music throughout the year with Musica Viva. Experience one of the world’s greatest pianists Angela Hewitt, the much loved Takács Quartet, the legendary Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and so much more!
comedy at fowler’s live
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Music / Credits
Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Publisher Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
Bird Up
Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast
National Editor – Magazines Mark Neilsen Editor Daniel Cribb
Arts & Culture Editor Maxim Boon
Editorial Bryget Chrisfield, Brynn Davies, Sam Wall
Eric Andre
Adult Swim madman Eric Andre returns to Australia this year after unleashing all hell during a whirlwind east coast run in December. Andre wraps his tour at Thebarton Theatre, 20 May.
Contributors Steve Bell, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Joe Dolan, Neil Griffiths, Samuel Leighton-Dore, Alannah Maher, Kassandra McKenzie, Megan Steller, Georgia Symons, Tom Walters
Djuki Mala
Advertising Dept Leigh Treweek, Antony Attridge, Braden Draper, Brad Summers, Georgie Pengelly, Brad Edwards, Nicole Ferguson sales@themusic.com.au Art Dept Ben Nicol, Felicity Case-Mejia Admin & Accounts Ajaz Durrani, Meg Burnham, Emma Clarke accounts@themusic.com.au Subscriptions store@themusic.com.au Contact Us The Music Head Office: Tel 03 9421 4499 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au
Dance Trance After stunning audiences at WOMAdelaide last year, Indigenous dance and YouTube sensations Djuki Mala bring their unique, infectious, high energy and exuberant dance/physical theatre show back to Adelaide Fringe until Mar 5.
— Adelaide Josh Glanc
Bec Sandridge
Disco Dream After the release of her debut EP In The Fog, eclectic Wollongong songstress Bec Sandridge is kicking off 2017 in style, showing off her contrasting style of pumping disco and daydreamer pop at Rocket Bar, Mar 17.
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Where’s The Beef? Aussie favourite Josh Glanc returns to the stage following his debut 99 Schnitzels, this time as Dicky Rosenthal - hyper-masculine “American beefcake”. Glanc delivers subversive observations and surrealism at Royal Croquet Club until Mar 5.
Arts / Li Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
AB Original
A Festivus For The Rest Of Us
Jason Mamoa
Mega-festival WOMAdelaide recently finalised its epic 25th anniversary bill with the addition of AB Original. The party returns to Botanic Park 10 – 13 Mar.
Game On
Get your squad together, don your best cosplays and get ready to meet cult heroes such as Jason Momoa and Alaina Huffman as Oz Comic-Con hits Adelaide Showgrounds 1 & 2 Apr.
David Liebe Hart
Hart To Hart Tim & Eric star David Liebe Hart is a difficult character to pin down, as he melds music and puppetry into absurd comedy gold. Apparently those who’ve communicated with extra-terrestrials, or are obsessed with trains, will find a lot to love here. He hits Jive 13 Apr.
Judith Lucy & Denise Scott
Double Trouble Australian comedy icons Judith Lucy and Denise Scott will unleash their highly anticipated new show Disappointments at Adelaide Fringe 6 – 19 Mar, an invitation to embrace your mediocrity, laugh, cry and so much more.
Where and when? For more gig details go to theMusic.com.au
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Lifestyle Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
You’re A Wizard, Jake
Jake Shimabukuro
Receiving praise from the likes of Eddie Vedder, Hawaiianborn Jake Shimabukuro has been proclaimed as a ukulele wizard. Shimabukuro is bringing the magical world of the uke to The Gov on Apr 9.
Holly Throsby
ASTA
hASTA-la vista Flashing back to triple j Unearthed High 2012, you’ll remember funk-pop beauty ASTA taking the crown. After taking time to find her sound, she’s back at Fat Controller 3 Mar with her upbeat dance tunes and sweet vocals.
Dear Lord Renowned vegetarian and vegan fast food chain Lord Of The Fries finally comes to Adelaide in February, bringing fierce competition to the city’s burgeoning meat-free eatery scene. While an exact opening date has yet to be confirmed, the storefront is already in place at 23A Hindley Street, so it isn’t far off. 10 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
Electric Fields
Lord Of The Fries
e / Cultu Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
The Time Has Come
Pizza Party
Sydney-based musician and novelist Holly Throsby will bring a career-spanning set to Jive 25 Mar in celebration of stunning new album After A Time. She’ll also make an appearance at this year’s Writers’ Week.
Recently opened pizza joint/ music venue Sunny’s perfectly marries good food, disco tunes and cheesy vibes. Did we mention cheese?
Sunny’s
Full Clip The Clipsal 500 concert series pulls Aussie talent back into focus in 2017, with headline sets from Hilltop Hoods, Hunters & Collectors, Seth Sentry and more from 2 – 5 Mar.
Seth Sentry
Tegan & Sara
Love You To Death, Eh?
Shock Me Like An Electric Field Seamlessly merging pop, electric and soul, Electric Fields are set to perform their powerful live show at Royal Croquet Club 19 Mar. Bridging cultural identities by singing in English and Pitjantjatjara, South Australian fans are in for a treat.
Canadian synthpop duo Tegan & Sara are heading back down under to make it up to Brisbane and Adelaide for ditching them last tour run. Accept their energetically popfilled apology by heading down to The Gov on 7 Mar. THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 11
Adelaide Overview
THE MUSIC When people around Australia think of Adelaide music, it’s often accompanied by an afterthought of Sia, Hilltop Hoods or another revered artist who’s already well-established, but the upcoming talent in SA is transforming it into one of the country’s most promising scenes. Here are some local acts you need to check out in 2017.
Bjear
Bec Stevens. Pic: Elliot Oakes
Post rock, alt-indie pop folkers Bjear are producing some world class music right now, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re a household name. Their latest album, Firefall, is haunting, beautiful and a bedroom masterpiece.
Bec Stevens/Hyder Seek Blessed with a killer voice, a penchant for intelligent, introspective lyrics and an endearing, earnest attitude, Bec Stevens is in a prime position to keep building on her existing groundwork and assume her rightful place on everyone’s radar through her solo work and efforts fronting Hyder Seek.
Aaron Thomas
Moonhunter
Indie pop/folk maestro Aaron Thomas brings a wealth of experience to his brand of dark country, having spent the better part of a decade honing his craft in Spain, and his debut Australian EP, Always A Full Moon, oozes relatable emotion through haunting and captivating melodies. Thomas may already be fairly established, but the new music sees him poised for some well-earned recognition on home soil.
Moonhunter Following in the footsteps of DZ Deathrays and Royal Blood, relatively new duo Moonhunter have made a name for themselves through their raw and powerful indie rock. Tell Me Kid dropped early last month and captures their powerful live energy nicely.
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Adelaide Overview
THE FESTIVALS Adelaide’s crown as the “festival state” might be an understatement now, with the vibrancy, diversity, quality and quantity of events not only putting other states to shame, but thrusting SA’s scene up there as one of the best in the world. With Adelaide Festival, the Cabaret Festival, Fringe, Umbrella Winter City Sounds and of course WOMAdelaide going from strength to strength each year, it’s a wonder they don’t rename Adelaide Australia’s capital. Delve further into this here magazine for more info on the festival scene.
WOMADelaide. Pic: Alexander Robertson
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Adelaide Overview
THE FOOD Adelaide is a global city and that is no more apparent than in the city’s eclectic culinary offering. You can find cuisines from just about every corner of the world here, bringing together international flavours and locally sourced produce. So bust out the bib, put on your sweat pants with the elasticated waistband, and take your tastebuds on a tour around these top Adelaide easteries.
Chicco Palms 437 Henley Beach Rd, Brooklyn Park Italian cooking just like you’re old Nona used to make (or would have made if you even had one!) There are some beautiful, hearty pasta dishes to be found here, but whatever you do, don’t miss the pizza, the whole join is built around a wood-fired oven after all.
Beach Bum 47 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide Don’t be fooled by the name. Despite the laid back vibes and chilled out décor of this Hawaiian-style kiosk, the quality of the food is far from lazy. You’ll find fresh, zesty Pacific Island dishes with a Japanese twist, including plenty of sharing plates, so bring your friends.
The Henry Austin 29 Chesser St, Adelaide Modern Australian cuisine gets a bite-sized makeover at this well-heeled restaurant and wateringhole specialising in small plates. There’s no set menu here, the food moves with the seasons and the best available produce, meaning you’ll always get a fresh AF, complacency-free meal.
Level One 131/139 King William Street, Adelaide For those looking for a more refined dining experience, look no further to this Electra House. If you’re not won over by the schmick intereriors and fine dining service (you will be, btw) then you need only try the food. Modern Asian cuisine, playfully presented – delicious barely covers it.
Beach Bum
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Adelaide Overview
THE DRINKS If you’re heading out to a show, you’re more than likely going to want to get warmed up before the main event – especially with an array of Fringe gigs kicking off well into the night. Here are a few places to start the night.
Howling Owl 13 Frome Street, Adelaide This industrial-blues, speakeasy-style hangout specialises in gin and won’t leave your wallet hurting. Handpicked, impeccable whiskey and gin in a semisecret spot.
Bibliotheca 1/27 Gresham St, Adelaide With sophisticated charm and character, Bibliotheca is impressively stocked with loads of SA wine and some outstanding imported drops. Although nailing the wine, the intimate hang also deserves a nod in the spirits section too for the 100+ whiskies on hand.
Mother Vine 22-26 Vardon Ave, Adelaide Staffed by a swathe of super-smart sommeliers, offering wine straight from the barrel, Mother Vine is pure class. Once again there’s a local focus, but the boutique boozery also has a stellar international wine list.
Thrift Shop Bar Thrift Shop Bar
12 Waymouth Pl, Adelaide All-Australian spirits, subsequently necessarily creative cocktails; the bar your eccentric grandma would run if she were a well-travelled, but patriotic cocktail artist.
Biggies At Bertrum Basement, 73 Grenfell Street, Adelaide An underground basement bar stocking local beers and spirits and serving espresso martinis on tap, with DJs staying true to the craft and only playing vinyl record.
Beer Bash The trend with beer is inner-suburban breweries running cellar door ops, like Pirate Life, Little Bang and Big Shed. They don’t all have food, but they do all have open areas for casually tasting, carefully crafted brews and having a grand old time with the mates; fresh is best.Xx
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Bluesfest
Feelin’ Kinda Free You’ve got to keep moving and keep doing something different.
Rising US singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens tells Steve Bell why her new solo album Freedom Highway is a true labour of love.
R
hiannon Giddens’ first album away from the confines of her Grammy Award-winning band Carolina Chocolate Drops, Tomorrow Is My Turn (2015) — produced by venerated artist/ producer T Bone Burnett — found her predominantly reinterpreting classic songs of yesteryear made famous by esteemed artists such as Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, Dolly Parton and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. It earned immediate and raucous acclaim and signified to many a new star’s seemingly unstoppable ascent. When time came to work on a follow-up album it would have been easy for Giddens to follow the path that had served her so well first time around. Instead she chose a completely different tack, her new album Freedom Highway containing nine original tracks as well as a traditional song and two civil rights-era songs. “It’s just the next step,” Giddens ponders. “I was happy to continue doing Carolina Chocolate Drops for as long as we could do it, but when T Bone stepped in and offered me a different direction I just went, ‘Well, these things just come along one time’. I just follow the flow — you want to do what’s been given to you to do and this was obviously the way to go. “I’ve been able to carry some of the tenets from the Chocolate Drops with me, and I still work with a lot of those guys too, so I obviously still believe in that mission, but I can also do other things that I can’t do with the Chocolate Drops but can do on my own, so that’s important to explore.” The tenets Giddens mentions refer to the non-musical impetus of Carolina Chocolate Drops, whose mission statement is to educate as much as entertain. “Yeah, and to enlighten and to
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excavate, and to just show these things that don’t get talked about very much,” the singer explains. “Freedom Highway is absolutely in line with that, with songs from slave narratives and civil rights songs and the whole idea of just talking about things in a way that they maybe don’t always get talked about. “In terms of the slave narrative stories, most of the time it’s always told from the man’s point of view and all of the songs I’ve written based on slave narratives are always from the women’s point of view. And just these song structures — that’s not a very common thing either — so we’re just trying to do what’s been given. “It’s self-produced — or co-produced with myself and an extraordinary musician called Dirk Powell — and everybody in my band is on the record, so it’s kind of a much more personal record than the last one. The last one was incredible — it was such a great honour to work with T Bone — but you’ve got to keep moving and keep doing something different, so we went in a totally different direction with this one.”
When & Where: 13, 14 & 16 Apr, Bluesfest, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm
Nothing to do this weekend? Don’t worry, The Music has you sorted.
Head to events.themusic.com.au to see what’s coming up.
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The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Up Close And Personal Five years since his last solo show, Sammy J’s bringing his life story to the stage. Joe Dolan learns about the butterfly effect.
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s the sound of his young daughter babbles over the phone line, Sammy J is quick to clarify “That’s not me, I haven’t just suddenly turned into a baby!”
You Win Some, You Lose Some Ivan Aristeguieta is romancing the crowd his new show, Juithy. Guy Davis feels the love.
T
hings weren’t that great in Venezuela, reckons stand-up Ivan Aristeguieta. His native land was succumbing to dangerous levels of crime and corruption, and his city of Caracas was named one of the three most violent destinations in the world outside of war zones. And the fact that he’d started to make a name for himself on the slowly growing Venezuelan comedy scene still wasn’t enough to persuade him to stick around, not when he had friends and family in Australia who were singing its praises. So Aristeguieta — that’s pronounced ‘A-wrist-a-get-her’, by the way — made the move to Adelaide early in 2012. And
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Best known for his work as part of human/puppet duo Sammy J & Randy, the Melbourne comic is looking forward to telling his own remarkable yet true story in his new show, Hero Complex. “It’s very much a butterfly effect show,” he says. “It starts off with me trading Phantom comics with my school gardener, and then two decades of weird stuff came directly out of that, including the birth of my daughter.” He adds, “This is my first solo show in five years, and for a couple years this story has just been kind of waiting to be created. So I just threw myself into it, and it’s a very ridiculous tale and a very fun one to perform.” Sammy J also says he’s excited about the prospect of returning to a comedic reality, saying “Sammy J and Randy exist in this sort of completely silly fictional world, and we’re never trying to push some kind of message or anything, whereas this show is a real and personal tale. It has all these photographs and videos from when I was younger, so it does have a much bigger personal element.” Beyond his work in the duo, the musical comic also found critical acclaim in his Playschool-style parody series, Playground Politics, which saw the multitalented Sammy only a couple of months after he got here, he took part in his first open-mic comedy performance, winning the audience’s favour from the get-go. A crash-course in English prior to the gig ensured he was easily understood, but he did admit to feeling a little nervous about overcoming the cultural barrier. As it turns out, though, that was easily remedied. “In a job interview, you get further if you ask a lot of questions,” smiles Aristeguieta. “Same as on a date! And that’s what happens in a new country — asking questions shows that you’re interested, that you want to know more. So when I get up on stage I see the audience as a woman I’m taking out on a date. I want to show them I’ve been listening, that I’ve heard what you’ve been telling me.” Australia has been swiping right, so to speak, on Aristeguieta ever since, with the comedian headlining gigs and appearing at festivals around the country (his 2016 show, Chorizo Sizzle, was his most well-received to date). On top of that, he also wrote and starred in his own sitcom, Lost In Pronunciation, for ABC’s digital iview platform, with all six episodes still available for viewers to enjoy. So it’s little wonder that Aristeguieta is somewhat smitten with his adopted homeland, and he’s letting audiences know it in his new show, Juithy (say juicy with a lisp — there, you got it).
J become an inadvertent teacher. “It was a delightful, but a completely accidental by-product,” he laughs, “I had people saying they were watching it with their kids and it was sparking real conversations about these things with the families — and that was never the intention. I would be mortified if I thought I was ever educating someone.” While politics has always been a passion for him and his comedy, Sammy J admits. “It’s never been the stuff I’ve been known for. In a sense, you know, you always want to, sort of, train for those sorts of things and be ready when the chance comes up. So [Playground Politics] was a nice chance to flex that comedy muscle, to use a hideous physical analogy.”
What: Sammy J: Hero Complex When & Where: 17 Feb — 5 Mar, Studio 7, The Garden of Unearthly Delights
“Juithy!” he laughs. “The name of the show came from Chorizo Sizzle — a year or so later, people still remember this word ‘juithy’. “The main idea of the show is that when you win something you lose something and when you lose something you win something. Pretty much all the jokes in the show are about that. You leave your old country to come to a new country where everything is great, but you hear people who live in this new country complaining about this great country!”
What: Ivan Aristeguieta: Juithy When & Where: 17 Feb — 19 Mar, Cupola, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
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Adelaide Fringe
See You Next Tuesday Alex Williamson wants to Make The World A Banter Place. He tells Neil Griffiths about his new show.
“I
think that there’s some odd things going on in the world and in people’s lives personally,” he says down the phone from his country home in South Australia.
Wedded Bliss Rory O’Neill (aka drag icon Panti Bliss) talks marriage equality with Joe Dolan.
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ory O’Neill has been through a “bizarre series of events” over the last few years. After appearing on an Irish chat show and expressing his disdain for the level of homophobia in news media, he, along with his alter ego, Panti Bliss, had a direct hand in bringing the recent gay marriage referendum into law in Ireland. “I don’t think these things are necessarily inevitable, but in a kind of a way I’d spent 30 years preparing for a moment,” O’Neill says of his part in the historic law. “I’ve spent 30 years performing and being involved in gay rights activism, so when this thing happened,
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“People have a hard time, it’s true. And comedians are reputably depressive cunts and that’s no different to me. So I think it’s good to hear some different sorts of banter to get you through the day.” Williamson has gained a massive following on social media (over 1.3 million) on the back of regular videos he shares online. Though he recently took the piss out of the hugely publicised phone call between Donald Trump and Malcolm Turnbull, fans shouldn’t expect too much content about the US president at his upcoming gigs. “There’s a little bit of Trump, but I feel like it will get overdone,” he says. “I feel like that’s gonna be the focus of a lot of comedians this year, so I’m only gonna really touch on that. It’ll be about being inclusive for people. There’ll be a message. It won’t just be me saying ‘cunt’.” So what does 2017 and beyond hold for Williamson after the Adelaide Fringe? “I’ve always considered getting into porn,” he teases. “But I’m getting a bit of a gut now and you don’t see too many overweight fellas in there doing the hard yards. It’s pretty fit sort of lads so I think I’ve missed my chance there as well, I think I’ll just keep pursuing the comedy thing. I can get by comfortably just
I had learned enough to be able to turn it into something.” That something is the Panti Bliss stage show, High Heels In Low Places, which O’Neill has been touring around the world for over two years. “The funny thing about playing it around,” he begins, “is that the audiences react differently to certain parts of it, and certain parts of the story affect them more. So, for example, if I’m doing it in Sarajevo, where it’s really horribly discriminatory, antigay, virulently homophobic... then the people who are, in a sense, brave enough to come see the show - they read it very sincerely.” O’Neill’s story does indeed resonate to many in different ways. “I mean, it is the story of a little boy in a country town and all that, so granny who comes because she’s seen me on the telly, she can get on board in that way, whereas the older dyke and her gay best friend are laughing it up at totally different things.” While he is ultimately thankful for the recent success, fame and recognition have never been at the forefront for O’Neill, who says he was drawn to drag. “There’s a public persona and a private one. You know, you can run around the night club, do your show, be as crazy as you want, and then later you
selling tickets to live shows. There seems to be comedians around the world who don’t really want the spotlight as talented as they are. They like to do just do their show and appease their fans and go and live their own life and stay away from that, you might call it ‘Hollywood spotlight’, or whatever it might be. That actually feels like a more appealing lifestyle to me.”
What: Alex Williamson: Make The World A Banter Place When & Where: 3, 10 & 11 Mar, Arkaba Hotel
can pass the same people and no one would recognise you, and I love that duality about it.” However, he’s now having star moments almost everywhere he goes. “A couple of weeks ago,” he chuckles, “I was in New York and twice, on the street, someone with a broad Australian accent came up and said, ‘Aw mah gawd! I just watched your film on the flight ovah!’ So yeah, all of that stuff is an adjustment.”
What: Panti Bliss: High Heels In Low Places When & Where: 17 - 19 Feb, The Peacock, Gluttony
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Adelaide Fringe
Growing Pains American stand-up Eddie Ifft is a bone fide adult, and that just sucks. He tells Joe Dolan about the tragedy of growing up.
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merican comic Eddie Ifft may be a frequent guest to our country, but the stand-up is figuring out that the land Down Under still has some surprises up its sleeve. “I mean, beside the fact that I almost cut my finger off while surfing this
Three’s Comedy The Best Of Edinburgh Comedy is coming to Fringe. Jimmy McGhie talks to Guy Davis from the top of the stand-up heap.
J
immy McGhie is “feeling pretty darn loose”. He’s just washed down a threecourse farewell feast with “a fair amount of cognac” prior to departing the UK for Australia, where he’ll be one-third of the power comedy trio — alongside Lloyd Langford and Fin Taylor — making up Best Of The Edinburgh Comedy. “The show is brilliantly cast, so you get three excellent and contrasting stand-up comedians in one joyful and provocative hour,” says McGhie. All three performers are well-regarded in their homeland, but it’s the first time Down Under for Langford
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morning, I’m doing pretty good,” he laughs. “Oh, also I nearly hit a shark! It was crazy.” Touring his new show Man Child across the country, Ifft confesses that as he gets older, he may not necessarily be getting wiser. “I’ve just had a daughter and [the show] is all about growing up and responsibility and being a good member of society — and how much I hate and detest it.” He admits that while he loves his daughter unconditionally, he yearns for a simpler time, saying, “I love being a fuck-up! I’m 45 and still I skateboard, I surf, the other day the river behind my house flooded and we went riding down it on an inner tube. I detest having to do it, being an adult. Man, I’d love to be an idiot forever.” The US comedian also says he can’t ignore a much more prevalent “man child” that’s taken up shop back in his home country. “Yeah, they say the first sign of the apocalypse is the antichrist and I think, yeah, he might be here.” But Ifft also thinks comedy can help the cause, and, “If we just keep bothering Trump and annoying him he might just go away. That’s the only thing he really responds to is being agitated.”
and Taylor. McGhie, on the other hand, might as well have dual citizenship by now. “Well, this is my sixth year in a row visiting your pleasant shores, so I guess it must be a fairly happy union,” he says. “I’m like a migrating bird who flies south for the winter to avoid the cold. If that means I have to try and make you sun-drenched twerps laugh for 25 minutes a night, then it doesn’t seem too much to ask.” He’s a bit bracingly honest and provocative, this McGhie chap. “I think of funny things, then I say them in front of an audience,” he says. “Generally speaking, the audience laugh and I am shot through with enough adrenaline to keep me awake until dawn.” Having said that, McGhie is quick to admit he’s “a low-level pessimist” in his bones and, while he’s out to make audiences laugh, he also believes that comedy needs to bare its teeth a little in these turbulent and uncertain times. “I do believe that comedy becomes more important to our social fabric as geopolitical situations worsen. Therefore, there has never been a more important time to laugh. However, comedy has a responsibility to reflect issues and make judgments. Too much current comedy is lightweight and toothless. It is time for a ruthless satire
Being in Aus has given Ifft’s material about the state of the States new life. “It’s exciting, really,” He muses. “I just did some stuff in the US and it didn’t go down well at all and I was tossing and turning, thinking about whether it’s even funny and whether or not I should just get rid of it all, but then I did it last night and it was fantastic. I just realised ‘Oh, Americans are idiots! That’s why it wasn’t working!’” Regardless of whether Man Child holds any poignancy, Ifft is still more interested in the jokes, saying, “If people come, and they laugh their asses off, that’s all I really care about. But I guess if they leave with something to think about that’s kind of cool, too.”
What: Eddit Ifft: Man Child When & Where: 17 Feb — 19 Mar, Umbrella Revolution, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
boom. I’m not necessarily the person to do it, but I can see what is necessary. Stop watching constructed reality-television shows and being offended by language. Go out and find artists who are asking important questions and be delighted by their brilliant ideas.” You’ve been worded up, Adelaide Fringe audiences. Go do your part.
What: Best Of The Edinburgh Comedy When & Where: 17 Feb — 19 Mar, Umbrella Revolution, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
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A Day On The Green
Good Feeling In some of the European markets you’re big and then you, like, fade, and then you have to make a comeback and then you’re big again, but it never stopped in Australia.
Veteran visitors Violent Femmes are heading back south, and founding member Brian Ritchie tells Steve Bell why they’ve almost come to feel Australian over the years.
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ast year, Milwaukee-bred folk rockers Violent Femmes released their ninth album We Can Do Anything, their first LP in 16 years, and returned to the live scene with a vengeance, their extensive Australian tour followed by months of shows all through North America. Bassist Brian Ritchie - who’s called Tasmania home for close to a decade - explains that the reason they’re returning Down Under so quickly is because of their decades-long affinity with our country. “Australia’s our second home - or in my case, first home - and we always love touring here,” he chuckles. “On that last tour it was interesting that it was all Australian bands except for the Femmes, so it kind of brought home the reality that we’ve been part of the Australian music scene for so long that we’re almost considered Australian. “We’ve been playing in Australia since 1984, and it never came and went. In some of the European markets you’re big and then you, like, fade, and then you have to make a comeback and then you’re big again, but it never stopped in Australia. People just adopted us here and we’ve always been popular.” The Femmes’ jittery tales of teen angst resonate with troubled souls everywhere, but Ritchie believes that in Australia more cool cliques got it as well. “I’ve heard from a lot of people over the years that [in Australia] our music was quite popular in the surf culture - people would go surfing and be on the beach listening to the Femmes,” he relates. “So maybe because Australia has such a monolithic surf culture, that tied it all together for us. It’s nice to have
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something that speaks to the masses but still has some musical integrity, too.” Ritchie believes that integrity and authenticity are imperative for any band to achieve longevity. “Well, we’re really part of the American music tradition,” he tells, “even going back before rock’n’roll even started, because we love country music and blues and jazz - all that stuff - and it all comes out in our music. Especially with the acoustic approach, which in some ways has as much in common with pre-rock’n’roll as it does with rock’n’roll itself.” There’s also a new live document of Violent Femmes’ stripped-back roots in the pipeline. “We went around radio stations in the States last year and instead of just doing interviews we also made a point of playing songs,” Ritchie enthuses. “We brought along two old microphones and recorded only using those so it’s going to be a live album, but it’s not live at a gig it’s live at radio stations. They ranged from being almost as good as recording studios to just office buildings, so the sound quality changes and it’s a different vibe from every station. It’s more like a field recording mentality.”
When & Where: 25 Mar, A Day On The Green, Watervale
“one of Australia’s funniest stand-ups.” The West Australian
HERALD SUN
Sydney Morning Herald
Fresh Fringe (UK)
THE GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS 17 – 24 FEB 9:30PM NO SHOW MONDAY ADELAIDEFRINGE.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 25
Our Guide To The Adelaide Festival
Troubled Waters This story belongs to me as well. I believe it belongs to all people.
Celebrated theatre-maker and Adelaide Festival Director Neil Armfield tells Maxim Boon why The Secret River reveals how Australia’s dark colonial past connects to our nation’s present.
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he inhuman horrors of our nation’s colonial past are old wounds that contemporary Australians, both non-indigenous and Aboriginal, are still unsure how to heal. There is a collective recognition: that is who we were, not who we are. And yet, acknowledging and ultimately reconciling the undeniable cataclysm of European settlement remains an elusive, and some might argue insurmountable, goal. Navigating the emotional and historical complexities of this ongoing debate is fraught with controversy, and so it was for author Kate Grenville when her landmark novel, The Secret River, was first published in 2005, drawing both acclaim and contention. Inspired by research into her own family’s convict heritage, her book tells the story of William Thornhill, a criminal transported with his family from his native Britain to the remote and inhospitable fledgling settlement of Sydney, in 1806. In this hostile and alien place, on the banks of the Hawkesbury, Thornhill discovers the human cost of frontier life and the brutality this unfamiliar world - and its people - inspires amongst his fellow settlers. Critics of the book slammed Grenville, a white Australian, for exploiting the very real historical atrocities committed against Indigenous communities, in the service of fiction. Other detractors accused the author of muddying the distinction between fact and fantasy, thus contributing to the problematic disinformation of the so-called “history wars”. In adapting Grenville’s novel for the stage in 2013, celebrated theatre-maker and Adelaide Festival Director Neil Armfield faced a similar quandary, but he maintains that bringing this story into the viscerally charged arena of live performance is a
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valid way of squaring up to the uncomfortable truths our country is built on. “It’s a tragic narrative, we’re all aware of that. But it’s also an extremely compelling narrative,” Armfield observes. “There are, in spite of its tragic conclusion, moments of transcendent beauty and great humour. There is a theatricality about the way this story is presented, in the sense that it is a kind of ritual, that allows us to always know that we’re in a world of theatrical expression. That sets up a kind of poetic frame from which you can experience the story in a very different way to in Grenville’s novel or in a history book.” The idea to take The Secret River from the page to the stage was first suggested by Cate Blanchett and her husband, playwright and director Andrew Upton, when the pair first took the reins of Sydney Theatre Company as artistic directors, in 2008. “I said to Cate at the time, ‘You know, if you’re hoping for something like Cloudstreet - which I had previously directed and was a kind of joyous, human, grand theatrical event - it won’t be like that.’ This is a tragic story, not a feel-good experience,” Armfield recalls. Nonetheless, Blanchett and Upton’s invitation for Armfield to collaborate with playwright Andrew Bovell and Bangarra Dance Theatre’s artistic director Stephen Page began a process of development lasting several years. “As we took this story and workshopped it with actors, Steven, Andrew and I had this anxiety about where we were headed. It really wasn’t until at the end of 2012, when we closed the rehearsal room doors, that we began to feel that it was going somewhere,” he admits. “It was my job to take this story and make the journey for the audience as interesting, as tender, as funny and complete as it could be. I must say, I loved that rehearsal period, in spite of all the pain we experienced in gathering this story together, because everyone felt that we were doing something absolutely worthwhile.” Indeed, Armfield and his collaborators were proven right. The production received a rave reception during its premiere season and went on to rack up an impressive six Helpmann Awards. But despite this reassuring success, it’s a show that has continued to evolve. Surtitling of the Indigenous languages in the play was brought in for its first revival, but then quickly dropped (Armfield notes that the Indigenous cast, who were against the idea of translations, were “all extremely grateful and vindicated when we cancelled the surtitle experiment”). Now, in perhaps its biggest adjustment to date, The Secret River will be staged outdoors at Adelaide’s Anstey Hill Quarry, explicitly linking this Australian story with the land that plays such a pivotal role in its telling.
What: The Secret River When & Where: 28 Feb - 19 Mar, The Quarry, Anstey Hill Recreation Park
Our Guide To The Adelaide Festival
Hilarity And Heartbreak Every Brilliant Thing is one of the biggest theatre hits of recent years. Maxim Boon meets the new man at the helm, James Rowland.
A
ttending a play about depression might not readily spring to mind as a rib-tickling night out, so given its themes, those in search of pleasant distractions on the
Fast Film Manual Cinema conjure films from the most modest of means. Georgia Symons meets shadow master, Kyle Vegter.
“O
verhead projector shadow puppetry isn’t something we invented,” Kyle Vegter explains from his native Chicago. That may well be, but as far as shadow puppetry goes, Vegter’s company, Manual Cinema, is in a league of its own. Audiences at this year’s Adelaide Festival will get to witness two of the company’s unique creations Magic City and Lula Del Ray. Vegter is one of five codirectors of Manual Cinema. For the past six years, the company has been making full-length movies, using nothing more than some slides, some puppets,
stage might well overlook playwright Duncan Macmillan and comedian Jonny Donahoe’s exploration of depression and suicide, Every Brilliant Thing. Ironically, they would be missing out on one of the most powerfully life-affirming and uplifting new dramatic works of recent years — a show which has become a global smash hit, touring all over the world. Indeed, this one-man production is now so well-travelled it is entering its second epoch. After being driven exclusively by Donahoe since its premiere in 2014, this one-man-show is now, for the first time, due to be helmed by another performer, James Rowland. The British actor has some advantages in this instance: “Jonny and I are really good friends, and in the grand scheme of humanity, we have an awful lot in common,” he explains. At the nucleus of this production is a list of brilliant things, compiled from childhood by the show’s sole performer. It’s a gloriously daffy catalogue, including everything from “staying up late,” to “rollercoasters”, “people falling over” and “kind old people who are not weird and don’t smell.” But it’s the way this weird and wonderful inventory tackles the thorny stigma of mental illness that is perhaps the most brilliant thing of all.
three overhead projectors, and their bodies. If that doesn’t sound impressive enough, here’s the clincher: they do it all live in realtime. The company isn’t shy about revealing its tricks, going against the conventional wisdom of magicians and theatre-makers. All of their puppeteers and projectors are visible to the audience at all times. Perhaps most remarkable is that, in spite of this (or perhaps because of it), the company get the same feedback every time - their audiences “can’t believe” it’s all being made before their very eyes. Ideally, Vegter says, their full-length shows take about a year to put together. The production process, we’re surprised to discover, bears many similarities to that of a conventional feature film. The company write the full screenplay, and storyboard every shot before they touch a single puppet. Picking the right story, and telling it right, is key to the success of this form. “The medium moves a little slower than film,” says Vegter, due to the silhouetted visual style, as well as the physical limitations of making the show live. “Single protagonist narratives work really well.” Once the script and storyboard are complete, the team splits into image and sound departments - Vegter works on the
Members of the audience are tasked with reading out these items, eliciting giggles and guffaws along the way and generating a galvanising sense of community. So far, so silly, but the purpose of this list is soon revealed. We meet our protagonist aged six. His mum’s in hospital. His dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy, and even harder to go on living. So our hero starts a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. By turns hilarious and heart-breaking, this touching, achingly beautiful show is that rarest of productions that jerks tears of both joy and sorrow, often simultaneously. The audience participation is one of the aspects Rowland is particularly excited by. “People expect a separation between the audience and the performer, but when you take that distance and formality away is has the double effect of waking people up and relaxing them at the same time.”
What: Every Brilliant Thing When & Where: 14 - 18 Mar, Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
Maren Celest
sound - and they don’t come together to rehearse as a full team until the last three or four weeks of the process. From a sound design perspective, Vegter says the medium offers unique challenges. “I’d say it’s both really exciting and really terrifying. We don’t have dialogue to fall back on, so the sound design and music have to be hyper-expressive.”
What: Magic City & Lula Del Ray When & Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, 11 - 13 Mar & 14 - 16 Mar THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 27
Our Guide To The Adelaide Festival
Now Hear This Complicite invite you on a sonic safari deep into the Amazon. Maxim Boon meets Richard Katz, the man leading the first Australian expedition to the global smash hit, The Encounter.
E
very theatre company hopes for a hit, but every so often a show comes along that draws such incandescent praise, shouldering the sheer weight of that expectation can be nerve-shredding. British theatre troupe Complicite have had more than a few barnstormers over the course of its 33 years, but its most recent production, The Encounter, ranks among the company’s most superlative efforts, having earnt rave reviews during sold-out seasons in London, New York and several other major cities around the world. Pushing the stakes higher still, the show features just one solitary actor, whose lynchpin performance is make or break. British actor Richard Katz admits he’s “remarkably calm about it”. “I really thought I’d find getting up in front of several hundred people by myself more terrifying than being in Romeo & Juliet... But there’s a load of really technical things I have to manage during the show and that keeps you incredibly focused,” Katz explains. “You have to be very Zen about it, because if something goes wrong you have to let go of it very quickly. It really is a solo show — I can’t rely on someone coming in and going, ‘My Lord, the King is here,’ or whatever if something goes awry.”
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Directed by revered elder statesman of British theatre and Complicite’s co-founder, Simon McBurney, The Encounter is a retelling of National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre’s experiences meeting an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon rainforest in 1969. This production’s technical wizardry is what has made it such a box office boom. Using a sophisticated array of head-shaped binaural microphones, which capture sound in three dimensions, the audience are immersed in an auditory hallucination, receiving The Encounter via a pair of headphones. For Katz, the use of this cutting-edge audio offers a unique opportunity for a stage actor. “You can be so subtle. So incredibly subtle,” he reveals. “I can literally whisper, talk with barely any voice at all, and the audience will hear it loud and clear. It’s very like movie acting in a lot of ways.” Perhaps even more remarkable is the visual economy with which this show communicates its story, stripped bare of imposing and complex set elements. “In a big space, I can’t make you look where I want you to look. If you suddenly decide that my chair or some corner of the set is more interesting than I am, you might look at that for half an hour while I’m fucking around, acting my heart out on the other side of the stage,” he tells. Far from feeling hollow, Katz believes this pared-back aesthetic allows the audience greater freedom to individually engage. “We tell you about this amazing thing that happened and then the audience can give their imaginations free rein.”
What: The Encounter When & Where: 7 – 11 Mar, Adelaide Festival Centre
Choose Live Long before Danny Boyle imagined babies on ceilings, Trainspotting became a genre-busting theatre show. Guy Davis meets director Adam Spreadbury-Maher.
I
n between the 1993 publication of Scottish author Irvine Welsh’s genredefining novel Trainspotting and the 1996 release of director Danny Boyle’s acclaimed screen adaptation, the story of a loose-knit group of Edinburgh friends and frenemies feeding their various needs with drugs, sex, raves, sport or random explosions of violence made its way to the stage. Well, the term ‘stage’ is used loosely, because something with the raw, rude energy of Trainspotting couldn’t really be restricted to the proscenium arch, could it? This is what Adelaide Festival audiences - and eventually theatregoers around the country - will experience when the UK-made immersive production, Trainspotting Live, arrives on our shores. Credited with inspiring Boyle to bring Trainspotting to the screen, the show, which has already been staged in warehouses, underground car parks and other unconventional spaces around the world over the last couple of decades, will be presented at the Station Underground venue. “It’s really exciting to put theatre in nontraditional spaces,” says the production’s director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher. “They are hostile environments that are not meant to have theatre in them but you’ve already got the audience on-side - to them, it’s already interesting, arresting, and they have to pay attention.” Indeed, Trainspotting demands more of its audience than simply attention. This is an immersive, interactive production - indeed, one of the pioneers of the form popularised by companies such as Punchdrunk and Dream Think Speak - that thrusts the theatregoer into the midst of it all. “It adds another dimension to the piece where you think you know Trainspotting but seeing it in
Our Guide To The Adelaide Festival
Moving On When Jonathon Young suffered a horrifying loss, language was not enough to express his pain. Maxim Boon learns the meaning of Betroffenheit.
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a live immersive performance adds another layer to the piece,” says Spreadbury-Maher. Spreadbury-Maher has been attached to Trainspotting as director for the last few years and he was thrilled to be able to “revisit and rework and refine it over time”. “I watched Trainspotting when I was 13 or 14 and Danny Boyle is responsible for some of the first very clear, strong and powerful cinema memories I have,” he says. “But the play predates the film, and as a theatre-maker I was also able to look to the novel, to Irvine Welsh’s original writing. That’s not to say I don’t think the film is extraordinary, but what you can do on stage is very different. There’s a different contract with the audience, so what can we do that’s more immediate and more visceral? It opened up a whole new world of opportunities. And even the most seasoned experiential theatregoer comes out of Trainspotting going ‘Whoa’.” Trainspotting is very much back in vogue at the moment, due in no small part to Boyle and his cast reuniting for the big-screen sequel T2 Trainspotting (Spreadbury-Maher calls it “brilliant”.) “To revisit it in 2017, particularly with what has happened in Europe with the Brexit referendum and in America with Trump, the music may have changed a little bit but not much else has,” he says. “I think it’s a treat for fans of the novel and the film, but there’s something there for a new generation - in London and Edinburgh we were getting audiences members as young as 16 or 17. They hadn’t seen the film or read the novel but had only heard the buzz about this show.”
he English language is a wondrous thing, but other tongues have evolved to be more precise in capturing those subtler corners of the human condition. Take for example the German word “betroffenheit.” It captures in just four syllables an almost inexplicable feeling: the emotional shock of a severe trauma. It concisely annunciates a human experience at the extremity of our conscious cognition, and yet it is a word very few of us will ever truly understand. It is, however, a feeling that Canadian actor Jonathon Young is intimately acquainted with. In 2009, his teenage daughter, along with two of her cousins, died in a fire in the family’s holiday cabin. The profound bereavement of losing a child was encased by the unshakable horror of the manner of her death, and the involuntary torture of a parent’s hardwired empathy for their child’s experiences. It’s almost a moot point to try and guess how any one person might process something of this magnitude, but in Young’s instance, he channelled his grief through the prism of his art. Collaborating with choreographer Crystal Pite, the pair embarked on producing a stage work that unriddled some of the complexities of this emotional labyrinth. The results have been hailed as one of the most viscerally urgent and powerful dance-theatre works produced in recent years.
While the impetus for making the work was specific to Young, the key to Betroffenheit’s success is in its universality, he believes. “Crystal and I spent months asking: What are the truly human qualities of this story? What experiences does this relate to that are occurring all over the world, in many different places and in many different forms? How do people respond to a cataclysmic event in their life, where the past has been swept away and now there’s a gaping void between the past and future?” Young shares. “Making this piece was certainly the most challenging creative process I’ve ever been part of, for obvious reasons. Yeah, sure there was a lot of trepidation before we started, and particularly before our first audience had seen it, because I didn’t know if what we had captured would mean anything to anyone other than myself. It was really born out my own experience, but people did see themselves reflected back. I am always so grateful when that happens; my faith in art is always renewed when that happens.” Some may ask, what could make a parent, artist or not, want to relive such an agonising moment, but as Young explains, it wasn’t a matter of “want” but rather a matter of “need”. “One of the worst components of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which I don’t believe I had myself, is that the echo of that event keeps showing up and the whole physical system responds to its as though you’re back at the height of that emergency,” he shares.
What: Betroffenheit When & Where: 3 - 4 Mar, Adelaide Festival Centre
Pic: Wendy D
What: Trainspotting Live When & Where: 17 Feb - 19 March, Station Underground THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 29
Comedy / Music
Incredibly Fab Alannah Maher speaks to GQ Comedian of the Year winner/ Poser Joel Creasey.
As Australia’s 2017 comedy fest season kicks off in earnest, Joel Creasey is adamant he doesn’t want to be another comedian vying to tell their best Donald Trump joke. But he’s not afraid to dispel some “fake news” (about himself) and dish the dirt about the mortifying experience of accidentally sleeping with some
Germaine Sisters Answered by: Georgia Germein Describe your show in a tweet? Compared to HAIM and Echosmith, @GermeinSisters bring their unique brand of infectious indie-pop to the Spiegeltent, following their 2016 Europe and UK tour. Who will your show appeal to? We play an all ages show for lovers of catchy melodies, sibling harmonies, and a euphoric live performance. We tell stories about family, tour life, and we play all our own instruments. What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? As the songwriter, I am inspired to write music based on personal experiences. We have been touring pretty extensively
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of old mate Donald’s supporters. “Some comics do great political comedy and some really thought-provoking comedy, and they’re just martyrs to me, I can’t do that,” the 26-year-old comedian shared ahead of the debut his new hour of stand-up, Poser. “I’m just going to tell you some embarrassing stories I’ve gotten up to, some celebrities I’ve had run-ins with, and some terrible people I’ve had sex with - and you can laugh at all of my misfortunes and you can feel better about yourself!” 2017 wasn’t all bad for Creasey, however. In addition to whoring himself (in the best possible way) across Aussie TV screens, he’s been packing out comedy venues as farflung as New York and Montreal, rounding out the year by taking home the coveted award for GQ’s Comedian of the Year. Creasey says that with newfound recognition comes newfound confidence, something no one would have ever accused him of lacking: “I feel like this exposure has given me the confidence to go, ‘you know what, people think I’m funny’. And I’m not going to try to change the face of comedy, I’m just gonna do what I can do. And that’s telling funny, silly pop culture stories.”
as a band for the last few years, so a lot of our new songs are about being on the road. What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? We sing, play our own instruments and have a lot of fun on stage. Our songs are original, catchy and heartfelt, and overall we put on a pretty ‘feel-good’ performance. What’s on the cards after Adelaide Fringe? After Fringe we head back on the road for an east coast tour of Australia, followed by a Europe and UK tour. We’ve just been announced to play at Isle Of Wight Festival in the UK, with this year’s acts including David Guetta, Zara Larsson, and The Vamps. This will be our third year performing at the festival and we can’t wait to go back! We’ve also got a bunch of new music we’ll be releasing, as well as some special announcements coming soon. When and where is your Fringe show? 23 Feb, Magic Mirror Spiegeltent, The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Website: germeinsisters.com
A decade on from his first appearances on comedy line-ups as a 16-year-old, his wit only seems to gets riper with age. While his knack for insult humour has earned Creasey a reputation as a card-carrying bitch, he also isn’t hesitant to make himself, his identity or his place within the frivolous world of celebrity, the punchline. “Ultimately the jokes do come back on me a lot of the time, because I am ridiculous. But also incredibly fabulous.” He reassures his audiences that they’ll be safe: “If you buy a ticket to come see my show, you are so safe. Anyone outside of the theatre, they’re in trouble.” “Pumped” to get back on the road and perform some stand-up, the Perth boy looks forward to visiting Adelaide for the first time in years: “I find Adelaide audiences really appreciative and we love that as comedians, they’re big laughers and they love a drink too, which is perfect for us.”
What: Joel Creasey: Poser When & Where: 17 - 24 Feb, Vagabond, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
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Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Welcome To The Garden Tom Ballard preps you for all the chaos of Fringe 2017 at The Garden Of Unearthly Delights.
A
hhh, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights: ’tis truly a magical place of joy, laughter, carnies and diabetes. There’s nothing I enjoy more than strolling about the grassy grounds in 40degree heat, inhaling deep-fried gozleme wrapped in fairy floss and taking a risk on some kind of improvised burlesque-circuscomedy-theatre being performed in a rustic caravan suspended high above the swamp through a complicated system of pulleys and helium balloons.
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You know – if you’re into tha that sort of thing. This will be my seventh year performing at the I seen shows in Adelaide Fringe. Over that time I’ve The Garden that have made me laugh, cry, question e everything about the nature of existence and, co occasionally, vomit. I’ve seen comedians blow the roofs quit hard to do in a tent. I’ve off their gigs, which is really quite chains seen circus freaks juggle chainsaws and drag queens stand massacre musical theatre standards. One year, Philip Escoffey did such mind-bending mental magic that it Camille voice touched my soul actually made me angry. Camille’s in a deeply unnerving way, as did Dan Sultan’s face. A couple of years ago I saw a very talented hulacon hoop artist accidentally lose control of one of his hoops and it flew off into the audience and hit a middle-aged woman in the face. She laughed and kept on clapping and enjoying the show. I almost wet myself. Perhaps now more than ever we could all do with this giant fantastical ridiculous pleasure palace to find escape and merriment, if only for a few weeks. The world is on fire and truth is dead, so hey, we may as well drink five espresso martinis and watch heavily tattooed lizard men breathe fire next to a Ferris wheel. It makes just as much sense as Donald Trump, right? Merry Fringe everyone: I’ll see you in The Garden.
What: Tom Ballard — Problematic When & Where: 17 – 26 Feb, The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Wordplay To prepare Fringe-goers for the schooling of a lifetime, Erotic Intelligence For Dummies’ Helen Cassidy dishes up a crash course on some need-toknow terms.
W
hen I decided to make a comedy show called Erotic Intelligence For Dummies, exploring my interest in ethical non-monogamy and how to survive and thrive in a long-term relationship, I knew the research was going to be pretty interesting. As it turns out, polyamory and other styles of nonmonogamy are growing in popularity and recognition around the world. It’s even listed as a ‘Top Trends Of 2017’ by renowned advertising agency Sparks & Honey in their A-Z Culture Glossary. I would argue that humans have been doing non-monogamy for millennia and that perhaps we’re just making our way back to a more open, connected and accepting society. Hooray for that! But whatever, or whoever, floats your boat, if you want to be trendy AND sexy in 2017 here
Look What You Made Me Do
are some need-to-know terms. Polyamory: Literally meaning poly: many + amor: love. The practice of maintaining multiple sexual and/or romantic relationships simultaneously, with the full knowledge and consent of all people involved. Relationship Anarchy: The practice of forming relationships that are not bound by rules or labels. Any relationship choice is (or should be) allowable.
Tocotox: An acronym often used online meaning “Too Complicated To Explain”
Primary/Secondary: A polyamorous relationship structure in which a person has multiple partners who are not equal in terms of interconnection, emotional intensity, practical and financial matters or power within the relationship. Unicorn: A single female who wants to form a long-term, committed sexual relationship with a heterosexual couple without any emotional needs or pressures — she’s just in it for the sex. Turns out everyone’s looking for her but no one can find her, that’s why she’s named after a mythical creature! (Since doing the show, I’ve also learned that everyone wants to be a ‘Unicorn’, even if they don’t know what that actually entails.) Compersion: A feeling of joy one gets when a loved one takes pleasure from another romantic or sexual relationship.
Answered: Demi Lardner Name of show: Look What You Made Me Do Describe your show in a tweet? A 23-year-old girl plays a 46-yearold stepfather who is trapped in his basement, on the phone to a life insurance agent. Who will your show appeal to? Young and old, big and small, slippery and rough, fast and furious, fast and furious Tokyo drift, grandmothers, uncles, women. Not the Swedish.
Polysaturated: A Polyamorous person who is not open to new relationships or new partners due to the number of existing partners. The opposite of this is PolyUNsaturated, of course! Triad: A polyamorous relationship composed of three people. Quad: A polyamorous relationship involving four people, each of whom may or may not be sexually and emotionally involved with all the other members.
What: Erotic Intelligence For Dummies When & Where: 17 Feb – 19 Mar, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? I mostly scream them at my friends. My creative process involves sitting in a darkened room, staring at my navel and drinking mulled wine, then sprinting into the woods to collect pelts.
When and where is your Fringe show? 17 Feb — 19 Mar, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights Website: Demilardner.com
What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? I’m a sweary, tiny, androgynous grub. My show is abrupt and fast-paced and very dumb. And hey, maybe you’ll get a little kissy kiss yum yum yum.
THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 33
Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Blanc de Blanc
Answered by: Neil Ward Describe your show in a tweet? Adults-only, high-end spectacle fusing cabaret, music and worldclass acrobatic talent and, of course, champagne! Who will your show appeal to? Anyone who wants a fun, naughty, highly-skilled, highly-charged night out. This new show is the product of the creative minds behind Madonna’s Rebel Heart tour and Fringe sensations LIMBO and Cantina.
Djuki Mala
Answered by: Josh Bond Describe your show in a tweet? energetic_hilarious_ground breaking _ heart warming_ informative_ award-winning_ high-energy_ cultural fusion_ traditional_Yolngu_indigenous_ dance_storytelling. Who will your show appeal to? This show appeals to all ages. Our audiences laugh and cry at different times in the show but predominately people are smiling by the end, and are walking out filled with what I can only describe as pure joy!
Exposing Edith
Answered by: Michaela Burger Name of show: Exposing Edith Describe your show in a tweet? Winner Best Cabaret Adelaide Fringe 2016; critically acclaimed show — life and songs of Edith Piaf. Who will your show appeal to? Lovers of Edith Piaf, lovers of French culture, all ages, cabaret aficianados, French people, jazz aficionados, musicians, French students, guitarists, singers. What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? We study, we practice,
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What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? “I wanted to create a new circus show, which I like to call a ‘champagne cabaret’ that transports the audience into a heady, bubble-filled, overflowing, crazy party. Every act in the show is inspired by champagne,” Scott Maidment, Director.
When and where is your Fringe show? 17 Feb — 19 Mar, The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Website: gardenofunearthlydelights.com. au/what-s-on/blanc-de-blanc
What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? It’s the only show we can think of with a Speedo-clad Frenchman in a Jacuzzi.
What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? We mix traditional Yolngu dances with contemporary pop culture. This occurs naturally by way of it being a genuine reflection of contemporary culture in NE Arnhem Land. Djuki Mala aims at challenging the preconceived ideas people have of Aboriginal culture.
dance and the joy of life. There’s a lot of laughter, but also a very important underlying message. When and where is your Fringe show? 17 Feb — 5 Mar, The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Website: gardenofunearthlydelights.com. au/what-s-on/djuki-mala
What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? Djuki Mala is unlike any other show in the Fringe. We celebrate a love of
we rehearse, we play, we laugh, we argue, we create. Then we play some more, and more. We perform to crowds over and over and feel their feedback, then we create some more and the cycle continues. What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? My lack of height (4’11”) and Greg [Wain]’s beret. An award-winning show backed up by five-star critically acclaimed reviews and the timeless music of Edith Piaf, the greatest French singer of all time.
When and where is your Fringe show? 13 Mar, The Garden of Unearthly Delights Website: Exposingedith.com
Andrew Kay and Associates and Adelaide Festival Centre present the King’s Head & In Your Face Theatre’s production of
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF MBM FRINGE SHOWS AT MAXIM’S
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Book: fringetix.com.au 1300 621 255 or mattbyrnemedia.com.au
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE FOOD! THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 35
Comedy
The Music Recommends
Are You Ok?
Mega Adventure Thrill seekers need look no further than this sky-high aerial obstacle course – the SkyMate. Consider your adrenaline fix taken care of. Where: 4 Hamra Avenue, West Beach
The Places You’ll Go Directed by Cassandra Fumi, this original dark comedy (with just a dash of Dr Seuss surrealism) takes a light-hearted look at self-determination. When & Where: 1 – 17 Mar, Adleaide Town Hall
My Kitchen Fools The hunt is on, in Matt Byrne’s latest Fringe creation, for Adelaide’s next Master Jeff (sic), but be warned: this show is definitely not about food. When & Where: 14 Feb – 19 Mar, Maxim’s Wine Bar 36 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
Rhys Nicholson wants you to know that he’s fine, and he’s showing it via the magic of dick jokes. Samuel LeightonDore checks in with the queer comedy firebrand.
H
uddled before a whiteboard in his fiance’s office (“I’m only here for the air conditioning”), Sydney-based comedian Rhys Nicholson is putting the final touches on his seventh solo show - and his regular audiences can expect a few changes. “I think this show’s a lot less political,” say Nicholson, which doesn’t strike us as being particularly difficult, especially when you consider that he last year took a very public stand for marriage equality by getting hitched to lesbian and fellow comedian Zoe Coombs Marr at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “Last year was very marriage equality-centric,” he admits. “I’m making a conscious effort not to speak about marriage equality so much this time around. It’s something I’m still very passionate about, but I’ve got nothing new to say on it.” That’s not to say that his upcoming show, aptly titled I’m Fine, isn’t intensely personal. Set to debut this month at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, before touring nationally, the show is very much anchored in the first-person experience.
“All of my shows are very much about me, I’m narcissistic in that way,” he jokes. “However, this show is very much about my personal life. It’s less political, more sociopolitical - which I know sounds wanky.” For Nicholson and his fiance, triple j presenter Kyran Wheatley, day-today life can present conflicting interests when it comes to calling ‘dibs’ on potentially funny content. “We both work in media, so it’s almost at the point now where something will happen and we both look at each other and think ‘whose content is this?’” Rhys says. “But we make sure to run things by each other. We’ll always check. We have to remember that our parents and families didn’t ask for a life in the public eye.” A self-professed master of selfdeprecation, Nicholson’s “punching-up” brand of humour relies on making himself the lowest possible denominator. That way, he explains, nobody else is off limits. “When I first started, I was maybe a little more shouty and arrogant on stage,” he admits - “but audiences don’t trust someone if they’re really sure of themselves on stage. “The new show is basically 55 minutes of dick jokes,” he laughs. “I’m pretty happy with it, it’ll be nice and shiny by the time it gets to Adelaide. I’m not there to change minds, I’m really just there to be funny.”
What: Rhys Nicholson: I’m Fine When & Where: 9 - 10 Mar, Fowlers Live
The Music
Australian Times
Shortlisted
BEST SHOW
SOLD OUT
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COMEDY
Melbourne Comedy 2015
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THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 37
Live At The Fowlers
Local Laughs You’ll usually find Fowlers Live packed with music lovers, but from March 9 - 12 some of the country’s best comedians will take over the beloved venue. Here are six reasons to make the North Terrace hotspot your own next month.
Luke Heggie It’s hard to master the art of no-nonsense one-liners, but Luke Heggie has done just that, going one step further and delivering them with dead-pan conviction. Rough Diamanté takes aim at idiots – those passionate about competition frisbee and velcro shoes beware.
Rhys Nicholson
Becky Lucas
It won’t be long before comedian/writer/TV personality Rhys Nicholson becomes a global name. His latest stand-up show, I’m Fine, goes above and beyond what its title promises, dishing up more memorable, sharp wit.
Breakout Comedy
Nick Cody Performing in Afghanistan and on board the HMAS Melbourne, Nick Cody’s diverse brand of humour lends itself perfectly to the confines of a music venue. Straight from his US TV debut on Conan to beloved SA venue Fowlers Live, Cody is On Fire.
38 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
The next batch of notable Aussie comics are well on their way to stardom and Breakout Comedy brings together some of the best emerging talent in Sam Campbell, Becky Lucas and Aaron Chen. It might be your last chance to catch them in a venue like that.
H A N D S O M E TO U R S pres presentS entS
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Adelaide Fringe Focus
A Cuatro
Answered by: Rosalie Cocchiaro Describe your show in a tweet? A Cuatro. Flamenco rhythms in four. Finalists Fringe Dance Award 2016 and winner 2014. Bringing together some of the best flamenco and jazz artists in Australia. Who will your show appeal to? Musicians (especially percussionists), dancers, travellers, lovers of anything Spanish and/or other cultures. Passionate people. Angry people. People who appreciate a good sweat.
Matthew Fagan — Lord Of The Strings
Answered by: Matthew Fagan Sum up your musical sound in four words? Fiery, exhilarating, virtuosic, diversity. Will you do a different show at Fringe or what you’d normally do at regular gig? My show for Fringe has similarities to other performances but has more of a range of genres (classical to rock), instruments (electric guitar, banjo, ukulele) and the new arrangement of Tubular Bells for one.
Manful
Describe your show in a tweet? A ‘90s, techno-fuelled product launch that skyrockets into a surreal and strange gender-quest as the once scrawny but now hyper-masculine Dicky Rosenthal tries to keep his shit together. Who will it appeal to? The show is fun, absurd, insightful, stupid and a bit personal. It’s high energy and surprising. It will appeal to those that want a belly laugh or those that just want to watch someone lose their mind on stage. Definitely for women and men.
40 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
What’s your creative process? How do you develop your ideas? Similar to beginning any type of composition or choreography, we start with our emotions or something inspirational and develop our ideas individually. We then get together and collectively build the pieces. Often we improvise on those ideas when we perform.
footwork will dominate. You will be affected in some way. When and where is your Fringe show? 8 — 11 Mar, The Garage International, Adelaide Town Hall. Website: rosalieflamenco.com
What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? Our musicians are incredible, especially our singer who is from Spain. We are performing in an intimate setting with great acoustics, so the
Reckon you’ll head out on the Frusic walking trail (taking in iconic music spots of Adelaide)? Absolutely. Looking forward to immersing myself in the Frusic performances and venues especially the other performances at the GC, German Club where I will be performing. Looking forward to theatre, comedy and cabaret also.
When and where is your Fringe show? The GC at the German Club, 17 — 21 Feb. Website link for more info? matthew-fagan.com
Why should people come and see your show? Audiences are surprised by my original arrangements with a magical repertoire to suit all ages with some funny stories in between.
What’s your creative process? A good place to start is what interests you. I knew I was interested in hyper-masculinity and seeing a character have a crisis. From there I start playing, finding the character and writing bits. I was also lucky enough to work with the amazing Deanna Fleysher, aka Butt Kapinski, to add complexity to the show — because before she got involved it was mostly just dancing and poo jokes. What will make you stand out in the Fringe crowd? I’m the only schmuck wearing a full-
body muscle suit during my entire show in the middle of Adelaide summer. When and where is your Fringe show? 16 Feb — 5 Mar, Royal Croquet Club.
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WOMAD
Tower Of Bebel To play guitar, you must practice eight, nine, ten hours a day, and I’m kind of lazy.
She can’t promise she’ll be wielding a six-string on her upcoming Australian tour, but Bebel Gilberto tells Cyclone it will definitely be a careerspanning experience.
B
ebel Gilberto, deemed the Queen of Bossatronica, sublimely covered Neil Young’s Harvest Moon at 2011’s Carnegie Hall tribute concert, playing guitar publicly for the first time. But she’s not planning a reinvention. “The guitar and I, we have a love and hate relationship,” Gilberto admits. “To play guitar, you must practie eight, nine, ten hours a day and, I’m kind of lazy.” Gilberto is speaking ahead of an Australian tour encompassing WOMADelaide and headline dates — and she’s already sweltering. “I’m in front of an air conditioner because I’m in Brazil and the day is, like, 50 degrees.” Gilberto’s current show signals a return to her traditionalist roots. “I’ll be doing a show that is gonna be like an acoustic version of all the music I have released,” she explains. “I’ll be playing mostly acoustic with some electronic sounds — and I’ll be playing my hits.” And, yes, Gilberto includes Harvest Moon in sets. “Harvest Moon is my favourite one, I think, live, this song. I always feel goosebumps because it’s a very personal interpretation. I think it’s a very beautiful song. I’m very happy with the result.” As for any guitar-strumming? “I don’t wanna promise that!” Bebel (from Isabel) grew up surrounded by music — being born in New York to Joao Gilberto, Brazil’s pioneering bossa nova singer/ guitarist, and the vocalist Miucha. Singing from childhood, Gilberto issued an EP in Latin America in the mid-’80s. Her breakthrough came later. In 1999 Gilberto guested on saxman Kenny G’s Classics In The Key Of G, reviving The Girl From Ipanema. The next year she presented the Suba-produced crossover album Tanto Tempo —
42 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
ushering in a new clubby bossa nova. Her timing was auspicious, coinciding with the rising popularity of jazzy, downtempo DJs like Thievery Corporation — early allies. Yet, by 2009’s All In One on Verve, she’d moved away from electronica. The singer most recently released 2014’s retro Tudo (Portuguese for “everything”) — its keystone her Harvest Moon. Gilberto’s music has been widely synced for TV and film (Eat Pray Love). Latterly, she herself has taken acting roles. Gilberto voiced a toucan in Carlos Saldanha’s hit movie animation Rio — “a very interesting experience.” However, she is recording another album. Ironically, as Gilberto re-embraces classic bossa nova, the deeper, groovier club variant is making a subtle resurgence. But, although Gilberto has name-checked Lana Del Rey, she isn’t preoccupied with following “new generation music”. “At the moment, I’ve been listening to old music — I’ve been in love with Miles Davis, Chet Baker, also Blossom Dearie... Of course, I always listen to the new things — and I love to hear new music. I love Lana, for instance. I didn’t hear her entire album, but she does a beautiful kind of music. Also she’s such an incredible and interesting character as ‘Lana Del Rey’. I think we always try to innovate our tastes in music but, when we like some kind of music, that’s what we like. So we should be faithful to our taste in music.”
When & Where: 12 Mar, WOMADelaide, Botanic Park
MELBOURNE ME MELB ELB BO OUR UR RN R NE INTERNATIONAL NE IIN NTERNAT TERN ERNAT ER ATIO ON NA A AL L COM C COMEDY MEDY YF FESTIVAL EST S ST PROUDLY PRESENTS
Music SA
Music Matters Joining forces to further develop the burgeoning Adelaide scene, theMusic.com. au and Music SA, have unveiled a new partnership.
A
delaide audiences will now have access to Australia’s most comprehensive gig guide via the Music SA website, with the organisation embedding The Music’s real-time gig guide. “It’s clear the state’s music scene is fast becoming one of the most vibrant in the world,” The Music managing director, Craig Treweek said. “We look forward
to not only giving emerging local talent a national platform to be heard, but further establishing ourselves in the state with continued seasonal print issues and breaking industry news on a regular basis.” In addition to The Music’s Daily SPA newsletter, their relationship with Oztix sees them serving up SA content to more than 100,000 Adelaide subscribers in their combined Just The Ticket newsletter. Music SA general manager Lisa Bishop said: “Not only will [this partnership] provide national exposure for SA musicians but it allows Music SA to focus on important industry development work.” To become a contributor for theMusic.com.au, email The Music’s Adelaide editor, Daniel Cribb, at – daniel@themusic. com.au. You can submit gigs to theGuide via gigguide@themusic.com.au.
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THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 43
Arts
Old Made New Eighth Blackbird are embarking on their first Aus tour thanks to Musica Viva Australia. Megan Steller gets the word.
Eighth Blackbird is not your common or garden chamber ensemble. In fact, they’re more likely to be compared to a rock band than a classical music group. There’s something that grabs you immediately about their vibe; it’s that ineffable
All Grown Up Arts SA Cheif Peter Louca Tells Maxim Boon why Adelaide is leading the nation’s cultural maturing into adulthood.
P
eter Louca, the head of Arts SA, South Australia’s advocacy department for the strategic development of the state’s cultural industries, boasts a unique perspective on the arts sector’s lynchpin position in Adelaide. As both a former political staffer and federal candidate for Mayo, and an ex-graphic designer with an Arts degree from Flinders University, he thoroughly understands the relationship between the bluesky ideals of artists and the way those talents both enrich and support local infrastructure. When it comes to this intersection between the
44 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
“X-factor”, or so says The New York Times. Made up of six performers from Chicago, Eighth Blackbird has been the ensemble moving and shaking the world of modern classical music for over twenty years. In their first ever Australian tour for Musica Viva, they bring their fierce technique and rock-star swagger to concert halls across the country in late February, arriving in Adelaide in March to perform as part of the Adelaide Festival. Fresh out of a pioneering residency at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Eighth Blackbird’s program features works by some of the most exciting modern composers from across America, including indie-pop legend Bryce Dessner, the composer and guitarist best known for his work as a member of The National. They will also premiere a brand-new work from Sydney-based composer Holly Harrison, inspired by the madcap nonsense poems of Lewis Carroll. Harrison’s Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup draws on an eclectic multitude of musical genres including rock, jazz and hip-hop, to create a made-to-measure new work perfectly matched to Eighth Blackbird’s particular brand of cutting-edge performance. The multiple GRAMMY Award-
creative and governmental, Adelaide has a distinct advantage, he believes. “This city has a long creative history. We had the first international arts festival in the country, so Australia’s cultural maturing into adulthood was spearheaded in Adelaide,” he explains. “Our local artists have exposure to international creatives and opportunities that can’t be experienced anywhere else in the country, so that’s long been embedded into our psyche, into our DNA.” Adelaide’s Arts Festival was conceived in the same model as the famous Edinburgh Festival, and as such, it’s been onto a winning formula since its inception in 1958, Louca says. “We are a city-state of scale, which means activities here immerse the entire city, which is quite different to larger centres like Sydney or Melbourne where major arts events can be going on but you’d hardly notice,” he explains. “In Adelaide, much like in Edinburgh and Avignon, the infrastructure is so centralised that our festivals immerse the whole city.” In recent years, heavy-handed Federal arts cuts have threatened arts organisations across the country, but it’s the duty of groups such as Arts SA to promote the myriad benefits a thriving arts scene offers a city
winning ensemble, who have been hailed as one of “the smartest, most dynamic contemporary classical ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune), are living proof of the rich possibilities (and enduring strength) of classical music, uniting the most hardcore lovers of pop and rock music with the most ardent traditionalists. Later in the year, Musica Viva will continue its celebration of Australian composers with a newly commissioned work by Adelaide-based composer Jakub Jankowski, for the vibrant piano and cello duo of Nicolas Altstaedt and Aleksandar Madzar. A cellist himself, Jankowski’s work has been supported in part by the Adelaide Commissioning Circle - a network committed to supporting the work of young Australian composers.
Who: Musica Viva presents Eighth Blackbird When & Where: 9 Mar, Adelaide Town Hall
and its population. “Art has always mobilised across societies and been a vehicle for the exchange of ideas, beliefs and values. Art should be transformative, informative, it should be a commentary and a reflection of our wellbeing. It projects us into a space, emotionally and psychologically, that we cannot normally access in day to day life,” Louca maintains. “But having an internationally recognised city isn’t just a means for Australian arts patrons to feel connected to a diverse and fully realised world of creativity. It also allows Australian artists to tell our stories to the rest of the world. It’s an exchange which is utterly vital to the vibrancy of our local artists and the prestige of those artists on a global stage.”
THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 45
Frusic
Frusic Picks Injecting an epic dose of eclectic music into Adelaide Fringe, Music SA’s Frusic program returns for its second year in 2017. Make sure you don’t miss these acts during Fringe:
Movin’ Melvin Brown Having shared the stage with music legends such as Stevie Wonder and Willie Nelson, Movin’ Melvin Brown uses song, dance, and comedy to provide an unforgettable show within iconic venues. When & Where: 19, 25 & 26 Feb, 13 & 19 Mar, Royal Croquet Club; 3 Mar, Stirling Fringe; 12 Mar, Scots Church Adelaide
Clairy Browne Soul super-vixen Clairy Browne had a massive 2016 with the release of Pool, and she’ll bring her love for pop songs, R&B and all things glitzy to the picturesque and immersive Garden Of Unearthly Delights for one show during Fringe. When & Where: 21 Feb, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Jamie McDowell & Tom Thum When you cross a bohemian singer-songwriter and a one-manorchestra you get the unique duo of Tom Thum and Jamie MacDowell. With MacDowell’s melodic finger-work on guitar and Thum’s versatile voicebox, the two are a perfect musical match. When & Where: 7 – 19 Mar, Royal Croquet Club
Damushi Enssemble Power drum beats and groovy reggae songs are what flow through Damushi Ensemble from Ghana. A high energy seven-piece act, they consist of traditional musicians and cultural dancers that will have audiences dancing all night. When & Where: 23 Feb, 2 & 3 Mar, Mama Jambo; 20 & 27 Mar, Lion Arts Centre; 25 & 26 Feb, The South Eastern Hotel 46 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
Face The Music Blending live rock music, audio visual and live theatre, heartland rock band MOSS are here to deliver some powerful political and social messages. This unique performance will delve into issues like homelessness and substance abuse. When & Where: 8 & 12 Mar, The Wheatsheaf Hotel; 25 Feb, Arts Centre Port Noarlunga
The Motown Story Before disco and funk there was Motown. Flashback to the golden age of music and hear 12-piece act Motown Connection cover Motown legends like The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and many more. Classic songs, big harmonies – it’s going to be wild. When & Where: 17 Mar, The Gov
THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 47
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COMING COMING SOON! SOON! AT 9.15PM FRI 17 FRI & SAT 17 & 18 SAT FEB 18 AT FEB 9.15PM COMING SOON! ARKABA ARKABA HOTEL HOTEL
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COMING COMING SOON! SOON! +++++ +++++ TV BOMB (UK) TV BOMB (UK) +++++ +++++ FEST MAGFEST (UK) MAG (UK) +++++ TV BOMB (UK) “SHARP,“SHARP, RADICAL, RADICAL, PERCEPTIVE, PERCEPTIVE, HILARIOUS HILARIOUS AND FULL AND OFFULL FUN” OF FUN” +++++ FEST MAG (UK) THE SCOTSMAN THE SCOTSMAN
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OnOn sale sale now now frontiercomedy.com frontiercomedy.com frontiercomedy.com frontiercomedy.com 48 • THE MUSIC • 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
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