The Music (Brisbane) Issue #137

08.02.17 Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

Brisbane / Free / Incorporating

FILM: FLICKERFEST

TOUR: TWELVE FOOT NINJA

TOUR: WARPAINT

PHILOSOPHERS NOT POLITICIANS

Issue

137

2 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 3

JONSON STREET BYRON BAY FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY

THE STRIDES, DROP LEGS, 420 SOUND, SALT BRAINS SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY

ESSENTIAL INTENTIONS & ATYPICAL PRESENTS DRO CAREY, THE POSSE, DREEMS, DJ OI, RIF RAF, DAD BOD, WEBBER THURSDAY 16 FEBRUARY

See an everchanging line-up See an everof indie, pop, changing line-up folk, alternative, of indie, country and rock pop, folk, at each Sunday alternative, Livespark. country and rock each Sunday Mix it up on at Livespark. the last Sunday of each month October features with Mixtape, a unique Jo Meares, collaboration LS Philosophy, between Graeme singerMoes, songwriters.

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4 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

10TH FEBRUARY

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POWER LUNCH, CLOCAS, BLISTER SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY

16TH FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 17 FEBRUARY

HEADS OF CHARM FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY

JOSH RAWIRI & THE INVISIBLE VIBRATIONS THURSDAY 2 MARCH

FRENZAL RHOMB FRIDAY 3 MARCH

DUMB PUNTS SATURDAY 4 MARCH

PRO VITA FRIDAY 10 MARCH

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THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 5

Music Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

Guy Sebastian

Aussie superstar Guy Sebastian has a announced series of intimate preview shows, dubbed the Sub-Conscious tour, in the lead up to the June release of his new LP Conscious. The sixdate run will take place March/April.

FRI 10 FEB UNDEROATH

FRI 10 FEB

TIMMY TRUMPET

SAT 18 FEB B*WITCHED

WED 22 FEB

This Guy

Duuuuun Dun - Duuuuun Dun Following an ascendant run on the Hottest 100, in which her single Adore came in at #2, Gold Coast musician Amy Shark has announced she’ll be touring Australia in March and April.

DESCENDENTS

FRI 24 FEB SIX60

FRI 3 MAR

GLENN SHORROCK & BRIAN CADD

FRI 3 MAR TJR

SAT 4 MAR

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

THUR 16 MAR HEART OF IRELAND

FRI 24 MAR MEGA 90ÊS

MON 3 APR

ALTER BRIDGE

FRI 21 APR

PUPPERTRY OF THE PENIS

THUR 11 MAY

Amy Shark

STRASSMANÊS iTEDE

WED 17 MAY

Tash Sultana @ Laneway. Pic by Lucinda Goodwin

ERIC ANDRE

THUR 15 JUN ADAM HARVEY & BECCY COLE

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6 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Growing Tash After attaining the #3 position in the Hottest 100 and killing it at Laneway recently, Tash Sultana continues her strong start to the year announcing a run of headline shows throughout March, April and May.

c / Arts / Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

Ash Grunwald

Hammered

Pretty Birdy

Beloved roots muso Ash Grunwald is back with a banger called Hammer, the first taste from the troubadour’s upcoming tenth record. Grunwald will be taking it out on a launch tour in March/April.

Last year Radio Birdman barely stopped moving between national and international shows. This time Died Pretty, are coming with them, with the two announcing a six-date, double headline tour in June and July.

Radio Birdman

Shag Rock

Shaggy Feet Brissy-based indie quartet Shag Rock are taking to the road this February, March and April for an epic 13-date tour around the east coast in support of their debut album, Barefoot.

Brant Bjork

Principled Devil Brant Bjork, founding member of desert rock legends Kyuss, is grabbing his band and his latest LP Tao Of The Devil and heading Down Under. He’ll be here in May with tour mate Sean Wheeler.

2 The number of babies in Beyonce’s belly, when she announced she was pregnant again – this time with twins.

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 7

Lifestyle Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

Tooty Fruity

Big Pineapple

Here There Be Monsters

Circus company Circa are returning to Brisbane with a new show. Co-created with Yaron Lifschitz, Landscape With Monsters will run at Brisbane Powerhouse from 22 - 25 February.

Queensland’s juiciest festival, The Big Pineapple, is rolling round again this May and they have just released a super ripe line-up announcement.

Birds Of Tokyo are heading up performances from Safia, Peking Duk and heaps more.

Lusty Coves Brisbane indie folk duo Hollow Coves, who are currently on tour with Woodlock, have just announced their own Australian headline tour this March. The tour announcement comes with the release of their debut EP, Wanderlust.

breaking news: American national anthem has been changed to the fast music that plays when you’re running out of time in super mario bros @CK1Blogs 8 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Landscape With Monsters

e / Cultu Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

We’ll Cope

FOAM

Perth psychedelic rockers band FOAM, who premiered their new single When Does It Get Better late last month, are set to release their debut album Coping Mechanisms this February before touring it in March.

Hanlon Brothers

Xx Xx

Live & Local Hollow Coves

The Goon Sax

Gold Coast Music Awards have announced that Gold Coast artist Amy Shark will be joined

by Hanlon Brothers, Aquila Brothers and Yes Sir Noceur for their free event this 27 April.

Sax Full The Goon Sax already have some key upcoming shows to look forward to as supports for Scottish alt-rock vets Teenage Fanclub, and now they’ve gone and locked in a bunch of February/ March headline appearances.

theMusic.com.au: breaking news, up-to-the-minute reviews and streaming new releases THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 9

I

Music

The spirit of a fan they never met echoes through the esoteric exploration of human connectivity on Thundamentals’ latest, Everyone We Know, Tuka tells Brynn Davies. Cover and feature pics by Cole Bennetts.

10 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

n August 2014, three months after the release of So We Can Remember, hip hop luminaries Thundamentals were flooded with messages from a group of teenagers that saw MCs Tuka, Jeswon and DJs Morgs and Poncho return to their home turf in the Blue Mountains for a stranger’s memorial service.

It was there, among the grieving friends and family of a young man they had never met, that they fully realised the transcendent nature of human connection; an idea that helped form the conceptual basis of their fourth album, Everyone We Know.

“There was a guy who they call BB... He was celebrating his mother’s birthday and he accidentally fell off a balcony in the Gold Coast and passed away,” explains Brendan Tuckerman, aka Tuka. “The day that he died, a lot of his friends reached out. Us and Horrorshow, we were his favourite bands.” In the months that followed, friends of 19-yearold Jarrod Samson-Hills would show up to Thundas’ shows both here and overseas wearing shirts in tribute to BB and “holding lighters in the air”. “I think one of them popped up in Germany,” Tuckerman smiles.

Along with Horrorshow, the boys were invited to Glenbrook skate park for BB’s memorial service. “His mother did this speech and then we all released blue balloons into the air. No one said a word. They just went into the distance until you couldn’t see them anymore. It was really heavy, you know? It was a beautiful thing,” he impassions. “It was so crazy that we’d never met him, but we’d had such an effect on him that after his death we just got this tsunami of him through all his friends. Jesse, the aether hit him. He got a chorus out of it and we went from there.” Thus, Blue Balloons (BB’s Song) came to fruition.

We’re sitting on some seriously wacky, plastic, spaghetti-looking chairs in Universal Music’s HQ the day after the release of the vehemently anti-26 Jan protest track Change The Date, for which Thundamentals joined forces with 11 Aussie hip hop artists as part of NITV’s #AlwaysWillBe campaign ahead of Australia Day. Tuckerman, though unequivocally stating: “We’re really not trying to be a political band. We’re really just trying to say how we feel about things,” is ardent about the importance the project. “It’s one of those things that’s really dividing people’s opinion. I find it ludicrous that we care that much about it. We only changed it to the 26 Jan in 1994, it’s not like it’s been going for hundreds of years. All these...” - he pauses, finding a PC phrase - “particular people get offended by us changing it for some reason... To me it’s black and white, sorry about the pun, but it’s pretty straight forward.”

Thundamentals’ fourth LP Everyone We Know explores the concept of connectivity, woven through its examination of both personal relationships and the greater human

nexus. “You have these connections by association, or by the energy and intention you put out there - you reach ‘everyone you know’,” Tuckerman enlightens. “So that thing is really important; you are more interconnected in society than you realise.

“I’m not slinging massive amounts of shade on the internet,” he laughs, gesturing to the phone on the table, “but it’s like, we’re really the last generation of humans who are gonna know what it’s like before the internet came and after the internet came. It’s a really important time to be alive.

The connectivity of hugging someone, for instance, releases endorphins, dopamine, serotonin.

I read this thing today that women in particular respond really well to a hug a day. That gets lost with isolation and with people living on the internet all the time, and all the vanity that comes a long with that, you know?”

While Everyone We Know’s themes range from love to confronting socio-political injustices, Tuckerman circles back to the group’s desire to steer clear of an activist label, preferring instead to “approach things on a philosophical level or psychological level rather than a political level.” Tracks like Ignorance Is Bliss challenge preconceptions about white privilege, yet, as someone who is “white and privileged to a certain extent”, Tuckerman’s verse questions himself rather than “point the finger” at the listener: “Am I the boy in the bubble, am I oblivious, am I indifferent?”

“Hip hop comes from oppression. It comes from people expressing themselves out of oppression,” he clarifies. “From my perspective, I’m making a career as a middle class white dude off this art form that comes from something that I will never properly understand. So when there is an opportunity to support and contribute to people, aka Indigenous population who have voiced concerns about particular issues - especially my peers like Birdz and Briggs and Nooky - the least I can do is support them.” If you were at Parramatta Park on Aus Day, you may have seen Tuckerman standing in solidarity with L-FRESH The LION during his ‘performance of listening’ protest.

“Non-racism is when you might see something but don’t say anything...

Anti-racism is actually voicing it.

My personal opinion on it is that I’m sick of it, and I will be antiracist in action.” After a moment’s contemplation, he adds, “But again, I want to make it clear that we’re not trying to be a political band... We write about what we see and how we feel and that’s not always gonna be political.”

For Thundas it’s all about spreading the love, upholding the rationale “If you’re authentic about a message, all you’re doing is channelling the things that you believe. That in turn becomes relatable.” Their quest for authenticity extends to the actors - or lack thereof - used in the Think About It clip, which features real-life lovers Jess and Corey. “We haven’t spoken on it yet, but I’m kinda writing a piece on how beautiful it was to actually get someone that’s actually in love for the clip,” he grins. “Actors can be great, but it’s nice to know when you watch it the intention of it is actually real, authentic. It’s kinda like soft-core porn; they’re into it, they’re comfortable with it.”

The group worked with April77 (aka Benjamin Funnell) to create a conceptual art piece for each song on the record; a body of work that will form a touring art exhibition and book “to highlight the marriage of visuals to music”. “We just kinda wanted to make it [about] the interconnectedness. At the time we were really into psychedelic art on albums... We wanted it to live in this kind of creative space that stimulates your imagination. And also, if we put real faces on there it kinda limits people’s interpretation of the art and the songs,” Tuckerman muses. “[It’s] a response to you only seeing an image this big on iTunes or Spotify... It’s like ‘Hey guys, don’t lose this part, this is a cool part of music, the visual aspect.’

It actually helps you figure out what we were thinking.”

The accompanying piece to Blue Balloons (BB’s Song) “...

Is obviously blue balloons - that’s one without a character because we didn’t want to draw Jarrod. Blue Balloons was the personified spirit of him, we kinda see him as inside the blue balloons.”

Non-racism is when you might see something but don’t say anything... Antiracism is actually voicing it. My personal opinion on it is that I’m sick of it, and I will be anti-racist in action.

What: Everyone We Know (High Depth/Universal) When & Where: 8 Feb, The Elephant Hotel

We caught DJ Morgs for a chat (aka Morgan Jones) wearing hot pants and a seedy mullet wig in the middle of filming a new “Aerobics, Ausstyle” film clip. “It’s hilarious, we’re in a room with all these professional dancers and we’ve got sloppy wigs and they all look like Adonises,” adds Tuckerman, decked out in similar garb.

The boys laid down Everyone We Know in Hermitude’s Glebe studio, Jones and Poncho able to focus on the task at hand without the distractions of their usual home studios. “You’d be making music but also laughing at [Poncho’s] cat, or he’d be hanging his washing out.

Whereas we’re going in there for dedicated periods of time and all we had to do in there was smoke weed and make music,” laughs Jones. “It has this sorta darkish vibe and you feel like you’re way away from the world... It’s not like a completely modern studio where everything is plush and you don’t wanna put your drink down anywhere.” But smoking in the studio?

“I don’t know if we were meant to,” he chuckles sheepishly, “but it had really good ventilation in there so it was awesome being able to do that because we’ve never been able to do that, ever.”

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 11

Credits Publisher Street Press Australia Pty Ltd Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast National Editor – Magazines Mark Neilsen

Music

Big Things

Editor Mitch Knox Arts & Culture Editor Maxim Boon Gig Guide Editor Justine Lynch gigs@themusic.com.au Contributing Editor Bryget Chrisfield Editorial Assistant Brynn Davies, Sam Wall Senior Contributor Steve Bell Contributors Anthony Carew, Benny Doyle, Brendan Crabb, Caitlin Low, Carley Hall, Carly Packer, Chris Familton, Cyclone, Daniel Cribb, Dylan Stewart, Georgia Corpe, Guy Davis, Jake Sun, Liz Giuffre, Neil Griffiths, Nic Addenbrooke, Rip Nicholson, Roshan Clerke, Samuel J Fell, Sean Capel, Sean Hourigan, Tom Hersey, Tom Peasley, Tyler McLoughlan, Uppy Chatterjee Photographers Barry Schipplock, Bec Taylor, Bobby Rein, Cole Bennetts, Freya Lamont, John Stubbs, Kane Hibberd, Markus Ravik, Molly Burley, Stephen Booth, Terry Soo Sales Nicole Ferguson sales@themusic.com.au Art Dept Ben Nicol, Felicity Case-Mejia Admin & Accounts Meg Burnham, Ajaz Durrani, Emma Clarke accounts@themusic.com.au Distro distro@themusic.com.au Subscriptions store@themusic.com.au Contact Us Phone: (07) 3252 9666 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au Street: The Foundry, 228 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Postal: Locked Bag 4300 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

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12 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Could a Game Of Thrones cameo be in Twelve Foot Ninja’s future? Guitarist Steve “Stevic” MacKay tells Brendan Crabb about acting chops.

I

t’s been several months since Twelve Foot Ninja issued second record Outlier and The Music’s previous conversation with Melbourne’s genre-hopping heavy rockers.

However, to reference their own PR machine, they’ve been busy. Busier than a cat burying shit in concrete. It’s not empty rhetoric.

For one, as our interview occurs, axeman Steve “Stevic” MacKay is preparing a presentation for the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in California to launch his new custom signature guitar. He designed the axe, a collaboration with Line 6 and Yamaha. “It’s surreal actually, to be going to NAMM to launch a custom signature guitar and have people actually care what band I come from and take interest in the instrument, and what’s different about it.”

The ensuing album cycle even incorporated opening for heavyweights Disturbed in enormodomes during their Australian run. “It was pretty surreal playing with Disturbed, just in an arena setting,” MacKay enthuses. They’ve also returned to the US, playing festivals and shows with the likes of Sevendust, Nothing More and Hellyeah. “I grew up listening to Pantera, so meeting Vinnie Paul and hanging out on his tour bus and stuff was pretty awesome.

“He’s actually a big fan of the band, which is crazy to have Vinnie Paul ask us

to take a picture with him,” MacKay chuckles. “That shit’s mind-blowing, it’s like stepping into another dimension or something.

[Sevendust’s] Morgan [Rose, drums] is an absolute legend, and some of the stories he’s got about hanging out with Tommy Lee and filling in for Motley Crue are just next level.”

The band have seemingly made a concerted effort not to forget their humble roots though, despite the perpetual momentum following Outlier’s arrival.

“Certain things happen, we find ourselves in conversations and situations and we’re just like, ‘how did we get here?’ Especially Russ [Shane Russell, drums] and I, we go back a long way. Early starts, being nervous before playing at The Tote and the Evelyn, first gigs when we were younger. Then we’re doing this shit. It’s trippy, that’s probably the only way I can explain it. We definitely don’t take it for granted that’s for sure.”

The humorous, Stranger Thingsinfluenced video for Sick is also an international hit. The nine-minute clip contains gore, torture and (naturally) crossdressing. “I guess the number one thing is not being afraid to take the piss out of yourself.

It’s just having a laugh, and not being too concerned that a film clip has to depict band members as demigods above everyone else.

That’s just a load of shit, a fallacy and no one believes it, and it often looks terrible when bands try and play that uber-serious, ‘we’re brooding artists’ thing. I think the guys are actually pretty talented, they’re getting much better with acting. We seem to be able to pull it off somehow.”

Could Hollywood await then? “I really want to be an extra on Game Of Thrones or something, to be like a fucking wildling or something would be awesome. Mastodon, one of those dudes got to do that. Now that would be rad.”

When & Where: 16 Feb, Miami Tavern; 18 Feb, The Zoo

QPAC PRESENTS

A fun-loving mix of swinging gypsy jazz, cabaret, Latino and French pop.

20 MARCH 2017

ONE NIGHT ONLY Brisbane premiere!

Concert Hall, QPAC BOOK NOW QPAC.COM.AU • 136 246 THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 13

Frontlash

Music

Uncaged At Last It’s not quite finished, but renovations at The Zoo are nearing completion and it’s looking great. Huge congrats to new owner Pixie Weyand!

Dream Job

Crawling For Kicks Don’t forget that the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, presented by The Music, hits five venues on 11 Feb. Get your strut on.

The Rising Tide A big welcome to Claire Whiting (Miss Pompeii, ex-Inland Sea) as the new general manager of 4ZZZ! We’re stoked to see what’s in store!

Lashes

Claire Whiting, 4ZZZZ

Backlash

Beyonce, Beytwice If we see another riff on Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement photos... well, nothing, realistically, but you have to admit that the joke has been piledriven a solid six feet into the ground at this point. Congrats to the Carter/Knowles clan, though.

So Long And Thanks For Very Little

Vale The X Factor Australia. You died as you lived: without impacting our daily lives in the least.

Unfake News So our media is supposedly biased against Trump? Then why were we getting around the clock news about an Egyptian guy with a knife in the Louvre while news about a Trump-loving white supremacist killing six people in a Canadian mosque disappeared from our news reports within hours?

14 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Making music is lifeintensive, but Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa is still living the dream. Annelise Ball interrupts the drummer’s downtime (surfing and beach hangs) to find out more.

E

njoying decent flat whites, Sydney’s northern beaches and chilling with Mum and Dad, Warpaint’s LAbased drummer and sole Aussie Stella Mozgawa is loving being back home. With Warpaint’s acclaimed third album Heads Up released last year, Mozgawa and co will kick off their 2017 tour schedule with four Australian shows.

“This was very much the record we wanted to make and we wanted to hear,” says Mozgawa on Heads Up. “We purposefully weren’t too concerned about how we’d recreate the songs live, which was a new approach for us.” Australian punters buying tickets to Warpaint’s forthcoming gigs shouldn’t panic. If this devil-may-care approach is good enough for Coachella, who’ve given Warpaint a 2017 slot alongside Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar, then it’s damn well good enough for Australia.

Widely described as ‘more electronic’ than their previous offerings, Mozgawa explains the simple reasons why. “We were all making music individually that was more directed at that sound,” she says, touching on the band’s time apart focusing on solo and session work. “It felt a little more faithful to the music we were interested in

making and listening to. Plus, we’ve always had a lot of electronic elements in our music, but it’s been overwashed by the live sound.”

Despite the worrying internet rumours, plus the easily misconstrued time apart, Mozgawa is happy to confirm there was no actual Warpaint breakup. “There was a bit of exhaustion at the end of touring our last record,” she shares, happy to set the record straight. “It’s just like a relationship, one person might want to break up, and the one who doesn’t still has to honour the way they feel.” Mozgawa confirms that “options were explored”.

“Music is a labour-intensive and life-intensive line of work” she shares. “Even though we’re living the dream creatively, it’s still a job. I can’t do anything else but tour this whole year. We had to make sure we were all still doing it for the right reasons.”

Having spent her alone time as a session drummer for acts like Kurt Vile, Jamie xx and even the legendary Tom Jones, Mozgawa loved the opportunity to learn new skills. “I rarely take a break, because I’m usually so excited about the projects I’m offered when I’m having time off from Warpaint,” she says.

“It all helps me build my range of skills as a drummer, because that’s who I am and how I learn how to do my job.”

Mozgawa’s job skills will be on full display during Warpaint’s Australian tour.

With a simple KPI of ‘play drums live’, Mozgawa should do so perfectly well at the Perth Festival, Melbourne Zoo Twilights, Brisbane’s The Triffid and the Sydney Opera House. “The day we play the Opera House just happens to be my birthday,” says Mozgawa, sounding stoked. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

When & Where: 22 Feb, The Triffid

FEBRUARY WED 8

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Nothing to do this weekend?

Don’t worry, The Music has you sorted.

TRIFFID ACOUSTICS W/DAN DUGGAN THU 9

YOUNGCARE TREKKER SESSIONS

W/DANNY WIDDICOMBE & THE GOOD OLE BOYS & THE PREDATORS FRI 10

THRASH BLAST GRIND FEST

W/KING PARROT, REVOCATION & MORE SAT 11

LAGERFEST

FEATURING LAGERSTEIN, SUPERHEIST, THE STIFFYS & MANY MORE SUN 12

AMERICANA SESSIONS - FREE IN THE BEERGARDEN W/BRAD BUTCHER WED 15

TRIFFID ACOUSTICS W/TENNYSON KING THU 16

NEUROSIS

& DISPOSSESSED FRI 17

GET WISE #4 - FREE ENTRY

W/FREINDLYFIRE, FACTIONS & EVACUATION PLAN SAT 18

YELLOWCARD (SOLD OUT) & LIKE TORCHES SUN 19

AMERICANA SESSIONS - FREE IN THE BEERGARDEN W/JORDIE LANE & JEN MIZE WED 22

TRIFFID ACOUSTICS

W/DANNY WIDDICOMBE

WARPAINT

& SPECIAL GUESTS FRI 24

AMERICANA AMPLIFIED - FREE ENTRY

W/HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS, DANA GEHRMAN BAND & GOOD WILL REMEDY

Head to events.themusic.com.au to see what’s coming up.

SAT 25

ANIMALS AS LEADERS

W/PLINI & NICK JOHNSON SUN 26

AMERICANA SESSIONS - FREE IN THE BEERGARDEN W/SUE RAY

MARCH WED 1

HOT 8 BRASS BAND & SPECIAL GUESTS THU 2

TRIFFID MUSIC TRIVIA - FREE IN THE BEERGARDEN HOSTED BY JEREMY NEALE FRI 3

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW - SELLING FAST WED 8

All gig and music news at your fingertips.

TEENAGE FANCLUB - SELLING FAST & GOON SAX THU 9

FRIGHTENED RABBIT - SELLING FAST W/THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON FRI 10

THUNDER

& SPECIAL GUESTS SAT 11

HARTS & YEO

SUN 12

MIDGE URE

PLUS INDIA ELECTRIC COMPANY WED 15

THE DAMNED - SELLING FAST & SPECIAL GUESTS FRI 17

WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME

A CELEBRATION OF IRISH MUSIC Featuring PATTY MCHUGH, FOX N FIRKIN, ANDY MCDONNELL & ALAN BOYLE SAT 18

TAKING BACK SUNDAY

W/ACCEPTANCE & ENDLESS HEIGHTS SUN 19

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT & SPECIAL GUESTS

SPECIALS WEDNESDAY Mates dates 2 beers + 2 burgers from 5pm THURSDAY $1 poppers and wings from 5pm WWW.THETRIFFID.COM.AU | 7 STRATTON ST, NEWSTEAD TICKETS - WWW.OZTIX.COM.AU

Search for ‘The Music App’ on

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 15

Film

Good Things In Small Packages “Really good filmmaking” is Flickerfest Director Bronwyn Kidd’s driving force. She explains to Guy Davis why short films can still deliver tall stories.

W

hen it comes to the short films it has featured for more than a quarter of a century, Flickerfest isn’t about themes or motifs. “At all,” stresses the Australian film festival’s director, Bronwyn Kidd. In fact, the only recurring theme throughout Flickerfest’s history is, in Kidd’s words, “really good filmmaking”. Although any film submitted to the festival does have to have been made in the last two years and have a running time of less than 30 minutes.

The new ability to film and edit easily and inexpensively has opened the door to an incredibly diverse range of storytelling.

Otherwise, variety is the name of the game at Flickerfest, which kicks off its 2017 program on Jan 6, with a spectacular array of 120 short films from around Australia as well as international submissions. “It’s incredibly diverse,” says Kidd. “We look for stories that are human, uplifting, serious, humourous. And we have fiction, documentaries, shorts for kids, shorts made by kids, films by indigenous filmmakers and female filmmakers, films that really showcase Australia’s multicultural background. We don’t impose themes upon the filmmakers — the material comes from the desire and passion of these people to tell these particular stories — and it’s so thrilling for us at Flickerfest and the audiences around the country to discover all these interesting new voices.”

16 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Filmmaking technology has come a long way in the last couple of decades, and Kidd recalls with a laugh the early days of Flickerfest when the festival would travel around Australia with 35mm prints of its short-film lineup. “Things have changed in a massive way,” she says. “And we have certainly noticed it with the access filmmakers now have to digital technology. Way back in the day, filmmaking was much more of an exclusive club for people who had the money and the access to equipment that enabled them to make movies. The new ability to film and edit easily and inexpensively has opened the door to an incredibly diverse range of storytelling.”

And in addition to allowing a greater variety of voices to be heard, access to the tools of filmmaking has resulted in short movies with a slicker style.”People are able to do special effects, combinations of liveaction and animation, and that’s where short films really have the chance to stand out,” says Kidd. “As a filmmaker, you can be incredibly creative; there’s no pressure from investors to do things a certain way to appeal to the box office.” While Flickerfest isn’t really looking for filmmakers “showing off how well they can shoot a car chase so they can go work in America”, it does nonetheless attract established industry players as well as up-and-comers. For example, a highlight of the 2017 festival launch, recently held in Sydney’s Bondi, was the premiere of The Eleven O’Clock, a short comedy written by Josh Lawson and starring Lawson and Damon Herriman.

After its 10-day run in Sydney, Flickerfest will be hitting the road, as it has for the last 20 years, making stops at more than 50 venues around Australia. The reception, according to Kidd, is overwhelmingly positive.

“We wouldn’t be touring for 20 years if we didn’t get a good reception,” she says. “We mostly tour the Australian shorts, which we’ve found audiences really enjoy. It’s not that people don’t want to see Australian films, it’s that they often don’t have access to them. And this is oneway Australian stories — our own culture — can be seen.”

What: Flickerfest 2017 When & Where: 10 & 11 Feb, Palace Centro Cinemas; 17 Feb, Majestic Cinemas, Nambour; 3 & 4 Mar, Empire Theatre, Toowoomba; 10 Mar, The Arts Centre Gold Coast

Music

The Quest Continues After 30-plus years, extreme metal pioneers Neurosis still haven’t found what they’re looking for. Vocalist/guitarist Steve Von Till tells Tom Hersey about the sonic dissatisfaction that keeps them going.

“W

e’re constantly seeking that sonic holy grail that’s always elusive,” Steve Von Till says in a friendly voice that’s completely removed from the monolithic bellows metal fans the world over revere. Discussing what continues to drive Neurosis, Von Till touches on how there are still places they’d like to travel to and play, but that’s nothing compared to what the quintet draws from something he describes as their search for the ‘perfect sound’.

“Musically, the goal has always been to evolve and constantly push the envelope... That holy grail, we’re very confident that we’ll die trying to find it. The sonic quest is lifelong, so we always have that to look forward to.”

Asked what the perfect Neurosis record should sound like when records like 2012’s Honor Found In Decay and last year’s Fires Within Fires must be getting somewhere pretty close to the mark, Von Till says the beautiful thing about the band’s sonic quest is that they will never reach their destination. “It’s not really an intellectual goal, so it’s hard to put into words. It’s more of an emotional goal; that there is this act of constantly striving for what you’re supposed to be, that’s how the music feels. Every time we make an album it’s absolutely the best version of ourselves that we’re capable of being at that time, but that path is an infinite one... We just search for music with a natural flow.”

According to Von Till, the band’s decision to prioritise exploring what they can do musically means other facets of their career, namely touring, have to take a bit of a backseat. Explaining that the band’s upcoming Australian run only came about because “the offer came in and the timing was right”, Von Till reflects on what touring means to Neurosis these days.

“We don’t feel the need to hit the road and do the generic world tour. That’s just not how our lives work

right now. We can do about 25 concerts a year with our families and our different work schedules, and that is what it is. But, at least for me, one of my many jobs is running Neurot Recordings. So I’m living, breathing and sleeping our record up here in the forest where I’ve got our office set up.”

But does having business responsibilities intertwined with such a pure form of artistic expression make the idealistic situation lose some of its lustre?

“I have nothing but gratitude and a deep spiritual connection with the fact that we’re lucky enough to stumble across this music. I would never take it for granted just because it causes work. I mean, that’s good work; that’s the work we all hope for in life...

And also, we expect no reward from this quest. It’s extremely self-centred, very personal. It’s less of a desire and more of a need — to make this music in this world, to have any sort of sanity and positive way of dealing with such a crazy world.”

The sonic quest is lifelong.

When & Where: 16 Feb, The Triffid

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 17

Music

Royal Flush King Parrot frontman Matt ‘Youngy’ Young shares his amazement that “a bunch of bozos from Melbourne” somehow wound up touring the world in a grindcore band with Rod Whitfield.

M

elbourne’s King Parrot are an extreme band in every sense of the term. Their unique brand, and blend, of face-melting grindcore, thrash and extreme metal is not for the faint of heart, but has endeared itself to fans of this style of music across Australia and the world in the last six or seven years of this band’s existence. And, given the nature of their sound, that rise up the musical pecking order has been somewhat surprising and no one has been more taken aback by their success than the band’s crazy frontman Matt ‘Youngy’ Young.

mid-February and features a stunning line-up of Aussie heavy music luminaries.

“It’s an exciting one,” Young enthuses, “we haven’t been on the road with Psycroptic for a couple of years now. Geez, it’s great to get out on tour in summer in Australia, so we thought, ‘Bugger it, let’s get out there and have a crack’. And we were lucky enough to get Revocation from the US on board, too — they’re good buddies and an awesome band, and bring something different to the table as well. Then there’s Whoretopsy, who are more the slammin’ death-metal style and Black Rheno, who are a pretty new band but kicking massive goals and doing everything right. All in all, it’s an exciting tour package to be part of.”

Young has some great news for the band’s hardcore fans who are coming to check out the tour, too. “At the moment, we’re just demoing and preparing some new material, and we’re going to showcase some of the new stuff on tour. It’s been coming along great, so that’s exciting.”

What the fuck are we doing here? How is our fucking band playing in Bucharest?

Just as exciting is the fact that King Parrot fans won’t have too long to wait to hear some brand new material from the band. “Yeah, we’re looking to release our third album some time in the second half of this year,” he states. “So we’ll just get this tour done, get out there for some summer fun, and then go underground for a bit to get this album done. And then no doubt the touring cycle will kick off again, we’ll be out on the road for ridiculous amounts of time again!”

When & Where: 10 Feb, The Triffid

“When things start to pay off, and you get to play at some cool festivals, and go out on tour with some of your favourite bands... It’s just incredible for a bunch of bozos from Melbourne like us!” He laughs uproariously, “I remember being in Romania, we were playing in Bucharest, and it was like, ‘What the fuck are we doing here? How is our fucking band playing in Bucharest?’ I just think, ‘How the hell has playing in a grindcore band got us to this point?’”

The band’s overseas adventures have seen them tour North America and Europe many times over, but have kept them off the road in their home market. However, this is about to change with the upcoming onslaught that is the Thrash, Blast & Grind national tour, which kicks off 18 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 19

Film

Waxing Lyrical Director Barry Jenkins is the year’s biggest Oscar contender, but his motives go far beyond awards season. Guy Davis discovers how art imitates life in the stunning portrait of sexuality in the Afro-American psyche, Moonlight.

H

e’s different. He’s too young to really know why, and the kids who tease and mock and hurt him for being different are probably too young to know why as well. He grows older. And while he comes to know things about himself, many around him regard him - if they notice him at all - with disdain or contempt. Or worst of all, with affection that is soon withdrawn, replaced by betrayal. And by the time he becomes a man, he has armoured himself against all feelings of vulnerability, shunning any form of intimacy.

It’s about telling the truth and presenting these people as human beings.

It’s a story that many people can relate to and empathise with, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. But what Barry Jenkins’ film Moonlight does so beautifully is balance the universal aspects of its story with something deliberately specific. It’s an intensely personal story that is nevertheless incredibly relatable. In telling the story of Chiron, a young, gay, African-American man, at three pivotal stages in his life (his childhood, his adolescence and his 20s), Jenkins knew in adapting playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney’s work In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue that he had the opportunity to bring to the screen a depiction of manhood and masculinity - black masculinity in particular - that had rarely been seen.

Jenkins is not a fan of the term ‘representation’, but he was aware of an inherent responsibility that accompanied 20 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

the making of Moonlight. Still, he didn’t want to sacrifice the authenticity of Chiron’s story - all too familiar to both himself and McCraney - in favour of making a statement.

It was a tricky balancing act for the filmmaker. “Here’s the thing,” says Jenkins. “I can’t deny there are certain characters who aren’t represented in arts and letters very much at all. And because of that lack of representation, when those characters do appear, when they’re centred in a narrative, it takes on added importance. It’s almost a political act. And because of that, I felt like we had to get it right. It’s about telling the truth and presenting these people as human beings.”

Jenkins and McCraney didn’t meet until Jenkins expressed interest in adapting In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue into a film, but the two shared a common background. They grew up blocks from one another in the hardscrabble Miami neighbourhood of Liberty City and attended the same schools for a time. And the mothers of both men wrestled with drug addiction, a subject unflinchingly covered in Moonlight. “There was an initial moment, and to be brutally honest, I probably recoiled from that,” says Jenkins when asked if he recognised parts of his life in McCraney’s play. “In my initial read, I appreciated it and thought there was something very potent in it. And right before reading it I had thought I should write something about my life, about my life with my mom, and then I thought ‘Nah, that’s too personal’.

Then I read this piece and it was so close - ‘Oh, shit, maybe this is too personal as well!’ Then this process happened where I convinced myself that it wasn’t personal at all because I’m dealing with this guy’s shit! And, of course, over the course of two and a half, three years of this journey it became intensely personal. Myself and Tarell fused with Chiron and that really improved the work.”

Chiron’s sexuality is a key part of his identity, and Jenkins (who identifies as straight) was keen to explore how the character’s own feelings about who he is shape him as he matures. But addressing larger questions of identity was equally important for the filmmaker. “We all struggle to self-identify, and young men really struggle to self-identify. Whether that’s sexuality or whether you’re a jock or a nerd or a drama student, there are all these different aspects to identity and we struggle to define them to ourselves because the world is often giving us so much feedback.”

It’s something that has clearly resonated with those who have seen Moonlight - the film is one of the year’s most acclaimed, scoring eight Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director for Jenkins). What’s more, admirers of the film are comparing it to seminal works like Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man and the books of author James Baldwin. Jenkins is obviously flattered and stoked by such comparisons but he’s keeping his cool.

“I was there on the set for the 25-day shoot, and it was not an extravagant process by any means,” he smiles. “But I remember being proud of the work we were doing and I kind of just leave it at that. And if I accept what someone says in a positive way, if someone then says it’s absolute shit, there’s nothing to say that that’s invalid. I just try to hold on to the feeling of making the film and the pride I felt in the process.”

What: Moonlight

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Music

Milo Goes Down Under Legendary punk pioneers Descendents have returned with a new album and a renewed lust for life. Mark Hebblewhite cornered vocalist (and band mascot) Milo Aukerman to find out the latest.

“W

e always have a blast when we come to Australia - and in fact this will be our third time there since we started touring again.

Australia was one of the first places we toured when we got together as a band again, and I remember that first time I actually lost my voice. Even on the second tour I was struggling a bit - this time around though I’m in much better shape. When I rehearse now I mimic the live situation - so I’m much better prepared and ready to go.”

As Milo Aukerman alludes, for many years Descendents were an off and on proposition. Fast forward to 2017 and Descendents are firing on all cylinders. “I don’t

work as a research scientist anymore so I can concentrate on the band full-time,” explains Aukerman. “Also [drummer] Bill [Stevenson]’s health is much better than it was - so the roadblocks that were there for the band have pretty much gone. We still all work around things like having families, but now we can play a lot more shows and hopefully put out a new record in the next few years. Our fans deserve new music - and I should say that we’ve already started writing songs for a new record - so it’s really exciting.”

With an extensive back catalogue behind them, putting a setlist together is always challenging for Descendents.

But according to Aukerman the perfect recipe is a little bit of everything. “We like to play something from all the periods of the band going right back to 1981 and the Fat EP. Obviously we also have the new record out and we plan

22 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

The roadblocks that were there for the band have pretty much gone. We still all work around things like having families, but now we can play a lot more shows and hopefully put out a new record in the next few years. on playing several songs from that record - they’ve been going down really well over the last six months.”

When the Descendents began in 1977 it was a fertile time for punk rock. Bands like Black Flag were tearing up the rule book with a raw and frightening brand of punk that quickly became known as ‘hardcore’. Descendents, however, delivered a high-intensity sound that relied on melody rather than distortion - and joy rather than anger.

Aukerman credits a very unlikely source for this approach.

“Both Bill and I were huge Beatles fans,” he reveals.

“There was also a band that started around the time Black Flag did called The Last, who were doing a harder edged punk rock version of the Beatles. That really left a big impression on us because we loved the aggression of the punk movement but we also wanted to write melodic music.”

Aukerman isn’t just ‘the singer’ of the band. He’s also the mascot, his bespectacled visage graces pretty much every Descendents record cover and a bucketload of band merchandise. How does Aukerman feel about being a punk rock visual icon? “It was never my plan to be the ‘face’ of the band,” laughs Aukerman. “We are very collegiate as a band but if anyone is really the band leader it’s Bill, not me.

Actually, it was Bill’s idea to take the cartoon of me that a classmate of ours had drawn and put it on the Milo Goes To College album. We try to move away from that face whenever possible,” he laughs, “but when it comes down to it, it’s a cool, simple drawing that sticks in people’s head.

I’m actually not an attention seeking person - I’m really shy - and that’s the irony of the whole situation.”

When & Where: 22 Feb, Eatons Hill Hotel

Pic: Marie DeVita (WAAX), Clea, Mallrat, “Evil” Eddie Jacobson (Butterfingers). Pic by Terry Soo.

In Focus The Mountain

G o a t Va l l ey C ra w l

The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl is returning for a second year on 11 Feb, where you can catch 25 acts performing across five venues, all within two square blocks. Here you’ll find the likes of Brisbane locals Butterfingers (returning to the live stage for the first time since 2010), WAAX, Mallrat, Clea, Moses Gunn Collective, Gill Bates and more joined by interstate visitors such as The Ocean Party, Polish Club and I Know Leopard. It’s free entry across Woolly Mammoth, The Foundry, The Zoo, The Brightside and Black Bear Lodge.

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 23

Eat / Drink Eat/Drink

One of the most virally successful online foodies, Nick Paterakis of The Scran Line, has taken Instagram by storm with his bold, beautiful and blissfully photogenic cupcake creations. Best of all, he’s an Aussie. We caught up with the home-grown baking wizard and internet sensation.

Why Wh y di di yo did you launc unch your blo lo og?

I started about eight years ago, and at that time YouTube was becoming a really important platform for food. I started following an amazing YouTube chef called Laura Vitale, and her videos were a big inspiration for The Scran Line. In those early days I was cooking lots of different things, not just cakes.

It took about three years for me to figure out that’s the direction I wanted to focus on.

Whe Wh en did d you u firs st rea st ealise se The Scra an Lin ne was ne

So wha So hat’s t’s a scran line ne anyway?

When I was younger I joined the navy as a cook - I was only there for seven weeks before I realised it really wasn’t for me. But the one good thing that came out of my time in the navy was the name for The Scran Line.

“Scran” is the navy slang for food and when you queue up at the mess hall for meals, that would be the scran line.

gettin ge in ng biig??

There’s a YouTube celebrity chef called Elise Strachan who runs a brilliant channel called My Cupcake Addiction, which has literally millions of subscribers.

We happened to meet in Miami, which was totally amazing. She then shared one of my videos on Facebook and the response was crazy. It got thousands of likes and views and that was a big moment for me. Since then things have blown-up on Instagram, with more than 220k followers now. But the biggest milestone was being contacted

by Tastemade [the digital food channel]. Working for them has truly changed my life.

24 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Your cake Yo ak designs are pretty wild.

Where Wh ere do you get your ideas from?

Everywhere! I have a background in graphic design, so I really wanted to use those skills as well as my cooking skills with The Scran Line. An idea for a cupcake design could come from a colour I really like, or a song I’m really into or an usual flavour combo. I never like to do the obvious thing, I always try to think outside of those predictable designs. There’s usually one initial idea and then from there, I sketch out how I want it to look and work out how to take it from a concept to completion.

Check out the recipes for Nick’s cupcakes at thescranline.com

Theatre

East Meets West Michelle Law’s skewering new comedy, Single Asian Female, laughs in the face of casual racism. The production’s stars, Alex Lee and Courtney Stewart, let Maxim Boon in on the joke.

Alex Lee

Courtney Stewart

I

t’s a sometimes-baffling contradiction that a country as multicultural and ethnically diverse as Australia should be so persistently hamstrung by racist attitudes. Of course, ours is a nation founded on stolen land, built on an all but obliterated Indigenous way of life; racial oppression is part of Australia’s DNA. It’s a past that many white Aussies still struggle to look in the eye, but since those bloody days of yore, our understanding and appreciation of the rich ethnic make-up of our land Down Under has surely evolved? Yes and no, as Alex Lee and Courtney Stewart explain. The pair star in Michelle Law’s new comedy Single Asian Female, a sharply incisive domestic satire about the identity conundrum of Australians with a mixed cultural heritage and the casual discrimination they often face.

“The racism that I’ve personally experienced isn’t being screamed at you by someone on the tram, although that has happened to me before,” Lee shares.

“A lot of it is what you might call micro-aggressions — things that people might not realise are offensive. For example, always being asked where you’re from. ‘What’s your background?

When did you get here?’ People just can’t let it rest. It’s like they need to know that you’re a legit Australian.”

Arguably, Aussies should be more acutely conscious of racial insensitivity because of the glaring injustices committed by our forebears and the not-yet-reconciled consequences of that shameful history. And yet, despite these good intentions, it’s still all-too easy to fumble with political correctness. “Asians are like the ‘good’ kind of immigrants. We open bakeries and restaurants and drive cabs. We’re good at school and don’t get in trouble or protest things. But that generalisation is so sweeping and no better than saying all Muslims are terrorists.

Asian people aren’t immune to racist sentiment,” Lee

Asians are like the ‘good’ kind of immigrants. We open bakeries and restaurants and drive cabs.

observes. Stewart adds, “Last time Pauline Hanson was in town she was really angry about ‘the Asians’ and, with everything that’s happening in America right now, it’s not out of the question that the winds will change and suddenly we’ll be the target of that fear and shock, which people in power right now are capitalising on.”

For many ethnic minorities, the persistent presence of an unconscious bias, whether it be via unintentionally offensive racial slang, crass stereotypes, or as is the case for many women of colour, being viewed as exotic erotic trophies, is part and parcel of living in present day Australia. But that’s not to say it has to be a part of this nation’s future. “There’s a lot of hope for our country because we have that ability to be flawed but at the same time have the willingness to change,” Stewart insists. “I think it’s up to people in our position, who are visible and understand this story, to be a catalyst for change, to become invested in those conversations.

So, how do you unravel these knotty prejudices when they’re woven so fundamentally into the fabric of the Australian psyche? Michelle Law’s strategy is simple: make ‘em laugh. Single Asian Female- the product of a three-year collaboration with La Boite Theatre Company — offers a comedic window onto the Chinese-Australian experience via the stories of three women at different stages in their lives. Pearl, played by Hsiao-Ling Tang, is a Chinese migrant and mother who runs a restaurant.

Her Westernised, grown-up children, Zoe (Alex Lee) and Mei (Courtney Stewart), are caught in a hinterland between two worlds, weighing up the question of assimilating fully into Australian society or holding on to the culture of their parents.

For Lee and Stewart, engaging with this hot-button topic through comedy is key to bringing these issues out of the shadows. “Nobody likes being told what to do. When you use humour it takes away that aggression and those feelings of confrontation,” Lee smiles. “I think humour is so important to be able to disarm people,” Stewart adds. “All the characters in this play are very believable. They have heart, they have flaws and feelings.

They’re human beings. Revealing that truth, that we’re all ultimately the same, is what theatre like this is all about.”

What: Single Asian Female When & Where: 11 Feb — 4 Mar, Roundhouse Theatre THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 25

Music

Double Denim Dream It’s 1999. Uppy Chatterjee dons double denim and chats to the voice of every slumber party, Edele Lynch, about the rollercoaster ride B*Witched have been on since their bout of super-stardom.

I

f you were a young, impressionable female growing up in the ‘90s - and no, being born in 1998 does not count as growing up in ‘90s - you will have fond memories of a little girl group called B*Witched with a little song called C’est La Vie. Dance routines were choreographed, primary school talent quests entered, roll-on body glitter purchased. So when the Irish quartet announced a tour with fellow ‘90s popstars Atomic Kitten and S Club 3 (yes, we know how ridiculous that sounds), the nostalgia was hard to deny.

three million records in a few short years, their fall from stardom began in 2002 when Epic Records, a division of Sony, dropped the band unceremoniously from the label.

“At the time, the music industry was under pressure, really, and it was kind of downsizing... Basically, there wasn’t enough room for everyone,” Lynch explains with an air of sadness. When a new managing director took over the label, he “just decided that he’d let us go and nobody else could say anything about it”.

After their break-up and consequent falling out, surprisingly it was UK reality show The Big Reunion that brought the four back together in 2012.

“I didn’t really wanna do The Big Reunion, I was quite against it. Sinead and I had fallen out - not over the years in the band but in the years in between. I was kind of nervous to spend my time around her again because I didn’t really want the heartache of it, if I’m honest. But I’m delighted that The Big Reunion kind of slungshot us back together. We’re the best of friends again now and I talk to Sinead in particular every day and I wouldn’t want my life without her again.”

At the time, the music industry was under pressure, really, and it was kind of downsizing.

As for their upcoming tour, fans have double denim and new material to look forward to, written for B*Witched’s upcoming 20th anniversary.

“We’re gonna be what we are now [musically] and what we feel now,” Lynch confirms. “We’re not gonna try tap into what we were because that’s nostalgia and the music industry has moved on as much as we all have.”

It seems B*Witched’s rollercoaster ride is finally pulling into the station.

“It’s pretty incredible actually... Two years ago I did pantomimes and for whatever reason we had C’est La Vie in the pantomime, but I wasn’t in it, so I got to actually stand back and look at C’est La Vie from a different perspective. I just found a new love for it and really understood what it does to people still.”

Lynch is very conversational and it feels like catching up with an old friend over coffee. Though the phone-line from the Wirral Peninsula, UK isn’t the best, Lynch asks me kindly, “it must be early there, are you awake yet?”

The band were between the ages of 18 and 25 at their peak in 1998 - when songs like C’est La Vie, Rollercoaster, To You I Belong and Blame It On The Weatherman saw them become the first ever girl group to score four consecutive #1 singles in the UK. Despite moving over 26 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

When & Where: 17 Feb, Jupiters, Broadbeach; 18 Feb, Eatons Hill Hotel

Indie Indie

A Band Called Twang

Morgan Bain

Moreland & Arbuckle

Album Focus

EP Focus

Just Visiting

Answered by: Tim Collett

EP Title? Hush

Answered by: Dustin Arbuckle

Album title? Rootin’ Tootin’

How many releases do you have now? A few, but this current EP Hush is the one I am most proud of and it’s a new direction.

Why are you coming to visit our fair country?

We are coming to play some good, rocking music, see your beautiful country and hopefully make a bunch of new friends while we’re there.

Where did the title of your new album come from? The title came from a country colloquial term meaning, loosely, a good time. See: “rootin’ tootin’ time last night”.

Also in reference to the album having a roots, country, rockabilly feel.

How many releases do you have now? Two releases. Our first was Rockabilly Girl (2016) and now in 2017 Rootin’ Tootin’.

How long did it take to write/record? The writing process was around nine months and the recording process was off and on over three months. So in all around a year in total.

Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? We started recording a mix of songs we’d written. But as the recording process ensued we found a strong roots/country element so we were inspired to drop and add songs to suit.

What’s your favourite song on it? We like them all, although we do kick off with two elemental tracks: Don’t Bay Me and Hurting Kind.

Will you do anything differently next time?

When perfectionism kicks in there are always tweaks, but we are overwhelmingly satisfied that we’ve captured the spirit and vibe we were hoping for.

When and where is your launch/next gig? 12 Mar, Redlands Rockabilly Revival

Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? I think finding my own originality with songwriting was the most exciting and inspiring thing for me because that’s what I’m constantly looking for. I wanted to find my own vibe and sounds!

What’s your favourite song on it? Hush is my favourite. It’s about me finding my own opinions about certain things and growing as a person.

We’ll like this EP if we like... Soul, R&B, hip hop, pop, alternative. I listen to D’angelo, Prince, Bon Iver, Outkast, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Anderson Paak. I can only tell you my influences I suppose.

When and where is your launch? 2 Feb, Beresford Hotel; 9 Feb, Woolly Mammoth, 10 Feb, Wesley Anne; 18 Feb, Mojo’s; 26 Feb, Clancy’s Website link for more info?

Morganbain.com.au Check out theGuide for all upcoming tour dates.

Is this your first visit? Yes! We are mad with anticipation!

How long are you here for? Eleven days.

What do you know about Australia, in ten words or less? We’ve heard the music fans are very enthusiastic.

Any extra-curricular activities you hope to participate in while here? Perhaps some Australian rules football if we’re feeling adventurous, but we’ll probably just go to the beach instead.

What will you be taking home as a souvenir?

Some sort of animal that is both adorable and deadly. Any suggestions?

Where can we come say hi, and buy you an Aussie beer? 18 Feb, Holler Roots Music Festival, Caravan Music Club; 19 Feb, Spotted Mallard; 20 Feb, The Prince; 22 Feb, The Stag & Hunter Hotel; 23 Feb, Black Bear Lodge; 24 Feb, Soundlounge; 25 Feb, The Basement; 26 Feb, Brass Monkey.

Full details and tickets at morelandarbuckleaustralia.com Website link for more info? morelandarbuckle.com/index/

Website link for more info? abandcalledtwang.com

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 27

Music

‘Ken Oath Underoath are back and they’re here to stay. Drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie tells Rod Whitfield that even though the long-haul flight to get here “sucks ass”, surfing during “my winter” makes touring Down Under worth it.

M

ost, if not all, artists say how much they are looking forward to touring a country before they come and heap praise upon that nation in a gushing fashion during interviews. The vast majority are actually sincere, but certain subjects seem to have just that little extra passion and this is definitely the case with Aaron Gillespie, drummer, vocalist and founding member

“I’ve been to Australia probably 15 times, I’ve tried everything you can do to pass the time. It just sucks, it sucks ass, and if you can just accept that fact, you’re okay.”

However, ultimately, as a very affable and positive fellow, he is able to put a much better spin on it. “We all lead very, very busy lives, so it’s kind of nice sometimes to get on a plane and you can’t make a phone call, no one can call you, you can’t get an email; you get 15 hours to just watch movies and get drunk with your friends!” he laughs.

Aussie fans will be very pleased to know that, this being a comeback tour after a hiatus, the band have something very special lined up for them with regards to the composition of the setlist they are bringing to Australia. “This is the first leg of the international version of the Rebirth tour,” he states. “We just got back together

“I don’t know what that means in terms of the traditional ‘make a record, tour’ cycle, I think we’re just trying to see what shakes loose.” last year, we started with a series of shows and we were super-fortunate that they sold out seven months in advance, doing Define The Great Line and [They’re Only] Chasing Safety in their entirety. We’re doing both those records back to back and then we’re taking it to Russia, Europe. It’s a really cool night; I think people have a great time.”

The fact that the band have taken a hiatus raises questions about their future. Are they back to stay?

Again, fans can be very encouraged, as Gillespie feels that this ‘rebirth’ may be the start of a whole new chapter, although things may be slightly different this time around. “We’re definitely here to stay for a while,” he reveals, “I don’t know what that means in terms of the traditional ‘make a record, tour’ cycle, I think we’re just trying to see what shakes loose.”

of American metalcore act Underoath. The band are on the comeback trail, after having taken a break for a few years, and their Rebirth tour heads Down Under very shortly. Speaking from his home in Florida, it is clear that Gillespie’s enthusiasm to return is very real, apart from one aspect.

“I grew up in Florida, surfing, and whenever I get to escape the winter and surf during my winter, it’s a miracle!” he enthuses. “I always love leaving the ground on January 3rd, and landing in Australia and it’s 40 degrees Celsius. I put just a pair of boardies on and get in the water and it’s not cold. It’s a miracle! Plus the fans down there are so gracious, the only thing that sucks about Australia is getting there — it’s hell. Everything else is wonderful.

28 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

When & Where: 10 Feb, Eatons Hill Hotel

Music

Living Outside The Norm

“It’s a daily question sometimes; it can really be a struggle,” The Menzingers’ Greg Barnett tells Daniel Cribb on choosing the touring life against family and friends’ guidance.

A

lthough “washing off the hangover” from a gig the night previous, The Menzingers’ Greg Barnett is chirpy and ready to conquer the world - or at least do his part to make it a better place - when he picks up the phone.

“We did a charity event in Philly, we just played acoustic last night,” Barnett begins.

“We were able to raise some money for the welcoming centre for new Pennsylvanians it’s a resource centre for immigrants coming into Pennsylvania, looking for housing, work and schooling.”

With The Menzingers forming in 2006, Barnett and his band mates spent most of their 20s touring the world, so it’s not surprising they’d be keen to support an initiative that helps cultural diversity thrive.

“The world is just so, so big, and there are so many ideas and cultures, and the beauty of seeing all of that is eye-opening, you know.

“We’ve seen the positives of [extensive touring] and have been really fortunate to be able to spend such a large portion of our lives already travelling, seeing the world and learning about everything and enjoying life as much as we possibly can,” he explains.

But of course, such a lifestyle doesn’t come without sacrifice and anxieties. “It’s

a daily question sometimes; it can really be a struggle.

It’s really emotionally taxing for not only the four of us, but for the other people involved in our lives; significant others, family members. To be gone for more than half of a year isn’t an easy thing to put on anybody.”

Celebrating their ten-year anniversary in 2016 as they penned their fifth studio album, the aptly titled After The Party, those questions formed the foundation for arguably their deepest record to date. “Is this something we’re going to do for another ten years?... Are we going to just put all of normal life on hold for another ten years?”

“I think that we’ve definitely [reflected] in the past, but this is the first time that it has a has a positive tone to it - it’s like, ‘Yeah, you know what, we can.’ We’ve spent ten years designing our own lives and living outside the norm.

“Our family and friends have guided us to not do this, and we’ve decided to carve a path for ourselves, and that’s what I think about that record; we kind of won - we did what we wanted to do with life.”

What: After The Party (Epitaph) When & Where: 11 Feb, Crowbar

SOMETHING

SMELLS FISHY Nestle Japan have jumped the shark, so to speak, with their new range of sushi inspired Kit Kat flavours including sea urchin, tuna and sushi omelette. The Japanese arm of the confectionary giant has pushed the envelope when it comes to flavouring before, with sweet potato, wasabi and green tea Kit Kats, but this might be the most off the wall recipes they’ve ever unveiled. If the prospect of these sweet treats from the briny deep are sending you green around the gills, worry not. They’re currently only available in Tokyo.

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 29

Album / E Album/EP Reviews

Album OF THE Week

Thundamentals Everyone We Know High Depth/Universal

★★★★

The muted trumpet that greets you over the opening bars of the title track and opener of Thundamentals’ fourth record suggests that the outfit has reached the point of maturity many knew was coming.

MCs Tuka and Jeswon have honed their craft to the point where they switch from verse to hook seamlessly, and are so confident in their delivery and themes that they’re now worthy of comparison to American hip hop superstars (see Reebok Pumps or Wolves).

Ably supporting the lyrics are DJs Morgs and Poncho, willing to bring the party at any opportunity. Never Say Never channels Mark Ronson, and despite the introspective nature of Deja Vu’s lyrics, they find that sweet spot between self-reflection and nostalgia that the group admit comes from growing up in the small towns of the Blue Mountains.

There are moments of sugary, commercial hooks like lead single Think About It and Wyle Out Year, but when juxtaposed against tracks like Ignorance Is Bliss or Milk & Honey, there’s proof Thundamentals are out to reward those listeners willing to commit to a full-length album — their first on the group’s own label.

Overall, there’s an uplifting vibe across Everyone We Know, even on Blue Balloons (B.B’s Song) about a young fan who passed away. Guests that span the gamut of fame, from Hilltop Hoods to Blue Mountains local Mataya, chip in at times to add even more colour to what is a quality record.

Dylan Stewart

Sodastream

Rag’n’Bone Man

Little By Little

Human

Independent

Columbia/Sony

★★★★

★★★★

Sodastream was — and now is again — a collaboration between Perth-bred musicians Karl Smith and Pete Cohen, who released four albums of gentle, textured music in the early-2000s. After a six-year break they reunited in 2013 and now they’re back with fifth long-player Little By Little, a typically robust affair considering the often-delicate, paper-thin nature of their songs.

On top of the guitar, upright bass and voice template which have long been their stock-intrade, some quality guests have been recruited to help flesh out the shared vision, including J Walker (Machine Translations), Tom Lyngcoln (The Nation Blue, Harmony) and Kelly Lane (Skipping Girl Vinegar), while Marty Brown from Art Of Fighting once more takes the production credit. Yet it’s the brazen chemistry between Smith

There’s a fair bit of hype surrounding Rag’n’Bone Man (aka Rory Graham), and after listening to debut album Human, it’s easy to see why.

The British singersongwriter’s raw, gravelly vocals are undoubtedly what draws in his listeners. For the most part they cut through or soar over the instrumentals, but on a cappella track Die Easy every breath, rasp and inflection is audible and captivating.

The influence that blues music and singers like BB King, Al Green and John Lee Hooker have had on Graham is blatantly apparent, though with the combination of his soulful voice, a stack of biblical imagery and the occasional use of an organ (Skin, The Fire), the album also has a bit of a gospel feel to it.

The already hugely successful title track is somewhat

30 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

and Cohen that still burns bright, a subtle simpatico which has seemingly returned unabated.

They conjure disparate moods with apparent ease, showing throughout that quiet music can still be muscular and powerful, Smith’s proclamation, “My hands turn to fire every time you leave/Soon I’ll burn all these fuckers around me,” in captivating single Three Sins particularly jolting. Elsewhere brash bursts of horns punctuate Letting Go, On The Stage shuffles along on beautifully off-kilter rhythms and a haunting instrumental prelude swells into the upbeat Tyre Iron. A welcome and well-crafted return.

Steve Bell

reminiscent of Hozier’s Take Me To Church, with Graham growling “Lord heaven’s above” and claiming “I’m no prophet or Messiah”. As a former MC, he’s also incorporated some hip hop elements into Human with a rap verse on Ego and classic hip hop beats on As You Are and Your Way Or The Rope.

Human has a sense of polish and refinement that doesn’t usually come with a debut, but is a promising sign of more greatness to come.

Madelyn Tait

EP Reviews Album/EP Reviews

Jesca Hoop

Oslow

Tinariwen

Memories Are Now

Oslow

Elwan

Sub Pop/Inertia

Resist Records

Wedge/[PIAS] Australia

Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness Zombies On Broadway Vanguard/Caroline

★★★½

★★★★

★★★★

★★★½

Hot on the heels of her collaborative album with Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, Jesca Hoop backs it up with a new solo album that dives deeper into her experimental songwriting, drawing on folk, indie and art pop.

The songs here are minimal, skeletal even. Simple percussive elements, at one point just the sound of typewriter keys, form the basis for hypnotic melodies and lyrical concerns that often draw on themes of empowerment, seizing one’s destiny/the moment. It’s Hoop’s sense of musical adventure and experimental lean — never at the expense of a strong song — that lends comparison to St Vincent and a more organic Bjork. Endlessly catchy and boldly creative, Memories Are Now is a thrilling escape from the doldrums.

There’s something at once tense and soothing about the debut full-length by Sydney outfit Oslow.

While duelling guitar riffs and chaotic drumming keep the band’s volume raised (catching Oslow live seems like it would be a truly cathartic experience), these moments are juxtaposed by deliberately excessive reverb such as on tracks like Cold Dark Space. When frontman Dylan Farrugia sings “I’ve been sewing up my eyelids/To keep everyone distant” on Sewing more than a hint of early ‘00s post-pop punk nostalgia seeps through the audio, and it all adds up to a confident — albeit not wholly original — opening salvo.

“Adversity,” Shakespeare once wrote, “like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

Elwan demonstrates The Bard’s wisdom, as tragic circumstance have spurred Tinariwen on to creating their most vital album in years.

Having been effectively exiled from their mountainous Saharan homeland, Tinariwen hook up with the likes of Mark Lanegan and Kurt Vile, whose guitar snaps in perfectly with their overall sound. There’s a tangible sense of loss on songs such as Talyat but also adventure on psychedelic high plains drifters such as Nannuflay.

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness has breathed new life into his music with this new album.

It documents the intricacies of McMahon’s battle with personal demons in a remarkably moving and intimate way, all to the backdrop of some seriously danceable beats. McMahon’s style is one that’s hard to match. He manages to be poignant and uplifting with songs that are both incredibly personal and scarily relatable. He takes us on a journey of self-discovery — it’s as if the audience is privy to his innermost hopes, fears and desires.

This album reads like McMahon’s personal journal, and we as an audience are captivated from start to finish.

Christopher H James

Dylan Stewart

Charmaine de Souza

Chris Familton

More Reviews Online Sinkane Life & Livin’ It

theMusic.com.au

Overkill The Grinding Wheel

Listen to our This Week’s Releases playlist on

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 31

Live Re Live Reviews

AB Original @ Laneway Festival. Pic: Stephen Booth

Laneway Festival

Brisbane Showgrounds 26 Jan

Aurora @ Laneway Festival.

Pic: Stephen Booth

Dune Rats @ Laneway Festival.

Pic: Stephen Booth

Tame Impala @ Laneway Festival.

Pic: Stephen Booth

Crowd @ Laneway Festival.

Pic: Stephen Booth

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard @ Laneway Festival.

Pic: Stephen Booth

32 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

It’s 2017 and St Jerome’s Laneway Festival is back with another great line-up. The Brisbane crowd swarms around the front gates from the very get-go, thousands of people eagerly awaiting a full day of live performances from both old and up-and-coming favourite artists.

If first impressions are anything to go by, triple j Unearthed winners Confidence Man are here to stay. They open the Never Let It Rest stage with some seriously hypnotic beats from both drums and synth, getting the impressive swarm of early comers moving and grooving from the very first second. It’s infectious, it’s contagious, and there’s not a still body in sight as vocalists Janet Planet and Sugar Bones dance their way across the stage and into our hearts. Despite their huge success in their first six months, they haven’t released a lot of content to the public, but that doesn’t stop everyone dancing like they know every single word. They finish off their hard-to-top performance with debut single Boyfriend (Repeat), and if it seemed like the crowd was already pumped up, the revitalised passion for this song ripples through everyone like a wave, and the mass disperses after the set, still dancing and shaking away.

Before we can even make our way to the Future Classic stage, we can hear the unmistakable sounds of jazz hip hop collective Koi Child already well under way. We could be mistaken, but did they just cover Prodigy’s Omen? The seven-member group expertly weave their words through their spine-tingling musical creations, their three-piece horn section never faltering. If it weren’t for a few die-hards in the back never

missing a word, we’d assume that we were listening to a bunch of close friends jamming and experimenting, and it truly makes for an unforgettable experience.

The next group we wander over to already has a considerable fan base squishing together to get a spot, and have a reputation for themselves as a ‘safe space’ at shows and festivals. Melbourne trio Camp Cope have for some time been spearheading campaigns to stamp out harassment and sexual assault at gigs, and you can tell immediately from the atmosphere that it is appreciated and everyone here simply LOVES this band, not only for their phenomenal songwriting and performances, but for everything they give back to their audience.

Although a little slow to watch compared with the first two artists, they emanate a sense of comfort and care, and the passion with which frontwoman Georgia Maq sings is humbling.

Over at the Spinning Top stage, we manage to catch the last half of Fremantle solo artist Nicholas Allbrook, who, while we were away falling in love again with Camp Cope, has teamed up with Koi Child’s horn section.

Together, they’re a hypnotic, crazy good psychedelic trip.

Lots of things are said about Allbrook — genius, crazy — and watching him perform, you’d almost believe them. His stage presence is reminiscent of the late (great) David Bowie, and it’s all we can do to just stand back and watch in awe.

After such an exhilarating set and an exhausting morning chasing some incredible acts (it’s only 1.30pm, can you believe?), we settle down for some lunch on a grassy patch not too far away. Totally absorbed, we barely notice the small crowd gathering for Canadian punk-rockers White Lung. Is this really everyone?

Their set starts with an explosion of passion, and the

eviews Live Reviews

crowd (dedicated though they may be) is criminally small. The band hardly seems to notice, however, performing with the energy and enthusiasm of someone who’s playing to a sold-out amphitheatre. They burn through number after number furiously, and honestly, are probably one of our favourite acts so far.

After lunch, we head back over to the main stages and this time check out what’s happening on the Good Better Best stage, and we’re greeted with even more ridiculous talent.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival has pulled out all the stops this year to provide us with not only the very best line-up of artists, but also an incredibly inclusive one. The amount of girl power is amazing: for example, every time Melbourne artist Tash Sultana graces us with her presence on stage (and we mean every time), she absolutely blows us away.

She is phenomenal, building her songs piece after piece as she uses loop pedals; playing guitar, beatboxing, singing, all coming together to sound just as good (if not better) than if she had a whole outfit of other musicians joining her — at one point she even whips out a pan flute, and her act just gets even better.

Continuing the path of something extraordinary is Castlemaine soloist DD Dumbo.

He’s joined today with a backing band with a whole range of instruments to fill out his set with as much magic as he can muster — and he certainly delivers. Oliver Hugh Perry, the man behind DD Dumbo, is an absolute god on his guitar, and switches it up every now and then to play any of the assortment of instruments he has set up around him. At one point, in between songs, he even stops and fiddles around with the wind chimes set up in front him, joking, “Thanks, windchimesaustralia.com,” before picking up his guitar once

more to play another amazing song. The whole thing is just an invigorating and fresh take on the disco scene.

To get anywhere close to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, you have to first push your way through thousands of fans that follow this band like a cult — at one point we nearly had to wrestle someone for our coveted spot on the barricade.

It’s a testament to how hard these men have worked over the years, to have garnered such a powerful, widespread following, which has only skyrocketed following the release of Nonagon Infinity. They rip straight into their set with the ferocity of a dragon taking flight, and the mass of people surges forward with such force that people are literally having to choose between being crushed or being pulled out over the barricade and away from the band. It’s hard to hear which songs they announce next before the screaming fans overwhelm every other noise, nearly drowning out the band themselves. One highlight is Rattlesnake, which saw shoes and water bottles and other miscellaneous items soaring through the air to come crashing down onto the stage, somehow miraculously missing all seven members as if by God’s own will.

At first glance, Sydney band Gang Of Youths aren’t something that catches immediate attention, at least for this writer, and so seeing them perform live is actually a very new experience. Here at Laneway, that early indifference has been grabbed roughly by the roots and torn unforgivingly out of the ground, and replaced with a healthy respect for what these five men have set out and achieved in their four years as a band. At first, their stage presence is the most captivating aspect, but as we watch and listen, the lyrics are what speak the most (no pun intended). It’s an emotionally fuelled journey

through marriage, divorce, mental illness and even physical illness and, honestly, how is everyone not bawling their eyes out?

If there’s anyone suited to playing a festival to thousands of rowdy adults (most of them obviously off their faces on one substance or another by this point in the afternoon), it’s local Brissy boys Dune Rats. By the time we make our way over to their stage, they’re well under way, and the throng of people surrounding the entry into the tents prevents us from getting anywhere close, so we take

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival has pulled out all the stops this year. a seat just outside and try our best to enjoy what we can. It leaves us thinking that if you were truly to enjoy this band, you’d be best doing so at home with a bunch of mates drinking some beers, instead of surrounded by a crowd of drunk idiots trying their best to re-enact their film clip for hit single Bullshit.

Four-piece English indie-rock band Glass Animals are the next act we manage to push our way close enough to enjoy and, after the tumult of Dune Rats, their crowd is perfectly angelic.

Hell, the band themselves are perfectly angelic, with frontman Dave Bayley singing with heavenly weight. While their set was beautiful and enjoyable, after a long day and so many bands, it’s hard not to fade away, and it’s hard to fully immerse in the experience. A band like Glass Animals would, in this opinion, be properly enjoyed earlier in the

day, before the heat of the late Queensland sun had taken its toll on many unfortunate souls (such as this one).

As if in answer to unspoken prayers, we’ve wandered back over to the Spinning Top stage to rest up before Tame Impala and find ourselves sitting on the pavement a short way back from English electronica musician Floating Points. There’s a small crowd of people gathered listening intently, and it’s the perfect chance to sit back on the now-cool tiles under the stars and moon and just chill out.

We’re so tired from the day — we’re so completely mesmerised by the slow, hypnotic beats — that his entire set is over before we know it and the crowd is already mostly departed by the time we realise it’s time to head back to the main stage.

When we get there, both the main stages are completely packed out and there are hundreds of people milling about the entry to the tents, watching intently as Tame Impala performs for one of the last times before their indefinite hiatus. As we get closer, we can hear the last of hit song The Less I Know The Better, and the light rain that has settled in finds itself a playground for the sunbaked bodies dancing through it.

It’s a magical way to end the night as we find ourselves dancing as well — with ourselves, with strangers, with other friends we’ve bumped into over the day and friends we’ve made along the way. Again, we’re so absorbed in the rain and the music and ourselves that when the confetti cannons go off, it’s only as if the rain has suddenly turned to strips of ribbon, and soon we’re all covered in glitter and light. It’s at this moment that it becomes obvious: the best thing about Laneway isn’t necessarily about who plays, but the sheer experience of it all.

Carly Packer

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 33

Live Re Live Reviews

PJ Harvey The Tivoli 27 Jan

More Reviews Online theMusic.com.au/ music/live-reviews

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Riverstage SixFtHick @ The Foundry Opeth @ The Tivoli

34 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Much to the dismay of local fans, we were skipped on PJ Harvey’s last Australian tour, making it a nine-year delay since she last played here, braving a lone QPAC stage with just piano and guitar.

Tonight is the very antithesis of that performance. She returns with all her characteristic glory in stride, but this time she is the head of a mammoth tenpiece ensemble. The pay-off is huge and goes a long way to redeeming almost every pained moment of such an excruciatingly long wait.

The dry march of Chain Of Keys is a subtle opener, yet it wastes no time in demonstrating that this band means business.

For a storyteller such as Harvey, an ensemble of this size proves invaluable. The dynamism of sound and texture provided by their number and instrumental variety illustrates her narratives with a deserving depth and richness. This broadening in scope of sound runs parallel with the lyrical shift. It runs with the logic, and can be seen as reflective of her transition toward a more political and globally conscious, thematic approach.

Harvey continues on the course of last year’s The Hope Six Demolition Project, playing another three, The Ministry Of Defence, The Community Of Hope, and Orange Monkey, backto-back. She shows no sign of easing out of this political terrain as she steadies her course along its trajectory, heading straight into a block of Let England Shake material. The title track welcomes us to its gates, before Words That Maketh Murder and The Glorious Land give us a view of the dark interior. When Harvey jumps forward again with Medicinals, hope for much of a taste of that sweet-tinged nostalgia begins to fade a little.

We’re nine songs deep into the set and she hasn’t even come close to a mere flirtation with

the ‘golden’ era but, surprisingly, there’s no space that screams to be filled. Everything feels full and delivered to its greatest effect.

The command of this material becomes more evident in the live arena, and its sonic depths more realised. And the fact that Harvey stands her ground instead of resting on her past laurels is further testament to her artistry and maturity. Here stands an artist unafraid to deny us of want we want, held strong by a conviction in her own knowing of what we need.

White Chalk’s When Under Ether and The Devil are placed either side of Dollar, Dollar, creating an unholy trinity that draws us into darker depths. It’s a hell of a treat to hear the two

enter a more theatrical space and allows herself to become really immersed in these two. On the latter, she projects her voice with a fierceness and strength that is unlike any other moment in the show. It’s Polly Jean in the guise so many of us first grew to love in her in, and it hits with emphasised weight. It’s a short time in the hue of these golden lights before we a brought back to the present and reminded once again of the potency of its offerings too.

River Anacostia rounds out the set before an encore of Guilty and The Last Living Rose bring the night to a dramatic close, leaving us without a disappointing moment to ponder upon. It’s a wonder there’s no

PJ Harvey @ The Tivoli. Pic: Stephen Booth

former played through the scope of this full band, who then raise the bar even higher again with a standout rendition of The Wheel.

This sees Harvey looking more than comfortable on the sax before delivering those haunting vocal lines and carrying over both duties into The Ministry Of Social Affairs. Something wicked this way then comes as that little chucking, unmistakable openingriff announces the arrival of 50ft Queenie. It’s fierce and it’s fast but, more interestingly, it seems to be the most fun had up on stage thus far.

She stays on this welltrodden path, following its logical conclusion with career standouts Down By The Water and To Bring You My Love. Harvey seems to

nagging weak points in such a long set set, but even more startling is Harvey’s immense ability to lead the ten-piece through this endurance without ever seeming like she isn’t in complete command. It leaves us with a dynamic portrait of an artist who refuses to let her powers wane or conform to expectations; a dynamic portrait that may just have to keep us going for many moons to come — let’s just hope it’s lot less than nine years this time.

Jake Sun

Arts Reviews Arts Reviews

fight with a man who looks at him the wrong way. But life comes searching for Lee when he gets news that his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), still living in the small town of Manchester, has suffered a fatal heart attack.

Even though he must, Lee is reluctant to return to Manchester.

He’s shocked to learn that Joe has named him the legal guardian of his teenage nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges).

Patrick is equally reluctant to leave Manchester - he has all the teenage trappings, including “two girlfriends” and a terrible band, and he doesn’t want to leave them behind for Boston. So, Lee grudgingly agrees to remain in Manchester, although it becomes more and more clear that something truly terrible forced him out.

It’s not until around halfway Manchester

By The Sea that it’s revealed just what that is, and it’s depicted with such raw authenticity that everything that has happened up until that moment makes a bleak, sorrowful kind of sense.

One might expect Manchester By The Sea to follow a set path towards a satisfying resolution and the way Lonergan has strongly, sensitively written and positioned these characters, one hopes that’s where the movie will go. It doesn’t. Not quite. That’s not to say the story disappoints. But it recognises that the grief and pain felt by Lee, Patrick and everyone else touched - even tangentially - by tragedy isn’t easily quelled. Indeed, there’s a simple admission of defeat by Lee late in the film that is crushing. It’s not a melodramatic moment; it’s painful and it’s truthful.

Despite all this, Manchester By The Sea is not a downer. Well, not completely. It has so many moments of tenderness, insight and even sly humour. And its performances are so uniformly strong, so seemingly lived-in and genuine, that they give the film, a pulse, a soul.

Hedges is so great, showing glimmers of the man Patrick will become while portraying the immaturity of the boy he still is. And Affleck doesn’t make a single false move. Every word, every action - whether he’s driven by the deepest pain or rendered inarticulate by shame - is bruising and beautifully honest.

Manchester By The Sea

Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Manchester By

Lemony Snicket’s A Series

The Sea

Of Unfortunate Events

Film

★★★★ Grief is a tricky opponent. It can sucker-punch you at the most unexpected moment. It can simply hammer away at you, relentlessly, until you’re left numb.

Manchester By The Sea recognises that grief plays dirty and writer-director Kenneth Lonergan has crafted a poignant, piercing and remarkable film about what it takes to move beyond it, if one ever can.

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) lives a quiet, almost monastic life in Boston, working as a handyman in a small apartment block.

It’s clear that he’s purposely avoiding any inkling of pleasure, preferring either isolation or confrontation - he won’t talk to a woman who flirts with him at a bar, but he will pick a

Guy Davis

TV

★★½ Hype ahead of this Netflix original show was stoked to stratospheric levels by the clever marketing boffins at the streaming TV giant. Unfortunately for Netflix, when you fly so high, you have a long way to fall, and this latest addition to Netflix’s stable of original programming has failed to spark the level of enthusiasm earned by recent hits like Stranger Things. A Series Of Unfortunate Events is as handsome and well-heeled a series as we’ve come to expect from Netflix, but ultimately, this serialised incarnation of Lemony Snicket’s tale of woe is hampered by some pretty problematic ground-level flaws.

Perhaps most notably, this opening season attempts to deliver a huge amount of exposition to its viewers, while simultaneously trying to be aloof. This stuttering flow of information also seems poorly judged, as surface details eclipse deeper character development.

These are complex protagonists, with wants and needs and psychological intricacy to explore, but rather than allowing undercurrents of a more sophisticated reading to percolate through this narrative, we’re offered a twodimensional introduction to Snicket’s world.

This show also deals in short, pithy plots that must compete with a broader, series-scale narrative architecture. The effect is disorientating, as the foreground of story shifts between short-order wrap-ups and long-form references. There are some ingenious moments, for example the cadence to one of the more obscure narrative threads featuring an adventuring “Mother” and “Father”. It climaxes with a brilliant double bluff, and yet the potency of this punchline is blunted by the tangle of other plot points vying for attention.

Arguably this show’s greatest misstep is its identity crisis. It’s not sinister enough to be a black comedy and yet it’s not whimsical enough to be a fable. It’s not pointed enough to be satirical but it’s also not edgy enough to be subversive. In its attempts to tap a broad audience it has become at best middle-rank and at worst, frustratingly rudderless.

Maxim Boon

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 35

Comedy / G The Guide

Laura Mvula

Wed 08

The Ocean Party

Ash Constance + Christian Rizzalli: The Bearded Lady, West End Everyone We Know: Exhibition Tour with Thundamental DJs: The Elephant Hotel, Fortitude Valley

Triffid Acoustics with Dan Duggan: The Triffid, Newstead

The Music Presents Mother’s Cake: 10 Feb Black Bear Lodge

Thu 09 London Klezmer Quartet: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point Kodie Fuller: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads

Twelve Foot Ninja: 16 Feb Miami Tavern; 17 Feb Villa Noosa Hotel Noosaville; 18 Feb The Zoo

Suicide Country Hour + J Shogren: Junk Bar, Ashgrove

CW Stoneking & Nathaniel Rateliff: 8 Mar The Tivoli

Lagerstein: Miami Tavern (Shark Bar), Miami

Party Club

Holly Throsby: 16 Mar Black Bear Lodge

Elbury + Fettler: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley

The Jerry Cans: 22 Mar, The Northern Byron Bay; 23 Mar, SolBar; 24 Mar, Black Bear Lodge

Paul Dempsey: Solbar, Maroochydore

The biggest problem with The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl is figuring out where you’re going to spend your 11 Feb. The Ocean Party and Polish Club make a pretty good argument for The Brightside, though.

Tennyson King: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore

The Waifs: 6 Apr The Tivoli; 8 Apr Miami Marketta; 9 Apr Muro Martin Parlands

The Ditha Project: The Bearded Lady, West End

Bluesfest: 13 – 17 Apr, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm

Fresh Thursdays with DJ Brett Allen + DJ James Toddman: The Beer Garden, Surfers Paradise

Laura Mvula: 15 Apr The Triffid Jeff Lang: 5 May Imperial Hotel Eumundi

Arrested Development Trivia: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Down The Kings + Therapist + For The Wolves + Deja Vudu: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley

Dear Sol + Mammoth + Wine For Minors: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Trainspotters feat. Morgan Bain: Woolly Mammoth (Front Bar), Fortitude Valley

Fri 10 Mother’s Cake + AlithiA + Kodiak Empire + Crow Do Not Loiter Here: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Peter Walters Trio: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Loaded + Jack T Wotton + Greenwave Beth + Cloud Tangle: The Foundry, Fortitude Valley Emily Dawn + Wolf + Willow: The Loft, Surfers Paradise Nathan Newcastle: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane Thrash, Blast & Grind Festival feat. King Parrot + Psycroptic + Revocation + Whoretopsy + Black Rheno: The Triffid, Newstead

DJ Troy T: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads Choirboys: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley

PLTS

While She Sleeps: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Underoath Performing ‘Define The Great Line” & “They’re Only Chasing Safety’ in full: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Timmy Trumpet

Blow Your Own Get your horns out on 10 Feb, because Timmy Trumpet is returning to Eatons Hill Hotel for another big fat electronic dance party. Joining him this time around are Benibee, Jakey J, Hynzey and Migs.

Wren Klauf + The Keepaways + Blaire: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Ian Moss: Hamilton Hotel, Hamilton Vaudeville Smash + Scott Dalton: Miami Marketta, Miami Paul Dempsey + Tia Gostelow + Jess Locke: Night Quarter, Helensvale Ludovico Einaudi : Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), South Brisbane John Malcolm: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna Chocolate Strings: Solbar, Maroochydore

Incoming Call They‘ve just wrapped the leg of their tour supporting Amity Affliction and now they’re out on their own to launch latest single Call Me Out. Head to The Foundry on 9 Feb to catch PLTS.

The Perries: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore PLTS + Yellowcatredcat: The Foundry, Fortitude Valley Jabberwocky Down + Pending: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane Trekker Sessions with The Predators + Danny Widdicombe + The Good Ol’ Boys: The Triffid, Newstead

36 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

The Wrong Man + Girlsuck + Piss Pain + Bin Licker: The Bearded Lady, West End The Lachy Doley Group + The Dagwood Dogs: The Boundary Hotel, West End James Southwell Band: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley

Superheist + Rival Fire + Holistic + New Clear Vision: Villa Noosa Hotel (The V Room), Noosaville Faleepo Francisco + Belrose + Port Royal: Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley

Gigs / Live The Guide

HITS

Hit Machines Classic Brisbane rock outfit HITS have a heap of new music to share and they have decided to do it with a hometown gig at Stones Corner Hotel on 10 Feb. Joining them are The Stress Of Leisure and Spook Hill.

Sat 11 Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feat.

I Know Leopard + Clea + Stevie + Angharad Drake + San Mei: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Galapagos Duck: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point DJ Jasti + Nato: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads Staying Out of Treble feat. Fun With Explosives + Eat City + Drop Ins + Seas of Valoria + more: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley The Menzingers: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley

Frock Off! feat. The Loveless Union + Big Iron + The Songs of Tom Smith + Evan Clarry + Guy Mansfield: The Bearded Lady, West End

Sun 12

Wed 15

Brisbane Big Band: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Sabrina Lawrie: The Bearded Lady, West End

The Francis Wolves + Soul Mechanics + Master Wolf: The Boundary Hotel, West End

Barry Charles: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads

Afternoon Show with Sofles: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feat.

Polish Club + The Ocean Party + Luke Daniel Peacock + Evan Klar + Miss Blanks: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley

Jagwar Ma + Jack River + The Babe Rainbow: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta

Triffid Acoustics with Tennyson King: The Triffid, Newstead

The Double Happiness + Billie Star: Junk Bar, Ashgrove

Wil Wagner + Laura Stevenson + Ian Graham + Iona Cairns: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feat.

WAAX + Gill Bates + Dreamtime + Future Haunts + Sweater Curse: The Foundry, Fortitude Valley

Mark D’s Big 3: Morrison Hotel, Woolloongabba

Dave Seaman: The Met, Fortitude Valley Tia Gostelow + Shag Rock: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane Valentine’s Night Out with Queensland Pops Orchestra + Adam Lopez: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley Lagerfest feat. Lagerstein + Superheist + Darkc3ll + The Stiffys + Darker Half + Keggin + Valhalore + The Wrath: The Triffid, Newstead Songs You Know & Love with Will Anderson: The Triffid (Beer Garden), Newstead Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feat.

Butterfingers + Mallrat + These New South Whales + Average Art Club + Whalehouse: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Ian Moss: Villa Noosa Hotel, Noosaville JSTJR: Wharf Tavern (The Helm), Mooloolaba

Waax

Faleepo Francisco

Take A Leep Local three-piece Faleepo Francisco have been causing a bit of a stir lately. If you want to know what the buzz is about they’re playing Woolly Mammoth on 10 Feb with support from Belrose and Port Royal.

Hanny J + Steve Reed: Crowbar (Crowbar Black), Fortitude Valley Broken Leg + Toxic Bears + Goatzilla + Punktilious: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane

Thu 16

Devils Kiosk + Nige: Miami Marketta, Miami

The Delta Crows + Andrew Kennedy + Paul Bonetti: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley

Adam Brand + Matt Cornell + Gemma Kirby: Night Quarter, Helensvale

A Day On The Green feat. Simple Minds + The B-52s: Sirromet Winery, Mount Cotton

Kayleigh Pincott Quartet: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

Mason Rack Band: Palmwoods Hotel, Palmwoods

No Taax

Jason Daniels + Jesse Taylor: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore

Skyscraper Stan: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads

Sammy J: Parkwood Tavern, Parkwood

The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl is taking over Brisbane this 11 Feb with some action at The Foundry. Heading up the venue’s portion of the free event are Waax, Gill Bates, Dreamtime and more.

Kendall Layt + Merino: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane

Deluso: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley

Ludovico Einaudi : Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) (Concert Hall), South Brisbane DJ Lincoln: Racehorse Hotel, Booval Cheap Fakes + Tim Brennan: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna Jagwar Ma + Jack River + The Babe Rainbow: Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point A Day On The Green with James Taylor: Sirromet Winery, Mount Cotton Not To Regret + Fight Ibis + Ill Eagles: Solbar, Maroochydore Phil & Tilley: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore

Superheist: The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Americana Sessions with Brad Butcher: The Triffid, Newstead

Mon 13 Human Nature: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank

Mountain Goat Valley Crawl feat. Moses Gunn Collective + Alice Ivy + Pearls + Max Chillen & The Kerbside Collective + Top Dollar: Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley

Tue 14 Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

Human Nature: Jupiters, Broadbeach Twelve Foot Ninja + Osaka Punch + Humality: Miami Tavern (Shark Bar), Miami Zac Gunthorpe: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore Chakra Efendi: The Bearded Lady, West End Fresh Thursdays with DJ Brett Allen + DJ James Toddman: The Beer Garden, Surfers Paradise Winterbourne: The Bison Bar, Nambour Westworld Trivia: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Noralyn + Ballantyne: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane

Paul Dempsey: Tanks Arts Centre, Edge Hill

THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 37

Comedy / G The Guide

Neurosis + Dispossessed: The Triffid, Newstead

Americana Sessions with Jordie Lane + Jen Mize: The Triffid, Newstead

The Stiffys

Atticus Chimps + Dave Is A Spy + Deja Vudu: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Tue 21

Lady Leshurr: Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley

Ben Walsh Remix Experiment + Dave Dog: The Boundary Hotel, West End

Fri 17 Jordie Lane

Winterbourne: 38 Berwick Street, Fortitude Valley David Otto: Amped, Fortitude Valley History of the Blues with Andrew Baxter: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point DJ Troy T: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads Brooklyn + Benibee + Jakey J + Various DJs: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill The Bowls Club + Leanne Tennant + Ben Ely: Junk Bar, Ashgrove

Stiff Drink

Fractures: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Harrison Craig: The Events Centre (Playhouse), Caloundra

Dro Carey

Carey A Tune The Northern are hosting Love Dance, headed up by Dro Carey, this 11 Feb. The Sydney-based electronic producer will be joined by The Posse, Dreems, DJ Oi, Rifraf, Dad Bod, Webber and more.

B Witched + Atomic Kitten + S Club 3 + East 17 + Liberty X: Jupiters, Broadbeach Kellie Knight & The Daze: Miami Marketta, Miami Lifeboat + Fox Ache + The Rocket Sox + Ornifex: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Casey Barnes + Harry J Hart + Innocent Eve: Night Quarter, Helensvale Massive Fergusons: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna The Pigs: Solbar, Maroochydore KJ + Rhyece O’Neill: The Bearded Lady (Front Bar), West End Fugitive & the Vagabond + Soupy LaRue + The Bone Merchants: The Bearded Lady, West End The Good Foot Funk & Soul Revue with Kerbside Collection: The Boundary Hotel, West End

38 • THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017

Fast Lane

Largerfest is back for round four with a huge line-up of piss-sinking legends at The Triffid on 11 Feb. The Stiffys, Keggin, Darker Half, Valhalore and more will join Largerstein for the day-long party.

Skyscraper Steve + Dillion James + Hemi King: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna Hayden Hack Trio: Solbar, Maroochydore

Anklepants + Rebel Yell: The Foundry, Fortitude Valley

Dan Horne: Solbar (Lounge Bar), Maroochydore

Eliza & The Delusionals + Electric Zebra: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane

Greshka + Cigany Weaver: The Boundary Hotel, West End

Bearfoot + Hemingway + Highlife: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Twelve Foot Ninja + Osaka Punch + Humality: Villa Noosa Hotel, Noosaville Miss Ink 2017 - The Finale: Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley

The Break Up Party with Granola Boy: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley We Lost The Sea + Deafcult: The Foundry, Fortitude Valley Yellowcard + Like Torches: The Triffid, Newstead

Sat 18

Songs You Know & Love with Betty Smokes & the Forgetaboudits: The Triffid (Beer Garden), Newstead

The Pigs: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley

Twelve Foot Ninja + Osaka Punch + Humality: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Robyn Brown Quintet: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Sun 19

Massroom: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads Dirty Rotten Imbeciles: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley B Witched + Atomic Kitten + S Club 3 + East 17 + Liberty X: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill

Ingrid James + Louise Denson: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point Shag Rock + Che Burns: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Heads Skyscraper Stan + Kev Walsh + Marcus Blacke: Junk Bar, Ashgrove

Stephen Cummings + Shane O’Mara: Junk Bar, Ashgrove

Kim Churchill: Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach

Alvin & Jahbutu + Sean Fitzgerald: Miami Marketta, Miami

Tiger Army + Fireballs + Pat Capocci: Max Watt’s, West End

Lunar Seasons: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley

Mark D’s Big 3: Morrison Hotel, Woolloongabba

Winterbourne + The Floating Bridges: Night Quarter, Helensvale

Sunday Sessions with Jethro: Prince of Wales Hotel, Nundah

DJ Lincoln: Racehorse Hotel, Booval

Casey Turner + Mufasa: Solbar, Maroochydore

Pearl - The Janis Joplin Show: Redlands Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

Dan Duggan: The Milk Factory Kitchen & Bar, South Brisbane

Jordie Lane only wrapped his massive national album tour in November, but he isn’t taking a breather. You can see him and Jen Miz at The Triffid this 19 Feb for The Americana Sessions.

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THE MUSIC • 8TH FEBRUARY 2017 • 39

24 - 26 Feb 2017 Surfing

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