17.08.16 Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Issue
152
Melbourne / Free / Incorporating
TOUR
DRAPHT
TOUR
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS
THEATRE
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 3
30
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The Southern Stars - The Australian Independent Country Music Awards to be held on Saturday October 1st at 6.00pm Go to our Website: www.milduracountrymusic.com.au For program purchase, accommodation enquiries and general details
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4 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 5
Music / Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
B-Simple
Scottish heavyweights Simple Minds and US new wave outfit The B-52s have announced they’ll be heading to our country next February for a joint headline tour and a series of Day On The Green winery shows.
The B-52s
Hey Missy Acclaimed Aussie songwriter Missy Higgins will be hitting the road this November and December for some exclusive headline shows, which will see the artist’s live band team up with some of the country’s leading symphony orchestras.
Missy Higgins
3 The track position of Courtney Barnett’s Elevator Operator on President Obama’s 19 song Summer Playlist – Songs For The Daytime.
6 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Harts
Hart Burn Lauded Aussie guitarist/ singer-songwriter Harts has unveiled a string of national tour dates that will run through September and October in support of his soon-to-be-released second studio full-length, Smoke Fire Hope Desire.
Arts / Li Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Credits
Publisher Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
Ridealong
Passenger
Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast
Having toured Australia at least three years running, it’s a surprise Passenger hasn’t moved here. This time is different, though — the English singer-songwriter is bringing a full live band Down Under for his headline tour next January.
National Editor – Magazines Mark Neilsen Editor Bryget Chrisfield
Gig Guide Justine Lynch gigs@themusic.com.au Editorial Assistants Brynn Davies, Sam Wall Senior Contributor Jeff Jenkins
Contributors Bradley Armstrong, Annelise Ball, Paul Barbieri, Sophie Blackhall-Cain, Emma Breheny, Sean Capel, Luke Carter, Anthony Carew, Uppy Chatterjee, Daniel Cribb, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Dave Drayton, Guido Farnell, Tim Finney, Bob Baker Fish, Cameron Grace, Neil Griffiths, Kate Kingsmill, Tim Kroenert, Pete Laurie, Chris Maric, Fred Negro, Danielle O’Donohue, Obliveus, Paz, Sarah Petchell, Michael Prebeg, Paul Ransom, Dylan Stewart Senior Photographer Kane Hibberd
Mirror, Mirror
Photographers Andrew Briscoe, Cole Bennetts, Jay Hynes, Lucinda Goodwin
Hip hop frontrunner Drapht has announced a significant run of headline shows in honour of his imminent new full-length, Seven Mirrors, hitting the road in October. Drapht is also performing several shows at the end of the month.
Advertising Dept Leigh Treweek, Zoë Ryan, Brad Summers, Antony Attridge, Braden Draper sales@themusic.com.au
Drapht
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Vice Principals
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Vices This Monday the first season of the new show from Eastbound & Down creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill, Vice Principals, will premier on The Comedy Channel, exclusive to Foxtel.
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— Melbourne
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 7
Music / Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
The Ocean Party
Rest Less, Party More
The Ocean Party have announced the release of their sixth full-length album Restless. True to the name the band will take their wandering feet on a massive 24-date national tour from September through November.
Katy Steele
Raise You Glassellls Beloved Aussie songwriter Jordie Lane is back on the scene with his first fulllength studio LP in five years, Glassellland. To celebrate the release Lane has detailed a 14-date national tour in October and November.
The Mirth Dearth Perth artist Katy Steele has dropped new single Where’s The Laughter, the first taste from her forthcoming debut solo album Human, and, to celebrate, the singer has announced a string of headline shows around the country next month. Superheist
Ox’s Eleven The excitement is palpable for the return of Superheist who have announced Ezekial Ox as their brand new frontman, along with word of and new album in October and a national tour in November.
8 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Arts / Li Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
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The Graduate Following the release of her acclaimed B-Grade University EP last month, Melbourne artist Alex Lahey has announced a string of shows starting in September, in what will mark her debut national headline tour.
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 9
Lifestyle Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Waax On
Maximum Flair
Twelve months on from their debut EP Holy Sick, Waax have revealed This Everything, the first single from their imminent follow-up EP. The track also comes with a tour announcement, with Waax hitting the road in September.
For the inaugural art event FLAIR, Flinders Lane art galleries will host a series of events and exhibitions including A City Unpolarised by Steve Greenaway and The Coloured Girls by Lisa Minogue, takes place Thursday through Sunday.
Waax
The Rope & The Rit
14
Circa’s new work Il Ritorno fuses strippedback acrobatics with baroque opera in a groundbreaking retelling of Claudio Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria. You can see it at Art Centre Melbourne from Wednesday to Saturday.
The amount of years The Maccabees, who recently announced their intentions to part ways, were a band.
King Of The Hill
Buoy
NYE On The Hill have provided yet another fantastic option to consider when ringing in 2017 this New Year’s after enlisting a mammoth set of local heroes including but not limited to The Preatures, Tash Sultana, The Bennies.
NYE On The Hill
10 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
e / Cultu Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
BAR
WED 17TH AUGUST
FLAIR
Il Ritorno
OPEN MIC
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Crafty
Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got! THURS 18TH AUGUST
Craft & Design As A Career. Pic: Kate Rohde
Innovative thinkers and speakers like Amanda Dziedzic will be coming out of the woodwork on Monday for the Craft & Design As A Career seminar, an immersive day of professional development at Federation Square.
HAPPY HOUR WITH KAT O 6 till 7 then .... STEVE PERRY’S BIGHOUSE FRI 19TH AUGUST
ACE OF SPADES KATANA CARTEL STRANGERS IN TOWN SAT 20TH AUGUST
Peaches
GAYLE CAVANAGH & THE MIXED COMPANY BAND SUN 21ST AUGUST
Favourite Aunt
Oh Buoy Sydney-based Buoy’s new release Break comes out this Friday. To coincide with this EP release, the innovative electronic artist has announced her first national headline tour, a threedate run in September.
Aunty Meredith turns 26 this year, revelaing their 2016 line-up: a 28-band extravaganza (so far) that’s led by drummer/funk musician Sheila E plus Canadian electropunk pioneer Peaches.
ELECTRONIC MUSICIANS SHOWCASE Presented by Zen Robotic
AFTER WORK HAPPY HOUR FROM 5PM
$5 DRINKS WED, THURS & FRI 160 HODDLE ST ABBOTSFORD
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 11
A
Music
Banana
Surprise Genre-mashing prog-hard rockers Twelve Foot Ninja may just hand you a banana when you’re expecting a sausage. Guitarist Steve “Stevic” MacKay and Brendan Crabb look to the mother sky. Cover and feature pics by Kane Hibberd.
12 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
key component of eclectic Melbourne heavy rockers Twelve Foot Ninja’s success has been endorsement by high profile industry figures. However, those who have actively championed the band including progressive metallers Periphery, Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares, Sevendust’s Morgan Rose and Sirius XM DJ Jose Mangin - have seemingly often done so due to genuine fandom of both their music and unique sense of humour rather than being motivated by vested interest. This enhanced exposure has led to touring opportunities both here and abroad and meant their growth has largely felt organic, rather than the result of a calculated rock-radio campaign, for instance. “It has an amazing effect when someone, I guess you could call those people trend-setters to a certain degree because they’ve reached critical mass,” guitarist Steve “Stevic” MacKay enthuses. “They already have established audiences, and when they say they like something, it’s powerful, people listen... That’s what I’m always telling students (he teaches at the Australian College of the Arts) of marketing and advertising. It doesn’t work any more, people are immune, and you’re competing for people’s attention, and those people don’t care. “It comes down to creating good content, and you can’t pull the wool over people’s eyes with polishing turds any more. People try, but often the truth comes out. The most powerful thing is a peer recommendation, and that peer could just be some person on Facebook, or someone who promotes something that’s not getting something out of it. That’s when you listen to that stuff. I know I definitely check out films and things that I see people talking about, because it’s an unbiased review, just catching it in the moment.” Second album Outlier is again being issued by small Sydney-based label Volkanik Music. Thus, there weren’t outside forces compelling them to expedite the follow-up to 2012 debut full-length Silent Machine. “It was probably too long between drinks, but we honestly just wrote so many songs and had to whittle it down to the bunch that we had and could really get behind,” the axeman says of their new record. “I suppose it’s a bit of a curse when you’re trying to do some experimental stuff and try different combinations, it doesn’t always work. It reminds me of a bunch of scenes in sci-fi movies, it might have been Alien where you see all the aliens that didn’t make it, and they’re in glass tanks, they’re like the deformed versions of the final article,” he laughs. “We’ve got a bloody stadium full of those deformed foetus things in jars that just didn’t get finished. And they won’t, because
they hit a point where we just went, ‘nah, this thing sucks, let’s move on’.” Although recipients of a few international magazine and radio accolades, Twelve Foot Ninja are the antithesis of pre-packaged major label rock fare. Look away, those who prefer their music easily compartmentalised. “It might be generated from a heavy riff, or it might actually be an acoustic song that we then produce in a way that becomes heavy,” MacKay adds of the songwriting process. “That’s what we did with a lot of the stuff from Outlier; we call it the acoustic guitar test. Every song can be translated to acoustic guitar and one voice and hold up. That’s what we wanted, because we’ve sort of learnt that it can, a lot of progressive metal can lose its way a bit harmonically, it sort of becomes like percussion. If you played it on acoustic it would be just boring, because it’s really about the rhythm. So I suppose that was one of the parameters that we set, ‘is this a good song if you zoomed out and just played it on an acoustic?’ “All the other stuff, it’s more just tipping the hat to things we like to hear, we just sort of play what we want. Often it’s like, ‘that would be cool if that went there’. I know I often have this urge to make something samba or go to reggae when it’s meant to be serious metal. It’s fun to flip it on its head. That’s heavily inspired by bands like Mr Bungle, King Crimson, Frank Zappa and John Zorn and all those dudes that have been doing that for decades.” The Music recounts the story of witnessing Twelve Foot Ninja open for Fear Factory in 2013. “Are these guys playing reggae or something?” one clearly confused punter quizzed his evidently unimpressed friend. “I love that reaction,” MacKay responds. “It’s polarising; some people like it, some people hate it. The analogy I think of is, if I said, ‘I’m going to give you a sausage’, and I actually handed you a banana instead. And if you ate the banana, you’d either spit it out going, ‘this is the shittest sausage I’ve ever had’, or you’d go, ‘I think I like this. It’s different to what I wanted, but it’s okay’. That’s sort of how a lot of the full-on metal dudes... If it’s called metal, that’s like saying it’s a sausage. If you give them anything but a sausage they sometimes spit it out and say, ‘that’s fucking stupid’. Or they go, ‘actually, it’s cool. It’s different’,” he laughs, before apologising for the analogy.
The
Clan
Twelve Foot Ninja’s symbiotic relationship with their following is tangible; they previously broke crowdfunding records by collecting $52,600 to create a video for Ain’t That A Bitch. There’s an element of truth there, though - metal can be a rather insular and segregated world. MacKay says he’s grateful the metallic community has embraced them overall, but doesn’t wish to be pigeon-holed. “A lot of it’s meant to be very aggressive, so the reggae or some of the more soulful stuff can feel... Not necessarily like that. It’s a different vibe altogether. But that’s why I love heaps of different styles of music. Going to a Fat Freddy’s Drop gig, I’m having the best time. But then I love listening to Meshuggah, or hearing what Periphery are doing these days. “It’s just good to appreciate a range of things, and that’s ultimately who we’re appealing to, is people with a bit of an open mind. I guess that’s what we appreciate the most is when people say, ‘that reminds of this and that’, and the things they’ve described are so opposite to each other. That’s rewarding, it’s like we’re achieving our objective. I went through Silent Machine, because I’m weird, and went, ‘how much of this is heavy?’ And it was 60%. The other 40% was something completely different.” They’ll have a first-hand opportunity to reach the metal and non-metal masses soon enough. Outlier’s release will be followed by headline Australian shows, before they disappear to the US for major festivals in September and October, then return Down Under to open for US heavyweights Disturbed in enormodomes. MacKay suggests they will approach the latter akin to playing in Mangin’s basement. “It’s the same sort of thing, just a bit more room for Damon (McKinnon, bass) to do his little twirls,” he chuckles. “We’re just going to go out and try and destroy it like it’s our last show ever... It’s an opportunity for us to get in front of a different audience. Of course they’ll be people who are one-eyed Disturbed fans, and anything that’s not Disturbed is just not what they want. It’s also a band’s job to try and win over those people.”
You can’t pull the wool over people’s eyes with polishing turds any more. People try, but often the truth comes out.
What: Outlier (Indepedent) When & Where: 26 Aug, Corner Hotel
They went to the proverbial well again for Outlier, enabling fans to pre-order the album in various formats via PledgeMusic. It’s proven mutually beneficial. “It’s about creating value for people who would be interested in following the journey,” MacKay explains. “There’s been 30 video and content updates... So if you pre-ordered the album up-front, the win-win is that helps us cover our costs in the interim. The bonus for the person is they pay the same price for an album, get it signed, and get to watch us being dickheads for eight months. “That’s why we called the album Outlier, because in a consumer-driven market at the moment with the way Spotify works and that sort of thing, to buy a CD off a band, you are an outlier, you’re actually becoming a bit of a rare species. Music is still important, and I obviously have a lot of opinions about that because I know the trendy industry commentary is to consider music as a marketing expense and it’s about driving people to tours and merch from that point. “But to me, you’re going to lose a lot of artists who do spend three years working on an album. They’ll start going, ‘why the fuck are we doing this?’ Which is a shame. So the album’s dedicated to the people who get behind us and we’re building quite a ‘Ninja clan’, as I call it. And that’s all you need.” THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 13
Music
The Worst Break Ever Paul Reid has decided to be Drapht again. He tells Brynn Davies about being a creepy boss, waging war on Zomato and getting email addresses off a band in Byron to prevent hard feelings.
F
or anyone who has ever worked in hospitality, the idea of ditching a music career to take a ‘break’ by opening a restaurant would seem utterly insane. Paul Reid - who you’ll know as Drapht - found that out the hard way. “Oh my god, I don’t know what I was doing for that period of time in my life,” he laughs. “It sort of reaffirmed why I started music in the first place. I was writing constantly when I had the restaurant, writing just because I love writing music, just to get shit off my chest.” He regales The Music with tales from the kitchen, managing his cafe Solomon’s and laying down tracks simultaneously. “I would literally just be like the homeless guy mumbling with my headphones in, just
I would literally just be like the homeless guy mumbling with my headphones in, just writing on my phone. My staff would have thought I was fucking mad.
writing on my phone. My staff would have thought I was fucking mad. And I would always ask my staff ‘do you remember this pop reference?’ just to see if it was still relevant. And they’d be like ‘na’ and I’d be like ‘fuck, scrap that line.’” If running a budding hospitality business wasn’t stressful enough, he had gripes with the industry itself. “It’s so gruelling, [the] lack of appreciation. And there’s Zomato [the new Urbanspoon] that’s just a fucking waste of everyone’s time and hell on earth and shreds apart organically grown local business, but also family run business. People lose everything, and I’m so fortunate that I had an opportunity to sell when I did and not lose 14 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
a thing... But I’ve had friends within that industry that just get taken down by a bad day, and the review system and people not forming a community and just ripping to shreds an establishment without knowing details behind it. It’s a shitty, shitty industry,” he vents. This frustration ended up on Seven Mirrors in the form of Scumday (Skit), a 1:39 minute track featuring Briggs as a snobbish, troublesome reviewer. “Briggs and I just tried to amalgamate that whole idea around the Australian mentality within hospitality... The beauty with Briggs is that he can switch on wanker mode at the drop of a coin, you know? He’s really good at that if he needs to be,” Reid laughs. The ill-fated time-off allowed Reid to find his creative passion once more after quitting music off the back of his fourth record Life Of Riley. In fact, there was so much to write about that he ended up with 13 leftover songs. “I had an album previously ready to go, and I released [Dancin’] John Doe [in 2015] which was on the album. And then I was like, ‘this is not ready. I’m totally not ready,’” he explains. After acknowledging the seriousness of his demo-itis, he reached out to producer Styalz Fuego “to give me a bit of clarity... that wasn’t that constant debilitating inner dialogue that I put myself through with every record process... Like a bunch of those songs, nearly 80% of that record we wrote in a six-month period. I probably used maybe, shit, four of the songs off the original album,” he realises. Seven Mirrors “is a loosely based conceptual record that revolves around the relationships within your life... the Seven Essene Mirrors.” “Say with Rapunzel, I sorta got consent from my ex-girlfriend to release that song... [When she] realised it may not have been the most positive song, she sorta went back on it and just thought ‘holy shit, everyone knows that’s me, and you’ve ruined my life.’ It’s pretty awkward and I do feel terrible at times, but I don’t know where to draw the line. I release a lot about my personal life with my music because I believe that people relate to honesty more than anything else, and if I’m vulnerable on an album then people can understand who I am as a per person, not just an artist.” Concerning the record’s multiple collaborations, his favo favourite story is about discovering new talent 19-yearold Bradley Stone. “I was walking down the street in Byr Byron Bay in the middle of Groovin The Moo and I hear this kid’s voice. I was going for a drink with a friend of min mine and I just ignored it... Half way through I couldn’t sto stop thinking about this voice and Monsoon in particular. So I raced over and he was packing up, so I said ‘hey man, can I just grab an email off you?’. He didn’t know who I was or what I did, he had no idea and I didn’t tell him. And then he whispered in my ear ‘hey man, can you ask for my band’s email as well? So I had to ask for all these kids’ emails just like a fuckin’ pedo,” he laughs.
What: Seven Mirrors (The Ayems/Sony) When & Where: 14 Oct, 170 Russell
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Music
Sleep When You’re Dead Dead Letter Circus are donating some money from ticket sales, during their upcoming tour, to Sea Shepherd, which is something frontman Kim Benzie tells Carley Hall his band have always wanted to do.
W
hen Kim Benzie answers the phone, one can almost hear a slight sense of relief. Stepping out of the studio amid writing for a fourth Dead Letter Circus album, this interview has given the frontman a much-needed break. “I hadn’t looked at the time for a couple of hours. I needed to get out of the room,” he laughs. After a busy start to the year touring the US, and gearing up for their impending 11-date The Burning Number tour around the country, it hardly seems like the most ideal time for penning an album. But that’s how the five-piece have always worked their magic.
I think it’s because of the lack of Big Day Out and Soundwave. It feels like alternative rock is actually more alternative at the moment.
“Because we’ve been writing a new album, we kind of haven’t been in the headspace of all our songs and it’s always a bit of a shock for the first couple of days, so we dived back in,” Benzie says. “But I’m liking it. I always have a moment where I’m like, ‘Far out, we wrote a really good song!’ “This is the downtime — the writing process. It’s my favourite part. I’d say the writing is quite relaxing; hitting the studio is where the stress kind of picks up a little bit more, because you’ve got deadlines and you’re burning money every hour basically. This time right now is pretty much the most chilled thing about being in a band.” What Benzie considers the band’s downtime is something they should enjoy for now, because the Brisbane lads’ touring schedule is a wild beast, which will 16 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
rear its head again with a run of dates across Europe in October. Not that playing a veritable marathon of shows is anything new for them. Rising from the ashes of lauded Brisbane alternative bands Ochre and Melodyssey in 2008, DLC have become a well-oiled machine and figurehead for the genre, sharing stages with alt/prog-rock brethren Karnivool, Cog and The Butterfly Effect in the early 2000s and beyond. Despite the recent limelight for younger guns like sleepmakeswaves, Twelve Foot Ninja and Hands Like Houses, Benzie interestingly argues that alternative music has returned to being just that: alternative. “I feel like maybe the scene was bigger back then because there was more alternative music at touring festivals,” he admits. “I feel like because of the electronic music dominance in Australia right now, that’s what’s more [in demand] at festivals. It feels like it’s a little bit more underground at the moment, like, the size of the stages that we were going on back then were bigger; I think it’s because of the lack of Big Day Out and Soundwave. It feels like alternative rock is actually more alternative at the moment.” Fans will undoubtedly be happy to catch the band on any stage — festival or not. But Dead Letter Circus’ The Burning Numbers tour isn’t just your average moneyspinner run of shows. The five members have put their names and money behind Sea Shepherd, with $1 from every ticket sold going towards helping the crews fight whaling boats and other marine causes. For Benzie, the mission is a personal one, but it’s one shared by the band as a whole. “When our new manager took us on we said one thing we’ve always wanted to do is to incorporate our shows with some kind of cause,” he explains. “And he had a connection with the guys at Sea Shepherd Australia. It was just such a perfect, easy fit; we wanted to search out a charity where all the money wasn’t going towards setting up an office somewhere. “It’s such an amazing organisation — they don’t care about red tape, about what bureaucracy says: they just do what needs to be done. It’s It s so inspirational from an outside point of view. I’ve already supported it personally, but to be able to do this — even for someone who’s never heard of them before that jumps on the website to see what Sea Shepherd does — for us would be incredible.” With high hopes for what the tour will yield, Benzie has work to do in the meantime. Returning to the studio to keep chipping away at the shape of this new album, the inevitable questions arise before he has a chance to dash off: can you give us a taste of it? “I really can’t!” he laughs. “We never really plan the direction or anything, we just let it kind of fall out. That’s what we’re doing now and it’s pretty much a bit of everything; from stuff that we’ve been doing from right back at the start, there’s a progression but a hint of the past as well. “But it’ll be [out] next year. We’re a pretty good pressure-cooker band, we’ve set goals for the studio for the start of 2017 to have, like, a mid-year release.”
When & Where: 19 Aug, 170 Russell
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 17
Music
Frontlash
Band-To-Band Beef
Erupting ‘Sup! Sheila E is on the Meredith bill! As if she won’t do a Prince tribute!?
No Face Palming How’s that Face The Music line-up of speakers? Zan Rowe, The Needle Drop, Andrew Jervis from Bandcamp and Robert Freakin Forster. Swoon.
Craptacular Exhibit Alert
Lashes
Our Insta obsession Shitgardens is turning into an exhibition at North Melbourne’s Lulu Cafe on 3 Sep at 7pm.
Pic: @shitgardens
Backlash Game Plan
At first we liked watching the Olympics, but then we realised there’s no Home And Away for the duration! Make it stop!
Eat It
Restaurants that have a one-and-a-halfhour turnaround, don’t pre-warn you at the time of booking and then approach the table while you’re still chewing to tell you you’ve gotta leave within a 15minute window.
Vale Kenny Baker RIP Kenny Baker (aka the actor who played R2-D2).
18 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Brynn Davies plays the devil’s advocate between Ben Reed of Skegss and Billy Fleming of Hockey Dad. Let the games begin.
D
uring BIGSOUND 2015 Byron boys Skegss decided to “start a beef” with another band during an interview. Toby Cregan looked down the barrel of the camera, stuck up the finger and said, “Fuck you, Hockey Dad”. Billy Fleming of said spurned band (who toured with Skegss last year) decided it was high time to get their own back and, unbeknownst to Skegss’ singer Benny Reed, wrote The Music a series of questions for our interview. “Whaddaya wanna talk about?” a slightly groggy Ben Reed (from Skegss) asks. The situation is explained. “Alright, sweet,” he laughs. First question from Fleming: “How was our mattress we leant ya in Moruya?” “Umm, it was put to good use, and it was comfortable. Like, for sleeping on,” he evades. Next up: Does being a chippy make you heaps more sick at guitar? “I dunno why he thinks I’m a chippy. I probably told him I did some labouring once or something,” Reed laughs. Well, Fleming isn’t getting a job as an interviewer any time soon! “He hasn’t been a very good listener,” Reed agrees. He’s stumped by the next question, which asks him to title a song about Hockey Dad. “I dunno, the list is kinda endless, they’re such characters. Probably just like, Phlegm. Cuz Billy’s last name’s Fleming. I’d write it about Billy’s phlegm he gets when he
gets the flu.” Maybe we’ll circle back around to that one later. There’s the classic ‘shag one, marry one, kill one’ — “I’ll kill Pauline Hanson, straight up. Who’s the other two?” Paul Hogan and Pauly Shore’s fates are left to decide. “I’d probably marry Paul Hogan because then we’d be cutting around like, surviving. And I’d fuck the funny dude. Why wasn’t there two girls in that?!” Fleming’s eloquent phrasing “What was the rudest feed you copped in the States?” baffles Reed. “The rudest, what? Billy’s coming up with his own slang these days,” he berates. “Um, the rudest feed, I still don’t understand what he means. We kept having sketchy hotdogs in New York. As soon as you’d see [a hot dog stand] the rule is you just go have one, and we’d all have to do it every time... If you go down, it’s with your buddies.” Then something changes Reed’s mind about the Hockey Dad song. “[Your] new EP is bullshit good...” a question starts. “Oh what? He’s a good dude. I’m over the beef, I’ll write a really nice song about him.” This question is actually music related. Reed’s favourite song on their EP Everyone Is Good At Something is Slayer: “It’s about eating cakes.” Also FYI, they’re “literal and metaphorical... space cakes”. There’s a question that prompts a rough retelling of the time Toby got arrested at Splendour In The Grass: “I think he just like, did a wee somewhere. He got crash tackled and stuff,” With the ball in Skegss’ court at last, Reed agrees to pen a “rap battle”-style song about Hockey Dad. Over to you, Fleming.
What: Everyone Is Good At Something [Ratbag Records] When & Where: 20 Aug, Wrangler Studios; 20 Aug, Northcote Social Club
WED 17 AUG
THE BICKIES
XYLO ARIA, KALI RHYTHM 8.00PM
THU 18 AUG
CRYPTIC ABYSS
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FRI 19 AUG
MOSEY JOKERS MASTER_BETA SWAMP MOTH ARCHWAY 9.00PM
SAT 20 AUG
THE ATTICS SINGLE LAUNCH DIET, SPLENDID DOONA WAVES 8.00PM
THE FOUR SCOOPS 5.00 - 7.00PM
SUN 21 AUG
VERGE COLLECTION
SELF TALK, RHYSTICS 7.30PM
MON 22 AUG
SCREEN SECT FILM CLUB 7.00PM
TUE 23 AUG
MAKE IT UP CLUB 8.00PM 317 BRUNSWICK STREET FITZROY PH: 03 9415 9601 BAROPEN.COM.AU BOOKINGS: BOBB@BAROPEN.COM.AU
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 19
Music
Perpetual Nostalgia THE BIGSOUND BUZZ STARTS HERE Sampa The Great
It’s week two of our round-up of must-see acts playing at this year’s annual BIGSOUND showcase in Brisbane (7- 9 Sep).
Sampa The Great If you don’t know this name yet then you really have no idea. But if you know the name and haven’t caught her live, then this is your moment to experience her truly alt.R&B stylings.
Hideous Sun Demon The buzz coming from these guys isn’t just caused by their scuzzy guitar sound, the Perth outfit are as hot-right-now as their name would indicate.
Flowertruck Our office has been flogging Sunshower so much it’s almost our anthem of 2016. If you dig The Goon Sax and Big White, we suggest you climb on board the Flowertruck next.
20 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Ryan Grieve and Jarrad Brown of ‘90s-rave collab Venus II wonder whether they will have to “do things overseas” before they get any recognition here. By Brynn Davies.
T
he ‘70s was defined by long-haired hippies in flowered skirts and Lennon glasses. Enter 1980 and we turned to blue eyeshadow, big hair and shoulder pads. The ‘90s brought with it baggy denim and scrunchies, and everyone has a bad fluoro-crop-top-and-shorts combo hidden in a draw from the 2000s. But when we look back, what will define 2016? “I actually had this thought the other day, wondering what it was gonna be like in 20, 30 years when people look back at this time. I always think about, like, when you see old photos of yourself and you have a bit of a laugh — so I’m just trying to figure out what that’s going to be,” contemplates Ryan Grieve (Canyons) who is one part of new psych-rave duo Venus II. “I don’t know, that question is on my mind. Every decade, someone’s always repping something from the past and I think it’s a really beautiful thing. It’s never a bad thing to wear those influences on your sleeve.” It’s something both Grieve and Jarrad Brown (Eagle & The Worm, Dorsal Fins) embrace in their new blend of cosmic-Euro techno with Venus II, as demonstrated through the lashings of acid-soaked pop and electronica on their debut record Inside Your Sun. The title track’s Rage-worthy video clip has been doing the rounds on the interweb in
recent months and it pretty well sums up their vibe. “I think in our particular case, when you throw electronic, drum machines and some synthesisers with some electric guitars, falsettohigh vocals, that is very much a sound that was happening in the ‘90s; Primal Scream and bands such as that. So I think it gets taken back there, it’s really a reference point to take it back to. It’s that never-ending cycle [of what] becomes in vogue at the time. I feel like, for us, it definitely has a ‘90s edge to it, and it’s also a lot of the music that we kinda grew up on,” Grieve explains. Brown interjects, “For me the nostalgic thing doesn’t come from here and now. The nostalgic thing is kinda a perpetual thing, it’s always gonna be there. Like bands in the ‘90s throwin’ back to the ‘70s and bands in the 2000s throwin’ back to the ‘80s.” Racking up airplay on BBC Radio 6, the boys are wondering if it will take overseas approval before Australian audiences embrace their sound. “I feel like probably it will take a little bit of time before an Australian crowd really embraces it,” muses Grieve. “I don’t know why, I just think what is identified as Australian music, until it’s validated by somewhere overseas, if it’s not very much identifiable as ‘Australian music’ in terms of what the framework is that’s already laid out [then] maybe people will wait a little bit. I hope it’s not like that. “It’s hard you know, I mean triple j is such a monopoly here as well and it’s like, I watched the same thing happen with Tame Impala. My label Hole In The Sky, we put their first record out and nobody wanted to play it,” he laughs. “A few great Australian bands, they’ve had to do things overseas before they get any recognition here.”
What: Inside Your Sun (Warner) When & Where: 19 Aug, The Gasometer Hotel
HOME STATE ALBUM TOUR FRI 19 AUG STREET THEATRE CANBERRA, ACT SAT 20 AUG NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB SYDNEY, NSW FRI 26 AUG THE GASOMETER HOTEL MELBOURNE, VIC
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 21
Music
Save A Prayer Bring Back The MIFF The Handmaiden
Our film writer Anthony Carew was in the thick of Melbourne International Film Festival action and here he nominates his top five films and some trends he noted. Top five: Evolution Chevalier Suntan The Demons The Handmaiden Random MIFF trends: erections, geriatric cock, sexually active oldies, crying babies, delightful toddlers, cults and communes, cannibalism, silence, sheep herds, cattle farms, beloved dogs, so many cats!, Isabelle Huppert and cats, Christine Chubbuck, Kristen Stewart being amazing, ghosts, helicopters, highways, deserts, hostage situations, masculine foibles, rugby, deadbeat dads, angry pre-adolescent boys, headstrong Arabic girls, teen rock bands, “you can’t film here” and complaints about the Comedy Theatre seats.
22 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Mantis & The Prayer frontman William Parmelee (aka Mantis) tells Bryget Chrisfield about that time when the mantis eggs he bought hatched in his garden.
O
n whether the praying mantis is his spirit animal, William Parmelee (aka Mantis) laughs, “I don’t know whether I would’ve chosen it, but it seems it’s chosen me!” Parmelee has spoken before about a time when he looked in the mirror and his face became the face of a mantis and he reveals, “I’ve actually looked for it since and, like, I didn’t have that same experience, so it was strange. But, to tell you the truth, I’ve always been fascinated with [praying mantises]... I remember looking at them when I was younger and just how still and different they were from any other insect.” He landed in Melbourne via a couple of other countries and Parmelee clarifies, “Yes, so born in New York and then I went to London in 2004 and I was there for six years before I came here.” And his fascination with praying manteses goes way back. “When I first started recording back in New York, I bought some mantis eggs; you can buy them from nurseries ‘cause they’re good for your garden... In nature they generally would lay their eggs, like, in the fork of a small tree or shrub, or sort of hidden in the underbrush. So I tried to mimic that and I tied the egg with some thread, just to keep it in place and they hatched! And I had these little baby mantises everywhere, ‘cause there was, like, three or
four hundred to every egg,” he laughs. Parmelee transforms into Mantis for the band’s live shows, which calls to mind Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. “I definitely get into character when I’m on stage and I remember there was a show that we did and, when I got off [stage], this girl came up to me and, she’s like, ‘You’re like an evil David Bowie’,” he chuckles. “I understood where she was coming from, I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I like that association’ [laughs].” It sounds as if there are some theatrics involved in Mantis & The Prayer’s live performances and Parmelee confirms, “’Cause, you know, the album’s called Butterflies & Demons, we’ve been playing around with that - incorporating that into our act... I have a butterfly painted on my face and then I take fake blood and, usually toward the end of the set [spoiler alert], I’ll turn my back on the audience and then have the fake blood so it’s sort of coming off the butterfly - it’s on my face. It’s this beautiful butterfly that’s contrasted with this blood, so it’s this contrasting imagery... I think that’s what the essence of Butterflies & Demons is, you know, it’s like the yin and yang - butterflies, demons the light and dark mix, or balance.” The material on Butterflies & Demons is “a mixture of new and stuff that’s sort of been with me for a while”, says Parmelee. “I moved here from London in 2012 and I remember writing a few songs during that transition period before I had re-established the band here.” Parmelee wrote all of the songs “except for Lady Of The Lake, which was a collaboration with the band”. Post-interview email from Mantis: “Forgot to mention that we are performing an invoking spell in the CBD soon and will be putting up a video clip which talks about it.”
What: Butterflies & Demons (Independent)
Theatre
Salad, Race & Religion Preparing for Pulitzer Prize-winning stage drama Disgraced, Zindzi Okenyo asks, “What is an identity and how does that actually manifest?” By Dave Drayton.
“W
e introduced the salad yesterday and it’s so funny that in this line of work the smallest stupidest thing can completely throw you,” laughs Zindzi Okenyo. “You have to really time when you take bites because you can’t be talking with heaps of food in your mouth.” It’s the final week of rehearsals for Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced, directed by Nadia Tass, which brings together American-born, Muslim-raised Amir (Hazem Shammas), a lawyer; his artist wife Emily (Kat Stewart); Amir’s African American colleague Jory (Okenyo); and her husband (and Emily’s art dealer) Isaac (Mitchell Butel),
It’s not necessarily a play about Islam, or a play about Jews, or a play about African Americans, or even a play about religion, it’s about identity, and how we arrive at our identities.
who is Jewish, for a dinner party that soon descends into a discussion about race, religion and identity. “I haven’t done a lot of naturalism, I’ve done a lot of really stylised theatre, so this is a new challenge for me but I’m really enjoying it,” says Okenyo. While juggling her lines with a mouthful of salad is the current challenge, the first week of rehearsals had Okenyo - whose surname is used as her musical moniker - performing similarly dexterous feats. The actor and singer, having just finished a national tour supporting Urthboy, hit the rehearsal room in between two massive shows supporting Santigold.
“The audiences are completely different! My first live shows were touring with Jinja Safari years ago and it was amazing because theatre audiences, especially at a main stage level, you know, companies like MTC and STC, it’s a certain kind of demographic and it’s also very polite, there’s a certain etiquette. Whereas with music it’s a very different space, it’s immediate and loud and there’s a different kind of etiquette, or non-etiquette I suppose... I really enjoy going to those two worlds. “I’ve been working slowly, slowly, for the last three years or so on the music side and the signing with Elefant Traks and my single 10 Feet Tall has really propelled me forward just recently. It’s cool because it’s the first time my two worlds are really overlapping, which was always my intention.” Okenyo has been acting professionally for a decade now, working regularly on stages, in particular for Sydney Theatre Company where she was a resident from 2009 - 2012, and appearing as a regular presenter on Play School. By contrast, music is a more recent pursuit for Okenyo, but one in which she displays as much promise. “I’ve always wanted them to be able to happen concurrently. At first it was a bit overwhelming, but I’m getting used to it now. When I first started performing music I was definitely more going with the idea of being a ‘persona’, but as I look back I feel like that was a bit of a safety net, to be honest, and the more I write and the more I perform it makes absolute sense that being in my musician guise, I just totally need to be myself. That’s been a very interesting journey because of the fact that I spent all my 20s in my job being someone else. “When I first started writing and performing my own music it was kind of confronting because as an actor I’m always in the guise of a character; always being myself, but through another. But performing just as me, it’s kind of terrifying, because you know if these people are critiquing this, good or bad, there’s something about me personally.” Given the diverse cast of characters, a brief synopsis for Disgraced almost reads like the set-up for a politically incorrect joke. But these are not mere stereotypes, the cliches are contorted and undermined in order to pose deeper questions about personality. “It’s not necessarily a play about Islam, or a play about Jews, or a play about African Americans, or even a play about religion, it’s about identity, and how we arrive at our identities,” says Okenyo. “The question of the play is what is your identity, and how much do your roots whether it’s your upbringing, your ethnicity, a mix of the two - shape it? What is an identity and how does that actually manifest? What does that say about you and the way other people perceive you? “Ayad Akhtar has copped a lot of flack for this piece because I think some people take it the wrong way, or think it’s glorifying certain things, but it isn’t. It is our responsibility to be part of a conversation, if you’re making art you need to be making it for a purpose.”
What: Disgraced When & Where: 19 Aug - 1 Oct, Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 23
Music
Got Balls? Sam Cromack from Ball Park Music has been releasing a lot music lately, but he takes the time to tell Roshan Clerke about why he needed a break from the band before returning to write their latest record.
“I
t was really scary,” Cromack begins. “I mean, it was terrifying to say to my bandmates that I was absolutely not vibing writing new stuff at the time. I needed a break and wanted to do the solo record. I was terrified of telling them that, but it was the best move I could have made because by the time I wrapped up the My Own Pet Radio stuff I was excited to be playing with Ball Park again, and getting some different music out of my system gave me clarity on what I should do with the band. That was our biggest problem; I was still writing songs and we were still working on stuff, but stylistically
That was our biggest problem; I was still writing songs and we were still working on stuff, but stylistically or whatever we were so lost.
or whatever we were so lost. We just didn’t know where to go next, and I’m so pleased with the solution we ended up finding for this new record.” The result — Every Night The Same Dream — sounds grittier than ever, resembling the analogue production on Museum more so than any of their other records. “The first album we also record[ed] to tape, although that was a 16-track tape, so the process didn’t end up being a whole lot different to recoding to a computer. We did lots of things one at a time and got to do it with layers, so it sounds fairly modern. The same again on Museum, but I think our songwriting process really changed there. We were trying to be a bit fancier in the studio, and we also felt that our first record was so fucking jangly and annoying that we felt compelled to sort of retaliate 24 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
against that a little bit, and make it more of a stubborn record, which is why Museum has held up as one of my favourites, even though it felt weird at the time.” The songs for the new album were mostly written over a few years, which Cromack says is often the case with his records. As for the concept behind the lyrics on the album, Cromack is hesitant to give them one. “When the lyrics for the songs come, and I feel lame saying this, it just sort of comes out of me, and I don’t think twice about it. And sometimes it’s only when I’m doing an interview or something and someone points out, ‘I can see that this is what this song is about,’ and I think, ‘Shit, they’re right!’ It’s confronting to suddenly realise what you’ve been talking about, because I feel like maybe I don’t take enough time to reflect on what I’m actually writing about. I don’t think about what my own songs mean, let alone anyone else’s. I just like that music can latch on in that magical way and make me feel something. I think that’s what’s so mysterious about music.” This abstract approach to creating meaning isn’t just one Cromack applies to his writing, but also to his artwork, which once again graces the cover of this fourth Ball Park record. “I remember the day when I essentially had to pitch that front cover to everybody. I knew everyone would be like, ‘What’s the artwork going to be?’ and I was anxious about saying, ‘Well, this is what I want to do. It’s two coloured blobs on a plain background.’ I was absolutely panicking about what everyone was going to say.” Thankfully, the band loved it, and it serves as a perfect representation of the album. “It’s stubborn, and artworks in that style are about evoking a feeling more than they are more about telling a story. I actually did the painting for the front cover with a friend of mine who’s a good artist. The final cover ended up being one of my artworks, but he did some painting with me and we talked a lot about that minimalistic style and those artists like Mark Rothko. He was one of the artists that helped pioneer that style, and of course he was criticised at the time. People said the usual, ‘It’s just fucking blobs and colour, it means nothing.’ But he was all about trying to evoke a feeling, and would make his original artworks deliberately large. He would construct his own canvasses that were huge, and you were actually meant to see the painting and experience it by standing right in front of it. It was meant to be so large and intimidating, and it was just meant to give you a feeling. That’s all you were supposed to take from it. I really adore that sentiment, because I think there are a lot of things in life where discussing it doesn’t bring you any closer to the purpose of what it’s trying to do.”
What: Every Night The Same Dream (Stop Start/Inertia) When & Where: 4 Oct, Corner Hotel; 5-6 Oct, Barwon Club, Geelong; 7 Oct, 170 Russell
In Focus 3RRR FM
Radiothon: A Jewel In The Junk Heap
This year Triple R celebrate their ruby anniversary (40 years on air) so it seemed fitting to rework an old slogan to help mark the occasion. Enter Melbourne artist Billie Justice Thompson (pictured) who reimagined A Jewel In The Junk Heap for this year’s Radiothon poster. Pledge your support and pay up during the community radio station’s annual subscription drive, which runs from 19 to 28 Aug, and you’ll go into the draw to win stacks of prizes (including a double pass to both Meredith AND Golden Plains!).
Music
Navigating The Fiery Maze What happens when Kiwi songwriter Tim Finn combines with a great Aussie poet, bringing together a song cycle first born late last century? The Fiery Maze, of course. By Liz Giuffre.
E
ven when he was just a humble rock and roller in the ‘70s in New Zealand, Tim Finn’s work was never far from the theatre. Finn’s theatrical prowess showed itself through flashes of Split Enz costumes and make-up, and the vivid sonic images that flowed through his Crowded House and solo work. Now it’s found a solid home with new theatrical song cycle, The Fiery Maze. Hosted by The Malthouse Theatre, The Fiery Maze is a collaboration between Finn and Australian poet Dorothy Porter. Those across their cultural legends will know that Porter is sadly no longer with us, but the project - which
I didn’t write anything down... I became obsessed with trying to figure out what I’d actually played.
was conceived two decades ago - remains fresh and energised. Now it is finally finding its audience. Talking from his home base in Auckland, Finn explained the show’s two-decade journey. “Around the time of Monkey’s Mask, I read the book and loved it, and got in touch with Dorothy and suggested that we write some songs. So these songs are from 1994, they’ve never been published, never been heard,” he says. “When I suggested to her a couple of ideas I was interested in exploring in song, she came back with a whole lot of lyrics. I did all of these demos in my studio in Melbourne in the early ‘90s and I wasn’t really sure what to do with 26 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
them, and Abi Tucker came down from Sydney to sing on them. She was only 19 at the time, and she just gave them this kind of raw, beautiful atmosphere.” The return to the work let Finn attend to something of a fire that the original collaboration lit. “[After recording demos in the ‘90s] I wasn’t quite sure what to do next, so I kind of left them in the bottom draw and got on with other projects. As did Dorothy,” Finn continues. “Just really shortly before she died we started to talking again saying ‘let’s do something with this’, because the songs wouldn’t leave either of us alone. She would play them in her car, I would play them in my car, and our kids started to get to know them, but just, yeah, we thought ‘let’s do a theatre show’ and started workshopping it, and then next thing I was told is that she had died. I hadn’t realised that she had been really ill, so it was really shocking.” Porter’s approach to language was revered during her lifetime, and since, as wonderfully distinct, and a shared love of music, with its ability to move between the high and low brow, brought the collaboration together. “At that time, because of grunge I think, I was noticing that young people were investigating music that was from before they were born. And I suppose in my day that would have been unthinkable, it would have been like us listening to Glenn Miller or whatever, and it just wouldn’t have gone there. But everything changed in the early ‘90s, and so iconic rock singers like Jim Morrison or Jimi Hendrix were being resurged - I found that quite interesting. So you know, I was just throwing those ideas around, and I think Dorothy then began to explore that huge grand passion of being ‘too hot not to grow cold’ and using rock and roll.” The logistics of coming back to a show that Finn calls “a project that I had thought was never going to see the light of day, as much as I loved the songs” have finally come together, with Tucker returning to sing live. “[Tucker] sent me an email a few years ago just saying ‘What’s happened to those songs?’, so she didn’t forget about them either.” The return brings what he calls “more maturity and authority”, but also, “you know, it’s the same singer, she’s got this magnificent voice and she just connects with the material.” Following an invitation from Porter’s partner and Mal Malthouse Theatre, Finn set about getting The Fiery Maz Maze to stage. Finally returning was a bit of a job in aural arch archaeology. “I didn’t write anything down, I don’t write mus music anyway, so I could hear these songs on DAT tapes, thos those early digital tapes, and they starting to degrade ith funny glitches and things, so I became obsessed with with trying to figure out what I’d actually played, because I really liked them. So I re-learned them all and then put them into my computer to be sort of safe, but I didn’t change a single note. It was just trying to decipher, like ancient hieroglyphics or something,” he laughs.
What: The Fiery Maze When & Where: 18 Aug - 4 Sep, Beckett Theatre, Malthouse Theatre
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 27
Indie Indie
Golden Girls
Zen Robotic
Have You Heard
Answered by: Thom O’Leary.
When did you start making music and why? I was a visual artist from early childhood. I have always been and always will be an artist, but music and poetry have been my mediums of choice for the past 12 years.
W
ith their residency at The Workers Club, Golden Girls are happily biased in support of fellow resident-mates when it comes to bands who influence their own sad, sexy sound. “Shouse, Various Asses, Holy Balm, Habits, OCTANDAR, Time for Dreams, NGHTWRK. Most of these are playing at our residency so maybe a bit biased. Internationally I think we each have our own things that we bring, like a lot of bass music, ‘90s dance, dub, Enya. All the things,” explains guitarist Tim Mcneill. The three-piece “formed in the winter of 2014 with a handful of poetry, some skeletal beats and Paris, Texas-style reverb guitar playing small intimate venues, eventually building our sound and adding pieces to the puzzle, which lead to the release of our EP Golden Hour last summer.” They’ve squashed in a bunch of gigs and recording in the last two years: “Recording our EP with Josh [Delaney] at Smooch Records, the subsequent launch at Boney last winter, playing with Total Giovanni, Sampa The Great, Smile, Time For Dreams. Camp Casual morning forest set, too many so far — hopefully more to come!” Mcneill lists. And there’s plenty to come, with the band “finishing the tracks we are working on at the moment. Record, release, tour. Rinse, repeat. All while trying to have fun doing so,” he laughs.
When & Where: 17, 24 & 31 Aug, The Workers Club
Sum up your musical sound in four words? Lyric-driven electronic music. If you could only listen to one album forevermore, what would it be and why? Moby’s Play is an eclectic mix of songs. Play is an album I often find myself coming back to. It has been an album I’ve long since considered to be among the greatest ever produced. Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? While in a metal band years ago, Deicide were touring and were so impressed by our advertisement stating we were looking for someone who could drum like Mike Portnoy, they invited us to jam with them at their sound check.
When and where for your next gig? 21 Aug, Mr Boogie Man Bar. Website link for more info? facebook.com/zenrobotic
30th Mildura Country Music Festival Have You Been To Answered by: John Arnold, Festival Co-ordinator The Event: 30th Mildura Country Music Festival. Why should punters visit you? The Mildura Country Music Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year from Friday 23 Sep to Sunday 2 Oct, and will draw thousands of country music fans to Mildura. What’s the history of the event? The Mildura Country Music Festival features some of Australia’s best independent country music artists over ten days at 25 venues, both indoor and outdoor, in Mildura and its outlying towns. Any advice for first timers who want to visit the event? Visit the festival website for all details. Bring a chair for the outdoor performances. Book accommodation early. Who’s performing this time around? Karin Page, Glen Jones, Allan Caswell, Darren Colston, Emma Jene, Angela Easson, Craig Giles, Graeme Hugo, Seleen McAlister, Slim Newton, Evan Platschinda, Craig Stewart,
28 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Why should people come and see your band? Powerful, deep and emotionally moving lyrics that are sung from the heart. Layered over live electronic synths, bass and drums.
Terry Gordon, Owen Blundell, Reg Poole. Do you have any plans for the event in the future? Live concert and radio presentation of Southern Stars — The Australian Independent Country Music Awards recognising the achievements of Australian Independent recording artists on Saturday 1 Oct. Adam Harvey is co-compere with Carter & Carter. When and where for your next event? 23 Sep — 2 Oct. Enquiries 1800 039 043 for festival details. Website link for more info? milduracountrymusic.com.au
Music
A Kav In The Life In the lead up to the performances of Beatles Back2Back, we grabbed Kav Temperley to give us an insight into his history with and love of the Fab Four.
K
av Temperley of Eskimo Joe is taking part in Beatles Back2Back, where two albums widely regarded as the best of all time − Abbey Road and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band − will be performed back to back in their entirety and in orginial song order. Also performing at the show are Russell Morris, Jack Jones and Jon Allen, with all four out front of a 15-piece band. Here Temperley gives us his take on The Beatles. On when he discovered The Beatles: “I seem to have discovered each album in order, songs like Twist & Shout really appealed to me when I was very young, but by the time I was ten years old I thought Maxwell’s Silver Hammer was amazing. So from very early on I started memorising chords and melodies.” On the first Beatles record he purchased: “I remember having a lot of crappy cassette recordings but I’ve probably bought Abbey Road and The White Album about 20 times each.” On his favourite Beatle: “I’ve always loved Lennon’s songwriting, but being a songwriter myself its very hard to separate where one person’s idea begins and the other’s end. Lennon and McCartney certainly taught me a lot about collaboration.”
On Abbey Road Vs Sgt. Peppers as the greatest: “Sgt. Peppers... is inspiring and has A Day In The Life, which is one of my favourite songs of all time. I do come back to Abbey Road as it sounds so good sonically and the drums and bass at the start of Come Together is like a warm hug.” On his Beatles hidden gem: “Honey Pie on The White Album is amazing, you only need to listen to the Pixies cover version of the song to hear its true potential.” On performing true to the original vs. putting his own spin on things: “Being a total Beatles-o-phile I do try and stay quite true to the tunes, but I also have one of those strange pokey voices that sticks out like a sore thumb wherever it is, so I will probably end up somewhere in the middle.”
When & Where: 20 Aug, Plenary Theatre
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 29
Eat / Drink Eat/Drink
Matcha Mylkbar’s Mushroom Latte & Blue Algae
Pic: Brock Boslema
Chaga mushrooms have a long history of being brewed into health tonics, but making them into a “frothy cuppa” is pretty fresh thinking. Inspired by “ancient Chinese medicine”, the mushroom latte blends the fungi with vanilla, brown rice malt and almond milk for a vegan treat. Blue algae is apparently one of the most nutritious, vitamin-packed and protein-dense foods to be found inside or outside ponds, so it was only a matter of time before someone tried to harness it as a tasty beverage. The Smurf is as blue as its namesake and jammed with natural anti-oxidents.
Coffee has come a long way from ‘white ‘n’ two sugars’. We have a look at a few of the alternative latte trends beginning to spread. Nut Latte
Pic: Brock Boslema
Peanut Butter Lattes aren’t uncommon, but they’re usually more liquid Reese’s Pieces than pick-me-up. Serotonin Eatery are changing that with creamy lattes made from plant-based proteins and nut butter. They also make a mean cocoa coconut latte from 70% dark chocolate and organic coconut milk.
Turmeric Latte Often dubbed the Golden Latte, this antiinflammatory immune booster is made from powdered turmeric root, ginger and cinnamon. Served with almond or soy milk, it’s a great healthy way to get your morning pep without caffeine. Pavlov’s Duck Melbourne
Serotonin Eatery Pic: Brock Boslema
Beetroot Latte Exactly what it says on the label, the Beetroot Latte gains a vivid scarlet hue from its main ingredients: a mix of fresh beetroot juice and dehydrated beetroot powder. Enjoy it with or without a shot of coffee, or maybe even some cinnamon or vanilla. Matcha Mylkbar
Pic: Brock Boslema
30 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
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Music
RELEASE WATCH
How Do You Identify?
Here’s a wrap of who’s just announced a new release: Green Day – Revolution Radio
The 12th studio album for Green Day, Revolution Radio, will be out 7 Oct on Reprise/Warner. Mi-Sex are releasing their first new album in 33 years, Not From Here, available on 9 Sep via Golden Robot Records. Melissa Etheridge is releasing her new album Memphis Rock & Soul on 7 Oct via Stax Records. Vaudeville Smash will drop their LP The Gift on 26 Aug before hitting the road on a national tour. The Pretty Reckless are returning on 21 Oct with their third studio album Who You Selling For via Razor & Tie/ Cooking Vinyl Australia. Norwegian duo Darkthrone will drop their first release since 2013, Arctic Thunder, on 14 Oct through Peaceville/Rocket. Joyce Manor have announced that their new album Cody will arrive in stores on 7 Oct via Epitaph. The new studio album from Devin Townsend Project, Transcendence, will hit Aus on 9 Sep via Inside Out Music/ Sony Music Australia. Producer and DJ Just A Gent’s debut EP Stories To Tell will be released on 26 Aug through Universal. The first solo album from Keane’s Tom Chaplin, The Wave, will be released on 14 Oct through Universal.
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Kevin Barnes may be on his 14th album with of Montreal, but he isn’t coasting. For Innocence Reaches, the maverick founder, frontman and multi-instrumentalist has embraced “EDM” - kinda. By Cyclone.
L
aunched in the mid-’90s, of Montreal has long been associated with the wonkier side of indiedom - Barnes traversing such styles as vintage psychedelia, glam-rock and funk. Of Montreal’s last foray, 2015’s Aureate Gloom, made amid Barnes’ (amicable) separation from bassist wife Nina Grottland, referenced New York art-rock. But, in Innocence Reaches, he’s created something more free and festive - electronic dance music. Barnes has “dabbled in” synth-pop before - initially on 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins. Yet, with Innocence Reaches - cut in Paris - he’s consciously responded to contemporary EDM, citing Jack U and techno-type Arca as inspirations. “I’ve always liked dance music and always had fun working with that style of production - doing drum programming and layering synthesisers,” Barnes says. In fact, Innocence Reaches is a sophisticated - and hybridised - nu-disco LP. Barnes deems it “an esoteric record” even for him. If in the DJ scene the term “EDM” now carries a corporate stigma, underground genres like house again dominant, then Barnes is blissfully unaware - its application to Innocence Reaches came from his label. “I don’t even know the difference between techno and house - I’m not that deeply involved in it,” he acknowledges. “I just like some electronic dance music. I’m not like a connoisseur on any level of it. I just think some of it sounds cool
- some of it sounds forward.” Equally eyebrowraising is the album’s lead single, It’s Different For Girls - Barnes’ ironic critique of female stereotypes and gender essentialism. “It’s different for girls,” he sings. “They’re not numbed by oppression.” The song might serve as his HeForShe pledge. “I have an 11-year-old daughter [Alabee], so I think on some level that influenced me and changed my perception about what the female experience is like,” Barnes explains. “I can understand how it might seem strange for someone to think of a man writing a song that could be on some level considered an attempt at writing some sort of feminist anthem. But that wasn’t really my aim. It’s really just musings, or observation, on the subject and definitely not trying to write the definitive feminist anthem. It’s just one man’s opinion about that topic.” Different again, the video celebrates inclusivity - depicting the LGBTQ ball subculture, Barnes resplendent in drag. Increasingly interested in gender identity issues, Barnes introduced his Georgie Fruit alter-ego, a black transexual funk-rock star, on 2007’s conceptual Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?. He assumes a manifestation of this fluid “persona” in of Montreal’s disruptively theatrical live shows (last seen Down Under in 2009), describing it as “a very liberated version of myself - a more extreme version.” “I’ve been doing a lot more drag recently in video shoots and photo shoots - and the next tour will be very drag-heavy,” Barnes reveals. “I think it’s a great activity for people to explore their sexuality, their gender identity, and broaden their view of themselves. Sometimes you need some sort of physical representation of that. So dressing up and getting into this character can be very therapeutic and enriching and fulfilling in a different sort of way.”
What: Innocence Reaches (Create/Control)
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THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 33
OPINION Opinion
Trai ler Trash
Fulton Street
The Get Down Funky Shit
I
’m all about the latest vinyl drop from my man over in WA, fdel. Last year’s Yesterday’s Now Sound album With Obliveus was seriously underrated, and sits along nicely with his Audiofdelity classic from ten years earlier (and still fresh). For this one, he’s dropped a double 45 featuring four tracks, but my money is still on the yet-to-be hip hop classic Superstar (with Lightheaded) that will play nicely in your golden era b-boy break section as the B-side to the Lyrics Born featured How Lucky Am I, a feel-good summertime jam that was my jam to this past summer and will probably be my jam to this upcoming summer, too. Get this four-track release while you can through his website, but be quick; they’ll go fast. While I’m on the subject of Australian 45s, look no further than the Choi Productions label. Used as a springboard for Ivan Khatchoyan’s superb deep funk and soul tunes, they’ve dropped their third release - the first from the newest seven-piece soul band in Melbourne Town, Fulton Street. Featuring the dynamic Shannen Wick on vocals, plenty of sick horn stabs and a funkier than funk rhythm section, lead single Young People is a slow grinding affair that will gyrate plenty of hips. B-side, Problems & Pain, is a more upbeat groover that already has me wanting a follow-up and I’m sure we’ll be seeing (and hearing) much more from these cats. With that, I’m out.
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Wa ke The Dead Punk And Hardcore With Sarah Petchell
I
will never forget the first time that I heard a song by The Dillinger Escpae Plan. It was in 2003 and the song was Baby’s First Coffin from Miss Machine. I hated it. But if you fast forward a couple of years a lot of things had changed. I was listening to a lot more punk, hardcore and metal than I had been listening to back when my ears were first assaulted by the five-piece.
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Stranger Things
I was in a better position to fully appreciate just how special a band they are, and they changed my life. Even though their most recent records haven’t grabbed my attention in the way Calculating Infinity, Ire Works and, most importantly, Miss Machine have, I was still saddened in the last week to read that the band are calling it quits after the touring cycle for what will be their last record, Dissociation. So I want to thank them. I want to thank them for being such great interviewees every time I interviewed them. I want to thank them for opening my mind to the possibilities of what heavy music can be. Things like how heavy and soft can be mixed in ways that don’t just stick to the sing-scream-sing-scream formula that marked most of what I was listening to circa 2005. And how genres can be mashed in super effective ways — that jazz breakdown in Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants or the gorgeous piano work of Mouth Of Ghosts. And most importantly, thank you for some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen!
OPINION C H R I S
Opinion
Dives Into Your
T
here are times when Screens it is not nice to be taken by And Idiot Boxes surprise, but there are also plenty of With Guy Davis times when it is especially in an era when the twists, turns and tone of a piece of entertainment are telegraphed well in advance by the official publicity machine of the PR department and the unofficial hype generators of social media. By the time one gets around to actually seeing the new Ghostbusters (for example), there’s the feeling you’re already familiar with how it’s going to play out. Hype has always been an intrinsic part of show business, that’s true, but its original intention was to build anticipation. Now it seemingly exists to mitigate any possible disappointment, which is very thoughtful on the part of our benevolent suppliers of entertainment, but also somewhat minimises the thrill of discovery when the lights go down and the story starts to unfold. Subsequently, it’s kinda exciting when something sneaks under the radar and gets people excited by good old-fashioned word of mouth. And that’s recently been the case with the eight-episode Netflix series Stranger Things, a veritable Wayback Machine of ‘80s sci-fi/fantasy/horror tropes enthusiastically and elegantly mashed together by the delightfully named Duffer Brothers (twins Matt and Ross). Word snuck out about this homage to the Big Steves of ‘80s pop culture — Spielberg and King — prior to its midJuly premiere, but the advance hype was relatively muted — more like Wait-&-See than Must-See TV. Once it was actually out and about however, it started to generate the kind of buzz that can’t be bought — unsolicited online raves from the punters, fan art, speculation about what was happening outside the frame. How it affects the bottom line I cannot say with much authority, although I am pretty sure it got more people interested in checking it out, which I presume translates to more cash in the coffers. For fans of the genre, it generated good will — the fact that Netflix was willing to take a gamble on this undoubtedly wins the service some fans among the nerd cognoscenti — and creates a sense of community. But, hey, Stranger Things has had its run. And there’s been talk about a second season (although I’d prefer the Duffers to pull an
American Horror Story and tell a different story each season), but that’s a way away. So how to scratch that particular itch in the interim? Allow me to recommend Jeff Nichols’ marvellous film Midnight Special, which is hitting home video later this month. Like Stranger Things, it pays tribute to genre heroes of yesteryear (there’s a bit of Spielberg in it but also some tasty chunks of John Carpenter, which enhances the flavour of every dish) and pits frazzled but devoted parents and kids with extraordinary abilities against shadowy government types. But as much I dig the Duffers, who are skilled storytellers, Nichols is a street or two ahead when it comes to control of tone and depiction of emotion. And it helps that he has a Scorsese-De Niro kind of relationship with Michael Shannon, one of the great American actors currently working. As the straightforward father of a son with amazing gifts, Shannon delivers one of the finest portrayals of parenthood I’ve seen onscreen. It’s one great reason to see Midnight Special, one of many.
P I C K E R I N G
‘CANYONS’ ALBUM LAUNCH THE GASOMETER HOTEL SUNDAY AUGUST 28TH 4:00PM $12 WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DARLING JAMES AND ON DIAMOND
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 35
Album / E Album/EP Reviews
Ball Park Music
Every Night The Same Dream Stop Start/Inertia
★★★★
Album OF THE Week
Ball Park Music have always been consistent with their songwriting. While the band are increasingly distancing themselves from their earlier sound, their knack for writing kinetic rock songs has kept the Brisbane five-piece in good stead with fans as they switch between styles. Their fourth record is then somewhat of statement of identity from the band, recorded analogue to tape on a four-track recording machine in an attempt to replicate the sound and energy of their live shows. The first half of the album is loaded with gritty riffs, full of heavily distorted instruments and bustling with ambition. The cowbell during the percussive breakdown of Pariah recalls the type of monolithic dance jam you’d expect from a band headlining the rave tent at a music festival, which only lasts for a few ecstatic moments before the song changes gears again, as chugging guitars sneak back in and stray synthesiser notes start flying through the atmosphere. It’s the type of electric energy that can only come from people playing together in the same room. The second half is a mellower affair, although no less stubborn in its commitment to experimentation. The melodic sounds of Leef usher in a slew of songs that unwind into hypnotic guitar lines and breathtaking harmonies. A string section is employed at one point. Once the album nears its strikingly unsentimental finish, it just itches to be played again. Roshan Clerke
Crystal Castles
Drapht
Amnesty (I)
Seven Mirrors
Fiction/Caroline
Sony
★★★
★★★½
Considering the often fractious nature of Crystal Castles’ music, the end of the Alice Glass era shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. But focus on the grubby details, TMZ-style, The Music shall not, for this new album — underlined by a rebooted numeric subtitle — reins in a new vocalist, Edith Frances, and back-barges over old territories. Shove the volume up to 11 and Frances easily passes for Glass. This could be Ethan Kath’s most effective ‘fuck you’ to his former partner as he takes ownership of the brand, reducing Glass to being replaceable. But, as listeners, we are sold short by an opportunity to see what else he can do (and indeed, what powers Frances possesses). Distortion and overloading all frequencies is a bewitching technique masterfully executed (again) in the magnificently
When you’re this deep into your second decade of releasing Australian rap music, the question rings in your fans’ ears: “what does Drapht have to say that we haven’t heard already?” Monsoon answers eloquently. It’s packed with evidence of the further progression of Paul Reid’s delivery and his mastery of melody and pacing. Raindrops is illuminating. Midnight At The Hospice — a moving moment for fellow West Australian rap legend Hunter — is more than an interlude; a look to the future with the past firmly in mind. Funky closer Odds is arguably the album’s brightest spot; reflective, engaging and also fun. Monday Monday might be the clearest reflection of Reid’s progress. The Drapht of yesteryear would have treated this treatise on the under-appreciated as an opportunity to make a big, light-
36 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
claustrophobic Concrete and psychotic Fleece. Frances could be calling for the canonisation of Tony Abbott or reciting a killer maple-bacon donut recipe for all we know, but these ghoulish parlour tricks have been heard before on records by both Crystal Castles and The Knife. Indeed, Char borrows liberally from Silent Shout’s terror calypso, evoking an 8-bit sun-kissed beach where the Dreijer siblings mix cocktails with a smack of formaldehyde. When Sadist takes off from O Superman’s (Laurie Anderson) exit ramp, Amnesty (I) feels all the more like a placeholder while the new Crystal Castles discover and redefine themselves. Mac McNaughton
hearted, self-deprecating joke. Indeed, he may have adopted a character as a protagonist for the story. The new Drapht is more considered, and more easily able to come to grips with the points of view of those around him when they might differ from his own. There’s still fun to be had with this record — after all, growing up is as much about embracing your past as it is about letting it go — but this is the most adult we’ve seen Reid on record, notwithstanding the heavy subject matter he has confronted throughout his career. A reinvigorating listen. This veteran clearly still has a few tricks up his sleeve. James d’Apice
EP Reviews Album/EP Reviews
Lisa Hannigan
Katie Brianna
Mickey Cooper
At Swim
Victim Or The Heroine Hit The Ceiling
Beast
[PIAS] Australia
MGM
Independent
Independent
★★★★
★★★½
★★½
★★★
After a five-year break between albums, due to her struggles writing new material while moving to London, Lisa Hannigan is back with a majestic album. Slow. mesmerising ballads Prayer For The Dying and Funeral Suit showcase Hannigan’s beautiful swooning vocals. Anahorish is a layered, a cappella masterpiece; so simple yet so gorgeous. We The Drowned is a bit dark but still astounding vocally. Her sound is very alternative, with hints of folk-rock along the way, and every song is so different from what’s come before. Beautiful and graceful, At Swim is like a delicate flower.
Katie Brianna makes a masterpiece of an album where Americana tunes are mixed with country and roots to create a unique sound that pleases the ears. Birmingham has very strong Fleetwood Mac Dreams vibes, with similar guitar chords accompanied by Brianna’s beautiful, relaxed vocals. At times, the album’s rhythm guitar sounds a little country (Other Side Of The Road and Chemical Lies) — even the vocals have a hint of a country accent. Nobody tones down the album, with its slow graceful piano melody about love and heartbreak while Thorn In Your Side is perfect for slow dancing.
Indie-rock, with a hit of blues and roots, gives Mickey Cooper’s album a refreshing sound as heartfelt lyrics fill the air. John Curtin Hotel Freakout and Hangin’ On The Worry Tree are beautiful with their strippedback raw feel, with acoustic guitars and heart-on-sleeve lyrics that cut through the nonsense. The album has major Paul Dempsey vibes with Cooper’s roughed vocals and chilled out filling. However, with most of the album being very bare, after a while it feels a bit boring and sad, with no upbeat moments to keep the listener drawn in.
Aneta Grulichova
Aneta Grulichova
Geez it’s good to hear the familiar rock swagger of Perth trio Sugar Army again after nearly four years between records. Opening single Battles wails moodily from the get-go, settling into a slow groove around guitar tones of immeasurable fuzz. Moving into The Storm It Comes as frontman Pat McLaughlin’s high harmony sits shiny and wonderfully at odds with fat bass undertones, their third record BEAST indeed owns the meaty title. Plenty of great moments follow (particularly McLaughlin’s vocal vs the psych riff choruses of Gold Touch and Razor Heart), though as an album, well, whittled down it’s a bloody cracking EP.
Aneta Grulichova
Sugar Army
Tyler McLoughlan
More Reviews Online Faith No More We Care A Lot (Deluxe Band Edition)
theMusic.com.au
Scott Walker The Childhood Of A Leader Soundtrack
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Miss Sharon Jones! Soundtrack
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 37
Album / E Album/EP Reviews
Japanese Breakfast
Gonjasufi
Ryley Walker
Factory Floor
Callus
Psychopomp
Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
25 25
Warp/Inertia
DFA/[PIAS] Australia
Dead Oceans/Inertia
Dead Oceans/Inertia
★★★½
★★★½
★★★★
★★★½
Michelle Zauner’s debut as Japanese Breakfast is a brief and beautiful thing, sharp at a distance, like a photo of a knife. At times it’s coated in sun-drenched synths like in The Woman That Loves You, at others it’s distant and despairing, hiding beneath the rocky guitars of Rugged Country. Whether lingering like they got there by accident, piercing and pleading, or popping with energy, her vocals are magnetically ungraspable and draw you steadily through the album. The gorgeous shoegazing instrumental shifts make thoughtful and necessary breathers between material that forces engagement everywhere else.
Do you believe the apocalypse is imminent? Well here’s some essential listening supplies for your reinforced bunker. Gonjasufi’s debut made waves thanks in no small part to producer Gaslamp Killer’s mad hatter psych-folk samples and Gonjasufi’s uniquely tortured vocals. For his second album, the singer has turned producer, with seriously disturbing effects. Just witness the ragged guitar meltdown of Manic Depressant or the feedback wash of Carolyn Shadows. Meanwhile the unearthly vocals of Prints Of Sin would be ideal for exorcising the guilt once the nukes start flying. Winter is surely coming.
Just as you think you’ve worked out what Ryley Walker is about, he moves the goalposts — sometimes only slightly, but enough so you can’t quite pin him down. There’s the currently fashionable indie-folk and pastoral-towards-hippie of I Will Ask You Twice, while the quietly stately piano of Funny Thing She Said adds an old school pop sensibility. Then the unspooling words and rich meanderings of The Halfwit In Me or The Roundabout head toward a kind of acoustic psychedelia. One plus point is having former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach directing these sometimes expansive conversations, so you end up with an album in which to lose yourself.
London duo Factory Floor splashed out on a stack of new gear for their second album, although you’d struggle to tell given its similarities to their debut. The formula remains pretty much the same; sparse, shuddering rhythm tracks that lock your body in with their compelling economy. The progress is found in subtle details, such as the palpating bass line to Meet Me At The End which might be there sexiest to date. While the layered hooks are a match for those of their debut, the lack of innovation may disappoint some.
Christopher H James
Nic Addenbrooke
Christopher H James
Ross Clelland
More Reviews Online Soilwork Death Resonance
38 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
theMusic.com.au
David Brent & Foregone Conclusion Life On The Road
Listen to our This Week’s Releases playlist on
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 39
Live Re Live Reviews
Orb, Phlo, Barbiturates The Tote 12 Aug
Orb @ The Tote. Pic: Xavier Fennell
Barbiturates @ The Tote. Pic: Xavier Fennell
Batz @ Yah Yahs. Pic: Yana Amur
Batz @ Yah Yahs. Pic: Yana Amur
Pretty City @ Yah Yahs. Pic: Yana Amur
40 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Pretty City @ Yah Yahs. Pic: Yana Amur
Barbiturates ease us into the night, warming up the PA with a reverberating glow. An unenthusiastic drum machine guides the two-piece while they meander around their instruments. The plodding bass and consistent drum line leave the guitar free to drench everyone in layered reverberation, pulsing onward into ten-plusminute burners. Tonight’s line-up seems to gradually rise in fuzz and heavy riffs. Phlo are modest in their presence. Rolling through their set with a fuzzy disposition and a serious hook addiction, the group take a classic jam momentum. The band room is filled with nodding heads. Phlo lift the room up with them as they vamp on a heavier riff with splattering drums building the jam before Phlo let it float away. Fresh out of the van after supporting King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard on their Nonagon Infinity tour, Orb obviously made an impression given how quickly tickets to tonight’s show were snapped up. Technical issues suck, the amount of anticipation filling the room for this sold out show is mildly stifled by a failing microphone as Orb tear into Reflection with pace, visibly a little thrown off by the mic trouble. A little too much echo finds its way into the snare and lingers for the next few songs, making it incredibly hard to follow the beat. The trio on stage consists of Daff Gravolin and Zak Olsen alternating on bass and guitar, the two cultivating the huge rumbling now grunting out of the sound system. Jamie Harmer sits further back keeping rhythm; his fill work on drums is phenomenal and incredibly enjoyable. At a glance, it may appear as if the three have simply gathered to jam, mostly facing each other before snapping away into the occasional lead
break.A quick instrument swap helps move the set into its better half. Olson is now on guitar. He takes a moment to ask the more boisterous crowd members not to push and shove so much for the benefit of those around them. Migration is full of grunt as it drops into a heavy swaggering
It’s clear that the boys take heed of those who paved the way in the heavy rock world. rhythm. It’s clear that the boys take heed of those who paved the way in the heavy rock world. Delving into all the best parts of their new album as well as few sinister-sounding new ones, Birth Of A New Moon closes. The 16minute, doom-filled journey with one of the best call-and-response breakdowns you’ve ever heard crushes everything you thought you knew about rock, taking a classic sound and breathing new life into it. Orb overcome technical problems to finish the night strongly. Mesmerised faces are lit up green as the band leave the stage. Xavier Fennell
Pretty City, Batz, Heloise Yah Yah’s 13 Aug A well-blended musical mix, Heloise get punters “boot scooting to the line section”, as one drunk punter puts it. The crowd moves forward, in awe of frontwoman Eloise Thetford. As their rhythm section flourishes, more of Heloise’s elements are highlighted. Batz break into their set with frontwoman Christina Aubry’s
eviews Live Reviews
sensual vocals, defiant guitars (The Delta Riggs’ Alex Markwell filling in on lead) and phenomenal rhythm section. Beating down smooth rhythms upon the skins, drummer Joshua Aubry spits a mouthful of water onto the stage mid-chorus. We move our feet to the beat as Christina Aubry shakes around the microphone, finding the right dance moves as the amplifiers bring a new feel to the room. Aubry draws out a long, “Heeeellllooo, motherfuckers! We are Batz!” They’re straight back into their diverging set and, fuck! Are these guys the headliners!? Within the crowd there’s a couple pashing. Smothering body heat rises. Aubrey’s down on the ground, shaking her silver-skirted ass. The guitarists bounce around, Josh Aubrey up on his kit spitting more liquid into the air. We’re in awe as they bring their show to a close. While pints are ordered by the dozen at the upstairs hole-in-the wall bar upstairs, anticipation builds for tonight’s headline act. Pretty City take the stage. Quickly highlighting their
It’s an ace performance by Pretty City, but Batz really are a hard act to follow. immense sound, amplifiers deafen us. While we shimmy along to Piece Of The Puzzle, frontman Hugh Matthews’ vocals coo. Moving around the stage, Matthews shares his energy with this distant crowd. They perform Running Around and Second Hand Clothes from their new LP, showcasing the variety of their catchy tunes. Smoke-machine smoke lingers above our heads as our hips shake to the rhythms. It’s an ace performance by Pretty
City, but Batz really are a hard act to follow. Mikaelie Evans
Hugo Race Fatalists, Angie Hart Flying Saucer Club 12 Aug Once inside Flying Saucer Club, which is through the Caulfield RSL entrance and around the corner, via the pokies, the open fireplace is a homely feature. For the first half of Angie Hart’s first song we’re busy trying to remember the name of the band she fronted back in the day. By the second song, she opens her eyes and looks out into the audience a little. The guitarist is incredible; he’s clearly lived with and been through a lot with his instrument. Hart introduces My Year Of Drinking, clarifying, the title is “not an accurate timeframe... It was a bit longer than a year”. Did we really hear her sing, “Cocksucker on the rocks”? That’s right, Hart was in Frente! Ordinary Angels is a highlight. There’s loud clanging noises coming from the venue’s kitchen during Hart’s New Order cover — one of the dish deems it sacrilege. The characters that crawl out of the woodwork for a Hugo Race gig are worth the ticket price alone. As Hugo Race Fatalists take the stage we are immediately in awe of Michelangelo Russo’s harmonica set-up; the amplified sounds echo nostalgically providing a wistful layer. Roll out the audio book range, Race’s timbre — even during between-song banter — captivates. The trio is rounded out by keyboardist Julitha Ryan and what they achieve sonically with limited resources is astounding. We don’t even notice the lack of percussion until Race’s subtle stomp boxing gently punctuates one song. A coat, bag and hat pile materialises in the standing section, around which some enthusiastic dancing takes place.
The swashbuckling Beautiful Mess is a standout track from their new album, 24 Hours To Nowhere, which the outfit launch tonight. Hart is invited to the stage to join Race in performing a “suite” of three songs that Race tells us he wrote with his partner
Race’s vocal is like a shot of Frangelico with a twist of lemon in between puffs from a top of the range Cuban cigar. Alannah Hill during a coffeeand-cigarette-fuelled night of inspiration. Even Race’s choice of words when speaking is poetic; his vocabulary would make him unbeatable at Scrabble. A sample is triggered and we’re treated to a more upbeat vibe. The lyrics in Until You Surrender have a surprise sting in their tail and we’re taken in by the story, Race’s diction impeccable but never overdone. Their encore includes Too Many Zeroes, during which a sozzled couple dominate the dancefloor with their creative movement (what’s the bet they went to The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever?) That is until the male half of the dancing duo falls backwards over a backpack sitting on the floor, landing directly onto his derriere. Race’s vocal is like a shot of Frangelico with a twist of lemon in between puffs from a top of the range Cuban cigar. Just why Race isn’t celebrated to the same extent as Nick Cave continues to baffle and, once again, this intimate venue hosts an exceptional artist pouring his heart, and soul, out.
More Reviews Online theMusic.com.au/ music/live-reviews
Troye Sivan @ Margaret Court Arena Cash Savage & The Last Drinks @ The Croxton Moses Gunn Collective @ Northcote Social Club
Bryget Chrisfield THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 41
Arts Reviews Arts Reviews
Sausage
Shadowland. Pic: John Kane
Sausage Party
Party Film In Cinemas
★★★★
Shadowland Dance State Theatre, Arts Centre (finished)
★★★★ Shadowland is a stunning explosion of dance, shadow puppetry and physical theatre, and is as slick as you might expect from a show that has been touring for the better part of the past decade. It would be difficult to overstate the pure, unadulterated skill of the eight performers in the smooth way they manipulate their bodies into magical beings full of wonder. The show is a highly accessible dance-theatre piece with a bold and simple narrative. The story follows a young girl, uncomfortable in her own body, as she is sucked into a dreamlike shadowland. Once she enters this magical world, all ties to logical narrative are abandoned, and the show follows free-form ideas in a way that only dreamscapes can. A god reaches down from above and transforms our protagonist into a girl with the head of a dog who, facing malice and ridicule, embarks on a journey of self-acceptance. The story itself does feel clunky at times and the show is at its best when playing with surreal vignettes rather than crowbarring plot movements into the narrative. It could also definitely do with one or two of the chase scenes cut out. But, despite a rather raunchy (implied) sex scene with a centaur, Shadowland is appropriate for all ages and a thoroughly enjoyable night of jawdropping spectacle. James Daniel
Here are two pieces of advice regarding the new animated comedy Sausage Party.Firstly, leave the kids at home. Because even though it is an animated comedy, it is one that bears the names Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg — they’re a couple of chaps who enjoy taking the F-word out for a spin. Secondly, maybe enjoy a bite to eat before the movie. Because after seeing what the walking, talking foodstuffs of Sausage Party get up to, you may not have much of an appetite. Sausage Party is a tasty treat, albeit one with an extremely salty and spicy sense of humour. What appears at first glance to be yet another wacky cartoon romp featuring objects that don’t
appear to have much of an inner life, if any at all (think anything from Toy Story to the upcoming Secret Life Of Pets), is actually a pretty clever look at the belief systems that divide and unite us. One that is brimming with rude, raunchy gags involving sex, drugs and stereotypes about race, religion and ideology. Regarding the last part: Sausage Party is not terribly subtle when it comes to such depictions. But the stereotyping is so full-on and so across the board — and eventually helps illustrate the story’s main point — that it earns a pass. Plus, without it we probably wouldn’t have Edward Norton doing a deadon and decidedly hilarious Woody Allen impression as neurotic nosh Sammy Bagel, Jr. Norton is just one member of all-star cast voicing the various groceries lining the shelves of the local supermarket. For hot dog Frank (voiced by Rogen) and bun Brenda (Ghostbusters’ Kristen Wiig), being plucked from the shelf at the same time holds even more significance — they’ll finally join together and become one, ending a prolonged period of sexual frustration. Like many a satisfying meal, Sausage Party sneakily slips in its healthier ingredients — in this case, a thoughtful message about tolerance in a variety of forms. This movie is deliciously dirty enough to have you come back for seconds. Guy Davis
WED 17 AUG 7:30PM
DELICATESSEN + THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN 42 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
THU 18 AUG 7:30PM
ANNIE HALL + CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
FRI 19 AUG 7:30PM
RAN
OPINION Opinion
Howzat!
Local Music By Jeff Jenkins Fields Of Dreams Georgia Fields was with her husband, Matty Vehl, daughter, Kendra Plum, and mum, Janie Miller, a member of ‘70s chart-toppers The Ferrets. They were holidaying near Wye River, when one of Georgia’s friends sent her a text: David Bowie was dead. “And I felt time stretch out like a rubber band,” Georgia recalls. Fast-forward eight months and Georgia has covered Bowie’s 2013 single Where Are We Now? on her new album, Astral Debris. “With Bowie such an influence on my songwriting, it felt fitting,” she says. This album comes six years after Georgia’s self-titled debut. A lot has happened to Georgia in that time, including marriage and motherhood. Is she a very different person? “Yes... and no. I don’t think people can change who they inherently are, but I’ve certainly been through some huge life changes in the past six years, and that’s had an influence on my writing, my aesthetic, and how I collaborate.” Georgia’s chief collaborator on this record has been producer Tim Shiel. “Tim pushed me with my vocals like I’ve never been pushed before. He worked very hard to draw characterful
performances out of me, and he didn’t let up until it was right. Tim and I share a lot of mutual friends and collaborators, but we’re also from different musical worlds. His contribution really shook up the sound of the album. He’s a genius.” Georgia crowdfunded the album and the liner notes include a thank you to “the anonymous patron at The Retreat Hotel”. “During the [crowdfunding] campaign, I played a gig at The Retreat and a very generous person made a contribution, but requested to remain anonymous. I had seen this person at my shows on and off for a number of years but didn’t have their contact details, so putting this little message in the liner notes was my way of reaching out and saying thank you. The enthusiasm for this album has been very humbling and I can’t wait to finally release it into the stratosphere.” Georgia
Georgia Fields
is launching Astral Debris at The Toff in Town on 25 Aug.
Subscrrribe It’s a big year for Triple R, with the station celebrating its 40th birthday. Triple R’s annual radiothon starts on 19 Aug.
Hip Hip Missy Higgins is 33 on Friday (19 Aug).
Hot Line “We shouldn’t fuss and shouldn’t fight, we’re pieces of a puzzle and it feels so good when we fit together” — Georgia Fields, We’re Foolish Things.
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 43
Comedy / G The Guide
Wed 17
Clint Boge
Julien Wilson ‘B For Chicken’ Quartet: 303, Northcote
Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos + Abbe May: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
The Rumjacks
The Bickies + Xylo Aria + Kali Rhythm: Bar Open, Fitzroy Leny Andrade: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne
The Music Presents Liz Stringer: 17 Sep Howler; 18 Sep Beechworth Town Hall; 21 Sep Ararat Live; 22 Sep Sooki Lounge Belgrave; 25 Sep Caravan Music Club
Muddy’s Blues Roulette with Diddy Reyes: Catfish, Fitzroy Rat Ta’Mango + Long Holiday + Electric Mud: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Melanie Martinez: Festival Hall, West Melbourne
Michael Franti & Spearhead: 28 Sep The Croxton
Josh Wade: Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Gregory Porter: 30 Sep The Croxton
Lomond Acoustica feat. Dan Hall + Chris Hawker + Nigel Wearne + Joe Matera: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East
Emma Louise: 7 Oct The Workers Club Geelong; 8 Oct Corner Hotel Drapht: 14 Oct 170 Russell The Rumjacks: 28 Oct Sooki Lounge Belgrave; 29 Oct Pier Hotel Frankston; Spirit Bar & Lounge Traralgon; 31 Oct Cherry Bar; 15 Dec The Loft Warrnambool; 16 Dec The Eastern Ballarat East; 17 Dec The Golden Vine Bendigo; 10 Feb The Workers Club Geelong; 11 Feb Reverence Hotel Bell X1:2 Dec The Prince
Open Mic Night: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford Gordi + Xavier Dunn + Wedding Bell Rings: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Suzanne Kinsella + Andy Minard: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick Kiss The Snake Goodnight + Pigs of the Roman Empire + Bucchanal: The Bendigo, Collingwood Open Mic Night: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Wine, Whiskey, Women feat. Anita George + Moon Poet: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne
Clint And Steel Clint Boge, ex-singer of The Butterfly Effect and current singer of Like Thieves, is tagging along with Rival Fire in support of Dead Letter Circus on The Burning Number tour. Find them at 170 Russell on Friday. Lanewaves + Ben Rogers Instrumental Asylum + Hot Wings: The Tote (Upstairs), Collingwood
Tom Vincent Trio: Open Studio, Northcote
Torrential Thrill + Lazarus Mode + Suburban Prophets: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood
Carlton Drought Relief feat. Blind Man Death Stare + Grim Rhythm + Australian Kingswood Factory + Keggin + Drexler + Simon Wilson: The Bendigo, Collingwood
Golden Girls + Time For Dreams + S House: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Trivia: Wesley Anne, Northcote
Peg: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick
Miff & The Reunion + Astrohymn + Ivan Zar + Melina Twyman: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick
Thu 18 Two Steps On The Water
Firewire: 303, Northcote
Beyond Contempt
Cryptic Abyss + Intercranial Tremors + Rick Grimm’s Illa Turba + Feast of Crows + Vantablak Daeth: Bar Open, Fitzroy Leny Andrade: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne Good Lovin’ with Adriana: Boney, Melbourne DJ Adam Ayres: Catfish, Fitzroy
You Eyballin’? Two Steps On The Water are launching their debut LP God Forbid Anyone Look Me In The Eye on Friday. If that isn’t enough to get you to The Tote, Camp Cope and RVG are supporting.
The Meltdown: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Grouplove + Lisa Mitchell: Corner Hotel, Richmond Kappa Stigma: Frat Party with Rad Island + Terra + Inventions: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Dog Whistle Politics + Cash The Madmen + Badger + Zac Saber: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy The Ellen Degenerates: Gin Lane, Belgrave
Way Past That Get down to The Brunswick Hotel on Friday night for the fire and the fury that is Beyond Contempt. Joining the thrashers are The Nuremburg Code, Stoned To Death and Anient.
Michael Winslow: Hallam Hotel, Hallam Apes + Hollow Everdaze: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Residual: Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Hownowmer + Kate Alexander + Dirt Hand: The Old Bar, Fitzroy
Writers Block #18 feat. Mandy Connell + Bec Goring + David Hyams + more: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East
Floyd Cox + Hills Hoist + Scout: The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Steve Perry Big House: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford
Bec Sandridge: The Curtin, Carlton Open Mic Night: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne Vulgargrad + Pugsley Buzzard: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Gee Seas + Brad Pot + Scout + Scraggers: The Old Bar, Fitzroy
44 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Gigs / Live The Guide
Corey Harris + Kristen Lee Morris: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh
Steph Brett
Tom & Bette Plz Steph Brett and Helena are in the third week of an August residency at Edinburgh Castle. Performing this Thursday, the pair will be playing a collection of classic duets throughout the night.
Dave Dobbyn: Max Watt’s, Melbourne
The Offtopics: Catfish, Fitzroy
Ace of Spades + Katana Cartel + Strangers In Town: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford
The Angels + Mi-Sex: Chelsea Heights Hotel, Aspendale Gardens
Friday Nights at NGV feat. Jess Ribeiro: National Gallery of Victoria, Southbank
Chris Wilson: Cherry Bar, Melbourne
Cookin’ On 3 Burners + Mojo Juju + Chris Gill: Northcote Social Club, Northcote
Mammoth Mammoth + Zombie Motors Wrecking Yard + more: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Alex Williamson: Comic’s Lounge, North Melbourne
Shanty Town: Open Studio, Northcote Jack Stirling & The Perfect: Penny Black, Brunswick
Venus II + Leo James + Golden Syrup: The Gasometer Hotel (8pm), Collingwood
Nathan Kaye: The Geelong Hotel, Geelong
The Resignators: The General, Mt Hotham Running Young: The Loft, Warrnambool Flour + TV Haze + Kill Dirty Youth + Rat Head: The Old Bar, Fitzroy The Badloves + Taxiride: The Palms at Crown, Southbank IO + Orygn: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg
Will Wagner + Jeff Rosenstock: Corner Hotel, Richmond DJ Dexter: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
Kllo
Foam + Max Quinn’s Onomatopenis + Jurassic Nark + Hyder Seek: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Jack Danzey + Mickey Edwards: Ferdydurke, Melbourne The Quarrelmen Play Revolver: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick
Kane Ikin + Corin: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Enola Fall + The Weekend People + Kovo: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Midnight Express with DJ Prequel & Edd Fisher + Jennifer Loveless: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne Urban Echoes - A Sexy Evening with Jai Latte + Silhouettes: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Seasloth + Beloved Elk + Crimsonettes + The Electric Guitars: The Tote, Collingwood Neon Alley feat. Myami + Bel + Bats: The Workers Club, Fitzroy
Justin Yap Band: Forester’s Hall, Collingwood The New Savages: Gin Lane, Belgrave Wireheads + Summer Flake + Primo + SMB: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Skyscraper Stan: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood KLLO + Martin King + Corin + more: Howler, Brunswick Peachy + The Second Sex + Northwood: Karova Lounge, Ballarat The Midnight Scavengers: Labour In Vain, Fitzroy
Mellow Kllo To celebrate the release of their hugely anticipated second EP Well Worn, local two-piece Kllo are kicking ‘round the country on a national tour. You can see the pair do their thing at Howler on Saturday.
Tora + Yates: The Workers Club Geelong, Geelong Leanne Tennant: Wesley Anne, Northcote
David Cosma
Alexis Nicole: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote Hi-Tec Emotions: Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
Mosey Jokers + Master Beta + Swamp Moth + Archway: Bar Open, Fitzroy Cash Savage & The Last Drinks: Basement Discs (InStore/12.45pm), Melbourne The Jackson Four: Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne
Cosmatron Word is the crooner David Cosma isn’t far off putting out his new album. If you can’t wait, though, the Melbourne-based singer-songwriter is playing at Charles Weston Hotel every Thursday in August.
Sleazy Listening with Arks + Richard Kelly + Hysteric + K. Hoop: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne
Birdhouse + Sinead Horne + Maverick + The Crookeds: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Belle Haven: Sooki Lounge, Belgrave The Monotremes + Joe Oppenheimer: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Espionage + Horizons Edge + Trigger + Skarlet + Primitive: The Bendigo, Collingwood Beyond Contempt + The Nuremberg Code + Evolution Of Self + Anient: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick
Poprocks At The Toff with Dr Phil Smith: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Two Steps on the Water + Camp Cope + RVG: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt + Safe Hands + Diploid + Sick Machine + The World At A Glance + Stockades: The Tote (Upstairs), Collingwood Tora + Yates + Seavera: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Tom Milek: The Workers Club Geelong, Geelong Bossa Brunswick: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote
Purpose + Peezo + Southbeach: The Croxton, Thornbury
Lot 56: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote
DMC DJ Championships State Heats: Laundry Bar, Fitzroy
Small Town Aliens: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne
Food Court + The Pretty Littles + Chillers: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy
Flip Your Wig + Boof + Max Teacle: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East
The Royal Jellies + Manny Fox + Belove: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Michael Winslow: York on Lilydale, Mt Evelyn
Leny Andrade: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne I Heart Dancehall feat. G Star Boyz + SK Simeon + Yaw Faso + So Fire + more: Brown Alley, Melbourne
Hound: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
DJ Joel Hamlin: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray
Dead Letter Circus + Clint Boge + Rival Fire: 170 Russell, Melbourne
Tex Perkins & The Tennessee Four with Rachael Tidd + Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk + Lost Ragas + Brian Nankervis: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Barely Standing: The Prince (Public Bar), St Kilda
Earth + Nemesium + Hellspit + Malefecium: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray
Fri 19
Avii + Zhane White: 303, Northcote
La Danse Macabre with Brunswick Massive: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 45
Comedy / G The Guide
Sat 20
Pierce The Veil + Silverstein + Beartooth + Storm The Sky: 170 Russell (Under 18s), Melbourne
The Beatles Back2Back: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band & Abbey Road feat. Russell Morris + Kav Temperley + Jack Jones + Jon Allen: The Plenary, South Wharf
Bella Wolf: Alliance Francaise Melbourne, St Kilda
The Curse + Dag: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg
Marty Williams Band: Baha Tacos, Rye
Phil Para: The Prince (Public Bar), St Kilda
DJ Pareja: Bar of Bengal (Kindred Studios), Yarraville
Mark Campbell & The Ravens + Freya Josephine Hollick: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury
Tora
The Attics + DIET + Splendidid + Doona Waves: Bar Open, Fitzroy
Chris Watts + 1891 + Hannah Ella: The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Josh Wade: Barwon Club, South Geelong
In The Carriage with Jimmy James: The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Bill Chambers + Lachlan Bryan + Mick Daley: Bella Union, Carlton South
The House deFrost with Andee Frost: The Toff In Town (Toff Ballroom), Melbourne
Leny Andrade: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne Gibson & Grieg: Boney, Melbourne Melbourne Rebetiko Festival Day 1+Various Artists: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh El Colosso + Merchant + Molly Dooker: Catfish, Fitzroy Fuzzfest Day 1 with My Left Boot + Sherrif + Don Fernando + Dr Colossus + Two Headed Dog + Devil Electric + Swidgen + more: Cherry Bar, Melbourne
Karl S Williams
Headline Tora Byron Bay electronic outfit Tora are doing their own headline national tour before settling down to write their debut album. They’ll be playing The Workers Club this Thursday with Yates and Seavera.
Si’s 40th Birthday Bash with The Chops + Champagne & Goat + Slab Knackers + Si the Philanthropist: Gin Lane, Belgrave Kinematic + Aspirin + The Mansions: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood
Dave Graney & The Mistly: Grandview Hotel, Fairfield Corey Harris + Kristen Lee Morris: Harvester Moon Cafe, Bellarine Dorsal Fins: Howler, Brunswick
Beelzebub’s Beard
Alex Watts + Emma Russack + Alexander Biggs: Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne
Karl S Williams continues his residency at Northcote Social Club this Sunday, with guests TBC. Show up and get lost in Williams’ roots rock throwback, which shines through in debut album Heartwood.
Horris Green: Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Japanese Wallpaper + E^ST + Braille Face: Corner Hotel, Richmond
The Glorious North: Labour In Vain, Fitzroy Foam: Major Tom’s, Kyneton Steel Pulse: Max Watt’s, Melbourne A Tribute To The King feat. Priscilla’s Nightmare: Memo Music Hall, St Kilda Gayle Cavanagh & The Mixed Company Band: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford Skegss + Dumb Punts + Verge Collection: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Kavisha Mazzella + Andy White: Open Studio, Northcote
The Moonee Valley Drifters: Romsey Hotel, Romsey The Black Sorrows: Satellite Lounge, Wheelers Hill The Angels + Mi-Sex: Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster
Disco Dance Party with Brooklyn’s Finest: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick
2AM Slot with Cows Muff: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy Orphans + Loobs + Latreenagers: Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
Leanne Tennant
The Delvenes + Cold Irons Bound + Chimper Kimblay: The B.East, Brunswick East Hound + Summer Blood + Mild Manic + Don Bosco + Under The Cut: The Bendigo, Collingwood Strawberry Fist Cake + K-Mart Warriors + I Am Duckeye + The Shadow League + Keggin: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Tinsley Waterhouse Band: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Babaganouj: The Croxton, Thornbury Here Comes The Sun - A Journey Through The Songs Of George Harrison with Wes Carr: The Cube, Wodonga Silent Jay + Jace XL + The Goods + 30/70 + Billy Davis: The Curtin, Carlton
Jeff Rosenstock + The Flying So High-O’s + TV Haze: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
Backwood Creatures: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
Jamaica Jump Up #7: Heartical Hi Powa!: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Cute Is What We Aim For + Undercast + Between You & Me: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
Electric Wallpaper + Lanewaves: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
Residual: The Loft, Warrnambool
The Rebelles + Dusty Spring Clean & The Pops: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick
Roundtable + Black Rheno + The Nuremberg Code + Annhilist: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray Khan + Impavid + Edit the Empire: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray
Skegss + Dumb Punts: Wrangler Studios, West Footscray
Tora + Yates: Tap House, Bendigo
Jump Devils + Ciaran Boyle: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne
46 • THE MUSIC • 17TH AUGUST 2016
Patrick Wilson & The Bare River Queens: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote
Sunshine: Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
Thando: Penny Black, Brunswick
Rigidy Rourke & The Love Dogs: Forester’s Hall, Collingwood
Jacob McGuffie’s Dukes of Haggard: Union Hotel, Brunswick
Garrett Kato: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote
Forever Son: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood
Alex Williamson: Comic’s Lounge, North Melbourne
Ben Wright Smith: The Workers Club Geelong, Geelong
Fraudband + Digger & The Pussycats + Ohms + Bench Press: The Old Bar, Fitzroy Poppingene + Chips Calipso: The Old Bar, Fitzroy
Perfect Tennant Qld Music Award-winner for Best Blues & Roots Artist Leanne Tennant, will be gracing Wesley Anne on Thursday to share her deliciously named album Red Wine, Late Nights. She’ll be supported by The Man Who Wasn’t There.
Sun 21 Pierce The Veil + Silverstein + Beartooth + Storm The Sky: 170 Russell, Melbourne Bohjass: 303, Northcote Verge Collection + Self Talk + Rhystics: Bar Open, Fitzroy Leny Andrade: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne
Gigs / Live The Guide
Fuzzfest Day 2 feat. Dr Colossus + Black Valley + The Vendettas + Long Holiday + Redro Redriguez & His Inner Demons + Desert Kingdom: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cherry Blues with Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie + Ivan Zar + DJ Max Crawdaddy: Cherry Bar (12pm), Melbourne Japanese Wallpaper + E^ST + Squidgenini: Corner Hotel, Richmond Cute Is What We Aim For + Undercast + Distance + Stuck Out: Evelyn Hotel (All Ages/Matinee Show), Fitzroy
The Printer Convention + Tommy Castles + The Bean Project: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Mimi: Ferdydurke, Melbourne A Spoonful of Cream with Paul Wookey + Shannon Bourne: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick Loadstar: Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy Himalaya Playas Club with Man Made Mountain + Billy Davis Collective + more: Howler, Brunswick
Americanafest feat. Sarah Carroll + Jemma Nicole + Jemma Rowlands + Mick Daley + Suzannah Espie + Sean McMahon + Waz E James + The Weeping Willows + more: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
Elwood Blues Club All Stars: The Prince (Public Bar), St Kilda
The Sunday Set with DJ Andyblack + Mr Weir: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne
Bec Stevens + Luke Seymoup + Jo Neugebauer: Reverence Hotel (Front Bar), Footscray
Down The Rabbit Hole with Nigel Last: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne
Field, See & Mason: Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North
Encode with Jackson Ruan + Dave Juric + Nick Biggins: The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Battle 8 Heat #2 with All Good + One Puf: Section 8, Melbourne
Puce Mary + Straightjacket Nation + Lucid Castration + Armour Group + Nikola Mououd + No Sister: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood
Daniel Tucceri: The Bendigo, Collingwood True Defective + Infected Transistor + Molasses: The Bendigo, Collingwood Hidden Currents + Mousecapades + Wolf & Willow: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick The Miyagis + Freak & The Freak Cats + Rick & The Dippers + Le Pine + Headlopper: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Uncle Jack Charles: The Curtin, Carlton
The Attics
Nathan Kaye: The Western Hotel, Ballarat Miserable Little Bastards + Tim Ireland: Union Hotel (3pm), Brunswick Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote Elliot Weston: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote
Up The Bluff Colac crew The Attics are launching their bright, synthdriven new single Bluffing at Bar Open this Saturday. They’re also joined by special guests DIET, Splendidid and Doona Waves for the event.
Miles & Simone: Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
Mon 22
Uncle Jack Charles: The Curtin, Carlton
Pierce The Veil + Silverstein + Beartooth + Storm The Sky: 170 Russell, Melbourne
Call It In with Instant Peterson + Dylan Michel + more: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne
Vanishing Act + Georgia Rose: 303, Northcote
Residual + Jack & The Kids + Laiks: The Workers Club, Fitzroy
Bird’s Big Band + Michael Fraser: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne
Tue 23
Cherry Jam: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Grim Rhythm + Jumpin’ Jack William + Neil Wilkinson: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
Make It Up Club feat. Sensaround + Hammers Lake + Maria Moles + Great Rack + Empty Club Reverb: Bar Open, Fitzroy Arturo O’Farrill: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne
Dorsal Fins Quarteto Curio
Tom Tom Tuesday feat. The Ancients + The Great Outdoors + Bench Press + more: Howler, Brunswick
Quatro, Hold The Formaggi
Irish Session: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East
Get a tasty tune with your slice at Compass Pizza Friday when four-piece Quarteto Curio start feet tapping with their mix of slick sambas, grooving bossa nova and contemporary jazz.
Never Cheer Before You Know Who’s Winning: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran
Doped Up Dolphins The JVG Guitar Method: Labour In Vain, Fitzroy
The Luau Cowboys + The Old Married Couple: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne
Greg Champion & The Useful Members Of Society: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East
The Sinking Teeth + Darts + The Neighbourhood Youth + Heads Of Charm: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Zen Robotic: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford Karl S Williams: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Brent Parlane + Stephen Blackburn: Northcote Social Club (Matinee Show), Northcote Dan & Phil: Palais Theatre, St Kilda Dan & Phil: Palais Theatre (Matinee), St Kilda Miss Whiskey: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
White Vans + The Conversationists + Dead End: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
Ciggie Sundays with Tomsk + Service Desk + Harold & Sam + more: The Gasometer Hotel (3pm), Collingwood Girls Rock feat. Thrasher Jynx + Monkey Grip + Sub Rosa + Liquor Snatch + Ding Dong Death Hole + Stephanie Sabrinkas: The Old Bar, Fitzroy
Dorsal Fins will be stopping by Howler in support of their most recent single, Sedated. Fans will be treated to the Melbourne band’s most recent effort when they hit the stage on Saturday.
Sentia: Habitat HQ, St Kilda
Saint Hill + Hannah Cameron: The Old Bar, Fitzroy
Monday Night Mass feat. Hexham + Ian Wadley + Chris Smith + Nick Huggins + Eleanor Jackson: Northcote Social Club, Northcote
Jesse Redwing Band + The Hello Morning: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg
Gin Club Two: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
Trivia: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Rachel Caddy + Taylor Piggott + Polly Maudlin: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Uncle Jack Charles: The Curtin, Carlton Trivia: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne Dogood + Zone Out + Dannika: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Mihra + The Sand Dollars + Noti: The Gasometer Hotel (Upstairs), Collingwood Now.Here.This with Silver Lining + Quantum Milkshake + Emelyne + Logo: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Carriage 252 feat. David Boyd Smiley: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne The Girl Fridas + Plastic Knife + Rupert Ramon + Only Leonie + Piss Factory: The Workers Club, Fitzroy
Passionate Tongues Poetry The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick THE MUSIC 17TH AUGUST 2016 • 47
Australian Institute of Music
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