06.09.17 Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Sydney / Free / Incorporating
OPER O H E IR A L C & E L T MEL BUT T! TOGETHER AT LAS
Issue
205
2 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
11–17 SEPTEMBER 2017
KEVIN BRIDGES
13 & 14 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, CONCERT HALL
GAD ELMALEH 18 & 19 SEPTEMBER • CITY RECITAL HALL
BERT TOFOP WITH WIL ANDERSON KREISCHER & CHARLIE CLAUSEN
15 & 16 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, PLAYHOUSE
13 SEPTEMBER • ENMORE THEATRE
HOSTED BY
MY FAVORITE MURDER 11 SEPTEMBER • ENMORE THEATRE 12 SEPTEMBER • SOH, PLAYHOUSE
THE LITTLE DUM DUM CLUB 14 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, PLAYHOUSE
DAVE HUGHES
KEVIN BRIDGES • WIL ANDERSON GAD ELMALEH • DENISE SCOTT BERT KREISCHER • ANNE EDMONDS 16 SEPTEMBER • SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
14-16 SEPTEMBER @ 7:15PM & 9:30PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, STUDIO
LUKE joel McGREGOR creaSy
15 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, PLAYHOUSE
13 SEPTEMBER 7:15PM & 9:30PM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, STUDIO
CLAIRE HOOPER & MEL BUTTLE 13 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, PLAYHOUSE
R LAUGHS FESTIVAL PASS* FO ST JU E TH TH WI DY ME CO RE MO E SAVE MONEY & SE
Book at justforlaughs.sydney or ticketek.com.au #jflsydney *SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 3
From your first day at SAE, you’ll start creating in world-class facilities, on the latest software and equipment, all under the guidance of our expert lecturers - because at SAE, we believe to be job ready, you need to know the job. With classes starting in September, it’s not too late to kick-start your creative career in 2017.
START IN SEPTEMBER - ENROL TODAY sae.edu.au 1800 723 338 BRISBANE | BYRON BAY | SYDNEY | MELBOURNE | ADELAIDE | PERTH | ONLINE 4 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
SEPT 1ST
HEY GERONIMO + HAIKU HAND SEPT 8TH
BASEMENT
THU 7TH 8PM BASEMENT
FRI 8TH 8PM
BASEMENT
FRI 8TH 12AM
LEVEL ONE
FRI 8TH 10PM
“NEON HIGHWAYS”
WITH SUPPORT FROM “ACROLYSIS”, “DNA”, “SPACE”
BASEMENT
SAT 9TH 8PM
LAST RIDE RECORDS PRESENTS
“PRIMITIVE BLAST” 7” RELEASE PARTY
WITH SUPPORT FROM “OILY BOYS”, “ILL NATURED”, “CONTROLLED”, “RAPID DYE”, “THE HARD WORD”
LEVEL ONE
SAT 9TH 10PM
BURNING ROSE RECORDS PRESENTS
BRR: FLOORBREAKER 02
FEAT: PHILE, BEAD, WRX, MALCHANCE, SUICIDE APPARATUS LGS PRESENTS
BASEMENT
SUN 10TH 5PM
SANCTUARY CLUB PRESENTS
JUST ONE FIX
SYDNEY’S PREMIER ALTERNATIVE CLUB NIGHT FEATURING BEST ALTERNATIVE DJ’S AND PERSONALLY RECOMMENDED BY IAN ASTBURY OF “CULT” DEEPSPACE RECORDS PRESENTS
PSYCHEDELIC OBSESSIONS
WITH DJ’S 0DB (SOUTH AFRICA), FLAW THEORY (SOUTH AFRICA), CODETECH, RAPTOR, SUPERBEAST, BEAR HARBOUR CITY NOISE PRESENTS:
“THE VIOLET STONES” SUPPORTED BY “ “BLUE/GREEN”, “GREYSCALE”, “BRE SIESTA”
FREEFORM ONLY FEAT FREE KFC WITH DJ’S REMANE, DISSEMINATE, FOCUS AND MANY MORE
COMING UP
Thu 14 Sept: 8pm Basement: “Down With The Ship” with support from “No! Not The Bees”, “Flicker”, “Frenzy” in the night of Pop Punk; Fri 15 Sept: 8pm Basement: “Blind Man Death Stare” ‘It’ll Grown on Ya’ Album Launch with support from “Hostile Objects”, “STFU” ,”Cap A Capo”; 10pm Level One: Blackout Aboriginal Monthly Clubnight with DJ’s Digital Mouth, Aycuz, Don Juan; Sat 16 Sept: 9pm Basement: Mutilate presents Ode To Black, Silver Room with Splinter Cell, Vader, Geoff Da Cheff, Spindo, Lilith Patrix and many more; 10pm Level One: Mutilate presents Ode To Black, Black Room with Mack Da Ripper, Convict, Catzeyez, Napoleon, Mantello, Mutilate DJs and many more; Sun 17 Sept: 3pm Basement: “Private Event/Filming”
ABBE MAY
+ LITTLE COYOTE SEPT 15TH
THE SEA GYPSIES + THE KAVA KINGS SEPT 22ND
WINTERBOURNE + LITTLE COYOTE SEPT 29TH
MAJOR LEAGUES + NELIPOT THE BAND
LOCAL ROCK ‘N ROLL, FOLK & INDIE POP ROCK ACTS LIVE & LOUD EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT AT SELINA’S FROM 8PM COOGEEBAYHOTEL.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 5
Music / Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Sad Is The New Rad
Sad Grrrls Fest has just announced some new additions to its already stacked line-up. The newest gems in the crown include Brissy four-piece Major Leagues and SA indie duo Nakatomi.
Major Leagues
Big Daddy Kane
SZA
Kane You Dig It? Legendary New York MC Big Daddy Kane is heading back to our shores for an intimate east coast tour. The poet, rapper and pioneer of hip hop will play three shows in VIC, NSW and QLD.
Don’t Miss Out The third instalment of FOMO promises to be the biggest yet, with the lineup hosting a slew of big names. Among the bands playing are RL Grime, Nina Las Vegas, and SZA in her Aus debut.
7 The numbers of hours Colleen Green estimated she was waiting in an interrogation room before being told she would be deported from Australia for not having the correct visa.
6 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Cast Off The Music Podcast With Dave & Neil are hitting the road to bring you all the goss from the 2017 BIGSOUND conference in Brisbane. They’ll be releasing a new episode every day from Brunswick & Ann in Fortitude Valley.
The Music Podcast With Dave & Neil
Arts / Li Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Frontlash
Hi-Fi Sci-Fi Guys
The Belligerents have finally gotten around to bringing out a full-length LP. Science Fiction is out 8 Sep, and the band have announced a massive tour though October and November to showcase the new release.
The Belligerents
Big BIGSOUND
We’re in the midst of the action, so check into theMusic.com.au to check out all the latest goings on from the industry conference.
The Mormons Definitely Are Coming KLP
This is one knock on the door we’ll answer – The Book Of Mormon has confirmed details for its Sydney season.
Alison Moyet
Melt Away Triple j host and dance artist extraordinaire KLP is back on tour thanks to her brand new single, Melt. The singer will take her shows to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as she shares the stage with coheadliner, Moonbase.
Colleen Green
Lashes
Another artist that’s playing Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena who has hit back at Court’s comments on same sex marriage.
Backlash Colleen Green
Was meant to be wrapping up a tour of Australia about now, but instead she was turned around after arriving in Melbourne the day after she landed and deported after not having the right visa.
Made Of Metal
Once Human
California-based metal monoliths Once Human have locked in their debut Aussie tour for February/March 2018. Lead by Sydney-born Lauren Hart, the band will travel all around the country supporting their new album, Evolution.
Karl’s Logies Boycott
Does it matter where the Logies are held as to whether you need to attend them? Furthermore, will it matter if Karl Stefanovic’s not in attendance, as he’s threatening to do if they move from Melbourne? Pretty sure the rest of the TV industry will still show up.
Citizen Pain Parliament’s back, but it’s the same story as the citizenship status of various politicians dominates Question Time. THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 7
Lifestyle Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Three Pips On one hand, I want to be Sydney Festival has healthy. On the other hand is unveiled the first events of January’s program, some powdered sugar from featuring shows that will take the plunge the waffles I had for lunch. (Aquasonic), travel in time @papasuncle
RIOT
(The Town Hall Affair) and let loose, Irish style (RIOT).
Hit The Road, Jack US megastar Jack Johnson has confirmed he’s heading our way this December for a run of outdoor shows around the country. Support will come from fellow Bushfire Records labelmate, Bahamas.
Jack Johnson
Dan Hong
Blasting Off Lyrical legend Alex The Astronaut has announced a massive nation-wide tour for the release of her forthcoming EP, See You Soon. She’ll play six huge shows throughout October and November.
8 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Farm To Park
Alex The Astronaut
Parklands Food Fest is back Saturday with 50 food stalls, the Western Sydney Parklands’ own fresh farm produce, live music, cooking demonstrations and Celebrity chefs Karen Martini and Dan Hong.
e / Cultu Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture
Credits
Publisher Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
About Lime
Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast
Lime Cordiale have delivered a double dose of sweet news. Not only is their debut LP, Permanent Vacation, out next month, but the duo will hit the road from September to December in support of the release.
National Editor – Magazines Mark Neilsen Arts & Culture Editor Maxim Boon
Gig Guide Justine Lynch gigs@themusic.com.au Contributing Editor Bryget Chrisfield
Lime Cordiale
Editorial Assistant Sam Wall, Jessica Dale
Contributors Anthony Carew, Ben Nicol, Brendan Crabb, Carley Hall, Chris Familton, Daniel Cribb, Chris Maric, Christopher H James, Cyclone, Daniel Cribb, Dave Drayton, Dylan Stewart, Guido Farnell, Guy Davis, James d’Apice, Liz Guiffre, Mac McNaughton, Mark Hebblewhite, Matt MacMaster, Matt O’Neill, Melissa Borg, Mitch Knox, Neil Griffiths, Mick Radojkovic, Rip Nicholson, Rod Whitfield, Ross Clelland, Sam Baran, Samantha Jonscher, Sara Tamim, Sarah Petchell, Shaun Colnan, Steve Bell, Tanya Bonnie Rae, Tim Finney, Uppy Chatterjee Photographers Angela Padovan, Cole Bennetts, Clare Hawley, Jodie Downie, Josh Groom, Hayden Nixon, Kane Hibberd, Munya Chawora, Pete Dovgan, Peter Sharp, Rohan Anderson, Simone Fisher
You Beauty! Beautiful Girls have announced a massive Aussie tour celebrating 15 years spent playing together. The tour will take them all over Aus from November right into January just as they return from a massive run through Europe.
Advertising Dept Brad Edwards sales@themusic.com.au Art Dept Ben Nicol, Felicity Case-Mejia Beautiful Girls
Admin & Accounts Ajaz Durrani, Meg Burnham, Bella Bi accounts@themusic.com.au Distro distro@themusic.com.au
Polish Club
Subscriptions store@themusic.com.au Contact Us Suite 42, 89-97 Jones St Ultimo Phone: (02) 9331 7077 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au
— Sydney
A Polish Christmas Get your crackers and crappy paper crowns out, because Sydney duo Polish Club have announced a huge sojourn around the country at the end of the year, for what they’re dubbing Christmas In December. THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 9
Just For Laughs
er are ttle and Claire Hoop Bu el M ns ia ed m Co eat t, but without The Gr ac le ub do t es sh Australia’s fre have teamed f they might never Australian Bake Of whisks two stand-ups taking ts ee m on Bo im ax up. M cs by Cover and feature pi y. ed m co r ei th ith w Giulia McGauran 10 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
W
hen I meet comedians Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle at a photography studio in Collingwood, they are discussing, in impressive detail, the calibre of a nearby breakfast roll - “It’s actually really excellent,” Hooper tells me as she savours a bite, while Buttle takes note of its “spot on” golden colour. It’s a very on-brand conversation for the hosts of The Great Australian Bake Off - the antipodean franchise of the British TV smash hit, that proved to be a surprise ratings bonanza for the BBC when it first aired in 2010. In the UK, comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins set the gold standard for hosting the program, with their quirky blend of whimsical repartee, down to earth relatability and adorably twee charisma. This winning dynamic is something producers of the Australian iteration have aimed to replicate, but unlike their pommy counterparts, Buttle and Hooper were not an existing double act prior to appearing on the show. Fortunately, they haven’t had to look far for inspiration. The archetypal comedy two-hander is a model that boasts some of the most hallowed stand-up icons of all time, such as The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise, and French and Saunders. Joining the ranks of these comedy greats has been an eye-opening experience for Hooper and Buttle. “Comedy is quite solitary, you’re on stage by yourself, you write it by yourself - It can be a pretty lonely job. So, I was really happy when I was paired up with Hoops, because now I’ve got a sounding board. If you’re trying to think up a funny line, you’ve got someone to bounce that idea off in the moment, to solve that comedic problem,” Buttle shares. “Often the way to a good joke is actually two or three steps, so it’s good if Mel’s like ‘I’m thinking about doing something with a briefcase,’ I can be like, ‘How about a briefcase... full of biscuits!’ And hey presto, you’re done! Comedy achieved,” Hooper adds. “You also have someone to nerd out about over words, you know? I can ask Mel, ‘Should it be, ‘The biscuits are breaking,’ or, ‘The cookies are crumbling?’ I know that sounds like a little thing, but comedy really does sink or swim on those small details.” While they are now reaping the rewards of their comedy collaboration, the pair admit that without Bake Off, their partnership was unlikely to have come about naturally. “I never thought, ‘I must get together with that
Claire Hooper and crack a few jokes.’ But once we started working together, we’d be getting our makeup done for example, and we’d be making the makeup girls laugh, making producers laugh. So the chemistry and the dynamic between the two of us was definitely there from the start. We’re able to warm up and get in that perfect comedy zone a lot quicker,” Buttle explains. “It’s very hard for you to have any objectivity about what your unique comedy voice is, and I think comedians might be tempted to get together in a writing duo with a comedian with a sympathetic style. But what working with Mel has shown me, it’s actually going to be more useful working with someone who does offer a different thought process or way of seeing things. So, for us to be paired up by outside forces has been a real piece of luck, because we probably wouldn’t have gravitated towards each other. We’d probably never have realised how complimentary our styles are together,” Hooper concludes. Fate (and competitive baking) may have brought Hooper and Buttle together, but the on-screen personas of Australia’s freshest comedy duo are considerably tamer than those familiar with their solo standup might expect, especially when it comes to that comedy mainstay: swearing. However, while the expletives both these veteran comics spout in their live performances may not make it onto the airwaves, neither tries too hard to keep it clean when the cameras are rolling. “Even if I say something totally inappropriate, one of the cameras will catch a great facial shot of Maggie Beer or one of the bakers, and the producers will be able to use that at some other point,” Buttle says. “I think one time Mel said ‘Get those biscuits out of the oven or I’ll shit in your mouth.’ Or something along those lines. Whatever it was, it was very classy,” Hooper laughs. Now for the first time, the pair will be bringing their double act from the screen to
If Mel’s like ‘I’m thinking about doing something with a briefcase,’ I can be like, ‘How about a briefcase... full of biscuits!’
the stage, headlining Just For Laughs at the Sydney Opera House. It’s a major moment for the duo, but Buttle and Hooper are playing it cool: “Well the show’s on Wednesday night, so we’ll probably meet up on Wednesday afternoon to figure it out. What d’ya reckon Hoops?” Buttle quips, “We prefer to work under pressure.” Joking aside, Buttle and Hooper are conscious of the expectations of their audience, and where their strongest comedy lies. “We know that this isn’t going to be a Morcam and Wise type deal. Sure, we could write a double act for an hour, but that would be an entirely untested show, and there would be no way for us to trust that material’s ability to give the audience a great experience. But if we’re giving the audience 25 minutes each of our very best stand-up, if we’re passing the baton to each other, that’s a much stronger show,” Hooper explains. “There will definitely be some of the show where we’re going to have a bit of a muck around, but wheeling out something totally raw would be irresponsible, to be honest.” “The Sydney Opera House is not the venue to deliver an hour of ropey sketch improv. I think the audience might get a tad aggro if we come on and say, ‘Thanks for coming to the workshop guys. Ok, let’s get some suggestions, where would you go to buy cheese?’ It’s just not something that would work for us as a duo,” Buttle concedes, as Hooper adds, “I am actually a very experienced theatrical improvisation performer. Whereas Mel has self-respect.”
What: Mel Buttle & Claire Hooper Live When & Where: 13 Sep, Sydney Opera House
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 11
Just For Laughs
Invasion of the POD PEOPLE
Claire Hooper The Beef and Dairy Podcast, Cal Wilson put me on to this. A fake podcast all about cheese, milk and cows, which is odd and hilarious and so much better than it sounds. Radiolab is an old favourite. I love a bit of science news and these guys make it really accessible. Shitting With The Door Open is a new parenting podcast featuring comic Harley Breen and nobody (my husband) Wade Duffin. I mention it because I know it’ll freak Wade out if people start listening.
The world has been enslaved by powerful forces, resistance is futile, so give in to the Podcast invasion.
ne of the world’s most listened to podcasts, My Favourite Murder, presented by American comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, is in town for Just For Laughs. But what other podcasts are our comedy big hitters into? We picked the brains of this year’s Just For Laughs line-up to find out.
O
What: My Favourite Murder When & Where: 11 Sep, Enmore Theatre
Denise Scott I like grizzly ones. Black Hands, a New Zealand made true crime cast about the Bain family murder in the mid ‘90s, and S-Town, from the creators of This American Life. An amazing story that feels almost too good to be true.
Wil Anderson I am a bit of a podcast junkie! At the moment I’m really loving Uhh Yeah Dude, America through the eyes of two American Americans, The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds who are two of my regular TOFOP guests, The Weekly Planet, a comic book trivia cast by two Australians who have a huge worldwide following, The Jackie And Laurie Show with Jackie Kashian and Laurie Kilmartin, and The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast with Stuart Goldsmith – utter gold(smith).
Merrick Watts Anne Edmonds I’ve been listening to a podcast called Witness from the BBC which covers historical events from the perspective of someone who was there. Nerd alert! 12 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
I thoroughly recommend Rachel Corbett’s You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere, a great series of interviews with the biggest names in Aussie showbiz, and Burn Your Passport, a bloody hilarious show where Nazeem Hussain tells us why travelling sucks.
105 VICTORIA RD, MARRICKVILLE
FACTORYTHEATRE .COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 13
Just For Laughs
Bridging
The
Gap
After a year off performing, studying Spanish in Madrid, Kevin Bridges is back. He tells Joe Dolan about politics, growing up, and how he nearly gave up comedy for good.
T
he life of a comedian is, more or less, the only one that Kevin Bridges has ever known. At just 17, the Scottish stand-up did his first ever gig, and his voice is still changing 13 years later. “I just turned 30,” Bridges says from a hotel in London, “and stand-up, it feels like an older person’s game. I think the more you live life and the more stuff happens to you, the funnier you get and the more you’ve got to draw on.” He adds, “I don’t know if I’ve noticed myself changing because I’m the only person who’s there at every single gig, so maybe people might say ‘oh, you’ve got a different style now,’ but you can’t always talk about being 17.” Bridges is also taking on some heavier subject matter compared to his adolescent days, breaking out the political guns in these tumultuous times. “I think it’s easier than ever to write material,” he confesses, “but it’s also hard because stuff that’s going on is so extreme. Trump, for example, he’s so hard to satirise. He’s almost a parody of himself, so it can be
Also Playing
Just for Laughs 14 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
hard to come up with an original outlook on things, rather than just going for an easy impression or something.” Bridges says that while it was an interesting transition into political humour, he felt it was necessary to try and make the world that little bit more bearable. “People have paid to hear you, so number one is you need to make them laugh,” he confidently asserts, “but if you can make a sort of give your audience something to think about, it defuses tension and I think that’s healthy for society,” While Bridges has his radar locked on to the likes of Trump and Brexit, he acknowledges that it can all be a little too much sometimes. Even as a man versed in jest and satire, Bridges, like anyone up to date with the news, finds it difficult to reject pessimism. “I’ll probably leave this interview to the news of another attack, you know?” he muses, “and it’s hard to talk about that stuff on stage, but you have to mention it because every day there’s conflict. In that respect, comedy is more important than it’s ever been, even just for the escapism. Even if the person
I honestly thought I would never do stand-up again.
onstage isn’t talking about what’s going on, just to have the escape of someone making you laugh is what we need right now.” This attitude towards comedy hasn’t always been an obvious one for Bridges. In fact, he deferred from comedy in 2016 after a gargantuan tour amassing nearly 500,000 punters. “I think it was the pressure;” he says. “You know, you work so hard just to get people to know who you are... and suddenly a few people are interested. Then your festival show blows up and then you’re playing big theatres, then it’s a DVD, which is great, but it means that material gets binned. So you have to start again: a new tour, trying to keep it as good as the last one, I didn’t know how I could sustain it. So the year off, re-finding that essence of what I do that makes people laugh, that was vital to me.” So what did he do on his year off? “I went
to Madrid to learn Spanish and I actually went to college. It was almost as if I was placed under witness protection,” he laughs. The return to the stage in 2017 was by no means an easy one for Bridges, who admits, “I honestly thought I would never do stand-up again. I thought maybe I had bumped myself off at that point, so coming back to it in January was a huge thing for me.” He says of that first show back, “It’s the longest I’ve ever not done stand-up since I started. It was proper Eminem, 8 Mile stuff: just a wee 50 seater in the back of a pub. I was like ‘shit, I feel like a proper amateur, doing this for the first time ever.’ It was the most nervous I’ve ever been before a gig.”
When & Where: 13 Sep, Sydney Opera House
Joel Creasey LIVE Join the audience for this comedy enfant terrible’s first TV stand-up special, and your belly laughs will be immortalised for all time (well… on a DVD at least). When & Where: 13 Sep, Sydney Opera House
If you sit there going ‘okay, this is my brand’ then you can become this really hackneyed version of what you think people think you are.
Fully
Operational From being dubbed America’s greatest party animal by Rolling Stone, to becoming a viral comedy sensation, Bert “The Machine” Kreischer has made a career out of living life to the fullest. Joe Dolan hears his ripping yarn.
“I
t’s probably the most interesting part of my story,” Bert Kreischer laughs as he recalls his rise to fame. “In 1997, Rolling Stone magazine discovered me in college and declared me the number one party animal in the country. They wrote a six and a half page article about me, and
then suddenly I was optioning off the rights to my life story.” As a Florida frat boy in a “Party school,” the next few years were serendipitous for a young Kreischer. “I said in the article that I thought I would want to do stand up, so I moved to New York to pursue the dream and six months in Will Smith discovers
me.” He continues, “I had this real baptism by fire in the media and entertainment. Initially it just happened so fast, and then I just started doing TV and stand up, and I’ve been doing all that for nearly 19 years now. It’s pretty much all I know.” By his own admission, however, Kreischer didn’t find his own voice as a stand up until rather recently. “If you watch my first special,” he says, “you can see that I tell a couple of stories there but I was always trying to write ‘jokes’ and trying to stick to a more proper format. And then podcasting came along and I became known in that world for telling good stories.” Speaking on how the rise in podcasts shaped his comedic style, Kreischer says “I think the dialogue between fans and comedians changed during this time, especially for myself. And I kind of grew as a comic and I learned to experiment with storytelling and what makes a story good... my writing process feels very organic, so now I can walk through life and see something and go ‘that would be good for stage.’” It was in this new comedic
style that Kreischer eventually exploded online. Having found a platform for his unique way of spinning yarns, the comic went on to viral fame with a story that’s affectionately come to be known as “The Machine.” “I first told that story on a show called Loveline about ten years ago,” Kreischer recalls of the tale in which he, as a college-aged exchange student, befriends and accomplices members of the Russian Mafia. “And then I told it in a few more places over the years and eventually on my new special. So I thought, ‘great, time to put this to rest,’ and then in the week after the special dropped the story got like 20 million views on my Facebook page.” Kreischer’s fans apparently now demand the story at “every show” he performs, but the comedian is more than happy to oblige. “I totally get it. You know, if I see Ron White I wanna hear the Tater Salad story. If I go see Foo Fighters I wanna hear Everlong, so I totally get it. But I tell everyone, ‘listen, I’ll do this story every damn show if you want, but just allow me to write a new hour of material every year!’” As Kreischner gears up for his nationwide Aus tour, he still remains humble. “If you had told me 18 years ago that I would have one joke that anyone would want to hear twice, I would’ve been shocked. And if you asked me all those years ago if I wouldn’t mind telling it again, I’d tell it every single night. Just let me do that hour of new material before hand. I have to do it at the end because if I tell that story at the beginning I’m afraid that they’ll just leave!”
When & Where: Sep 13, Enmore Theatre
Luke McGregor:
Just For Laughs All Star
Almost Fixed It
Comedy Gala
The most talented ranger in stand-up is offering a second bite of the cherry for anyone who missed his shows at MICF or Syd Comedy Fest.
Hosted by comedy legend Dave Hughes, this even of side splitting entertainment features some of the biggest names in the biz, including Denise Scott, Anne Edmonds and Wil Anderson.
When & Where: 15 Sep, Sydney Opera House
When & Where: 16 Sep, Sydney Opera House THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 15
Music
Light Work Frontman Jonas Bjerre tells Rod Whitfield that building the visual component of Mew’s show helped pull focus in those shy early days.
D
anish arty indie pop-rock band Mew recently released their seventh album Visuals, and are very shortly to bring the subsequent tour to our shores. It is a very apt title for a band such as Mew. Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Jonas Bjerre himself is an accomplished visual artist, and he designs all of the eye-popping imagery that they bring to their live shows in the form of lighting, rear-screen projection segments and so forth. Speaking from on tour in New York, Bjerre tells us that the thinking behind making their show so visually complex is actually rather simple.
... It was a way of compensating for not being a very extrovert frontman on stage, so then maybe people could forgive me for staring at my shoes the whole time! days it’s more a part of the art and a part of the show. “It’s also a lot of fun to work on. It’s very time consuming, but it’s something I really enjoy doing.” Indeed, the visual element of the band pervades the entire album, above and beyond simply being the title of the record. “I had some visual ideas even before we starting writing and recording,” he recalls. “We had this idea that every song’s starting point should be a visual idea, so we tried to think that way when we were writing, and it provided us with some sort of starting point. When you sit with just a blank sheet of paper, it’s hard. I usually like to have one word when I start coming up with melodies. This time it was more like a visual inspiration.” And well over two decades into their career, Bjerre still feels like he and the band are finding their way, that time and experience have not bestowed great wisdom and experience upon them and they now know the secrets of the artistic universe. “In some ways I feel like we’re just starting out,” he admits, “I probably thought back then, when we started, that in 20 years I’m going to be a lot smarter and wiser and I’m going to know what’s really going on. But now I don’t feel like that at all. I still just feel like I’m one soul thrown into a chaotic world and trying to make sense of it.”
When & Where: 11 Sep, Manning Bar
“We’ve always used visuals, I started making them very early, because I was working as an animator and I had all these ideas. Back then I didn’t really see bands doing that, so it was kind of a new thing. And also for me, it was a way of compensating for not being a very extrovert frontman on stage, so then maybe people could forgive me for staring at my shoes the whole time!” he laughs. Bjerre is now a far more forthright performer than he was in the band’s early days, and their audiences are treated to a more physical performance and the amazing visual imagery. “I feel more confident now as a performer,” he states, “I enjoy it a lot more and I love the feeling of the connection with the audience. So these 16 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 17
TV
Netflix, Nuance and Neighsayers Netflix cartoon series BoJack Horseman has never shied away from the darker side of “Hollywoo”, and, as creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg tells Guy Davis, that was always the plan.
S
einfeld is renowned for the acerbic behind-thescenes mantra that dictated its tone - “No hugging; no learning”. The acclaimed animated series BoJack Horseman, the fourth season of which premieres 8 September on Netflix, doesn’t have a similarly guiding principle, although series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg admits with a smile (and a warning that he was about to “go a bit blue”) that when BoJack’s writers were developing the show’s third season, a phrase started to circulate around the writers’ room.
If I start to get comfortable, we’re letting ourselves off too easily.
“BoJack Horseman: If you don’t get it by now, go fuck yourself.” It’s important to clarify that neither Bob-Waksberg nor his colleagues are taking a swipe at BoJack’s audience here. Instead, he’s pointing out that the show has long been frank about what it is, which in his words kicked off as “a typical cartoon show that, as you watched it, gradually got darker and deeper and more introspective and more melancholy, and by the end of the first season you were surprised by the feelings you were feeling. ‘I really care about these characters - what happened?’” Of course, when you’re trying to convince networks and producers to back such a project, that’s maybe not what
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you lead with. “The pitch of the show itself, though?” says Bob-Waksberg. “Well, it’s about a talking horse who was on a sitcom called Horsin’ Around in the Nineties and is now a washed-up actor living in the Hollywood Hills, and he’s this total misanthrope who complains about everything. Gradually, you learn to love him. Hate him. Both. That’s not how we sold it to viewers - it was smuggled in for the audience. But when it pitched it to people who could actually make it, I was very upfront about that. And very excited about it.” And while BoJack Horseman has won over fans with its often-surreal skewering of the showbiz scene, it’s actually the show’s thoughtful and unflinching exploration of the scene’s adjacent egomania, desperation and sadness that has regularly struck a chord with its fans. “In an interview about the first season, [series co-star] Paul F. Tompkins said - ah, I’m gonna mess this up! - that it’s not a show for grown-ups, it’s a show for adults,” says Bob-Waksberg. “Or maybe it was the other way around. But the implication was clear - this wasn’t a show with ‘mature language’ and ‘mature themes’, it was actually sophisticated in the way it talked about adult issues. It didn’t use the adult animation label to be crude and crass and ‘edgy’. “That’s how I described it when I was trying to sell it - I wanted to play with the format and come up with the kind of show that isn’t typically what you think of when you think of animation. What’s interesting, though, is that I didn’t tell that to all the actors, so they didn’t know what they were signing up for. “And one of the fun things about the first season was having table-reads of scripts and after each episode the actors were realising more and more the kind of show they were making. They had these really downer endings, and Will Arnett [who provides the voice of the title character] would just go ‘Whooooa’. But that was cool because this was our first audience, so we kind of saw that if they were reacting in this way, it was good - that was the kind of reaction we were hoping for.” Over the course of its run so far, BoJack Horseman has been lauded and embraced not only for its smartyet-goofy sense of humour and sensitive insight but also its imaginative approach to storytelling. Bob-Waksberg recognises that if he’s going to engage viewers, he must first ensure he himself is all-in. “I think the thing we’re constantly pushing is that I personally don’t want to get bored with the show and I don’t want the audience to get bored with the show,” he says. “If I start to get comfortable, we’re letting ourselves off too easily. In Season Four we’ve tried to push ourselves when it comes to stories we haven’t told yet, relationships we haven’t explored yet, ways of telling stories. We’re not quite as hung-up on concept. We do have a few episodes that are big swings, and I’m looking forward to seeing how people react to them. But we want to give you just enough of what you’re expecting so you keep coming back but also keep you surprised. We want to zag when you think we’re going to zig.”
What: Bojack Horseman When & Where: 8 Sep, Netflix
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Music
The Beast Within Multi-instrumentalist and producer Aaron Dessner from The National tells Roshan Clerke about the process of writing and recording the band’s latest album, Sleep Well Beast.
I
t’s been 16 years since critically acclaimed American indie rock band The National released their first record, and six albums later they’re sounding stronger than ever. However, Dessner says this level of success wasn’t something any of them ever imagined they would reach. “It wasn’t our intent when we started the band to be some big rock band,” he says. “I think we were mainly just enjoying making music and hanging out together, and we were already friends and family. We’re all very thankful, but it’s a fragile democracy, and everyone has different things that they want out of life, and we live in different places all over the world now, so the fact that we still do this, and do it well, is definitely unique. I think nobody takes it for granted.”
For me, it feels like this intimate recognition of the tension in all relationships, whether they’re romantic relationships, friendships, or within the band.
As for the new record, he says the band had more time than usual to experiment with the writing and production. “It’s been four years since the last one, so there was a deeper level of experimentation, and we went to greater lengths to be inspired. We built a studio on my property in upstate New York and specifically designed it for how we wanted it to work. It was a really fun experience, and I think what came out of it is something in a special, new chapter for the band.” In particular, Dessner (along with his brother and fellow band member Bryce) spent time collaborating in Berlin as part of a residency at an old East German radio
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campus called the Funkhaus. “We sort of had an open studio there, where there were over a hundred musicians. People would just come through, and anyone could plug in. There was a lot of raw experimentation; we weren’t really telling people the chords, or anything about the songs. We collected a lot of wonderful experiments from there, or just interesting audio, stuff that’s not necessarily sympathetic to the songs. If you listen closely you’ll hear static, or white noise, or some sort of audio processing. A lot of that stuff happened in Berlin, and I think it opened up another dimension to the record.” The band’s experimentation didn’t stop there, and Dessner says you can hear the band members trying out ideas throughout the album on songs like Walk It Back, which features a sample of a speech about making history. “Those are voices that we recorded and pitchshifted and messed with,” Dessner explains, “but the actual quote is something this Republican strategist Karl Rove had said, I think several years ago during the George W Bush administration. I think Matt [Berninger — the band’s vocalist] found that in an article or a book that he was reading, and something about it just felt... he was very struck by it, and it felt weirdly like it had some sort of context in the song.” When asked about the song’s meaning, Dessner is hesitant to offer an interpretation. “I think Matt sometimes thinks from a wider perspective in terms of his songwriting. He’s not a heavy-handed narrative songwriter, but you can always glean quite a bit of meaning and see yourself in his songs. I think that’s what other people do when they listen, and that’s kind of the beauty of it. Like, it’s easy to empathise with the characters, and I never feel that he’s undermined the music or not made it better somehow — I think that’s kind of a magical thing to really feel like we make each other better.” He says that once Berninger wrote the lyrics for the album-closer and title track, Sleep Well Beast, the album came into focus. “For me, it feels like this intimate recognition of the tension in all relationships, whether they’re romantic relationships, friendships, or within the band, of like ‘I love you, but I might harm you,’ you know, ‘this is a fragile thing we need to take care of.’ But at the same time, there’s something also broader in there, where it’s like maybe the beast relates not just to your loved one or the band or something, but it also relates to American youth; with the Republican leadership so many people are being left behind, or being put at a disadvantage, or having their rights taken away, and I feel like someday everyone’s going to wake up and be like, ‘This is not right.’ But for me it mainly represents the tension in relationships, and the fragility of relationships, and striving to be a good friend, or a good father, or a good husband.” The resulting record is an immersive experience that stands as one of the band’s most diverse efforts to date, and Dessner finishes the conversation by adding that he’s looking forward to allowing the songs to disintegrate and drift into further experimental territory when they play in Australia early next year.
What: Sleep Well Beast (4AD/Remote Control) When & Where: 21 & 22 Feb, Sydney Opera House
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 21
Music
who we are in each show — but really we don’t feel we have to play certain songs unless it’s a place we’ve never been to. We’re lucky — our fans are really passionate and know our back catalogue well — it means we have a great range to choose from each show.” So, what does your average AFI fan look like in 2017? Has the band kept fans from their ‘90s beginnings or even those who jumped on board with Decemberunderground? “Not sure there’s many left from the ‘Gilman’ days,” laughs Havok. “Most people check out of music as they get older — but there are some lifers out there — I’ve met people who are actually bringing their grandchildren to our shows. Otherwise, we’ve kept fans from all periods of the band’s history. I think for the most part it’s a testament to what we do and the commitment we have to our music.” AFI hasn’t just managed to keep their fans — they’ve somehow kept the same line-up since the late ‘90s — no mean feat when even close-knit peers like Pennywise have seen members go. “I think the most important thing is that we are all still doing it for the same reason we started the band: we are all driven to create good music. We all love what we do and want to make songs we are proud of. I know that sounds cliched — but for us, it’s the truth. Aside from that, there’s also the fact that the majority of us are drug-free — which allows for a consistency in our behaviour and in the way we interact with each other.” In fact, Havok is so even-keeled he doesn’t even feel the need to proselytize his own straight edge beliefs. “I’ve never shied away from being public about my veganism and straight edge views,” he says. “But AFI is not a straight-edge band so we will never use our music to preach to other people. But that said — for me living a compassionate and helpful lifestyle is very important and something I try to do every day.”
Sing The Sorrow?
A V O C A LY P S E
NOW! Baby Boomers will be delighted to hear that the primary source of nourishment for Millennials, the avocado (preferably smashed to bits and sold for double digits), may be in dwindling supply this summer. And this is curse we brought on ourselves: cue Charlton Heston Planet Of The Apes impression, “You blew it all to hell!” A surge in Australia’s avocado consumption over the winter months may see the supply of home-grown avos failing to meet demand when the warmer months roll around. In a cruel twist of fate, native stocks may need to be bolstered with avos imported from New Zealand, which may see prices sharply increasing, thus harming Millennials’ chance of getting on the property ladder even more. Kiss your brunch, and mortgage prospects, good bye.
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Where many of their contemporaries have fallen victim to the tides of musical fortune AFI have survived to become a punk rock institution. Mark Hebblewhite checked in with main man Davey Havok to uncover the secret of their longevity.
“F
or a long time, we wanted to come to Australia but promoters just didn’t want us,” chuckles Havok. “Then we had a big record in America and we finally got to tour around 2003 — we’ve been lucky enough to be able to tour with every album ever since.” Having just released their tenth album in a career that stretches all the way back to 1991, AFI don’t even pretend that they can represent every aspect of the band’s past. But according to Havok the trick to appeasing the most people as possible is to stay away from an over-regimented approach. “We change the setlist up a little bit every night to keep it interesting for us — it’s a matter of whim really. But we’re also careful not to double up too much on songs we played the last time in that city — so people who are seeing us again get something different. We also don’t like to play for too long. Some bands play for like two hours — but that’s too much (laughs) — we keep it at a short and sweet 80 minutes.” Despite the fan expectations that come from having a long career Havok doesn’t feel any weight of responsibility. “We like to touch on aspects of who we were — and
When & Where: 9 Sep, Big Top Sydney
In Focus
Unity: The Equality Campaign Concer t Pic: Sarah Blasko, Heather Shannon & Sam Lockwood (The Jezabels), Jack Colwell, Andy Bull. Pic by Peter Sharp.
A whole bunch of performers are coming together to support marriage equality with a huge gig. The line-up features musicians performing for free with proceeds from tickets going towards Australian Marriage Equality. You can catch Killing Heidi (doing a mini set), The Jezabels performing acoustically, Jay Whalley & Lindsay McDougall (Frenzal Rhomb), Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, Jack Colwell, Andy Bull, Mojo Juju and Lonelyspeck. It all happens at the Enmore Theatre on Tuesday.
Music
“It Will Make Headlines
Violent Optimism
Around The World”
A new “tell-all” documentary about the life of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence has been announced with a sensational promise to make headlines around the world. Michael Hutchence: The Last Rockstar will be aired on Channel Seven, and will explore the final hours of the iconic musician’s life, before he was found dead in a Sydney hotel room in 1997. The documentary promises to be one of the most intimate portrayals of Hutchence ever revealed, with unheard songs, personal photos and a greater focus on the singer as a father, son, brother and lover. The documentary also claims to reveal Hutchence’s final words, in lyrics believed to have been penned by the singer the night of his death: “Look at the mess Your making Look at the mess Across your face All the bitterness Has started showing Five Years No one hears Just another heart Too scared to b…” The film is scheduled to be released to coincide with a masquerade ball in Sydney to celebrate INXS’s 40th anniversary.
24 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Teutonic thrash titans Kreator keep delivering the goods in an increasingly uncertain world. Mark Hebblewhite spoke with their main man, Mille Petrozza, about the march of time and Germany’s role in the post-Obama world.
“I
know it’s pretty strange that people are actually cheering for Angela Merkel — if it’s up to her to tell him some truths then why not,” laughs Petrozza, when asked about the Chancellor’s recent retorts to one Donald J Trump. “Things have become more complicated in politics — a few years ago you knew who was a left winger and who was perhaps more conservative. But I think those sides are breaking down — Donald Trump for a lot of people wasn’t a politician and I think that’s what attracted people to him — for better or for worse. Here in Germany no-one took him seriously — and now look at him. Personally, I’m pretty chill about these things. Something Lemmy once told me years ago about politics has really stuck with me: he said when most politicians start out they have good ideas but later on they just become liars. These days I can’t choose between some of these politicians — I think some just hide their lies better than others (laughs). It’s not like I’m not interested in politics — but for me, life is too short to spend too much time thinking about it.” Petrozza is far more optimistic when it comes to the state of thrash metal in 2017.
“Look at all the old bands making great records — Exodus, Testament, Overkill — and of course there’s a new generation coming through across the world. We took our time with Gods Of Violence because we wanted to make sure that we had the best songs we could — and when you see what else is out there it’s important to bring your best. I also think that the energy of thrash metal music brings people together — at our shows, there are young kids, old guys like us — and it’s amazing that I meet young kids who know every single one of our records from the ‘80s.” Like all veteran thrash bands, Kreator has gone through periods of experimentation. In Kreator’s case, it was the mid to late ‘90s that saw them flirting with industrial and gothic rock. Looking back, are there records from this period that Petrozza believes should have been treated more fairly? “There’s no such thing as ‘fair’ in the music industry,” he admits. “But I guess it’s a shame that some of the records we did in the ‘90s — like Endorama didn’t get the attention I thought it deserved. You know we often think of slipping songs from those records into the set but now is not the right time. We need to cover the new stuff, and of course, play the classic Kreator anthems. But maybe in the future, we’ll do a special tour and play stuff off Renewal or Cause For Conflict. We’ve been around a long time and it would be good for people to hear some of the songs they may not have heard before.”
When & Where: 9 Sep, Manning Bar
Music
Second Coming The creation of Pillar To Post saw Tim Wheatley push himself harder as a musician than he ever has before. He shares the process behind it with Jessica Dale.
T
he release of album number two was long time coming for Tim Wheatley. No, literally, a
long time coming. “It was a long wait, [I] finished it a long time ago, like nearly six months ago — and so I’ve just been waiting around, waiting around, for the right time to do it. I was desperate for people to hear it and it was actually sort of an anxious time, you know, between where there’s nothing to do and everyone just says wait and everything will sort itself out, and I just felt like there’s more I could be doing,” explains Wheatley. “It was just the timing of the release, and stuff like that. That was basically the only real thing. But it was sort of hard to start anything else as well in the meantime when you’ve got this, something so important to you, looming. I feel a lot better now that it’s out.” The album Wheatley refers to is his newly released Pillar To Post, an album that was “born of harder times” than his 2015 solo debut, Cast Of Yesterday. “Cast Of Yesterday was sort of complied without really knowing what I was doing. This time round, I was struggling a little bit in Los Angeles, missing home a great deal. LA didn’t provide everything that it promised for me, it rarely does,” he laughs. “And my fiance and I were not quite as far along as we wanted to be and as a 32 year old, I went, ‘am I as far along as I want to be?’ All these questions and doubts, and then of course, like I said before, I had six months to sit down and think about all that after it was done. And that’s the last thing you need. It was a lot harder for me, just personally, getting this stuff out. But as a writer, it helped me dig a little bit deeper. I don’t necessarily always assume that the best writing comes from your own personal torment or anything like that. I think a lot of people can write a lot better when they’re happy. I just
This one here was my first attempt at doing something as a body of work cohesively.
don’t need to write when I’m happy because I’m busy enjoying myself. That’s the only difference, I’m sort of distracted by the good times. “Last album was like a scrapbook of everything. It was almost like a best of, without, you know, without assuming it was that great,” he chuckles. “This one here was my first attempt at doing something as a body of work cohesively. The next time, [I want to do something] just completely from scratch, devise something and try to get it all done in one sitting and you always want to develop the sound a bit more but I still haven’t figure out exactly what I want to develop to that sense and see how that goes as well.”
What: Pillar To Post (Sony) When & Where: 8 Sep, Oxford Art Factory
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 25
Music
Undone Done
Beer Bunker
We’re not afraid to admit that North Korea’s nuclear tomfoolery is pretty damn frightening. And if the end is nigh, we might need to start thinking about who we should send to the bunker to rebuild civilisation from the ashes. We’ll need, doctors, and scientists and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, obvs. But I’d like to humbly nominate this hero of humanity: German barman Oliver Strumpfel, who just set the Guinness world record for the carrying litre steins of beer. This herculean superhuman carried 27 litre mugs of beer, weighing about 50kg in total, 40 metres without spilling one god damn drop. If that doesn’t earn him a place in the bunker I don’t know what bloody well does!
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There’s good reason Lincoln le Fevre is so revered in the Aussie music scene; one, because he’s a bloody nice guy, and two, because he makes bloody great music. Jessica Dale catches up with the man himself ahead of his upcoming tour.
J
ust under ten years ago, Lincoln le Fevre & The Insiders put together what would become their debut, 30-Watt Heart. Fast forward a few years, a couple of albums and a brief solo stint, le Fevre has reunited with his Insiders for Come Undone. Come Undone is the first offering from le Fevre since 2013’s Split, a venture in all things emo-country. Five years is a sizeable break between drinks and it’s something le Fevre explains wasn’t entirely planned. “It wasn’t a decision to wait necessarily. I just take a long time to get things done, as evidenced by the pile of washing that I’m looking at right now,” jokes le Fevre over the phone. “I mean, it’s a bunch of things. I’d just go through periods where I just didn’t feel like writing, and I’d go through periods where I do write but I don’t like anything I’m doing. “I’m too much of a perfectionist sometimes, that can even just stop me from starting. So you know, it was just a long process because I just wasn’t being prolific at all, and on top of that, I probably had some preconceived ideas about what I wanted this record to sound like and so that was kind of constricting in a way to try to write to
something that fits.” What eventuated was Come Undone, an album full of captivating imagery, solid melodies and le Fevre’s ever descriptive and insightful lyrics. “It’s actually close to what I pictured, I guess. I definitely didn’t want to write the same album as Resonation. I was always so happy with Resonation, I didn’t think I could ever do that again and I didn’t want to,” he shares. “I get bored pretty quick and we had this one song called Newcastle, which is just this heavy, dark thing compared to everything else we’d done and I just needed a record that that was going to work in the context of. In that sense, the record turned out exactly how I wanted, because it’s dark and it’s louder and heavier than the last one was.” Le Fevre & The Insiders are heading off on tour throughout August and September, something he describes as “going to be a fun time, [there’s] some great supports that I’m looking forward to catching up with and having a drink with.” Over the past few years, le Fevre’s become synonymous with his Couch Residency series; a string of intimate shows where he pulls up a chair (or couch, if you will) in pubs all around to play a solo set and really connect with the crowd. “I love playing solo because it’s a totally different type of interaction with the audience and a different type of communication, and I just really enjoy it. And the Couch Residency, the couch series that I do, is just like an amplified, more intense intimacy,” he says. “Being on a couch and making it feel like you’re in someone’s lounge room, even though we’re all drunk at the pub, I think is just kind of fun. And it becomes much more conversational and more inclusive, that’s what I hope for anyway. I’m actually working on trying to organise a national tour, for the couch show, because I just love doing it.”
When & Where: 7 Sep, Marlborough Hotel; 8 Sep, Transit Bar, Canberra; 9 Sep, Lass O’Gowrie, Newcastle
Culture Culture
T V
s p l e n d o u r
i n
s e p t e m b e r
Game Of Thrones season seven has just aired its finale, and suddenly, there’s a big, fat, Westeros shaped hole in our lives. Well turn that frown upside down, TV lovers, there’s some juicy premiers on the way this month to cure your postGOT blues. Here are three shows to get obsessive about in September.
The Deuce The Wire creators George Pelecanos and David Simon chronicle porn’s first steps towards legalisation in New York during the early ‘70s. Staring are Oscar nominees James Franco, as a pair of twin brothers sporting era-perfect skeezy moustaches, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, as a street-smart prostitute who sees an opportunity in the nascent American smut industry. Basically it’s a story about sex, drugs and police disputes. Everything Pelecanos and Simon do best, but in flared chinos. When: Airs 11 Sep on Foxtel
Star Trek: Discovery It’s been 12 years since the last Star Trek TV franchise — Star Trek: Enterprise — came to an end, and a lot has happened for sci-fi’s most hallowed universe in that time. Master director JJ Abrams’ stunningly realised movie reboot gave Star Trek an injection of cool that helped it shed some of its nerdier stereotypes. TV virtuoso Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, American Gods) has nurtured this latest TV incarnation, so expectations are sky high. It’s been a rocky development with Fuller stepping down as showrunner after a dispute with producers at CBS, but even with this bad blood, the official trailers look epic. When Airs 24 Sep on Netflix
Will And Grace Fans of the titanically popular gay sitcom have waited more than a decade for a ninth season. Rumours of a possible ninth season were whipped into a frenzy after a 10-minute special encouraging people to vote in the Presidential Election was released online in September last year. In January, NBC confirmed the rumours were true and even confirmed a tenth season had been commissioned in August. The whole original cast are set to reprise their roles, and who knows, maybe this welcome return will also revive the ill-fated Jack & Karen spin off that fizzled back in 2008. Here’s hoping! When: Airs 29 Sep on Stan THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 27
OPINION Opinion
Trai ler Trash
Wu-Tang – People Say
Get It To g et her
H
ow long is too long? It’s a question we might all ask ourselves at some point or another. Few flaws With James generate such derision, and such tragedy, as faded glory outstaying its welcome. The idea that RZA, whose d’Apice last vestige of relevance — surely — was his contribution to Kanye’s incomparable 2010 record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, could make a valid contribution to the culture of now, is absurd. But — but! — somehow, somewhere deep within us all there is a little itch being scratched when we hear about Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues. Can we really cast beloved veterans aside? We’ve spoken before about those mates for whom rap has only ever been made in one city — New York, and in one decade — the 1990s. It’s easy to dismiss such nostalgia as closed-minded, but what are we really dismissing? For those of us that listened to what the world had to offer, decided what we liked, and looked no further? What is the failure we are alleging? Why is sticking to one sub-genre bad? It is the failure of curiosity, the failure to move forward. What our nostalgic friends do is remain in their comfort zone. We can wave our arms around about LCD Soundsystem and celebrate the late bloomer, but what we are really celebrating is the failure to get bogged down and the embrace of the new! And so, when we feel awkward — and a little bummed — by RZA, Rae, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa and Redman putting something like this out, it’s not anger or hatred, it’s the feeling that they just might’ve held on too long.
Hip Hop
IT
Quicksand
Wa ke The Dea d Punk And Hardcore With Sarah Petchell
I
am pretty excited about the way 2017 is going in terms of new music. Not only am I sitting here dying in anticipation for the new Converge album (yes, yes, we all know Wake The Dead is obsessed), but we’ve only just hit spring and there is still so much more great stuff to come. Comeback Kid, The Bronx, Propagandhi, Citizen, Idylls and Chelsea Wolfe all have new records coming out in the next few months.
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But enter Quicksand. You know, that seminal posthardcore band from New York that haven’t released an album in 22 years? The band led by Walter Schreifels of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth Of Today fame? You guessed it, Wake The Dead is more than a little bit excited. This has been teased at for years. In 2012, it looked like something was happening when they were surprise guests on the fourth night of Revelation Records 25th Anniversary shows and then followed this up with a fair bit of touring. There was a now-removed Twitter photo in 2013 of studio activity, hinting at new material, but then there was silence. A lot of silence. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that we got confirmation that a record is here, it’s finally here! Interiors will be released 10 Nov through Epitaph Records. We’ve even been treated to a brand new song, Illuminant. Based on how exceptional this track is, we’re obviously not 100% sure if this is going to be album of the year (because, you know, Converge) but it’s certainly bound to be up there!
OPINION Opinion
Dives Into Your
S
o here’s the thing: I was Screens going to write about the new bigAnd Idiot Boxes screen adaptation of Stephen King’s novel With Guy Davis It, which opens in cinemas tomorrow (assuming that you’ve picked up this issue the very second it hits the streets, that’s Thursday). But when I caught a preview screening, I was hit with the dreaded embargo form telling me to zip it until 4pm Wednesday 6 Sep. No in-depth reviews, no social media hot-takes and certainly no dazzlingly eloquent Trailer Trash columns about this tale of a small town haunted by an insidious, child-abducting-anddevouring evil (the titular It) that takes the form of a garish clown named Pennywise and the “Losers’ Club” of outcast kids that band together to vanquish the fuck out of it. Don’t sweat it too much — you’re undoubtedly gonna be reading many, many nerd words on It in the coming days. Hell, maybe even a few by me. But while I can’t give you my take on the movie right now, I can do the next best thing: speculate about who should portray the members of the Losers’ Club once they hit adulthood and reunite to take down the clown, should be there be a sequel — a Chapter Two, even — to this particular movie. Just so you know, the following fan-casting requires a little knowledge of It’s characters, so if you’re unfamiliar with the book or even the 1990 TV miniseries you may wish to wait until you’re up to speed before reading further. Bill Denbrough: The leader of the Losers’ Club, Bill has a personal grudge against Pennywise after the clown made a mess of his little brother. He’s strong-willed but kinda shaken by his encounters with It and It’s various forms of mindfuckery, so who’s good at conveying that balance? I’m gonna go with Jake Gyllenhaal, although Ewan McGregor is a perfectly acceptable alternative. Ben Hanscom: If the It sequel goes by the book, husky lad Ben drops a heap of weight in his teenage years and reinvents himself as a handsome, successful architect. At the risk of sounding superficial, you want an actor with a little meat on their bones — someone who looks like he’s still carrying the boy he once was. I’ve long liked the idea of Nathan Fillion for this role but he may be a tad too old for the part now, so Jeremy Renner is my selection here. Patrick Wilson could step in if needed. Beverly Marsh: The only female member of the Losers, Beverly is adored by both Bill and Ben. She’s haunted by her youthful run-in with Pennywise but also memories of her
abusive dad. This role was made for Amy Adams, because there’s not much Amy Adams can’t do, but also because Sophia Lillis, the young actor playing Beverly in It, is an uncanny dead ringer for the star of Arrival and Nocturnal Animals. Eddie Kaspbrak: Sickly Eddie overcomes the Munchausen-byproxy mind games pulled by his unstable mum to stand alongside his Loser mates in battling Pennywise but that kind of manipulation can have long-lasting effects. For mine, someone who looks the part but can also convey that mix of uncertainty and inner strength is Bill Hader. Richie Tozier: For all your wiseacre, class-clown needs, may I humbly suggest Sam Rockwell? Stanley Uris: I kinda like The OC’s Adam Brody for this one. And Mike Hanson: This is a tough one — in the book, Mike is the only member of the Losers’ Club who never leaves their small hometown, instead remaining behind to chronicle any mysterious goings-on and ensure Pennywise doesn’t re-emerge. It requires a low-key integrity, something which Sterling K Brown of American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson has in abundance.
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 29
Album / E Album/EP Reviews
Album OF THE Week
The National Sleep Well Beast
4AD/Remote Control
★★★★
Their music is almost immediately identifiable: The churn and meshing the Dessner and Devendorf brothers’ instrumental textures then overlaid with Matt Berninger’s ruminations on the human condition. But look closer, and Sleep Well Beast further develops the trademark style, as The National becomes more varietal in its underlying noises since finding their ‘groove’ on 2005’s Alligator. However, few bands can match the conjuring of relationship regret and/or self-flagellation as they do on Carin At The Liquor Store, or the absolute distillation of the form in Guilty Party. Piano ripples from stark to stately leave Berninger alone in the kitchen under a bare bulb drinking the last of the good red, using a peanut butter jar as a glass. Elsewhere, it can be surprisingly bright - even urgent (in their studied way) - perhaps a more subtle take on the more sardonic moods of the singer’s EL VY side-project. Turtleneck starts with an almost martial drum cacophony before it settles, while there’s an almost dancey electronic clatter to I’ll Still Destroy You’s opening odd subway rush. Some will still use this album as background music for the dinner party with their hip(per) friends, but immersing yourself in it reveals its real emotional depths. Ross Clelland
Death From Above 1979
Beaches
Outrage! Is Now
Chapter Music
Second Of Spring
★★★★
Last Gang
★★★½ No longer referencing 1979, Death From Above (not to be confused with The DFA) didn’t make fans wait another decade for the follow-up to 2014’s The Physical World. Back in 2004, Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F Keeler were a kind of fun, dance-punk outfit. In 2017, the music the duo produce is just a little darker and heavier. Much like Royal Blood who are also a drum/ bass duo, Death From Above get back to basics and harness the elemental force of this minimal combination and they furiously rock it hard and rough. Although less obviously playful, there is still plenty of bounce about Grainger’s beats and a sense of fun drives Keeler’s thunderous solos, which have that vintage, 70s Zeppelin vibe about them. Although there are still some 30 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
synths in the mix, this albums grunge also delivers loud, hard blasts of rock noise such that there is very little room for light and shade. Outrage! Is Now doesn’t provide the political commentary that the title suggests, rather the dark and heavy vibes they spin feel more like a sad reflection of the times. Guido Farnell
Beaches go into overdrive on their new 17 track album. It’s their magnum opus of sorts, taking everything they’ve explored on the first two albums and synthesising it into one kaleidoscopic take on all things psychedelic. The album opens with two relentlessly churning tracks that set the stage for what is to follow. It signals their intent to push further out into the sonic aether, bridging the gap between melodic noisy pop hooks and hypnotic guitar-drenched head trips. Void is a brighter, headlong take on Wooden Shjips, psychKraut interstellar explorations while on track four they ease up on the gas and introduce chiming guitars, a post-punk interlude and a back half that sounds like The Primitives jamming with Look Blue Go Purple.
Arrow is the headiest pop rush the quintet have conjured up, the perfect nugget for the approaching warmer months and it feels like the apex of Second Of Spring. In the back third Bronze Age Babies adds a surprise with a recorder voicing the main melody before Grey Colours takes a gloriously melancholic wander that Robert Smith would be proud of. There’s a lot to take in but it’s an endlessly rewarding and freewheeling album for a band who are the equal sum of their parts and eager to explore all musical possibilities. Chris Familton
EP Reviews Album/EP Reviews
Alvvays Antisocialites Pod/Inertia
Anna Of The North
Arch Enemy
Mutemath
Will To Power
Play Dead
Lovers
Century Media
Caroline
Different Recordings
★★★½
★★★½
★★★★
★★½
If, like The Wombats, you’ve ever felt an uncontrollable urge to dance to Joy Division, then Alvvays may be your new favourite band. Not since The Smiths has anyone turned despondent, morose lyrics into jangly indiedisco floor fillers as perky as In Undertow or Plimsoll Punks. Lush dream-pop glider Dreams Tonite aside, Antisocialites is packed with zippy odes to millennial gloom a la The Beatles’ Help! There’s nothing quite as knock out as their 2014 anthem Archie, Marry Me, and the second half wilts a little, but misery like this has rarely sounded so joyful.
Echoey electro pop with an edge, Lovers is the newest offering from the Norwegian artist. Particularly catchy is Someone - longing seldom sounds so good, supported by an 80s vibe that elevates it above self-pity and straight onto the dancefloor. The title track is also well worth repeat listens (this is the type of track Anna and Lorde could have lots of fun on together); as is the passive aggressive Money. A bit more chill is Baby - again, with a lovely electro edge - an approach that sees the album out with the smooth as All I Want. Listen late at night and, ideally, with wine.
High-octane, anthemic metal remains these Swedes’ default setting, and Will To Power features a memorable hook lurking around almost every corner. Their long-standing formula is echoed via The World Is Yours and Murder Scene’s visceral thrills. Perhaps the only major curveball they could realistically throw at their audience nowadays is clean vocals. Note their first “ballad”, Reason To Believe, featuring Alissa White-Gluz’s grunts and pristine singing. It gels, too. Overall, it’s trademark Arch Enemy, with a few fresh elements incorporated.
Liz Giuffre
Brendan Crabb
It feels like the Mutemath sound has finally come of age. They were ahead of their time with sunny-yet-precise, jangly soul rock back when they first crept on to the scene in 2002. Now, musical tastes have finally caught up with the new wave of bands sporting a psychedelic or funk edge, sitting pretty thanks to the lads from New Orleans. That’s why it’s a bit of shame that Play Dead sounds a bit monotone compared to their previous efforts. Some repetition and bland production (Stroll On, Break The Fever) is to blame, but there’s some redemption in the more fierce War and Marching To The End. Carley Hall
Christopher H James
More Reviews Online Jack Johnson All The Light Above It Too
theMusic.com.au
Nothing But Thieves Broken Machine
Mount Kimbie Love What Survives
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 31
Live Re Live Reviews
Vera Blue, Thandi Phoenix, Panama, Lakyn
ago sees her exploring a sultry electronica sound and when translated live on stage she fully embodies the pulsing music.
Metro Theatre 2 Sep
Vera Blue @ Metro Theatre. Pic: Clare Hawley
The Preatures @ Enmore Theatre. Pic: Peter Dovgan
Vera Blue @ Metro Theatre. Pic: Clare Hawley
The Preatures @ Enmore Theatre. Pic: Peter Dovgan
You Am I @ Enmore Theatre.Pic: Simone Fisher
Hoodoo Gurus @ Enmore Theatre.Pic: Simone Fisher
32 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Panama, a musical project by Jarrah McCleary, showcased his piano-led electronic gems from latest EP Hope For Something, while Vera Blue’s fellow The Voice alumni and heartthrob Lakyn proved he too is reinventing himself as an independent raw talent, all complete with his beguiling falsetto. Promising South African/ Australian artist Thandi Phoenix really heated things up with her pop-R&B-dance fusion anthems and made another surprise appearance during the headline set, along with local artist KLP, for the female-empowering dance hit Lady Powers. Sydney-based chanteuse Vera Blue (christened Celia Pavey) floated on stage in a sheer white ensemble with her signature red locks cascading down to her waist. She was magnetising from the outset; opening with electro-pop number First Week, which saw her weaving around the stage and beating a series of illuminated drum pads. On the promotional trail for her intensely personal and highly anticipated debut album Perennial, the incandescent singer-songwriter poured her broken heart out through poignant cuts like Give In and piano ballad We Used To, all the while exuding strength and confidence. Audiences first fell in love with Pavey when she stunned judges on Australia’s The Voice with her ethereal folk melodies, but four years on she has made the full transformation into avant-garde pop star under her new moniker. The edgy alter-
The incandescent singersongwriter poured her broken heart out The all ages crowd were all-consumed with the performance; singing back the nakedly honest lyrics, waving their mobile torch lights in unison and catching the white roses that Pavey would periodically throw out to her adoring fans. The breakthrough artist took a moment out to thank her young fans, intro her threepiece band and praise the support acts joining her on the Mended tour. We got a glimpse of Pavey’s vulnerable side through stripped-back number Pedestal/ Cover Me and the slow-building Patterns, for which she strummed the acoustic guitar, but for the most part it was a high energy show with punter favourites Regular Touch and Private igniting the sold-out dancefloor through a sea of pulsating lights. Watch Pavey’s star as it will continue to rise. Shannon Andreucci
eviews Live Reviews
The Preatures, Polish Club, Hair Die Enmore Theatre 2 Sep
As people began spilling into Enmore Theatre, the first of three Sydney bands, Hair Die, took to the stage. Brothers Cal, Sam and Monty Callaghan, along with vocalist Alys Hale, warmed up the crowd. Clad in matching outfits, the group rocked with some great punk rock tunes including their single Backburning.
The latter Manfredi sat at the electric piano for, announcing she wrote the song for her younger self. Next up was duo Polish Club, who were there to have a good time and made sure everyone else did too. Their set was full of onstage banter and energy, delivering a huge sound and presence for a two-piece. They introduced their song Don’t Fuck Me Over by telling all the under 18s in the crowd to block their ears, and performed an interesting cover of Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply with a lot of their own improvised lyrics. The Preatures came out strong, opening with I Know A Girl followed by their new album’s title track Girlhood. Isabella ‘Izzi’ Manfredi makes a captivating, entertaining frontwoman, putting lipstick on guitarist Jack Moffitt mid-song — the two maintaining great
chemistry throughout the set. The band looked straight out of the ‘70s: Manfredi in a leather jacket, Moffitt in flared pants, bassist Thomas Champion in a Hawaiian shirt and their back-up singers in matching dresses. They slowed down their set with Magic and Cherry Ripe, the latter Manfredi sat at the electric piano for, announcing she wrote the song for her younger self, for 16-yearold Izzi. Before performing Yanada, which features lyrics in the Indigenous Darug language of Sydney, Manfredi informed the audience that they want more people speaking Indigenous languages, and as a nonIndigenous woman born in Australia she still resonates with the sound. The audience asked for one more song, but were treated with two. Manfredi returned to the piano, and showed off her powerful voice with Your Fan, the first song written for the new album. For the final song of the night, fan favourite Is This How You Feel? from Blue Planet Eyes, she poured water on herself and then the audience as everyone danced along — a perfect end to the night. Madelyn Tait
Hoodoo Gurus, You Am I, Jebediah, Adalita Enmore Theatre 31 Aug When you go into the 25-year Venn diagram of this Fist Full Of Rock bill it makes even more sense. From Hoodoo Gurus giving a leg-up to the young You Am I, who in turn encouraged the nascent Jebediah and Magic Dirt. This was not so much a tour as a family reunion punctuated by gigs.
Adalita now fronts a rumbling rock band and one moment offered a curled-lip sneer, then a shy smile. That My Ego is one her centrepiece songs seemed almost counterintuitive, but she remains the business. We all nodded and tried to be as cool as her, but failed miserably. Conversely, Jebediah were Energizer Bunnies. As much as Kevin Mitchell is still frighteningly youthful, the band noise was richer rather than the adenoidal, punky whine it once was. She’s Like A Comet is now a big pop song, Harpoon still a thing of odd longing. In the unaccustomed support band role, the wonders of You Am I were distilled into a tight hour: Junk, Good Mornin’, Jewels And Bullets, Cathy’s Clown. Tim Rogers quoted the banter from Cheap Trick’s Live At Budokan album wordfor-word before a thoroughly swinging run at Nielsen and co’s I Want You To Want Me. There were sincere thanks to Hoodoo Gurus for chances given and to Sydney for being “the city that made us” before Berlin Chair was dispatched with a suitable amount of windmilling. Rusty Hopkinson showed he’s still got one helluva bowling arm — he managed to hurl a drumstick into the upstairs section.
another. The band opened with A Place In the Sun, slammed into Tojo’s Darwin-levelling howl and then the surprising aside that Death Defying was actually Dave Faulkner addressing the AIDS crisis that was robbing him of friends. The bandleader remains respected, yet somehow still that bit underrated both as songwriter and singer. Songs of comedy, then pathos, sentimental romance and even some trashy rooting in the afternoon (yes, Miss Freelove ‘69 is pretty much what we thought it was about). The band shone during their oldest song: Leilani’s tropic thunder built on the now-permanently returned Mark Kingsmill’s jungle drums while Brad Shepherd twirled and unfurled the guitar histrionics. We all knew when to “Umgawah!” when called upon. Come Anytime, Axegrinder and the ache of 1000 Miles Away were still there. As was the tragi-comic whirl of I Was A Kamikaze Pilot — these are little masterpieces played by a band still tight-as. Faulkner was also aware of where he was: “Thank you, Sydney — we’re from here.” And this crowd was bloody happy to claim them. Ross Clelland
We all knew when to ‘Umgawah!’ when called upon. How do you follow that? If you’re Hoodoo Gurus, you just spool out one damn garage/ trash/powerpop gem after
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 33
Arts Reviews Arts Reviews
co-stars throw themselves into the mix with just as much enthusiasm, giving this story of four longtime friends reuniting for the wildest of weekends in New Orleans a winning chemistry and boisterous energy. There’s no denying it has a couple of flaws, mainly that when it decides to get a little sappy and sentimental it gets a lot sappy and sentimental. But, the bumpy bits at the beginning and end of Girls Trip are brief and easily endured, and what remains is a great time in great company. The four members of the ‘Flossy Posse’ Ryan (Regina Hall), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), Sasha (Queen Latifah) and Dina (Haddish) - were inseparable in college. However, life has taken them in separate directions in the subsequent years. But, Ryan’s success as an Oprah-esque self-help guru has earned her the guest of honour spot at the Essence Festival, an annual celebration of AfricanAmerican culture (which also doubles as a hell of a party weekend), and she’s pulled a few strings to get her old friends along for the ride. What follows is a chaotic cavalcade of sex tips (you’ll never look at a grapefruit the same way again), dance-offs and druginduced hallucinations, not to mention some fiery, furious confrontations that re-open some old wounds but may settle some old scores as well. Director Malcolm D. Lee (who has previously helmed similarly fun get-together movies like The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday) handles the light and heavy sequences with equal skill and flair, and so do the actors. Hall and Latifah make the most of their characters’ deep shared history, culminating in a wrenching scene that has the ring of truth, and it’s a kick to see Pinkett Smith cut loose and get silly after a run of more intense roles. Girls Trip
Girls Trip Film In cinemas now
★★★★ One of the great pleasures of watching movies is seeing an actor seize their opportunity at stardom. I mean really sink their teeth into a role. Recently, Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids springs to mind. So does Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover (maybe not the sequels, though). And now you can add Tiffany Haddish to the list. You may not have heard of her before now, but after catching the gleefully rude and riotous comedy Girls Trip you’re unlikely to forget her. It’s the epitome of a breakout performance - completely uninhibited and hilariously funny. What’s terrific about Girls Trip, though, is that Haddish’s three
Guy Davis
34 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
The Hitman’s Bodyguard Film In cinemas now
★★★ Let’s face it, you know if a movie like The Hitman’s Bodyguard is for you the second you see the title. I mean, a hitman in such peril he needs protection? Whoa. But why stop there? Add Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool himself, in wisecracking tough-guy mode and Pulp Fiction legend Samuel L. Jackson using his favourite 12-letter profanity (you remember, the one beginning with ‘m’ and ending with ‘ucker’). Then, throw in chases involving cars, motorcycles and boats. And of course guns, guns, and guns. It’s just too bad The Hitman’s Bodyguard decided to skimp in a few very important departments. See, what we have here is a throwback to the glory days of the buddy movie, where two very different people discover they work great as a team despite their mutual dislike for one another. But, unlike the best examples of that genre, say Lethal Weapon or the great Midnight Run, the tone here is inconsistent. In fact, it’s all over the place. The Hitman’s Bodyguard only rarely pulls off the irreverent, outrageous feel it’s aiming for - sometimes the scenes of mayhem and murder are supposed to be disturbing or harrowing, sometimes they’re a punchline. It’s possible to get that balance right, but The Hitman’s Bodyguard screenplay can’t nail it. Instead, it goes for the quick fix every time, whether it’s a cheap gag or a run-of-the-mill action sequence, and Australian director Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3) is too busy competently (but anonymously) choreographing the action to pay too much attention. Luckily, Reynolds and Jackson have a flinty, fractious dynamic that helps the movie ride out the rough patches. Reynolds niftily blends his action-hero prowess with his flair for one-liners, but he’s outshone by Jackson, clearly relishing the chance to mess around with his persona as the baddest man in the whole motherfuckin’ town. Guy Davis
©2017 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender® is a trademark of Fender Music Australia. All rights reserved. fender.com.au
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 35
Comedy / G The Guide
Wed 06
Abbe May
Jeff Rosenstock + Foley: Beatdisc Records, Parramatta
Tijuana Cartel: Brass Monkey, Cronulla Australian Chamber Orchestra: City Recital Hall, Sydney
Caligula’s Horse
The Music Presents Vera Blue: 8 Sep Bar On The Hill Newcastle Mew: 11 Sep Manning Bar Ali Barter: 28 Sep Oxford Art Factory; 29 Sep The Small Bandroom Dan Sultan: 28 Sep The Academy Canerra; 29 Sep Bar On The Hill Newcastle; 30 Sep Metro Theatre At The Drive In: 29 Sep Hodern Pavilion Caligula’s Horse: 5 Oct Cambridge Hotel Newcastle West; 6 Oct Factory Theatre
Michael Gordon Bebop Quintet: Foundry 616, Sydney Matt Thomson + Methylated Chicken Collective + Joshua Heath: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville Michael Jackson Legacy Tour with William Hall: Laycock Street Theatre, North Gosford Melanie Dyer: Leadbelly, Newtown Joe Moore: Orient Hotel, The Rocks SLOTFACE + Antonia & The Lazy Susans: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Songs On Stage feat. Russell Neal + Ray David + Jennifer Lees + Elizabeth Hylton: Paddington RSL, Paddington
May Day Bring your soul, gospel, electro, blues loving selves down to Selina’s at Coogee Bay Hotel to watch Abbe May on Friday. Joining her on the night are support act Little Coyote.
Jones The Cat + Postmentalist + Kimono + Ugly Mundays: Rad Bar, Wollongong
Thu 07
Mono: 9 Nov Manning Bar
Jeremy Butterworth + Kate Britton: Staves Brewery, Glebe
Songs On Stage feat. Stuart Jammin + When Harry Met Wendy + Jenny Hume: BMW (formerly Beats.Eats.Drinks), Glebe
Mullum Music Festival: 16 - 19 Nov Mullumbimby
Tex, Don & Charlie: Street Theatre, Canberra
Vintage & Custom Drum Expo: 8 Oct Factory Theatre
Vanfest: 1 Dec Forbes Showground sleepmakeswaves: 9 Dec Oxford Art Factory
Graves: The Argyle House, Newcastle Derek F. Smith: The Basement, Belconnen
Alex Lloyd + Josh Needs: Brass Monkey, Cronulla Lostkeyz + Clews + Kirklandd + The Cheapskates: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst
Festival Of The Sun: 7 - 9 Dec Port Macquarie
Stephen Cummings + Shane O’Mara: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville
Alt-J: 9 Dec ICC Sydney
Russell Morris: Centro CBD, Wollongong
Matt Jones Duo: Orient Hotel, The Rocks Tijuana Cartel: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Lamalo + Beatlab + Hayden Buchanan + Gaelen: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst The Momos + Outsider Now: Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham Raised As Wolves + Archy Punker + Skylerwhite + Soft Karate: Rad Bar, Wollongong
Sarky Bastard
sleepmakeswaves: 9 Dec Oxford Art Factory
Spring Comedy Carnival: Comedy Store, Moore Park Client Liaison + Total Giovanni + Muki: Enmore Theatre, Newtown Amyl & The Sniffers
Have A Whiff Melbourne punks Amyl & The Sniffers are bringing their east coast tour for latest EP Big Attraction to Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice. Check ‘em out with Born Too Loose the Johnny Thunders Review Saturday.
Graeme of Thrones: Factory Theatre, Marrickville Jeremy Sawkins: Foundry 616, Sydney Josh Shipton & The Blue Eyed Ravens + Eel Specimens Jar + Anni & The Electric Fins: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville Zack Martin + Chris Brookes + Kenneth D’Aran: Harbour View Hotel, Dawes Point Sons Of The East + Nelipot: Hotel Steyne (Moonshine), Manly Jack River + Didirri: Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale Karl S Williams: Leadbelly, Newtown
Sarah Belkner + Diamond Duck + Jimmy Daley + Brian Campeau: The Newsagency, Marrickville Direct Hit! + The Decline + Raised As Wolves + Sketch Method: The Phoenix, Canberra Bow Wow: Uni Bar, Wollongong
36 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Three Bastards Head out to Valve Bar Thursday to see three Sarky Bastard’s playing their punk tunes. They’ll be there alongside fellow Canberrans Neon Highways as well as The Fossicks and Handheld Humans.
Larger Than Lions: Marble Bar, Sydney Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders: Marlborough Hotel, Newtown Jeff Rosenstock + Foley + Nothing Rhymes with David: Metro Theatre (The Lair), Sydney
The Flaming Stars + Pia Anderson & The French Sailors: Rock Lily, Pyrmont Bukovski Quintet: Smiths Alternative, Canberra
Gigs / Live The Guide
Carleo & Adkins: Coolibah Hotel, Merrylands West
Brown Sugar + DJ Trey: Marble Bar, Sydney
Clive Hay: Cronulla RSL (Level 2), Cronulla
Fat Pizza: Marlin Hotel, Ulladulla
Christopher Cross + Wendy Matthews: Enmore Theatre, Newtown
City Calm Down + The Cactus Channel + Nick Hill: Metro Theatre, Sydney
Graeme of Thrones: Factory Theatre, Marrickville
Cath & Him: Minto Mirage Hotel, Minto
John Lee Hooker’s World Today with Hugo Race + Michelangelo: Smiths Alternative, Canberra
Suns of Kyuss: The Basement, Belconnen
The Violet Stones
Shredding Violets Four-piece alt rockers The Violet Stones are bringing their quirky grungy, catchy, and melodic sound to Valve Bar. Come and support them along with some of Sydney’s finest upcoming rock groups on Sunday.
Kelly Brouhaha + Pam Hata + Ben Camden: Staves Brewery, Glebe
Dinorama: Miranda Hotel, Miranda
Karl S Williams: The Edwards, Newcastle West
Smooth Groove: Foundry 616, Sydney
Michael Jackson Legacy Tour with William Hall: North Sydney Leagues, Cammeray
Arj Barker: The Glasshouse, Port Macquarie
The Low Down Riders: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville
Cos + Zeek + Shots Fired: Oatley Hotel, Oatley
The Blues Preachers: The Merton Hotel, Rozelle
Shane Nicholson: Flow Bar, Old Bar
Jeff Rosenstock + Foley + Rachel Maria Cox + Paper Thin: Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington City Calm Down Chase The Sun: Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah Jed Zarb: Hawkesbury Hotel, Windsor Tijuana Cartel: Heritage Hotel, Bulli Gang Of Youths + Fountaineer + Gordi: Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park
DJ Soul X: The Newport, Newport
Anh Do: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC), Wollongong
Neon Highways + Acrolysis + DNA + Space: Valve Bar (Basement), Ultimo
Ariana Grande: International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC), Sydney
The Thursday Shuffle: Venue 505, Surry Hills
Josh Wade: Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour
Web City Limits + Time On Earth: Vic On The Park, Marrickville
Batpiss + Mere Women + Zeahorse: Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale
Blake Tailor: Wentworthville Leagues Club (Wenty Lounge), Wentworthville
Alex Lloyd: Leadbelly, Newtown
Fri 08
Otis Redding & Friends feat. Johnny G & The E-Types: The Basement, Sydney
The Last Waltz Revival Show: Lizottes Newcastle, Lambton
All Ages Show with Max (US): Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt
Bloody oath City Calm Down continue their tour promoting their recently released single Blood. If alternative pop is your jam head over to Metro Theatre on Friday to ensure you don’t miss them with The Cactus Channel and Nick Hill.
Vera Blue Vera Blue + Thandi Phoenix: Bar On The Hill, Callaghan Judah Kelly: Brass Monkey, Cronulla Ivan Drago + The Kujo Kings + Yvette & The Sandpit + Turtles + STFU: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst
Don’t feel blue
Jones The Cat: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West
In the wake of her new album Perennial, Vera Blue has headed out on the Mended single tour. Let her beautiful folky sound engulf you at Bar On The Hill on Friday.
Michael Jackson Legacy Tour with William Hall: Club Forster, Forster
Abbe May + Little Coyote: Coogee Bay Hotel (Selina’s), Coogee
Valvewire: The Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield
Moot: Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham Yahtzel: Proud Mary’s, Erina Ride For Rain + Starting Monday + The Culture Industry + Scab Baby: Rad Bar, Wollongong Mesa Groove: Revesby Workers (Infinity Lounge), Revesby Soul Nights + DJ Kitsch 78: Rock Lily, Pyrmont
Down Thunder: Colonial Hotel, Werrington Spring Comedy Carnival: Comedy Store, Moore Park
Kris McIntyre: Oriental Hotel, Springwood
James Reyne: Penrith Panthers (Evan Theatre), Penrith
Tex, Don & Charlie: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle West
4 Kings: Camelot Lounge (Django Bar), Marrickville
DJ Frenzie + DJ Gian Arpino + Meem + Duan & Only: The Newport, Newport
Tim Wheatley: Oxford Art Factory (Gallery Bar), Darlinghurst
The Australian Blink 182 Show: Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills
Baby Et Lulu: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville
Reckless + James Brennan: Orient Hotel, The Rocks
Matt Lyon: Lynwood Country Club, Pitt Town DJ Jack McCord: Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly
Belinda Marks: Rooty Hill RSL (Waratah Room), Rooty Hill Russell Morris + Kris Petersen: Rooty Hill RSL (Tivoli Showroom), Rooty Hill
Liquid Time + Drued + Lord Dodongo + DadSkin: Time & Tide Hotel, Cromer Wildcatz: Towradgi Beach Hotel (Sports Bar), Towradgi Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders + Keyring Jeans + Jim Dusty + SUDS: Transit Bar, Canberra City Client Liaison + Total Giovanni + Muki: Uni Bar, Wollongong Primitive Blast + Oily Boys + Ill Natured + Controlled + Rapid Dye + more: Valve Bar (Basement), Ultimo BRR: Floorbreaker 02 feat. Various DJs: Valve Bar (Basement/Late), Ultimo Freeform Only with Various DJs: Valve Bar (Level One), Ultimo Arrebato: Venue 505, Surry Hills
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 37
Comedy / G The Guide
New Venusians: Vic On The Park, Marrickville
Muto + Linda Marigliano: Proud Mary’s, Erina
Sat 09
Placebo + Deaf Havana: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park Batpiss + Private Function: Rad Bar, Wollongong
As Paradise Falls + Oh/Villain + Isotopes + Set Me On Fire + Above, Below: Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt
Beatnix - Beatles Show: Revesby Workers (Whitlam Theatre), Revesby
Mental As Anything: Bateau Bay Hotel, Bateau Bay
Urban Love feat. Emily J + DJ D-Flat: Rock Lily, Pyrmont
K.P.: Bathurst Panthers, Bathurst
Christopher Cross: Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill
Chase The Sun: Beaches Hotel, Thirroul AFI + Basement + Introvert: Big Top Sydney, Milsons Point Steve Hart & The Allstars with Angry Anderson: Blue Cattle Dog Hotel, St Clair Judah Kelly: Brass Monkey, Cronulla The Harpoons + Body Promise + Clypso: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst Funkstar: Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills Barrio Latin Soul: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville
Cover Me Crazy: St Marys Band Club (Keller Bar), St Marys
Client Liaison
Richard Clapton: State Theatre, Sydney
Ain’t Liaisy
Josh Wade: Street Theatre, Canberra
Think nothing and feel everything when you experience Client Liaison at Enmore Theatre on Thursday. Bring your dancing shoes because you won’t want to stop once the duo hit the stage with their ‘90s inspired synth pop.
The Beatles’ First Five feat. Kevin Mitchell + Jack Jones + Wes Carr + Paul Gray + Ciaran Gribbin + The Please Please Me Band: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Troldhaugen: The Basement, Belconnen The Last Waltz Revival Show: The Basement, Sydney
Spring Comedy Carnival: Comedy Store, Moore Park
John Lee Hooker’s World Today with Hugo Race + Michelangelo Russo: Leadbelly, Newtown
Michael Peter: The Beach Hotel, Merewether
Short & Horny: Corrimal Hotel, Corrimal The Jungle Giants + Lastlings + Heaps Good Friends: The Beery, Terrigal
Nikita Rolleston + Love Drunk Hearts + Michael Meaco: Cronulla RSL, Cronulla
Steely Dan & The Best of the West Coast feat. The Kites: Lizottes Newcastle, Lambton
Bunt + Fingermae + The Plasmon Resonance Band: Dicey Riley’s Hotel, Wollongong
Australian Chamber Orchestra: Llewellyn Hall, Canberra
Scuba: The Grand Hotel, Wollongong
Fat Pizza: Long Jetty Hotel, Long Jetty
Ministry of Sound feat. Klingande: The Ivy, Sydney
DJ Stuart B + DJ Murray Lake: Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly
Kate Lush: The Merton Hotel, Rozelle
Kreator + Vader: Manning Bar, Camperdown
DJ MK-1 + Gang Of Brothers + Diola + Ines: The Newport, Newport
Cavan Te + DJ Pacheco: Marble Bar, Sydney
Helena Pop + Slagatha Christie + Lost Coast: The Phoenix, Canberra
Kenny Larkin: The Burdekin, Darlinghurst
Closure In Moscow
Mewscow In a super solid combo, Closure In Moscow will be bringing their popping and rocking sound to Manning Bar this Monday before Mew hit the stage to perform their latest album Visuals.
James Reyne + Boom Crash Opera + Ollie Brown: Enmore Theatre, Newtown The Headliners: Epping Hotel / Tracks, Epping Graeme of Thrones: Factory Theatre, Marrickville Dale Barlow: Foundry 616, Sydney Amyl & The Sniffers + Born Too Loose - Johnny Thunders Review: Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice, Sydney Paul Hayward & his Sidekicks: Gasoline Pony (Afternoon), Marrickville
Nadya & the 101 Candles Orkestra: Camelot Lounge (Django Bar), Marrickville Joel Fletcher: Candys Apartment, Potts Point Michael Jackson Legacy Tour with William Hall: Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill
Rogue Company + Reuben’s Ego Boost: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville Soundbird: Halekulani Bowling Club, Budgewoi Chroma + Earthbound + Baltimore + more: Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington
Scuba: Chinese Laundry, Sydney Karl S Williams: Heritage Hotel, Bulli Arj Barker: Civic Theatre, Newcastle Teddy Cream: Coffs Harbour Hotel, Coffs Harbour Soundproofed: Colyton Hotel, Colyton Fiona O’Loughlin: Comedy Store, Moore Park
Lost Legends Showcase + Swell Triplex + Benjamin Sorensen: Hotel Gearin, Katoomba Anh Do: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC), Wollongong Ariana Grande: International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC), Sydney Lincoln Le Fevre: Lass O’Gowrie, Wickham
38 • THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Moza: Marlborough Hotel (Tokyo Sing Song), Newtown Tattered n Torn Festival feat. Smoking Martha + Rick Dangerous & the Silkie Bantams + Nerdlinger + Sketch Method + Australian Kingswood Factory + SUDS + more: Marlin Hotel, Ulladulla Borgore + Release The Woolves + Oriental Cravings + Jade Le Flay + Gradz: Max Watt’s, Moore Park Human Movement Party with Various DJs: Metro Theatre, Sydney Get Rocked Band: Oatley Hotel, Oatley The Chosen Few + Jonathan Lee Jones: Orient Hotel, The Rocks Loose Ends with Simona: Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst Shows on Stage feat. Gabriel Levin + Anca: Paddington RSL, Paddington Urban Scream: Penrith RSL, Penrith
Daemon Pyre
Daemonstrably Heavy Sydney spawn Daemon Pyre getting their metal on at Manning Bar. Catch their postapocalyptic vibe on Saturday when support European metal legends Vader and Kreator on their Aussie tour.
Gigs / Live The Guide
Tijuana Cartel: The Small Ballroom, Islington
East Coast Low: Hamilton Station Hotel, Islington
Tim Crossey & His Adult Contemporaries: The Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield
Mark Olson: Heritage Hotel, Bulli
The Beatles’ First Five feat. Kevin Mitchell + Jack Jones + Wes Carr + Paul Gray + Ciaran Gribbin + The Please Please Me Band: Sydney Opera House, Sydney
V-Tribe: Hotel Steyne (Moonshine), Manly
Overload: The Beach Hotel, Merewether
Anh Do: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC), Wollongong
King Street Crawl feat. Mesmeriser + Wartt Gunn + Balko + Clews + Megan & The Vegans + HiaGround + The Grouches + Hotdad + FLTRS + Xylo + The Satanic Togas: The Hideaway Bar, Enmore
Client Liaison: UC Refectory, Bruce Scattered Order + Gail Priest + DJ Hidden + more: ULTRA Collective, Katoomba
Jed Zarb: Jamison Hotel, Penrith Sanctuary Club with Various DJs: Valve Bar (Basement), Ultimo Psychedelic Obsessions with Various DJs: Valve Bar (Level One), Ultimo Emma Pask: Venue 505, Surry Hills
Ribongia: Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale King Street Crawl feat. Los Tones + The Pinheads + Crocodylus + Rosa Maria + The Uplifting Bell Ends + Display Homes + Whispering Jackie + Jay Katz: Leadbelly, Newtown
Gasper Sanz: Vic On The Park, Marrickville Duncan Woods + DJ Somatik + DJ Alex Mac: Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly
Doggin It: The Merton Hotel, Rozelle DJ Mike Dotch + Mike Champion + DJ Danny De Sousa + Veena Rao: The Newport, Newport Wayne Allen: The Rhythm Hut, Gosford King Street Crawl feat. The Mis-Made + Royal Chant: Town Hall Hotel, Newtown Mescalero feat. Steve Edmonds: Towradgi Beach Hotel (Sports Bar), Towradgi
Mere Women
The Violet Stones + Blue/ Green + Greyscale + more: Valve Bar (Basement), Ultimo Christopher Cross: Wests, New Lambton
Mon 11 My Favourite Murder: Enmore Theatre, Newtown Songs On Stage feat. Russell Neal + Michelle Benson + Paul Ward + Chris Brookes + Kenneth D’Aran: Kellys on King, Newtown An Evening with Simon NapierBell: Leadbelly, Newtown
Merely Piss Not long after dropping their own full-length Big Skies, Mere Women are back to help Melbourne’s Batpiss launch their own recent album Rest In Piss. Check them out on Friday night at the Lansdowne Hotel.
Sarah Blasko
Foley
Unite Sarah Blasko’s part of an all-star line-up for Unity, the equality campaign concert at Enmore Theatre on Tuesday. Catch her with The Jezabels, Killing Heidi, Holly Throsby, Andy Bull and more.
The Bootleg Sessions feat. House of Strangers + Galactopussy + Arsenic & Old Lace + Kid of Harith: The Phoenix, Canberra Jeff Rosenstock + Jess Locke + Dalmacia: Transit Bar, Canberra City
Tue 12 POW! Negro + Godriquez: Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst Tina Arena: Civic Theatre, Newcastle Unity feat. Sarah Blasko + The Jezabels + Killing Heidi + Frenzal Rhomb + Holly Throsby + Jack Colwell + Andy Bull + Mojo Juju + Lonelyspeck + more: Enmore Theatre, Newtown Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Orchestra: Foundry 616, Sydney Songs On Stage feat. Russell Neal: Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill
Sun 10
Dante & Dwight: Marble Bar, Sydney
Karl S Williams: Brass Monkey, Cronulla
Mere Women + RACKETT + Hair Dye + Heat Wave + Moody Beach: Miss Peaches, Newtown
Dennis Val: Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills Russell Morris: Camelot Lounge, Marrickville Cancionero Iberico: Camelot Lounge (Django Bar), Marrickville Michael Jackson Legacy Tour with William Hall: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Canterbury Niall Horan: Enmore Theatre, Newtown
Marty Simpson: Oatley Hotel, Oatley Gary Johns Trio + The White Bros: Orient Hotel, The Rocks Stephanie Lea: Penrith Panthers (Squires Terrace Bar), Penrith The Big Boosh feat. Klaus Bass + Harry Flick + Syntax Error + The Sea Apes: Petersham Bowling Club (Afternoon), Petersham
Songs On Stage feat. Stuart Jammin + Jenny Hume: Kellys on King, Newtown Mark Olson: Leadbelly, Newtown
Foley Effects Catch Foley on Thursday when they hit The Lair full force with their Aussie punk sound. They will be there supporting Bomb The Music Industry! main man Jeff Rosenstock on his Australian tour.
Private Function + Smoking Martha + Destrends: Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice, Sydney
Mal Eastick Band: Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham
Bonnie Kay & The Bonafides: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville
Mario Brothers Trio: Pittwater RSL (Distillery), Mona Vale
Mew + Closure In Moscow: Manning Bar, Camperdown
SASH feat. Danny Howells: Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney
POW! Negro + Godriquez: Rad Bar, Wollongong
Chris Stretton: Orient Hotel, The Rocks
Placebo + Deaf Havana: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow Co-Pilot: Orient Hotel, The Rocks Ravi Coltrane: The Basement, Sydney
Obscura Hail + Grand AM + Pals: Rad Bar, Wollongong
THE MUSIC • 6TH SEPTEMBER 2017 • 39
triple j, focus, sand events, the music, musicfeeds, au review, pretty rad store "presents"