The Music (Brisbane) Issue #17 by TheMusic.com.au

# 17 • 04 . 1 2 . 1 3 • B R I S BA N E • F R E E • I N C O R P O R AT I N G

JOHNNY MARR T H I N G S T H AT I L E A R N E D F R O M BEING IN THE SMITHS

film

CATHERINE HERINE DENEUVE

eat

NEW EW EATERIES

soundwave

A DAY TO REMEMBER

tour

FEELINGS ELINGS

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 3

4 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 5

themusic 4TH DECEMBER 2013

“WE USUALLY DO THE ALBUM AND THEN SAY, ‘SHIT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS ON STAGE?’”

#017

INSIDE FEATURES

- MUSE BASSIST CHRIS WOLSTENHOLME (P34)

Johnny Marr Catherine Deneuve Melvins

review

I Exist A Day To Remember Insane Clown Posse Steel Panther Feelings Colin Hay Heads Of Charm The Nerve Muse Deerhunter The Screaming Jets The Ancients Boyz Noise Guitar Wolf Helmet

REVIEWS Album: Gurrumul And The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Live: Warped Tour Arts: Carrie Muso

THE GUIDE Cover: Little Odessa

“GREEN IS NOW EMBRACING THE IDEA OF CITY & COLOUR AS A BAND AND EXERCISING THAT FREEDOM WITH SONGS FROM HIS ENTIRE CANON.”

A COMPLETE, COMPREHENSIVE WRAP UP OF THE ARIA AWARDS. HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU

- BENNY DOYLE REVIEWS CITY & COLOUR (P45)

“IT’S EASY FOR EVERYONE TO CLICK ‘LIKE’ OR ‘ATTENDING’, BUT TOO OFTEN IT’S JUST NOT ENOUGH.”

- LOCHLAN WATT PAYS RESPECT TO FALLEN COMRADES IN ADAMANTIUM WOLF (P60)

SICK TUNES HAS ANOTHER FIVE SONGS TO KEEP YOU HAPPY THIS FRIDAY.

ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

feature “I WENT INTO THE RECORD REALLY DETERMINED NOT TO BE BARING MY SOUL OR DOING ANYTHING TOO EARNEST.” - COVER STAR JOHNNY MARR (P17)

Eat/Drink Local News Opinion Gig Guide The End: Cartoon Deaths

web 6 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

GET A GLIMPSE OF LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH THE LEGENDARY TUMBLEWEED. THEIR TOUR DIARY THIS WEEK ON THEMUSIC.COM.AU

LUKA MARLENE ON THE WALL CARAMEL

US SOUL SENSATION

ALLEN

STONE “THE BEST EFFING VOICE I’VE EVER HEARD.” MTV

STEVE

3 TIME GRAMMY WINNER

EARLE THE TIVOLI - TUE 15 APR

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014 GET DOWN TONIGHT THAT’S THE WAY (I LIKE IT) PLEASE DON’T GO KEEP IT COMIN’ LOVE BOOGIE SHOES ROCK YOUR BABY I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY

THE ZOO WED 16 APR

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014 “A FRENZIED AUDIENCE KEPT CHEERING”

YORKSHIRE EVENING POST

“IT’S A STUNNER. ALL THIS BEAUTY.” THE GUARDIAN

“PERFECT ... HEARTFELT ... A DELICATE MASTERPIECE.” DAILY EXPRESS

BAND

THE TIVOLI - SAT 19 APR PRESENTS

“ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT SONGWRITERS OF HER GENERATION”

SUZANNE BIOGRAPHY MAGAZINE

LAKEMAN POWERHOUSE MON 14 APR

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

is to CAPLAN what folk-blues to is smoke gged, bourbon. Ru aring raspy & ro charisma with owling and the gr of intensity EVE SEASICK ST ITS. & TOM WA

UARY TOURING IN JAN

SUNSHINE TUNSTALL AND THE

LEFT OF CENTRE BLOOD MAKES NOISE TOMS DINER

GUEST

100 MILLION RECORDS SOLD AND FINALLY IN AUSTRALIA

THE LEGENDARY

(FROM THE MOVIE ‘DEAD MAN WALKING’)

SPECIAL

AUSTRALIA’S QUEEN OF COUNTRY

SOLITUDE STANDING WOMAN ON THE TIER

VEGA & SETH

AND THE DUKES

& GUEST KASEY CHAMBERS

(FROM THE MOVIE ‘CATS AND DOGS’)

THE ZOO - WED 30 APR

TANKS CAIRNS - THU 1 MAY

ALSO APPEARING AT BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY 2014

SMOKERS & THE CASUAL

GE BLACK BEAROZTIXL.COOM.DAU THU 2 JAN

LK AT WOODFORD FO ALSO APPEARING FESTIVAL

ALSO AARON NEVILLE w/ DR JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS BOOKER T JONES w/ VALERIE JUNE ROBBEN FORD w/ WALTER TROUT THE SOUL REBELS TOURING MORCHEEBA w/ CHALI 2NA & HOUSE OF VIBE JIMMIE VAUGHAN & THE TILT A WHIRL BAND w/ NIKKI HILL LARRY GRAHAM & GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION BUDDY GUY w/ THE JAMES COTTON BLUES BAND w/ CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS TICKETS AND INFO FROM 02 6685 8310 BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU THE MAGIC BAND w/ GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION GREGG ALLMAN w/ GOV’T MULE w/ DEVON ALLMAN THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 7

CREDITS PUBLISHER

Street Press Australia Pty Ltd

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast

EDITOR Steve Bell

ASSISTANT EDITOR Benny Doyle

ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Cassandra Fumi

MUSO EDITOR Michael Smith

GIG GUIDE EDITOR Justine Lynch gigs@themusic.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood, Anthony Carew, Baz McAlister, Ben Preece, Benny Doyle, Bradley Armstrong, Brendan Telford, Carley Hall, Chris Yates, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Dave Drayton, Grace Wilson, Guy Davis, Helen Stringer, Jake Sun, Jazmine O’Sullivan, Lochlan Watt, Madeleine Laing, Mandy McAlister, Matt O’Neill, Mitch Knox, Sam Hobson, Sky Kirkham, Tessa Fox, Tom Hersey, Tony McMahon, Tyler McLoughlan

THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 4 DECEMBER - 10 DECEMBER 2013

sparkle

relax

PHOTOGRAPHERS Freya Lamont, John Stubbs, John Taylor, Kane Hibberd, Markus Ravik, Rick Cliﬀord, Sky Kirkham, Stephen Booth, Tessa Fox, Terry Soo

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Brett Dayman

QLD SALES Zac Gould sales@themusic.com.au

ART DIRECTOR Nicholas Hopkins

ART DEPT Brendon Wellwood, Eamon Stewart, Julian DeBono

ADMIN AND ACCOUNTS Jarrod Kendall, Leanne Simpson, Loretta Zoppolone, Shelley Neergaard accounts@themusic.com.au

DISTRO Anita D’Angelo

He’s a well known TV figure and an award-winning cabaret performer, but Tom Sharah just does what he was born to do – entertain! His new show It’s Raining Me is running at Brisbane Powerhouse from Thursday to Saturday, and the fascinating fish-out-of-water narrative is liberally scattered with a slew of pop and disco faves that will have you singing along as you revisit your youth. Hit the intersection of the thoughtprovoking and the flamboyant!

There’s nothing better than combining one’s love of music with one’s fondness of the great outdoors, especially at this time of year in our neck of the woods. This weekend the gorgeous Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel is hosting its Blue Ska Roots festival, with a heap of bands strutting their stuff in the most beautiful surroundings possible. It all kicks off at midday on Saturday until midnight, with a recovery on Sunday, and it costs just ten bucks. Get amongst it!

distro@themusic.com.au

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BRISBANE

Ever had the urge to watch two massive blokes far, far tougher than you brutally beat the crap out of each other while the whole thing is beamed to the US of A and watched by millions on cable? Have we got an event for you! This Friday night at BEC the one and only UFC Fight Night hits Brisbane, with the heavyweight bout being between mixed martial artists Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. If you sit close enough you might even get real blood on you…

fear

film

Although Sydneysiders will be on the ground when the winner is announced on Sunday at Centennial Park, you too can share in the fun that is the second Tropfest of 2013. The world’s largest short film festival will be broadcast live on SBS 2. That’s right, you don’t need to buy the newspaper to get a DVD copy of the entries, you can just watch them online and then during the event telecast itself. Expect something heartwarming to win. Do any of the entries have cute kids?

lol

James Franco took on a video parody of Kanye West’s Bound 2, with help from slacker pal Seth Rogan. We don’t need to explain what happens next.

giveaway read

Foxing hell. You’ve definitely heard The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?), the most WTF song of the year – perhaps ever. Well, it looks like the annoying techno-pop YouTube smash might just do some good for this world, with Ylvis, the Norwegian comedian duo/tormentors behind the song, turning the track into a children’s book. Featuring quirky illustrations from Svein Nyhus, it’s the perfect pressie for kids or those into weird, niche pop culture – pick it up via Barnes & Noble from Monday.

A couple of weeks ago the fine folks at Nokia gave us a couple of their new Lumia 1020 handsets, which we’ve been using to film interviews and take live shots of bands with. Why do that with a phone? Because it’s got a 41 fucking megapixel camera. Yep, 41. It’s actually ridiculous – we did all our red carpet and ARIA Award filming and photos on it last Sunday. You probably want to play with it yourself, so we’re chuffed to be able to give one of these handsets away (should note, the phone does actually make calls and send text messages/ emails as well) to a The Music reader. Head to theMusic.com.au/win-prizes/ to enter. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 9

national news news@themusic.com.au ARCTIC MONKEYS

POISON CHALICE

Drink from the cup of metal when two US overlords clash in a double bill of thrash mayhem. Toxic Holocaust will show off their blasts of riff and rhythm while playing tracks off new album Chemistry Of Consciousness, while Skeletonwitch look set to continue blowing minds with their incessant live show. Having been hyped OS, the Toxic Skeleton tour will land in Australia 18 Apr, Rosemount Hotel, Perth; 20 Apr, The Espy, Melbourne; 21 Apr, (venue TBC), Byron Bay; 22 Apr, The Basement, Canberra; 24 Apr, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane; 25 Apr, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle; 26 Apr, The Hi-Fi, Sydney; and 27 Apr, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne.

PUT IT IN GEAR

TIME TO LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR

One of the most celebrated rock bands of our time return to Australia, with Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys set to play their biggest Australian shows to date. Since they exploded into our lives with the working class classic Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, the four-piece have continued to change colours as a band, their fifth record this year’s AM showing off the desert blues rock that they’ve recently made their own. With a smorgasbord of hits to draw from, the boys will play all ages shows 6 May, Sydney Entertainment Centre; 7 May, Brisbane Entertainment Centre; 9 May, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne; and 13 May, Perth Arena. Tickets go on sale to the general public 11 Dec.

EUROPEAN DREAMING

They’re named after the French national day and have a hit single called Pompeii, yet it’s British-bred rock that you’re getting when Bastille plug in. The quartet have amassed a legion of supporters in their short lifetime, and after a few sell out Aussie shows earlier this year will return in 2014 to capture your imagination with their positive harmonies and jaunty rhythms. Catch Bastille when they hit the stage at Brisbane Convention Centre, 13 Jun; Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 14 Jun; Festival Hall, Melbourne, 15 Jun; and Challenge Stadium, Perth, 18 Jun. The tour is all ages.

KEEP ON DIGGING

Thrash fiends are really getting their fix this week. Another wild metal bill has been announced with Swedish pioneers Grave buddying up with American destroyers Wehrmacht – who have been enjoying a renaissance since they reunited in 2009 – and Primate, featuring Bill Kelliher of Mastodon and Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth. Brave enough to handle this bill? Then head to The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 10 Jan; The Hi-Fi, Sydney, 11 Jan; Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne, 12 Jan; The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, 14 Jan; and Civic Backroom, Perth, 18 Jan.

“MY MOM USED TO SMOKE WEED AND SAY IT WAS INCENSE AND TO GO AWAY BECAUSE SHE WAS PRAYING LOL.” BIT OF THERAPY FODDER FROM @AZEALIABANKS JONZE LOOKS AT LOVE IN THE FUTURE

Compatibility is taken to a whole other level on Her, the new feature film written and directed by Spike Jonze. Based around a developing love affair between man and machine, it’s a unique take on romance that piques curiosity while warming your heart. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson – who won a Best Actress award at the Rome Film Festival despite never appearing on screen – the movie also features a film score by Arcade Fire and music from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O. It arrives in cinemas 16 Jan. 10 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

After a 23-year career, it seems rather surreal that a band would craft their finest record yet. No one told Clutch that though, with the American quartet stunning the music world with their tenth full-length Earth Rocker. Sharp, dynamic and removed of any sort of fat, the record is a hard-rock triumph built for the stage. Visiting for Soundwave next year, Clutch have just announced a run of headline dates, performing 20 Feb, Metro Theatre, Sydney; 21 Feb, The Zoo, Brisbane; and 27 Feb, Prince Bandroom, Melbourne.

ILLY. PIC: KANE HIBBERD

PICTURESQUE MUSIC

When he’s not helping people sort out coffee machine malfunctions, Illy is dominating the microphone. The law graduate recently dropped Cinematic, his most accomplished body of work yet, and found himself vying for the top of the charts with Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and one of his heroes, Eminem. He’ll showcase these king new tracks with an album tour next year to promote the record, sweetening the deal for hip hop fans with Jackie Onassis and Remi. The guys play 7 Mar, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne; 14 Mar, Metro Theatre, Sydney; 15 Mar, The Zoo, Brisbane; and 21 Mar, Capitol, Perth.

national news news@themusic.com.au X

DAN SULTAN

IN TOO DEEP

Bursting back into our lives with his first record in four years, the electrifying Under Your Skin, Dan Sultan has gathered his bandmates and is set to take these new tracks and a selection of classics and make them soar. Hear that impassioned croon of the former ARIA Award winner when his shows off his latest wares 27 Feb, Zierholz, Canberra; 1 Mar, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 6 Mar, Artbar, Art Gallery Of WA; 8 Mar, The Zoo, Brisbane; and 9 Mar, Metro Theatre, Sydney. Tickets on sale from this Friday.

ROCK WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE

Since introducing The Posies to the world in 1988, Ken Stringfellow has been revered in indie circles, his work with Big Star from 1993 until 2010 merely strengthening his place in the annals of rock. Another hero to many is Chris Stamey, who, via Sneakers and The dB’s helped put powerpop on the map, inspiring a generation of guitar bands in the process. Catch the two men 24 Jan, Astor Theatre, Perth; 28 Jan, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne; 29 Jan, Caravan Music Club, Melbourne; 30 Jan, Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane; and 31 Jan, Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba.

SUPER WILD HORSES

TAME IMPALA AND FLUME @ THE ARIA AWARDS. PICS: COLE BENNETT.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

We were struggling through deadline pretty hard after the event, but hey, the ARIA Awards only happen once a year, and what a massive evening it was in 2013. It was a tale of two artists this year with Tame Impala and Flume the big winners on the night; Tame Impala walked away with three awards, including the coveted Album and Group Of The Year, while Harley Streten aka Flume has picked up four gongs including Best Male, Best Dance Release and Producer Of The Year. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds got a double off the back of their fifteenth record, Push The Sky Away, while other winners on the night included Karnivool (Best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal Album), Illy (Best Urban Album) and Matt Corby (ARIA Song Of The Year for Revolution). In addition, Air Supply were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, while industry legend Michael Gudinski took out the inaugural ARIA Industry Icon Award. And we don’t want to brag or anything, but The Music crew predicted 11 out of 15 victors this year – no biggie.

“HOW PROUD DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL THAT MISS UNIVERSE IS ALWAYS WON BY AN EARTHLING?” MAKING THE REGULAR RIDICULOUS WITH @RICKYGERVAIS.

HUGE THINGS MATTER

MAINTAINING THE SHADE

After giving us a bill taster in the way of Charles Bradley, Husky and The Frowning Clouds last month, A Festival Called Panama has announced another list of artists who will play the boutique event next year. New additions to the bill are Saskwatch, Super Wild Horses (pictured), The Babe Rainbow, Holy Holy, McKisko, and Tiger Choir, with more still to be announced. Happening down beneath the thick canopies of Tasmania’s north-east forests 8 to 9 March, the foundation Panama, 2014 is proudly presented by The Music.

Kiwi-bred, London-based alternative rockers I Am Giant have been in Biarritz, France for the past few months, and have finally emerged from the seaside surrounds with a follow-up to their smashing debut record The Horrifying Truth. Hear tracks from the new release when they showcase their progression with an east coast run of dates early next year, bringing the Razor Wire Reality tour to The Rev, Brisbane, 6 Feb; Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne, 7 Feb; and Goodgod Small Club, Sydney, 8 Feb.

BACK TO BASICS

Caboolture’s favourite son Keith Urban will be getting away from the world of reality TV to do what he does best, with his Light The Fuse tour hitting huge venues nationwide. Taking humble country rock and distilling it into stadium-ready anthems, the Grammy Award-winning Urban will bring the stomp to Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 17 Jun; Allphones Arena, Sydney, 21 Jun; Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, 25 Jun; and Perth Arena, 29 Jun. Tickets for all shows can be purchased from 9am Monday.

TURN UP THE SMOKE MACHINE

Long regarded as a pair of the finest beat makers in our country, The Aston Shuffle continue to craft the sort of dancefloor fillers that you just can’t shake. New track Tear It Down is a house track with a big vocal hook. Now, along with Thief, the fresh electronic project of Sydney’s PJ Wolf, Canberra’s finest will launch the single, playing: Oh Hello!, Brisbane, 13 Feb; Elsewhere, Gold Coast, 14 Feb; Solbar, Sunshine Coast, 15 Feb; Sunday Safari, The Brewery, Byron Bay, 16 Feb; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 22 Feb; secret show, (venue TBC), Perth, 23 Feb; The Argyle House, Newcastle, 27 Feb; Academy, Canberra, 28 Feb; and The Standard, Sydney, 1 Mar. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 11

local news qld.news@themusic.com.au BABAGANOUJ

KINGFISHA

TOUCH OF LIFE

THE PURE FLIPSIDE

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate at Trainspotters’ second annual Christmas party, 21 Dec, the White event set to level out the Black shindig that we announced last week featuring Tiger Beams and the like. But rather than psychedelic volume, this night is going to be all about the hooks, with guitar pop of various forms coming from the likes of Babaganouj, Johnny & The Fembots, Teen Sensations and Tempura Nights. If baby Jesus was still around he’d be here, and so should you. Get along to Grand Central Hotel, it’s kind of a big deal.

REBEL YELL

You know how U2 is a pretty well known band, right? Well, in their native Ireland, even Bono and the boys bow down to The Wolfe Tones, the fiery fathers of Irish political folk. The rebellious three-piece have been celebrating 50 years together, and will toast the milestone with Queensland audiences next year, playing The Tivoli, 19 Jan – tickets through Ticketmaster.

CAN’T STOP THE ROCK

After the overwhelming success of the last classic Aussie rock show, the organisers behind A Day On The Green are proud to announce the event will be making a return next year, with a bill featuring some genuine legends. Headlined by the greatest pub rock voice around, Jimmy Barnes, you’ll also get sets from The Angels, Ian Moss, Daryl Braithwaite, Richard Clapton and Boom Crash Opera at Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton, 30 Mar, and starting at $90+BF ticket prices are a steal, so head to Ticketmaster now.

PLENTY OF TREATS AT EASTERFEST 2014

With three platinum-selling albums under their belts, Evermore are more than suited to headline Toowoomba’s annual Easterfest celebrations, and after playing an exclusive set for premium ticketholders this year they’ll rock the new undercover main stage in 2014. With them on the bill will be New Empire, The Almost and Bec Laughton, as well as more musical diversity in the way of Alabaster Box, DJ Maj, Hawk Nelson, The Idea Of North, Jars Of Clay, Jimmy Needham, The OC Supertones, Shonlock, Slip-On Stereo, White Heart and Young & Free. More than 150 acts will perform at Easterfest across 30 venues scattered between Queens Park and Toowoomba’s CBD, 18 Apr to 20 Apr. Head to the event website for ticketing info.

“NINE STRAIGHT HOURS OF INDIAN POP SONGS AT HIGH VOLUME. NOW MORE IN AIRPORT WAITING AREA. BRAIN FEELS SPONGY. POSSIBLE SEEPAGE” WE THOUGHT THE CURRIES WOULD CATCH UP WITH ANTHONY @BOURDAIN, NOT THE MUSIC. 12 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

A leading reggae light in Brisbane, Kingfisha continue to prove themselves as a world-class unit, combing soulful vocals with deep groove and a performance punch to deliver shows like few other locals can. The band have a handful of fun dates this month, playing New Globe Theatre, 20 Dec with The Upsteppers and a New Year’s Eve shindig at Cooltown Ball, Coolum Civic Centre with Cheap Fakes. In addition, the band will also be performing at Woodford Folk Festival, Woodfordia, 27 Dec to 1 Jan.

IT’S ABOUT TIME MICK

He’s been touring around Christmas time pretty much every year, so it makes sense that Mick Turner would finally release a festive album. Entitled Christmas Day At Spencer Street, it’s a simple, fun record that was cut with long-time cohort Mark Squeezebox and the usual Melbourne suspects from The Roving Commission, with Turner enthusing that the songs crossover brilliantly to the stage. See for yourself when he plays with Halfway at Beetle Bar, 15 Dec.

SHE WOULD WALK THE SKY

WTF, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

The World Theatre Festival brings together artists from Australia, Ireland, Korea, England, Scotland, Indonesia and the United States and puts them on the Brisbane Powerhouse stage, 13 to 23 Feb. Featuring theatre spliced with circus, dance, opera, soul and video games, this veritable feast of contemporary performances will run alongside the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) for the first time, with shows such as Mario: Queen Of The Circus, Underground, She Would Walk The Sky and more all scheduled across the festival. For the full program and ticket info head to the Powerhouse website.

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local news qld.news@themusic.com.au

BEAT BRINGING IT BACK

DOUBLE LINED MINORITY

Real ska is political, it’s challenging; it holds messages masked under a good time groove, and few bands do ska better than The English Beat. After the raging success of their debut Aussie dates back in 2012, the British legends return for a second national tour which stops at The Zoo, 18 May. Skank out to socially active swing; tickets are available from tomorrow (Thursday) via Metropolis Touring for $49+BF.

STEPPING IT BACK

Trance fans in our neck of the woods are now going to have a unique opportunity to see Dutch superstar Dash Berlin in intimate surroundings after a venue change which will see the producer performing at Family Nightclub rather than the previously announced Brisbane Riverstage. The date of his #musicislife tour remains the same, happening 9 Feb, with first release tickets still available for $45+BF.

KING FOR AN EVENING

Well travelled singer-songwriter David Ryan Harris will visit the Old Museum this Sunday, singing a selection of soulful jams from his deep back catalogue. The Chicago-born, Atlanta-bred recording artist has worked with the likes of Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Santana, and after visiting Australia on someone else’s watch many times before, he’s overjoyed to be the headline billing this time around. Tickets can be purchased through the event website for $25+BF, with support on the night coming from Chris Sebastian.

THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS

HEADING TO THE BIG SHOW

After listening to 460 applicants from all over Australia, the winners of the 2014 Headspace Big Day Out national band competition have been announced, the lucky acts now set to perform at the festival alongside the likes of Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire and Snoop Dogg. For the Gold Coast event, happening at Metricon Stadium and Carrara Parklands on 19 Jan, Doubled Lined Minority, pictured, The Belligerents and Sneeky Picnic were selected by an industry panel, while The Royals were selected by the Triple M crew. Headspace provides tailored mental health services for 12-25 year-olds and through their centres, websites and telephone hotlines assist with suicide prevention.

“GARFIELD’S RIGHT. JON IS A FUCKING LOSER” @MICHAELIANBLACK HATES MONDAYS.

GIVING THE LOVE RIGHT BACK

After a colourful year that’s included BIGSOUND, A Day On The Green, and even some nights working it behind the formidable songwriting talents of Bernard Fanning, Band Of Frequencies will be distilling the most pure liquid sounds at New Globe Theatre, 14 Dec. Let the musical waves crash over you as the coastal roots rockers rip through their solid catalogue of tracks – it’s $15 on the door, with The Floating Bridge, Grim Tilla and The Diablo supporting.

FALLS GETS METAL

With Hungry Kids Of Hungary no longer, Falls Festival is happy to let you know that another Brisbane band will be performing in their place in the way of The John Steel Singers. The indie rock favourites will join a smashing bill that includes the likes of The Roots, Vampire Weekend and MGMT, performing at North Byron Parklands, 31 Dec to 3 Jan. A small allocation of three-day tickets have also been released but they’re selling quick, so head to Oztix now. 14 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

STORIES OF THE WILD COUNTRY

American country music legend Kris Kristofferson will be boarding the tour bus in Australia to crisscross our brown land with shows all over the place. Honest, poignant and emotional, the evergreen 76-year-old continues to find new fans – even after 28 albums – and will show off latest record Feeling Mortal at Lismore Workers Club, 16 Apr; Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, 17 Apr; QPAC, 18 Apr; and Jupiters Theatre, Gold Coast, 19 Apr.

DICKTATION LIVES ON

The rumours are true – Jonah Takalua is returning to screens in 2014 in his very own show. One of Chris Lilley’s favourite characters from his hit show Summer Heights High, this time we find Takalua in Tonga trying to get his life back on track. That task is easier said than done, however, and we’ll get to witness the troubled teenager in full flight when ABC1 air the series early next year.

TIMBERWOLF DATE CHANGE

Remember last month how we told you that Adelaide folk bloke Timberwolf was coming up for a bunch of dates? And remember how we told you he was playing Beetle Bar on 12 Dec? Well he was, but he’s not now, so don’t turn up then. Instead, sing along the night before when he launches his new single Grace on 11 Dec.

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 15

16 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

music

LEAVING THE LIGHTS ON Words Steve Bell. Photos Jon Shard.

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 17

Even though NME recently bestowed upon him the tag of ‘Godlike Genius’, for the longest time Johnny Marr has been marching to the beat of other people’s drums. The iconic UK guitarist and songwriter talks to Steve Bell about revisiting his roots for his first ever solo album, The Messenger.

or decades Manchester-bred Johnny Marr has been acknowledged as a shining light in the long lineage of legendary UK guitarists that stretches back to the very foundations of rock’n’roll, but until recently he’s also been considered something of a professional sideman. Following the five incredibly fertile years between 1982 and 1987 that he spent co-writing and playing on The Smiths’ catalogue of oft-forlorn love songs – a relatively fleeting period during which he inherently ceded attention to the ludicrously enigmatic Morrissey, and which still looms large over his life today – Marr has spent his career flitting between an incredibly diverse array of projects, never coming even close to outstaying his welcome. Whether adding his distinctive chops to already functioning bands such as The Pretenders

a song a day, and he just said to me, ‘This should be a solo record!’ I’d never really considered doing a solo record, partly because I thought the name The Healers was such a good name, but I lived with his idea for a week or two and I talked to people around me, and everybody agreed that I should just make it a solo record. “Once I was alright with the idea it became more personal. The songs aren’t particularly about me exposing the depths of my soul, god forbid – the world has got enough of that kinda stuff – but knowing that it was going to have my name on it meant that it was on my toes, and that it was about my worldview and I was

The The or whatever, [but other things] sound like the songs that I was writing when I was a youngster. I really wanted to reconnect with my roots and what influenced me, and when I left school that was post-punk. What I was doing myself when I formed The Smiths was the next thing after that, which I guess if we’re going to think about labels was probably what was first called ‘indie’ – although that means something else entirely now – but [for The Messenger] I wanted to make music that inspired me when I was younger and that I’d like to play guitar and sing on, and that was I guess the ‘new wave’.” In his Smiths co-writes it’s easy to picture Marr conjuring the vibrant riffs and music while Morrissey penned the dramatic, disaffected words, but The Messenger proves indubitably that Marr can more than look out for himself in the lyrical stakes. “I went into the record really determined not to be baring my soul or doing anything too earnest, because frankly I find so much of that has crept into rock music and I can’t stand it! There’s this tendency to take the easy route lyrically and come up with stuff about, ‘Our souls were flying through the sky, we will all be together’, against this imagined adversity that 30,000 people in a stadium all seem to have going against them – what is this adversity that we all have to put our arms around each other and stand against? I don’t get it. I grew up in a time when people like Brian Eno

“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN SITTING IN THE CORNER OF A ROOM WITH THE LIGHTS OFF SAYING, ‘NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME’.”

(briefly), The The, Modest Mouse and The Cribs, or starting projects from the ground up such as Electronic (which he helmed with New Order’s Bernard Sumner), if Marr wasn’t on the road or recording with one of these acts he’d just as likely be found in the studio helping out a slew of equally high-stature artists such as Billy Bragg, Beck, Talking Heads and Pet Shop Boys. He became, in fact, a veritable gun for hire who was happy to share (or eschew) the limelight as long as he was connecting with the music that he was working on and enjoying the company of those he was working alongside. Only once has Marr really stood front and centre for any extended period of time, when he pulled together his Johnny Marr & The Healers project at the turn of the millennium. While they only released one album (2003’s Boomslang), The Healers still exist to this day (in various guises) during gaps in Marr’s busy dance card, and when he left The Cribs in 2011 the tunes he began assembling were ostensibly for another Healers album. Yet fate intervened as it so often does, and when a committee of people in his inner sanctum conspired that this should in fact be a solo project, The Messenger was born – the first ever Johnny Marr solo album dropping some 35 years after he first picked up a guitar in anger. “It happened pretty quickly, after only a couple of weeks of writing,” Marr smiles. “I was going into the studio every day with my friend who’s my co-producer, Doviak, and about two weeks into it I was writing pretty much 18 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

going to be the band leader and all of that.” The Messenger has an angular, post-punk vibe which verges on new wave at times, not surprising when you consider that this was the obsessive music fan Marr’s musical bread and butter before he found fame and (one presumes) fortune in The Smiths. “It wasn’t that I was out to copy a style, just that I wanted to play music like I was playing when I left school,” he reflects. “Inevitably you sound like you do now, and there’s sounds on there that are obviously things that I learned from being in Electronic, or things that I learned from being in The Smiths, or things that I learned from Modest Mouse or

were making solo records and Wire and Buzzcocks and they weren’t singing about that kind of nonsense, so I wanted to avoid that kind of feel at all costs. “I wanted to look outwards; I was just a bit tired of society and everyone being so obsessed with inward looking. I wanted to make a record that sounded good in the daytime, and made you feel good on your iPod on the way to school or on your way back from work or on your lunch-hour, so I felt that it was important that the lyrics didn’t bring that down. I’ve been touring a lot over the last five years with The Cribs and Modest Mouse and seeing a lot of towns and cities and buildings and the stories behind those and market forces and things that go on in cities and societies, so I’m interested in those things really, but I think it’s important if you make some commentary that it doesn’t come across as a complaint or some whinge. “In the case of that opening track The Right Thing Right, I’m making a commentary that we’re all under the effect of very, very crass and powerful and skilful market force manipulation and commercialisation and advertising, but I didn’t want my audience to feel that I was singing about victimisation; it’s saying, ‘Because I’m observing it I’m aware of it and it hasn’t got its hooks in me’. In a way it’s a celebration of the ‘fuck you’ – ‘I’m aware that I’m a target but you won’t catch me’. “My audience is quite diverse – there are people who have followed me over the years and probably grew up

OLD WAVE Ever since he left The Smiths on his own terms in 1987 – at the time citing a quest for wider musical scope – Marr has always seemed to focus forwards rather than backwards, favouring the future over the past. Why has he deigned to revisit his roots now? “I’m not saying that I had a nostalgia trip, I just wanted to form a band that was 100 per cent me and my roots, and that’s my rock’n’roll – new wave is my rock’n’roll,” he ponders. “What’s the alternative – start looking around and copping the style of a young band? That would be really uncool and quite undignified.

with me when they were in college and gone through life and they’re still with me, and also there are a lot of younger people who come to see me who got to know me though Modest Mouse, say, and I try to find the common bond between those two groups. I found that I’d been thinking about some of the younger people who’d been coming to see me and how there’s a wisdom and ability that teenagers have to see through the bullshit – they know when a teacher’s patronising them, or they know when somebody’s trying to get them to watch some crappy film or trying to make them a target – but it takes adults to go through their 30s and 40s to regain that wisdom. So I just had this idea that that’s where both sides of my audience unite, this observation of the bullshit – it’s like a celebration of viva la resistance – so if there is an overlying arc to the way I write my lyrics it’s that if you’re going to make a commentary, don’t bring the music down with a complaint. I’m not interested in sitting in the corner of a room with the lights off saying, ‘Nobody understands me’.” Is Marr speaking from personal experience in that regard? “Maybe, I don’t know,” he chuckles. “People from my past have mastered that already I think.”

“Also, I had a realisation from all the touring with The Cribs and Modest Mouse that if you’re lucky enough to have a style and a sound and people like it, then you should try to be the best at that that you can be. Obviously you’ve got to always try to move on and do new things that turn you on, but if I go and see a band that I really love I don’t want them to be sounding like somebody else, just because it’s trendy. So as simple an idea as that is it was quite a revelation to me really; if I wanted to go and see the Buzzcocks, I don’t want them sounding like the Arctic Monkeys.”

WHEN & WHERE: 1 Jan, Falls Festival, Byron Bay

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 19

film

AN INCREDIBLE SCENE Director Emmanuelle Bercot’s “number one inspiration” for her film On My Way was working with actor Catherine Deneuve. Anthony Carew hears both women speak of their appreciation for each other. here’s a sweet scene in Emmanuelle Bercot’s On My Way, in which Catherine Deneuve – the film’s star, and one of cinema’s greatest living icons – sits down in a French farmhouse to share a cigarette with a local man she’s met on the roadside. Bercot’s film is a road movie about the past, aging and the fraying of families over generations; but if Deneuve’s 60-something leading lady is deemed to be old, here she’s set against someone so ancient his fingers can barely roll up a smoke. As Deneuve grows impatient, she improvises, impishly, whilst the old charge goes slowly about his business.

Deneuve calls it “an incredible scene” and it’s easy to agree – offering a blessed, unexpected moment amidst On My Way’s plotted drama. But when asked about it, she initially seems like she wants to guard its magic: “What more is there to say than what you’ve already seen!” Deneuve laughs. The 70-year-old grand dame of French cinema is holding court, in front of a small press corps, in an opulent Parisian hotel: a vision of royalty in a Keith Haring jumper, questions answered through plumes of cigarette smoke. When Deneuve’s arrival nears, PR preparations go into overdrive; the actress, almost 50 years after starring in Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, is still one of the most famous faces in France. But Deneuve is no cold star, but warm and endearing, a sentiment echoed by Bercot: “Catherine would never take advantage of her status... to pull rank on certain things.” Bercot wrote the leading role, of a grandmother who embarks on a spontaneous roadtrip, with the star in mind. “My number one inspiration for this movie was working with Catherine – she inspired me from start to finish,” she says. Deneuve is just as complimentary of the director: “She’s always very prepared, she’s done her homework, and so on the set she’s really present. That’s contagious, that kind of energy.” And she’s aware that, at 70, still having roles written for her is a privilege. “It’s exciting,” Deneuve beams. “You have done so many films, been in so many roles, and yet directors, when they write something for you, they have the impression that they can write something that you have not done yet. 20 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

And that’s what every actor hopes for every time they do a film.” That’s what Deneuve has found in her celebrated collaborative relationship with André Techiné, whom she has worked with on six films, from 1981’s Hotel America to the forthcoming L’Homme Que L’On Imait

Bercot was inspired to make the film by her own travels in France – wanting to make a portrait of the odd things she’d find in rural wanderings. Where most road movies come with a destination, On My Way does not; it’s less a journey into somewhere specific, more a trip back into memories. Deneuve ends up wandering into a reunion of ‘60s beauty queens, a nod to her own pin-up past. As she does, she comes across a cast of non-actors, from a disarming love interest, played by impressive newcomer Paul Hamy, to key roles for the experimental pop-singer Camille, and Bercot’s own son Nemo Schiffman. “Working

“IT WAS VERY MOVING AND VERY FUNNY AT THE SAME TIME.” Trop (English title TBD) – the actress offering that each time the pair are “digging deeper”. For Bercot and Deneuve, they both took great delight in setting Deneuve on the road amidst a cast of non-professionals. “I was trying to be very open,” Deneuve says of the experience. “It’s always surprising to work with non-professionals, because it’s always so fresh. They’re always so young at being an actor, it’s interesting to see them at work.”

with a child, there’s a real innocence which is quite beautiful,” says Deneuve, of all the screen time she split with her 11-year-old co-star. “Helping him to learn his lines, learn how to make a movie. We had a lot of fun together, we did a lot of singing together.” And that approach – setting this screen siren against a host of unknowns – is never better than in that beautiful moment in which Deneuve and the old-timer sit down for a smoke. “We didn’t have a script, and the man just started talking, and we had no idea that it was going to be so personal,” says Deneuve, touched by the memory. “It was very moving and very funny at the same time, and that’s what’s interesting about the scene.” WHAT: On My Way In cinemas

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 21

music

EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES SLUDGE For 30 years US sludge kings Melvins have survived by being as irreverent as they are amorphous, relying on their resilience, wits and devil-may-care approach. Creative lynchpin Buzz “King Buzzo” Osbourne tells Steve Bell about the hard lessons learned along the way.

“H

as it really only been 30 years?”

Melvins founder, frontman and songwriter Buzz Osbourne asks this rhetorical question wryly, knowing full well how much he’s been through since he started messing around with bassist Matt Lukin and drummer Mike Dillard in Montesano, Washington back in 1983. Within a year Dillard was gone – replaced by Dale Crover – and soon Lukin left to join Mudhoney, but the Melvins were up and running. Since those innocuous beginnings Osbourne and Crover – with a revolving line-up of bassists and musicians – have transformed Melvins into possibly the most influential sludge metal band in history, forging a reputation as one of the most innovative and uncompromising bands in the business, buoyed by their steadfast belief in doing things their own way. Take most recent album, Tres Cabrones, for instance, which found Dillard invited back into the fold after nearly 30 years, and the multi-tasking Crover moving to bass. While the record contains all new songs it’s still as close as we’ll ever get to the original Melvins line-up, and it’s a cracking album to boot. “He’s a family man and a union machinist – that’s what he does,” laughs Osbourne about the re-drafted Dillard. “He’s married to the same woman he was going out with when he was in high school. Me and him have been friends ever since [his stint in the band], we never stopped being friends. I just left there and it wasn’t his destiny to be involved in this sorta thing. He’s got three kids and works in a regular straight job so it was great to get him to do it. He put a bunch of his vacation time down and came here for a few days so that we could finish most of it. We got as much as we could done in that short amount of time, and then me and Dale finished the rest of it.

“We’d actually done a few live shows with him with Dale playing bass, and that’s actually how we got the idea to do the album. So we were playing with him live, and during rehearsals

“I love it. More is more!” Osbourne gushes of the twodrummer incarnation. “What happened was our last bass player Kevin [Rutmanis], we had to kick him out of the band for excessive drug and alcohol use, and basic insanity. Me and Dale were very discouraged fellows. Kevin has since got his act together, and we actually did a song with him on our last record [early 2013’s covers collection Everybody Loves Sausages], so it’s all good. “We were very discouraged fellows though when we had to quit playing for him for personal reasons [in 2005], and we wanted to do something that was completely new so we basically reinvented the entire band with these two new guys [bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis], and it really reinvigorated us. You can’t imagine how hard it is to have that happen – I cared about him a whole lot, and he was basically going to croak – so if people think that I just flippantly made those decisions then they’re fucking nuts. “It’s not a fun thing to do, believe me – it’s a pain in the arse, not fun – but we moved on and it really worked, and I don’t regret anything. The only thing I really wanted was for Kevin to be okay, and now he says that had we not done that he could very well be dead now,

“IT’S NOT SO MUCH THE ‘CAN’T’ IT’S THE ‘WON’T’ THAT DOES EVERYBODY IN.” Mike goes, ‘We should do some new songs!’, and I was, like, ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll do it’. That was it. Mike doesn’t play like Dale and Dale doesn’t play like [The Who bassist] John Entwistle, so we did the best we could.” Dillard is back being a family man now, so the four-piece version of the Melvins replete with two drummers that’s been their live mainstay of late is who we’ll be seeing on their impending Australian visit.

so it’s not even a question of whether we made the right decision – of course we did! For everybody involved.” It’s incredible that Melvins are still putting out relevant music at this stage of their storied career, whilst remaining as uncompromising as ever. “Well I’ve never understood anybody who did [compromise],” Osbourne shrugs. “Why can’t you do whatever you want? It’s not so much the ‘can’t’ it’s the ‘won’t’ that does everybody in. I’ve done an extremely huge amount of work, it’s uncommon for that to happen – music usually doesn’t work that way – so I’m a freak. An actual freak. I’m way out there at the end, way out there in the tall weeds. There’s no doubt about that.” WHAT: Tres Cabrones (Ipecac) WHEN & WHERE: 8 Dec, The Hi-Fi; 9 Dec, Northern Hotel, Byron Bay

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 23

music

STAVING OFF BOREDOM Canberra’s I Exist are rising From Darkness with their third LP. With their combination of sludge metal and hardcore having reached an effortless peak, guitarist Aaron Osbourne tells Lochlan Watt how they nailed the mixture this time.

he ride upwards for I Exist has all been fairly swift. 2009 saw the release of the band’s first demo, followed in 2010 by an EP and their first album I: A Turn For The Worse. They then signed to Resist Records for second album II: The Dark Passage in 2011, and the Record/Resist 7” in 2012. Now, the sixpiece have dropped the numerical thing and unveiled a mighty third album simply titled From Darkness. Amongst all this the band has completed a massive European tour, a trip to New Zealand, and countless Australian tours, including runs with Black Breath, Doomriders, Eyehategod, Shai Hulud and Extortion. Prolific schedule in mind, is the band one that set out to be this way from the start? “I think so?” answers Osbourne. “[It’s] one of the things I have always admired with bands like Melvins and stuff. The bands I was in before I Exist were always really slow with releasing things, and I didn’t like that, and everyone liked to put heaps of thought… not that we don’t put thought into what we do with I Exist, but sometimes I just think people think about shit too much. The thing for me, and I know it is the same for other members of the band, is that I just get fucking bored playing the same thing all the time. I guess when we started the band the idea was to just be fun and heavy, but as it went along it was like, ‘Oh we just did this, so let’s just do something new’. I mean, I’ve already started writing new songs.” I Exist, while undeniably a stoner/sludge band, still have their roots in hardcore. The influence was displayed much more gratuitous in their earlier works, but perhaps around the middle of their career things got a bit dirtier and slower. Many audiences perhaps weren’t sure what to do when the group would go from playing a breakneck hardcore anthem straight into a massive and more gradual explosion of stoner riffs inspired by the likes of such bands as Black Sabbath and Sleep.

“For me, the whole point of this record was to write [something] that fit better into a live setting. I think our first record did that quite well, but maybe the songs weren’t as good as they could have been. I thought the last record had really good songs, but

work to date, all the while displaying more influences and stylistic divergences than ever before. The songs seem to breathe with their own identities, all the while without any one song being overly focused in a single aspect of their sound. Captured with precision in the studio of Blood Duster bassist Jason PC, Osbourne explains that the band’s relationship with the Aussie metal legend has been in place for some years. “So far every album we have recorded has been in his presence in one way or another. It’s really good. We’re all really good friends with him now, we’re very comfortable with him now, and we’ve gotten to the point where we know what we want our records to sound like, he knows what we want our records to sound like, and he’s very enthusiastic about trying to get that done. I’m glad we did this album with him – this one was a bit different to how we’d done our other ones,” he says, going on to explain that instead of recording in one chunk, the album was a gradual process done over the course of a month or so, rather than just an intense two week block.

“SOMETIMES I JUST THINK PEOPLE THINK ABOUT SHIT TOO MUCH.” the tracks didn’t translate to the live performance so well. The idea with this album was to try and make it as playable live as we could, so like every song we could get away with doing live, even if it’s a slower, bluesy type song, or a faster hardcore type song.” The results speak for themselves. From Darkness is perhaps the group’s most cohesive

I Exist will play a small run of Australian launch shows to see the year out, but what happens next? “I think everyone’s goal with any band basically is to just try and not do things they have done before. We just want to expand on everything we’ve done. Maybe we’ll get the chance to go to America, or to try and go to Europe again and solidify in some people’s heads that they should be paying attention to us, and hopefully they’ll like us. That’s the main goal for this next little while.” WHAT: From Darkness (Resist) WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, Sun Distortion (all ages)

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 25

music

WISE INVESTMENT After fighting so hard to have Common Courtesy heard, A Day To Remember find themselves in the best position of their career. Jeremy McKinnon shares successful secrets with Benny Doyle.

eadlining huge rooms and playing to tens of thousands of people on festival stages is now standard for A Day to Remember. But for all the continued success since their formation a decade ago, they still remain the little band from Ocala, Florida that could. “Most people don’t even know what the fuck is happening,” laughs frontman Jeremy McKinnon. “It’s Ocala, it’s another planet. Seriously, [we] could have the biggest, coolest stuff happen to us and none of our families would even know. I’ve been on all these magazines, and I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m on the cover of this magazine, it’s really cool’, and [my parents] are like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll pick it up’ – he says, putting on his most mocking old person tone. “Then we were on the front of [local newspaper] the Ocala StarBanner and they were never more excited than that, y’know what I mean? It puts it into perspective.”

Their families might understand A Day To Remember’s global standing better soon, however, because Common Courtesy, the American quintet’s fifth album, is going to blast the band’s popularity into the stratosphere. The record is an incredible statement of intent and commitment – combining their pop and metalcore leanings in a way that has never sounded more cohesive – and shows the full sonic spectrum of the five-piece more comprehensively than any record before. “We really tried to expand on things we’ve done [in the past] and go in a few different directions as well as having a little bit of something that could be on any A Day To Remember album, and I think, as a whole, we did a better job with that than on any album,” agrees McKinnon. “There’s a little bit of [2009’s] Homesick, a little bit of [2007’s] For Those Who Have Heart, a little bit of everything; this is the first time we’ve been able to get that all in one album and still branch out at the same time.” During the creation process of the record the band put it all on the line. They built a studio at McKinnon’s home in Orlando, because without Victory Records behind them – for this album at least, with contractual matters still being dealt with in court – they couldn’t

afford to make the record any other way. To put it in perspective, the total cost of Common Courtesy was roughly the same as [2010’s] What Separates Me From You, except they had a month to record that album – this time around they had eight months.

a show – the scene is less musicians on stage, more house band at the best party you’ve never been to – and returning to Australia as one of Soundwave’s headline acts, the quintet will instigate a musical riot. Indeed, McKinnon promises we will get something special for the festival, and explains as far as going above and beyond to create colourful memories for their fans, the group have never considered anything but. “It’s more than just the music. You’ve got to invest in your show, you’ve got to invest in your fans,” he asserts. “Bands don’t think about that type of stuff. Like, if you just really stop and think about being a fan – what did you want? What did you feel as a fan of music when you went to shows? What did you see that really lasted, really made an impression on you? We took those things that we’d seen and we made it our own. “Less Than Jake – they were super interactive with their fans, and they would do fun stuff that gets people involved with their show. That made such an impact on me as a kid, and I went and saw them every time they came to town because of it.

“WE’RE THE ONLY ONES IN CHARGE OF OUR DESTINY AND WE’RE GOING TO DO AS MUCH WITH THAT POWER AS WE CAN.” “There has never been a better place where our band has been in,” smiles McKinnon. “We’re better friends, we’re in a better place business-wise than we’ve ever been – it’s just really refreshing. It honestly feels [like] we’re the only ones in charge of our destiny and we’re going to do as much with that power as we can.” If you’ve seen A Day To Remember live then you know the guys put on more than

You look at older bands doing it too, bands like Iron Maiden, KISS – why do people still go see Rammstein? Because Rammstein puts on a fucking show like you’ve never seen, every time. It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s different – it’s entertaining man. “There’s never a point where A Day To Remember goes, ‘We are there, guys, let’s just pocket the money’. Y’know what I mean!” he laughs. “It’s never about today, it’s always about tomorrow when it comes to building, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do as long as our fans allow us to do it.”

WHAT: Common Courtesy (3Wise/Sony) WHEN & WHERE: 22 Feb, Soundwave, RNA Showgrounds

COMMITTED FOR LIFE

Shaggy 2 Dope, one half of masked horrorcore rap duo Insane Clown Posse, tells Benny Doyle what it means to be a juggalo.

t’s taken over a decade, but now that everybody is off probation Insane Clown Posse are returning to Australia. Shaggy 2 Dope laughs almost sheepishly that the Detroit group’s criminal past has kept them away for so long, but assures long-time fans and those new to the ‘family’ that their old partying ways haven’t changed. “The only difference in our show is going to be the shape and size of the soda we got, because bottles are geometrically different in different countries,” he says, referring to the soft drink spray that goes down at every ICP show, typically with ‘ghetto pop’ brand Faygo. “[The

shows] are going to be full of mayhem and very wet – it’s going to be awesome. And it’s summer there right? So no one will have to worry about leaving the shows being all cold and shit, it’ll be nice and warm out.” In their 20-plus years as MCs, Shaggy 2 Dope and his partner in crime Violent J have managed to develop a following that borders on fanatical. How else would you describe a fanbase that paint their faces like clowns, all to be part of the juggalo family? In Shaggy’s mind though, you can’t really put your finger on exactly what a juggalo is; he simply summarises a member of the ICP clan as somebody who’s a free thinker.

“[Someone] who doesn’t conform to what mainstream media wants you to do [when] they manipulate you; someone who can think with their own free mind – they don’t give a fuck about nobody else,” he explains in an atypical drawl. “They live their life the way they want to live it instead of having everybody tell them what to listen to, instead of having everybody tell them what they’ve got to watch and what they’ve got to do.”

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From their songs and stage show to the muchpublicised Gathering Of The Juggalos they hold annually, it’s this idea of family that remains at the core of everything Insane Clown Posse do. “A lot of juggalos don’t have nowhere else to turn, so they rely on other juggalos,” reasons Shaggy. “A juggalo from the North Pole could be marinating in Israel or something, and a juggalo from the South Pole could be marinating in Israel; somehow they bump into each other and they’re going to be down. So even if you don’t know each other you’re the same person – just like family. You might not be related but you’re from the same mould, the same mindset.” And with the band soon beginning work on a follow-up to last year’s The Mighty Death Pop!, juggalos can expect more tales of the Dark Carnival – ICP’s description of the afterlife – to be heard Down Under in the future. “This is not going to be a one-time thing,” promises Shaggy. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s the beginning of a new worldwide domination, we’ll be back again and again and again, and we ain’t going to stop coming back. Nobody is going to be getting into trouble this time with the law so it’s all good.”

WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, The Hi-Fi

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 27

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HAIR METAL RENAISSANCE Steel Panther’s mission to deliver heavy metal to the masses has been an arena-baiting success. Vocalist Michael Starr lends Brendan Crabb spandex and hairspray while discussing Tommy Lee, new material and death metal.

lthough existing in various incarnations (including Metal Shop, Metal Skool and Danger Kitty) for several years prior, most had their Steel Panther cherry popped by 2009 debut proper, Feel The Steel. Follow-up LP, Balls Out continued the considerable momentum. The Los Angeles glam metal parodists’ profane, yet dead-on, half-lampooning, half-tribute to the hair-raising rock scene some would rather forget has carved a lucrative niche. “I want to say it’s like a blessing,” gushes singer Michael Starr (real name Ralph Saenz, a one-time L.A. Guns frontman), during a rare example of seemingly flitting in and out of character. “The cool thing about it is it happened organically. It’s not something like we sat down and said, ‘Hey, let’s try this and see if it works’, we started doing it. We started injecting the personalities that we already have into our music, and enjoying ourselves and having fun. What you see is a reflection of our personalities in the music and onstage. “We’ve had our ups and downs… We’ve talked it out, and we’ve got to a place in our lives where we got aligned. We all wanted to be the biggest band in the world, bring heavy metal back. That we all knew; that was our goal. But how to get there, we were slightly unaligned, and that caused some friction. Once we got aligned, we got a record deal; the first record came out and just started snowballing.” This chemistry is never more apparent than during their raucous shows, as infectious as the STIs so vividly described in their songs. They’ll be armed with material from forthcoming album All You Can Eat (due next year) upon returning to Australia, including Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World. “All You Can Eat has a little bit of everything for everybody,” the vocalist explains. “If you’re a Steel Panther fan already you’re gonna be fucking stoked, because it’s hard-rockin’. We haven’t changed our direction like some bands do, at all. Some bands, they’ll put out a killer two records, then the third one they try to get all serious or change it up, because they’re afraid that whatever formula they felt like they came up with doesn’t work. “We don’t give a fuck. We love to play what we like to play, and if you’re on board with that for the last two records, you’re gonna be on board with this one. If you’re a new fan, and you’re hearing it for the first time, [there’s] tonnes of hooks.” Previous releases slated the likes of Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey and Kanye West. The Music inquires as to which celebrities get the Steel Panther treatment this time around. “Well, we mention Katy Perry, ‘cause she’s fucking annoying.” Didn’t see her documentary then? That raises the question of whether a similarly themed Steel Panther film could occur. “Oh yeah, we’ll be doing all that shit. We’re going to open up the door to Steel Panther as much as we can, because our main objective is to bring metal back to the world. Our brand of metal – the kind of metal that’s about partying and having a 28 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

good time, not the kind of metal that makes you want to kill your parents.” Not a Cannibal Corpse fan, it seems. “Oh, I like ‘em, but when I listen to that kind of music I want to kill something.” One (ahem) party seemingly not in on the joke is Tommy Lee, who questioned Steel Panther opening for Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in 2011. “He jammed with us in LA several times. The last time he jammed with us he had just got back together with Pamela Anderson. They’re both doing blow, he got up, it was like December 2007 or some shit. He jammed with us, we hung out, totally killer. I ran into him at another show we did, totally killer. Then we got booked on a tour with them and he was like,” the vocalist briefly adopting an accurate Lee impersonation, “‘What the fuck?’ I think what the problem was, is they were expecting to have Sixx:A.M. open that tour. The promoter didn’t want to do that, he wanted us and I think that’s where it all started.” Given their aspirations of metallic glory, the quartet must have sparked additional feuds. “Sebastian Bach called us a bunch of clowns, but then, four weeks later he’s onstage singing fucking Journey with us, so you just never know, dude. Some people just get fucking pissed off. These guys have been famous for a long time, and when they see a new, up-and-coming, young/ older band, it scares ‘em. I don’t blame ‘em, but they have to remember dude, we are fucking bringing the heavy metal.”

“WE ALL WANTED TO BE THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD, BRING HEAVY METAL BACK.”

WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, Riverstage

Australia, if you work with a band – whether they like Philly Jays or not, or they like my production work or not – they generally have an idea of who I am and that I’m professional and I should be trusted. Whereas here, when a new band comes in, if a band from Sweden comes in, for example, they don’t give a fuck who I am, I have to prove myself. In some ways that’s really exciting because I get the chance to kick butt and have people go, ‘Whoa, this is way better than I thought. Who are you?’” While setting down roots and building his business in Berlin, Berckelman channelled his songwriting juice into a solo project. In 2012, he delivered a new album, Intercourse, under the moniker Feelings. Released in Australia, the Feelings record was a middling success, but it had a delightful knock-on effect. It brought Berckelman home on tour and it brought the Philly Jays back together. Earlier this year, Berckelman was looking for a guitarist to join him on a spring Feelings tour, and Beeson came immediately to mind. “I thought about who I would be comfortable playing with and whose company I enjoy, and I immediately thought of Joel. I thought I could call him and offer him this as a friend – just pay him, with no strings attached – and he could just play the Feelings songs. Once we started playing together we had such a great time and we remembered our childhood friendship rather than any music stuff.”

THE JURY IS IN After not knowing how to handle their accidental success when it came along, Philadelphia Grand Jury are back. Simone Ubaldi digs deep to hear Simon ‘Berkfinger’ Berckelman’s Feelings.

imon ‘Berkfinger’ Berckelman is pacing around his studio in Berlin at the end of an 18-hour workday, contemplating the 30-hour flight ahead of him. “I’m only coming down to Australia for two weeks for the tour. There’s a 30-hour flight and then three rehearsals and then gigs and then a recording session with The Creases and then gigs and then a flight back to Berlin.” The frontman of Philadelphia Grand Jury relocated to Europe shortly after his beloved pop-punk group announced their split. The rise of the Philly Jays was fast and furious, launching in June 2009 with the release of the high-rotation indie hit Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night). The album Hope Is For Hopers followed in September 2009, bringing a small army of fans in its wake. Two months later, they won an ARIA Award. Two years later, they broke up. “We grew to a point where this thing that we didn’t expect to be a real thing, especially not a real career, became a real career. There was pressure on us to do the next thing, and we were all in a difficult place. I was really busy thinking about how the next record should be, and Joel [Beeson, guitar] was really busy getting his home life back together,” Berckelman says. He and guitarist Joel Beeson had been friends since childhood and played together for years before the Philly Jays were a hit, but they experienced the band’s meteoric rise in very different ways. “He was married at the time and I wasn’t. I think I was quite pig-headed and I didn’t see how difficult it must be to keep a real relationship together while touring around the world and earning just enough money to survive all the time, and not know how much money you’d get paid next and where you would be required to be living next. All these things, now that I’m married, I realised must have been extremely difficult.” On the eve of the Philly Jays reunion tour, Berckelman has a very different perspective on life. He admits he was seriously depressed after the band broke up; sleeping on a

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friend’s floor and tucking his mattress away under the stairs every morning, writing grunge tunes and wondering what to do with himself. When Susie Patten (former Philly Jays drummer) invited him to visit her in Berlin, Berckelman figured he had nothing to lose. He fled to Germany, fell in with a new group of friends and met the girl who would become his wife. “She’s from Brisbane,” he laughs. “I went all the way around the world to meet someone from my home town.” Eventually, Berckelman bought a studio. A long-time engineer and producer (whose credits include Architecture In Helsinki, Wolfmother, Silverchair and The Temper Trap), he found rent in Berlin was so low that Australian bands could fly all the way to Europe to work with him and still save money. He had 300 kilos of gear shipped out from Australia, got married and made a brave new start. “In

As the tour went on, Philly Jays songs began to creep onto the setlist. Then, figuring they might as well, the band reformed officially for a surprise gig at BIGSOUND – nothing but Philly Jays tracks, back-toback. “We just loved it,” Berckelman says, “And then we thought, ‘Is there any reason why we shouldn’t do this, at least occasionally? Or at least once, just to try it?’”

“IF A BAND FROM SWEDEN COMES IN... THEY DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHO I AM.”

Two months down the road and Philadelphia Grand Jury are once again on the road, a little wiser and with very low expectations. “We decided to do this tour because we wanted to, not because we needed to. We’d probably make more money if we just stayed home and did our jobs,” Berckelman shrugs. “All that has happened is that every label in Australia has now gotten in contact with my manager to say, ‘Are they doing a Philly Jays album because if they are, we want to put it out.’ There’s been a lot of music industry interest in what’s happening with this band because they think it’s a known quantity. To be honest, I’m not sure that Joel would want to or even can do another leg of a Philly Jays, make a record and then tour it. Who knows. I think we’ll just finish this tour and then get back to our normal lives, and then we’ll talk about it.” WHAT: Be Kind, Unwind (Create/Control) WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, The Rev THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 29

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MAKING HAY

in a way, and it was rough for a few years playing alone. At that time, there was no record deal so I just made them myself and basically sold them myself. I built it from there, from the ground up.”

As the frontman for Aussie legends Men At Work, the voice and visage of Colin Hay are familiar to millions. As he tells Ben Preece, however, the past 20 years have been somewhat of a re-introductory exercise.

is songwriting, his voice and his legacy should need no introduction, yet upon the demise of iconic Australian outfit Men At Work well over 20 years ago, Colin Hay found himself quietly, yet tenaciously, re-introducing himself to the world. It’s been an ongoing and organic process, with Hay labouring for years, building momentum by way of constant touring and exposure via film and television.

“I’ve been doing the same, well a similar, approach for the last 20 years really,” he reflects. “I make records, go out on tour and try to get people to notice them because if you don’t get played on the radio you have to figure out how to increase your presence. It’s strange really, going back to the late-‘80s and early-‘90s when the dust settled after the old band, it was very much like starting again. There wasn’t that much recognition or crossover, if you like, between the Men At Work audiences and when I started out playing solo – people didn’t have a strong name recognition. It was a pop band,

Of course, it helps to have celebrity supporters and one of the incredible catalysts for Hay’s re-build was Zach Braff. He stumbled upon a show and introduced Hay’s music to Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence who, in turn, took upon himself to support Hay and his music and included some (read: a lot) in his shows. He even wrote an episode called My Overkill (named after a Hay classic) that actually featured the man himself playing a remarkable acoustic version of the song. “You have to be a moving target,” he laughs. “Playing live was important and everything good has happened from that – Zach Braff saw me and, well, you know what happened there, Garry Shandling came to see me and had me on the Larry Sanders Show or someone saw me play and put a song in a movie – things just happen if you try and make them happen yourself. Plus you probably should make good records and play good shows, so when the people come back they bring all their friends.” His forthcoming shows in Australia will see the man standing alone onstage, backed with only his songs, his incredible wit and, of course, THAT voice. “I will play again with a band one day,” Hay explains. “But people seem to enjoy themselves – I tell stories, tamper with the truth and play songs that I know from the old days to the new and try to make sense of why the people got off the couch and came to the show.”

WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, The Tivoli

CHECK YOUR HEAD Disciplined with his writing and irregular with his practicing, David Gagliardi has found the balance to make Heads Of Charm work, writes Benny Doyle.

“I

find that I have to commit a little each day and keep that routine up, otherwise there’s almost a sense of urgency, like if you haven’t had a chance to write or play in a few weeks you get that overwhelming feeling. Of course it’s all ridiculous, there’s not someone there cracking the whip, but if I don’t make things I don’t feel well so I just do it all the time.” David Gagliardi is talking about the creative scheduling he uses to chip away at the music for Heads Of Charm, the noisy, lurching rock project that he broke in late last year with debut EP, If I Was Still General Manager Of The World You Guys Would Be Fucked.

After a few false starts back then, when the band was merely a working moniker, the ex-Laura player connected with former Nikko member Sam Whiting. The Brisbane bassist then recommended Bone drummer Sam Reid, and suddenly – after being so desperate to find keen bandmates he was sending bulk text messages to his mobile contacts – Gagliardi had solidified Heads Of Charm. “There’s that daily contact, but as a group we just [get together] as is necessary, maybe before a show or before recording new stuff. It’s a much fresher way of operating rather than having that weekly grind in and out, and it keeps our playing-time together to a minimum so it always feels exciting. Which I guess is 30 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

the opposite to what I was just saying about songwriting,” he laughs. Latest single, Check Check Check, has been stirring plenty of buzz online and on the streets, with Gagliardi saying the track provides a good precursor for fans awaiting a debut full-length from the Melbourne trio. “We’re about halfway through that,” he says. “There’ll be a couple more singles like we’ve done with Check, and then next year the idea is to release the album.” Gagliardi recorded Check Check Check – he’d recorded the whole EP before it, too – and he’s keen to keep pushing down that path with the album. “That’s something

I’ve always dabbled with at home, but I feel like I really know what I’m doing now,” he admits. However, the songwriter opened up Heads Of Charm visually with the latest cut, allowing fan of the band Dan Farmer to craft a surrealistic clip for Check Check Check, featuring Miley Cyrus grinding a tree trunk and a wobbly-limbed Darryl Somers, among other awkward occurrences. “The most enjoyable thing about making music or art is to inspire people to make more stuff,” offers Gagliardi. “That we did something that got someone else enthusiastic to want to make the video was just really great; for me that’s what it’s all about.” WHAT: Check Check Check (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, Waiting Room (all ages); 7 Dec, Trainspotters, Grand Central Hotel; 8 Dec, Rock N Roll BBQ, 633 Ann Street

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THE MUSIC â&#x20AC;˘ 4TH DECEMBER 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 31

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PINCHED NERVE The Nerve are Australia’s newest supergroup with one clear agenda, Ezekiel Ox tells Monique Cowper: to produce “music you can nod your head to while plotting revolution”.

“T

he omnipresent evil waging war against us can galvanise people,” declares Ezekiel Ox just seconds into our interview. “There is joy in making people face up to the fact they can change the world living in an Abbott Australia. Amongst the revolutionary circles there will be a solid fight back.” It can, however, prove difficult to stage a rebellion when you haven’t even met your comrades. This was the challenge for Ox, drummer Lucius Borich from Cog, Prazsky Vyber’s guitarist Glenn Proudfoot and former Pre-Shrunk bassist Davarj Thomas. Based between Prague, Melbourne and Sydney they recorded Audiodacity on Skype and met for the first time on the eve of their debut gig. “We are standing around waiting before our first gig,’’ Ox says. “We had finished the album but we had never stood in the same space together. When we listened back to the tapes it showed a band that had a real alchemy.” It may sound crazy but as Ox, quite rightly, points out the “musicianship on display is not questionable”. “We wanted it to be a really pure expression of metal, really fierce rock. We knew we wanted to go toward something that was pure intellect and aggression. Musically, for me, I knew the level of songwriting was absolutely exciting. We weren’t housed by technical restrictions, which is very exciting for the future.” It is an incredibly cohesive album and Ox laughs when asked if taking the egos out of the mix by working online had contributed to this. “There is no ego in the music business,” he cackles before turning serious. “I expect, and I get, 95 per cent respect and thoughtfulness from the people I work with. We have the work ethic that backs this up. We aren’t a bunch of people who expect this to be handed to us. Perhaps the band, The Nerve, is the ego. It is the thing that has the swagger.” Ox, whether he likes it or not, has become somewhat famous for forming a band which gains a hardcore following and then often dissipates. The list includes Full Scale, Mammal, Smash Nova, Over-Reactor, and The Ox & The Fury some of which are still “in a state of flux” to use his words. “I’ve got a restless heart,’’ he claims. “I won’t do something purely because it’s fun

32 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

for others. I have a life and with Full Scale and Mammal the thrill was gone. It must be a strange thing for people to see this tight, committed act onstage but they aren’t in the van or in the rehearsal space when we are struggling. Once it becomes a struggle, I’m out.” Ox is quick to reject suggestions that maybe he

too physically aggressive, passionately argues against those who criticise him for flying the Aboriginal flag at gigs and swaps standard onstage banter for speeches on topics from homophobia to feminism. “When you’re radical people see might see you, day-to-day, challenging racism, sexism and homophobia. That can be difficult in Australia when you tack on male, straight, white privilege. I have all of that privilege but I challenge it every day.” When it was put to Ox that some of the most creative ideas arise from conservative times, Ox is hesitant to put any positive spin on what he believes are negative forces. “I can’t say anything good can

“THE BEST WAY TO KEEP US TOGETHER IS TO COME TO A SHOW.” is difficult to work with. “I think that’s an unfair perspective,” he says. “The songs are there, the work is done, I write, I work on the road, I’m passionate about my fan base, I have a plethora of wonderfully talented people who I’m able to work with.” He is, however, the first to admit that his politics may cause frustration for former bandmates. Ox brands himself a radical and he walks the talk behind his music. He will stop a gig to confront fans he believes are being

come from the current scum running the planet. I hope to see refugees, single mums, [and] gay people afforded justice and I don’t see that enough.” As for whether Ox sees The Nerve outlasting any of his previous projects, the singer claims he is more focused than ever but interestingly puts the onus back on the fans. “It has already been a struggle, a real effort, to get to this point. Hopefully we’re producing music you can nod your head to while plotting revolution. The best way to keep us together is to come to a show. Even if someone has an inkling of curiosity, that’s what excites us.” WHAT: Audiodacity (Bird’s Robe/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, The Northern, Byron Bay; 6 Dec, The Tempo Hotel; 7 Dec, Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra

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MUSING OVER CHANGE With their stage spectacular about to touch down in Australia, Muse’s bass player Chris Wolstenholme talks to Paul Smith about going electronic, taking lead vocals and why future shows may be more subdued.

lthough English three-piece rockers Muse had already built a reputation for constantly pushing their sound into new areas, last year’s The 2nd Law (their sixth studio album) took it to extremes. The dubstep of The 2nd Law: Unsustainable had fan forums confused, excited or aghast when part of it was teasingly released as a first taste of the new recordings. Then there was the overtly electronic tone of Madness and the funky Panic Station, which was more reminiscent of ‘80s Prince than Muse. According to the band’s bass player Chris Wolstenholme their desire to try new things has always been paramount, and despite the risk of losing them, their fans generally stick around. “Every time we make an album the first thing we talk about is the need to make an album that’s different,” he says. “Of course we had concerns with the last one that there was the possibility that there were certain elements that people wouldn’t connect with. In particular songs like Madness or Follow Me went in more of an electronic direction then we’ve ever gone before. I think it was the first time we actually put the guitars down for a bit to see how we’d cope without them.” Recalling the early years though, Wolstenholme reveals that the danceable Panic Station wasn’t actually something all that new to them as a band: “It’s the first time we’ve done anything funky on record but in all honesty it is very similar to some of the stuff that we used to do when we first started. Then we went through a period in the mid to late ‘90s where that kind of music just wasn’t particularly cool and we completely moved away from that, and I don’t think we ever envisaged a time where we would ever come back to it! And then all of a sudden Panic Station’s on the album and it just goes to show that I don’t think there’s ever anything that you will never do.” The other main change on the latest album is that Wolstenholme wrote two of the songs himself. The fact that he also ended up taking lead vocal on both was not part of his plan though. “This was actually the first time I’d ever presented full songs to the band as I used to have real trouble writing lyrics. But the biggest shock was I didn’t really ever expect to sing them and that was something that was pretty uncomfortable for quite a long time. If you’d have told me even two years ago that I’d be standing up in a stadium singing a song I would have said no way. “We usually do the album and then say ‘shit, how are we going to do this on stage?’” he laughs. “I think in the early days, there was one band and it was the same band that played in the studio as on stage. But when we’d made a couple of albums and had a bit of studio experience we got to that point where we thought should we let being a three-piece put limitations on what we’re able to achieve in the studio? And the answer to that was no, we shouldn’t. I think when you’re writing a song you should serve that song as best you can in the studio and if that means having fifty people on it then you should do it or if it sounds great as a three-piece then you should do that. Then when you play live you’re in a big room, you’ve got a massive PA, and you don’t need all those additional layers because people just get so absorbed by the power and the volume so you can get away with it a little bit more.” Needless to say the resulting stage show is every bit as extravagant as has come to be expected from the band. With a giant inverted pyramid of screens and lasers

34 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

blasting away it’s hard to believe that it’s a scaled back set. “The original things that we come up with just grow and we end up with these really overblown ideas that won’t work anywhere. We then have to strip it back into something that’s realistic to tour with and doesn’t take ninety trucks to carry around.” Whilst they have felt pressure to put on increasingly spectacular shows Wolstenholme hints that the band may try something more intimate in the future. “We played a small show in London in February and it had been so long it felt almost like the first time we’d played a gig in that kind of size venue. We were all amazed at how much we enjoyed it; there was something really refreshing about turning up at a gig, having a quick sound check, not having to check video, not having to check lights, just walking on stage with your gear and a very simple light show. And you look out at the crowd and they’re still going mental and then you think to yourself, well why do we spend all that money for putting pyramids in because they loved us when we had nothing! I think it might be something that we consider at some point, to go out and do a full tour of two or three thousand capacity venues.” For now though they are only looking as far ahead as Australia at the end of the year as Wolstenholme concludes: “We’re getting to that point where we’re thinking about the next album so it’s like do we carry on touring into next year or how quickly do we want to get an album out or do we want to take a break?”

“THE BIGGEST SHOCK WAS I DIDN’T REALLY EVER EXPECT TO SING THEM.”

WHEN & WHERE: 10 Dec, Entertainment Centre

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 35

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CAPTIVE AUDIENCE Drummer Moses Archuleta tells Simone Ubaldi that Deerhunter are at that enviable point in their career where some of the “jitters” are gone so they can now compose music and “trust that it will be well received”.

“I

t was the first time in forever – and everyone admitted it – that we were really, extremely nervous,” laughs Moses Archuleta. Deerhunter curated All Tomorrow’s Parties at Camber Sands in the UK last June, and Archuleta looks back on the event with pride. “It was one of the best musical experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” he says. “I haven’t felt that good about being a part of music in a long time.” Deerhunter headlined the festival, playing a different album in full each night: Cryptograms (2007); Microcastle (2008); and their breakthrough, Halcyon Digest (2010). The performances capped three days of music from The Breeders, Panda Bear, Black Dice, The Black Lips and two dozen more acts, all hand-picked by the band. The band’s drummer, along with driving force Bradford Cox, was a mainstay on-site, watching as their little baby elephant took flight. Archuleta says the stress of curating a three-day festival was similar to writing and recording a whole album: “It was fun when it was happening, but it was such an undertaking and it was so stressful doing it. It’s been an intense year and, workload-wise, that was a bit more than we could bear.” Deerhunter kicked off their epic year with a new album and a line-up change. Bassist Josh Fauver was replaced by Josh McKay, and Frankie Broyles of Atlanta indie-rock outfit Balkans was added as a guitarist. Together with Cox, Archuleta and guitarist Lockett Pundt, these new recruits all went into the studio to record Monomania. “We had some new people in the band, so it was good for us to reapproach things from the ground up. We threw them into the deep end, right off the bat, and they just ran with it,” Archuleta explains. “Josh is the oldest person in the band and Frankie is the youngest, so they have unique perspectives, but they’re both amazing musicians and they’re very good to be around. Almost a year after we started playing together, it’s feeling really good. They really brought a lot to the new record.” Released in March on 4AD, Monomania was described by Cox as a “very avant-garde rock and roll record”. The album merged blues, punk, glam and pop in a spare and effortless way, winning hearts across the critical spectrum. “It definitely wasn’t the biggest album we’ve

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done in terms of sales or popularity – I don’t think we’ve gained huge strides towards developing a new audience with it,” Archuleta says, “but, with that said, it’s an interesting record for me. I’ve known people, friends, who have had a sceptical or lukewarm appreciation of the band previously and this album

had anything to prove. “I feel like we were trying to make an album just for us,” Archuleta explains. “We really weren’t thinking about how it would be received or how we would get bigger or how we could make a commercial move, in fact we were really trying to strip down. After Halcyon Digest, I think it was really healthy for us to go back to certain kinds of basics. I think it helped to strengthen the foundations, making this album, instead of going further out of orbit.” Overall, he and his bandmates feel blessed to have the careers that they do. In an “increasingly tough industry” where the availability of free music and the

“SOMETIMES WHEN YOU KEEP GOING IN ONE DIRECTION, SUDDENLY YOU DON’T KNOW HOW YOU ENDED UP SOMEWHERE.” is their favourite. It didn’t grant us higher status with new fans, maybe, but, definitely with people close to me, it seemed to secure a certain kind of place in their heads. It’s kind of validating.” The Atlanta, Georgia natives took their bold leap forward with Halcyon Digest, a universally acclaimed album. With Monomania, the follow-up, Deerhunter no longer felt they

constant demand for our attention means a battle for survival in the realms of indie-rock, Deerhunter have gone the distance. They have had the now-rare opportunity to grow with the sound and see the calmer side of a rock’n’roll career. “It’s a developing thing. It’s not a static situation – our ages, the band – so it’s not the same as it used to be. We’re more mature now. There aren’t the same jitters there. There are definitely moments that test your limitations, but at the end of the day we’re really fortunate to be doing this, and fortunate to be in a position where we don’t have to change. We can commit to our music with a certain purity of intent and trust that it will be well received.” WHEN & WHERE: 9 Dec, The Zoo

THEY’RE BACK!

We were worn out and Grant Walmsley, our founding guitarist, left during that time. That said, I do think we put out a good album (2008’s Do Ya) during that time.”

Aussie rock legends The Screaming Jets have been keeping a low profile while frontman Dave Gleeson has been moonlighting, but they can’t wait to fire up for their first south east Queensland shows in three years, Gleeson tells Daniel Johnson.

ince 1989 The Screaming Jets have carved out a reputation as one of the country’s most dependable and hard-working rock bands. Not long after forming, the Newcastle group entered a competition through triple j, which had just started broadcasting nationally, and they haven’t looked back since. “We won a national battle of the bands and, being triple j, we didn’t get a whole lot of money, but we did

The Jets have never had any troubles drawing a crowd and Gleeson says the band have never taken that loyalty for granted. “Yeah, we’ve got some very dedicated fans. In fact, at the Eatons Hill show up there we’ve got a girl who’s going to be attending her hundredth Screaming Jets show.” Gleeson says there “might be some sort of shout-out”, but rules out handing her the microphone: “She’s quite a shy girl.”

get recording time and we met Steve James, who produced our first three albums,” Gleeson explains. “We were triple j darlings; in fact, we were the first band to do a live simulcast on the worldwide web way back.”

The band have an extensive back catalogue to draw from, with hits like Better, Helping Hand, Sad Song and October Grey certain to get an airing, but when asked if there are any lesser-heard songs the band are planning on playing, Gleeson quickly responds: “FRC (Fat Rich Cunts). We used to dedicate it to Joh Bjelke-Petersen and Russ Hinze when we were starting out, and we were thinking about dusting it off anyway and then along comes Clive Palmer.”

The Jets have been uncharacteristically quiet the last three years, due to Gleeson’s commitments with The Angels, which he’s been fronting since the Brewster brothers recruited him to replace Doc Neeson in early 2011, but he also admits the few years prior were a testing time for the Jets.

As soon as this run of shows are over, Gleeson rejoins The Angels for another round of touring, after which he plans to return to the studio with the Jets, who’ll celebrate a quarter century together next year. Meanwhile, the frontman is enjoying the renewed spark the Jets are experiencing. “We can’t wait to get back on the road, see all our friends and fans around the country and give ’em what they’ve been screaming out for since 2011: the Jets at full throttle, ripping up the stage with the intensity we absolutely thrive on. Strap in, we are about to let loose.”

“It was a pretty shit time, that last few years; we just needed a break.

music

WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, Eatons Hill Hotel; 7 Dec, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

COUNTERPOINTS OF YORE

music

Psychedelic ruminations abound on The Ancients’ new album. Brendan Telford asks Jonathan Michell about the album’s predilection for juxtaposition.

elbourne psych-pop wonders The Ancients have been plying their paisley dreamscapes of personal transgression with little fanfare for years now. Plenty have pricked their ears and listened though, so it’s no surprise that the evergreen label Chapter Music jumped on board for their third album Night Bus. “Every time Chapter releases something, people sit up and take notice, and that is something we needed, although I haven’t seen any evidence of that changing for us yet,” Jonathan Michell chuckles. “We just played at Chapter Fest, and Guy [Blackman] put us on first. The explanation for that was that we were the most unpopular band on the label.” Jokes aside, Night Bus is an assured release, a kaleidoscopic wealth of sonic riches that journeys through Michell’s personal travails and everyday musings, and is as diverse as people’s thought processes tend to be. “Every time someone writes about [Night Bus] they pinpoint a different song, and I think that says a lot about how the album works,” Michell explains. “It doesn’t have something from everything on it, but it has a few different moods, and that’s because that’s the

kind of album I like to hear. I like albums that don’t plod along on the same trajectory; I look for an adventure.” Night Bus is certainly that. From the joviality that juxtaposes album opener Chaos And Futility and the echoes of ‘60s paisley pop hedonism of She Live In A Tent, The Ancients refuse to sit still. Even the titular song denotes the surreal netherworld that public transport becomes after the midnight hour. “I like playing with ideas that don’t necessarily fit. With Chaos And Futility the chords are sunny, almost like northern soul, yet the

lyrics are about futility. Sometimes I feel you have to counter one thing with another. I think about night bus journeys I’ve had from Barcelona to Grenada or from Montreal to New York, or even a London bus after a night out in a weird part of London. Trying to find your own space at night in a public place, where you’re trying to shut everything around you out. Those moments are surreal; they leave their mark on you. “Plus there is a Christopher Cross reference in there. His song Ride Like The Wind is the anthem of desperate travel from one place to another, yet he’s singing about getting to the Mexican border which I find hilarious. I can’t imagine this fat white Republican in a car or a bus making a dash for the Mexican border…” WHAT: Night Bus (Chapter Music) WHEN & WHERE: 5 Dec, Black Bear Lodge THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 37

music

BRING ON THE DOG Alexander Ridha, better known as the electro-punk Boys Noize, was to be joined by someone even more famous at Stereosonic 2013, as Cyclone discovers.

ome Stereosonic time, Alexander Ridha is appearing as Boys Noize and was billed to perform as part of Dog Blood with Skrillex, before the latter’s cancellation. Ridha was enthused about the project; “It’s a really wild DJ set – we just play back-to-back, really quick mixes, and we go all over the place.” That a German techno rebel should introduce a vehicle with the US dubstepper is wild in itself. The friends premiered with 2012’s Next Order/Middle Finger and have since remixed A$AP Rocky’s (Skrillex-helmed) Wild For The Night and DJed at Miami’s Ultra Music

Festival, Coachella and Glastonbury. “Both of our sounds are different – and I think that’s what makes it exciting, creating something new.” The ravers just issued the Middle Finger Pt 2 EP – and Ridha references Dog Blood on this month’s Fabriclive 72. Yet he stresses that Dog Blood is about spontaneity with no grand designs. “It’s a new project, so we wanna take it slow and let it grow naturally – but also we’ve still got our own shit going on. So it’s good to have it now on the side. Every time we get together in the studio, we make something new. But there’s no real plan now.” The Hamburg native, entering the biz as a teen in the dance-pop guise

music

Kid Alex before shunning major labels and reinventing himself as the EDM anarchist Boys Noize, signing to DJ Hell’s International DeeJay Gigolo Records. Ridha has long been equated with punky electro-house or ‘noise’, but in recent years he’s snuck back into popdom. He produced music for Kelis’ future-disco Flesh Tone. Ultimately, he just enjoys messing with sounds. Late last year Ridha presented a third Boys Noize album, Out Of The Black. Though committed to the LP format, he admits it’s “tough” selling them. “I can’t really say if I’m gonna work on a new album or not because I make music all the time. If it feels like an album, then it probably is. I have a lotta time at the beginning of next year, so I will definitely work on some new music.” This year the banger specialist has unleashed the Go Hard EP and remixed Donna Summer’s Bad Girls (not on the official compilation Love To Love You Donna). Incredibly, Out... boasted a collab with Snoop Dogg (yup, Dogg) in Got It. “It took a long time to really get together with him,” Ridha admits. “He always liked my stuff, but then it was really tough because he was signed to a major label and they have ways of getting the music together and so it never really worked out before.” Ridha is amused by the gangsta rapper’s metamorphosis into the peace-loving reggae artist Snoop Lion, if unconvinced. “I don’t think he’s gonna be ‘Snoop Lion’ forever – even though they said it when the record [Reincarnated] came out (laughs). But he’s already making new rap tracks as well. I think it’s kinda funny to see him being this [Snoop Lion], and it’s a cool project, but it’s definitely funny because it’s talk in the end.” WHEN & WHERE: 7 Dec, Stereosonic, RNA Showgrounds

PACK ROCK If the Ramones were alive, and not conservative arseholes, they might maybe be a fraction as cool as Guitar Wolf. Frontman Guitar Wolf Seiji talks to Tom Hersey about pleasuring beasts, eating raw horse meat and a Wild Zero sequel.

apanese punk/garage/speed rock trio Guitar Wolf are like the adolescent ideal of a rock band. This is the band that saved the world from a zombie alien invasion (in movie, Wild Zero) and can play the craziest set you’ve ever seen without having their sunglasses slip down. And after a career that’s spanned the better part of three decades and has had more ups and downs than the gnarliest rollercoaster at Fuji-Q Highland, Guitar Wolf are still one of the most exciting bands you’re going to see. In the two years since they last unleashed their hellfire rock’n’roll show on Australian audiences, the trio retreated to the studio to give birth to their thirteenth album. Arguably the greatest/dumbest record title since the Dwarves’ Blood Guts & Pussy, Guitar Wolf ’s Beast Vibrator might even exceed its dumb/fun moniker. It’s scuzzy, super fast and infectious in its simplicity. According to Seiji, via our good friend Google Translate, making new Guitar Wolf music requires he find a very special headspace. It’s a process to get there, but once he finds it, the songs come. “I eat the raw meat. I like the horse meat sashimi. I don’t know if this dish is served in Australia. It’s called Basashi. I watch the space, Enter The Dragon, and

38 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

think of the motorcycles, girls… then the kickass rock’n’roll will be born.” Then he heads into the studio to meet up with Drum Wolf Toru and Bass Wolf U.G.“The other wolves are looking forward to my new songs all the time. When we get together to complete the songs, we always have a great time. We laugh a lot. At the recordings, we focus with different kind of tension from that of the live shows. We record our guts out. We always keep a great deal of focus and tension at the recordings, just like the wolves when they are ready to kill the prey.” That focus equates, once again, to rocking at

11 from start to finish, but did Seiji ever feel tempted to slow things down and do a Guitar Wolf ballad? “I want to write a ballad but I can’t make one. I want to sing about a red hair girl riding the rocket, but I can’t make it into a ballad.” Guitar Wolf are returning to Brisbane, a place Seiji describes as, “the city where the girls wearing mini-skirts hang with the boys and party all day and night, that’s Brisbane”. There’s still one question - all those rumours about a Wild Zero sequel? “Wild Zero Episode Of Time Trip – The Wolves At The Edo Castle will be the sequel. We are going to time travel back to the old Japan to kill the samurai zombies.” WHEN & WHERE: 6 Dec, Beetle Bar

HARD ROCK LEGACY

music

What does Helmet main man Page Hamilton want the riff-hungry hard rock outfit’s legacy be? For one, that fellow musicians stop mistaking their originals for covers, he tells Brendan Crabb.

espite being courted by major labels during their early years (eventually reportedly signing to Interscope for a cool million-plus dollars), but not attaining the commercial clout afforded the legions they unintentionally inspired, Helmet’s impact is widespread. The likes of 1992’s Meantime and 1994’s Betty were rooted in memorably staccato, impenetrable riffage, as well as Page Hamilton’s jazz pedigree, barked, militaristic vocals and ex-drummer John Stanier’s distinctive approach. The Americans spawned waves of alternative and nu-metal bands. When quizzed about how he hopes the hard rockers – currently working on a follow-up to 2010’s Seeing Eye Dog – will be remembered, vocalist/guitarist and sole remaining original member Hamilton is forthright. “I would like people just to, I guess just recognise that Helmet was unique and created a vocabulary that’s been useful to the rock, pop world. That’s all. We had a band opening up for us, and they said something about us doing a cover of a Sepultura song when we were playing In The Meantime. My other guitar player was like, ‘actually, Page wrote that song, that’s a Helmet song’. They were like, ‘no, no, you guys are covering that’, saying that’s a Sepultura or Soulfly song, whoever it was that covered it. “You don’t want to be forgotten. My ego is relatively in check, but you think, fuck, you write these songs, you turn musicians on and you want people to know that. I feel thrilled that we can still tour and go play shows, and I’ll keep doing it as long as there’s an audience and I’m physically and emotionally capable of putting it out there every night. ‘Cause it’s not music that you can just go up and kinda half-heartedly strum your way through. There’s no relaxing point in the set; ‘here’s where we sit down with acoustic guitars and light candles’.”

Despite this perceived lack of recognition, Hamilton is determined to continue making music, both within the rock and jazz worlds. A new Helmet song will surface on a split 7” with sludge kings Melvins, their soon-to-be Australian touring partners. Ahead of the deafening, room-levelling double bill, he elaborates on their as-yet-untitled contribution.

“It addresses a specific relationship I had that failed a couple of years ago that was extremely difficult,” Hamilton explains with a slight chuckle. “So difficult that it took me a couple of years to actually see the comedy in the whole thing. I need to see comedy in something

worn classics. “[They] understand that it’s necessary to progress as a band, and as a writer. I can look back and there’s songs that I’m not particularly fond of, so it’s not like everything we write… I can go back to The Rolling Stones. You can pick out all their great songs from their albums, and there’s a lot of stuff that I don’t like. ‘Man, this is kind of a weak, blues-rock record, but it’s got Under My Thumb on it’… With Helmet, I look back and there are songs on every record where I’m like, ‘yeah, that’s not my favourite’. It’s got some really cool things on it, but I think in retrospect you look back and think you could have done better.

“WE’RE NOT WHITE BOY SOUL MUSIC THAT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO LIKE IN THE MAINSTREAM.” before I can write the song. It was another failed relationship; with an actress – go figure. It’s heavy, kind of has groove, sounds like Helmet and there’s two guitar solos which I enjoyed doing… I need to have a song with three guitar solos, because I don’t think I’ve done that yet.” The frontman believes the majority of Helmet fans are open-minded, even if they may compare new material unfavourably to well

“We had the benefit of those major label dollars so we could record back then. But when I look back, we were the only ones that really, we weren’t making money,” he laughs again. “All those big budgets went to studios, engineers and mixers. It’s just kind of stupid, so we spend our lives trying to recoup on those records where the masters are owned by this label. A guy earlier asked me about doing a re-release of Betty. I said I’d do it in a heartbeat, but we’re not on The Voice, we’re not white boy soul music that everybody seems to like in the mainstream or shitty pop/country. So people are not clamouring for our music on TV, for Dancing with the Stars or whatever. I just don’t want the music to get lost.” WHEN & WHERE: 8 Dec, The Hi-Fi; 9 Dec, Northern Hotel, Byron Bay THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 39

CHIC NILE ROGERS FEATURING

STREAMED LIVE

FROM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SATURDAY 7 DECEMBER 9PM [AEDT]

WATCH HERE: YOUTUBE.COM/LIVEATTHEHOUSE

40 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

#LIVEATTHEHOUSE

reviews

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

This week: a new version of Carrie takes an understated approach; hear what a collaorabtion between Snoop and Dâm-Funk sounds like in 7 Days Of Funk; while another collab sees members of Pantera and Black Sabbath team up for Kill Devil Hill.

GURRUMUL & THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA His Life And Music Skinny Fish/Universal Gurrumul has a habit of evoking an array of overwhelming emotions in a live setting that don’t even exist in the toolbox of most performers; it’s not unusual to feel humbled, inspired, sad, joyful, teary, reflective, naïve, curious and exultant within the space of a set. His Life And Music, recorded live with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House to coincide with the May release of his must-read biography of the same name, is a thrilling piece of the live Gurrumul experience to take home.

★★★★½

TRACK LISTING 1. Wiyathul 2. Welcome and Introduction 3. Bapa 4. Introduction 5. Djarimirri 6. Introduction 7. Djilawurr 8. Introduction

9. Marwurrumburr 10. Introduction 11. Baru 12. Introduction 13. Wukun 14. Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) 15. Gathu Mawula

Part educational tool, part work of great depth and beauty, Gurrumul’s Yolngu Matha language songs are introduced by family members sharing a special invitation into the culture of his Elcho Island home. The growling of crocodiles, the music of ceremony, tales of wild cats and pythons and the sounds of his community and identity meet orchestral grandeur in a magnificent union of urban and rural Australia. New vitality is brought to Djarimirri as sweeping, uplifting strings and grounding brass rhythms recall the earthy sweetness that comes after a spring shower, making absolute sense as an Aunty explains, “He’s singing about himself, how he was bought to the world and he’s covered with rainbow.” Baru, the fun, upbeat, call-and-response story of Gurrumul’s totem – the saltwater crocodile – is given a spirited, almost Latin reworking, while Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) – as moving as ever in its English-language insights – peeks through the orchestral movements to reveal the power that is simply Gurrumul, his voice and guitar. Tyler McLoughlan THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 41

album reviews

7 DAYS OF FUNK

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW

7 Days Of Funk Stones Throw/Cooking Vinyl Tired of the ever-changing Snoop Lion/Snoopzilla/Snoop Dogg shenanigans Calvin Broadus won’t stop toying with? Miss the good old days when he was Snoop Doggy Dogg, a leader of the G-Funk era? 7 Days Of Funk – his latest LP in collaboration with modern funk producer du jour Dâm-Funk – is for you, whether you like it or not. It starts strongly; an early ’90s Snoop would’ve been stoked on Niggaz Hit D Pavement, the perfect mix of yesteryear’s funk and modern hip hop. Snoop’s croon on Let It Go is smoother than you might imagine, while the creepy synths that crawl all over Faden Away make it the most direct P-Funk referencing number. 1Question? featuring Slave singer Steve Arrington is a listless cut that gets tired quickly and I’ll Be There 4U doesn’t pick up after a promising beginning.

Post Tropical

Dew Process/Universal

★★★ A trumpeted selling point for this record is that it’s the first Snoop record to have a single producer since 1993’s Doggystyle; that might be so, but (with all due respect to Dâm-Funk) that producer was Dr Dre. Plus, this kind of funky hip hop was still in relative infancy; 20 years on and you need to be doing something pretty special to stand out. It’s hard to imagine this record reaching a large audience, that’s probably not a huge concern. The old school fans might like this more than Snoop’s recent material, and it’s certainly better than the bulk of it, but that doesn’t mean it comes close to that early ’90s work. Dan Condon

There’s no denying James Vincent McMorrow has a voice; the Dublin singer-songwriter made that extremely clear with debut LP, Early In The Morning, last year. Come 2013, he’s taken a route similar to that of Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver, second album, Post Tropical, adding to his nuanced indie-folk with buzzing ambience and soul. Make no mistake, the man’s uninterrupted, silk-smooth falsetto still slices through glass, this time carried by percussive beats or rolling drums, that extra touch of life missing from his occasionally stale first offering. The familiar lone piano and chilled vocal of slow-burn Glacier is spruced by uplifting clapping, McMorrow’s initially measured falsetto leaping with sass and excitement. Likewise, opener, Cavalier, allures with

CHILDISH GAMBINO

TOY

Glassnote/Liberator

A year after the release of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, Toy return with their second LP, Join The Dots. The long journey into psychedelic indie rock kicks off with the seven-minute instrumental track, Conductor, whose beautiful beginnings quickly morph into a somewhat eerie and industrial blend of psych-trance. This track has it all going on – suspenseful climactic points, hushed lows, fuzzy atmospheric ambience and loads of audio experimentation, all driven by the controlled beat and bassline. As we delve further into the record however, the tracks tend to blend into one another in frustrating banality – we know these guys have the potential to knock out some killer psyched-out moments, so why do they continue to load their albums with these bland and repetitive fillers?

The album’s title refers to the all-pervasiveness of the interwebz, the set in equal parts 42 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

the basic storytelling until the soul creeps in, the Irishman’s usual intimate sound infected with a new level of lovemaking magic. The Lakes is a pleasant and refreshing exception to the rule, its calming wind-chime ambience and harmonic backing vocals emulating the serenity to which the title alludes. McMorrow’s experimental shift is most definitely a growth in the right direction. With ten tracks interlaced by his near perfect set of pipes, he has given himself the chance to roam, explore and let loose. Mat Lee

Join The Dots Heavenly/[PIAS] Australia

Because The Internet Remember those bastards at school who were good at everything? Schoolwork, sports, pulling the opposite sex – that’s Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino. Starting out as a comedian/actor with roles either side of the camera for 30 Rock and Community, Glover has somehow been able to metamorphose into a credible MC with the added ability to produce, play instruments and sing his ass off. His first album, 2011’s Camp, was testament to his abilities and the follow-up, Because The Internet, sets out to solidify his rep. As far removed from the simple loop-and-flow aesthetic of ‘90s hip hop as possible, Because The Internet is an unsettling, unpredictable musical landscape that, for the most part, works a treat.

★★★★½

★★★★ celebrating and mocking the 24/7 broadcast fast life where nothing is secret and every indiscretion is enshrined in the cloud. First single, love declaration 3005 blossoms over its inspiring synths, yet darkness lurks around every corner, the funky, soulful Shadows brutally decapitated by Thundercat while Zealots Of Stockholm and Earth: The Oldest Computer featuring Azealia Banks are punctuated with ugly sawtooth noise. Like a pastiche of recent Kanye, Drake and Cudi, Childish Gambino’s violated soul treads the line between mainstream and underground in a way that suggests there is some degree of genius at work. Darren Collins

Thankfully, the tone is switched up with the lively and funky

★★ ½ bass contributions of the title track. The balance found here is brilliant; the complexity of the instrumentation is countered with simplistic, sing-songstyled vocals – it’s almost sung like a children’s nursery rhyme, binding all the elements together beautifully. Their tenminute piece, Fall Out Of Love, closes proceedings, and lives up to its name by delivering a pleasing blend of melancholy, haze and longing. Join The Dots could have been great, however because most tracks possess the same vibe, intensity and tempo, with no breaths in between, it has the tendency become an overwhelming listen. Jazmine O’Sullivan

album reviews

★★★

★★★½

★★★★½

★★★★

JIMI BEAVIS

THE LEAP YEAR

CRISIS ALERT

MASTODON

Gentleman Giant

The Narrowing

Urban Decay

Live At Brixton

Independent

Hobbledehoy

Resist

Warner

Beavis launches into a faithful homage to the blues and jazz legends that he admires with his debut release. Backed by a killer rhythm-and-horns section, No Job, No Prospects and Easy Lovin’ provide a great platform for Beavis to showcase his simple yet dynamic songwriting style. Additionally, what sounds like a live-in-the-studio recording gives the whole thing a little bit of extra class and attitude. Classic grooves, brilliant playing, fun songs and rustic delivery make this album a damn enjoyable one and one that would certainly inspire a good many people to go and check him out live.

To create something so enigmatically heartbreaking but still maintain maturity is a feat far from simple, though The Narrowing achieves exactly that with an apparent ease; with the richest, most harrowing baritone vocals and the perfect amount of feelings (that is, a lot), this album hits the listener hard. Emotional without giving into melodrama, powerful without compromising subtlety, The Leap Year have perfectly and realistically simulated a gorgeous interpretation of melancholy (one completely devoid of self-indulgence and petty whining) to produce what should really become your new favourite record.

Worn out your copies of Out Of Step and The Kids Will Have Their Say? If that’s you, Adelaide hardcore warriors Crisis Alert will make your day. Their debut LP, Urban Decay, is a no-nonsense blast of early ‘80s hardcore. No metal riffs, no chugs and no epic breakdowns, just rapid-fire hardcore tunes – most of which clock in under a minute – and venomous views on modern society. Barring an unnecessary instrumental intro there’s not a wasted moment here – Urban Decay is a frantic blast of fresh air in a scene that often forgets its own roots.

Nothing says Xmas like a piledriving live rock album does it? Maybe it’s the opportunity to find some personal headspace away from bickering family members, but after Led Zep and AC/DC celebrated last year with huge unit shifters, Warner are gambling with something even heavier; this runaway exhibition of dizzying prog techiness and caveman brutality that represents a virtual best of for the band.

Lukas Murphy

Justine Keating

Christopher H James

★★½

★★★★

Mark Hebblewhite

In many ways an improvement on their last recorded onstage effort Live At The Aragon, Mastodon play with far greater freedom and finger-cracking, nerve shredding intensity. Horn this into your stocking metalheads.

★★★★

★★★

UNITY FLOORS

KILL DEVIL HILL

RAE & CHRISTIAN

BRITNEY SPEARS

Exotic Goldf ish Blues

Revolution Rise

Mercury Rising

Britney Jean

Bullet Proof/Caroline

Night Time Stories/ Balance/EMI

RCA/Sony

Popfrenzy Scrappy Sydney suckers Unity Floors finally make the foray into full-lengths with Exotic Goldfish Blues, 31 minutes of unadulterated scuzz held together with sporadic bursts of energy, torrents of sweat and glimpses of quarter-life crisis amidst all the not-giving-afuck. For every lo-fi breakneck track like Holy Hell (which has the Japandroids/Times New Viking seal of approval), there’s the cantankerous Just For A Minute or the lovelorn Nice Fit. Hovering between confessional slacker rock and confectionery noise-pop, Exotic Goldfish Blues is as it says on the tin – bright, brash and over far too soon. Brendan Telford

Pantera’s bass player, Sabbath’s drummer – calling Kill Devil Hill a “supergroup” is probably a bit of a stretch; it’s certainly a rhythm section to be reckoned with. On the few tracks where they live up to their legacy, Revolution Rise is actually exciting. The metal pedigree and sounds of their former bands break through occasionally, the music is tight and the vocals are impressive, but it’s no metal album. There’s nothing to dislike about Kill Devil Hill; it just sounded better 20 years ago, when it was released as Dirt by Alice In Chains. Pete Laurie

There was a time when Mark Rae and Steve Christian’s hotpot of trip-hop and soul graced more Chill Out compilations than Tricky’s had spliffs. Mercury Rising’s very existence therefore boggles after 12 years of absolute silence, but it delivers exactly what you’d hope. The perfectly titled Happy features a soulifying Mark Foster (he of The People), Travis and 1975 serve cocktails by a palm tree’d swimming pool and fly rhymes are dropped in Favourite Game, Check The Technique (hello, Jazzy Jeff!) and A2B. Rae & Christian’s return is slinky, sexy and very, very cool.

While it’s good to hear some fire back in Britney’s belly, it’d be a rather opportune time for her to drop her Impossible Princess or Ray Of Light at a time when we’re experiencing a pile-up of pop princesses. Work Bitch is a crazy-cool dancefloor jam while Perfume could be the sassiest territoryclaiming break-up song since Beyonce’s Irreplaceable. Alien lays it all out bare, while Til It’s Gone brings the party back to proceedings about the same time as producer will.i.am outstays his welcome. Britney Jean is a competent release, but we still need to hear the outright killer pop record she has in her.

Mac McNaughton

Ben Preece THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 43

albums/singles/eps

★★★½

★★★★

MTNS

NATHAN ROCHE

Bound 2

Independent

Fartpound

Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

It might be easy to dismiss Brisbane’s MTNS as an artist landing at the right place at the right time, just when lush, ambient, down-tempo electronic production is a the sound of the moment. However, these four tracks contain a substance that could lead to longevity – solid, thought-provoking lyrics, subtle hooks with strong pop sensibilities intact and a genuine eye for production values.

Sydney’s man of many bands, Nathan Roche shirks the team and goes it alone for Watch It Wharf, ten tracks of cracked garage pop that highlight the artistry in tightly coiled simplicity and staggering epiphanies. The nautical theme (apparently brought from an incident on Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf, denied entry and cheap scotch whisky) is littered throughout the album, furthering the stumbling, grizzled shambolism, yet Roche never lets things implode, delivering odes of drunken charm, chagrin and regret all with the same twinkle in the eye. Off-kilter and strangely debonair, Roche is a revelation.

KANYE WEST The most ridiculous video ever made cannot detract from the fact that Kanye’s use of one single sample, and Charlie Wilson singing over a borrowed piece of music, is one of his greatest moments yet.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN High Hopes Sony Rage Against The Springsteen is thankfully only noticeable on the solo and in flourishes as Tom Morello joins the E Street Band. It doesn’t make sense, but neither does The Boss pretending to be working class.

Salvage

Watch It Wharf

First single Lost Track Of Time is the stunning centrepiece and still the most solid track though Fears and the sublime title track are sure to secure a firm place for this astonishing outfit. Ben Preece

POND

★★★★½

JAMES X BOYD & THE BOYDOIDS Super Low Independent James X Boyd decamped from Brisbane to Edinburgh earlier this year, but he’s still making music that sounds like it’s by a dude down the street from your mum’s house. Well, if that dude was a bit of a fucking genius. On Super Low Boyd’s swapped the more raucous fun of previous fare for a sharp melancholy, where beautiful, considered portraits of people and places spill abundantly in Boyd’s knowing and expressive voice. Street Side Blues and Frustrated With You are downbeat perfection, but the whole album’s pretty goddamn special. Madeleine Laing

Brendan Telford

Midnight Mass Modular Perth prog-rockers make a remarkable video to add extra gravitas to the already overthe-top sentiments behind this mammoth jumble of drum fills, riffs and squeaky vocals.

★★★

★★★★½

★★★★

FRESH NOODLES

MY FICTION

PRIMITIVE MOTION

THE GROWLERS

Independent

Sugarrush

Bedroom Suck

Smack Face

Susy brings back memories of a long-forgotten time when saxes weren’t derided for their saxiness and there were more than four people per band, resulting in danceable fun times.

There’s no doubt that Shallow Highs, the sophomore LP from local rockers My Fiction, is slick. Everything here is perfectly produced, calibrated, placed to get the foot tapping and head pounding. From the hushed female backing vocals and shouty rising outro of Neon Cola Signs, to the tropicalia of Young Again, to the sparkling synth crawl that explodes into earnest choruses and percussive blasts on School Of Science – everything is in its right place… except without many original ideas being expended. It’s nice and all, but without much personality and, surprisingly, verve.

Primitive Motion have always had the innate ability to carve hooks and melody out of the simplest of sonic structures, yet latest album Worlds Floating By is testament to how the gestation of two like minds whilst keeping things effortless can be breathtaking. Each song is a simple kosmiche metronome, with synth, wind instruments and atonal vocals melding into a cyclical pattern that is complete in its immersive nature. Echoes from a distant channel; remnants from another planet; wholly brilliant.

Californian acid cowboys The Growlers released one of the past few years’ best tracks with Graveyard’s Full. That mariachimeets-lo-fi tape meltdown gem has been left behind, and on new “EP” Gilded Pleasures the rust and dust have truly been cleared away. Nevertheless, the nine tracks perfectly encapsulate the band’s rustic, wasted origins whilst whispering sweet nothings of the sandblasted future. Brooks Nielsen’s vocals are iconic, and potentially a stalling point, but if you can’t fall in love with Hiding Under Covers or Humdrum Blues, then check your pulse – you’re probably dead.

Chris Yates

Brendan Telford

Oneness

Word on the street is that weirdo lo-fi rappers Fresh Noodles is the brainchild of Si Francis from Wagons, who weaves heavily affected vocal lines into tape-deck beats with stop-start animation, and it’s fantastic.

SUSY BLUE

Baby I’m Bored Independent

44 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

Shallow Highs

Worlds Floating By

Brendan Telford

Gilded Pleasures

Brendan Telford

live reviews

CITY & COLOUR, HUSKY, TWIN FORKS Brisbane Riverstage 30 Nov When you enter a venue to the sounds of Talking Heads And She Was, you know there’s a bit of magic floating about. Twin Forks are the culprits behind that ‘80s departure, the side project of Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba that combines Americana ideals with fun mandolin, courtesy Suzie Zelden, and a solid rhythm section. With hand-clapping singalong melodies and plenty of charisma, the whole vibe is akin to a church sermon in the Deep South, and Carrabba – a well-worked frontman –

crack band to simply latch on to that feeling and massage it further for the next two hours. Wearing his now trademark wide-brim hat – pork pie or Panama, this reviewer’s not sure – Green runs things back through the catalogue right from the beginning, playing new cuts, Of Space And Time and The Lonely Life, before airing The Grand Optimist, As Much As I Ever Could, with a big ripping outro, and Sam Malone, featuring a swagger unknown on his humble debut, Sometimes. It’s the ideal opening – fans new and old, already everyone is happy. With players like Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Dead Weather) by his side, Green is now embracing the idea of City & Colour as a band and exercising that freedom with songs from his entire canon. However, when the rest of the gents depart so

CITY & COLOUR @ RIVERSTAGE. PIC: MARKUS RAVIK

remains generous with his music and gracious in disposition. Husky are flying the Australian flag tonight, and although the four-piece break out of the gates solidly – their voices are joined at the note and the music crackles like a campfire at night – they don’t give enough performance value to hold the attention of a venue this size. Ears expectantly prick when they play the first single that introduced them to the world, History’s Door, but under a shaggy mop and with minimal animation, main man Husky Gawenda seems distant, making it hard to connect. Pick any song you’d expect City & Colour to walk out to and no question it wouldn’t be Soul II Soul’s Back To Life (However Do You Want Me). But it works – it sets a relaxed, carefree mood, allowing Dallas Green and his

The Darkness from his latest LP, Old Ideas. But, even as he stands before us at 79 years of age, it’s hard to believe. Given it’s his third visit to Australia recently, it’s heartening that Cohen still commands a more than sizeable audience in this arena setting, and this is well deserved. Cohen jogs onstage and drops to his knees for Dance Me To The End Of Love, the scorching lead violin of Alexandru Bublitchi, the first member of his incredible band, showcased. After he praises the AirportLink tunnel (apparently it has therapeutic qualities), The Future picks up the pace, though the anal sex references remain censored, before the first knowing cheer comes with the initial line of Bird On A Wire. Cohen’s control over his mighty band is clear; after blistering solos

LEONARD COHEN @ BEC. PIC: STEPHEN BOOTH

the 33-year-old can deliver O’ Sister, it feels like the entire city has fallen silent in an instant. Coming Home incites cheers from various Canuck pockets in the crowd when their locale is name-checked in the lyrics; Little Hell and Sleeping Sickness provide shivers, while later, Green enthuses us to get our dancing shoes on during Thirst. Eventually, a four-song encore stretches the love-in out just a little longer, Death’s Song concluding an evening you wish wouldn’t end. Benny Doyle

LEONARD COHEN

Brisbane Entertainment Centre 30 Nov “I’ve got no future/I know my days are few,” Leonard Cohen spruiks almost triumphantly in

the huge reaction expected. It’s a brilliant song, but with such an abundance of brilliance on show, it’s tough to single out songs for extra adulation. Take This Waltz closes the set, but an encore is a foregone conclusion; So Long, Marianne is rapturous and First We Take Manhattan is pummelling. A second encore kicks off with the brilliant Famous Blue Raincoat, the Webb Sisters sing the delicate If It Be Your Will and Closing Time seems to signal the evening’s end. But it’s not. I Tried To Leave You is a showcase of the incredible musicians, before Cohen ends on a cover of The Drifters’ Save The Last Dance For Me. If we get the opportunity again, you must spend an evening with Leonard Cohen. Dan Condon

LEONARD COHEN @ BEC. PIC: STEPHEN BOOTH

from guitarist Mitch Watkins and keyboardist Neil Larsen the band drops to nothing, the crowd is silent and we all wait for Cohen to resume at his leisure. The passionate, pulsating Everybody Knows is followed by an immense Archilaud solo from Javier Mas, which brings in Who By Fire, finishing with some double bass mastery from Roscoe Beck. The uplifting How The Light Gets In then closes out the first part of this evening’s show. Cohen then returns powerfully; the playful Tower Of Song, the iconic Chelsea Hotel No. 2 and the gripping The Partisan evidence of his deep catalogue. Vocalist Sharon Robinson takes on Alexandra Leaving, which leads into the braggy I’m Your Man and somehow it’s not jarring. After a recitation of A Thousand Kisses Deep comes Hallelujah, but it doesn’t get

PATRICK JAMES, THE STARRY FIELD, THE PHONCURVES Black Bear Lodge 27 Nov With just sampled harmonies, simple beats and one acoustic guitar between them, duo The Phoncurves show what can be done with so little. The clear drawcard is their pure and sweet voices, but the more unexpected compositional elements of later songs, like the percussive Dearest and temposhifting single Heartstrings, show a little more identity. The Starry Field are rugged and blokey, a surprising departure from the polish of their debut. Frontman Mark Myers’ everTHE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 45

live reviews present Australian accent comes across as disarmingly honest, and his stage presence mirrors his music: deceptively detached until closer attention reveals a wicked sense of humour and complexity. Closer All Of My Love is played a little fast, but loses none of its jauntiness, or heartbreaking vulnerability. Immediately the sold out crowd is transfixed by Patrick James. His voice is soulful and mature for someone so young, and at just 21 years, it’s clear James is already a polished performer, and well supported by his band. After he and his guitarist have swapped between acoustic, electric and banjo, James takes to the piano for ballad Kings And Queens. It’s a weaker part of the set, with much punchier songwriting displayed later. The banter is

WARPED TOUR

RNA Showgrounds 29 Nov It’s been 12 years since Vans Warped Tour was last in Oz. Back then, the timetable was written up in marker pen on a ripped cardboard box. However, the organisation of the festival doesn’t feel haphazard in 2013. It is organised chaos, but in that order. Confession are doing their usual bully boy metalcore over at the Off The Wall stage. They have pictures of Chopper – the real and Hollywood version – acting as side-of-stage banners, while frontman Michael Crafter actually looks like the dead crim: handlebar moustache, pudgy, tattoos. They are struggling in the heat but they manage.

MILLENCOLIN @ WARPED TOUR. PIC: TERRY SOO

light-hearted and cheeky, with All About To Change introduced as the ‘sex scene song’ from television’s Wonderland. Bugs is a crowd favourite, as is the surprisingly cohesive cover of Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors. The set highlight is Running Cold, performed around one microphone, James on guitar and the others huddled around to harmonise. It is a magical moment, broken only by an ill-timed bottle smash from an otherwise attentive audience. A Freudian slip of “This has been the breast... best Brisbane show” introduces the final song, Wait. The song disappointingly ends just as we glimpse a new, grittier colour creeping into the set, but the crowd don’t mind and we are treated to an encore from one the country’s finest new songwriters. Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood 46 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

has a Saints shirt on – which immediately endears him to those in the tent. The double kick is brutal, while Jamey Jasta is the kind of frontman you’ll one day tell your kids about. Millencolin still kick arse, reeling off the hits: Kemp, Fox, Penguins And Polar Bears, Bullion, Mouse Or Man. Incredibly, the soloing from Mathias Farm and Erik Ohlsson is better than it was at the height of their powers a decade ago, and the guys even give us an encore of No Cigar and Mr Clean, no doubt because we look so good. The Amity Affliction explode for an hour, never letting the intensity levels dip once. Greens Avenue and R.I.P. Bon kick it all off, with Ahren Stringer and Joel Birch continuing to work that light and shade vocal dynamic masterfully, while a

THE OFFSPRING @ WARPED TOUR. PIC: TERRY SOO

There’s more love getting felt for The Used over at the Kevin Says main stage. They smash out Take It Away, before an enthused Bert McCracken struggles through the high notes of The Taste Of Ink, but his energy and charm is enough to get the whole thing over the line. Pop punk survivors, New Found Glory play It’s Not Your Fault and a few other tracks, before announcing – on AJ’s request no less – that they’ll be performing their seminal record of 2002, Sticks And Stones, in full. As this all happens the skate and BMX pros do their thing. Steve Caballero is tiny. He’s a year shy of 50, has a grey beard and doesn’t stop smiling once while we watch him bust out on the half pipe. We head over to Hatebreed and the tent resembles a battleground. One of the band’s guitarists

After those steamrollers of sets, it’s hard not to be tired by The Offspring. The old Cali punks still sound solid and tight – Dexter looks like he’s even cut down on the pies since Soundwave – and tracks like All I Want, Bad Habit and Staring At The Sun still kick hard. But it’s the stupid songs that you just can’t be arsed with anymore; Want You Bad and Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) have aged like warm milk. They close with Self Esteem though, which is really all that matters. And as that hook swims in the brain with a fair bit of midstrength beer, we stumble off towards the Valley. There’s just something right about having Warped Tour back in our lives; let’s hope the event becomes a staple once more. Benny Doyle, Wade Brennan

THE USED @ WARPED TOUR. PIC: TERRY SOO

clutch of Youngbloods songs mid-set get the pit spinning in the darkness. They turn Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die into a track worth listening to, while the noise made during the breakdown verses on Chasing Ghosts is something else. Getting a fix of Parkway Drive after Amity, it’s hard not to feel an immense sense of pride with where Aussie metal is sitting right now. Both bands put every other act on the bill to the sword, with unmatched playing chops, passion and songs that scream for themselves. It’s classic after classic: Dark Days, Sleepwalker, Karma, Home Is For The Heartless, Idols And Anchors. Spirit fingers are getting thrown everywhere, the collective voice calls out loud and proud at every opportunity, while each member operates like a well-oiled machine.

DAY RAVIES, NAKED MAJA, NITE FIELDS, BARBITURATES

Grand Central Hotel 30 Nov Starting Trainspotters off tonight is Barbiturates – they’re brash, loud and with a more punk rock sound to their comparatively atmospheric past. New drummer Alec Tullio is a great addition to the band and helps drive things along in a melting pot of echoing guitars and grizzly vocals. A bit of a delay follows before Nite Fields make their triumphant return to Brisbane, however, it’s clear from the start that the mix is wrong for them. In no way the band’s fault; the

live reviews lush, textural sounds are just lost. The band do perform stupidly well despite all this, with tracks old and new mixing together to form a solid and well-executed set with the brooding Vacation being a notable highlight. Launching new EP, Disillusion, Naked Maja‘s lush sounds are notably different to everyone else on the bill. Everything about the set is solid from the start and the band sonically experiment within the constructs of each track to great result. Recent single, #59 stands out, and if tonight and their recent output is anything to go by, things ahead are looking bright. Day Ravies have been in town a couple of times this year and their dream-like pop songs have always gone down a treat. Tonight they’re locally launching their latest full length, Tussle, and bloody hell, like most acts tonight they’re noticeably heavier than times past and it’s bloody bad arse rock’n’roll from the word go. Nite Field’s guitarist/keyboardist Chris Campion joins the band for

backing synth, and the sound is amplified to the point where they should have the man in the band, and it’s a shame he only stuck around for a few tracks. However, when the soothing summertime sounds of I Don’t Mind kick in he’s quickly forgotten, with the track’s peaks being aided by a mean fuzzed-out guitar with a well-constructed tone behind it. Bradley Armstrong

BITCH PREFECT, CURED PINK, PRIMITIVE MOTION Black Bear Lodge 29 Nov Leighton Craig and Sandra Selig are first on stage as Primitive Motion, and while the crowd is small, the pair command attention with their quirky brand of low-fi electronica. They’re a band confident in their style, giving them the freedom to experiment with the layered

soundscape they create – looped audio grabs, echoing vocals, cute percussive beats, and a touch of saxophone towards the end of the set. For the most part, they stick to the songs from their latest album, including Skyline, Colours and Home Of The Lone Coast to make for a thoroughly captivating experience. Utilising a range of instruments, offbeat, industrial outfit Cured Pink are performing as a quartet tonight. What’s really interesting here, though, is that when you focus on one particular element, each player seems to be telling their own individual story, completely uninfluenced by what the others are doing. Listen to the sounds as a whole, however, and it all comes together in glorious, mish-mashed obscurity. Because of this, it’s entirely possible that every audience member has heard a completely different set, depending on which elements they chose to focus on – a very exciting prospect in music. When it’s time for headliners Bitch Prefect to take the limelight a tight-knit group

of fans converge at the front of the stage, creating a real buzz for the set to come. This southern trio ooze with swag, using their time on stage to simply knock out tracks from their sophomore LP Bird Nerds with no nonsense, no fuss, and plenty of good times. With the LP having been in the public spectrum for a few weeks now, the crowd are able to help out with vocal duties at times; the particularly fun moments include the almost anthemic chorus of Better Next Time, and the “Na na nas” of Adelaide. University Fiend is another standout of the night, with its drudging beat, repeated “university fiend” refrain and its general disdainfilled vibe. For the last song of the set, the guitarist opts to play with his back to the audience, atop part of the drum kit – a move which goes down pretty well with the eager punters towards the front of the stage. Bitch Prefect have provided the ultimate party vibe with their set tonight; may they return soon. Jazmine O’Sullivan

arts reviews In those cases, filmmakers like Philip Kaufman and John Carpenter managed to combine their obvious respect for the original with a different take on the material and their own sensibilities and style. And some new classics were created as a result. CARRIE

CARRIE Film

In cinemas Whenever I thought about the folly of making a new film adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel Carrie – which was already brought to the screen somewhat superbly back in 1976 by director Brian De Palma – I reminded myself to consider the reaction genre fans might have had back in the day when remakes of muchloved movies like Invasion Of the Body Snatchers or The Thing were announced.

It’s been nearly 40 years since De Palma’s take on Carrie, the story of a shy, victimised teenager who uses her nascent telekinetic powers to wreak terrible revenge on her high-school tormentors, and the world has changed a lot since then. With the undeniably talented Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) at the helm, an updated version would surely be relevant and meaningful to modern audiences while retaining the story’s surface shocks and underlying sorrow, right? Well, sort of. Peirce’s Carrie isn’t a dud – it’s a wholly competent, occasionally inspired piece of work – but it only rarely works the nerves or gets under the skin the way King’s book or De Palma’s film did. For the most part, Peirce takes an understated approach to the story, and

that works well in generating sympathy for Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz, whose natural self-possession makes it hard for her to effectively convey the character’s awkwardness). But horror is a genre that requires a particular skill-set, and Peirce doesn’t seem technically suited to the task of unsettling or terrifying viewers with this type of story. Consequently, Carrie feels more like a missed opportunity than anything else. Guy Davis

DON JON BIFF Film (finished) Don Jon was a good-looking film. Like, really. Awash with rich, deep colours, gorgeous transitions and editing, and boasting a fantastic turn by Scarlett Johansson, it’s all things pretty and easy on the eye. But it felt at the same time like it had a bunch of things to say, but never committed to actually saying them.

DON JON

At first this reviewer thought the heavy inclusion of Jon’s p@rn addiction was saying something rather interesting about dating and relationships in the ‘porn’ and media age. But most of its plot machinations felt ultimately without purpose to that end. It made you wonder: why are we watching these things unfold? Why do these characters behave as they do? Joseph Gordon-Levitt is obviously a very capable director, but it’s unclear where he was heading with this film. Or rather, you can see where he might’ve been heading, but you may feel less sure about where he landed. Sam Hobson THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 47

muso

BEHRINGER ULTRALINK ULM 100 USB MICROPHONE Behringer’s new range of wireless USB microphones crush the price barrier once again, giving you a true wireless dynamic microphone at around the same price as your industry standard “wired” dynamic. The ULM 100 operates at the license-free 2.4Ghz bandwidth range, well outside the range of digital TV and mobile phone towers (notorious for causing issues), and the signal is also digitally encrypted, blocking out random artifacts so all you get is crystal-clear signal. The design team has also ensured you’ll save on batteries, with an average of eight hours’ performance time coming from an average pair of alkaline AAs. There’s also an on-board volume control with “Panic” mute, so if you hear feedback and hold the volume down for a second the mic will mute, preventing feedback.

When it comes to stylish listening accessories, Urbanears just have it down to a fine art. The Bagis model is an in-ear version of their widely popular headphone lines Zinken and Plattan (don’t ask us where the names come from), and captures everything the big boys are about: high quality audio, minimalist design, logical functionality. They feature a tidy tangleresistant cord, crafted with super strong Kevlar inside that helps eliminate speaker distortion, while a microphone and remote are fitted to provide easy control for incoming calls, volume and song selection. Another cool feature is the snap-lock backs on the earphones themselves, allowing you to clip the buds together when you’re not using them: less dangle tangle, nice and tidy, kind of like an extension of the overall Urbanears aesthetic.

Reza Nasseri

Benny Doyle

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR KONTROL Z1

Another pint-sized powerhouse in Native Instruments’ Kontrol series is the Z1, a controller and audio interface with headphone and RCA out, USB and a power supply that’ll charge your iPad/ iPhone while you play. The Z1 acts more like your mixer and your iPad as the control surface, utilising the touch screen to play tracks, set loops, hit points and to scrub through to different sections. The Z1 gives you a two-channel mixer, with multipurpose FX control on each channel and three-band EQ, 48 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

URBANEARS BAGIS

as well as full control over cue section. In use, there’s hardly any latency and everything is quantized and snaps to the beat, so if you’re performance is a little lacklustre the technology will pick up the slack. The sheer size, ease of use and simple interface will undoubtedly see a new breed of DJ emerging that doesn’t need expensive, bulky gear or years of experience to beat match, adjust pitch or blend tracks seamlessly, because now the technology does that for you. Reza Nasseri

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR KONTROL S4 MKII

Native Instruments’ second incarnation of the S4 features some well thought-out updates to complement their new software. We welcome new RGB backlit buttons, Flux mode and Booth output for a personalised mix, as well as external RCA inputs allowing CD or vinyl to sync via DVS timecode. The S4 is a controller/audio interface that’s PC and iOS compatible, and this is where the unit really shines, as a portable device hooked up to your iPad or iPhone. A new iOS-friendly design makes it

easier to access all the hidden features in Tracktor DJ to browse, load, edit, create samples and beat mash all night long. Running effects using the iPad touch screen as X/Y controller is loads of fun, so filter with your finger then ride the reverb train to the heavens. And if all this technology is making it too easy for you, turn the sync off and run the S4 like a traditional deck, manually beat matching and nudging tracks in time while monitoring on your iPhone. Reza Nasseri

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 49

50 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

the guide

Members/roles: Dave – guitar/vox (answering), Marlon – lead vox/guitar, Gareth – bass/vox, Danny – drums How long have you been together? We’ve been going steady for nearly two years now. How did you all meet? A friend of mine wanted to start a burlesque night and asked me to put together a house band. I knew Gareth from another band I was in and he introduced me to Marlon and Danny. You’re on tour in the van – which band or artist is going to keep the most people happy if we throw them on the stereo? Most definitely The Hives. Perfect van music. Would you rather be a busted broke-but-revered Hank Williams f igure or some kind of Metallica monster? How about Hank Williams playing Metallica songs? Imagine that. Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? We’re all huge Savage Garden fans. What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? The scene here is very supportive. So many cool bands and cool people. Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? Definitely make-outs. Unless you want to break up with someone through interpretive dance. What reality TV show would you enter as a band and why? Probably Beauty And The Geek, since we’re all so beautiful. If your band had to play a team sport instead of being musicians which sport would it be and why would you be triumphant? Badminton. We would wear 1950s clothes and drink iced tea. But we’d probably lose. What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? We’ll be releasing a film clip shortly, a new EP and touring. Little Odessa play The Hideaway on 7 Dec. Photo by TERRY SOO.

LITTLE ODESSA

THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 1

eat/drink

IN WITH THE NEW BEACH BURRITO COMPANY – SHOP 2/350 BRUNSWICK ST, FORTITUDE VALLEY Step into this brand new cantina and you’ll fast forget you’re in the Valley; the open outdoor area is more akin to a beach club, complete with towering palm tree. Better yet, the menu is packed with awesome Mexican treats.

BIRD’S NEST – SHOP 5 220 MELBOURNE ST, WEST END Simple and delicious. Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar pretty much offers the ultimate pre-gig feed in the West End – chicken skewers and beer. Counter seating allows you to watch the dishes be plated, while the menu also has lighter nosh to cleanse the palate.

MOOSE & GIBSON – 77 JURGENS ST, WOOLLOONGABBA Named after the owner’s two dogs, this cafe pays homage to its industrial surrounds with its interior design, but embraces modern contemporary with moreish flavours that roll through breakfast and lunch. The coffee is pretty special, too.

BEACH BURRITO COMPANY

THE STATLER & WALDORF – 25 CAXTON ST, PADDINGTON The food here isn’t merely to be consumed, it’s to be embraced, experienced and absorbed visually and through the taste buds. The gastronomy pub has a stately vintage quality inside, while the cocktail list demands you stay a little longer.

HATCH & CO. – GASWORKS PLAZA 76 SKYRING TERRACE, NEWSTEAD

THE STATLER & WALDORF 52 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

This impeccably designed casual dining dig has just opened in the very now Gasworks Plaza, the breezy eatery welcoming and immediately homely. Dishes are designed to share, and the kitchen staff are slow cook specialists and source only the freshest produce.

BIRDSNEST

FOOD IS ART

PIC BY ELLYCE WALLACE

eat/drink DRINK UP

What’s your bar’s specialty drink? The many rotating craft beer taps! What drink turns you off? Fizzy yellow water that advertises itself as beer. What makes your bar different? Ugly but friendly bar staff that will give you a taste of all five taps that we have pouring whenever you walk through the door.

THE SCRATCH

8/1 Park Rd, Milton scratchbar.com Answered by: Benjamin Nichols

Who will I meet at your bar? Charlie from down the road, Graham if he clocks off early today and Max if didn’t get on it the night before.

What’s the design/ atmosphere of your bar? It’s a bit like our extended living room. You’ll find boards games, comfy seats and the war scars of many a late night. Who is pouring at your bar and what makes them special? You’ll find the owners (Ben, Kieran and Shev), who are not special in any way. We have a great family beyond that of particularly special beer nerds.

MILKSHAKES

Best hangover cure? The smiles of the staff at Bunker Coffee.

The Tiller Coffee, Alderley

EATIN’ OUT

blackcoffeelyrics.com.au Answered by: Daniel Wehling What’s one food you can’t live without? At the moment it’s kimchi. I have an unhealthy obsession with making it and consuming it. What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? Sriracha chilli sauce. It’s

Get ‘em while they’re cold. Here’s where to go if you are tired of the ol’ vanilla, choc, strawberry options.

Butterscotch Espresso, Ginger Chocolate Flamingo Cafe, Fortitude Valley Salted Caramel, Banana & Peanut Butter

BLACK COFFEE LYRICS Shop 41 Centre Arcade, Surfers Paradise Bvd, Surfers Paradise

OUR PICKS

the best tasting chilli sauce hands down.

Sourced Grocer, Teneriffe

What’s the design/ atmosphere of your restaurant? Bare bricks and timber, eclectic art pieces, low lighting, cosy and comfortable.

Chocolate Ganache, Lemon Meringue

Where do you eat out? Espana in Broadbeach is great. The Pocket in Burleigh Heads for something quick and Barefoot Barista in Palm Beach if I go out for breakfast.

Merriweather Cafe, South Brisbane What should I order when I come down? Coffee is a must: we have a signature blend from Moonshine Roasters. During the day grab an Americanainspired sandwich with some deep fried oysters and a cold craft beer.

Night is a little more special; you can’t go past the slow-cooked pork belly with kimchi, pickled pear and seared scallop or the doughnuts rolled in coffee sugar filled with coffee creme and served with salted coffee caramel ice-cream.

Butterscotch Vanilla, White Choc & Strawberry Jam Southside Tea Rooms, Morningside Oreo, Strawberries & Cream, Peaches & Cream

mon-wed 6.30am-3pm thurs-fri 6.30am-6pm sat 7am-6pm sun 9am-6pm

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BACKLASH

TOURING THIS WEEK

BRIAN GRIFFIN RIP

No one likes saying goodbye to a beloved pet, but Brian Griffin the lovable (well, to some) canine from Family Guy has gone to the big kennel in the sky. So, so sad…

PLEASE GO AWAY Bloody Bieber, spraying graffiti on a Gold Coast hotel like someone cares he was here. Hotel permission or not, it’s gotta go because it’s bloody heinous! Stick to ‘singing’…

SUGAR RUSH New Globe Theatre will go off this Saturday night with funk soul brothers Tijuana Cartel bringing the party with new single Candy. Along with Tin Can Radio and Deep Dreamer, you can catch all three bands for $25+BF – presale through Tijuana Cartel’s website.

SHAME ABOUT RAY Gold Coast MP Ray Stevens has called for a register of people in Qld with tattoos to “crack down on crime”. When are we going to crack down on fucking idiots?

FRONTLASH WE’RE THE BOSS!

Remember when Bruce Springsteen was here and he covered The Saints’ Just Like Fire Would as a local tribute? He liked it so much he’s cut it for his new album! Brisbane rules!

LIFE ON THE POND

UNRELENTING PACE

Renowned for a live show that rocks an entire room, Anarchist Duck will be making the Sunny Coast dance at Solbar, Maroochydore on Saturday night. The world/funk/groove hybrid trio play with fellow lovers of loose Hussy Hicks.

Trainspotters, Grand Central Hotel has a doozy of a shindig planned this Saturday, with Melbourne’s Heads of Charm, pictured, the audacious Gazar Strips, Roku Music and under-the-radar heroes Ultra Material making up the bill.

STRAIGHT OUT OF INVERELL

REMAIN CALM

SCREW ‘EM! They’re up to 33 long-listed albums for this year’s AMP award and still no Qld noms! At least they’re consistent. Should it re-brand as SAMP – Southern Australian Music Prize?

MO BLUES! Congrats to the Royal Mail Hotel at Goodna for winning a Keepin’ The Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, the first ever Australian KBA. Well done!

THIS WEEK’S RELEASES… NEIL YOUNG Live At The Cellar Door Reprise/Warner 8 FOOT SATIVA The Shadow Masters Caroline TOY Join The Dots Heavenly/PIAS SUNNYBOYS Our Best Of Warner

54 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

A new Indigenous voice to be reckoned with, DukeBox Bailey will preview tracks from his forthcoming full-length Big Kitty Life at The Queensland Multicultural Centre, Friday.

Mixing electric style with glammed up electro pop, Michelle Xen continues to set the Brisbane scene alight with her presence. She launches new EP On For You at Black Bear Lodge, Sunday, with Arundel and Machine Age.

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FESTIVAL CAPERS

BRENDAN MACLEAN

SINGLE FOCUS

LITTLE MAY Answered by: Hannah Field

Name: Brendan Maclean

Single title: Hide

Festival playing at: Woodford Folk Festival

What’s the song about? Hide explores emotional and/or physical infidelity, mind games... how both of those things can destroy relationships.

Who are you looking forward to checking out there? Woodford Folk is like piñata ready to explode with juicy artists. (I think I’ve got my metaphors crossed there?) I’ll be front and centre for Tim Finn, Clare Bowditch, The Basics and the magical pixie that is Beth Orton. Have you guys had much experience playing at festivals in the past? Nope! It’s our first one. If something goes horribly wrong blame me. How will you change your set-up compared to a normal gig? Well I’ve planned for all of my band members to have wardrobe malfunctions so get ready for that. But seriously, they’re pretty sexy and there’s five of them so you’re bound to score. What five acts (past or present) would comprise your dream festival bill? Lady Gaga, Bowie, Queen, Rufus Wainwright and a small band comprised of only cows stamping on ukuleles. What have you got planned down the road? I’m off to take over London next year with my EP Population, writing with some incredible artists in Australia like Sietta and Sam Cromack from Ball Park Music and I should probably do my taxes eventually. Brendan Maclean plays Woodford Folk Festival, Woodfordia on 27, 29, 30 & 31 Dec.

TOURING THIS WEEK

RECLAIM THE THRONE Fresh from smashing up UK stages with the elegantly wasted Pete Doherty, Brissie quartet Millions are back in town with a new album in tow. They play Black Bear Lodge this Friday with Gung Ho and Morning Harvey.

How long did it take to write/ record? We wrote it in one night on the way to Melbourne in a beachside town called Mallacoota. Recording was a long process due to experimenting with percussive aspects to really bring the song to life. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? Hide is our second single release. It is definitely one of our favourites off our forthcoming EP which is looking to be released early next year! Very exciting! What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? During the songwriting process I was inspired by one of my previous relationships. Trust and respect left the equation and we ended up really hurting each other; we should have separated before that happened.

ELECTRIC FEEL

TOKYO SHOCK BOYS

After getting themselves together earlier this year, The Buzzrays have found form with a blend of garage, psychedelic and punk rock. They headline at The Hideaway on Friday with support from Delirium Seeds and Catalina. Five bucks on the door.

Find out what the fox really says when local Celtic punks Fox n Firkin present their new EP, Roppongi at Barra Bar, Springwood this Saturday, before playing Fat Louie’s, 14 Dec and Surfers Paradise Beer Garden, 26 Dec.

FEEL THE BEAT

LEND A HAND

Combining the impressive talents of 19-year-olds Georgia Rose and Sally Ann, the gorgeous guitar melodies of Hollow Drums will be showcased centre-stage at New Globe Theatre tonight (4 Dec), with Will Watson and The Winter Of Reason.

Aussie icon Alby Mangels will be interviewed direct from typhoon ravaged Philippines during a fundraiser at Kings Beach Tavern this Sunday, 2pm-5pm. Live music, jumping castle and the chance to join Alby on the 2014 Variety Bash.

We’ll like this song if we like... Running in the rain, zesty cheeses, a carafe of nice wine, Fleetwood Mac and sexy jungle beats. Do you play it differently live? When it is just the three of us we strip it back a little bit. With the entire band we definitely try to replicate the huge percussive chorus. When and where is your launch/ next gig? Our east coast tour starts on 7 Dec in Brisbane at the Southside Tea Room! My family is from Brisbane so I’m excited to see all the relatives! Little May play Southside Tea Room on 7 Dec.

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CAFÉ - BAR

321 BRUNSWICK STREET MALL, FORTITUDE VALLEY 4TH OF DECEMBER

LE PARTI SOUL W/ DJ REDBEARD + GUESTS 5TH OF DECEMBER

HUNGRY LUNGS (10:30PM) + THE SKINNIE FINCHES (9:30PM) 6TH OF DECEMBER

KALACOMA 9:30PM + BIG DEAD (8:30PM) + MUTANTEER (7:45PM) 7TH OF DECEMBER

WHITE ELEPHANT (9PM) + SEAVERA (8PM) 8TH OF DECEMBER

UNBROKEN EXPENSE (9:30PM) + LOVE HATE REBELLION (8:30PM)

music. saturday 7/12.

The Ant Aggs Trio 8pm.

9TH OF DECEMBER

RIC’S HOSPO NIGHT FEAT: LUKE REICHELT (9:30PM) + TASH LE STRANGE (8:30PM) 10TH OF DECEMBER

CHASE CITY (9:30PM) + THE VANNS (8:30PM)

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SINGLE FOCUS

FRIENDS OF BEN

TIJUANA CARTEL

Answered by: Rory Dawson

Answered by: Paul George

Single title: Summer

Single title: Candy

What’s the song about? How relationships change over time, and how personal failings contribute to fucking things up.

What’s the song about? An old drug-dealing acquaintance from some time spent in Sydney.

Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? This is the lead single from our forthcoming self-titled EP, due to be released in February next year. Summer is a good indication of what to expect from the rest of the EP. What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? Lyrically the song is inspired by personal events, Beyoncé and Ezra Pound’s ideogramic method. Musically we draw a lot of inspiration from the rich instrumentation and texture of bands like Radiohead and Grizzly Bear. We’ll like this song if we like... Big, intelligent, emotional pop music. You’ll find elements of bands like Beach House, The National and Grizzly Bear present. Do you play it differently live? The song becomes more intense thanks to the live percussion of Stuart and Damian. More of us contribute to the vocal harmonies as well, adding extra warmth and depth. When and where is your launch/next gig? Black Bear Lodge on 4 Dec. We will be supported by Denmark and Andy Ward. Friends Of Ben play Black Bear Lodge on 4 Dec.

How long did it take to write/ record? We originally started to throw the idea out about a year ago, while in Bali. It took around six to eight months of different versions to land the final take.

FUTURE SOUNDS

AMBIENT AWESOMENESS Creating stunning pieces of musical beauty, Brissie trio MTNS will launch their debut EP Savages with shows at Black Bear Lodge, 6 Feb; Byron Bay Brewery, 7 Feb; and The Loft, Gold Coast, 8 Feb.

Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? We plan to feature it on a full length album sometime in 2014. What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? I was in a retreat up in the mountains of Bali; there was a lot of inspiration in that place. After a long hectic tour it was the perfect place to relax and make tunes. We’ll like this song if we like... Someone said it sounded like Tame Impala’s Elephant crossed with Marilyn Manson’s Beautiful People.

BLOOD LUST

ENDLESSLY EXPOSED

Melbourne trio ScotDrakula have just released a new track Break Me Up, and you can hear their sweet lo-fi garage sounds when they visit to fill support duties for US dude Mac DeMarco. They play The Zoo, 18 Dec.

Focusing on his acoustic endeavours following a successful sojourn to South East Asia, refined alt-rocker Dane Adamo will debut new EP Circle Of Lies at The Press Club, 11 Dec, with a full backing band in tow.

THE BIG PAYBACK

SMASH AND GRAB

The Soul Train is pulling into Black Bear Lodge once again for a second session of the finest funk, soul, R&B and disco, all spun by jam king DJ James Wright. Don your most stylish threads and groove on down 14 Dec.

We can’t confirm or deny whether glass will be shattered when Jenny Broke the Window, pictured, perform at Trainspotters, Grand Central Hotel with Fox & Fowl and Fever Pitch on 14 Dec, we just ask that you play nice.

Do you play it differently live? We embellish the solo part and speed it up a little. It packs a little more punch when we do it live. Tijuana Cartel play New Globe Theatre on 7 Dec.

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FUTURE SOUNDS

LET’S GET SLEIGHED! After a huge year of late nights and warm mornings, Southside Tea Room are going to sign it off with a cracker of a Christmas party, 20 Dec, featuring mysterious headliners Pussy Pound and hot indie group The Creases, pictured.

ALBUM FOCUS

GALAPOGOS

DOOMZ DAY DREAMERZ

Answered by: Daniel Newton

Answered by: DJ Keen

Album title: Feel Or Suffer Where did the title of your new album come from? If you say “feel or suffer” really slow you’ll unlock the mystery to everything and nothing – so I guess it came from a desire for a slower, more meaningful exchange of communication. How many releases do you have now? This is our second full-length album and we also have released 22 EPs since our first album in 2011.

FAMILIAR FACES

TWICE THE TUBES

The Familiars are bringing their full-blooded guitar-driven indie rock to The Zoo, 6 Feb for a co-headline tour with The Vanns. The Byron boys will also play Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, 7 Feb and Alfred’s Apartment, Gold Coast, 8 Feb.

It’s one of the most epic pieces of recorded music in history, and now Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells is getting some local treatment with Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth interpreting the tracks at Brisbane Powerhouse, 31 Jan and 1 Feb.

PERSONAL BEST RECORDS

How long did it take to write/ record? It was recorded from January 2013 to September 2013. We had hours of improvised noise that we simply manipulated further and worked it to a point where it sounded like one consistent piece of sound. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Avant-garde/noise composer David Zorzan was incredibly influential to us all, as was Sofia Coppola, Lars Von Trier, Julia Holter, MIA, Kim Gordon and the feminist spirit of our mums, nanas and sisters.

Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? Cheech & Chong. First record you bought? That was a long time ago yo: NWA – 100 Miles And Runnin’. Record you put on when you’re really miserable? None by no one; decks turned off at this point. Record you put on when you bring someone home? Last time was probably, Evidence – The Weatherman and Cats & Dogs. Most surprising record in your collection? Dunno, probably sold it. Last thing you bought/ downloaded? Evidence, signed copy. Too many albums drop these days for me to keep up. Doomzday Dreamerz play Hell’s Kitchen @ Transcontinental Hotel on 7 Dec.

What’s your favourite song on it? Parakeet Parachute. It does the best job of communicating what Galapogos and Feel Or Suffer means to the band.

YOUNG VOICES SOUND OFF

HIGH SEA HIJINKS

Get On Up is a new travelling musical initiative featuring concerts and workshops, and it’s coming to Expressive Grounds, GC, 14 Dec. MC Wheels, pictured, Stik n Move, Boi Blue, and Baden Knight will perform, with more to be announced.

The Ulterior Boat Party leaves from Bretts Wharf Pontoon, 14 Dec, and features a versus set from Jamie Stevens and Steve Ward, with further beats from Rich Curtis, pictured, Cosmo Cater, Kavina and Chris Walker. Book your spot via Moshtix.

FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU

Will you do anything differently next time? You’re a pretty useless artist if you’re not consistently challenging yourself, so this question answers itself, really: fuck yes, we will. That is the thrill of making art. When and where is your launch/ next gig? Friday 6 Dec at The Zoo with very special guests The Medics and Bree De Rome. Galapogos play The Zoo on 6 Dec. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 59

opinion OG FLAVAS

ADAMANTIUM WOLF

ROOTS DOWN

URBAN AND R&B NEWS WITH CYCLONE

METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT

BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON

This time last year Mariah Carey was prepping for an Australian summer tour – out-of-the-blue. The soul-pop diva has since enjoyed a huge comeback hit here in #Beautiful with Miguel. Lately, she’s been promoting a “personal” quiet storm ballad, The Art Of Letting Go – also the title of her long-awaited 14th (!) album. The single, helmed by Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, isn’t Carey’s most instant, but it’s classy. Either way, last year’s flop Triumphant (Get ‘Em) is now but a faded memory. Meanwhile, Carey has become cool. She’s had (entertaining) beefs with Eminem and fellow American Idol judge Nicki Minaj. Grimes, a fan, freely emulated her airy vocals on the avant-EDM Visions. Then 2008’s forgotten Touch My Body has been credibly reworked (unofficially) by hipster DJ Cyril Hahn. So where is Carey’s follow-up to 2009’s Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel? Well, it’s apparently being held over for 2014. Word is that Carey has recorded with names old ( Jermaine Dupri) and new (Mike WiLL Made It, responsible for Ciara’s ace Body Party and Miley Cyrus’ We Can’t Stop). Understandably, Carey slowed down after having twins with Nick Cannon but, yo, she should watch her back. This year actor/ singer Ariana Grande, 20, totally jacked her melismatic soprano style, and blend of ‘90s R&B and hip hop soul, even recruiting Carey producer Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds. Still, though songs like The Way are polished; compared to Mimi, Grande’s debut Yours Truly is a bit R&Glee. All we want for Christmas is classic Mariah. ogflavas@themusic.com.au

MARIAH CAREY

60 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

The names Dr Burt and Adolphus Bell are far from well known. But just because an artist spends their career in obscurity doesn’t mean they weren’t great, and these gentlemen – who both passed away in recent weeks – were certainly among the greatest I’ve ever seen. THE AMENTA

Last week three of Australia’s best metalcore/deathcore bands all called it a day all within a 30-hour period – Sydney’s Resist The Thought, Newcastle’s The Storm Picturesque and the Sunshine Coast’s Signal The Firing Squad. It seems like strange timing. None of these bands ever quite made it to the highest level, but it seemed like for at least some parts of their respective careers, they were ready to break out. Now they’re breaking up, kids are begging for one final tour, or pledging to buy merch. Add that to the recent announcements that Shinto Katana will be pulling the plug, and that The Amenta’s early 2014 shows will likely be their last, and it would seem an era is ending. This year has also seen the death of two of my personal favourite record stores. Many months back Ritual Music and Books in Melbourne shut shop, but now Kill The Music, a record store that’s been operating in Brisbane since 2006, has announced it will be closing its doors from January. Both outlets struggled massively to stay afloat throughout their existences, and certainly wouldn’t have shut down if people still put their money where their mouths were. I walked into Kill The Music recently to pick up/drop off some consignment stock from my record label… I walked into a store full of people courtesy a New Found Glory instore signing. I hadn’t seen that many people in the store in a very long time. Even so, their business has reportedly picked up significantly since announcing their impending closure. As usual more people seem to be

buying Kill The Music T-shirts to show their support than the actual records that are supposed to be why the shop exists. It’s easy for everyone to click ‘like’ or ‘attending’, but too often it’s just not enough. Having run a Pozible campaign and released many records, I’ve seen this kind of public support without the actual backing all too clearly – only a very small proportion of the people who share the release on social media actually pledge or purchase. Sharing links for bands is awesome and doesn’t go unappreciated, but unless money changes hands those bands aren’t going to be able to pay their bills. Sometimes I feel that, in punk and hardcore especially, people seem to assume that when large sums of money involved with things like record pressings, renting spaces, international tours, etcetera, that large sums of money are being made. In my experience this couldn’t be further from the truth and most bands and businesses are either scraping by or stay happily afloat thanks to one or two lucky hits. It’s cool to sell things at cost price, to lose money on doing cool tours, but how long can people be expected to keep that up? I’m financially at a dead-end for my own endeavours, and while I’m not bowing out I definitely can’t do as much as I want to for a long time. Staying afloat in the business is really, really hard. While I can’t speak on their behalf in terms of finances, I can only assume the bands mentioned at the top of this column might have found it easier to keep their hearts in it if the financial burden of just trying to operate wasn’t so intense. Very few ever get to the level required for self-sustainability.

Tim Duffy’s Music Maker Foundation brought both of these legends out as a part of the revue the organisation regularly puts on at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, and both were just about as affecting as an artist can be. Passion and pain had been poured into their songs and poured out of their performances; their tales of destitution and incarceration completely captivating and, as a middle class white boy, utterly frightening. But there was also a celebratory sprit to their performances; the artists were thrilled to be in Australia, but more so they just seemed thrilled to be able to play their music to people who actually gave a damn about it. Adolphus Bell died at 69 years of age, the one-man band succumbing to cancer that had plagued him for four years. It was this illness that kept him from returning to Australia after wowing crowds back in 2006. While on his deathbed, Dr Burt’s final wish was that someone could get him a gig close by so he could play one more show. He didn’t make it to that last gig, but the passion for singing the blues remained ‘til his dying breath. He was 76 years old. Let this be another reminder to embrace the chance to see the older musicians in our scene while we still can.

DR BURT

opinion ARE YOU LOCAL? BRISBANE SINGLES AND EPS BY CHRIS YATES

THE PHONCURVES

Heartstrings Independent

There’s a big beat thumping away in Heartstrings, which is more noticeable when it’s absent for the delicious mix of vocals that come in to signal the chorus. There’s a layer of “ahhs” in the background that form the main musical accompaniment of the track, and act as a counterpoint to the more complicated vocal melodies sitting over the top. The production is thoughtful and adds to the simple song in many ways, like how the jazz interlude over the second chorus almost acts as a sampled breakdown.

SPIRIT BUNNY Gold & Brown Independent Coining the genre Grit Hop for their sounds, members of Spirit Bunny are familiar for the host

of bands they play in around in town, but you can look that up for yourself. We need to talk about this track instead, which is a refreshing mix of so many ideas at once that somehow gels together into something totally familiar and ridiculously new. Starting out with some abstract bent circuit trickery or some other kind of magic, the track builds into a solid heavy synth line that falls into a groove when the live drums kick in with a slow hip hop beat. Upstroke guitars give hints of dub and the vocals are chopped but not to the point of obscurity. Brilliant.

GO VAN GO

washed over by soundalikes and had to modify what they were doing in order to stand apart. Superminx’s finest moment, however, kicks in as what is maybe a bridge, and the guitars take off with a walk around the fretboard that sounds random enough at first and then falls into place on itself as that killer riff comes in one last time for a short outro.

Independent

DOM MILLER

Superminx

There’s a riff at the heart of Go Van Go’s Superminx that really is all they needed to make this track stand out. The garage cock rock is reminiscent of The Datsuns before that band got

TRAILER TRASH DIVES INTO YOUR SCREENS AND IDIOT BOXES WITH GUY DAVIS The second movie in a film trilogy can experience its own unique form of middle-child syndrome. After all, the first movie has the relatively easy task of establishing the world, the characters and the overall story, and if it gets it right it can win an enduring place in the audience’s affections. And the third and final chapter? Well, if the trilogy hasn’t dropped the ball, there’s a fairly good chance viewers are going to

be so invested in the saga’s outcome they’re likely to forgive any faults. But the middle section has the tough job of building a bridge between these two segments while displaying its own identity. Some trilogies pull this off wonderfully - there are people who contest The Empire Strikes Back is the best of the original Star Wars films, for instance, and there are many Lord Of The Rings devotees who’ll go to bat for The Two Towers.

THE HUNGER GAMES CATCHING FIRE

Clap Your Hands Independent Former Rocketsmiths frontman Dom Miller has been working his solo show for some time

Catching Fire, the second instalment in the Hunger Games trilogy, knows what it has to do as a stand-alone story and a part of a greater whole, and it does an admirable, often thrilling and riveting job of keeping the audience engrossed in this bold, passionate tale of rebellion against repression: a film that has heart, soul, brains and muscle to spare. The first Hunger Games film ended with tough but vulnerable heroine Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence) emerging victorious in an annual fight to the death between a group of young people culled from the 12 districts of Panem by the nation’s wealthy, powerful overlords. The contest has been designed as a way of keeping the poor of Panem fearful and subservient but Katniss’ strength and cunning – faking a love story with fellow player Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson) meant he survived the Games as well – have made her a symbol of hope... and resistance. As Catching Fire begins, Katniss is torn. Her victory means she and her family are now relatively well off compared

now, and the results are really coming to the fore. Clap Your Hands is a ridiculous pop number, sitting somewhere between a children’s song and yearning to be loved and adored by the masses, or maybe someone in particular. It’s not as deep lyrically as his previous track Gone Away, which requires some interpretation to really get at what he’s saying, but there is still more going on than the surface suggests. The video is fantastic, Miller playing a hyper-annoying version of himself bouncing and grinning like an idiot while he performs in places where he shouldn’t be.

to the impoverished people of District 12. But she’s traumatised by bloody, violent memories of the Games, and while she must continue to appear involved with Peeta (who’s genuinely smitten with her), she is more drawn to Gale (Liam Hemsworth). Panem president Snow (Donald Sutherland) recognises that Katniss’ fiery spirit could ignite a revolution against the powers that be, and with the help of Games mastermind Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) he hatches a plan to crush it. A special contest is to be held, with winners from previous years roped into taking part, and Katniss and Peeta once again find themselves fighting for their lives. I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence has taken the helm this time and shows confidence and skill in staging the story’s propulsive, hard-hitting action sequences. Thankfully, he’s also no slouch when it comes to its dramatic or emotional moments, and Catching Fire is often equally effective at tugging the heartstrings as raising the adrenalin levels. THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 61

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THE MUSIC PRESENTS Philadelphia Grand Jury vs Feelings: The Rev 5 Dec

Future Music Festival: RNA Showgrounds 1 Mar

The Nerve: Northern Hotel 5 Dec, Tempo Hotel 6 Dec, Kings Beach Tavern 7 Dec

Mikhael Paskalev: Alhambra 4 Mar

Festival Of The Sun: Port Macquarie 13-14 Dec Pond: The Zoo 14 Dec Bonjah: Solbar 28 Dec, The Northern 29 Dec Woodford Folk Festival: Woodfordia 27 Dec–1 Jan Half Moon Run: Solbar 2 Jan, Old Museum 3 Jan, The Northern 4 Jan Wire: The Zoo 19 Feb

WED 04 Friends of Ben: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Hip Hop/RnB + Various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise The Seekers: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank Kataklysm: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Nick Tango: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane The Casuarinas: Junk Bar, Ashgrove Open Mic Night feat. various: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Hollow Drums + Will Watson + The Winter Of Reason: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Le Parti Soul + DJ Redbeard + Guests: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley Mark Sheils: Royal George, Fortitude Valley Open Mic Night feat. various: The Loft, Chevron Island Ron Walker: The Plough Inn, Southbank

A Festival Called Panama: Tasmania 8-9 Mar Billy Bragg: The Tivoli 20 Mar Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr Allen Stone: the Zoo 16 Apr Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014: Tyagarah Tea tree Farm 27-21 Apr KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr

GIG OF THE WEEK PASSENGER: 6 & 7 DEC, THE TIVOLI

Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr

Acoustic Sessions feat. various: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Lesyah: The Vault, Southport Cave + Cobwebbs + Ghost Notes: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley DJ Daniel De Niro + Brent Dee: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise

THU 05 Abbe May: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley The Ancients + Martyr Privates + Black Vacation: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Hip Hop/R&B feat. various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise

Jabba: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Ballad Boy: Loving Hut, Mount Gravatt Open Mic Night + various: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Darren J Ray: Redlands Sporting Club, Wellington Point Hungry Lungs + The Skinnie Finches + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley Daniel Champagne: Solbar, Maroochydore Insane Clown Posse + Boondox + Big Hoodoo: The Hi-Fi, West End

Closure In Moscow + All The Colours + special guests: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley

Hightime + Driven Fear + Stolen Bikes Ride Faster + Army Of Champions: Fat Louie’s, Brisbane

Guitar Wolf + Hits + Happy Times + Waax! + DJ Judy Jetson + DJ Wolvie Trash: Beetle Bar, Brisbane

Barry Charles: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane

Millions + Gung Ho + Morning Harvey: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Hip Hop/R&B feat. Various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise

Jordie Lane + Rose Cousins: Eulo Town Hall, Eulo

Philadelphia Grand Jury + Feelings + The Creases: The Rev, Fortitude Valley

Le Breeze: Lambert’s Restaurant, Kangaroo Point The British 60s Show: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central

Closure In Moscow + All The Colours + special guests: The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Tumbleweed + Kadavar + Blues Pills + Sun God Replica: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Colin Hay: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley Frazer Goodman: The Vault, Southport Twin Haus + The Moses Gunn Collective + Junior Arcade: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Stevie Z + DJ Daniel De Niro + Jake Carmody: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise Skinwalkers: X&Y Bar, Fortitude Valley

PETER MURPHY: 10 DEC, THE HI-FI

Cry Havoc + Trtynatyde + Symbolic Weapon + Skull Phuck: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley King Parrot + Gay Paris + The Seal Club + Messiam: Commercial Hotel (Titanium), Nambour The Screaming Jets: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 62 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

B-Rad + Berst: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane

Slip-On Stereo: The Joynt, South Brisbane December Nine + Zealardor + Dean Blaich + Taylah Little: The Loft, Chevron Island

COUTNEY BARNETT: 6 DEC, QAG

Govs + Tsun + MTNS: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise

Dear Anonymous + Tiny Radio: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley

Brodie McAllister + Friends: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Off The Rails feat. Unity Floors + Screaming Match + Scrabble: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane

FRI 06

The Bombshell Burlesque & Beauty Academy + Various: Metro Arts, Brisbane Strings For Ammo: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Courtney Barnett: QAGOMA (QLD Art Gallery), South Bank

the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au Green Jam Sessions with + Will Martineau Trio: QPAC, Southbank

Stereosonic 2013 feat. Armin Van Buuren + Axwell + The Bloody Beetroots + Alesso + Aly & Fila + Stafford Brothers + Nero + more: RNA Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

Impossible Records Showcase feat. Impossible Odds + Tigerlily Lion + Kaylah Truth + Classik Nawu + Dukebox Bailey + more: Queensland Multicultural Centre, Kangaroo Point

Julia Rose + Nikolaine Martin: Shady Palms, Stones Corner The Dawn Chorus: Solbar, Maroochydore

Kalacoma + Big Dead + Mutanteer + DJ Valdis: Ric’s, Fortitude Valley

Timomatic: The Events Centre Caloundra, Caloundra

DJ Ryan: Ric’s (upstairs), Fortitude Valley Steel Panther + Buckcherry + Fozzy: Riverstage, Brisbane

TWIN HAUS: 5 DEC, THE ZOO

DJ Josh King: Saltbar, South Kingscliff One More Ben + Steele McMahon: Shady Palms, Stones Corner

GROoVAi: Brisbane Powerhouse (Turbine Platform/5pm), New Farm

Taylor Swift + Guy Sebastian + Neon Trees: Suncorp Stadium, Milton

Bec Laughton + Slip On Stereo: Solbar, Maroochydore Dallas Frasca + The Lyrical + Transvaal Diamond Syndicate: Soundlounge, Currumbin

Thriller feat. King Parrot + Gay Paris + Among The Vanished + The Name Of The Ghost: Coniston Lane, Fortitude Valley

Joey Bada$$ + The Underachievers + Remi: The Hi-Fi, West End

I Exist: Sun Distortion (all ages), Brisbane

The Screaming Jets: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta

The Buzzrays + Delirium Seeds + Catalina: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley

Real//Talks + Blonde Bear + Waax! + Alaska Homer: Crown Studios, West Burleigh

Hip Hop Review with Bullhorn: The Joynt, South Brisbane Blake Saban Three + Brother Fox + The Endless: The Loft, Chevron Island Archie Rye: The Plough Inn, Southbank The Nerve + King Of The North + The Shapes: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Various DJs: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Ba), Fortitude Valley Passenger: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley Lesyah + Duette: The Vault (4pm), Southport Galapogos + The Medics + Bree De Rome: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Brent Dee + Jake Carmody: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise

SAT 07 Cookie Jar feat. various DJs: 633 Ann, Fortitude Valley Classik Nawu + Aleksander + Lee Emcee + Greg Beard: Beetle Bar, Brisbane

Melvins + Helmet + Guests: The Hi-Fi, West End

Trainspotters feat. Heads Of Charm + Gazar Strips + Roku Music + Ultra Material: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Quennel Mott + Electric Samurai: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Dallas Frasca + Gumby Foot: Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi The Nerve: Kings Beach, Caloundra Wasabi + Tullamore Tree + Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane

Jet Set A Go Go #3 with Little Odessa + more: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley Soul Review with Bullhorn + guests: The Joynt, South Brisbane Jac Stone + Jackson James Smith + Meredith + Scott Dalton: The Loft, Chevron Island Stereo Blonde: The Plough Inn (afternoon), Southbank 3 Thieves: The Plough Inn, Southbank Stellar Green + Off The Leash + more: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Various DJs: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Bar), Fortitude Valley Hightime: The Time Machine, Nambour

SUN 08 Sunday Rock N Roll BBQ feat. Hightime: 633 Ann, Fortitude Valley Michelle Xen & The Neon Wild + Arundel + Machine Age: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Hip Hop/R&B + various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise LiveSpark feat. Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side: Brisbane Powerhouse (3,30pm), New Farm Pat Tierney + Brian Sexton + Jeremy Newell: Dowse Bar (Iceworks), Paddington

Silk Trio: The Vault, Southport

David Ryan Harris: Old Museum, Bowen Hills

The Predators + The Cairos + Danny Widdicombe & The Good Old Boys + Karl S Williams: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Unbroken Expanse + Love Hate Rebellion: Ric’s, Fortitude Valley

Anarchist Duck + Hussy Hicks: Solbar, Maroochydore

Hip Hop/R&B feat. various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise

Little May + The Phoncurves: Southside Tea Room, Morningside

Muse + Birds of Tokyo: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall Pocketlove: Mooloolaba Surf Club, Mooloolaba

Peter Murphy: The Hi-Fi, West End

White Elephant + Seavera + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley

The Babe Rainbow + The Furrs: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley

TUE 10 Hip Hop/R&B feat. various DJs: Bourbon Bar, Surfers Paradise

Kate Mackie Trio: Libertine Bar & Restuarant, Paddington

Passenger + special guests: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

The Zone: Saltbar, South Kingscliff

MON 09 Deerhunter + Blank Realm + Black Vacation: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

Mike Barber + Pirate Brides: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm

Tijuana Cartel: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley

Stereosonic 2013 feat. + David Guetta + Calvin Harris + Sebastian Ingrosso + Empire Of The Sun + Boys Noize + Will Sparks + Clockwork + Labrinth + more: RNA Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

Brent Dee + DJ Daniel De Niro + Jake Carmody: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise

Andrew Cooke + Alf An Ant: Kings Beach Tavern (2pm), Caloundra

Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane

DJ Cutts: Ric’s (upstairs), Fortitude Valley

Blue Steel: The Plough Inn (afternoon), Southbank

Dom Miller: The Scratch, Milton Escalate Christmas Party feat. various: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Lecia & Lani: The Vault, Southport Jake Carmody: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise

Doomzday Dreamerz + Def Men Walking + Toddy Darkz + more: Transcontinental Hotel, Brisbane Stevie Z + Jake Carmody: Vanity Nightclub, Surfers Paradise Scattered Order + Gerald Keaney & The Gerald Keaneys + Browning Mummery + Brainbeau + Cured Pink + Dracopede: Visions Gallery, West End

TUMBLEWEED: 5 DEC, THE TEMPO HOTEL

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tour guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au

INTERNATIONAL

I Exist: Sun Distortion 6 Dec (AA)

Miami Horror: Oh Hello! 7 Feb

Kataklysm: Crowbar 4 Dec

The Screaming Jets: Eatons Hill Hotel 6 Dec, Coolangatta Hotel 7 Dec

Oliver Tank: The Zoo 8 Feb

Cave: The Zoo 4 Dec Insane Clown Posse: The Hi-Fi 5 Dec

Birds Of Tokyo: Coolangatta Hotel 11 Dec

Steel Panther: Riverstage 6 Dec

Guineafowl: Alhambra Lounge 12 Dec, Beach Hotel 13 Dec

Guitar Wolf: Beetle Bar 6 Dec Passenger: The Tivoli 6 Dec, 7 Dec (AA)

The Tiger & Me: Beach Hotel 12 Dec, The Joynt 13 Dec, Solbar 14 Dec

Taylor Swift: Suncorp Stadium 7 Dec

MAC DEMARCO: 18 DEC, THE ZOO

Joey Bada$$: The Hi-Fi 7 Dec David Ryan Harris: Old Museum 8 Dec Melvins, Helmet: The Hi-Fi 8 Dec, The Northern 9 Dec

Misfits: The Zoo 16 Jan

Absu: Crowbar 23 Mar

Eyehategod: The Hi-Fi 17 Jan

Thirty Seconds To Mars, White Lies: Brisbane Riverstage 30 Mar (AA)

Deerhunter: The Zoo 9 Dec

Mudhoney: The Zoo 18 Jan

Muse: BEC 10 Dec (AA)

The Lumineers: The Tivoli 18 Jan

Peter Murphy: The Hi-Fi 10 Dec Metric: The Tivoli 11 Dec

We Are Scientists: The Zoo 22 Jan

Sage Francis: The Hi-Fi 12 Dec

Ken Stringfellow, Chris Stamey: Black Bear Lodge 30 Jan

Alicia Keys, John Legend: BEC 13 Dec

Periphery: The Hi-Fi 31 Jan

Bob Log III: Alhambra Lounge 13 Dec

Selena Gomez: BCEC 6 Feb

The Locust: Crowbar 5 Feb

Kylesa: The Hi-Fi 13 Dec

I Am Giant: The Rev 6 Feb

Hopsin: The Tempo Hotel 13 Dec, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 16 Dec

DJ Shadow: Family 7 Feb

Chris Lake: Family 13 Dec, Platinum 20 Dec Jack Johnson: QPAC 14 Dec Chic featuring Nile Rodgers: The Tivoli 15 Dec Todd Terry: Cloudland 15 Dec The Brian Jonestown Massacre: The Hi-Fi 15 Dec, The Northern 18 Dec Bon Jovi, Kid Rock: Suncorp Stadium 17 Dec

Dash Berlin: Family 9 Feb The National: Riverstage 11 Feb Ed Kowalczyk: The Tivoli 12 Feb Wire: The Zoo 19 Feb Eminem: Suncorp Stadium 20 Feb Clutch: The Zoo 21 Feb Dolly Parton: BEC 21 Feb Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: BEC 26 Feb

Mac DeMarco: The Zoo 18 Dec

The Wonder Stuff: The Zoo 27 Feb

David Dallas: Alhambra Lounge 19 Dec

Mango Groove: Eatons Hill Hotel 1 Mar

Waka Flocka Flame: The Hi-Fi 21 Dec

Brian McKnight: QPAC 2 Mar

Ben Caplan: Black Bear Lodge 2 Jan

Charles Bradley: The Hi-Fi 4 Mar

Half Moon Run: Solbar 2 Jan, Old Museum 3 Jan, The Northern 4 Jan

Mikhael Paskalev: Alhambra Lounge 4 Mar

Babylon Circus: Solbar 3 Jan, The Brewery 4 Jan, Alhambra Lounge 5 Jan Earthless: Crowbar 3 Jan

Neko Case: The Hi-Fi 5 Mar Neil Finn: Nambour Civic Centre 6 Mar, QPAC 7 Mar Bruno Mars: BEC 7 Mar

Deafhaven: Crowbar 8 Jan

Public Enemy: The Hi-Fi 7 Mar

Paramore, You Me At Six: BEC 9 Jan

Lionel Ritchie: BEC 10 Mar

Daughters: Crowbar 9 Jan Grave, Wehrmacht: The Hi-Fi 10 Jan

Yo La Tengo: The Zoo 11 Mar Iced Earth: The Hi-Fi 14 Mar Toby Keith: BEC 14 Mar

The Crimson Projekct: The Hi-Fi 11 Jan

Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails: BEC 17 Mar

Mayhem: The Hi-Fi 12 Jan

Sebadoh: The Zoo 23 Mar

Kodaline: The Hi-Fi 1 Apr 3 Inches Of Blood: Crowbar 10 Apr Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr Allen Stone: The Zoo 16 Apr Kris Kristofferson: Lismore Workers Club 16 Apr, Empire Theatre 17 Apr, QPAC 18 Apr, Jupiters Theatre 19 Apr KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch: Byron Bay 21 Apr, The Hi-Fi 24 Apr Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr KT Tunstall: The Zoo 30 Apr Jason Derulo: BEC 5 May Arctic Monkeys: BEC 7 May Michael Buble: BEC 12 May

Gareth Liddiard: QAG 13 Dec

Pete Murray: Twin Towns 21 Feb, The Tivoli 22 Feb

Charlie Horse: The Spotted Cow 13 Dec, Ric’s Bar 14 Dec Battleships: Solbar 13 Dec, The Hideaway 14 Dec Katie Noonan, Abby Dobson: Old Museum 14 Dec Pond: The Zoo 14 Dec, The Northern 15 Dec Mick Thomas: Beetle Bar 15 Dec

Colin Hay: The Tivoli 5 Dec Philadelphia Grand Jury, Feelings: The Rev 5 Dec The Nerve: The Northern 5 Dec, The Tempo Hotel 6 Dec, Kings Beach Tavern 7 Dec King Parrot, Gay Paris: Commercial Hotel 6 Dec, Thriller 7 Dec Courtney Barnett: QAG 6 Dec

Joride: Bowler Bar 19 Dec Scott & Charlene’s Wedding: Black Bear Lodge 20 Dec

John Farnham: BEC 10 Mar

Illy: The Zoo 15 Mar

Miami Horror: Oh Hello! 21 Dec

Jimmy Barnes: Sirromet Wines 30 Mar

Angie, Nathan Roche: New Globe Theatre 21 Dec, The Time Machine 22 Dec

Kate Miller-Heidke: The Tivoli 5 Apr

Darren Hanlon: Black Bear Lodge 23 Dec

Mi-Sex: Woombye Pub 9 Jan, Eatons Hill Hotel 10 Jan, Coolangatta Hotel 11 Jan

Keith Urban: BEC 17 Jun

FESTIVALS Stereosonic: RNA Showgrounds 7-8 Dec Festival Of The Sun: Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park 13-14 Dec Woodford Folk Festival: Woodfordia 27 Dec-1 Jan Falls Festival: Byron Bay 31 Dec-3 Jan

In Hearts Wake: Sands Tavern 10 Jan, Byron Bay YAC 11 Jan

Beachlife: Surfers Paradise Beach 4-5 Jan

Kingswood, Calling All Cars: The Northern 10 Jan, The Tempo Hotel 11 Jan, Solbar 12 Jan

Boys Of Summer: The Rev 8 Jan, Eagleby South School Hall 9 Jan (AA)

Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus: Marquee 11 Jan, Coolangatta Hotel 12 Jan Sarah Blasko: St John’s Cathedral 16 Jan Kim Churchill: Solbar 16 Jan, SoundLounge 17 Jan, Bon Amici Cafe 18 Jan, Black Bear Lodge 19 Jan Icehouse, Models: Southport RSL 17 Jan, Eatons Hill Hotel 18 Jan Hunters & Collectors: Sirromet Wines 2 Feb

1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 64 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013

Dan Sultan: The Zoo 8 Mar

Baby Animals: Eatons Hill Hotel 14 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 15 Mar, Racehorse Hotel 4 Apr, Alexandra Hills Hotel 5 Apr

Jessica Mauboy: Empire Theatre 8 Jan; Lismore Workers Club 10 Jan

Tumbleweed: The Tempo Hotel 5 Dec

Christine Anu: Southport RSL 7 Mar, Old Museum 8 Mar

Tkay Maidza: Alhambra Lounge 19 Dec

James Blunt: BCEC 2 Jun

Closure In Moscow: The Spotted Cow 5 Dec, Alhambra Lounge 6 Dec

Caravãna Sun: Beach Hotel 28 Feb, Solbar 1 Mar, Brunswick Heads Hotel 2 Mar

Sunnyboys: The Northern 14, 15 Mar, The Tivoli 28 Mar

Joe Robinson: The Brewery 3 Jan, New Globe Theatre 4 Jan

NATIONAL

Kerser: The Hi-Fi 22 Feb (AA and 18+)

Clairy Browne: The Hi-Fi 19 Dec

The English Beat: The Zoo 18 May

Dragon: Kedron Wavell Services Club 20 Jun, Twin Towns 21 Jun

Josh Pyke: Old Museum 15 Feb The Angels: Harrigan’s Drift Inn 15 Feb, Caloundra RSL 28 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 29 Mar

Bonjah: Solbar 28 Dec, The Northern 29 Dec, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 30 Dec

Bastille: BCEC 13 Jun (AA)

Rick Price: Brisbane Jazz Club 14 Feb, Gold Coast Arts Centre 15 Feb

The Gin Club: Cafe Le Monde 12 Dec, Black Bear Lodge 13 Dec, The Spotted Cow 14 Dec

Fleshgod Apocalypse: The Hi-Fi 14 May

Ellie Goulding: BCEC 5 Jun (AA)

The Aston Shuffle: Oh Hello! 13 Feb, Elsewhere 14 Feb, Solbar 15 Feb, Byron Bay Brewery 16 Feb

Big Day Out: Metricon Stadium and Carrara Parklands 19 Jan Laneway Festival: RNA Showgrounds 31 Jan Soundwave: RNA Showgrounds 22 Feb Good Life: RNA Showgrounds 28 Feb Bluesfest: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm 17-21 Apr Easterfest: Queens Park 18-20 Apr Groovin’ The Moo: Townsville Cricket Grounds 4 May

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THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013 • 65

the end

CARTOON DEATHS BRIAN GRIFFIN LIFESPAN

12 seasons.

HOW Hit by a car and then kicked in the head by a talking squirrel. Brian was rushed to the vet, but unfortunately his injuries were too severe.

PROS

In a surprising turn of events, Family Guy manages to convey some real emotion.

CONS The writers have killed off their best asset.

LAST WORDS “You’ve given me a wonderful life – I love you all.”

KENNY LIFESPAN

Immortal. Kenny McCormick makes the film Groundhog Day look like child’s play.

HOW It might be more appropriate to list how Kenny hasn’t died.

PROS “Oh my God, they killed Kenny! You bastards!”

CONS While it was always something to look forward to, it became too predicable. That’s probably why Matt Stone and Trey Parker gave it a rest for a while.

LAST WORDS Usually a muffled scream accompanied by some muffled swearing.

MAUDE FLANDERS LIFESPAN

11 seasons.

HOW Struck down in her prime by a T-shirt gun that knocks her off the grandstand at Springfield Speedway.

PROS Homer finds a bobby pin on the floor.

CONS The Leftorium is now horribly understaffed.

LAST WORDS “Neddy, I’ve had about all I can take of Homer Simpsons’ torso, I’ll get some hotdogs.”

66 • THE MUSIC • 4TH DECEMBER 2013