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2 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
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THE GUIDE Cover: The Royal Artillery Food/Drink Frontlash/Backlash Indie News Opinion Gig Guide The End: TV Girls
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review “THEIR PERFORMANCE IS ABOUT PRESENTING A JUXTAPOSITION OF LURID AND BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS IN A POWERFUL AND THEATRICAL FASHION.”
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CREDITS PUBLISHER
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It’s 20 years now since the Big Day Out made Gold Coast Parklands its home, but this year it’s moving to new digs at Metricon Stadium, Cararra – the home of burgeoning AFL team Gold Coast Suns – which is sure to bring a whole new vibe to the legendary festival. From a musical perspective there’s something on the line-up for everyone, so get along and check out the music and associated shenanigans.
Do you love the intrigue of magic and mystery? Then have we got a show for you! The Illusionists 2.0 return to QPAC this weekend with their illusions – reacquaint yourself with The Master Magician, The Warrior, The Deceptionist, The Illusionist, The Hypnotist, The Manipulator and The Futurist and be sucked into their disparate takes on the unexplained and inexplicable. It runs from this Sunday through to 27 Jan.
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laugh BRISBANE
It’s a great time of the year for laughs as all of the comics who threw together shows for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival then take the chance to torment the rest of the country with their shenanigans – this Saturday night at Brisbane Powerhouse you can catch a dose of stand-up with Joel Ozborn, whose knack of finding comedic gold in the minutiae of life and flair for rampant improvisation have earned him accolades from all around the country and beyond. Get some of that best medicine into ya!
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The mack daddy of Aussie music festivals is shaking its bad thing for your good self over the coming weeks. Big Day Out 2014 has some colossal names on the bill: Pearl Jam (photo by Danny Clinch), Arcade Fire, Deftones, The Hives; hell, you can even experience the ego that is Liam Gallagher! It’s a summer institution, and one that you need to be a part of. Things kick off on the GC this Sunday; for all show details head to The Guide at theMusic.com.au.
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Are you down with the clown? Do you want to meet that special juggalo or juggalette that too is utterly bamboozled by magnets? Then head to JuggaLOVE, the number one Insane Clown Posse dating site on the internet, or at least, enjoy some laughs while you watch the pisstaking clip of what could be, via YouTube. Put the Faygo on ice!
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The Golden Globe-nominated Spike Jonze film Her, in cinemas from Jan 16. It stars Joaquin Phoenix and the vocal talents of Scarlett Johansson, and was soundtracked by Arcade Fire. It’s about Theodore Twombly (Phoenix), who has a romantic relationship with his computer operating system with artificial intelligence, Samantha ( Johansson), as she helps him to get through the breakdown of his marriage and his daunting return to the real world. It’s a tear-jerker, and is deserving of its accolades. Go fall in love with Samantha yourself.
Because we’re alt-rock hipsters through and through (sometimes), we couldn’t help mentioning this little compilation, named after that Magic Dirt song from 2000 (“I haven’t washed my jeans in three months or more” – what a grub). Dirty Jeans: The Rise Of Australian Alternative Rock charts the rapid rise and rise of alternative music in Australia from 1988 through to 2002, and includes hits from Spiderbait, You Am I, Something For Kate and Silverchair, plus all your other favourites. It’s a veritable who’s who of Australian rock, where you’re sure to love at least half. It’s out Friday – get it in ya. THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 9
national news news@themusic.com.au OZOMATLI
INDIA ARIE AND JOSS STONE
A PAIRING OF PURE BEAUTY
Musical evenings don’t get much more stunning and soulful than this. The invigorated and ever-engaging India Arie will share the stage with freewheeling fellow Grammy Award-winning songstress Joss Stone. This is an incredibly rare opportunity to see these two stunning artists run through their full vocal range while plundering their deep catalogues for all your favourites like Stone’s Super Duper Love and Arie’s Video. While in town for Bluesfest, the ladies will headline shows 17 Apr, Palais Theatre, Melbourne; 20 Apr, The Tivoli, Brisbane; and 24 Apr, Enmore Theatre, Sydney, with all shows proudly presented by The Music.
GODS OF DANCE
Blending Latin, rock and hip hop into a concoction that’s a smooth as velvet, Ozomatli are pretty much the ultimate groove party band. The Los Angeles crew have long been revered in this country, and while they’re visiting for Bluesfest they’re going to making a lot more of their fanbase even happier with news they’re doing some east coast headline shows. The group play the Zoo, Brisbane, 23 Apr; Factory Theatre, Sydney, 25 Apr; and Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 26 Apr, with special guest Chali 2na supporting on the two southern dates. Proudly presented by The Music.
WE’RE GOING ON VACATION
The Holidays’ have been nose to the grindstone for the past few years, putting together their brand new record, Real Feel, while visiting countless cities across many continents. The result is a musical escape for your ears, with main man Simon Jones stating that the band have tried to make art out of the intangible. Hear the fresh cuts first at these dates: 6 Mar, Elsewhere, Gold Coast; 7 Mar, The Zoo, Brisbane; 8 Mar, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; 13 Mar, Transit Bar, Canberra; 14 Mar, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney; 20 Mar, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 21 Mar, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 29 Mar, Rosemount Hotel, Perth; and 30 Mar, Newport Hotel, Fremantle. Real Feel is released 21 Feb via Liberation.
BAD NEWS WITH HAPPY ENDINGS
Not like that you filthy individual. New York indie-rock troupe We Are Scientists were set to tour Australia next week, but they want to give you the best possible night out when they do plug in, so they’re postponing the shows to put the finishing touches on a brand new album. Hear the fresh tracks first 28 May, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 29 May, The Zoo, Brisbane; 30 May, Factory Theatre, Sydney; and 31 May, Amplifier, Perth. Tickets currently held will be valid for new dates.
Pay your dues and experience Gang Of Four in their current incarnation, as new singer John Gaoler leads founding member Andy Gill and the troops through their lauded debut record of 1979, Entertainment!. Celebrating 35 years since the record’s release, the English post-punk icons will show their dominance 19 Mar, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; 20 Mar, Metro Theatre, Sydney; 22 Mar, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane; and 23 Mar, Capital, Perth.
BELIEVE THE HYPE
After enjoying a break-out year in 2013 behind stunning single Given The Chance, Danny ‘The Kite String Tangle’ Harley is setting himself up for another year of triumphs with the biggest headline shows of his career. Prior to his showcase performances at SXSW in the US this March, Harley, alongside supporting Sydney beatnik Kilter, will drown our souls in lush electronica when he plays Transit Bar, Canberra, 13 Feb; Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, 14 Feb; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 15 Feb; Mojos Bar, Fremantle, 19 Feb; Flyrite, Perth, 20 Feb; and The Zoo, Brisbane, 22 Feb.
“I HAVE SUCH A BONER FOR WELL-INFORMED DECISIVENESS” JUST KEEP IT OFF CONAN’S COUCH @ANDYRICHTER. 10 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
FOR YOUR OWN AMUSEMENT
NEW WORLD SOUND
RALLYING THE TROOPS
Recently voted the favourite EDM artist of 2013 at the American Music Awards (beating out Daft Punk and Calvin Harris, no less), Avicii is set to dominate huge venues across the country, and has just announced a suitable support cast for an occasion so epic. Gold Coast brothers New World Sound will kick things off at every stop on the tour, while Will Sparks (Syd/Per), Joel Fletcher (Bris/ Melb) and Throttle (Syd/Melb) will also be slamming it home. Be at Avicii’s first ever Australian headline shows when he takes it to the Riverstage, Brisbane, 24 Jan (all ages); Centennial Park, Sydney, 25 Jan; Melbourne Showgrounds, 26 Jan; and Perth Arena (all ages). Tickets for all dates still available, proudly presented by The Music.
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TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 11
local news qld.news@themusic.com.au THOMAS CALDER
PIGEON
GET DOWN ON IT
LEAVING THE TROUBLE BEHIND, FOR ONE NIGHT ANYWAY
Thomas Calder, the creative mind behind Brisbane favourites The Trouble With Templeton, is treating local fans to a night of stripped-back songs – his first solo show in over a year – and as well as all the cuts from his back catalogue, Calder will also be road-testing a selection of brand new songs he’s been working on throughout the past six months. A couple of special supports will help make the night even more memorable too, with recent Mucho Bravado signing Eves taking the stage, as well as TTWT guitarist Hugh Middleton, also in solo mode. If all this tickles your fancy, then head to Black Bear Lodge this Thursday – $15 through Oztix.
UNCHARTED TERRITORIES
D.A.Calf of The Book Of Ships and Matt Wicking of The General Assembly are separating from their standard endeavours to venture out on the road together, exploring new musical frontiers as solo performers and collaborators. Surrounding traditional guitar sounds with a variety of loopers and gadgets while letting their fractured voices stand tall, this Urban Landscape tour will stay with you long after closing time. Check it out at The End, 21 Jan; The Loft, Gold Coast, 22 Jan; Red Star Music, 25 Jan; and Bon Amici, Toowoomba, 26 Jan.
BIG PINEAPPLE ARTIST ADJUSTMENTS
For those heading along to the Sunshine Coast event, let it be known that due to a clash of dates with other touring commitments, neither Violent Soho nor Thundamentals will be performing at the event. But fear not rocking festival goer, you’ll now be getting sets from Dead Letter Circus, MC Tuka and hip hop crew Diafrix, as well as Lurch & Chief, The Hi-Boys and Hope Springs. The new acts will join the likes of Bliss N Eso, The Living End and Art Vs Science. Happening at the Big Pineapple Complex, Nambour, 17 May, early bird tickets can still be purchased through the venue website for $72+BF.
“THE ONLY WAY TO LISTEN TO YOUR NEW FAVOURITE SONG IS AT FULL BLAST VOLUME IN YOUR CAR” JUST NOT IF RIFF RAFF [@ JODYHIGHROLLER] WROTE IT. 12 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
Behind their Daft Punk medley that went viral on the interwebs and frontman Danny Harley’s continuing success under his production guise The Kite String Tangle, Pigeon are finding themselves surrounded by more buzz that ever before. But us fellow Brisbanites have long known the live electro five-piece can kill, be it via record or the stage, and more people are set to be in the know with the impending release of their new EP Settle In, which is due to land on 24 Jan. Marrying European flavour with Australian beat-driven stomp, Pigeon will set Alhambra Lounge alight on 8 Feb, when they play with Back Back Forward Punch and Zaped. Get your tickets now through Oztix for $12.
KNIGHT’S TALE
Deep house done better – that’s what you can expect when fawned-over Sydney producer Lancelot brings his new double A-side, Givin’ It Up/ Make Ends Meet, to Elsewhere, Gold Coast this Friday and Bowler Bar on Saturday. Currently getting played on Radio 1 in the UK and spins from tastemakers like Tensnake, Perseus, The Magician and Ben Pearce, it’s all too apparent that 2014 is going to be the year Lancelot rides forwards into the lights.
THE GROWLERS
NAKED KIDS
On the back of their shit-hot record from last year, Hung At Heart, The Growlers will be bringing over their psychedelic Californian sounds for the very first time, playing a couple of Queensland dates, and most probably, helping us see the world through a different lens – for one night at least. The quintet get it going on at Black Bear Lodge, 5 Mar and Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast, 6 Mar; head to Strange Yonder for tickets, with the tour proudly presented by The Music.
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local news qld.news@themusic.com.au THE STEVENS
CRISIS ALERT
DEEP SEEDED
If you like your hardcore unrelenting and with a little flavour from the south, then SA crew Crisis Alert are just the ticket. They’ll be visiting our region next month to launch their blistering latest record Urban Decay, and if you like the classic shit – Minor Threat, Void – you’ll fucking lose it to these guys. Get amongst it and feel the pain when the pit opens up 21 Feb, The Compound, Byron Bay (all ages); 22 Feb, Crowbar; and 23 Feb, Sun Distortion (all ages). Rort and Shackles support at all dates.
VENUE CONFIRMED FOR NORTH COAST ROCK ‘N’ BLUES
Hitting the Sunshine Coast on Australia Day, the 2014 North Coast Rock ‘n’ Blues event will be held at Caloundra Powerboat Club, with previously announced performers The Mason Rack Band and Asa Broomhall headlining the event. There’s been a slight change to the line-up also, with Tongue Tied Thieves replacing the Andrew Baxter Band. $15 on the door from 1.30pm.
BIG TIME GOOD TIMES
Hit the city for Trainspotters at Grand Central Hotel this Saturday and check out Melbourne visitors The Stevens, who are launching new record A History Of Hygiene. Not designed to fuck around, the long-player belts by your ears with 24 quick-fire songs coming and going, those quick thrills sure to translate to the stage with ease. Supports on the evening include Martyr Privates, Thigh Master and Sewers, and like every Trainspotters shindig, it’s all free fun.
“FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! UNLESS THEY’RE REALLY STUPID. WHICH THEY PROBABLY ARE. MAYBE DON’T FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.”
SOMEWHAT SAGE ADVICE FROM @FUNNYORDIE – WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?
GET TO THE MET DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
HEAD TO THE MOVIES, ON US!
Visit theMusic.com.au, click on the Win tab at the top right hand corner of the page and you could grab a double pass to some of the most acclaimed new releases to hit the cinemas this month. We’ve got tickets to Dallas Buyers Club, based on true events surrounding the AIDS epidemic in America in the ‘80s, 47 Ronin, which sees the return of Keanu Reeves in full ninja glory, while Her is Spike Jonze’s latest feature film, that shines a fresh and original light on the ideas of love via technology. Enter now and win! 14 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
The Valley venue has a tonne of big nights pencilled in, with none larger than the 24 Jan, when Stafford Brothers will be holding court in the main room. Also on the cards is Uberjak’d on 25 Jan, US deep house king Jesse Rose playing a three-hour set on 26 Jan, a UK takeover featuring James Zabiela, Pedestrian and Drew Hill on 1 Feb and Will Sparks, back for an encore performance 7 Feb after slaying the venue on NYE.
NORTHERN STEEL
Sunshine Coast revellers looking for some choice indie on their Australia Day need to look no further than Eumundi Live, where Brissie favourites The John Steel Singers will headline the Sunday arvo session, with The Dawn Chorus, Tea Society and Barry Charles & The Deeper Beat also performing. Happening at the Eumundi Amphitheatre.
MORE CHANGES FOR THE CALENDAR
Another tour postponement has also landed with news that The Crimson ProjeKCt – who were supposed to kick their Australian tour off last week – won’t be arriving now until winter. But hey, at least you’ll still get to see the group and hear all those King Crimson classics. New date is as follows: 28 Jun, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, and previously purchased tickets are still valid.
THE LEGEND RETURNS
Dominant EDM prodigy Helena continues to draw clubbers in with her warm progressive beats and sassy skills on the mixer. Her latest cut Legend has found some pretty major fans, receiving plays from the dons of the scene and now the UK-born, Aussie-bred, LA-based DJ will pump up the room at Eatons Hill Hotel, 31 Jan and Platinum, Gold Coast, 1 Feb.
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2 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
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RENAISSANCE MAN Words Cyclone. Illustrations Ferry Gouw.
THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 17
He is a superstar DJ/producer, a music trendsetter and pop hitmaker but, in Major Lazer, Diplo (real name Wesley Pentz) has created a dancehall EDM Godzilla. This summer Major Lazer – their latest album Free The Universe, which reached the Australian top five – will tour with 2014’s Big Day Out alongside ally Snoop Dogg aka Lion.
P
entz, amused at being addressed as “Mr Lazer” by a telephone conference administrator, is genuinely amped about hitting Oz. “This will be our third time as Major Lazer, but it’s our first time with our new record,” he points out. “This is our biggest record – there’s so many big songs on it. I’m excited to play the new songs for all of the fans out there to see what happens. It’s going to be crazy, ‘cause we have a whole new show – it’ll be our biggest crew yet, we’re bringing ten people over.” As Major Lazer, Pentz, who resides in Los Angeles with a young son, co-produced Snoop’s Reincarnated – and speculation is that they might perform together. “I would love to,” he says. “I’ve gotta give him a text and see what he wants to do.” For Snoop, Reincarnated served as a spiritual quest. The fabled gangsta rapper decided to cut a reggae record – and sing. He also, staggeringly, disavowed guns. Pentz, who previously helmed Snoop’s That Tree (with Kid Cudi), became a confidant. Snoop was still mourning the loss of his cousin, hip hop singer Nate Dogg, to a stroke – and ruminating on his own mortality. “He met Paul McCartney, he met Obama, he met all these guys, and they were like, ‘Yo, we’re big fans, we love what you do’. He was like, ‘Do they even know what I really do?’.” Snoop is “proud” of his back catalogue but, entering his forties, began “thinking about his legacy”. “He wanted to put out a record that had a more positive message – [it] is great for an artist to be able to do that and have that kinda motivation.” The challenge for Pentz was to work on “a full reggae album” since Major Lazer specialises in dancehall – and “party music”. Pentz is reputedly an occasionally moody interviewee. It’s not surprising with his schedule (and famed partying) that he should find media duties an imposition. He can be picky, too. The ‘countercultural’ Pentz declined to talk to DJ Mag when he cracked 2013’s Top 100 poll. But today he’s ebullient, keen to talk up BDO. In fact, Pentz’ inaugural Australian tour was with the festival in 2006 – he DJed for M.I.A., his then kindred spirit and lover. “I remember that Iggy & The Stooges headlined and that was awesome – I was a huge fan,” he says. Though he and M.I.A. later had a bitter falling-out, exchanging public missives, Pentz is now gracious. “You guys loved M.I.A., man – she was just like the new voice that really represented what you guys were feeling in Australia at the time.” Pentz has always led a nomadic lifestyle, being born in Tupelo, Mississippi and raised modestly in Florida. He subsequently studied film at college in Philadelphia. It was in Philly that, as ‘Diplo’ (short for Diplodocus), Pentz started DJing seriously in the Hollertronix combo – while doing social work. He presented an album as early as 2004 on Ninja Tune’s Big Dada offshoot. Florida was redolent of DJ Shadow, with Tricky vocalist Martina Topley-Bird on board. Pentz, a “post-DJ”, emerged as an important champion of regional music, exposing Brazil’s baile funk. In London he connected with an unknown M.I.A., shaping her debut, Arular. Its success culminated in his producing everyone from Santigold to Beyoncé to Usher. And he developed a label, Mad Decent, which enjoyed its biggest commercial triumph 18 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
last year with Baauer’s US number one Harlem Shake. Pentz produced M.I.A’s breakthrough second album, Kala, (home to Paper Planes) with UK DJ/producer Dave ‘Switch’ Taylor and the pair formed the eccentric, Gorillaz-like Major Lazer. “Me and Switch just worked really well together.” In 2009 they released Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do, partly recorded in Jamaica. Beyoncé’s Run
and Walshy Fire as new cohorts. Reportedly, they had “creative differences”. However, Pentz denies that – and, indeed, Taylor didn’t “quit”. They each merely did their own thing. “There were no real differences,” he stresses. Taylor was initially “excited” about Major Lazer but saw it as a one-off. “I really had a vision for this project to be something big,” Pentz says. Taylor wasn’t prepared to devote time to it. “I was going hardcore on the touring – he was not really into that.” Ultimately, Taylor, Pentz says, is a studio guy – and in 2011 he was focused on chasing pop projects. “It’s just no big deal.” As it happens, the two just crossed paths in Jamaica. Taylor, recording nearby, dropped into Major Lazer’s Kingston show. “It was cool to see him – I hadn’t seen him since Jamaica a year earlier.” They intend to collaborate again – and on Major Lazer. “We’re still huge friends. I’m actually gonna make some stuff now with him on the new record.”
“I DON’T EVER JUDGE ANYBODY… IF THEY HAVE SOME CHEMISTRY, THAT’S ALL I WANT.” The World (Girls) is based on their Pon De Floor. Pentz’ musical colleagues commend his studio skills – and his commitment to networking. He’s inherently genial. Even in his days sparring with M.I.A., he seemed the more reluctant to lash out. Sure, he’s been dissed by Azealia Banks (for supporting Baauer’s request that she not circulate a remix) but, then, so has everyone. This makes his split with Taylor prior to Free… all the more mysterious, Pentz recruiting Jillionaire
Ironically, Pentz himself is now recognised as a superproducer. While he sprang from an urban dance underground, he’s no pop snob. Free… boasts such implausible guests as Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Bruno Mars and Shaggy. And, not only has Pentz liaised with Justin Bieber, but he also recently contributed Passenger to Britney Spears’ Britney Jean. “I’m just here to make music – that’s what I do, I’m good at it. When I work with an artist like, say, even a Britney or [Passenger co-writer] Katy Perry or whatever, I’m working with them as people. I don’t care about what their fans are like. I don’t like when people have conceptions about what they are, who they are. I just work with people directly. I just deal with human beings. I don’t ever judge anybody… If they have some chemistry, that’s all I want.” It’s about having “fun” – and creative freedom. “I never go in the studio with someone like Justin Bieber because there’s a bag of money there.” Pentz has plenty in the pipeline. “There is a lot of Diplo stuff coming out. I just put an EP [the New
URBAN LANDSCAPE Traditionally, Big Day Out is a rock festival, but it’s long repped urban and dance music. Acts that have made their Australian premiere at BDO include M.I.A. and Lupe Fiasco. This year Snoop Lion and Major Lazer are big draws, but who else should punters catch? Swedish House Mafia fanatics will wanna sweat with Steve Angello in the Boiler Room, but you shouldn’t miss the Diplo-endorsed Dillon Francis, a rising superstar DJ. The Los Angeles native, while associated with moombahton, has developed a hybrid EDM style. He remixed Justin Timberlake’s Suit & Tie (with Jay Z). Francis’ recent single, Without You, ft Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, was tweaked by Sydney’s Hayden James. Word is an album is due on Mad Decent this year. Then there’s Flosstradamus, who’ve done much to fuel the trap phenomenon in the US, resurrecting their own careers in the process. Like Diplo, the Chicago DJs were involved in Iggy Azalea’s cult TrapGold mixtape. Mid-2013, Pittsburgh indie rapper/producer Mac Miller dropped his second album, Watching Movies With The Sound Off, with input from the cred Pharrell Williams, Flying Lotus, Clams Casino, Odd Future and, yes, Diplo. Today Bliss N Eso could easily upstage any international hip hop act, but look out for Scott ‘Kerser’ Barrow, a self-styled rap anti-hero from Sydney’s western suburbs. He commands a huge following despite minimal radio support – and has beefed with 360. His 2012 No Rest For The Sickest was at one time putatively the most stolen album from JB Hi-Fi, and he’s lately followed with SCOT, again via Obese. Kerser likes 2Pacy song titles like Bible 4 My Enemies, too. CSS, fronted by Lovefoxxx, are a late addition to BDO after Harvest’s cancellation. The Brazilian electro-indie band’s future looked iffy when their main songwriter and producer Adriano Cintra quit. But last year they mounted a quietly triumphant comeback with the alt-R&B Planta – produced by Dave Sitek (Beady Eye, Oh Land). Don’t sleep.
Orleans’ bounce-oriented Revolution] out in October and there’s some more records coming out in the next couple of months. But I’ve been concentrating on helping a lot of the Mad Decent artists put out records, like Dillon Francis and RiFF RAFF. Then Major Lazer has a huge album I’m gonna do later in the year – we have an EP out in February… Basically, I’m just into creating that new Major Lazer album – it’s gonna be big, man, it’s gonna be a massive record.” That EP, incidentally, features Pharrell. Meanwhile, Free… has been reissued locally as a tour edition with extra remixes (one from Flume under his What So Not guise). Pentz has done something no other international DJ has
in Australia. In 2007, along with Nina Las Vegas and Andrew Levins, he launched Heaps Decent, which organises music programmes for Indigenous and underprivileged youth. Pentz rarely speaks of Heaps Decent these days (although he has helped set up similar entities in the US and South Africa). There’s a reason for that. “To be honest, there is a lot of politics involved with my role in it,” the DJ, sensitive to notions of ‘white privilege’, sighs, suggesting that it’s because he’s not Australian. “That was kind of weird to me.” Guiding tracks by young Indigenous musicians for a Heaps Decent CD, Smash A Kangaroo, he didn’t question their attraction to (politically-incorrect) gangsta rap, instead purely facilitating. “I still think that a lot of people wanted to keep it like safe and cute and whatever it is.” Pentz worried his association was a liability and so now lets the organisation, which has funding from Sydney’s Fuzzy, speak for itself. “But Heaps Decent still runs really well – it’s an amazing initiative, I’m very proud of it.”
WHAT: Free The Universe: Tour Edition (Mad Decent/Warner) WHEN & WHERE: 18 Jan, Marquee; 19 Jan, Big Day Out, Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 19
music
MUST BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE Icehouse have one of the highest selling Australian albums of all time, so why did Iva Davies worry no one would care about their return? He speaks to Dan Condon.
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cehouse reactivated back in 2011, with a greater sense of permanence than we’d seen in decades: albums were reissued, a greatest hits compilation released and the band booked big shows around the country. It went well, and the band has continued with relative regularity ever since, but founder and creative core Iva Davies wasn’t certain this would be the case. “I was unsure whether there’d be any market for it,” Davies says. “It’s been a really pleasant surprise that there’s such a demand for it, and I think one of the most pleasant surprises is that the music has travelled down a generation, or perhaps even two!” Beginning life as Flowers in 1977, the band marked former classical musician Davies’ first flirtation with rock music. “[It was] the first electric band I ever played in and the first time I’d ever been into a pub, let alone played in one.” They would bash through covers of songs that were moving them at the time, focusing on the punk genre in its various guises. “Anything from Sex Pistols to T-Rex and Brian Eno,” he recalls. “It was a strange collection of material within the framework of what was then the tail-end of the punk movement and the beginning of the synthesiser period of new wave. “The original sound of the band was formed by those covers and those styles; we were a punk band with synthesisers. It was not a usual kind of combination – we didn’t fit into the camp of the new romantics and didn’t fit into the more hardcore punk movement with the Sex Pistols and The Damned – it was this odd hybrid.”
funny secret about that is that the tempo of Great Southern Land is 120BPM, which is the default tempo setting of the LinnDrum, because I hadn’t actually learned how to change the speed of it at that point. “[But] a huge number of important bits of those songs were a result of mistakes,”
Does he still get excited by new musical toys? “It’s interesting you should ask that – I’m having an entirely new Pro Tools system installed in the studio, which will be my new set of toys. I’ve been using that stuff for years now but I
“GENERALLY SPEAKING A LOT OF THE SONGS I WROTE WERE THE BY PRODUCT OF ME LEARNING TO USE A NEW MACHINE.”
Then came an influx of ever-changing music technology. Davies has always eagerly embraced new ways of making music with machines and relished in the fact that he, frankly, didn’t know how most of them worked. “Generally speaking a lot of the songs I wrote were the byproduct of me learning how to use a new machine,” he says. “When I [returned] to Australia to start writing the second album I brought back from America a brand new piece of technology called a LinnDrum, which was a drum machine that used digital recordings of real drums.
Davies continues. “The Fairlight, which was the first sampler ever invented – I was one of the lucky few who could afford the first version of it at the princely sum of $32,000, a massive amount of money in 1982 – was an absolute killer at producing happy accidents because of the way you had to load the sounds into it.
“The first thing I did when I was learning how to program it turned into Great Southern Land and the
“A huge number of my songs were
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the result of me coming back the next day and accidentally loading the wrong set of sounds in and having these amazing things happen – drum parts that ended up being mandolins and things… [1986 single] Baby You’re So Strange has some extraordinarily mad edits in it as a result of me getting messed up and putting things in the wrong order.”
haven’t been deeply submerged in the very latest, so this is me kinda giving myself a kick into the future.” Davies is reluctant to say this means he’s planning on writing new material (fans have been waiting for the proposed Bi-polar Poems for 12 years, after all), but it’s the best sign we’ve seen in a while. “I tend not to plan things; my plans are as loose as getting a new Pro Tools system.That doesn’t sound like a plan, but it’s quite a deliberate plan in a funny way. Believe me, there have been massive projects that have come out of much smaller investments and smaller technologies.”
WHEN & WHERE: 17 Jan, Southport RSL, Gold Coast; 18 Jan, Eatons Hill Hotel
END OF A CHAPTER The massive worldwide success of The Lumineers has had them on the road for over a year, but now a break in the weather is in sight. Neyla Pakarek chats to Chris Familton about writing letters and our “boisterous” crowds.
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ith a European tour in its closing stages and a pause from touring over the Christmas period, Neyla Pakarek is already looking toward the next phase of the band’s career after they head down to Australia, New Zealand and Asia in early 2014. That next chapter will be a break from touring and a concerted effort to write and record the follow-up to the whirlwind success of their self-titled debut album. Built on the back of the single Ho Hey the band have become a top-line festival act with Grammy nominations and in excess of 95 million YouTube views of that game-breaking song. Pakarek, it seems, is a little unsure of how to process the last 18 months and how they’ll adjust to life off the road. “We’ve all been looking forward to it but as it gets closer it starts to get a little bit scary. Any big change like that tends to make you a bit uneasy but I’m sure that it’ll be great for us to have some time off. I keep telling people that it’ll take me a little while to process everything we’ve done. We’ve done so much in a year-and-a-half that it’s hard to take it all in as it’s happening. Adjusting to the lifestyle has been a big thing. You can learn your instrument but not necessarily what comes with the lifestyle of being a touring musician and it’s a lot of work. It’s a really fun job but it’s definitely a lot of work.” That adjustment to things like constantly changing hotel rooms, waiting for flights and waiting for soundcheck is what Pakarek had to quickly learn, especially as The Lumineers is the first real band of which she’s been a member. “It has been a battle,” she admits. “There was a time when it was a matter of getting through it – counting down the days and waiting for it to end but I think on the last couple of tours we’ve embraced it. It is hard to be away from loved ones at home and not be in any one spot for a period of time. It can be quite disorientating but I think as a musician in today’s world you have to do it and so if we want to do this for a while we have to embrace it; you don’t have a choice. The iPad is my friend for sure. I also make an effort to write letters
to send home, keeping up a dying art. I enjoy finding little trinkets to put in the letter and send home, which makes it kind of special.” One big question that arises from the rapid and widespread success
got two new members that didn’t make the first record and who I assume will make the second record and that’ll just make it a lot easier. We were also playing instruments on the first album that none of us were particularly great at. I played a lot of the piano parts on the record and I’m not a great piano player so it’ll be nice to have Stelth [Ulvang] who will add a lot of nuance to the record. I’m sure we won’t be trying to make the new one sound exactly like the last one.” Heading down to the Big Day Out brings with it the prospect of playing folk-based music on large festival stages, a far cry from small bars and rootsmusic clubs. Though Pararek has a preference she doesn’t see the band at a disadvantage playing larger venues and fondly remembers the Australian crowds from their visit earlier in 2013. “I think it doesn’t affect us that much in terms of performing but I really prefer the smaller, more intimate shows. The stadiums and festivals are really exciting and an amazing experience, but there’s something about
“YOU CAN LEARN YOUR INSTRUMENT BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT COMES WITH THE LIFESTYLE OF BEING A TOURING MUSICIAN.” of The Lumineers is whether the whole experience will directly influence the next album. “I don’t know – it’ll be much different circumstances writing this album compared to the last one so it may make the sound change. I know we’ll have much more time in the studio; we only had around ten days to record the last record which wasn’t very much time. The sound will definitely evolve. For one, we’ve
the intimate shows where you feel more connected to the audience. From what I understand it does translate well to the bigger rooms though so we haven’t had to make too many changes to our set. “I’d been to Australia once before in college so it was interesting to go again as a band and the people were so lovely and the shows were really great. Everybody was ready to be engaged and have a good time. Some countries we go to people are a little more reserved culturally and it’s not like they are bad shows but you do have to work harder. When the crowds are more boisterous you feel like you’re doing your job better.” WHEN & WHERE: 18 Jan, The Tivoli; 19 Jan, Big Day Out, Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast
music
music
THE EYE OF THE LION Dan Condon speaks to Snoop Dogg/ Lion/Zilla via email, but not about smoking weed: about being inspired and being so damn prolific.
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noop Dogg is a colossal figure in 21st century pop culture, just about everyone knows who he is and has an opinion on his former gangster, now far more peaceful persona. From his brilliant 1993 debut LP Doggystyle through to last year’s reggae album (released under the name Snoop Lion) Reincarnated – not to mention film and TV appearances and plenty of trouble with the law, including a murder charge for which he was acquitted – Snoop has done a lot of shit. Sadly, Snoop wouldn’t speak to us on the phone and strict instructions were given to ensure he wasn’t asked about certain topics in an email interview: no talk of guns, visa issues, past alleged crimes and, shockingly, smoking weed – perhaps the most identifiable trait of Snoop’s public persona. He even dodged a harmless question about Rastafarian culture, which Snoop has professed to make a large part of his life following his reinvention as Snoop Lion and the documentary Reincarnated last year. His answers were succinct, to say the least. “I love Australia, it’s always a live-arse show,” he says when asked to relay his favourite memories of our country. “I can’t wait to come back.” Snoop Dogg still absolutely destroys on stage, however, with recent visits seeing questionable material thrown out the window in preference of classics from his back catalogue to prove he’s OG. “I always love getting on stage and reaching my fans,” he remarks. With 11 studio records and appearances on almost 130 singles, it’s obvious Snoop loves to work. But writing this much among a schedule that includes performing, acting, scores of promotional appearances, presenting an online TV show (GGN Double G News Network) as well as fatherhood, running his own youth football league and, let’s be honest, smoking a whole tonne of weed, you wonder when Snoop Dogg finds the time to write?“It depends on what I’m doing and where my head is at that day. I write when I’m inspired, but I’m inspired a lot.” With a classic like Doggystyle and hits like the brilliant 2004 Neptunes-produced single Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop has cemented a place in the musical consciousness of generations. But he doesn’t play favourites and claims 22 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
middling records like Doggumentary and Malice n Wonderland mean just as much to him. “No, I don’t have a favourite, I love all my records,” he says. “I love 7 Days Of Funk I’ll tell you that much.”
says. “7 Days Of Funk has roots in the old school for sure but we want to push the fun forwards.”
While many would say that his best work is behind him, Snoop Dogg is always very much
He’s had the chance to work with P-Funk alumni such as Clinton himself and Bootsy Collins – who Snoop based his latest persona, Snoopzilla, upon – unsurprising given the vast number of collaborations he has either
The similarities between 7 Days Of Funk and the George Clinton-led Parliament and Funkadelic groups of the 1960s and ‘70s are enormous, though it’s no surprise Snoop wants to pay tribute. “P-Funk’s music has been around me since I was little,” he says. “We grew up to it.”
“I WRITE WHEN I’M INSPIRED, BUT I’M INSPIRED A LOT.” looking to the future. His latest project is the aforementioned 7 Days Of Funk, which sees him teamed up with hip producer Dam-Funk to make a mini-album packed with early ‘90s aping tracks that brought Snoop closer to his roots than ever before. But while he’s chased an old-school sound, he’s not looking back. He is only doing it for the benefit of listeners in the modern day. “We’re pushing boundaries into the future now,” he
instigated or agreed to be a part of. Snoop’s recent chart successes have mostly come thanks to these, which are for the most part others’ work; for example, Young, Wild and Free with Bruno Mars and Wiz Khalifa, Sweat with David Guetta and California Gurls with Katy Perry. The list of artists he was worked with over the years is incredibly diverse, and Snoop says it’s just going to keep on changing as time goes on. “Oh I’ll keep going and going,” he says. “My music will always reflect where I’m at and how I’m feeling.” Snoop says that even after all these years, he enjoys being a performer more than ever. “Absolutely, I love performing,” he enthuses, before saying he does not plan to ever quit the rap game. “Never,” he concludes. WHEN & WHERE: 18 Jan, The Marquee, RNA Showgrounds; 19 Jan, Big Day Out, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast
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music
HORROR STORIES
Horror-obsessed hardcore vets Misfits are returning to our shores. Mark Hebblewhite chats to main man Jerry Only to discuss Christmas, fashion statements and the elephant in the room… Glenn Danzig.
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ou’d think that after all these years Jerry Only would be sick of answering questions about his former Misfits bandmate, the infamous Glenn Danzig. But when The Music (with some trepidation) raised the issue, Only’s response was surprisingly philosophical. “I used to get annoyed when people would constantly ask about Glenn and whether he was ever going to rejoin the Misfits,” laughs Only. “But that was only because I
was unsure whether I’d done the right thing in getting the band back together. As soon as I was happy with what we were doing it didn’t really matter anymore. When the self-confidence came back everything was okay. “People think that Glenn and me have always hated each other and it’s just not true,” adds Only. “I always liked Glenn. The only time we didn’t get along was on the very last day of the band when we broke up all those years ago – I felt he’d put his personal issues above the band. As for how we are now – I’ll tell you something; you can take this one to the bank: I wouldn’t
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mind working with Glenn again. My brother Doyle works with Glenn, and he’s treated well so I respect that. The most important thing in my mind though for this band is that nothing should ever get in the way of the productive message we have – I’m not into that devil shit. Nothing should get in the way of the positive ethos we have of never giving up and playing as hard to 20 people as we would to 20,000. Integrity is very important to me.” It’s a mark of Misfits’ enduring mystique that the band’s ‘crimson ghost’ logo has become a fashion item completely disconnected from the band’s music. “Look, when you’re trying to entertain or capture someone’s attention you can do it with imagery as well as sound,” reasons Only. “Obviously we want people to be excited by our music, but if the imagery associated with our band excites people [as] well, I consider it as a win. It validates what we do. Besides, if hot models want to wear my skull on their underwear then I’m completely fine with that.” Traditionally Misfits’ brand of horror-themed punk rock has been intrinsically linked with Halloween. So it’s all more surprising that the band recently released a Christmas 7” entitled Horror Xmas. What gives? “I’ve always loved Christmas,” Only confesses, “and now we all have kids [so] obviously Christmas is really important. We thought why not put a spin on Christmas that’s related to what we do – so we put a creepy vibe into classics You’re A Mean One, Mr Grinch, and Blue Christmas, and we’re actually going to expand the release with some extra tracks early in 2014 – so look out for a mini album early-2014.” WHEN & WHERE: 16 Jan, The Zoo
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culture
SCORING HIGH As Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft continue their Cola Wars of home gaming consoles, Dave Drayton guides you through the platformed perfection preserved in our disappearing arcades. Illustration Sophie Blackhall-Cain
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our traditional arcade is a rarity now, particularly in Australia, where they seem confined to cobwebbed rooms astride communal coin laundries on coastal campsites – something for the kids not yet old enough to appreciate nature. Besides these relics the majority of our arcades are Timezones, Intencitys, or equivalents pursuing a similarly epilepsy-unfriendly oversaturation of the senses – all the flashing lights and sounds of a PG-13 Vegas. The key to these set-ups is to refuse to be overwhelmed, pick your machine and stick with it. An arcade game is like a lover – the more time you spend together, the more of yourself that you selfishly offer up, the more rewarding the experience. As with any intimate partner, early interactions are cursory, exploratory, guarded and cautious and fumbling. But repeat interactions reveal what buttons to push, and when, and how, and why. You learn about their history. What makes them the person or arcade machine they are. You grow to appreciate the subtleties and idiosyncrasies hidden just beneath the surface. For instance, as a teen I recklessly mashed my way through a level or two of Metal Slug 2, erupting and exploding embarrassingly early and rapidly running out of ammunition. As I matured and entered my 20s I learned to listen, and discovered the backstory of this complicated beauty/beast. Two years on from their successful first mission Captain Marco Rossi and Lieutenant Tarma Roving of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force have received deserved promotions to Major and Captain respectively. Once again assembling an evil army General Morden proves a formidable foe for much of the game before the arrival of aliens in the final level forces an unexpected alliance between the earth-bound former enemies. When you become familiar with a game like this you have purpose, motivation and the ultimate glory of arcades is within your reach – the high score screen. While there may be some healthy and heated competition between you and your housemates for the
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best lap time on Mario Kart Time Trial, at the end of the day your glory is still confined to the decrepit walls of your sharehouse. Your name on the high score screen of an arcade game is a unique and unparalleled achievement. There are other ways
When you’ve accomplished this yourself, been faced with three capital As – the first flashing – you’ll realise this three letter handle is perhaps more important than your own initials; even when they happen to be the same, the former holds more significance. The origin of my handle is a complicated one. In short, during my formative years I headed the formation of an elite club not dissimilar to The Flying Hellfish (though not sharing their war-torn origins) called the Mrs Gan Clan. While largely inactive currently – we are in the midst of an occultation – I pay tribute to
“YOUR NAME ON THE HIGH SCORE SCREEN OF AN ARCADE GAME IS A UNIQUE AND UNPARALLELED ACHIEVEMENT.” to display one’s name in public, certainly, but all pale in comparison. Peeing your name into snow, graffitiing an empty train, writing your name in a hotel guest book, the signature you give when buying a case of Dr Pepper on credit… Etching your name into a school desk with a compass doesn’t come close. Hell, even having it embossed in gold on the honour board in the main hall doesn’t compare.
the organisation through my attempts to proliferate high score screens with three letters: GAN. What makes me qualified to write about all this? Until recently GAN graced the top spot on the Metal Slug 2 machine at Petersham Bowling Club. It has since been relegated to second place, beaten comprehensively by someone who committed the cardinal sin of impatiently pushing buttons at the game’s end rendering their achievement as little more than accident, the triple AAA handle as good as anonymous. But I welcome the challenge. The opportunity to better myself. A reason to reinstate the piggy bank. And I’d wager that the hours spent standing before that machine in attempts to reclaim my glory will be better for my fitness than any Wii or Xbox Kinect exercise game.
sure of the person you are turning into, really feeling the fear that this decision is gonna make you ugly. It’s gonna challenge the person you are in a lot of ways.”
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Grace details one such recent situation, the words tumbling out. “I went out to a bar in New York with a friend of mine, and we’re sitting down at the bar and she’s trans* too and this guy came over and he’s like ‘You’re transsexuals, aren’t you?’ My friend didn’t really know what to say and I’m all ‘Buddy, I’m the motherfucking transsexual, what do you want?’ He says, ‘Well at first I thought you were girls but then I thought, ‘Nah those aren’t girls’’, so I’m all ‘No, we are girls’, and he’s, ‘Nah, you got an Adam’s apple’, and touched my throat and I was like, ‘Dude if you fucking touch me again I’m gonna fucking knock your lights out’, and he backed the fuck off. I was lucky.”
TRUE PUNK SOUL REBEL My name is Bailey Lions and I am transsexual. That’s not so controversial, surely, but when Laura Jane Grace – lead singer of prolific punk band Against Me! – outed herself as trans* in 2012, her gender quickly became the only thing journalists seemed able to talk about. Now, nearly two years on, and on the cusp of releasing the band’s album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Grace says she doesn’t want to be a transgender icon.
“I
don’t want that responsibility,” Against Me! vocalist Laura Jane Grace says on being a transgender icon. “I want to be a part of the community, but I don’t want the pressure. I still have problems; I’m still a fuckedup person. I still have demons that I deal with.”
While admitting she’s no expert, countless interviews since she came out have zeroed in on all aspects of her transition, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new, real Laura. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is an incredibly open and candid collection that tells a more detailed and honest story of the tormented artist than any journalist ever could. “I reached a point of frustration in the past where I was sharing things and saying things that were being taken in the wrong way because I was being perceived as someone that I’m not,” Grace admits of the shift in focus. “To have something taken in the proper context and to feel like you don’t have to censor yourself at all is a really liberating thing as a writer, as a lyricist.” Trans* narratives often have common threads, even though no two trans* people will have the same lived experiences. Yet the themes of uncertainty and fear, of not only rejection but also constant misunderstanding, and the pain and anger on Transgender Dysphoria Blues resonates strongly with many of my own experiences with gender dysphoria. Grace sings, on the track True Trans Soul Rebel, “Once you were born, you were already dead / You sleep with a gun beside you in bed / You follow through to the obvious end / See your veins wide open / You bleed it out”. This is the very real decision many trans* people make on a day-to-day basis: the choice to ‘follow through to the obvious end’ of their self-hate, or embrace who they are on the inside and push it out into the world. For Grace, this choice was the main inspiration behind the album.
“The majority of the songs on the record were written before I came out. It’s about reaching that point for me where I decided to transition. Like fuck it, this isn’t about being brave; this is only about surviving. I’m either gonna kill myself or I’m gonna do this.” Coming out isn’t a panacea to dysphoria. Grace explores this in the song Fuckmylife666. Despite its upbeat groove, the lyrics are some of the deepest and most cutting on the record, focusing on her struggle to manage her dysphoria and her relationship with her wife, Heather. “It’s definitely dysphoriainducing; transitioning around someone who is really beautiful, it adds an element of difficulty. Fuckmylife666 was written back in July, and it’s directly about my relationship with Heather and just feeling like you’re not
I had a very similar experience at an event, where merely walking through the door seemed to be granting people the right to vocally deride my gender. Some decided to take it upon themselves to go further than just words, and twice I had men stick their hands between my legs. The reaction of both men to my sudden shock of being groped was obvious – they felt tricked. “When that happens with who they first perceive as a cissexual female that challenges their masculinity in a way that they don’t know how to handle. Not realising that it doesn’t, they’re still heterosexual and they’re still attracted to women.” For me, an Against Me! track on the house playlist is the new rainbow flag, but Grace just wants her transition to stop being an issue already: to get on with her music, her band and her life as the woman
“THIS ISN’T ABOUT BEING BRAVE; THIS IS ONLY ABOUT SURVIVING.”
she is. “The press or journalists are always going to focus on something; and it’s never about the music. I hope that [trans*] isn’t forever the focus, and I think that in order to make it not the focus you just have to continue to make good records. You have to continue to grow as a band, and that’s just kind of on us.” Read the full interview online at theMusic.com.au. If you need help dealing with a situation or want to talk to someone, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or head to lifeline. org.au. If you feel like you are dealing with similar issues as Bailey Lions or Laura Jane Grace, contact Intersex International Australia (oii.org.au) or the Australian Transgender Support Group (ausgender.com).
WHAT: Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble/Resist Records) THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 27
music
LEFT OF CENTRE Versatility is Northlane’s greatest virtue, and as Adrian Fitipaldes tells Benny Doyle, the fearless band will continue to remain sonically uncontained.
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hey’re the first band that’s ever topped an end-of-year poll on weekly triple j programs The Racket and Short.Fast.Loud, an accomplishment that can’t be taken lightly in an era where style is king. Northlane have done the improbable by crossing the heavy music divide, crafting a record of irrefutable heaviness and creativity with their 2013 sophomore stunner, Singularity. “I wasn’t expecting that at all because there [were] some crazy bands on that list that we were above,” remarks Northlane’s frontman Adrian Fitipaldes. “I’m really flattered by the support that the industry has been giving us.” If you want an insight into that diversity, you only need to look as far as Fitipaldes’ iPod to gain a better understanding of where Northlane are coming from with their music. As well as rattling off Bring Me The Horizon’s Sempiternal and Balance & Composure’s The Things We Think We’re Missing as some of last year’s best records, the 22-year-old also mentions Drake’s Nothing Was The Same immediately after, proof that solid songs, not just certain styles, are keeping the band inspired these days. “As musicians, what I’ve been seeing lately in the Northlane camp is that music for us has become less and less about genres and more about music – good music, whatever the genre is,” he says. “We are learning how to appreciate music for music’s sake, and not just our favourite genres. I’ve been listening to a lot of different music lately, ranging from reggae to Alicia Keys, [and] just really respecting good talent and good musicianship is what we’re getting into these days.” Therein sits Singularity’s greatest strength – it holds complete disregard to expectations – and you understand that vibe in a little over 90 seconds. Opening stab Genesis twists itself into knots then unravels through the speakers, with sludgy, almost drone-like riffs exploding into a sonic maelstrom. It’s unquantifiable, and Fitipaldes’ vocal delivery is just as varied as the pounding chaos wrapping around it, setting the tone for an album that is jaw-on-the-floor good, even more so when you consider it was knocked together by five early 20-somethings from Blacktown.
“I like to think that Northlane does our own thing and that we are original and we are being recognised for that, being a bit different and left-offield from the usual heavy bands,” agrees the vocalist. “I’m hoping it can open the doors to getting fans [in] that
Highlighting the band’s reach is Northlane’s spot on the full Australian run for Big Day Out 2014 – a more “mainstream festival”, as Fitipaldes puts it. It’s a nod which shows how much respect the five-piece have already earned, Australia’s flagship festival entrusting them to rattle bones alongside a big list of legends. “I’m really flattered by [being invited], because it means they’ve accepted a band like us to be a bit left-of-field and add us to the line-up, just to change things up a bit which I’m really happy about. It’s going to provide Northlane with an opportunity to play to a different type of crowd too, hopefully win some more fans over, and I’m just excited to watch Deftones every night because as soon as I found out they were on the line-up I put Koi No Yokan on and started head-banging,” Fitipaldes laughs. Although they’ve only recently returned from overseas touring duties – where they’re already generating sell outs and seeing barriers collapse under the weight of volatile pits – the band will be jetting off
“THESE ARE THE GOLDEN YEARS FOR NORTHLANE; WE’VE GOT TO LIVE IT UP.” aren’t necessarily just into heavy music, but that might be into more rockstyle music or stuff that we’re also interested in. “[Heavy music] is really becoming more modernised now which I like,” he adds. “It’s keeping up with the times and trying to become more modern, whether it’s by exploring electronic sounds or [just] different avenues in general. I think it’s cool that metal has been reborn into this modern 2013 era that we live in.”
again after Big Day Out for North American and European dates. However, Fitipaldes also reveals that Northlane will be carrying out their biggest ever Australian headline shows later in 2014, admitting he’s “got a feeling it will be one of the biggest heavy tours to ever hit Australia”. And after the year the boys have had, you’d be crazy not to back them. “I’m all about the present moment and bringing attention to the here and now,” he finishes, “and I always tell my boys these are the golden years for Northlane; we’ve got to live it up and be present and really be happy where we are in our lives because one day when we’re old men we’re going to look back and be like, ‘Fuck, I wish I was back on tour when I was 22 years old’.”
WHEN & WHERE: 19 Jan, Big Day Out, Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands
BETTER ALL THE TIME World-beating songwriter Courtney Barnett chats to Dan Condon about the weirdness of people showing interest and a grungy new album to come in 2014.
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he past few months have seen Courtney Barnett catapulted into the spotlight. She was on just about every end-of-year list from every music publication around the world and most of them have picked her as an ‘artist to watch’ in 2014. “It’s a bit weird that all of a sudden people show interest in me, but that’s nice if people connect with the songwriting,” she says. “It is a bit weird though, all of a sudden to be selling out shows and having photos everywhere and stuff like that.”
It’s two of Barnett’s songs that have made people pay attention to the artist in recent months: 2012’s History Eraser and last year’s Avant Gardener, both tracks getting enormous amounts of blog and radio love the world over. Barnett admits she knew the songs were good, but she wasn’t expecting others to agree. “I thought they were great songs, I didn’t know if anyone else would think that,” she laughs. “I especially thought with Avant Gardner because it’s so weird – a weird, stupid long song with long verses and no chorus – I really liked it and I was really proud of it when I finally finished it, but I thought it would be a bit of a dud to everyone else.”
This just about sums up Barnett’s approach to writing; she wants to like what’s she’s written more than she’s liked anything she’s done before. “I guess you just wanna improve on yourself every notch of the way, that’s kind of my goal, to try and improve my own songwriting and try and make another record that I like or a song that I like better than the last one. To be honest it’s kind of a selfish little journey of myself; I wanna keep improving and challenging myself every time I do something new, so I guess that’s kind of an ambition.”
music
As for 2014, a few shows in Australia, a trip to the US and the UK for a run of mostly-sold out dates, and then a return to Australia to play with the legendary Billy Bragg are on Barnett’s immediate dancecard. “And then we’re making our album in April,” Barnett reveals. “That’s what I like doing the most – I love playing and touring, but I like making new stuff, it kinda keeps you on your toes.” While she’s admits she hasn’t written the whole record yet, she’s excited at the prospect of creating “It’s good to keep busy and not know what you’re doing. All the other songs I just made up as they went – that’s the way that I like to look at it. Even though I freak out about everything, everything’s just one experiment after another. If the album’s full of shit songs then I’ll just do another one and do another one after that. “I’ve got a handful of new songs I really like; they’re a lot heavier, which is fun. Louder and a bit grungy.” WHAT: The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas (Milk!) WHEN & WHERE: 17 Jan, Alhambra Lounge; 20 Mar, The Tivoli; 21 Mar, The Northern, Byron Bay
BOTTOMS UP
music
After more than 20 years at the vanguard of the Australian folk-punk scene, Melbourne’s Mutiny are releasing a career retrospective, Drink To Better Days. Guitar/mandolin-slinger Greg Stainsby takes Steve Bell through the band’s beer-soaked history.
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ack when Melbourne Celtic Punk exponents Mutiny kicked off in 1991 there was basically no one else covering that now well hewn terrain. Other bands had used similar instrumentation and touched upon Australia’s colonial past but they were coming from different places, which meant that Mutiny were largely left to forge their own way forward from the get-go. “Yeah, I think we firmly took our own path,” founding member Greg Stainsby reflects. “We were part of the political punk scene that was happening, basically the tail-end of the squatting scene from the ‘80s. Chris [Patches – vocals] used to sing in a thrash band and me and Alice [Green – bass] were in a ska-punk band, but we sort of toyed with the idea of doing folk music, and we listened to some British bands that were doing that sort of thing.” Mutiny’s songs possess a distinctly Australian feel, much of the content rooted in our convict and colonial past, but Stainsby explains that this wasn’t always the case. “That was slightly gradual,” he offers. “I think we more emulated British bands to begin with, and then when we went to Europe it was evident how interested they were in how Australian we sounded, so we started writing
these songs set either nowadays in the streets of Melbourne or about historical rebellions and things. We listened a bit to bands like The Pogues when we started, but we really came from this crusty punk scene so it wasn’t until we started playing folky music and started getting reviews saying that we sounded like The Pogues that we even listened to them properly! Our most recent album Co-Op Brewery (2006) has got a Pogues influence and deserves the comparison, but for our first 15 years I think it was just that people had nothing else to compare us with.”
Stainsby attests that he had a great time trawling through the band’s past for retrospective Drink To Better Days. “I scanned hundreds of flyers and photos to find the best representation of each era of the band, and then I thought that I’d write the story of the band but then I thought, ‘We’re too underground and it would be a bit pretentious to write a book about us’, so I just tried to make the photos show where we were at in different years. There’s been a few different formats of Mutiny – in the ‘90s there were three women and two guys and we had a fiddle and it was a fun sort of anarcho-punk band, and then in the 2000s we were a bit more blokey and had the piano accordion and more of a polka vibe. Now it’s like we’ve got the best of both worlds!” WHAT: Drink To Better Days (Four Four/ABC) WHEN & WHERE: 17 Jan, The Zoo THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 29
music
SUFFERING SLUDGE
The story of New Orleans sludge overlords Eyehategod is one of drugs, despair and misfortune. Despite their trials and tribulations bass player Jimmy Bower told Mark Hebblewhite the band’s future is looking good.
I
t’s a miracle Eyehategod have survived 25 years. The band’s history mirrors the despair they channel through their unholy brand of sludge metal. Indeed, just last year they lost drummer and founding member Joey LaCaze to respiratory failure. But according to Bower not once did the band think of calling it quits. “Joey was that kind of dude that knew just how much hard work and blood we’ve all put into this band,” offers Bowers in his relaxed Southern drawl. “If we even thought about quitting he’d be the first to say ‘Dude
what the fuck are you all doin’!’ Knowing that’s what his attitude would be it was really easy for us to just get back into it with our new drummer Aaron [Hill]. We’re going to carry on and do this for Joey.” Eyehategod have recorded a new record due to be released in April. Asked about the particulars Bower is somewhat cagey except to say that while they don’t have a name for the record yet the songs “sound good to me – there’s some evolution there but overall they are pure Eyehategod songs”. Eyehategod and the Southern sludge scene that spawned
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the band are hard to categorise. It’s as much punk as it is metal – as much country as it is city. When asked to explain why the South is the home of sludge Bower points to a number of reasons. “I blame 100 per cent humidity, mosquitoes, poverty, guns, drugs, alcohol and red lights – that’s why this kind of music came out of the South,” he laughs. “Also for us, being from New Orleans is very unique and I think the fact it’s such a great music city with so many different styles gave us the chance to create something different.” It’s this inability to pigeonhole Eyehategod that has contributed to their success. These days you’re as likely to see one of their T-shirts at a hardcore gig as at a doom metal festival. Somehow this tortured brand of extreme noise has bridged the rigid divides and prejudices that have stifled the growth of so many bands. “We sound like the Commodores meets Black Flag – and you can’t go wrong with Lionel Ritchie,” laughs Bowers as he tries to explain the band’s popularity – particularly in punk rock and hardcore circles. “But seriously, I just think that there’s a really big groove thing going on with what we do. A lot of people can relate to that – I don’t care exactly what kind of music you listen to – if it’s got a good groove to it then that’s it.” Australia has definitely embraced this groove. Here for the first time in 2012, the band can’t wait to get back. “I’d been to Australia before with Down so I knew how cool it is there, but the other guys had never been. We were blown away by how the shows went and we can’t wait to get back. When somewhere like Australia accepts you, you know you’re doing something right.” WHEN & WHERE: 17 Jan, The Hi-Fi
TAKING REQUESTS Upstate New York indie-punks Lemuria are visiting Australia for the first time. Drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns tells Dan Condon about his relationship with distance.
A
blizzard is raging through the streets of Buffalo, New York when we call Lemuria’s Alex Kerns, a long way from the scorching summer we’re experiencing. Luckily, in a matter of weeks Lemuria’s embark on their first Australian tour. Nonetheless the band are noted road warriors. “Lyrically, a lot of our songs are abut distance and being far from the people that we love; touring has a lot to do with that,” Kerns admits. “That’s a negative aspect of it, but being in a touring band has really shaped who I am. Pretty much everyone I know – minus Sheena [Ozzella – guitar and vocals] – are people I know from touring. It has basically become my life and I love doing it.” A little bit pop-punk, a little bit indie-rock, at times lyrically eloquent and musically complex, at others just plain and simple catchy pop music, Lemuria aren’t the kind of band you can pigeonhole easily, particularly given their sound has shifted a fair bit in the decade they’ve existed. Their most recent LP, The Distance Is So Big, has been called the most fully realised of the three records they’ve released. Kerns agrees. “This is the first album where we’ve gone in and really thought things through. We actually made demos to every song and we sent them to J Robbins before we went in to record. That’s the first time we’ve ever made 30 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
demos; before, we always had the attitude of ‘Why would we record twice?’ But it definitely helped. “We now have Max Gregor on bass. He contributed a tonne to this record; it was great to have a third mind involved. With [2011’s] Pebble we had a bassist but he was only in the band for a year, but even then it was just Sheena and I writing the stuff and teaching Kyle [Paton] or Jason [Draper] how to play it. But now we have a guy who kinda has a songwriting personality as well as Sheena and I.” Producer J Robbins is a bit of a legend in posthardcore circles thanks to his work as the frontman of ‘90s band Jawbox, but he’s not all that
hard to get in touch with. “I just emailed him,” Kerns says of how they came to meet. “Sheena and I are huge Jawbox fans, and also Burning Airlines and Channels; we loved the stuff he did with Jets To Brazil and many other bands we’ve been listening to forever so we thought it’d make sense for the style of music we play.” The band are understandably excited to play plenty from the new record, but Kerns promises there’ll be an even spread of tunes from across their catalogue. “We pretty much do an almost even distribution of every release. And we take requests as long as it’s a song we’ve played in the past couple of years, not something obscure from our first demo or something. We try and mix it up; we wouldn’t want someone to go to one of our shows and they have one of our records and not hear anything from it.” WHEN & WHERE: 30 Jan, Snitch
KEEPING ‘EM CLEAN
Despite being relative newcomers, The Stevens have become firmly ensconced in the thriving Melbourne underground scene. Co-frontman Alex Macfarlane takes Steve Bell through the birth of their debut long-player, A History Of Hygiene.
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he Stevens only began plying their distinctive brand of scuzzy indie-pop in 2011, after singer-songwriters Alex Macfarlane and Travis MacDonald decided to fight the good fight as a team rather than operate separately. The pair’s styles may be distinctive but their songs complement each other well, giving a broad scope to The Stevens’ inimitable sound. “We’ve both been in a lot of bands but never been the main writer before, so this is like us continuing to record our solo stuff in our bedrooms only now we’ve
got a backing band for it,” Macfarlane smiles. “It’s pretty much all written and demoed by us individually – for basically every song on the album there’s a bunch of demos with just us recording it in our respective houses. A lot of the tracks on the album were dug up from our old solo projects, and we had a lot of mutual influences so the songs just gelled together pretty well from the start. My songs are a bit wussier – I’ve got the really girly sounding ones and he’s got the more intelligent, acerbic, witty songs.” The band’s debut album A History Of Hygiene churns through 24 songs in roughly 44 minutes,
and while much of it was self-recorded in random locales the fact that The Stevens’ line-up contains Melbourne indie rock royalty (Macfarlane recently joined Twerps on drums and new bassist Gus Lord plays in Boomgates) makes it unsurprising that uber-producer Mikey Young has his prints all over the studio sections. “We only did ten of the songs on the album with Mikey, and the others were recorded at various homes or rehearsal studios,” Macfarlane explains. “Because the [original line-up of ] band started to split up during the recording we had to gather material from a bunch of different places, otherwise we mightn’t have had enough. It might sound a bit incoherent to the listener, but I reckon it works in the end. That’s the way I’ve always done my stuff and Trav’s always done it that way as well. Because every song has a lot of different influences thrown into it, we’ve always recorded them in different ways.”
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This haphazard approach necessitated the use of a lot of first takes, which in turn informs The Stevens’ anxioussounding aesthetic. “With the places we recorded at – usually someone’s house – we were trying not to annoy the neighbours too much, and if we were trying to get takes for 20 songs in a four-hour block then we had no choice but to really smash them out. That ‘unsureness’ in the first takes is sometimes really good to capture that nervous energy, and then when we play them live it rocks a bit harder because we’ve had time to tighten them up. I think if we had too much time to practice we’d just sound like some large rock band, like Grinspoon or something.” WHAT: A History Of Hygiene (Chapter) WHEN & WHERE: 18 Jan, Trainspotters @ Grand Central Hotel; 19 Jan, Greenslopes Bowling Club (from 3pm)
DROPPING SCIENCE
music
Steve Lynagh from Giants Of Science gets excited about playing Devil’s Kitchen, and tells Chris Yates that there’s new material from the stalwarts of Brisbane rock on the horizon.
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iants Of Science are a Brisbane institution. Not an institution like a school, more like a rehab clinic. Even when you think you’ve got them completely out of your system, every few years they come back like a relapse of massive guitar riffs, heavy drums and twin melodies spiked with big doses of drunken humour. Only instead of getting less drunk... Steve Lynagh is best known for his work behind the drumkit with the Giants, but his influence on the group extends beyond his core duties. Ever since their debut EP Blueprint For Courageous Action, Lynagh has contributed some of the prominent guitar riffage that the band are well known for. “I’ve always been interested in the guitar side of things, and I’ve played guitar in a couple of bands as well,” he says. “I’ve always liked guitar-driven music more than a band with a really good drummer. My ear’s always more in tune with what the guitar is doing when I listen to a band. I’ve noticed something interesting with my taste of music, and that’s that I always like bands where the drummer seems to write a lot of the music – there must be something in that I pick up on. Like when Nick Anderson was in Entombed, I thought they wrote some pretty awesome shit, or even someone like Dave Grohl I think is a pretty good songwriter.”
The planets and stars aligned a couple of years ago when the Giants recorded an EP with local producer Darek Mudge, which for a while seemed like it might never make it off the shelf. Lynagh says that we should be seeing the results from that session shortly. “It looks like the working title is what we’re gonna stick with, which is simply Four Songs In The Key Of E or something along those lines. We realised after recording that they are all in E, so we thought why not just go with it and ride that wave of un-imagination,” Lynagh laughs. With two years having passed since the recording, Lynagh is a
bit fuzzy on some of the details of the session itself, but says that the writing process for the Giants has always gone the same way. “It’s always been very collaborative,” he tells. “I don’t think it’s ever really been like one person who brings something finished to the band and says, ‘This is how it goes’. Someone comes in with a riff and then everyone adds their two cents worth.” Giants will be joining Brisbane rock heroes SixFtHick and HITS for the annual Devil’s Kitchen Festival, as well as heaps of other Brisbane bands. Described as a ‘Stoner Punk Rock Fest’, one group of stoners Lynagh is particularly keen to check out are his mates New Jack Rubys. “I went to a show of theirs a couple of months ago and they just go from strength to strength, they’re one of Brisbane’s – or even Australia’s – hidden gems.” WHEN & WHERE: 18 Jan, Devil’s Kitchen, Transcontinental Hotel THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 31
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reviews
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
This week: Joaquin Phoenix has cyber love with Scarlett Johansson’s voice in Her, Stephen Malkmus returns with laidback frivolity and Mogwai are as complex and dynamic as ever.
TRACK LISTING 1. Retreat! 2. Stranger to My Happiness 3. We Get Along 4. You’ll Be Lonely 5. Now I See
SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS Give The People What They Want Daptone/Shock There’s a romance that’s omnipresent in every Sharon Jones’ record. The crackle of the vinyl, the imperfections of a tinny lead microphoneಹ On Jones’ fifth long-player, the Georgian funk-soul sister eruditely channels her passion for James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Motown and beyond. Sure, Jones’ voice once again swings hips, moves mountains and damns cheaters, but the carefully curated Dap-Kings once again prove the perfect support to place her startling versatility centre stage. Check the irresistible horny horns and swingerilliance in the first 20 seconds of People Don’t Get What They Deserve or hear the drums echoing off the studio walls in Retreat – it’s all so authentically rough around the edges, but all the more empowered for it. Whether she’s harmonising on Get Up And Get Out or roaring her womanhood on Now I See, she reminds us that, frankly, they don’t make records like this anymore.
★★★★ 6. Making Up And Breaking Up 7. Get Up And Get Out
That it was prepped and ready prior to Jones’ sudden and mercifully brief fight with cancer in 2013 means Give The People What They Want maintains its own natural optimism and sense of celebration. It would be crass to suggest the album is a statement of victory having been written and recorded prior to her battle. What she does next may well be more personal but as it stands, her fifth long-player is crying out to be heard live. Mac McNaughton
8. Long Time, Wrong Time 9. People Don’t Get What They Deserve 10. Slow Down Love THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 33
album reviews
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
MOGWAI
Sony
After the driving, gang-guitar urgency the poster boys of postrock applied to 2011’s ripping Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, there’s a softer touch to be discovered on Mogwai’s eighth studio album. A swag of new pedals and synths acquired for their soundtrack work on French TV series Les Revenants, has made way for a decidedly more electronic canvas.
Rave Tapes
High Hopes
The soulful burst of life from the backing singers and horns gets Springsteen’s High Hopes off on an optimistic, celebratory note, while the closer – a cover of Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream – exults that same hope in a far more reserved, bleak manner. They’re clever bookends, but given this is a ragtag bunch of songs, the theme isn’t exactly strong throughout. The dark Harry’s Place speaks of a cast of intriguing characters we wish we could know better, American Skin (41 Shots) is classic slow-burning Springsteen; he doesn’t change The Saints’ Just Like Fire Would much, but a song as good as this in the hands of the E-Street Band sparkles magnificently while Frankie Fell In Love would be brilliant if it weren’t for some of the worst lyrics to ever come out of The Boss’ mouth. While there’s some filler (Heaven’s Wall, This Is Your Sword), there’s
Spunk
★★★ ½ also gold towards the end; Hunter Of Invisible Game sees Springsteen mix tough and sensitive perfectly and a muscular reworking of The Ghost Of Tom Joad reminds us how good a song it is. But the album’s highlight comes with the penultimate track; The Wall is a crushing indictment of the Vietnam War from the perspective of someone who has lost a friend. When you find out that someone is Bruce himself, you just want to give the guy a hug. It’s not a Springsteen classic and there aren’t any great surprises, but it’s good enough to keep the fans happy. Dan Condon
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS
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Don’t be fooled by Mogwai’s penchant for playful titles as there are still guitars, noise and ambient charm aplenty across Rave Tapes: just be prepared for a complex, dynamic, thinking man’s kind of rave. Tyler McLoughlan
Warpaint
Rough Trade/Remote Control
Matador/Spunk
Structurally the songs eschew the jammy nature of much of his solo output, closest in feel to 2011’s Mirror Traffic (although the overtly playful vibe of tracks like Houston Hades, Rumble At The Rainbo and Surreal Teenagers strongly recall his eponymous 2001 debut). Even though concise, there are few traditional song structures on offer, Malkmus still seeking to wrong-foot the listener at almost every turn with most tracks taking off on loose and ragged tangents to become mini-voyages in their own right.
and John Cummings that connect the Scots to a certain sense of longing and wonder, it calmly indicates the electronic shift while making their history clear. A heavily distorted vocoder features on the industrial hymn closer, The Lord Is Out Of Control, while Repelish re-records a Christian radio critique of Stairway To Heaven provided by Geoff Barrow of Portishead.
WARPAINT
Wig Out At Jagbags
The sixth album of Stephen Malkmus’ post-Pavement journey exhibits the same lackadaisical confidence and devil-may-care approach to his craft as ever, his sense of ironic detachment firmly intact but here augmented by a tangible sense of laid-back frivolity.
Lead single Remurdered signals a slow build from the first dulled synth notes, underpinned by a palm-muted guitar that provides an almost percussive backbone through which thick, fuzzy bass synth, layered lead guitars and kaleidoscopic, harpsichord-esque keys weave. It’s a foreboding gem that may not sink in straightaway, though on repeat listens Martin Bulloch’s drumming reveals an inspired pathway through the piece. Opener Heard About You Last Night is exquisite; floaty and gently textured with the classic guitar tones of Stuart Braithwaite
★★★★
★★★★ Singles, Laviat and Cinnamon And Lesbians are standouts, the former utilising SM’s trademark bendy sensibilities and velvet vocal flow to brilliant effect. The fun vibe stretches from the title through the music and into the lyrics, and while it’s always fraught with danger reading too much into his arch, inscrutable narratives a motif of ruminations on the past seems to bind things together. Above all, Malkmus seems at peace with himself and his place in the overall scheme of things and keen to indulge in art for art’s sake – a noble (and irrefutably enjoyable) exercise for all involved. Steve Bell
What really propels Warpaint forward, and makes this album interesting, are Emily Kokal’s ambient vocals. You can tell she’s torn pages from The xx and Portishead’s books on the subject. Meanwhile, Beach House and the current crop of dream-pop/ gazers have also clearly gotten some inspiration from Warpaint. The instrumentation here is complex and layered, but combines to create a sound that lacks the rock edges of their debut. Lead single Love Is To Die is a perfect illustration of this, with lush backing music and a simple hook, ”Love is to die/Love is to not die/Love is to dance”. There’s more synth/keys on Warpaint than wailing electric guitar. Instead, it’s a kind of experiment with polished sound, akin to The xx’s sophomore album Coexist. Disco//Very is the most blatantly danceable track thanks to that bassline, unusual percussive elements and harmonies
★★★ including the whole band. It’s got a real atmosphere and sexiness to it, which is saying something for a song about women who will ”kill you, rip you up and tear you in two”. Penultimate song Drive goes the other way, building into a tense atmospheric number, driven by Kokal’s at-times soaring voice. Album closer Son is the most meditative and is thus impactful, in all its melodic guitarpicking and quiet splendour. Warpaint won’t win over many new fans, but those who enjoyed 2010’s The Fool will be pleased. After all, they’ve been waiting for this follow-up for a long time. Hannah Story
album reviews
★★½
★★★½
★★★½
ANGEL HAZE
BO NINGEN
IRON MIND
Universal
Black Crash Night
Resist
With a bunch of mixtapes and an EP under her belt, the time has come for much-hyped American rapper Angel Haze to drop – or leak – her debut album, Dirty Gold. The LP starts off with plenty of sass and bang. Opener, Sing About Me, and single, Echelon (It’s My Way), show off her trademark fast and furious flow, but the darker, mid-tempo tracks like highlight, Deep Sea Diver, take hold soon after. While there’s no denying her on-point skills as a rapper or ability to punch out candid lyrics, there’s nothing groundbreaking here. Strictly for the fans.
Fuzzy as hell Japanese punk rockers Bo Ningen are finally having their second album released locally ahead of the foursome’s Big Day Out shows. Line The Wall continues what the group started on their selftitled debut – a wild combo of chaotic mile-a-minute punk tunes mixed with more sludgy and improvised tracks. While they do nail both, it’s gorgeous when they allow themselves space and time to explore the depths of their psych love. As a bonus, this edition comes with an excellent bonus track featuring Savages’ Jehnny Beth on vocals. Never groundbreaking or boring, this should more than sate any Japanophile punk rocker.
Earlier this year, Melbourne’s Iron Mind moved into a cabin somewhere in the Dandenong ranges to record this self-titled follow up to 2011’s superlative Hell Split Wide Open. God knows what happened to them there, because this is very angry music. Each of the album’s ten tracks seethes with an unrelenting rage channeled into an epic avalanche of molten mid-tempo riffage. These songs – whether it be the anthemic Victim, the pummeling Blood Brother or the unreconstructed groove of Forgive Me – are instantly memorable. It’s only January, but Iron Mind have probably dropped the hardcore album of 2014.
Andrew McDonald
Mark Hebblewhite
Dirty Gold
Sally-Anne Hurley
Line The Wall
★★★½
SARAH BLASKO
I Awake: Live At Sydney Opera House Dew Process/Universal Seeing Sarah Blasko live has become quite the local music thing. All poise and daggy dancing, she gets lost just enough to be captivating. With this recording there’s obviously not as much dancing but the dynamics remain. Performed with the Sydney International Orchestra, complete with squeaks, squawks and little chatty bits (although they don’t always make much sense - the note to the ‘lone person singing in the crowd’ at the end of Bury This, for example), you can feel the warmth. Love particularly to Not Yet and All I Want.
MARK LANEGAN
Iron Mind
★★★
★★★½
Has God Seen My Shadow?: An Anthology 1989-2011 Light In The Attic/Inertia This 32-track, two-disc anthology of Lanegan’s prolific career represents not only a quality overview of some of his finest work but also a more than decent bang for one’s buck. Pensive to the core, the 20 tracks on disc one are all deeply heartfelt and lifted from albums spanning 1989-2011. One Hundred Days, Resurrection Song and Wild Flowers are inspired inclusions. Disc two contains 12 tracks of previously unreleased gems, Lanegan’s husky voice as always effortlessly drawing the listener into his world, always raw and honest. Glenn Waller
★★★½
★★★
THE ANGELS
DAPPLED CITIES
MCALISTER KEMP
Liberation
HUB/Inertia
ABC/Universal
The Angels are one of those bands entrenched in the Australian rock music lexicon, and with Talk The Talk, they once again show why. Hot on the heels of 2013’s comeback album, Take It To The Streets, Talk The Talk treads the wellworn path of guitar rock, the three Brewster brothers plying their trade with aplomb, drummer Nick Norton’s rhythms as tight as ever, and Screaming Jets’ Dave Gleeson out front for the second time since bass player Chris Bailey’s death last year. For a lesson in how Aussies do it, look no further.
Sydney’s Dappled Cities usher in the new year by releasing a collection of rarities and B-sides entitled Many Roads. Included is a remake of Battlewon from 2006’s Granddance, featuring the same vocal melody, with a new dreamy, retro-circus vibe substituted for the original’s bold keys and anthemic tone, making it feel like a slightly weaker and scaled-down version. Tracks like Cramps, A Walk On A Wire and Madly Fadly are more successful, however, demonstrating the group’s versatility and a marked progression in production since they started all those years ago.
Country duo McAlister Kemp won’t die wondering if bigger is better on their third album, which sets the tempo early thanks to the title track and lead single. It’s representative of the album to follow: a mix of anthems, ballads and rock crossovers. But there’s no time for respite; while To Say I Love You is just as big as the rest of the record, it drowns under the pace. The themes remain the same, but it’s Harder To Tame that is their most obvious attempt at playing for a global mainstream audience.
Dylan Stewart
Jazmine O’Sullivan
Talk The Talk
Many Roads
Harder To Tame
Scott Fitzsimons
Liz Giuffre
THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 35
live reviews
DEAFHEAVEN, HOPE DRONE, THE MATADOR Crowbar 8 Jan So it’s finally arrived, the chance for pretty girls in polka-dot dresses to head out to their first ever ‘black metal’ show. And like any good black metal show, the opening bands are diverse in sound and performance (that’s a little black metal humour, every band at a black metal show should sound exactly the same, only able to be discerned by their unique configurations of corpsepaint/ fake blood/bullet belts). The Matador are first cab off the rank and show off their droney
DEAFHEAVEN @ CROWBAR. PIC: TESSA FOX
hardcore-tinged post-metal to an already busy Crowbar. Having picked up their fair share of support slots, The Matador seem to be continually evolving as a professional and consistently innovative live unit. Hope Drone have obviously been spinning Sunbather in the practice space, and some of that record’s brilliance has rubbed off on the dudes. The main support speed through a chaotic maelstrom of tremolo picking and noise passages and the near-full room hangs with them through the madness. To start their show, Deafheaven’s vocalist George Clarke is thrown from the crowd onto the foldback and busts open his ear. But the vocalist quickly picks himself back up, starts playing around with the blood pouring out of his ear and the band launches 36 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
into their set. As the band play, the furore that’s followed them since the release of Sunbather all becomes a bit laughable – that people would grow to be so up in arms when the San Franciscan outfit released a BM record with a pink front cover, and that scene kids who wouldn’t know Transilvanian Hunger from A Blaze In The Northern Sky are so adamant to call Deafheaven a black metal band so as to bolster a perception that they have explored the dankest, ugliest, corner of the heavy metal universe – it all seems rather dumb. Nobody invested in the Deafheaven debate seems to want to split the difference — that this is a good band doing interesting things, and are figuring out a way to make elements of extreme music palatable, in a way that hasn’t been seen
PARAMORE, YOU ME AT SIX, TWENTY ONE PILOTS
Brisbane Entertainment Centre 9 Jan Losing only a quart of blood to mosquitoes in Boondall wetlands, we arrive to the sounds of Twenty One Pilots and immediately we have no idea what’s going on. Skeleton and alien masks, as well as an electric ukulele, help the Ohio duo disguise their head-scratching musical make; they’re Keane one moment, Crazy Town the next – it’s white boy rap and
DEAFHEAVEN @ CROWBAR. PIC: TESSA FOX
since Isis called it quits — but that seems to be the point of tonight’s set. As they extend Sunbather’s pretty drone passages while Clarke drags his gloves through the blood spreading over his face, the band divorces themselves from any sound or scene. Their performance is about presenting a juxtaposition of lurid and beautiful sounds in a powerful and theatrical fashion. Black metal’s saviours or not (not), Deafheaven’s set tonight proves that these guys are still deserving of the praise heaped upon them. And who knows, maybe their show tonight will lead to excellent USBM outfits like Nachtmystium, Horseback and Cobalt enjoying a wider exposure amongst the prettygirls-in-polka-dot-dresses set. Maybe it won’t though. Tom Hersey
piano-pop sparring beside a thumping punk beat. It’s pretty much unlistenable, but the pit doesn’t seem to mind, eventually lifting frontman Tyler Joseph up in the air like an offering to some sort of demented pop god. You Me At Six steer the night back on course, relishing the opportunity to perform in front of the sort of crowds they’re used to back in their native UK. The five lads give eager fans a taste of their forthcoming record, Cavalier Youth, in the way of Fresh Start Fever, while during Crash, vocalist Josh Franceschi urges mobile phones to be lit up and raised high. Crowd-surfers are then encouraged to come at the jagged stage – the band mistaking the show for a Download set clearly – resulting in not much more than a
handful of young girls flopping about the front rows before being ushered away dishevelled and separated from their friends. The push for circle pits during Bite My Tongue seems even more inane, even if the breakdown passage might call for it; getting everyone up and clapping during closer Underdog suits the mood far better. You only had to see the snaking merch line-ups earlier tonight, however, to know that this evening was only about Paramore. They emerge to a shriek that cuts into your eardrums like thousands of tiny daggers, opening with Grow Up and Fast In My Car off the self-titled 2013 record they’re here to plug, before dipping into the catalogue with tracks like That’s What You Get and Ignorance. Clusters of
PARAMORE @ BEC. PIC: RCSTILLS
LED lights cage in the three additional members filling out the sound, while the core of bassist Jeremy Davis, guitarist Taylor York and pocket-sized frontwoman Hayley Williams — rocking a bob and leathers — roam freely in front, unable to wipe the smiles from their faces. (More) ukulele acts as interludes during the set, while a snippet of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide is spliced late into In The Mourning. Two tracks stand tall tonight though: Now and Ain’t It Fun; they combine newfound songwriting maturity and creative exploration with the pop-punk exuberance at the core of old hits like Misery Business. They both sound massive, and the latter song even calls on the Hillsong choir to take us to church. Benny Doyle
live reviews
KARNIVOOL, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, SLEEPMAKESWAVES The Marquee 11 Jan It feels strange to be catching an opening band while the sun is still up, but sleepmakeswaves manage to grab the attention of the early crowd. The band are tighter than ever, twin guitar lines weaving around each other on top of the complex drums, and a new track promises good things for their forthcoming album. It’s easy for instrumental bands to seem dwarfed on large stages,
between songs seems even louder, and it’s clear that Brisbane is happy to embrace the hometown heroes. Unfortunately the bass is still almost entirely absent, and Benzie’s vocals are muddied and indistinct in the tent. The Marquee is a fairly new addition to the Brisbane scene, but something needs to change for it to be considered a particularly useful one. A semipermanent tent, it presents all the negative aspects of a music festival – asphalt floor, poor acoustics, long lines, $5 water and early curfews – without any significant benefits. The bass is finally audible for Karnivool (sort of ), and it makes them easily the heaviest act of the night, but the mix is still foggy and so there’s less to distinguish between the
PARAMORE @ BEC. PIC: RCSTILLS
but these guys look at home now, bodies thrashing around, immersed in their own creations. Unfortunately there’s almost no audible bass for the entire set, and while Alex Wilson certainly looks impressive, it may as well be pantomime. They sound good, even down an instrument, but without the bass the tracks lack the intensity they normally hold. The sun begins to drop as Dead Letter Circus take to the stage and the crowd swells over the course of opening track, The Space On The Wall. The set draws fairly evenly from both their albums, and Luke Williams is a particular stand-out on drums and backing vocals, juggling difficult fills and harmonies adroitly. Kim Benzie is a still but magnetic figure up front on vocals, and when he turns the mic to the audience for a chorus, their volume rivals that of the band. The cheering
The Hi-Fi 12 Jan
No strangers to Australian black metal crowds, Victoria’s Nocturnal Graves are fortunate to celebrate their tenth year as a band on such an auspicious occasion and with such an esteemed support slot. They make sure to give it all on stage with quite the energised performance that no doubt makes a few more converts among the uninitiated. As if a Brisbane curse looms over them, Sweden’s Watain see their Soundwave trials come back to
KARNIVOOL @ MARQUEE. PIC: DAVE KAN
tracks than there should be. Ian Kenny’s voice cuts through nicely and is the highlight of the set, but overall it’s a performance unlikely to win over any new fans, and the night belongs to Dead Letter Circus. In the end, this is music as spectacle. A giant stage, an extravagant light show, emotional triggers ramped high by the volume and the large and enthusiastic crowd. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that the musicality is lost. The bands are skilled, tight and experienced, but there’s a sense that it doesn’t matter, provided the songs are loud and familiar. It’s heartening to see heavy Australian artists getting such a big reception, but both the fans and the bands deserve better than they got tonight. Sky Kirkham
MAYHEM, WATAIN, NOCTURNAL GRAVES
haunt them as they’re once again plagued by technical difficulties that delay their set. After a 40-minute delay, the lighting of six flame-posts marks their ceremonial commencement. The dense atmosphere of a beautifully haunting intro pervades the room, and before much longer they’re ripping into De Profondus. Håkan Jonsson comes across like a living incarnation of Animal from The Muppets, as he furiously blasts through each piece, rarely loosening his gleefully ecstatic facial expression. Older choices like Storm Of The Antichrist are balanced well by fresher cuts such as Outlaw, and the set escapes a sense of truncation. If anything, their sound almost seems too clear. Perhaps this slightly disempowers them, as it dissipates the darkness and haunting hypnosis that such sonic veils can provide. However, this minor disruption of the
black metal paradigm does enable the explicit detail and dynamics of their compositions to come to light, and through this and their theatrics they succeed. It’s no surprise that Mayhem are greeted by an especially rapturous response, given that this tour celebrates their 30th anniversary. From the moment they take the stage their aural invocations are utterly devastating, classics Pagan Fears, Buried By Time And Dust, and Deathcrush spewing forth with a fluency only borne of time. Bare-chested, bottle of wine in hand and screaming back at punters between songs through his characteristic jovial-sinister grin, bassist Necrobutcher fronts the four musicians. They act as a menacingly mighty foundation and stage upon which Attila Csihar conjures his dark forces. Skull in hand and noose around
KARNIVOOL @ MARQUEE. PIC: DAVE KAN
his neck, the vocalist’s stage presence is one of uncommon power, and he wields the screams to match it – certainly among the most disturbing and effective black metal vocals to date. The crowd are entranced throughout; even less favoured Maniac-era selections, My Death and A Time To Die, don’t seem to break the spell. When chants of Chainsaw Gutsfuck fall on deaf ears and are answered instead with Freezing Moon, the pits erupt in another of many primal outpourings, as if the Norsk legends can do no wrong. For a band that has constantly been through revolving line-up changes, they do well to deliver on such a grand level. A banner with “The True Mayhem” hangs behind them, and while any such ‘truth’ is certainly up for debate, after such a momentous performance they’re best left to get away with it. Jake Sun THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 37
arts reviews
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Film
In cinemas 16 Jan
WATCHING GIRLS Females Only/ Truth Or Dare S3, E1/2 This Week On Girls: With neither job nor friends, Heroic Adam did save Hannah from late-season OCD; now she’s enjoying professional success (“mental illness is something we can work with!”) with hair “like a little boy on a fancy cookie box” and sweet psychoanalysis from (the brilliant) Bob Balaban. But the rom-com reunion didn’t hold for dumped Marnie, now sleeping under Rainbow Brite sheets on mum’s couch. He claims he hates Hannah’s friends, but he’s cosmic kin with “sexually-adventurous” sitcom-wise Shosh, and old enough to rent a car to collect Jessa from upstate rehab. There, Jessa’s mocking “methface” Kim Gordon, eating-out closeted Danielle Brooks. Outof-Brooklyn Girls is the best Girls, although Hannah – the 21st-century citizen manifest: living life to blog about it – laments on the unkooky drive “this roadtrip is not a metaphor”; not even with a spontaneous detour. In bed or in car, our main couple’s mutual-dependence borders on Mars/Venus functionality; but the Hannah/ Jessa ‘female friendship’ seethes with lingering dysfunction and eternal resentment. Hannah Nudity Watch: A whole post-coital phonecall arguing with Jessa. Shosh Amaze Meter: Off the charts for Truth Or Dare. The Tao Of Adam: “Boredom is for lazy people with no imagination.” 38 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
This Coen brothers film enters the world without as much hoorah as their previous films, but it really deserves to be noticed. The story follows roughly a week in the life of Llewyn Davis, a folk singer still dealing with the recent suicide of an old bandmate. He has trouble paying for just about everything and is living the 1960s life of the struggling artist. He journeys there and back again, never really getting anywhere at all. He lives the story of what you hear musicians live; nights of drinking, smoking and stories that you don’t believe when people tell you. And there lies the movie’s charm. Inside Llewyn
Phoenix) works as a writer who pens letters to people under the guise of their loved ones (who aren’t as articulate). The thoughtful words he produces are contrasted by his own loneliness and reluctance to finalise his divorce with childhood sweetheart Catherine (Rooney Mara). Things change when he buys an artificially intelligent operating system, which names herself Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson); they become closer, eventually falling in love and committing to a relationship. Her is about finding connections – how humans connect with other humans, what role technology plays in those connections and how humans connect with technology itself. It’s also about what happens when those connections break down, or challenge societal norms. Strong, charismatic performances, vivid cinematography and
HER
Davis is a tribute to the forgotten in a generation, but possibly even a judgement of it, too. While the ending, which is something of a faux twist, provides a little more to the whole perception of the film, the story really explores our current idolisation of a lifestyle that may have run its course. This film doesn’t praise the ‘60s, it shows it. Dull friends, people in it for money; it’s a ‘60s world where ‘the man’ has won. Matthew Ziccone
HER Film
In cinemas 16 Jan In his solo screenwriting debut, Spike Jonze has crafted an organic yet futuristic world, and within it a believable and multi-faceted love story between human and artificial intelligence. Theodore Twombly ( Joaquin
2010 awards season, it clearly gave him a taste for it: Saving Mr Banks, his follow-up, is a most fragrant piece of desperate Oscar-bait. A winsome valentine to get-up-and-go old Hollywood, it’s a based-on-a-true-story tale that conflates film-biz history with actual history. Brought to you by Disney, it’s pure branded entertainment, filled with a walk down Main Street USA, a Mickey at every turn. Its premise will make an aging Academy member instantly tumescent: Walt Disney (Tom Hanks!) must convince PL Travers (Emma Thompson) to sign over Mary Poppins’ screen rights; the drama’s studio executive a visionary hero, its writer a petulant egotist absent of any business savvy. On a thematic level, Saving Mr. Banks is worthy of weary eye-rolls, but goddamn it if Thompson isn’t genuinely great. Playing Travers as derisive,
SAVING MR BANKS
an arresting score by Arcade Fire complement the detailed production design, all of which solidify the wondrous, hypermodernised cityscape that Jonze has painstakingly realised. While Her might comment on romance and dating in our technological age – and question the definition and boundaries of a relationship – at its crux the film captures how love can build, flourish, fade and devastate, and how we go on living life and doing it all over again. Stephanie Liew
SAVING MR BANKS Film
In cinemas When John Lee Hancock’s ‘magic Negro’ monstrosity The Blind Side traipsed through the
disapproving school marm, she’s clearly having a ball, and when she spits that she’s “positively sickened” by the thought of suffering a morning at Disneyland, it’s a tonic for the flick’s more saccharine notes. The cast, in general, is way game: a slumming Paul Giamatti gives his minor role grace, Jason Schwartzman is all mighty eyebrows and blinding white teeth, Rachel Griffiths blows through with a seminal air of simultaneous cruelty and whimsy, and Hanks finds life, contrast, and conflict in what could’ve been a piece of sketch-comedy mimicry. Which means that Hancock’s portrait of Disney feels pretty Disney: it’s so pleasingly played and slickly delivered that its more sickly tendencies are sugared away. Anthony Carew
the guide
THE ROYAL ARTILLERY
Member answering/role: Zed Charles – guitar/vox How long have you been together? This line-up is pretty fresh, Drew joined last September but Ben’s been in the fold for a couple years. I started the band back in 2005, we got serious around 2008. How did you all meet? I pinched Ben from local stoner-riff-lords Seismic Toss (who I recently joined as singer) and we know Drew as the guitarist of prog-metal-lords Vayer – what we didn’t know is that he’s also a mean bastard behind a drumkit, a real sicko! 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? Rage Against The Machine’s Evil Empire is a staple, Freddie King, The Necks with their jazz-trance bullshit, Hendrix (live is best) and pretty much every Zeppelin album. Oh yeah, we listen to QOTSA pre-2003 too. Would you rather be a busted broke-but-revered Hank Williams figure or some kind of Metallica monster? We choose reverence. It’s not that Metallica aren’t revered, they just suck bad. It’s like the first time you encounter Kyuss or At The Drive-in, that excitement that makes you want to tell your friends, that’s what we try to do with this band, is create something that makes people go “holy shit” and then want to pass it around… Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? I listened to Powderfinger, Custard and Regurgitator when I was younger but I can’t say I drew much influence from those bands. What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? Devils Kitchen Music Festival this Saturday – it will be a sentimental one for us as its Ben’s last show. Then there’s Agnes Water Blues and Mojo Burning Festival at The Globe, a couple other sneaky local shows and then onto some long hours at Empire Studios, refining over two years of old-new songs and other assorted randoms for our first full-length album. The Royal Artillery play Devil’s Kitchen @ Transcontinental Hotel on Saturday 18 Jan. Photo by TERRY SOO. THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 39
eat/drink
WORK IT OUT
For many of us average folk, exercising in ideal conditions is enough of a struggle. But once we get into summer, and we’re already sweating just sitting on the couch, whatever little motivation we had to move our bodies disappears faster than you can say, “Hows about a nice, cold beer?”
SO, HERE ARE A FEW FUN WAYS YOU CAN TRICK YOURSELF INTO DOING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
ICE SKATING It requires balance and coordination, and you have to concentrate to stay upright and propel yourself forwards/away from the handrails and other people. Plus, being in an icy rink is a good way of beating the heat. Put your thighs into it. Feel it in your core.
MINI GOLF Flex your arm muscles by practising drive shots rather than in the privacy of your own home doing other things. This is a sport that’s mental and physical; it’s mathematics and muscle. It’s the full work-out, this one.
TRAMPOLINE
WATERSLIDES We all know that swimming’s good for you, although more of us are more likely to do bombs in the pool than laps. To step it up a little, find a large public pool or aquatic centre that has a decent-sized waterslide. The repeated cycle of hopping out of the water, climbing up the ladder/stairs and then clenching some of your muscles on the slippery way down (stomach, butt, etc) totally counts as exercise.
Remember being a kid and doing backflips on the backyard trampoline? Well there are now centres where the floor is essentially a giant trampoline. We recommend you stretch first and try not to land on your ankle. Or neck.
GO-KART RACING Okay, so you’re in a machine for this one but you need to have nerves of steel. Get your mates, find a track and test your reflexes under pressure.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“ONE OF THE VERY NICEST THINGS ABOUT LIFE IS THE WAY WE MUST REGULARLY STOP WHATEVER IT IS WE ARE DOING AND DEVOTE OUR ATTENTION TO EATING.” – Luciano Pavarotti
40 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
eat/drink EATIN’ OUT
BLACKSTAR COFFEE
cure? An egg and bacon breakfast wrap with a Long Black.
Answered by: Martin Richards What’s the design/ atmosphere of your cafe? Blackstar cafe is an eclectic, West End roastery. Utilising rustic and sustainable furniture. Feels a lot like you’re hanging out at your coolest friend’s house.
44 Thomas St, West End
Who is serving/cooking and what makes them special? Our head chef Anup Shrestha hails from the snow-capped peaks of Nepal. His skills are wide-ranging and he also puts his own twist on the classics.
facebook.com/ blackstarcoffee
What breakfast meal is the best hangover
Where do you eat out? I’m passionate about supporting local business. What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? Why? Avocado; I’m sure you’ll all agree. What’s the best way to have eggs? Poached, with seasonal greens. If you have a “Big Breakfast” what is on the plate? Eggs, bacon, sausages, tomato, avocado, mushies and a single origin Long Black.
EATIN’ OUT
Answered by: Trent Farrell
grated – whether it be in pesto, risotto, mashed potato, scrambled eggs, salads, on hot chips... Truly a diverse ingredient and guaranteed to give every dish some punch.
What’s one food you can’t live without? Salmon; it’s an essential in the weekly diet! Asian style or with dill pesto and cooked over coals or on the BBQ.
What’s the design/ atmosphere of your restaurant? Our decor is industrial yet with a good mix of modern and rustic elements all combined.
What is an ingredient you couldn’t live without? Parmesan cheese – freshly
Who is serving/cooking and what makes them special? Damien Draper
ponydining.com.au
VIC – Great Australian Beer Festival, 1 Feb, Geelong Racecourse Features more than 150 craft beers plus live music, ‘beer cabaret’ and art. QLD – Oktoberfest, Oct, RNA Showgrounds German food and hand-crafted beer, Bavarian culture and history, and music.
PONY DINING BAR & GRILL Eagle Street Pier, Upper Level 18/45 Eagle St, Brisbane
BEER FESTIVALS
NSW – Bitter & Twisted Beer Festival, 1 & 2 Nov, Maitland Gaol
is our Executive Chef; highly experienced as well as creative and passionate. He brings a great focus into showcasing our unique style, and a love of all things “food”! What should I order when I come down?
As we specialise in share options I recommend the Scallop Ceviche and Wagyu Meatballs to start followed by either our Rangers Valley 1kg Wagyu Rump Cap or Whole Slow Roasted Lamb Leg with all the trimmings.
Live music, food and beer matching, home brew sessions, even gaol tours! WA –WA Beer Week, Nov, various locations Incorporates more than 40 events, featuring beer degustation, food matching and weeklong beer specials.
café good food & coffee Mon-Sun 7am–3pm
xf!hpu///
ALL D
BREAKFAASY T
dsbgu!cffs///txffu!txffu!xjof! ///bmm!ebz!csfblz///dpdlubjmt ///qmbuft!up!tibsf///xbjufst!uibu!dbsf! ///boe!dppm!bqspot/ 326!hjwfo!ufssbdf!qbeejohupo!447:4889
Supplying boutique blends and single origins roasted in West End. WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: (: 07 3217 2323 OR *: info@blackstarcoffee.com.au
693 Brunswick St, New Farm p 3254 2883
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK AT: Facebook.com/blackstarcoffee OR Facebook.com/contessablackstar
THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 41
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
BACKLASH
TOURING THIS WEEK
WE’RE JUST TOO HIP!
Travel bible Lonely Planet just named Brisbane as Australia’s coolest city! But only Australia? Pick up your game Lonely Planet.
DRUNK LEMMINGS When ludicrous internet campaigns such as #neknominate arise can’t people see that it’s an inane cry for attention and that you’re feeding some dickhead’s narcissism?
POOR BY POP-CULTURE
NOTHING SEPARATING THEM
Holy cow, the new The Simpsons Lego set looks freaking amazing, but we know how these things work – they suck you in with the house and then start adding new characters and layouts until you’re broke.
Twenty years of friendships have developed into southern rock’n’roll hope The Rift. Catch the quintet at The Tempo Hotel this Friday, with Go Van Go, Hope Springs and Fire & Whistle Theory all on the bill, too.
THE SIMPSONS LEGO SET
FEEL THE BEEF
FRONTLASH
Led by the songwriting talents of Jeremy Newell, pictured, Le Boeuf will showcase their hookheavy jams at Shady Palms this Friday. The duo will perform a selection of jams from 6pm, with Sean Fitzgerald supporting.
IT’S ASTOUNDING!
The new production of The Rocky Horror Show is awesome, but on opening night the show’s creator (and original Riff Raff ) did the Time Warp in the encore and called Brisbane “fucking fantastic”!
MUTINY SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED Launching Drink To Better Days, Mutiny celebrate two decades of folk punk this Friday with Paddy McHugh & The Goldminers, D Rouser and These Dirty Bones, pictured. Tix through Oztix.
CREDIT WHERE DUE We’ve mocked them all summer, but kudos to Pommy cricketers Matt Prior and Stuart Broad for talking the suicidal man down from the Sydney bridge.
CLOSURE AT LAST Finally they’ve drawn the curtains on the infernal AAMI campaign, with Rhonda choosing Ketut over the creepy guy.
THIS WEEK’S RELEASES... BLANK REALM Grassed Inn Bedroom Suck MOGWAI Rave Tapes Spunk BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN High Hopes Sony WARPAINT Warpaint Remote Control
42 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
ROCK’N’ROLLING ON
HOSTILE PLEASURES
Like Little Odessa? Well happy fucking days for you, because the four lads are putting roots down at Black Bear Lodge for a run of three dates this month. Catch them on Friday from 9pm for the next three weeks.
Dance commanding quintet The Belligerents will be soundtrack the start to the weekend for many Sunshine Coasters when they play at Solbar, Maroochydore this Friday. The boys will also hit the local stage at the Big Day Out on Sunday.
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PERSONAL BEST RECORDS
GETTIN’ COMFY
FUTURE SOUNDS
LITTLE ODESSA LOMERA Name: Matt Power Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? I scored a few cool records from my uncle’s collection, including Deep Purple, Stevie Wonder and a Jimi Hendrix 45rpm. First record you bought? Appetite For Destruction By Guns N’ Roses on cassette. Record you put on when you’re really miserable? Probably put on some soul like Ann Peebles or Sly Stone. It always makes me smile. Record you put on when you bring someone home? Wu Tang. Most surprising record in your collection? Nothing surprises me anymore... Last thing you bought/ downloaded? Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis (I finally get it...) Shout out to Woody at Vital Juices Records!
What is it about the venue that makes you want to do a run of shows there? Black Bear Lodge really sets the standard for the best music coming out of Brisbane. Also, we got such a good response from the audience when we supported Glass Towers there last year.
OUT FOR BOUNCE Last year’s triple j Unearthed High winners Lunatics On Pogosticks will play a shotgun set of whimsical garage tunes when they arrive at Grand Central Hotel on Australia Day eve for Trainspotters. Jack Flash and other special guests will also perform.
Same set every week or mixing it up? We are going to mix it up every week to keep it fresh. We will be ripping out some old material and be playing some new stuff we have been saving up. Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? There just might be, but you have to come along and find out. Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? At the bar chatting up the sexy bearded bar staff. When are you in residence? Fridays, 17, 24 and 31 January – between 9pm and 10pm. Little Odessa play at Black Bear Lodge every remaining Friday during January.
ADDICT OF VERACITY
STEP OVER THE LINE
That’s the title of the new EP from Oz hip hopper Platinum Pen – he brings it live 31 Jan, Ric’s Bar; 1 Feb, The Loft, Gold Coast; 14 Feb, Byron Bay Brewery; and 15 Feb, Tatts Hotel, Lismore.
With debut album Forbidden Moment in the bag, sultry jazz lass Nicola Milan will run through the new record at Brisbane Jazz Club, 25 Jan, and with elements of swing and Latin also, you’ll be enraptured from the outset.
PUCKER UP BUTTERCUP
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
If you’re heading along to see US visitors Lemuria 30 Jan at Snitch, X&Y Bar, then get in early as a arse-kicking support cast will make your life a whole lot better, with Kissing Booth, pictured, Inside The Whale and Columbus also performing.
Launching their brand new EP The Light In Your Eyes, Kip Casper will be showing off their passionate, funky and versatile brand of rock’n’roll. The five-piece play The Loft on 24 Jan with Mar Haze and Aquila Young.
Lomera play Devil’s Kitchen, Transcontinental Hotel on Saturday 18 Jan.
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EP FOCUS
PAPA PILKO & THE BINRATS Member Answering: Tom Wilkinson EP Title? Third Time Lucky How many releases do you have now? This will be our third EP. We always run out of money around four or five tracks into recording. All good though! Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Other Aussie bands, booze, the people we meet at shows, the idea of Lemmy Kilmister directing a swing band. There was a lot more inspiration than the space here will allow. What’s your favourite song on it? It jumps around a lot, but I’d say maybe track four The Burning Falcon because it’s so outrageous. We’ll like this EP if we like... A rough edge on your music, pints not pots, general good times and all that jazz. When and where is your launch/next gig? The Brisbane launch is on Friday 17 January at The Joynt. Papa Pilko & The Binrats play The Joynt on Friday 17 Jan (EP launch) and Little Day In at The Joynt on Saturday 18 Jan.
FESTIVAL CAPERS
FUTURE SOUNDS
VIOLENT SOHO Member answering/role: James Tidswell – guitar Festival playing at: Big Day Out Who are you looking forward to checking out there? DZ Deathrays, The Drones, Tame Impala, Bo Ningen and Mudhoney.
CAN’T STOP MOVING A unruly triple bill that costs you sweet FA – and you don’t even need to sign up! Simply turn up to Grand Central Hotel on 30 Jan for your rock’n’roll fix; Waax, Busy Kingdom and Settling, pictured, will all riff for your love and devotion.
Have you guys had much experience playing at festivals in the past? Yeah we’ve played Falls, Southbound, Laneway, Pyramid Rock, Meredith, Lollapalooza, All Tomorrows Party and plenty of others. How will you change your set up compared to a normal gig? It’s not that much different from our normal show. Maybe less songs. Have you been to many festivals before as a punter? Highlights? Yeah, The first BDO I went to in 2000 had an awesome lineup. But Archers Of Loaf at All Tomorrows Parties would have to be my favourite highlight. What five acts (past or present) would comprise your dream festival bill? Pixies, Drive Like Jehu, Blink-182 (only cause my mate Belly loves ‘em so much), Nirvana and Pavement. What have you got planned down the road? Just heaps more touring. We will do our own tour later in the year. Hopefully play some regional shows and maybe release another 7” with two different covers of songs we like, like we did a few years back with the My Pal and Taskforce covers. Violent Soho play Big Day Out at Metricon Stadium, Carrara on Sunday 19 Jan.
STUCK ON YOU
STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
One of Brisbane’s most respected blues and roots identities Mojo Webb will headline at Grand Central Hotel, 31 Jan. Lighting up the stage with his passion and personality, this night is one for the diary.
Red-blooded Sydney quartet Cuervo will bring their rocking bad ways up to Brisbane for two nights when they launch their new single Arms. Catch the lads at Ric’s Bar, 21 Mar and The Tempo Hotel, 22 Mar.
RAISIN THE ROOF
HIT THE VEIN
Don’t miss Frank Sultana & The Sinister Kids when they launch their melodious and rustic new track Kind Hearted Girl with shows at The Joynt, 15 Feb and New Globe Theatre, 15 Mar as part of the Mojo Burning Festival.
Perth rock heroes The Love Junkies are on the precipice of big time status, their volatile riffing leaving minds blown from coast to coast. They’re visiting the east with their debut LP Maybelene, playing The Loft, GC, 6 Feb.
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THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 47
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
Beyoncé’s eponymous “visual album” demonstrates that the LP format is still relevant, if marketed with panache. However, Beyoncé is indebted to her futurist lil sister Solange, who’s found new ways to disseminate her music. The inspiration goes beyond concepts; Beyoncé’s recent experimental urge is pure Solange. It’s unfair to Solange, but the Knowles will inevitably be compared. Yet Solange has actually been creatively liberated by her familial connection, becoming an indie rebel. Beyoncé, being a brand, will always be subjected to commercial limits. Solange can do whatever she wants. As such, there’s more personality in Solange’s fringe soul. And, while Beyoncé has the powerhouse voice, Solange conveys greater emotion. She’s arguably the most compelling female artiste in (urban)-pop since Aaliyah, but unlike the late Detroit tech-soulster, the Losing You singer is involved in composing her own material. It’s heartbreaking that she and fellow genius Dev Hynes have fallen out. Solange, a braided Rapunzel, lately, performed at Falls, and in a Melbourne club show, where she revisited the sublime Cosmic Journey and balmy Sandcastle Disco off 2008’s Sol-Angel And The Hadley St Dreams, albeit not her very early nu-’80s classic Crush, helmed by Beyoncé producer Pharrell. Solange also sang Cash In, a new track included on the illwave comp, Saint Heron, she curated for her fledging Saint Records. And could songs Solange cut with her Aussie buddies Midnight Juggernauts some years back make 2014’s album? Let’s hope so. @therealcyclone
SOLANGE. PIC: THOMAS GRAHAM
48 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
SUNK LOTO
My first live experience with heavy music was at Festival Hall – my father took me and a friend to the finals of High School Rock 99. I can’t remember any of the high school bands that played, but the guest headliners were Messiah, who that night announced their name change to Sunk Loto. A few years after, when I really started to get into metal, my mother allowed to go see an afternoon all ages show featuring Damaged, Minus Life, Sakkuth and D-Nine at the Chardon’s Corner Hotel. Though the extremities I witnessed that day were a little beyond my understanding and tastes at the time, and the gigantic mosh pit I had imagined in the lead up was non-existent, I was hooked. Every weekend I’d be out at all ages metal, punk and hardcore gigs at The Lions Den – seeing bands like The Amity Affliction, Alarum, Against and The Amenta for the first time. Still underage, I attempted to sneak into the Arena for Killswitch Engage’s first Australian tour with Soilwork and Anthrax, only to be escorted out of the toilets by security before doors. I soon learned that the load in bay door at The Rev was never policed, and a King Mungi gig became the first of many 18+ shows I illegally attended on a weekly basis. Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan snuck 17-year-old me and some mates into The Waterloo Hotel to watch them on the Miss Machine tour. After a night drinking Woodstock tinnies in the park next to an all ages Just Say Go! show at the East Brisbane Bowls Club, the guys in From These Wounds taught me how to sneak into Her Majesty’s Basement and I got to see Blood Duster
for the first time. At some point after that I turned 18, my first legitimate 18+ show being Shai Hulud at The Rev. Soon after I started a band called Western Decay, and live music became what I did every night from Wednesday through till Saturday. A couple of years into this I was asked to start booking hardcore shows on Thursday nights for a brand new venture named Club Phoenix, my first show featuring Penny Layne, Mary Magdalene and The Matador. Club Phoenix eventually became Rosies, which I then introduced Destroy All Lines to – thus the infamous club night known as Snitch was born. Thanks to US band Rosetta, I then branched out into booking tours across the nation. Eventually I was asked to look after shows at DIY warehouse venue Sun Distortion Studios, which I did for a couple of years throughout many trials and tribulations. It’s interesting to note that the majority of the above mentioned no longer operate as regular live music venues, or exist at all. Our culture seems particularly selfconsuming, and self-destructive in a way. After a decade of giving Brisbane my everything, and watching things implode time and again, I must say farewell for now. It has been one hell of a ride that has definitely taken years off my life expectancy. I hope that people continue to support and respect places like Fat Louie’s, the exclusively heavy music oriented Crowbar, and the soon to be opened all ages venture The Lab. I’d love to be able to visit them in the coming years, and not face yet another round of Brisbane venues that must build their history from scratch. Melbourne… it’s time to show me what you got!
We are promised a pretty good year for new records in 2014; Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Bruce Springsteen are the two big hitters for January and both of their records are worth hearing. It’ll take a while before either of them gels completely and we can see how they stand up against the records of theirs we’ve known and loved for years. New records are expected from Wilco and My Morning Jacket at some stage, while the DriveBy Truckers have confirmed their new LP English Oceans will be out early in March. Cynics hide your eyes, because there’s another Johnny Cash record coming out shortly as well; Out Amongst The Stars is an album of lost songs, apparently, that were recorded in 1981 and 1984. Sure, not exactly his finest years, but it‘ll at least be interesting to hear. Some interesting (and sad) news for fans of the Allman Brothers was announced last week, with both of their gun guitarists confirming they’ll be leaving the band at the end of 2014. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks have agreed to see through the 45th anniversary celebrations the band will undertake, but after that they’ll move on to focus on their own projects (like Gov’t Mule and the Tedeschi Trucks Band). It’s pretty massive news, given Haynes started with the group in 1989 and Trucks joined in 1999, but it’s admirable that they’ve been able to stay with the legendary rockers so long given how well their own projects are going. Gregg Allman and Gov’t Mule play Bluesfest this Easter.
THE GOSPEL MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH
opinion ARE YOU LOCAL? BRISBANE SINGLES AND EPS BY CHRIS YATES
GENERATIONS
BLONDE ON BLONDE
Independent
Independent
Generations say that the reason for their name is because one of them is young and one of them is old. It’s hard to tell where the line is drawn, the sounds on here are new and under-developed in a very pleasing way, still rough but fully-formed in their structure and ideas. Some hint to the older generation might be found in the form of samples of tracks by Leonard Coen and Laurie Anderson, but this could be totally selling the younger partner short. Fuck For Peace is a reworking of the ideas in Give Peace A Chance, interestingly the more sexually repressed modernity of it contrasting with the surface innocence of the post-‘60s sexual recklessness.
Big swirly rock from Brisbane’s legends of big swirly rock who previously took their cues from the swirliest of rockers The Dandy Warhols – the Dandys should probably be looking back this way these days. The drums thump as they oughta, and the simple riff is given a bright stylisation from the heavy dose of effects. With big budget mixing by experts in the genre responsible for hits by Eagles Of Death Metal and Queens Of The Stone Age, Blonde On Blonde give them something serious to work with.
Lucid
Tape
GAZAR STRIPS Oversight
Sonic Masala Revered Brisbane blog Sonic Masala takes the next step into
THE LOOKING GLASS A JOURNEY THROUGH ARTS WITH HELEN STRINGER
NEW YORK
I was assured that New York is easy. I was told that everything you need is either up or down. Unless you’re an orienteer, I beg to differ. I got lost going down the stairs of my sister’s apartment and ended up in a garbage heap. Trying to find the subway I became so hopelessly confused that a homeless man helped me with directions. He also told me that the sky was slowly crushing us, a statement with which I so fully agreed that I could not dispute his subsequent claim
to be God. The subway is in a straight line from my sister’s apartment; it’s on the same street. I blame living in Brisbane for this. This is a town where ‘the city’ refers to about six streets, all of which are one way, so walking in decreasing concentric circles will always take you back to the centre. Nightlife is concentrated in ‘The Valley’ (two streets) and ‘West End’ (one-and-a-half streets). There’s a bridge connecting the three and that’s pretty much all you
the world with the launch of Sonic Masala the label, and the first single from Gazar Strips indicates that the decision has not been made frivolously. It’s a big, messy delight of a track, with mournful lyrics reflecting the dark, gothy sentiments made by the guitars, deliciously recorded by Branko Cosic from Tape/Off, a dude who is well familiar with this stuff. Include mastering by Lawrence English and it becomes a Brisbane production all the way from the ground up. The track is from the EP Sparkling, one of two releases to kickstart the label, the other being Roku Music’s debut LP.
THE GOOD SPORTS
need to know. Here in New York I’m so confused I’ve developed cartographical-phobia, a condition characterised by a deep terror of looking at maps, induced by the knowledge that if you do so, you’re 30 seconds away from seriously fucking something up.
I’m pretty sure I found a proper dive bar. Shitty bars are my specialty as all I want is a place to buy a whiskey shot with a beer chaser for five bucks. I think I can confirm the hypothesis because immediately after imbibing this whiskey-beer combination I felt an urgent need to purge. The barmaid invited me to share the toilet with her while she fixed her hair. She asked, “Too much whiskey?” then encouraged me to throw up in front of her. A barmaid who’ll happily allow her clientele to demonstrate how irresponsibly they’re consuming alcohol is a universally recognised orienteering marker for shitty bars. It was a small but reassuring navigational success.
My hand-drawn map of New York is a cross, with the top end marked “up”, the bottom “down” and the horizontal line marked with “you are across”. It took me three days to work out that my sister’s street runs east to west not north to south. What’s more, I’m so spatially disoriented that I’m now also confused about up and down. When I sit on the fire escape to smoke I’m like a pilot who loses the horizon, confuses the ground with sky and flies his plane into the sea. However, I can find the important things: bars and tobacconists. Confirming that you’ve found a tobacconist is easy: they sell cigarettes – exchange of money for cancer. Likewise you can easily determine that you’re in a bar because people are purchasing alcohol in irresponsible quantities. Recently
Out Of The Way Independent
‘60s garage rock is popping up everywhere at the moment, with differing degrees of success and cringeworthiness. The Good Sports totally get where it’s coming from, and they choose to take things off in a more pop direction, leaving behind pretentions of copying and just getting on with making the most of the sweet song at the core. The slowed down sections are like those bits in all The Zombies songs that work the best. A fantastic debut for real.
On the plus side, this utter failure in navigational ability means that I am the perfect travelling partner. Never would I argue with intended destinations or doubt your ability to navigate public transport. I would singlehandedly nullify the most common of travelling conflicts by ensuring zero impeachment on your desired method for exploring foreign cities. THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 49
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
THE MUSIC PRESENTS Halfway: Old Museum 8 Feb Wire: The Zoo 19 Feb Future Music Festival: RNA Showgrounds 1 Mar Mikhael Paskalev: Alhambra Lounge 4 Mar The Growlers: Black Bear Lodge 5 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 6 Mar Bleach* Festival: Gold Coast 7-23 Mar A Festival Called Panama: Tasmania 8-9 Mar Billy Bragg: The Tivoli 20 Mar Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr
WED 15
Beejays Club Night feat. various: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point
So Frenchy, So Chic feat. various: Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm Thirsty Merc + special guests: Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta Locky: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Le Parti Soul feat. The Struggle + Guilt Trip + Wretched + Postal + DJ Redbeard: Ric’s (Downstairs), Fortitude Valley
Suzanne Vega: Brisbane Powerhouse 15 Apr Allen Stone: The Zoo 16 Apr The Wailers: The Tivoli 16 Apr Byron Bay Bluesfest: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm 27-21 Apr KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr India Arie & Joss Stone: The Tivoli 20 Apr Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr Ozomatli: The Zoo 23 Apr
Question Everything + Universe Returns + Headshow: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
THU 16
Thomas Calder + Eves + Hugh Middleton: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley D At Sea + Guests: Black Box Theatre (all ages / 4.30pm), Nambour Swing Set: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point
Venus Envy: Royal Exchange Hotel, Toowong
So Frenchy, So Chic feat. Lilly Wood & The Prick: Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
Open Mic Night feat. various: The Loft, Chevron Island
Shannon Carroll: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa
Acoustic Sessions feat. various: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
Rotting Christ + The Amenta + Terra Australis: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley
Spaghetti Rock with The Casuarinas: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley
Electric Samurai: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
Lesyah: The Vault, Southport
GIG OF THE WEEK BULLHORN: 17 JAN, CONISTON LANE
Arctic Monkeys: BEC 7 May
Jam Session+Various: JMI Live, Bowen Hills
Dave Ritter: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central
FRI 17
Ballad Boy: Loving Hut, Mount Gravatt
Courtney Barnett: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley
Jeff Carter: Royal Exchange Hotel (4pm), Toowong
Open Mic Night feat. various: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
Little Odessa: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley
Stairway: Royal Exchange Hotel (8.30pm), Toowong
Alla Spina + Christian Patey + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley
Barry Charles & The Deeper Beat: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point
John Malcolm: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna
Kim Churchill: Solbar, Maroochydore
DJ Solafreq + DJ Jasti: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa
Sarah Blasko: St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane Mission Blues Band + Men In Blues + Mike Beale: The Loft, Chevron Island
Plan Of Attack + Albion Gold + DMS Punx + Anti Thesis + Ah Fuck That: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley Darren J Ray: City Golf Club, Toowoomba
Born Of Osiris + After The Burial: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
Bullhorn + Stormchasers + Signature Series + DJ Watson: Coniston Lane, Fortitude Valley
Frazer Goodman + friends: The Vault, Southport
Endless Heights: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley
The Misfits + Graveyard Rockstars + The Wrath: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Max Vangeli: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Lancelot: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Hunter & Smoke: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Snakes & Daggers + Cassian + The United States of Oz + Show Your Cards: Indooroopilly Hotel, Indooroopilly Motion DJs: Irish Murphy’s (upstairs), Brisbane Plagiarhythm + B-Rad: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Cash Savage & The Last Drinks: Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane One Sound: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central Strings For Ammo: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Caligula’s Horse + Helm + Guards Of May + Trinatyde + Stellar Green: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley
HITS: 18 JAN, TRANSCONTINENTAL HOTEL
Jamie Hutchings + Kellie Lloyd + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley
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DJ Ryan: Ric’s (upstairs), Fortitude Valley
Who’s Charlie: Saltbar, South Kingscliff Le Boeuf + Sean Fitzgerald: Shady Palms, Stones Corner The Belligerents: Solbar, Maroochydore Kim Churchill + Jonny Nyst: Soundlounge, Currumbin The Piano Man: Southern Cross Tavern, Coolangatta Icehouse + Models: Southport RSL, Southport Eyehategod: The Hi-Fi, West End The Veal: Late Night Comedy feat. various: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley Papa Pilko & The Bin Rats: The Joynt, South Brisbane Ingrid James + Julian Jones: The Lido Cafe & Restaurant, Ascot Electrik Lemonade + Barney Trub + Soul Simple: The Loft, Chevron Island The Rift + Go Van Go + Hope Springs + Fire & Whistle Theory + Lucy Street: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Delight feat. various DJs: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Bar), Fortitude Valley Diamond Dave: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley Jazz & Shiraz feat. various: The Vault (4pm), Southport Bec Whitehead and band: The Vault, Southport Mutiny + Paddy McHugh & The Goldminers + D Rouser + These Dirty Bones: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
SUN 19
Kim Churchill: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Cash Savage & The Last Drinks + DJ Pipeline Pete: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa The Stevens + Per Purpose + Evening Hiss + Barbituates + Scrabble: Club Greenslopes (3pm), Greenslopes Wasabi + Ragdoll + Mick McHugh: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
MUDHONEY: 18 JAN, THE ZOO Born Of Osiris + After The Burial: Upstairs 199 (all ages), West End
SAT 18
The Trophy Brides: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna DJ Trent: Saltbar, South Kingscliff The Chocolate Strings + Tin Can Radio: Solbar, Maroochydore
The Flangipanis + Forty Five + Pissed On + Goon On The Rocks: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
Mosspit 1 feat. Snakes & Daggers + Collinsclass + Boned + Maniacs + Averice: Southern Cross Tavern (3pm), Coolangatta
Watch Your Step! – 60s Dance Club feat. various DJs: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley
Junior Danger + The Con & The Liar: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba
Kim Churchill: Bon Amici Wine Bar, Toowoomba Galapagos Duck: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point DJ Jahzen: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Thriller feat. Wish For Wings + In Ashes We Lie + Chyeah Roy + Rivals: Coniston Lane, Fortitude Valley Icehouse + Models: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Bloodgin + Secondheart + more: Fat Louie’s, Brisbane Trainspotters feat. The Stevens + Martyr Privates + Thigh Master + Sewers: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Motion DJs: Irish Murphy’s (upstairs), Brisbane Wasabi + Quennel Mott: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Gavin Bell Band: Logan Diggers Club, Logan Central Off The Leash + Murphy’s Pigs + Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
Felguk: The Hi-Fi, West End The Little Day In feat. Gay Paris + Kira Puru & The Bruise + Cash Savage & The Last Drinks + Flap! + Juke Baritone & The Swamp Dogs + Stella Angelico & The Switch + Papa Pilko & The Bin Rats + Max Savage & The False Idols: The Joynt, South Brisbane
Scatakite + Nathan ‘Slyde’ Petersen: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley Leon Green: Royal Exchange Hotel (1.30pm), Toowong
Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute Show: Southern Cross Tavern, Coolangatta Jamie Hutchings: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba The Family Jordan + The Babe Rainbow: The Bearded Lady, West End
TUE 21
Woody Lives Here: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
Out Of Abingdon + Ewan Mackenzie: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm
Felguk: The Hi-Fi, West End
Mark Sheils: Samford Valley Hotel, Samford Valley
Yank Tank: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
D.A. Calf + Matt Wicking + guests: The End, West End
The Wolfe Tones: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
Lesyah: The Vault, Southport
MON 20
Robertson Brothers: Royal Mail Hotel (2pm), Goodna
Rob Hackwood Duo: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
The Imprints: Solbar (2pm), Maroochydore
Rockaoke feat. various: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
Lancelot: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Bar), Fortitude Valley Brazen + Electric Samurai: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley The Lumineers: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley Frazer Goodman and friends: The Vault, Southport The Ravagers + Dead Zephyr + The Worriers: The Waiting Room, West End Mudhoney + feedtime + Gravel Samwidge: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion + Major Lazer + Flosstradamus: RNA Showgrounds (The Marquee), Bowen Hills Brooksy & Co: Royal Exchange Hotel, Toowong
Endless Heights: Upstairs 199, West End
DJ Simon: Ric’s (upstairs), Fortitude Valley
Strings For Ammo: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane
KIM CHURCHILL: 19 JAN, BLACK BEAR LODGE
Real Talks + Zebulen + Kim Sheehy: The Loft, Chevron Island
Devil’s Kitchen Festival 2014 feat. Giants Of Science + Six Ft Hick + Hits + Shellfin + Lomera + New Jack Rubys + Fear The Setting Sun + The Royal Artillery + Winterun + Heavy Roller + The Ovaries + The Steady As She Goes + Thirteen Seventy + Raygun Mortlocks + Indica: Transcontinental Hotel (2pm), Brisbane
Soula + Say Do Now + DJ Valdis: Ric’s (downstairs), Fortitude Valley
Big Day Out 2014 feat. Pearl Jam + Arcade Fire + Beady Eye + Deftones + The Hives + Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion + Major Lazer + Steve Angello + Flume + The Lumineers + Tame Impala + Mac Miller + Flosstradamus + Ghost + Grouplove + The Naked And Famous + Dillon Francis + Toro Y Moi + Portugal. The Man + Mudhoney + Pez + DIIV + The 1975 + Northlane + Big Gigantic + Cosmic Psychos + Loon Lake + Kingswood + Bo Ningen + Rufus + The Algorithm + DZ Deathrays + Peking Duk + Ben Morris + more: Metricon Stadium, Carrara
PEARL JAM: 19 JAN, BIG DAY OUT
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 51
tour guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
Lilly Wood & The Prick: Brisbane Powerhouse 16 Jan
Kim Churchill: Solbar 16 Jan, SoundLounge 17 Jan, Bon Amici Cafe 18 Jan, Black Bear Lodge 19 Jan
Lou Doillon: Brisbane Powerhouse 15 Jan
Sarah Blasko: St John’s Cathedral 16 Jan
Misfits: The Zoo 16 Jan Eyehategod: The Hi-Fi 17 Jan
The John Steel Singers, Jeremy Neale: Black Bear Lodge 20, 21 Feb Kerser: The Hi-Fi 22 Feb (AA and 18+) The Kite String Tangle: The Zoo 22 Feb Caravãna Sun: Beach Hotel 28 Feb, Solbar 1 Mar, Brunswick Heads Hotel 2 Mar
Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer, Flosstradamus: The Marquee 18 Jan
D At Sea: Black Box Theatre 16 Jan (AA), The Lab 18 Jan (AA), Solbar 27 Feb, The Loft 28 Feb, Crowbar 1 Mar
Mudhoney: The Zoo 18 Jan
Mutiny: The Zoo 17 Jan
The Holidays: Elsewhere 6 Mar, The Zoo 7 Mar, The Spotted Cow 8 Mar
Courtney Barnett: Alhambra Lounge 17 Jan
Christine Anu: Southport RSL 7 Mar, Old Museum 8 Mar
Jamie Hutchings: Ric’s Bar 17 Jan, Taps Australia 19 Jan, The Rails 20 Jan
Frenzal Rhomb: Coolangatta Hotel 7 Mar, The Hi-Fi 8 Mar
Icehouse, Models: Southport RSL 17 Jan, Eatons Hill Hotel 18 Jan
John Farnham: BEC 10 Mar
The Lumineers: The Tivoli 18 Jan
JAKE BUGG: 23 APR, THE HI-FI
Felguk: The Hi-Fi 18 Jan Funkagenda: Ellement Lounge (day) and Shuffle (night) 26 Jan
The Wailers: The Tivoli 16 Apr
Lemuria: Snitch 30 Jan
Charles Bradley: The Hi-Fi 4 Mar
Ken Stringfellow, Chris Stamey: Black Bear Lodge 30 Jan
Mikhael Paskalev: Alhambra Lounge 4 Mar
Periphery: The Hi-Fi 31 Jan
Neko Case: The Hi-Fi 5 Mar
Kris Kristofferson: Lismore Workers Club 16 Apr, Empire Theatre 17 Apr, QPAC 18 Apr, Jupiters Theatre 19 Apr
Groundation: The Hi-Fi 4 Feb
Neil Finn: Nambour Civic Centre 6 Mar, QPAC 7 Mar
KC & The Sunshine Band: The Tivoli 19 Apr
The Stevens: Grand Central Hotel 18 Jan, Club Greenslopes 19 Jan
Bruno Mars: BEC 7 Mar
India Arie, Joss Stone: The Tivoli 20 Apr
Sun City: Beach Hotel 19 Jan, Alhambra Lounge 24 Jan
Ozomatli: The Zoo 23 Apr
Hunters & Collectors: Sirromet Wines 2 Feb
The Locust: Crowbar 5 Feb Selena Gomez: BCEC 6 Feb I Am Giant: The Rev 6 Feb DJ Shadow: Family 7 Feb Dash Berlin: Family 9 Feb Jeff Martin: Black Bear Lodge 9 Feb The National: Riverstage 11 Feb Ed Kowalczyk: The Tivoli 12 Feb Devin The Dude: Coniston Lane 12 Feb Ben Pearce: Bowler Bar 15 Feb Wire: The Zoo 19 Feb Eminem: Suncorp Stadium 20 Feb Clutch: The Zoo 21 Feb
Public Enemy: The Hi-Fi 7 Mar Lionel Ritchie: BEC 10 Mar Yo La Tengo: The Zoo 11 Mar Iced Earth: The Hi-Fi 14 Mar Toby Keith: BEC 14 Mar Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails: BEC 17 Mar Billy Bragg: The Tivoli 20 Mar, The Northern 21 Mar Gang Of Four: The Hi-Fi 22 Mar Jurassic 5: Eatons Hill Hotel 22 Mar Sebadoh: The Zoo 23 Mar Absu: Crowbar 23 Mar
Jake Bugg: The Hi-Fi 23 Apr Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch: The Hi-Fi 24 Apr Skid Row, Ugly Kid Joe: Eatons Hill Hotel 26 Apr KT Tunstall: The Zoo 30 Apr Jason Derulo: BEC 5 May Arctic Monkeys: BEC 7 May Michael Buble: BEC 12 May Fleshgod Apocalypse: The Hi-Fi 14 May The English Beat: The Zoo 18 May
Mother’s Cake: Beetle Bar 22 Feb
Thirty Seconds To Mars, White Lies: Brisbane Riverstage 30 Mar (AA)
Eddie Vedder: QPAC 22, 23 Feb
Kodaline: The Hi-Fi 1 Apr
James Blunt: BCEC 2 Jun
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: BEC 26 Feb
The Rolling Stones: Brisbane Entertainment Centre 2 Apr
Armin van Buuren: BEC 4 Jun
The Wonder Stuff: The Zoo 27 Feb
Kylesa: The Hi-Fi 2 Apr
Dolly Parton: BEC 21, 22 Feb
Madeleine Peyroux: The Tivoli 28 Feb Mango Groove: Eatons Hill Hotel 1 Mar
3 Inches Of Blood: Crowbar 10 Apr Suzanne Vega, Seth Lakeman: Brisbane Powerhouse 15 Apr
Brian McKnight: QPAC 2 Mar
Steve Earle & The Dukes: The Tivoli 15 Apr
Six60: The Hi-Fi 2 Mar
Allen Stone: The Zoo 16 Apr
We Are Scientists: The Zoo 29 May
Ellie Goulding: BCEC 5 Jun (AA) Bastille: BCEC 13 Jun (AA) Dragon: Kedron Wavell Services Club 20 Jun, Twin Towns 21 Jun The Crimson Projekct: The Hi-Fi 28 Jun Andrew Strong: The Commitments: The Tivoli 25 Jul
Miami Horror: Oh Hello! 7 Feb REMi: Coniston Lane 7 Feb The Necks: Byron Bay Community Centre 7 Feb, Brisbane Powerhouse 8 Feb Oliver Tank: The Zoo 8 Feb Pigeon: Alhambra Lounge 8 Feb Sarah McLeod: Black Bear Lodge 9 Feb The Aston Shuffle: Oh Hello! 13 Feb, Elsewhere 14 Feb, Solbar 15 Feb, Byron Bay Brewery 16 Feb World’s End Press: Black Bear Lodge 14 Feb Rick Price: Brisbane Jazz Club 14 Feb, Gold Coast Arts Centre 15 Feb The Bennies: The Spotted Cow 14 Feb, Crowbar 15 Feb, The Time Machine 16 Feb Josh Pyke: Old Museum 15 Feb The Angels: Harrigan’s Drift Inn 15 Feb, Caloundra RSL 28 Mar, Coolangatta Hotel 29 Mar Pete Murray: Villa Noosa 20 Feb, Twin Towns 21 Feb, The Tivoli 22 Feb, Redland Bay Hotel 23 Feb
1000S OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU 52 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
Dan Sultan: The Zoo 8 Mar The Smith Street Band: The Zoo 14 Mar Sunnyboys: The Northern 14, 15 Mar, The Tivoli 28 Mar Illy: The Zoo 15 Mar Luca Brasi: Crowbar 22 Mar, The Lab 23 Mar (AA) Jimmy Barnes: Sirromet Wines 30 Mar Kate Miller-Heidke: The Tivoli 5 Apr Boy & Bear: Sunshine Coast Function Centre 26 Apr, Empire Theatre 27 Apr, Lismore Workers Club 14 May The Presets, Australian Chamber Orchestra: QPAC 26 May
FESTIVALS
Little Day In: The Joynt 18 Jan 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
classies
Taps @ Mooloolaba
classies @themusic.com.au EMPLOYMENT
RECORDING STUDIOS
ADMINISTRATION
ALCHEMIX RECORDING STUDIOS
REHEARSAL ROOMS BURLEIGH HEADS
Rehearsal Rooms Burleigh Heads. PA, Air Con, spacious. $30 - 3 hrs, or $40 - 4 hrs. Permanent room available. Ad ID: 4-13543
MUSIC SERVICES DUPLICATION/ MASTERING Eco CD Replication Print@AustepMusic.com.au Ad ID: 4-13459
Established 1998. Huge new Studio now in West End. Ring to book in for a free studio tour----0407630770----www.alchemix.com.au----sound@ alchemix.com.au
THE WHITE ROOM
Mt Nebo. 30 minutes from CBD. Clients include DZ DEATHRAYS, The John Steel Singers, The Good Ship, The Grates, Yves Klein Blue, The Go-Betweens. www.whiteroomstudio.com 3289 8185 Ad ID: 4-13344
Ad ID: 4-13183
INCREMENTAL RECORDS
Professional recordings in a relaxed atmosphere at affordable prices. Clients include Velociraptor, Dune Rats, No Anchor, Nikko, Dick Nasty, Millions and more. www.incrementalrecords. com 0409830607 incrementalrecords@gmail.com
MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS FEMALE KEYS/HARMONY WANTED Female Keys/Harmony wanted for Brisbane band ‘Western Front’. Commitment is a once a week rehearsal and playing live. Please contact Graham at: westernfrontmusic@hotmail.com if interested. www.triplejunearthed.com/westernfront www. facebook.com/westernfrontofficial
Tap into something fresh
on the Sunshine Coast
Ad ID: 4-13457
TUITION Drum tutor Rosetta RockSchool syllabus and more Through Just Percussion 13 Creswell st, Newstead The Valley 4006 ph:(07)32160801 mob:0435288262 Ad ID: 4-13283
Ad ID: 4-13340
Thurs 16 Jan Alex Beilbey & Transvaal Diamond Syndicate (acoustic) Fri 17 Jan Ayla Scanlan w/ Ash Ogilvie & Agnes J Walker Sat 18 Jan Junior Danger & The Con & The Liar Sun 19 Jan Jamie Hutchings
1000s THE GUIDE AT OF GIGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Thur 23 Jan Lauren Valentine Fri 24 Jan Paul Renton Sat 25 Jan The Bucket Band Sun 26 Jan Australia Day Hottest 100 Countdown & The Fire Tree
free entry Cnr Brisbane Road, Esplanade Mooloolaba (07) 54 777 222 www.tapsaustralia.com.au follow @tapsaustralia THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 53
the end
TV GIRLS
HANNAH HORVATH PROFILE
Girls protagonist, lives in Brooklyn, mid-20s, aspiring writer.
PROS
She cooks (and eats cupcakes in the bath), isn’t afraid to pee in public and speaks her mind.
CONS
Horvath’s a narcissist (but really, what 20-year-old isn’t?) and often has oh-no-please-no-stop cringe-worthy moments.
BOYS IN THEIR HOOD
Adam ‘Shirtless’ Sackler, Elijah Krantz (former love turned gay best friend), Laird (thy neighbour), but it always comes back to Adam.
LIFE BEYOND THE SHOW Hopefully she’ll conquer her OCD and have finally finished her book.
CARRIE BRADSHAW PROFILE
Sex And The City protagonist, Upper East Side writer and fashionista.
PROS
Her love for the great loves of her life: Miranda, Samantha,Charlotte. A wardrobe to die for.
CONS
Her younger self in The Carrie Diaries.
BOYS IN THEIR HOOD
John Preston aka Mr Big, Aiden Shaw, Jack Berger, Aleksandr Petrovksy – but it was abso-fucking-lutely Big all along.
LIFE BEYOND THE SHOW
Happily married to John Preston and hopefully not heading to Dubai with the gals (do not make SATC3).
DOROTHY ZBORNAK PROFILE
The Golden Girls protagonist, a substitute teacher, born in Brooklyn
PROS Straight-talker and very, very tall.
CONS Often mistaken for a man – didn’t help that she lived with her “mom”.
BOYS IN THEIR HOOD They were hardly boys… they were men… way old dudes at that, including Dick Van Dyke and Leslie Neilsen.
LIFE BEYOND THE SHOW
Smart enough to not take part in the failed The Golden Palace spin-off with Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong). 54 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014
THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014 • 55
56 • THE MUSIC • 15TH JANUARY 2014